|
|
|
mongabay.com News - August 2005BSE-infected cow born in Texas - result of FDA investigation - 31-August-2005The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have completed their investigations regarding a cow that tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in June 2005. The agencies conducted these investigations in collaboration with the Texas Animal Health Commission and the Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service. FDA release Environmental problems worsened Hurricane Katrina's impact - 31-August-2005 The loss of coastal marshlands that buffer New Orleans from flooding and storm surges may have worsened the impact of Hurricane Katrina. mongabay.com New Orleans Aquarium, Zoo escape Hurricane Katrina - 30-August-2005 The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans apparently survived Hurricane Katrina relatively unscathed according to a report in The Baltimore Sun. Hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana city Monday. mongabay.com Non-invasive therapy for cancer may be possible with future nanotechnology - 30-August-2005 Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have created highly magnetized nanoparticles based on metallic iron that could one day be used in a non-invasive therapy for cancer in which treatment would begin at the time of detection. Virginia Commonwealth University release Illegal loggers to be imprisoned in Malaysia, possibly executed in Indonesia - 30-August-2005 Illegal loggers will now face mandatory jail time in Malaysia under new laws expected to be implemented sometime early next year. Existing enforcement efforts, which rely on fines but are poorly enforced, have largely failed to curb illegal wood harvesting in the country's tropical rainforests. mongabay.com Food safety tips after Hurricane Katrina - 30-August-2005 As Hurricane Katrina hits Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants area residents to be prepared for the aftermath. FDA is providing important tips to help people affected by this storm to protect their health and food supply. FDA release Rare asiatic cheetahs pictured in Iran - 30-August-2005 Researchers working in Iran made a suprising discovery that had nothing to do with nuclear weapons. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists, working in conjunction with Iran's Department of Environment (DOE) recently discovered that a remote camera set out to survey wildlife had photographed an entire family of extremely rare Asiatic cheetahs in an isolated region in the Dar-e Anjir Wildlife Refuge. The pictures show an adult female and her four youngsters resting in the shade of a tree, marking the largest-known group of these rare cats ever photographed in Asia. WCS release Hurricanes getting stronger due to global warming says study - 29-August-2005 Late last month an atmospheric scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology released a study in Nature that found hurricanes have grown significantly more powerful and destructive over the past three decades. Kerry Emanuel, the author of the study, warns that since hurricanes depend on warm water to form and build, global climate change might increase the effect of hurricanes still further in coming years. mongabay.com Global warming may have triggered worst mass extinction - 29-August-2005 A dramatic rise in carbon dioxide 250 million years ago may have caused global temperatures to soar and result in Earth's greatest mass extinction, according to a study published in the September issue of Geology. Global warming, which may have produced temperatures 10 to 30 degrees Celsius higher than today, would have had a significant impact both on oceans, where about 95% of lifeforms became extinct, and on land, where almost 75% of species died out. mongabay.com Urban planning and environmental design pioneer, Francis J. Violich, dead at 94 - 28-August-2005 Francis J. Violich, a professor emeritus of city planning and landscape architecture at the UC Berkeley and one of the founders of UC's Department of Environmental Design, died a week ago Saturday at his home in Berkeley. He was 94. mongabay.com Amazon deforestation lower than last year says Brazil - 27-August-2005 Yesterday Brazil announced that 3,515 square miles (9,103 square kilometers) of Amazon rainforest were destroyed between August 2004 and July 2005, a marked decline from the 7,229 sq. mi. (18,723 sq. km.) in the same period a year earlier. While the government has tried to take credit for the drop, analysts say the slowing is more likely the result of lower commodity prices, giving farmers less incentive to clear forest land. mongabay.com Cancer vaccine work continues at Baylor - 26-August-2005 A special stretch of genetic material may turn off the immune suppression that stymies attempts to fight cancer with a vaccine, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine at Houston. Baylor College of Medicine news release New dye may offer noninvasive early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease - 26-August-2005 MIT scientists have developed a new dye that could offer noninvasive early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, a discovery that could aid in monitoring the progression of the disease and in studying the efficacy of new treatments to stop it. MIT news release Teenage drivers more reckless with young male passenger in front seat - 26-August-2005 Teenage drivers-both males and females-were more likely to tailgate and exceed the speed limit if there was a teenage male passenger in the front seat, according to a study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health. NIH release Misoprostol as a treatment for miscarriage instead of surgery - 26-August-2005 drug first used to reduce the risk of stomach ulcers in people taking certain types of painkillers offers an alternative to surgery after miscarriage, according to a study by researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health and other research institutions. NIH release Brain chemical with key role in substance abuse identified - 25-August-2005 New research performed in rats suggests that orexin, a brain chemical involved in feeding behavior, arousal, and sleep, also plays a role in reward function and drug-seeking behavior. NIH release Indian state bans plastic bags - 25-August-2005 An article by Ramola Talwar Badam in The Guardian reports that the government of the state of Maharashtra in the western Indian banned the manufacture, sale and use of all plastic bags, saying they choked drainage systems during last month's deadly monsoon rains. mongabay.com Chevron faces Billion-Dollar Liability for damage in Ecuador - 24-August-2005 ChevronTexaco, now Chevron Corp (CVX), appears to be losing ground in the environmental "Trial of the Century" in Ecuador's rainforest over Texaco's operation of a former concession, according to the environmental group Amazon Watch. Amazon Watch release Arctic ocean could have ice-free summers by 2100 says new study - 24-August-2005 The current warming trends in the Arctic may shove the Arctic system into a seasonally ice-free state not seen for more than one million years, according to a new report. The melting is accelerating, and a team of researchers were unable to identify any natural processes that might slow the de-icing of the Arctic. University of Arizona release Bacteria's combined weight exceeds that of all fish in world's oceans - 24-August-2005 Researchers at Oregon State University and Diversa Corporation have discovered that the smallest free-living cell known also has the smallest genome, or genetic structure, of any independent cell - and yet it dominates life in the oceans, thrives where most other cells would die, and plays a huge role in the cycling of carbon on Earth. OSU release Ocean hotspots revealed - 24-August-2005 A study of barnacles on the central Oregon Coast has revealed significant "hot spots" of ocean productivity where marine life has much greater reproductive potential - information that could be a key to the successful siting of marine reserves OSU release Cockroaches and rats used as batteries? - 24-August-2005 An article in today's Manilla Times highlights some local research into using common household pests as energy sources. mongabay.com Safeguarding biodiversity key to human health, poverty alleviation says Annan - 24-August-2005 Failure to conserve and use biological diversity in a sustainable manner would result in degrading environments, new and more rampant illnesses, deepening poverty and a continued pattern of inequitable and untenable growth warned United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in a statement before the First International Conference on the Importance of Biodiversity to Human Health in Galway, Ireland. UN release Two big conservation annoucements expected at upcoming wilderness conference - 24-August-2005 The 8th World Wilderness Congress (WWC), convening from September 30 � October 6, 2005 at the Egan Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska, is a public forum expected to attract more than 1,000 conservationists and experts from 40 countries. Reporters are welcome to attend. 8th World Wilderness Congress Release Australian inventor believes he can turn sewage into energy source - 23-August-2005 An Australian inventor believes he can turn human waste into an energy source. mongabay.com Dubai's artificial islands have high environmental cost - 23-August-2005 Dubai, a city-state in the United Arab Emirates with a population of around one million, has lately embarked on an ambitious plan to boost its international standing in the eyes of the world's rich by building a number of artificial islands. These islands, which will house luxury residences, villas, and hotels, are a growing concern for environmentalists due to their impact on the local marine ecology. Tina Butler Madagascar products reaching foreign markets thanks to USAID-funded project - 23-August-2005 US-AID Program Seeks Business Linkages in Expanding the Unique Diversity of Essential Oils From Madagascar Into U.S. and European Markets. EthnoPharm release Plan to move African wildlife to America would undermine ecotourism and African economies - 23-August-2005 A proposal to create a refuge for African wildlife in North America has come under harsh criticism from African conservationists according to a report from Sapa-AFP. mongabay.com Poor need renewable energy sources says Annan - 23-August-2005 In a new report, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says energy poverty is seriously impeding socio-economic development in the world's poorest countries. Noting that in the developing countries some 1.6 billion people still lack access to electricity and about 2.4 billion continue to rely on traditional biomass like fuelwood for cooking and heating, Annan calls for intensified efforts to promote renewable energy sources for the poor. UN release Wilderness Congress provides news angles for reporters - 23-August-2005 The 8th World Wilderness Congress (WWC), convening from September 30 � October 6, 2005 at the Egan Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska, is a public forum expected to attract more than 1,000 conservationists and experts from 55 countries. Reporters are welcome to attend. World Wilderness Congress release 100 hundred billion bases of the genetic code sequenced - 22-August-2005 Public Collections of DNA and RNA Sequence Reach 100 Gigabases. NIH release Newly Discovered Gene Sheds Light on Causes of Cancer, Rare Disease - 22-August-2005 Gene Discovery Sheds Light on Causes of Rare Disease, Cancer. NIH release Summit explores how fish could feed Africa - 22-August-2005 This week policy makers, industry leaders, and development experts are meeting in Abuja, Nigeria to discuss the future of African fisheries and aquaculture. The fisheries sector, consisting of both inland (freshwater) and marine fisheries, is a vital source of food and income to millions of Africans. Fish production, processing and trade provides employment for more than 10 million, while fish exports from Africa are worth US$ 2.7 billion annually. The following is a description of the summit from Fish for All, an initiative seeking to shape public policy on issues from issues as fish and development, fish and nutrition, health, livelihood, environment, gender, water, river basins and coasts, trade and economic growth. mongabay.com Brazil's growth as agricultural giant has cost -- LA Times - 22-August-2005 Saturday, the Los Angeles Times featured an article on Brazil's drive to become an agricultural giant. The country's breakneck growth has made it the world's biggest exporter of many agricultural products, but at a cost: some of Brazil's richest ecological areas have been plowed under for crops. Brazil has the highest biological diversity of any country on Earth. mongabay.com Aerial survey of African continent completed, results eagerly awaited - 22-August-2005 Dr. Michael Fay, a world-renowned conservationist and explorer famous for his 15-month, 2,000 mile walk through Central Africa's forests, will offer the first report on his latest expedition at the upcoming 8th World Wilderness Congress (WWC), convening from September 30 � October 6, 2005 in Anchorage, Alaska. mongabay.com Wilderness Congress Will Focus on Wildlands and People - 21-August-2005 The 8th World Wilderness Congress (WWC) will convene from September 30 � October 6, 2005 at the Egan Convention Center in Anchorage, Alaska. The Congress is expected to attract more than 1,000 experts from 40 countries, including numerous high-profile and senior-level political and corporate speakers. 8th World Wilderness Congress Release. Bioengineered forests coming soon? - 20-August-2005 Research and applications of biotechnology in forestry are advancing rapidly says FAO. FAO release. Hippo sweat could serve as suncreen, insect repellent - 20-August-2005 According to an article by Mark Grossi in The Fresno Bee, hippo sweat could soon be used to prevent sunburn and protect skin from mosquito bites. Christopher Viney at the University of California at Merced is working on deciphering the molecular structure of skin secretions from the hippopotamus. The research could eventually result in the creation of skin-care products based on compounds produced by the African animal. Fresno Bee Tsunami-orphaned hippo adopted by 100-year old tortoise - 19-August-2005 A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise, in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said. AFP Sex sells sea turtle conservation in Mexico - 19-August-2005 Mexican authorities announced they will use posters of scantily dressed young women to promote the protection of endangered sea turtles. The promotion comes just weeks after some 80 protected Olive Ridley sea turtles were found chopped to pieces on Escobilla beach in Oaxaca, Mexico. mongabay.com Humpback whale tracked migrating between ocean basins - 18-August-2005 For the first time ever, a genetic study has followed a single humpback whale from one ocean basin to another, adding to traditional notions of the migratory patterns of these majestic marine mammals in the process, according to researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), and New York University. Wildlife Conservation Society release Avian flu, H5N1, identified in wild Mongolian birds - 18-August-2005 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has positively identified the pathogenic form of avian flu--H5N1--in samples taken from birds last week in Mongolia by field veterinarians from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). It is the first instance of this viral strain occurring in wild migratory birds with no apparent contact to domestic poultry or waterfowl. Wildlife Conservation Society release Andes of South America are world's biodiversity champion says news study - 18-August-2005 The first full map of where the world's birds live reveals their diversity 'hotspots' and will help to focus conservation efforts, according to research published in Nature today (18 August). Imperial College London release Florida panther population growing due to controversial plan - 18-August-2005 The number of living Florida panthers has grown from a previously estimated 30 to a recently counted 87 as a result of a controversial breeding effort to improve the genetic health of the endangered and inbred animals, according to a new assessment. Duke University release Crocodile blood shows anti-HIV activity - 16-August-2005 SCIENTISTS in Australia's tropical north are collecting blood from crocodiles in the hope of developing a powerful antibiotic for humans, after tests showed that the reptile's immune system kills the HIV virus. Reuters Endangered wildlife trafficked via eBay - 16-August-2005 An investigation by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) reveals that vast quantities of wildlife products and live animals are bought and sold illegally on the Internet � a lucrative trade that is driving the world�s most endangered species to the brink of extinction. International Fund for Animal Welfare Protease enzyme found to cause cancer - 15-August-2005 Cell surface enzyme can trigger the formation of tumor cells. International Food Policy Research Institute Release 42 million children may be hungry in Africa by 2025 -- report - 15-August-2005 The number of hungry children in Africa will increase by 3.3 million by 2025 if current policy and investment trends continue, according to a new report from the International Food Policy Research Institute . International Food Policy Research Institute Release China to add wind power capacity - 15-August-2005 China plans to construct its first offshore wind power complex next year in hopes of easing chronic electricity shortages, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Monday. mongabay.com Modifying clouds to fight global warming - 15-August-2005 An article in The Sunday Times reports that a scientist is working a cloud manufacturing technique to counter global warming. mongabay.com China funds massive palm oil plantation in rainforest of Borneo - 12-August-2005 Plans to create the world's largest palm oil plantation along Indonesia's mountainous border with Malaysia could have a devastating impact on the forests, wildlife and indigenous people of Borneo, warns World Wildlife Fund. WWF release Cow manure + sunlight + metal ore = hydrogen fuel? - 11-August-2005 Researchers led by Michael Epstein at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel think they may have an energy efficient way of collecting solar energy to generate hydrogen, a key input for fuel cells. mongabay.com Haze in Malaysia worsens, may last until October - 11-August-2005 Haze in Malaysia worsens, may last until October. mongabay.com Americans sending more text messages via cell phone -- WSJ - 11-August-2005 According to CTIA-The Wireless Association, 4.7 billion text messages were sent in the U.S. last December, the latest figures available, compared with 2.1 billion a year earlier and 253 million in December 2001. mongabay.com Sea turtle massacre in Mexico - 11-August-2005 Using machetes, poachers killed some 80 protected Olive Ridley sea turtles on Escobilla beach in Oaxaca, Mexico last weekend. The poachers were believed to be after turtle eggs, thought to be an aphrodisiac among locals. The discovery of the massacre was accouned by Profepa, the government's environmental protection agency. mongabay.com Animals behaving strangely; climate change the culprit? - 11-August-2005 For the first time, scientists have found a direct relationship between global warming and the evolution of contemporary wildlife. Reuters, Stanford University release Convergent Evolution of Poison Frogs and Ants - 10-August-2005 A steady diet of ants may have driven the convergent evolution of poisonous frogs in Madagascar and the Americas, researchers report. Ecological Society of America After Empowering ecologists with informatics education and training - 10-August-2005 Ecological research needs of the 21st century are being enabled by the development of new cyberinfrastructure for management, integration, and analysis of distributed, heterogeneous, sometimes massive, data collections. Ecological Society of America After Chernobyl accident wildlife flourishes - 10-August-2005 Chernobyl's ecosystems seem to be recovering just 19 years after the region was badly contaminated with radiation from a nuclear meltdown. Researchers, who presented the results of suverys around old nuclear power plant at the Ecological Society of America meeting in Montreal, say that biodiversity is actually higher than before the disaster. Ecological Society of America New Stem Cell Research Centers Funded by NIH - 9-August-2005 Human embryonic stem cells have properties that make them uniquely valuable for studying virtually any cellular process. Despite their promise for research and therapeutic purposes, stem cells are difficult to grow in the laboratory and scientists do not know how to reliably direct them to become a specific cell type. NIH release Brazil to crackdown on illegal logging says Environment Minister - 9-August-2005 According to a report from Bloomberg, Brazil will increase the monitoring of logging in the Amazon rainforest and raise fines for those caught illegally clearing trees. mongabay.com Two tiny lemur species discovered in Madagascar - 9-August-2005 German and Malagasy primatologists have discovered two new species of lemurs, naming one of them after Steve Goodman, a Field Museum scientist who has devoted nearly two decades to studying the animals of Madagascar. Field Museum release Study discovers why poison dart frogs are toxic - 9-August-2005 A new study published in the current issue of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that poison dart frogs, as well as the Mantella poison frogs of Madagascar, derive their toxicity from the ants they eat. Specifically, both groups are frogs are capable of storing ants' toxic alkaloid molecules in their glands without being harmed. Rhett Butler Site explains how smell and taste decline with age - 8-August-2005 Thirty percent of older Americans between the ages of 70 and 80 and two out of three older Americans over age 80 experience problems with their sense of smell. Problems with taste, although less common, also frequently occur in older adults. Now accurate, up-to-date information about the important senses of smell and taste is available in a senior-friendly format at http://www.nihseniorhealth.gov. Visitors to the site can learn about how these senses work, how smell and taste decline with age or illness, and what older adults can do to cope with the loss of these senses. NIH release Mining project proves controversial in Madagascar - 8-August-2005 An article in Sunday's Observer detailed a conflict between a new mining operation and environmentalists in Madagascar. Rio Tinto, a large global mining firm, has recently received permission to go ahead on a $770 million ilmenite mining project in southwestern Madagascar. The mine could bring much needed income to Madagascar, which is among the world's poorest countries. wildmadagascar.org Americans support HIV vaccine, but fear trial participation - 8-August-2005 A survey of U.S. adults has found that a majority believe that HIV vaccines are the best hope for controlling the global AIDS epidemic and are confident such vaccines can be made. But while most of those surveyed felt it personally important to help support HIV vaccine research, a majority expressed reluctance to support a friend or family member�s participation in an HIV vaccine clinical trial. NIH release 1,000 wild orang-utans poached a year says WWF - 6-August-2005 The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a leading conservation group, estimates that 1,000 orang-utans are poached annually from the wild, often for sale as pets for the wealthy. The organization says there are some 30,000 to 40,000 orang-utans left in the wild. mongabay.com American cotton subsidies impoverish Africa - 5-August-2005 The Wall Street Journal today featured an article on a contingent of American representatives who went to Mali to help local cotton farmers as a PR gesture. While the group offered poor African farmers tips on boosting productivity the real reason for the trip was to build regional goodwill in the face of a World Trade Organization ruling that found subsidies to American cotton farmers illegal. mongabay.com Indonesian forest fires again cause haze in Malaysia - 4-August-2005 Forest fires in Indonesia's Sumatra province covered Malaysia's main city Kuala Lumpur and 32 other towns Tuesday with a smoky haze that reduced visibility to as low as one kilometer (half a mile). AP Chocolate could kill your dog - 3-August-2005 Death by chocolate? Feeding sweets to your pet is no laughing matter. Rhett Butler Organic farming benefits wildlife over conventional agriculture says study - 3-August-2005 In the largest and most comprehensive study of organic farming to date, published today in the Royal Society Journal, Biology Letters, scientists from leading UK institutions show conclusively that organic farms provide greater benefits for a range of wildlife including wild flowers, beetles, spiders, birds and bats than their conventional counterparts. British Trust for Ornithology release Walking carnivorous fish discovered in New York lake - 3-August-2005 Authorities have found snakehead fish in New York state for the first time. Five snakeheads were captured in Meadow Lake in the New York borough of Queens during July and officials are worried that the fish may be breeding. Rhett Butler Landowner caught burning 2 million trees in the Amazon - 3-August-2005 A large plantation owner was caught burning almost 2 million trees in the Amazon to make way for a cattle pastures according to O Estado de S.Paulo, as translated by amazonia.org.br. Rhett Butler Renewable energy in China, a strategic future? - 2-August-2005 China's failed bid for American petroleum firm Unocal may prompt it to further focus on its development of alternative energy sources. Rhett Butler Gulf dead zone larger than expected - 2-August-2005 Gulf dead zone larger than expected. Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium Release All albatrosses dead in transoceanic race - 1-August-2005 All 18 albatross competitors died in the 2005 Big Bird Race. mongabay.com Brazil's grasslands could replace food production of American heartland - 1-August-2005 Today when people mention Brazil and agriculture, people often first envision the Amazon rainforest giving way to soybean plantations and cattle farms. While the Amazon is being converted for such purposes, the cerrado, a vast area of savanna-like grasslands covering more than 20% of the country�s surface area, is increasingly under threat as farmers from the United States and Europe are setting their sights on the country�s sizeable agricultural potential. Tina Butler FDA warning on mercury in fish may be misleading consumers -- WSJ - 1-August-2005 A EPA/FDA advisory on fish consumption may be misleading to consumers according to an article published today in the THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. The article suggests that "limits set in the advisory may exceed safe levels for some people, judging by a mercury risk assessment that the EPA produced on its own years earlier." FDA release XML / RSS feed | current news | archive News index | RSS | News Feed Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing |
MONGABAY.COM
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
T-SHIRTS 
CALENDARS 
CANVAS BAGS 
|
|
Copyright mongabay 2009 |
