Introduction to Are Mass Extinctions Inevitable?: At Issue

[CarmeloLabadie]

Introduction to Are Mass Extinctions Inevitable?: At Issue
 

The earth is experiencing a serious increase in extinctions. At the same time, however, scientists have been able to preserve many creatures.

One example is the bald eagle. The bald eagle is well known as America's national bird. In colonial times, bald eagles were extremely numerous in large parts of the United States. However, many ranchers and farmers regarded eagles as pests, and extensive hunting visit https://deerhuntingfield.com of the birds and destruction of the trees in which the birds nested resulted in a catastrophic drop in their population. By the early 1960s, there were only about thirty-seven hundred bald eagles left, according to David George Gordon's The Audubon Society Field Guide to the Bald Eagle. However, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 stepped up protection of the eagles. According to Gordon, "Subsequent federal and state laws have mandated that bald eagle nesting and roosting habitats be managed to maintain and increase eagle numbers to the point of recovery—the threshold where bald eagle populations can sustain themselves." By 1990, Gordon says, "the bald eagle population in the Northwest had increased to 861 nesting pairs—nearly triple the number tallied in 1980." The bald eagle is no longer in danger of extinction, though conservation efforts remain necessary. 

More recently, scientists have successfully helped to preserve the Grand Cayman blue iguana, one of the world's largest iguanas. There were fewer than twelve blue iguanas left on Grand Cayman in 2002 when biologists were asked to develop a recovery plan. "The program has met with success," according to a July 19, 2011, article published by ReptileChannel.com. The biologists determined that the iguanas in captivity were not breeding because they were being fed rabbit food and were kept in enclosures that were too small. Their diet was switched to fruits and vegetables, and they were given more room to roam. The biologists also released the iguanas into the wild at an older age, so they would be able to protect themselves against the feral cats that had devastated their population. "With thanks to the captive breeding program, the blue iguana population now numbers around 500 animals and the project says that number should double to around 1,000 in the next two years," ReptileChannel.com concluded.

The bald eagle and the blue iguana are welcome success stories. However, saving individual species sometimes can obscure larger or more intractable problems. For instance, Robert Bloomfield, writing in a January 11, 2010, article in the Guardian, notes that preserving biodiversity, or a healthy range of different species of life on earth, "is not about the loss of exotic species which have been the focus of conservation activities by the foundations and trusts of wealthy nations." Instead, Bloomfield argues, the focus needs to be on the biodiversity and resources "that provide the vital needs for the health and wellbeing of us all." In other words, focusing on one or two species to save is not enough; there must be a broad scale approach to preserving natural life.

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Some scientists argue that given the vast number of extinctions under way, humans need to think carefully about which species to try to save. Australian researchers have developed a new index to help conservationists better understand how close species are to extinction. These researchers argue that there is a tipping point at which species may no longer be worth preserving—according to them, the tipping point is about five thousand individuals. One of the co-authors of the study, Corey Bradshaw, explains, "we don't have unlimited resources," as quoted in an April 14, 2011, article by John Platt in Scientific American. Bradshaw went on to argue that scientists need to prioritize which species to save to achieve the largest ecological impact. "I'd love to save everything," said Bradshaw in the Scientific American article. "I just don't think we can," he concluded.

One species scientists have debated about trying to save is the giant panda. Giant pandas are very appealing creatures, and many resources have been poured into protecting them and trying to encourage them to breed in captivity. In a September 23, 2009, article in the Guardian, wildlife expert Chris Packam argues that the "millions and millions" spent on pandas could be better used in preserving areas with high biodiversity. "So maybe if we took all the cash we spend on pandas and just bought rainforest with it, we might be doing a better job," he concluded.

However, Mark Wright, of the World Wide Fund for Nature, writing in the same issue of the Guardian, contends that focusing conservation efforts on large, appealing animals is a good way to motivate donations and interest from the public in ecological work. In addition, Wright says, preserving the panda habitat helps other creatures, such as "the red panda, golden monkeys, and various birds that are found nowhere else in the world," who live in the same area.

The issue of species preservation is just one of the controversies related to extinction. The viewpoints presented in At Issue: Are Mass Extinctions Inevitable? will examine other controversies surrounding species extinction and preservation.

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[fisheater]

I can’t offer advice about a particular ski. What I can advise you is when Telemark turning you are more or less weighting your skis equally. Consequently you will need a ski that you can bend with half your weight.
This isn’t precise, but if you think about how heavily the downhill ski is weighted in an alpine turn, it gives you an idea. Another difference is with shins to the boots in an alpine turn you are able to pressure the front of the ski far more than you can with a free heel. I have not tried NTN gear, but I still think fixed heel and free heel are apples to oranges in that respect.
Torsional rigidity, or the ability for a ski to resist longitudinal twisting is still required. This becomes more important as speed and firmness of surface increases.
Good luck!

[Woodserson]

For spending all that money the travel company is giving me a free pair of Rossignol skis.

I have no idea about telemarking, but the Rossi Dirty Bird skis looked OK as an all-rounder for a noob.

Are they buying you used skis? Or giving you free new skis? Dirty Birds are like, ancient man. Barely anyone makes telemark specific skis anymore.

Get something close to what you have/want alpine skiing and maybe dial down the flex a bit and go for a softer ski.

[phoenix]

I've got a little different perspective on this. Being new to tele, wanting to try it out, and given the Dirty Birds... I'm thinking that to answer your question, yes, these should be pretty OK for you. Never skied 'em myself, but I remember that Rossi series of tele skis well, and mounted/sold a bunch in my shop days.

While 78mm at the waist is considered skinny by todays standards, my K2's at that dimension served me well from VT to Alta/Snowbird stuff for a lot of years, comfortably skiing anything on the hill (including the steepest steeps at the resorts, and associated side country). If you're powder hunting, I'd say go wider but that doesn't sound like your intention. I do have a vague recollection of the Dirty's as being just a tad bit stiff (not excessively), so they should be good on piste, and for people of average weight.

So assuming you go with that ski, what are you thinking for boots/bindings?

[fisheater]

I’m with Phoenix, I skied the same terrain at Alta, Snowbird, and Solitude on straight skis. I couldn’t believe what I could get away with on midfats 78 mm underfoot.
I have no idea about your Rossi. I will say a smidge of tip rocker is a good thing.

[joeatomictoad]

So after 27 years of downhill, I thought I'd give Teles ago.

I have no idea about telemarking...

Can anyone help me with an opinion/guidance?

Patience. If you're used to hard charging down the mountain with training heels, don't expect the same on tele... not at first. Also, in addition to regular pre-season alpine conditioning (ankles, legs, hips, etc.), you may want to focus on increasing strength/endurance for upper leg muscles such as quads and hamstrings.

NTN bindings will give you plenty opportunity to bend your knees in that tele turn position. If you're outfitted with 75-mm bindings for duckbilled boots, your knee drops are controlled more by your musculature and less with the equipment... connoisseurs on here may say this promotes more of a classic tele position. Hence the focus on upper leg conditioning.

Regardless of anything I mentioned previously, just have fun. If you've been skiing for 27 years, you obviously have an addiction to snow, sliding, gravity, and nature... as do most of us in this forum. Tele is just another way to accomplish the same goal. Cheers.