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presley lives … trapped in a small cage for 25 years
a lesson in human foolishness and future hope.... the web address for this article is |
26.12.2002 |
is the arctic ice on the way out?
the web address for this article is |
23.12.2002 | |
The result of over fishing. But.....
the web address for this article is |
22.12.2002 | |
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14.12.2002 | |
subsidies
destroying fish stocks
I’ve seen suggested somewhere that the fishermen should be paid not to fish, just as farmers are paid not to farm. Meanwhile, icelandic whalers want to return to the killing
fishermen demonstrate against reduced quotas.... I have visions of the last remaining shivering fish hiding behind a rock while a dozen factory trawlers bear down on it. “I’m sure there’s still one in there somewhere!” the web address for this article is |
12.12.2002 | |
mad deer disease on the plains in america The disease, marked by emaciation and uncontrollable drooling in elk and deer, had seemed limited to the High Plains but this year, scores of cases have been detected in Wisconsin.
the web address for this article is |
12.12.2002 | |
“pollution causes genetic damage”
Translation: await replication! the web address for this article is |
11.12.2002 | |
the web address for this article is |
11.12.2002 | |
the food infrastructure
With increasing population, the interwoven web of support from the natural environment is coming under increasing pressure. It is my intention to trace some of this, and to present interesting articles relating to the problems. A network of references and articles is now growing in the abelard.org news zone, directed to the steadily shrinking resources of mineral oil. Included in these references are complex reports that contain basic data on oil supply, poverty, environmental impact, freedom assessments etc, several of which may be found gathered together at recommended reading, with other references within news items. The food production systems are widely dependent upon the provision of oil inputs at many levels: fertilisers, transport, ploughing, building dams and power facilities etc. Here, for example, is a press release on the transport of food:
Meanwhile, at the production end, both Australia and the United States are subject to increasing water shortages and are seeking means to cope. Here is a short piece on the system of water distribution in California.
This comment indicates an ever present problem with irrigation control. For a great deal more on the subject see A green history of the world, by C Ponting. Related material the web address for this article is |
08.12.2002
related material tragedy of the commons (archived news item) |
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No definitive comment has been made on whether the fires are the result of lightening strikes, irresponsible slobs with cigarette butts, or acts of deliberate sabotage. The following are dispatches from our yak local to Sydney:
side-effects of the australian drought
Agri-business is starting to make noises about food prices rising by up to 20 per cent. Well, they would, wouldn’t they? related material
the web address for this article is |
05.12.2002
related material fresh water provision (archived news item) drought and the usa (archived news item) Freshwater (PDF 1.1 MB) Coastal and marine areas (PDF 0.6 MB) |
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the work to protect and recover whales continues
related material the web address for this article is |
03.12.2002
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good news on southern right whales “By the 1930s, uncontrolled whaling by American, British and French whalers had reduced the southern right population off South Africa’s coast to between 100 and 200.” Right whales were thus because whalers regarded them as the “right” whale to kill because they moved slowly, and helped the whalers by floating to the surface when killed by harpoons. “They have been protected since 1935 and are now believed to number in the thousands.” the web address for this article is |
20.11.2002 | |
1997 indonesian fires and atmospheric carbon During 1997, forest and peat burning in Indonesia added
to the earth’s atmosphere about one third to one half the amount
of carbon contributed by all human activities in one year. The fires also
had the effect of reducing greatly the world population of endangered
orangutans, who live mainly in Indonesia. Here is a slightly lighter spin on the same topic. And this article describes how two different methods of assessing carbon dioxide emissions from fire – the ‘bottom-up’method from the UK and ‘the top-down’ method from Australia – have arrived at very similar conclusions regarding the fires in Indonesia. related material
the web address for this
article is |
11.11.2002
related material |
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large
earthquake closes alaska pipeline The Richter scale, used to measure the strength (magnitude) of the quake, was devised by Charles Richter in 1935. It is based on the extent of earth movements as detected by appropriate measuring instruments. The greatest magnitude believed to be possible is 9° on the Richter scale. Quakes of less than 3° are not perceptible by humans, while those reaching about 5° can damage weak structures. Destructuive quakes have readings of 6° or more. Other scales for measuring earthquakes measure their intensity, by observing their effects – an essentially subjective measure. One such scale is the Mercalli scale, now developed into the MSK scale. The MSK scale had its origins in 1902 with an Italian seismologist, Mecalli; and was developed futher by by Medvedev, Sponheur and Karnik, from whence this scale derives its name. The scale number, generally written in Roman numerals, estimates the effects of an earthquake: from I (vibrations not felt by humans) to XII (total destruction). Here is a clear picture showing the line of the Dinali fault. The US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards site gives earthquakes information. the web address for this
article is |
05.11.2002 | |
japan
still wants to kill more whales “The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
in Santiago, Chile, has the task of balancing the protection of rare species
with the promotion of sustainable development.” For
more about endangered plants: related material
the web
address for this article is |
03.11.2002
related material |
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Great satellite pics of the current Etna eruption, from NASA. the web address for this article is |
01.11.2002 | |
antibiotics.... In 1928 Alexander Fleming noticed that colonies of bacteria growing on
a germ culture medium had been unfavourably affected by a mold, Penicillium
notatum, which had contaminated the culture. A decade later Ernst Chain,
Howard Florey, and others isolated the ingredient responsible, penicillin,
and showed that it was highly effective against many serious bacterial
infections. Toward the end of the 1950s scientists then added various
chemical groupings to the core of the penicillin molecule to generate
semisynthetic versions. A range of penicillins is thus now available to
treat diseases caused by such bacteria as staphylococci, streptococci,
pneumococci, gonococci, and the spirochaetes of syphilis. now
our small relations are becoming useful in tackling other nuisances Trichloroethane contaminates ground water and also erodes the ozone layer
when released into the atmosphere. related material
the web address for this article is |
01.11.2002
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ah diddums—hold back reality, we want ‘our’ jobs Spoilt brats squeal.... the web address for this article is |
26.10.2002 | |
The snows of Mount Kilimanjaro are melting at such a rate that they are forecast to disappear within two decades. [Independent, 18.10.02] Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain at 19,330 feet; it is in Tanzania. related material
the web address for this article is |
24.10.2002
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seeking simultaneous solutions to both pollution and poverty An interesting proposal being touted for the Kyoto process—for
a short summary. 2.47 acres = 1 hectare The report suggests a figure of 5 to 50 tonnes of carbon uptake per hectare
per annum for these projects. The current human activity carbon output per
annum is estimated at around 7 billion tonnes, and expected to rise. For more
discussion, see also WWF report linked in this
related article. for
a more detailed summary; The Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP8) to the Climate Change Convention takes place from 23 October through 1 November in New Delhi. The Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Treaty on Climate Changes legally
commits countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by an average
of 5.2 percent relative to 1990 levels. It is expected to be ratified
soon. the web address for this article is |
23.10.2002 |
email email_abelard [at] abelard.org © abelard, 2002,1 november the address for this document is https://www.abelard.org/news/archive-ecology2.htm variable words |