BIOtheNUMBERS

-1.5 billion animals moved across US border by importers from 2000-2006

-That equals 5 pets per person in the US

-90% came from wild populations where disease testing is not mandated

-More than 67% came from Southeast Asia

-52% were only identified by Class

-13.6% were classified by Species

-11.9% were identified by Family

-11.1% were labeled only by Genus

-3.9% were identified by Order

-7.5% of animal imports were labeled as unknown

Data: Conservation Magazine July/Sept 2009

According to Conservation Magazine’s reporting of an Environmental Science & Technology publication, “It can take 800 gallons of irrigation water to produce the amount of corn necessary to make one gallon of ethanol.”

Here is a breakdown of the amount of water needed to produce the fuels needed to quench our energy needs (Liters per Megawatt hour):

Oil refining: 80-150

Oil Shale: 170-681

Natural Gas Combined Cycle power plants: 230-30,300

Coal: ~900

Nuclear, closed loop cooling: ~950

Geothermal, closed loop cooling: 1,900-4,200

Enhanced Oil Recovery: ~7,600

Natural Gas Combined Cycle power plants, open loop cooling: 28,400-75,700

Nuclear, open loop cooling: 94,600-227,100

Corn ethanol irrigation: 2,270,000-8,670,000

Soybean biodiesel irrigation: 13,900,000-27,900,000

Data: Conservation Magazine July/Sept 2009

More than 1,000 species of sharks and rays inhabit the earth’s oceans

Basking sharks filter up to 1,500 gallons of water per hour

The smallest is a lantern shark, averaging just 8 inches

The largest fish in the world is the whale shark and can reach lengths of over 40 to 60 feet

The fastest shark is the Mako, which has reached speeds of more than 45 miles per hour

Blue sharks have been tracked swimming more than 10,000 miles

Sharks may hear a fish a mile away

Sharks can smell blood in the water from 1/3 of a mile away

The Spiny dogfish has a gestation period close to 2 years, which makes it one of the longest of any animals

Spiny dogfish females are thought to reach breeding age at 35 years

Dusky shark females reach breeding age at 20 years

The smalltooth sawfish population has declined by 99%

The IUCN estimates that 20% of sharks are in danger of extinction

Worldwide shark takes have tripled since 1985

Tens of millions of sharks are accidentally caught as bycatch in commercial fisheries each year

According to Oceana, “estimates of the total number of sharks killed each year for their fins range from 26 to 73 million per year.”

Data: Ocean Conservancy and Oceana