That didn't take long. Shortly after our last post on the temporary moratorium on aerial gunning of wolves in Alaska, the Alaska Board of Game held an "emergency" meeting to rewrite its regulations and reopen the predator-kill program.

The state intends to slaughter another 400 wolves this year in addition to the 400 that have already been shot. This may be up to 80% of the wolves in the areas where aerial gunning is permitted. The aerial wolf hunt is intended to increase the moose and caribou population for hunters.

Do you see any irony in this? Voice your opinion at Defenders of Wildlife.

While debate in previous years has focused on whether human activity is the primary cause of current climate change or whether it is part of a naturally recurring cycle, this has quickly become irrelevant: it is happening, and we are making it worse every day. We can no longer afford to ignore the problem.

Evidence indicates that the greatest impact on the planet will be at the sensitive polar regions. We have already seen the beginning of this, as the ice caps recede, and species such as polar bears are put at risk. Low-lying and coastal areas will be affected; some estimates suggest that sea levels could rise by almost a full meter by 2100.

Even if all carbon dioxide emissions were stopped today, some change would continue, as these greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere for years. But we can slow the rate of change, and make it easier for us to adapt, if we take action now. Learn what Canada and the UK are doing to deal with global warming, and what you as an individual can do to reduce your ecological footprint. You can also join Stop Global Warming, a large-scale movement to raise awareness about climate change and put pressure on the American government to take action against polluting factors.

This week, the Alaska Superior Court declared that the state's controversial wolf-control program is illegal. Permits to shoot wolves from the air had been issued to pilots and gunners as an effort to increase the population of moose and other game for hunting.

Judge Sharon Gleason stated that "the state failed to provide required justification for the program, including previous measures that failed to work" and "the game board also failed to explain why alternative means for reducing the number of wolves would not work". This is not the end of the story, as Governor Frank Murkowski expects to find a way to allow aerial hunting to resume after a legal response has been considered.

In the meantime, federal management of over 500 gray wolves in the state of Idaho has been turned over to the state's Department of Fish and Game. This has caused great concern for animal activists as a 2002 state motion called for the eradication of wolves in Idaho "by any means necessary". Defenders of Wildlife has a petition online that you can sign to request that wolves not be abandoned just as their populations are once again beginning to stabilize after years of persecution.

ARCTIC will be opening for Paula Toledo's CD release party at The Media Club on Saturday, February 25, 9:30 pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance. More details are available on the Events page.

Want to help promote the show? You can download the flier here (as a PDF). Just print, chop, and distribute. Thanks!