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Earth Day 2010

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Aral Sea Environmental Disaster and Human Catastrophe

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The drying up of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan is one of our most shocking environmental disasters. U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called it 'a shocking disaster' and has made an urgent appeal to the leaders of the Central Asian area to pay urgent attention to the problem and step up efforts to solve it.

The Aral Sea was once the world's fourth largest lake, but it has shrunk by 90% - all this the shocking result of  the heavy-handed agricultural policies of the old Soviet Union. A project intended to boost cotton production in the arid regions of Uzbekistan was responsible for diverting rivers away from their natural destination in the Aral Sea. The results of these short-sighted policies have been catastrophic for the environment and for the people living there.  

Dog Senses Earthquake Before it Happens

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Are animals more alert to earthquakes than humans? It certainly seems like it when you see how quickly and resolutely the dog featured in the video made a get away moments before the devastating 8.8 earthquake struck in Chile on February 26 2010.

Experience the Profound Wonder of the Known Universe

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Experience the profound wonder of the vastness of the universe while watching this beautiful video put together by the American Museum of Natural History. It is remarkable and breath-taking - makes one feel humble, in awe, but also filled with a profound sense of gratitude for being part of this marvel.

The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world’s most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History.

The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May


2010…

Kindle: What's New?

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Hope for Antarctic Whales: New Zealand and Australian Scientist Head South

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The two countries of Australia and New Zealand are jointly going to do research on whales in the Antarctic Region. Their plan is to challenge the annual whale hunting/research carried out by Japan. Minke, blue and humpback whale will be studied by the team of 18 scientists that have embarked on the study.


Climate change and its impact on whale populations and behavior will also be investigated by the team of scientists. They will utilizing a range of non-lethal techniques - special darting guns will gather samples of skin and blubber for DNA testing. It stands to reason that they will also tag the whales so that data regarding their movement through the seas can be monitored.


There is strong opposition to Japan's resumption of humpback whale hunting ostensibly for research purposes. The new research project will hopefully challenge this type of deadly research.

Japan Resumes Whale Hunting

Related articles by Zemanta

• NZ, Australia to research whales (news.bbc.co.uk)

Bowheads Whales in Disko Bay Greenland

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The bowhead whale is a magnificent species of whale which feeds on massive amounts of plankton and krill and when fully grown can reach up to 18 meters in length and weigh around 100 tons.

Not that long ago, it was thought that the bowhead whale was extinct or very nearly so in the area around Greenland. The bowhead whales had used Disko Bay in northwest Greenland as a mating ground, but had ceased doing this for some years.

Remarkably, the situation has improved and the whales are back. It is thought that it is possibly a consequence of global warming which has melted the polar ice there. This has opened up the Northwest Passage for the first time in around 125 000 years. Now, bowhead whales from the northern areas of the Pacific are able to reach Disko Bay and mate with the small number of local whales.

Bowhead Whales' P.O.V. - Greenland

Bowhead Whale Song

Legend of Romeo, The Lonely Wolf from Alaska

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This is a true, modern-day Alaskan story about the fate of a wolf whose pregnant mate was run over by a vehicle leaving him alone and grieving. We are certainly very grateful to Floyd Stinky Boy for this footage as well as for updating us on the latest news about Romeo, the lonely wolf.

LEGEND OF ROMEO, THE LONELY WOLF FROM ALASKA (updated with breaking news)

We can only hope that Romeo will charm his lady and that this Alaskan Wolf Tale will have a happy ending.

Ancient Whale Fossils Found in the Egyptian Desert

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Ancient whale fossils have been uncovered in Wadi Al-Hitan, meaning Valley of the Whales, in the Western Desert of Egypt. Unusually large concentrations of whale and other vertebrates fossil skeletons occur in this area - including Basilosaurus and the now extinct suborder of whale Archaeoceti. Paleontologists estimate the time frame being round about 400 million years ago when the area was under water.

One particularly fine specimen of Basilosaurus of 50 feet (18 meters) long has been found. Some of the whale skeletons have legs - indicating that these fossils have a major evolutionary story to tell.

Whale Fossil in Egyptian desert

Egypt may not be the first place you would look for whales, but once long ago the Wadi Al-Hatin was covered in water and teeming with these giants. Geologist Philip D Gingerich announced that his team had excavated the first almost complete skeleton of a Basilosaurus isis.

For more information, see what the Encyclopedia of Earth has to say: Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley), Egypt - Encyclopedia of Earth

The largest was Basilosaurus isis, which was up to 21 m long, with well developed five-fingered flippers on the forelimbs and the quite unexpected presence of hind legs, feet, and toes, not known previously in any archaeocete.

British Airways in Financial Straits - Asks Staff to Work For No Pay

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British Airways is fighting for survival after reporting a £401m pre-tax loss in May.

Two of its survival tactics have became clear:

1. It has appealed to its 40,000 strong work force to opt for blocks of unpaid leave or unpaid work in a bold effort to help cut costs.

2. It is planning to shed between 2000 and 4000 jobs again to cut costs and streamline its operation.

Under the headline Action Time an article in the in-house newspaper British Airways News reads: "Colleagues are being urged to help the airline's cash saving drive by signing up for unpaid leave or unpaid work." The CEO Willie Walsh who earns about £61,000 a month said that he would be working for no pay in July.

The article explains how this will work: "From tomorrow, people will be able to opt for blocks of unpaid leave or unpaid work, with salary deductions spread over three to six months, wherever possible ... The unpaid work option means people can contribute to the cash-saving effort by coming to work while effectively volunteering for a small cut in base pay."

Naturally the Unions, while acknowledging the seriousness of BA's plight, are not at all happy with these proposed measures and see them as ill-conceived and not containing a long-term solution.

Also, comments in the Professional Pilots Rumour Network show that they are not impressed either.
As Betpump5 remarks: "The CEO who is giving up one month's salary is nothing but a drop in the ocean. But the guys on 18K-24K would see 200 quid a month out of their wages for 6 months!"

It is going to be interesting to see how this is going to play out. In the current economic climate, survival is paramount. There is an unspoken, underlying belief that the economy will recover, that these tough times will eventually pass and renewed growth will follow - but not before there has been some fundamental reorganisation. We have seen this lately in the some industries in the US where the work force have bought into companies to keep them afloat.

News source: Sky News and Yahoo UK

Swine Flu - What is Happening in Asia?

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The World Health Organisation has raised the
alert level for swine flu from 4 to 5 which
means that the risk of a pandemic breaking out
has increased significantly putting the world on
full alert.

At risk level 5, countries have to ensure that
they have sufficient quantities of medicines
available to cope with massive infections occurring
in the population.
Governments are also required to introduce measures to
contain the spread of the flu virus. Screening at airports and
sea ports has been introduced in many
countries already.

Countries in Asia are not taking any chances.
After their experiences with SARS and avian
flu they are on high alert, poised for action if/
when necessary.

New Zealand is the only country in the region
with confirmed cases of swine flu - 14 at the last count -
with many other people placed in isolation. All
those who have contracted swine flu had
visited Mexico or North America recently.

In South Korea 5 suspected cases of swine flu
are being investigated, but no confirmed cases
have been reported. All 5 had recently visited
Mexico or the USA. The South Korean government
has designated Mexico a "travel restricted area"
for its citizens.

Australia has introduced new powers to isolate
and detain anyone suspected of having swine flu.
Aa a precautionary measure, aircraft arriving from
affected areas can be disinfected if it is deemed necessary.
According to the Australian Health Minister these steps
have been introduced so that "we can act nationally, we
can act quickly".

Hong Kong, China and Singapore are also
monitoring the situations in their countries
very carefully, Passenger screening, travel
advisements and airport checks are in place.

Swine Flu Update

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Swine flu has to date been the cause of more
than 150 deaths in Mexico, where it first broke
out. Several other countries have confirmed cases of
swine flu but no fatalities have occured.

• The USA has 50+ confirmed cases.
• Canada has 6
• New Zealand 3
• Britain 2
• Spain 2
• Israel 1

Swine flu is caused by the H1N1 strain associated with pigs.

The present situation has been caused by the virus crossing the
species barrier to infect humans.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised
the alert level from 3 to 4. The scale ranges
from 1 to 6 with 6 representing a full-blown
pandemic alert. A level 4 alert represents "a
significant increase in risk of a pandemic".

The 20th century saw three major pandemics. In
1918, Spanish Flu killed more than 50 million
people. In 1957 Asian flu affected millions
worldwide and in 1968-69 nearly 34 000 people
died of Hong Kong flu.

To put these statistics into a clearer pespective,
they need to be viewed in terms of the number of
people who die from seasonal influenza every
year. Worldwide between 250 000 and 500 000 people succumb
to influenza yearly.

Many countries are advising their citizens not
to travel to Mexico or to affected areas in the
USA (New York, New Jersey and Texas have been
affected so far) except for absolutely essential travel.

Swine Flu - What is it all about?

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Swine flu is a viral infection that originated
in pigs. It was first isolated as a special
strain of flu in the 1930s and has only
infrequently crossed the species barrier and
infected people who were in direct contact with
the infected pigs. To give an indication of the
rareness of that happening, the USA has reported
only 10 cases of swine flu in the past five
years. However, in March of this year 8 cases
were confirmed.

The current outbreak of swine flu in Mexico is
causing concern because over 100 of the people
who contracted it have died. In Mexico the
strain of swine flu appears to be particularly
virulent.

Several people who have just visited Mexico have
become infected with the virus and inadvertently
carried it back to their own countries.
Outbreaks have been reported in the USA, Canada,
Spain, New Zealand and elsewhere. At this stage the
travelers with the flu have not developed complications
and are recovering.

In the USA, some schools reporting outbreaks of
suspected swine flu have closed and students
sent home as a precautionary measure to prevent
the virus from spreading.

Many countries have put measures in place to
deal with a possible epidemic or pandemic.
So far, no travel restrictions have been imposed
on flights to and from Mexico. Airlines are
allowing passengers to change their travel plans
to Mexico without having to pay the usual
penalties.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is keep a
sharp eye on matters and has declared the flu a
"public health event of international concern."

What are swine flu symptoms?

They are similar to regular flu symptoms with
fever, congestion and coughing, body aches, sore
throat, fatigue. Those most at risk to develop complications
are people who are immune compromised, the elderly
and pregnant women.

What to do if you live in an area affected by swine flu?

Wash your hands with soap and water frequently
throughout the day. If you are at risk or
fearful of catching swine flu, wear a face mask
- the N99 is reported to be most effective - to
prevent you from inhaling the airborne virus.

If you have visited Mexico recently or come into
contact with someone who has and you develop any
of these flu symptoms, be sure to see your doctor
immediately.

South Carolina Wildfire Continues to Blaze

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The wildfire in the Murtle Beach area is continuing
to rage fiercely again today (Friday) after it
eased off slightly overnight when the wind died
down and firebreaks contained the fire's onward
movement.

South Carolina's forest fire chief said that
this was the worst fire to hit South Carolina
for three decades threatening parts of the
popular tourist area.

To date 20,000 acres of land has been scorched,
70 homes destroyed, a further 100 homes damaged
and at least 2500 people have been evacuated. No
fatalities or injuries have been reported.
Damage is estimated to run at more than $8
million.

The fire allegedly started in a yard in Conway
last weekend where a person was burning debris
in his yard. Firefighters were called in to
extinquish the fire, but it seems to have
continued to smoulder under the scrub only to be
rekindled by the fresh winds a few days later
leading to the devastation of the present
situation.

By early Friday, the blaze was reported to be
about 50% contained although it was feared that
that if there was any deterioration in the
weather accompanied by even slight increases in
wind speed flare-ups of the fire at hot spots
could result.

Teams of firefighters are reported to be
prepared for every eventuality, but are hopeful
that the fire will be contained by late weekend.