Yves Paccalet, a French naturalist, says over-hunting is causing loneliness in the surviving whales and can even make them "lose the will to live".  Whales of some species may go for weeks without seeing another of their kind.

Researchers at Duke University studying poison ivy discovered that higher levels of CO2 caused by global warming is causing the plant to grow more vigorously, but also it produced a more toxic form of urushiol, the resin that causes the rash.  I can vouch for that.  The poison ivy in my back yard grows so fast I'm afraid to go out there in the summer.  I pull it up (wearing elboy-length gloves) but it quickly grows back.

If your interested in environmentalism, your probably already familiar with the Treehugger blog, but just in case your not, here it is.

The baobab, the fruit of an African tree, will be available in the UK after being approved by the EU for consumption.  It's importance is that it has more calcium than milk.

In Texas, it's still the cowbows vs the Indians.  A texas school refuses to let a Native American boy attend the public school kindergarden with long braids.  His parents have explained that it is a traditional and religious belief with them, but the school will not budge.  I wonder if they would have the same problem if it was a little girl with long hair?  I bet they wouldn't.  That sounds like gender as well as religious prejudice.  And all taught by the public school system of Texas.

I generally avoid politics on this blog but since Al Gore is no longer in politics I think I can say that I agree with him totally that we need to end our dependence on oil rather than just looking for new places to get oil.

Photo of the week:  A Loon on lake Sebec in Maine