Egg labels, egg-splained: from cage-free to free-range, how to eat ethically and economically

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Friday, April 26, 2024

Shopping for eggs at the grocery store can be a confusing experience. Cartons are labeled with all kinds of descriptors – natural, organic, cage-free, free-range – and some cost more at checkout. But what do they actually mean, and for ethically minded consumers, are they actually worth the money?Protein-packed eggs are linked to relatively low carbon emissions compared with other land-based animal protein sources, but not all eggs are created equal when it comes to the environment, health or animal welfare, experts say.“When it comes to ensuring better lives for laying hens, consumers have a lot of power, as long as they’re not led astray by meaningless labels,” said Daisy Freund, vice-president of farm animal welfare at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA.The Guardian spoke with several experts, who explained what these egg labels mean, and how to shop in a way that balances a concern for hens with what’s good for the planet and your own wallet.What exactly do different egg labels mean?Grade AA, A or BGrade AA eggs are considered the best, and have ‘thick and firm’ whites. Illustration: Olivia de Salve Villedieu/The GuardianConsumer grades rate the interior quality of the egg yolk and white, as well as the appearance and condition of the shell. Grade AA eggs are considered the best, and have “thick and firm” whites, according to the US Department of Agriculture, or USDA, with yolks that are high, round and practically free from defects, with clean, unbroken shells. Grade A eggs are similar to Grade AA eggs but with less firm whites.Grade B eggs tend to have thinner whites and wider yolks. Their shells are also unbroken, but may show light stains. These eggs are rarely found in retail stores because they are often used to make liquid, frozen and dried egg products.Cage-freeEggs labeled “USDA-grade cage-free” are from hens that are able to roam vertically and horizontally in indoor houses. They must have access to fresh food and water, litter and protection from predators. These systems vary from farm to farm, but they must allow hens to exhibit natural behaviors and include scratch areas, perches and nests.In the last 10 years, hundreds of companies have committed to going entirely cage-free, and the country’s cage-free egg-laying flock increased by more than 10.5m hens in the first six months of 2023.But it’s important to remember that cage-free does not equal cruelty-free. “Cage-free means the bird lives indoors, but not in a cage,” said Carolyn Dimitri, director of NYU’s graduate food studies program. “This bird probably lives in crowded conditions.”Hormone-freeNo hormones are used in the raising of chickens. In fact, federal regulations banned their use in the 1950s, so if you see labels that say “no hormones”, it’s simply a marketing tactic and is not related to more humane treatment of hens or the health of an egg.Certified organicCertified organic eggs come from uncaged organic hens, which are fed organic feed free of animal byproducts, GMO crops or synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Regulated, certified and inspected by the USDA, organic flocks must have access to outdoor spaces and be raised without growth hormones (as all chickens, even non-organic ones, are) or antibiotics.But the organic label hasn’t always met consumer expectations for animal welfare, since organic layer hens still often live in crowded conditions. Some producers confine their hens to barns with concrete porches instead of true outdoor space. A new rule, however, mandates indoor and outdoor space requirements, thanks to the efforts of advocacy groups. But it doesn’t go into effect until 2029, said Freund, “so in the meantime, consumers should still seek out welfare-certified options”. The Cornucopia Institute, a non-profit food and farm watchdog group, maintains a score card to help consumers decide which organic eggs are best.Free-rangeRegulated by the USDA, free-range eggs are produced by hens that are able to roam vertically and horizontally in indoor houses, have access to fresh food and water and continuous access to the outdoors during their laying cycle. The outdoor area may be fenced and/or covered with netting-like material.Like cage-free hens, free-range hens must be allowed to exhibit natural behaviors and include scratch areas, perches and nests and have access to litter, have protection from predators and be able to move in the barn. Animal welfare advocates say free-range is a loosely defined term and since the type of outdoor space can vary, the label may fall short of shoppers’ expectations.Certified humaneNot affiliated with the USDA, Certified Humane is a project of Humane Farm Animal Care, a third-party non-profit certification program. The Certified Humane label means the hens’ environment takes into account their welfare needs and protects them from physical and thermal discomfort, fear and distress and allows them to perform their natural behavior. No cages or aviary systems that confine birds are allowed and laying hens must be provided with nest boxes.Pasture-raisedHens raised entirely on pasture can eat bugs, worms and grass and have ample room to roam, scratch, dust-bathe and engage in all of their natural behaviors. Since the term “pasture-raised” has no legal definition and is not regulated by the USDA, consumers should look for eggs that have additional labels and certifications to ensure the term is not misused by producers. Once considered a luxury item, rising demand helped shrink the price gap and increase supply. Pasture-raised eggs can be richer in flavor and more nutritious than caged eggs since the hens spend time outdoors and eat a more diverse diet. When hens have access to natural forage, the need for large-scale feed production and transportation is reduced, which results in fewer emissions compared to conventional egg production.What if a carton of eggs has none of these labels?The majority of the 300m chickens involved in egg production in the US are still raised in long, windowless sheds in rows of stacked battery cages. These caged hens are afforded only 67 sq ins of space on average – smaller than a sheet of letter-sized paper – and denied natural behaviors such as nesting, perching and dust-bathing. Factory-farmed eggs are often advertised as being “natural” or using “no antibiotics ever” and their cartons can paint misleading scenes of humane treatment on idyllic farms. If these cartons are not labeled as being “cage-free”, “free-range”, “organic” or “pasture-raised”, you can assume they came from factory farm hens who are confined to such a degree that they can’t even flap their wings.How do I eat ethically without breaking the bank?While eggs are still one of the cheapest forms of animal protein, prices have soared in recent years, now sometimes exceeding $1 per egg. “Higher-welfare animal products sometimes do cost more because farmers are investing in better conditions and treatment, as opposed to factory farming, which relies on cruel practices and externalized costs to make a cheap product,” said Freund. Since brands commonly charge more for claims such as “humane”, “natural” and even “free-range”, which are not backed by strong definitions or on-farm audits, shoppers can be easily misled.Experts suggest buying higher-welfare eggs like pasture-raised for special meals or reducing the number of eggs you eat each week. Another option is to supplement your diet with plant-based options. The ASPCA’s Shop with Your Heart Grocery List allows shoppers to find the lowest-cost, highest-welfare products.How do I know what kinds of eggs restaurants are using?The short answer is, you often don’t. While some restaurants may disclose what kinds of eggs they use for egg-centric dishes on a menu, it’s harder to know what types of eggs are featured in items such as baked goods, pastas, dressings and desserts. In 2018, Panera petitioned the FDA to know what an “egg” was exactly, stating that many of its competitors sell egg patties that contain more than five ingredients.McDonald’s recently announced they’re using 100% cage-free eggs, and Panera has committed to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs across all products by the end of 2025. Many restaurants use frozen, refrigerated liquid and dried forms of eggs whether they’re cage-free or not. The best way to find out is to ask the restaurants you patronize, but that doesn’t always mean you’ll get a clear answer.Are eggs from the farmers’ market automatically good?Farmers market eggs are richer in color and taste. Illustration: Olivia de Salve Villedieu/The GuardianFarmers’ markets can be great places to find alternatives to factory-farmed food. The yolks of farm-fresh eggs are often richer in color and taste since their food sources are of a higher quality than factory-farm chickens. Of course, not all farmers’ markets are created equal and just because a product is local doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. Ask the farmer for details on how their hens are raised since not all farms raise animals the same way.What about vegan alternatives?For people looking for plant-based alternatives, there are a host of options. Simply Eggless’s vegan eggs are made from lupin beans and are available as a liquid, patty, bite and omelet, while Crafty Counter’s hard-boiled WunderEggs are created from cashews, almonds and other plant-based ingredients. For vegan baking, Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free Egg Replacer and Ener-G’s Egg Replacer are both made primarily from potato starch and tapioca flour, and Neat’s Egg Mixx is crafted from chia seeds and garbanzo beans.While vegan eggs that mimic the look, texture and taste of real eggs tend to be more expensive than eggs from hens, many of the flour-like products that replace eggs in baking are affordable (a 16oz bag can equal around 100 eggs). Experts say it’s critical for plant-based companies to scale up production and optimize ingredients so products can be competitively priced for consumers.The verdict: so what should I buy?When considering animal welfare, environmental impact and health, certified-organic, pasture-raised eggs are the winner.“The birds are able to live a free life that suits their biological needs, and they are not exposed to synthetic chemicals on the pasture or through their feed,” said NYU’s Dimitri. “This egg has the best animal-welfare and environmental lifestyle.” One study found that pasture-raised eggs had significantly more omega-3 fats and vitamin E compared to those from caged hens.When looking solely at animal welfare, experts point to eggs from hens raised on pasture as the best option. “Shoppers should look for eggs from farms that are certified by the Animal Welfare Approved program, which requires that animals are on pasture throughout their lives, or can look for the Certified Humane seal with the words ‘pasture-raised’ on the package,” said the ASPCA’s Freund.Even if shoppers can’t find one of these options, experts say most retail stores carry some Certified Humane products, even if they’re not pasture-raised. Those products at least ensure that animals are never in cages and are raised in enriched indoor spaces or have access to large outdoor spaces.

Egg cartons are labeled with all sorts of descriptors, making grocery shopping a confusing experience. Experts tell us what these labels mean and how to shopShopping for eggs at the grocery store can be a confusing experience. Cartons are labeled with all kinds of descriptors – natural, organic, cage-free, free-range – and some cost more at checkout. But what do they actually mean, and for ethically minded consumers, are they actually worth the money?Protein-packed eggs are linked to relatively low carbon emissions compared with other land-based animal protein sources, but not all eggs are created equal when it comes to the environment, health or animal welfare, experts say. Continue reading...

Shopping for eggs at the grocery store can be a confusing experience. Cartons are labeled with all kinds of descriptors – natural, organic, cage-free, free-range – and some cost more at checkout. But what do they actually mean, and for ethically minded consumers, are they actually worth the money?

Protein-packed eggs are linked to relatively low carbon emissions compared with other land-based animal protein sources, but not all eggs are created equal when it comes to the environment, health or animal welfare, experts say.

“When it comes to ensuring better lives for laying hens, consumers have a lot of power, as long as they’re not led astray by meaningless labels,” said Daisy Freund, vice-president of farm animal welfare at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA.

The Guardian spoke with several experts, who explained what these egg labels mean, and how to shop in a way that balances a concern for hens with what’s good for the planet and your own wallet.

What exactly do different egg labels mean?

Grade AA, A or B

Grade AA eggs are considered the best, and have ‘thick and firm’ whites. Illustration: Olivia de Salve Villedieu/The Guardian

Consumer grades rate the interior quality of the egg yolk and white, as well as the appearance and condition of the shell. Grade AA eggs are considered the best, and have “thick and firm” whites, according to the US Department of Agriculture, or USDA, with yolks that are high, round and practically free from defects, with clean, unbroken shells. Grade A eggs are similar to Grade AA eggs but with less firm whites.

Grade B eggs tend to have thinner whites and wider yolks. Their shells are also unbroken, but may show light stains. These eggs are rarely found in retail stores because they are often used to make liquid, frozen and dried egg products.

Cage-free

Eggs labeled “USDA-grade cage-free” are from hens that are able to roam vertically and horizontally in indoor houses. They must have access to fresh food and water, litter and protection from predators. These systems vary from farm to farm, but they must allow hens to exhibit natural behaviors and include scratch areas, perches and nests.

In the last 10 years, hundreds of companies have committed to going entirely cage-free, and the country’s cage-free egg-laying flock increased by more than 10.5m hens in the first six months of 2023.

But it’s important to remember that cage-free does not equal cruelty-free. “Cage-free means the bird lives indoors, but not in a cage,” said Carolyn Dimitri, director of NYU’s graduate food studies program. “This bird probably lives in crowded conditions.”

Hormone-free

No hormones are used in the raising of chickens. In fact, federal regulations banned their use in the 1950s, so if you see labels that say “no hormones”, it’s simply a marketing tactic and is not related to more humane treatment of hens or the health of an egg.

Certified organic

Certified organic eggs come from uncaged organic hens, which are fed organic feed free of animal byproducts, GMO crops or synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Regulated, certified and inspected by the USDA, organic flocks must have access to outdoor spaces and be raised without growth hormones (as all chickens, even non-organic ones, are) or antibiotics.

But the organic label hasn’t always met consumer expectations for animal welfare, since organic layer hens still often live in crowded conditions. Some producers confine their hens to barns with concrete porches instead of true outdoor space. A new rule, however, mandates indoor and outdoor space requirements, thanks to the efforts of advocacy groups. But it doesn’t go into effect until 2029, said Freund, “so in the meantime, consumers should still seek out welfare-certified options”. The Cornucopia Institute, a non-profit food and farm watchdog group, maintains a score card to help consumers decide which organic eggs are best.

Free-range

Regulated by the USDA, free-range eggs are produced by hens that are able to roam vertically and horizontally in indoor houses, have access to fresh food and water and continuous access to the outdoors during their laying cycle. The outdoor area may be fenced and/or covered with netting-like material.

Like cage-free hens, free-range hens must be allowed to exhibit natural behaviors and include scratch areas, perches and nests and have access to litter, have protection from predators and be able to move in the barn. Animal welfare advocates say free-range is a loosely defined term and since the type of outdoor space can vary, the label may fall short of shoppers’ expectations.

Certified humane

Not affiliated with the USDA, Certified Humane is a project of Humane Farm Animal Care, a third-party non-profit certification program. The Certified Humane label means the hens’ environment takes into account their welfare needs and protects them from physical and thermal discomfort, fear and distress and allows them to perform their natural behavior. No cages or aviary systems that confine birds are allowed and laying hens must be provided with nest boxes.

Pasture-raised

Hens raised entirely on pasture can eat bugs, worms and grass and have ample room to roam, scratch, dust-bathe and engage in all of their natural behaviors. Since the term “pasture-raised” has no legal definition and is not regulated by the USDA, consumers should look for eggs that have additional labels and certifications to ensure the term is not misused by producers. Once considered a luxury item, rising demand helped shrink the price gap and increase supply. Pasture-raised eggs can be richer in flavor and more nutritious than caged eggs since the hens spend time outdoors and eat a more diverse diet. When hens have access to natural forage, the need for large-scale feed production and transportation is reduced, which results in fewer emissions compared to conventional egg production.

What if a carton of eggs has none of these labels?

The majority of the 300m chickens involved in egg production in the US are still raised in long, windowless sheds in rows of stacked battery cages. These caged hens are afforded only 67 sq ins of space on average – smaller than a sheet of letter-sized paper – and denied natural behaviors such as nesting, perching and dust-bathing. Factory-farmed eggs are often advertised as being “natural” or using “no antibiotics ever” and their cartons can paint misleading scenes of humane treatment on idyllic farms. If these cartons are not labeled as being “cage-free”, “free-range”, “organic” or “pasture-raised”, you can assume they came from factory farm hens who are confined to such a degree that they can’t even flap their wings.

How do I eat ethically without breaking the bank?

While eggs are still one of the cheapest forms of animal protein, prices have soared in recent years, now sometimes exceeding $1 per egg. “Higher-welfare animal products sometimes do cost more because farmers are investing in better conditions and treatment, as opposed to factory farming, which relies on cruel practices and externalized costs to make a cheap product,” said Freund. Since brands commonly charge more for claims such as “humane”, “natural” and even “free-range”, which are not backed by strong definitions or on-farm audits, shoppers can be easily misled.

Experts suggest buying higher-welfare eggs like pasture-raised for special meals or reducing the number of eggs you eat each week. Another option is to supplement your diet with plant-based options. The ASPCA’s Shop with Your Heart Grocery List allows shoppers to find the lowest-cost, highest-welfare products.

How do I know what kinds of eggs restaurants are using?

The short answer is, you often don’t. While some restaurants may disclose what kinds of eggs they use for egg-centric dishes on a menu, it’s harder to know what types of eggs are featured in items such as baked goods, pastas, dressings and desserts. In 2018, Panera petitioned the FDA to know what an “egg” was exactly, stating that many of its competitors sell egg patties that contain more than five ingredients.

McDonald’s recently announced they’re using 100% cage-free eggs, and Panera has committed to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs across all products by the end of 2025. Many restaurants use frozen, refrigerated liquid and dried forms of eggs whether they’re cage-free or not. The best way to find out is to ask the restaurants you patronize, but that doesn’t always mean you’ll get a clear answer.

Are eggs from the farmers’ market automatically good?

Farmers market eggs are richer in color and taste. Illustration: Olivia de Salve Villedieu/The Guardian

Farmers’ markets can be great places to find alternatives to factory-farmed food. The yolks of farm-fresh eggs are often richer in color and taste since their food sources are of a higher quality than factory-farm chickens. Of course, not all farmers’ markets are created equal and just because a product is local doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. Ask the farmer for details on how their hens are raised since not all farms raise animals the same way.

What about vegan alternatives?

For people looking for plant-based alternatives, there are a host of options. Simply Eggless’s vegan eggs are made from lupin beans and are available as a liquid, patty, bite and omelet, while Crafty Counter’s hard-boiled WunderEggs are created from cashews, almonds and other plant-based ingredients. For vegan baking, Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free Egg Replacer and Ener-G’s Egg Replacer are both made primarily from potato starch and tapioca flour, and Neat’s Egg Mixx is crafted from chia seeds and garbanzo beans.

While vegan eggs that mimic the look, texture and taste of real eggs tend to be more expensive than eggs from hens, many of the flour-like products that replace eggs in baking are affordable (a 16oz bag can equal around 100 eggs). Experts say it’s critical for plant-based companies to scale up production and optimize ingredients so products can be competitively priced for consumers.

The verdict: so what should I buy?

When considering animal welfare, environmental impact and health, certified-organic, pasture-raised eggs are the winner.

“The birds are able to live a free life that suits their biological needs, and they are not exposed to synthetic chemicals on the pasture or through their feed,” said NYU’s Dimitri. “This egg has the best animal-welfare and environmental lifestyle.” One study found that pasture-raised eggs had significantly more omega-3 fats and vitamin E compared to those from caged hens.

When looking solely at animal welfare, experts point to eggs from hens raised on pasture as the best option. “Shoppers should look for eggs from farms that are certified by the Animal Welfare Approved program, which requires that animals are on pasture throughout their lives, or can look for the Certified Humane seal with the words ‘pasture-raised’ on the package,” said the ASPCA’s Freund.

Even if shoppers can’t find one of these options, experts say most retail stores carry some Certified Humane products, even if they’re not pasture-raised. Those products at least ensure that animals are never in cages and are raised in enriched indoor spaces or have access to large outdoor spaces.

Read the full story here.
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How the new wildlife crossing over I-5 will help delicate Oregon ecosystem

The new crossing will be in southern Oregon in the Siskiyous, where the freeway bisects the home of an impressive list of flora and fauna

The terrain south of Ashland and stretching to the California border sits at an incredible intersection of ecological systems.Here, the ancient Siskiyou Mountains meet the volcanic Cascades, the high desert of the Great Basin, the Klamath Mountains and the oak woodlands of Northern California.Dubbed an “ecological wonderland” and home to an impressive list of flora and fauna, the area was designated as the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in 2000.Plowing through all that biodiversity is Interstate 5, which carries 17,000 vehicles per day. The four-lane interstate essentially severs the monument into two.Animals don’t have an easy time getting from one side of the road to the other. Due to its location, however, the area is a hotbed of wildlife activity and considered a “red zone” for vehicle collisions.“The traffic volume on most portions of I-5 would be considered to be a permanent barrier to wildlife movement,” Tim Greseth, executive director of the Oregon Wildlife Foundation, tells Columbia Insight. “The oddity with this particular location is it’s smack dab in the middle of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, which was established primarily because of the biodiversity of the region.”Now there’s good news, for wildlife and motorists alike.Artist's rendering of Oregon's first overcrossing for wildlife, proposed for just north of the California border.ODOTThe area will soon get a lot safer thanks to a $33 million federal grant to the Oregon Department of Transportation to construct a massive wildlife crossing over I-5 just north of the Oregon-California border.“The grant award will allow ODOT to construct a wildlife crossing over Interstate 5 in southern Oregon in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument,” according to the ODOT website. “This will be the first wildlife overcrossing for Oregon and for the entire stretch of I-5 between Mexico and Canada.”Announced in December, the grant award for the Southern Oregon Wildlife Overcrossing is the result of years of work and collaboration spearheaded by the Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition, which formed in 2021 to push for animal crossings in the monument.ODOT will provide another $3.8 million in matching funds that will come from a pot of money created by the 2021 Oregon Legislature to support wildlife crossings across the state.Construction is expected to begin in 2028, according to ODOT.Overcross vs. undercrossEach year in Oregon, officials document about 6,000 vehicle collisions with deer and elk.Wildlife crossings are effective at reducing such collisions.Oregon’s six existing wildlife undercrossings—tunnels constructed beneath roads—have resulted in an 80-90% decrease in vehicle-wildlife collisions in impacted areas, according to ODOT and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.“There’s a real advantage to doing overcrossings versus undercrossings,” says Greseth. “Overcrossings get a lot more diversity of species use. If you think about an underpass—and think about even people and how we might approach something where we’re going underneath a busy road—each of us individually would probably approach that with some trepidation. Animals aren’t going to be different.”The proposed I-5 overcross will consist of soil, vegetation and landscaping elements to make the crossing feel safer to wildlife. It will include retaining walls and sound walls along its length to dampen interstate noise and shield wildlife from light on the road.Dense plantings of vegetation will offer cover from predators for smaller animals, while open paths along the crossing will give animals using the bridge the ability to see their destination, according to ODOT spokesperson Julie Denney.ODOT’s landscape architect and a multidisciplinary subgroup are planning which plants to use on the bridge. The team is “focusing on the plants that will help make the crossing the most attractive for the species we expect to utilize the crossing,” says Denney. Those species include deer, elk, bear, cougar, birds and even insects.Potential plants for the crossing include sugar pine, desert gooseberry, deer brush, Oregon white oak, dwarf Oregon white oak, rubber rabbitbrush, antelope bitterbrush and spreading dogbane.The structure will span northbound and southbound lanes, and have fencing stretching two-and-a-half miles in each direction and on either side of the interstate. The fencing will help funnel wildlife onto the bridge.“Our goal is to provide an environment for the crossing to be as natural as possible, hopefully in a way that the wildlife are unaware they are crossing a major interstate,” says Denney.Kendra Chamberlain is Columbia Insight’s contributing editor. As a freelance journalist based in Eugene, she covers the environment, energy and climate change. Her work has appeared in DeSmog Blog, High Country News, InvestigateWest and Ensia.Columbia Insight, based in Hood River is a nonprofit newsroom focused on environmental issues of the Columbia River Basin and the Pacific Northwest.

Chained Monkey Among Latest Wildlife Rescues in Costa Rica

Although Costa Rica is committed to protecting wildlife, unscrupulous individuals continue to violate the rules and insist on keeping wild animals as pets. The National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) rescued a white-faced monkey that was held in captivity in Jacó. The animal was tied with a chain around its neck, which caused serious injuries, […] The post Chained Monkey Among Latest Wildlife Rescues in Costa Rica appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

Although Costa Rica is committed to protecting wildlife, unscrupulous individuals continue to violate the rules and insist on keeping wild animals as pets. The National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) rescued a white-faced monkey that was held in captivity in Jacó. The animal was tied with a chain around its neck, which caused serious injuries, according to SINAC personnel. “He no longer had any hair to protect him around the neck because of the chain. He had open wounds that must have caused him a lot of pain,” officials stated. The animal was taken to Zooave, located in La Garita de Alajuela, where it is receiving veterinary medical attention. SINAC emphasized that keeping wildlife in captivity is a crime and urges people to report any cases they know of. “For those who had this animal in captivity, the corresponding complaint was filed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office,” SINAC confirmed. Parrots, parakeets, turtles, snakes, and iguanas are among the wild animals protected by the Wildlife Conservation Law in Costa Rica.   On the other hand, a two-toed sloth cub was rescued in the canton of Upala during an operation involving the Public Force, local residents, and SINAC. The rescue occurred after the officers received information about the female sloth cub, which had been found abandoned by a local family. According to authorities, the animal was handed over to the officers, who, while feeding and caring for her, began searching for the mother in the vicinity. Despite their efforts to locate her, it was not possible. On Wednesday, they coordinated with the wildlife rescue center “Toucan Rescue Ranch” in Río Frío, Sarapiquí, to transfer the calf, where it is receiving the proper care. “The two-toed sloth is a species facing a population decline in Costa Rica, mainly due to the destruction of its natural habitat and illegal capture for keeping as pets,” environmental authorities highlighted. Keeping animals in captivity is a crime in Costa Rica, which carries monetary penalties and even a prison sentence. The post Chained Monkey Among Latest Wildlife Rescues in Costa Rica appeared first on The Tico Times | Costa Rica News | Travel | Real Estate.

Fears of ‘rogue rewilding’ in Scottish Highlands after further lynx sightings

Environmentalists condemn unauthorised releases as ‘reckless’ and ‘highly irresponsible’For a brief moment this week, lynx have been roaming the Scottish Highlands once again. But this was not the way conservationists had hoped to end their 1,000-year absence.On Wednesday, Police Scotland received reports of two lynx in a forest in the Cairngorms national park, sparking a frantic search. That episode ended in less than a day. Both animals were quickly captured by experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and taken to quarantine facilities at Highland wildlife park. Continue reading...

For a brief moment this week, lynx roamed the Scottish Highlands once again. But this was not the way conservationists had hoped to end their 1,000-year absence.On Wednesday, Police Scotland received reports of two lynx in a forest in the Cairngorms national park, sparking a frantic search. That episode ended in less than a day. Both animals were quickly captured by experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and taken to quarantine facilities at Highland wildlife park.Yet their delight at a successful operation was shortlived. Early on Friday morning, the RZSS’s network of wildlife cameras caught two more lynx in the same stretch of forest, near Kingussie. The baited traps were redeployed, and its specialists were hunting again.Screen grab taken from video issued by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) of one of the two Lynx captured in the Cairngorms on Thursday. Photograph: Royal Zoological Society of Scotland/PASpeculation has erupted over who was responsible for the illegal release, and police said enquiries were continuing to establish the full circumstances. Both lynx – who are shy, solitary animals in the wild and not dangerous to humans – appeared tame and showed little sign of being able to survive on their own, according to a witness. The witness said the lynx were found near straw bedding left beside a layby with dead chicks and porcupine quills.On social media, some pointed the finger at rogue rewilders taking the law into their own hands by making the return of lynx a fact on the ground, akin to how beavers returned to the UK through unauthorised “beaver bombing” . Studies indicate that the Highlands could support as many as 400 lynx in the wild and there is strong support for their return among environmental groups. But leading voices in the rewilding sector were quick to condemn this week’s unauthorised release as “reckless” and “highly irresponsible”.Dave Barclay, the RZSS expert leading the hunt for the lynx, was furious. These animals were semi-tame, and “highly habituated to people”, he said, yet had been released in deep winter. Temperatures locally had plunged below -5C, with deep snow cover, and they had been released at the mouth of a forest track heavily used by logging machinery.“All of that compromises the welfare of these animals,” he said. “It is abhorrent what has happened here, and against all international good practice.”Investigators now suspect the lynx could be from a family group. The two captured yesterday are understood to be juveniles, cubs aged about 1 or 2 years of age, while the two spotted on Friday are thought to be an adult and a third juvenile.Ben Goldsmith, an environmentalist who said he was not involved with the release, said: “Like many others, I have been momentarily thrilled by the notion of lynx once again stalking the Cairngorms. Lynx are an iconic native species missing from Britain and they should be back here. The habitat is perfect, these are secretive animals, and there are no good reasons not to reintroduce them.“We don’t know the story behind these missing lynx – perhaps they are abandoned pets that have become unmanageable. Whatever has happened, it seems to have been poorly thought through,” he added.The lynx were found on Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen’s Killiehuntly estate. A spokesperson for WildLand, the company that runs his Scottish estates, said they believed that native predators should only be reintroduced lawfully and in close collaboration with local people.In the UK, citizens must apply to their local council to keep wild animals legally. According to figures collected by Born Free in 2023, 31 lynx were kept by private collectors, although all were housed in England. Experts said that more lynx were likely to be held in unauthorised private collections that were difficult to monitor.“There could be far more lynx in private hands that are actually recorded. If they have cubs, they may not register them. People would be gobsmacked of what people have in their back garden. I know of people who have snow leopards and cougars in their back garden. It’s shocking. It should be banned,” said Dr Paul O’Donoghue, director of the Lynx UK Trust, who also said he was not involved with therelease.Were it not for the English Channel, lynx would probably already have returned to the UK. Now a protected species in Europe, the Eurasian lynx has recovered from a few hundred in the 1950s to as many as 10,000. Research shows there is mixed support for their return in the UK, with strong opposition from the agricultural community, who fear they will attack livestock.Edward Mountain, MSP for the Highlands and Islands and a landowner, said there was a “genuine fear” amongst locals about “guerrilla rewilding”. “We saw it with beavers on the Tay, now there’s talk of reintroducing sea eagles and goshawks. It can change an entire local ecosystem and that’s dangerous if it’s not done properly,” he said.

Why sabre-toothed animals evolved again and again

Sabre teeth can be ideal for puncturing the flesh of prey, which may explain why they evolved in different groups of mammals at least five times

The skull of a saber-toothed tiger (Smilodon)Steve Morton Predators have evolved sabre teeth many times during the history of life – and we now have a better idea why these teeth develop as they do. Sabre teeth have very specific characteristics: they are exceptionally long, sharp canines that tend to be slightly flattened and curved, rather than rounded. Such teeth have independently evolved in different groups of mammals at least five times, and fossils of sabre-tooth predators have been found in North and South America, Europe and Asia. The teeth are first known to have appeared some 270 million years ago, in mammal-like reptiles called gorgonopsids. Another example is Thylacosmilus, which died out about 2.5 million years ago and was most closely related to marsupials. Sabre teeth were last seen in Smilodon, often called sabre-toothed tigers, which existed until about 10,000 years ago. To investigate why these teeth kept re-evolving, Tahlia Pollock at the University of Bristol, UK, and her colleagues looked at the canines of 95 carnivorous mammal species, including 25 sabre-toothed ones. First, the researchers measured the shapes of the teeth to categorise and model them. Then they 3D-printed smaller versions of each tooth in metal and tested their performance in puncture tests, in which the teeth were mechanically pushed into gelatine blocks designed to mimic the density of animal tissue. This showed that the sabre teeth were able to puncture the block with up to 50 per cent less force than the other teeth could, says Pollock. The researchers then assessed the tooth shape and puncture performance data using a measure called the Pareto rank ratio, which judged how optimal the teeth were for strength or puncturing. “A carnivore’s teeth have to be sharp and slender enough to allow the animal to pierce the flesh of their prey, but they also need to be blunt and robust enough to not break while an animal’s biting,” says Pollock. Animals like Smilodon had extremely long sabre teeth. “These teeth were probably popping up again and again because they represent an optimal design for puncture,” says Pollock. “They’re really good at puncturing, but that also means that they’re a little bit fragile.” For instance, the La Brea Tar Pits in California have lots of fossils of Smilodon, some with broken teeth. Other sabre-toothed animals also had teeth that were the ideal shape for a slightly different job. The cat Dinofelis had squatter sabre teeth that balanced puncturing and strength more equally, says Pollock. The teeth of other sabre-toothed species sat between these optimal shapes, which might be why some of them didn’t last too long. “These kinds of things trade off,” says Pollock. “The aspects of shape that make a tooth good at one thing make it bad at the other.” One of the main hypotheses for why sabre-tooth species went extinct is that ecosystems were changing and the huge prey they are thought to have targeted, such as mammoths, were disappearing. The team’s puncture findings back this up. The giant teeth wouldn’t have been as effective for catching prey that were more like the size of a rabbit, and the risk of tooth breakage here may have increased, so the sabre-toothed animals would have been outcompeted by predators that are more effective at hunting such prey, like cats with smaller teeth, says Pollock. “As soon as the ecological or environmental conditions change, the highly specialised sabre-tooth predators were unable to adapt quickly enough and became extinct,” says Stephan Lautenschlager at the University of Birmingham, UK. “I think that’s part of the reason why this sabre-tooth morphology hasn’t evolved again in the present – we don’t have the megafauna,” says Julie Meachen at Des Moines University in Iowa. “The prey is not there.”

Oregon approves key permit for controversial biofuel refinery on Columbia River

Oregon environmental regulators gave a key stamp of approval to a proposed $2.5 billion biofuel refinery along the Columbia River despite continued opposition from environmental groups and tribes over potential impacts to the river and salmon.

Oregon environmental regulators gave a key stamp of approval to a proposed $2.5 billion biofuel refinery along the Columbia River despite continued opposition from environmental groups and tribes over potential impacts to the river and salmon.The NEXT Energy refinery, also known as NXTClean Fuels, plans to manufacture renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel at the deepwater port of Port Westward, an industrial park on the outskirts of Clatskanie in Columbia County. Biofuels are considered renewable because they are produced from plants and organic waste products such as cow manure or agricultural residue.The Department of Environmental Quality on Tuesday approved a water quality certification for NEXT, allowing the Houston-based company to move forward with the project. The certification – marking the final comprehensive state review – is a requirement for the refinery to secure a federal permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.The state agency previously twice denied NEXT’s application for the certification, in 2021 and 2022, “due to insufficient information to evaluate the permit application.” More recently, the company secured state approvals for a removal fill permit and air permit in 2022 and county land-use permits in 2024.Proponents hail biofuels for their ability to reduce carbon emissions as a stop-gap measure before the transportation sector can move to full-on electrification as climate groups advocate. Countries across the world, including the U.S., individual states like Oregon and cities such as Portland have bet on biofuels to reduce carbon emissions from cars and trucks via fuel blending mandates that require a certain percentage of biofuels to be mixed with traditional fossil fuels.Environmental groups have raised concerns in recent years about the impacts of biofuel production, storage and transportation, including deforestation, the displacement of food production and the significant greenhouse gas emissions from various biofuel sources.The Port Westward refinery plans to produce up to 50,000 barrels per day – or more than 750 million gallons a year – of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. The fuels will be shipped offsite via pipelines, trucks and railcars to markets worldwide.Environmental groups this week said state regulators “caved in” to pressure from the building trades, putting the river and people’s well-being at risk from possible spills.DEQ spokesperson Michael Loch declined to directly comment on that statement.“DEQ carefully reviewed NEXT’s application for a 401 water quality certification and determined that the proposed project meets the state’s water quality standards,” Loch said.NEXT has said it plans to make the biofuels at Port Westward from used cooking oil, fish grease, animal tallows and seed oils. It already has an agreement with a Vietnamese company to import fish grease, company spokesperson Michael Hinrichs said. And it’s in discussions with other companies for used cooking oil and animal tallows from Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Brazil and Canada, he said.Conservation groups in Oregon dispute those promises, pointing to the company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.“NEXT’s documentation shows that the majority of its feedstocks will be from corn and soybean oil, which are purpose-grown feedstocks with a higher carbon footprint, and will be shipped to the facility on long trains,” said Audrey Leonard, a staff attorney with Columbia Riverkeeper, a Portland-based environmental group focused on protecting the river that has fought the project for years.Columbia Riverkeeper and other opponents of the project also argue the refinery could damage water quality in the Columbia and its tributaries, including several area sloughs, and degrade local wetlands in the event of spills from the refinery and its railyard caused by accidents or a major earthquake.The proposed refinery would be built on unstable soil behind dikes that are next to high-value farmland and salmon habitat, Leonard said. Renewable fuels are just as flammable as fossil fuels, she said.In addition, the proposed refinery would use large volumes of fracked gas, a fossil fuel, in the production of renewable fuels, resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions, Leonard said. NEXT’s air permit allows over 1 million tons a year of greenhouse gas emissions from the fracked gas operations to produce the fuel at the refinery. For comparison, the average petroleum refinery emits 1.2 million tons per year and Intel’s two campuses are authorized to emit a combined 1.7 million tons of greenhouse gases per year.The region’s tribes also have sent letters opposing the refinery, saying it will degrade water quality and negatively affect juvenile salmon and other aquatic species.“This project is a massive step backwards from the years of effort to improve aquatic habitat,” wrote Aja K. DeCoteau, executive director with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission which manages fisheries for local tribes.Other groups have expressed support for the project and see it as a climate change solution that will reduce emissions and pollution.“On our way to a zero-emission future, we must do everything we can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and toxic air pollution in the short term through strategies like rapidly expanding the use of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel,” wrote Tim Miller, the director of Oregon Business for Climate, a nonprofit group focused on mobilizing industry support to advance climate policy in Oregon.Now that the refinery has the water certification in hand, the Army Corps of Engineers will issue a draft environmental impact statement for public review later this year and will evaluate whether to issue a federal water quality permit for the project.NEXT still must secure two state stormwater permits, though those are routine and typically filed after approval of the federal permit.The company is also developing a second biofuel refinery in Lakeview, 100 miles east of Klamath Falls, after acquiring an existing never-opened facility in 2023 from Red Rock Biofuels when that company went into foreclosure. The Lakeview plant will use wood waste from local forest thinning, logging and wildfire management activities to make renewable natural gas, known as RNG. The company has yet to announce when the plant will launch.— Gosia Wozniacka covers environmental justice, climate change, the clean energy transition and other environmental issues. Reach her at gwozniacka@oregonian.com or 971-421-3154.Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com.

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