The report "Arctic Biodiversity Assessment – Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010: Selected indicators of change" is being launched at the IPY Oslo Science Conference.

Unique Arctic habitats for flora and fauna, including sea ice, tundra, lakes, and peatlands have been disappearing over recent decades, and some characteristic Arctic species have shown a decline. The changes in Arctic Biodiversity have global repercussions and are further creating challenges for people living in the Arctic.

The sage grouse, the largest grouse in North America, is utterly dependent on the vast landscapes of healthy sagebrush found throughout the American west.   This bird, once numbering in the tens of millions, is emblematic of such arid landscapes.   

VETERAN PRODUCER OF NATURE FILMS DETAILS ADVENTURES AND ABUSES IN NEW BOOK

An excerpt from Chris's book:

“Russ, we strongly recommend that Chris Palmer be fired.” That directive from a senior vice president of the National Audubon Society to Russ Peterson, president of the organization, nearly spelled the end of my career in filmmaking—before it had even begun. It was 1982, and I had just persuaded media magnate Ted Turner to partner with the National Audubon Society to produce wildlife documentaries for television. I’d barely entered the field of wildlife filmmaking, and already I was fighting for survival.

Make a film that makes a difference - Conservation Filmmaking Course.

There are many conservation and environmental issues that could be impacted if only the people involved were informed or educated about the causes and solutions that could make a difference.

Films and the Media are one of the most powerful communication tools we have, we just need to make the right films and distribute them to the audience/decision makers/community/corporation/law enforcers/government bodies who can create that change.

NEWS UPDATE

As many of you know, we rarely (if ever) send out emails on this listserv that are not directly related to Big Sky Film Festival.  But given the serious nature of the circumstances, we want to draw your attention to a troubling situation faced by two of our colleagues, Big Sky Alums Joe Berlinger and Mike Bonfiglio, the makers of the film CRUDE, which screened at Big Sky in 2009.  Please see below to read part of a correspondence I recently received from Mike Bonfiglio, the producer of CRUDE.   Whatever support you can give them would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to WED 2010 – the biggest celebration of positive action for the environment!

Commemorated on 5 June since 1972, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages broad-based action.

The Story of Tsoe

To begin with of course, the whole thing really came about as a chance, a lucky conspiracy of fate.  Not only being a Tibetan but as an Wildlife enthusiast and filmmaker, I was quite passionate having to do something about raising awareness of the indiscriminate mass slaughter taking place of the endangered antelope in the heartland of Tibet.