Penguins, courtesy of Wikipedia

Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid, and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans.

Although all penguin species are native to the southern hemisphere, they are not found only in cold climates, such as Antarctica. In fact, only a few species of penguin live so far south. Several species are found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galápagos Penguin, lives near the equator.

The largest living species is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri): adults average about 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 35 kg (75 lb) or more. The smallest penguin species is the Little Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor), also known as the Fairy Penguin, which stands around 40 cm tall (16 in) and weighs 1 kg (2.2 lb). Among extant penguins, larger penguins inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are generally found in temperate or even tropical climates (see also Bergmann's Rule). Some prehistoric species attained enormous sizes, becoming as tall or as heavy as an adult human. These were not restricted to Antarctic regions; on the contrary, subantarctic regions harboured high diversity, and at least one giant penguin occurred in a region not quite 2,000 km south of the equator 35 mya, in a climate decidedly warmer than today. (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Solving Problems: Start with One Pebble

A generation from now, it would be great if we could say we'd "solved" the problem of climate change. Since it's really a problem of human life, it may take a lot longer. So ... we might as well start now. There's an Aesop fable I like, about a crow that couldn't reach into a deep and narrow-mouthed pitcher in order to drink from the liquid in it. The crow added a pebble to the pitcher. Then another. With enough pebbles, the liquid level rose to where the crow could drink.

I'm guessing we'll solve "climate change" the same way. Today I'm going to add another one of those strange coiled lightbulbs to the house. Then I'm going to learn another type of penguin -- I'll post that information tomorrow.

I love this story, written by Sanam Erfani, that gives another example of a small and important step forward. Thank you, Sanam. And thanks also to the craft blog Instructables for use of the image that Sanam chose to accompany the story (directions for making this crocheted baby penguin are at that site).

Guinny the Lil'lest PenGuin

Lil'Guinny stood on the podium shaking with trepidation. 
"Everyone. Everybody!" 
The crowd continued to chatter and seemingly ignore Lil'Guinny. She gathered her courage, fluffed her wings with a burst and tried again. "Everyone!  Everybody!" 
The milling adults were not to be disuaded from their conversations. The elder could be heard exclaiming, "...losing the light...darkness...." His words rang out over murmurs, flashes of fearful eyes, gazes, brisk movements and a growing mass of penguins. Lil'Guinny felt electrified by the growing energy. As the buildup grew into a frenzy, more and more penguins gathered in droves, climbing WhitePeak glacier to anticipate the view of the coming lights. 
Lil'Guinny tried again, "The rumor is not true!" Lil'Guinny shouted, "The rumor is FALSE!" The voices softened for a moment as the crowd turned their anxious eyes on the littlest member of their community. "I have seen the Southern Lights," Lil'Guinny continued, "I saw them with my own eyes!" 
"When? Where??" The crowd threw questions and a new wave of murmurs arose amongst the crowd. 
She had done it! Lil'Guinny had finally drawn their attention. 
"Everyone, Everybody," Lil'Guinny stutteringly continued, "I went to EastShore yesterday, sorry Momma, and I saw Southern lights flickering." Lil'Guinny risked her mother's disapproval. 
"PenguinaAnnRockhopper! How many times have I warned you about the rabid white seals and sharks on the Eastern Shore," her mother hissed. 
"Beyond the bounds? She's gone beyond the bounds!" Voices murmured in the crowd at their disbelief. 
Lil'Guinny stood frozen. All 500 sets of Penguin eyes were now locked on her singular fresh fluffed form. Some stared with fear, others anger, a few with curiosity, her mother with disapproval, and one set of eyes stared back with sheer delight. 
Lady Carroll looked on from her vantage on the WhitePeak, and as her laser sharp look shifted from Lil'Guinny, Lady Carroll proclaimed to TownLeader, "Send a troop to the Eastern Shore." 
"But we don't even know if the story is true. We need time, research—" 
Before TownLeader could finish, Lady Carroll retorted, "The time is Now!" A silence settled in as Lady Carroll's decree rang into the penguins' hearts. "We must excavate beyond our borders to see if the ice is truly receding. The lights are instrumental to our communities and I will not have us lying in the dark as helpless victims. Let us face our future with dignity and integrity. Lil'Guinny has indeed committed a trespass...but the very law she broke may save us all." Lil'Guinny shook her fluffeathers from the mixture of terror and joy. 
And for the first time, her mother's eyes shone with pride. 
-- Sanam Erfani, (c) 2011
Posted by Beth Kanell at 5:30 AM

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