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mongabay.com News - September 2005Madagascar announces oil discovery; island nation to start producing crude in 3-4 years - 30-September-2005Madagascar, the world's fourth largest island, announced the discovery of several oil blocks on land and offshore. The Indian island nation expects to start producing crude oil for the first time within the next 3-4 years, according to a report from Reuters. mongabay.com Polar bears hold key to understanding health risk of environmental pollutants - 30-September-2005 Polar bears and people, at the chilly top of the Arctic�s food chain, risk consuming a smorgasbord of industrial pollutants that have seeped into their habitat and pose potential health hazards. University of Florida press release Amazon river at record low levels; deforestation blamed - 30-September-2005 The Amazon River in Peru is at its lowest level in 30 years of record keeping according to a report in Peruvian daily newspaper El Comercio. Local officials say deforestation is the likely culprit of the low water levels. While variable water levels are characteristic of the Amazon river ecosystem, the increasingly extreme fluctuations are of great concern. mongabay.com Congo gorillas survive war, survey finds higher count than expected - 30-September-2005 New scientific surveys by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have revealed some encouraging news about the status of the �eastern lowland� gorilla, known more properly as Grauer's gorilla. Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International release Now identified as likely origin of SARS; will bats be killed in China? - 29-September-2005 The likely source of the respiratory disease SARS is the horseshoe bat, a new study in the journal Science suggests. Researchers found a virus closely related to the SARS coronavirus in bats from three regions of China. The 2003 SARS outbreak killed 770 people and caused billions in economic damaged. mongabay.com Gorillas use tools - photo documentation - 29-September-2005 For the first time ever, scientists have observed and photographed wild gorillas using tools, in one instance employing a stick to test the depth of a pool before wading into it, according to a study by the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and other organizations. Up to this point, all other species of great apes, including chimpanzees and orangutans, have been observed using tools in the wild, but never gorillas. WCS release Rising carbon dioxide levels could devastate marine food chain - 29-September-2005 Rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could make oceans to acidic for marine organisms producing protective shells according to research published in the journal Nature. Such a development could be catastrophic for the ocean's food chain and devastating for world fisheries. mongabay.com Flavanols found in chocolate have health benefits - 29-September-2005 Phytochemicals known as flavanols, which are found in chocolate, fruits and vegetables, can boost the levels of nitric oxide in the blood of smokers and reverse some of their smoking-related impairment in blood vessel function, according to a new study in the Oct. 4, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. American College of Cardiology release Decline of Arctic sea ice increases - 29-September-2005 Summer Arctic sea ice falls far below average for fourth year, winter ice sees sharp decline, spring melt starts earlier. NSIDC release Is there a link between the Arctic and hurricanes? - 29-September-2005 Is there a cause-and-effect link between the warming trend in the Arctic and the recent increase in Atlantic hurricane activity?. NSIDC release Cocaine destroying rainforest parks in Colombia - 28-September-2005 Cocaine is killing the great nature parks of Colombia. Government spraying of coca plant killer is driving growers and traffickers out of their usual territory into national parks where spraying is banned. Here they are burning thousands of acres of virgin rain forest and poisoning rivers with chemicals. AP Alaska - climate change causing ancient lakes and wetlands to be replaced by forest - 28-September-2005 Lakes and wetlands in the Kenai Peninsula of south-central Alaska are drying at a significant rate. The shift seems to be driven by climate change, and could endanger waterfowl habitats and hasten the spread of wildfires National Research Council of Canada press release Shredded tires help make landfills more environmentally sound - 28-September-2005 Placing shredded tires on top of � rather than in � landfills can save money and benefit the environment, researchers from the University of Illinois say. University of Illinois press release Key flavivirus discovery could lead to vaccines against mosquito and tick diseases - 28-September-2005 Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have made the surprising discovery that flaviviruses, which cause such serious diseases as West Nile fever, yellow fever and forms of encephalitis, evade immune system defenses in different ways depending on whether they are transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks. This finding could lead to new approaches to developing vaccines and treatments against these illnesses. NIH release First picture of live giant squid - 28-September-2005 For the first time ever, scientists have observed a giant squid in the wild. mongabay.com First megatransect of Madagascar completed - 27-September-2005 Late last year an international team completed the first known transect of the island of Madagascar, the world's fourth largest island. The eight-month-long journey, dubbed �Hike Madagascar,� took the group of intrepid hikers from the southern tip of Madagascar to the northernmost point of the island. The transect targeted rural communities along the eastern forest corridor, surveying villages and providing local farmers with techniques for improving rice yields and putting more food on the table for their families. The hike also provided a glimpse into some of the socioeconomic and environmental issues facing the island nation, which is one of the poorest in the world. mongabay.com Malaysia urges neighbors to help prevent haze - 27-September-2005 Malaysia urged its neighbours on Tuesday to ratify an agreement to control air pollution in southeast Asia, a month after forest fires in Indonesia caused some of the worst haze in the region in eight years. Reuters Drug-resistant Staph bacteria gaining genes for virulence - 27-September-2005 In a Brief Report in the September 22, 2005, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at the University of Chicago describe three cases of rapidly progressive and ultimately fatal Staphylococcus aureus infections in small children. University of Chicago press release Birds and Bats Responsible for Seed Dispersal in Tropical Forests - 27-September-2005 Restoring the rich diversity of trees that once characterized expansive tracts of tropical rainforest gets a helping hand from native birds and bats. Just how big a role these winged gardeners play is a question ecologists from the University of Illinois at Chicago and several Latin American universities are about to find out by setting up essentially a living laboratory in Mexico's gulf coast state of Veracruz. University of Illinois press release China may reopen trade in tiger parts - 27-September-2005 China is considering reopening the domestic trade in tigers and tiger parts, banned there since 1993, a move that would spell disaster for the already endangered species, according to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and TRAFFIC. WWF release Doctors ill-prepared to diagnose, treat bioterrorism diseases - 26-September-2005 More than one-half of 631 physicians tested were unable to correctly diagnose diseases caused by agents most likely to be used by bioterrorists, such as smallpox, anthrax, botulism and plague, according to a Johns Hopkins study published in the Sept. 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Johns Hopkins press release What to pack for your visit to the rainforest - 26-September-2005 Visiting a tropical rainforest promises to be a memorable experience. Rainforests house around half the world's plant and animal species and are home to indigenous people who live in ways quite unlike those in the western world. mongabay.com Galveston, Houston aquariums survive Hurricane Rita - 26-September-2005 The aquarium and other animal facilities at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas along with the Houston aquarium appear to have weathered Hurricane Rita according to press reports. mongabay.com Capturing and storing the carbon dioxide could be key in minimizing climate change - 26-September-2005 A new assessment report finalized here today by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that capturing and storing the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by power plants and factories before it enters the atmosphere could play a major role in minimizing climate change. UN release Galveston aquarium survives Hurricane Rita - 26-September-2005 The aquarium and other facilities at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas appear to have weathered Hurricane Rita according to press reports. mongabay.com Malaysia to build palm oil biodiesel plants to counter high oil price - 26-September-2005 According to the AFP, Malaysia announced that it will build three plants to produce biodiesel from palm oil, as part of efforts to reduce its dependency on foreign oil and increase demand for domestically produced palm oil. mongabay.com 20,000 new species of animals discovered in 2005 - 26-September-2005 The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature expects that more than 20,000 species will be described by zoologists in 2005. mongabay.com Bird sanctuary in Malaysia damaged by illegal logging and forest clearing - 26-September-2005 According to the New Straits Times, loggers are illegally clearing the protected forest of Gunung Panti to plant oil palm. mongabay.com Tsunami boosts rice yields, agriculture in Aceh province - 26-September-2005 Rice, the region's staple food, is not the only crop thriving on tsunami-affected land in Indonesia's Aceh province, which suffered the worst damage and loss of life in the Dec. 26 disaster. Reuters Insurers not disclosing climate change-related risks finds FOE study - 26-September-2005 A new report by Friends of the Earth shows that America�s property and casualty insurers are doing a very poor job in disclosing climate change-related risks in their SEC filings on material risks facing the firms. Only 5 companies out of the 106 surveyed referenced climate change issues in their SEC reporting, despite the growing body of evidence that climate change will produce increasingly intense storms. FOE press release Gabon sets aside 10 percent of country as protected parks - 24-September-2005 In a move that sets a new standard in African conservation, the nation of Gabon, which contains some of the most pristine tropical rainforests on earth, announced today that it will set aside 10 percent of its land mass for a system of national parks. Up to this point, Gabon had no national park system. The Gabonese government has been working closely with The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on conservation issues for the past ten years. The announcement is a major victory for Africa�s wildlife. WCS press release Supernova could be responsible for extinction of the mammoth - 24-September-2005 A distant supernova that exploded 41,000 years ago may have led to the extinction of the mammoth, according to research that will be presented tomorrow (Sept. 24) by nuclear scientist Richard Firestone of the U.S. Department of Energy�s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory press release Hurricane news for specific towns in Texas - 24-September-2005 Hurricane Rita slammed into Texas and Louisiana early Saturday, flooding coastal towns, sparking fires and knocking power out to more than 1 million customers, but largely sparing Houston, New Orleans and the region's oil refining industry. mongabay.com Penguins and sea otters rescued from hurricane settling in at Monterey Bay Aquarium - 23-September-2005 The 19 penguins and two sea otters rescued from the New Orleans Aquarium of the Americas are currently behind the scenes during their quarantine period. The penguins are being housed in a former dive locker, now called the �Penguin Hospitality Suite.� We hope to put some or all of them on exhibit in the near future with our penguin colony in �Splash Zone.� It will be a family reunion of sorts, as several of the birds in the two colonies are related. Monterey Bay Aquarium press release European Space Agency analyzes Hurricane Rita - 23-September-2005 As Hurricane Rita entered the Gulf of Mexico, ESA's Envisat satellite's radar was able to pierce through swirling clouds to directly show how the storm churns the sea surface. This image has then been used to derive Rita's wind field speeds. European Space Agency release NOAA Biologists to study marine contaminants from hurricane - 23-September-2005 The NOAA Research vessel the Nancy Foster this week is working off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to study the effects of Hurricane Katrina on marine resources and the ecosystem. During the cruise, biologists will take water samples and look at sediments in the Mississippi river. They will test fish and shrimp for evidence of toxic contamination and pathogens that might affect human health. NOAA Summers in arctic getting longer and hotter - 23-September-2005 In a paper that shows dramatic summer warming in arctic Alaska, scientists synthesized a decade of field data from Alaska showing summer warming is occurring primarily on land, where a longer snow-free season has contributed more strongly to atmospheric heating than have changes in vegetation. University of Alaska Fairbanks release Palm oil plantations decimating orang-utans says report - 23-September-2005 UK company demand for palm oil, a vegetable oil found in one in ten products on supermarket shelves, is driving the orang-utan towards extinction, new research reveals. The `Oil for Ape Scandal', published today by Friends of the Earth and the world's leading orang-utan conservation groups, concludes that without urgent intervention the palm oil trade could cause the extinction of Asia's only great ape within 12 years. Friends of the Earth release Fires rage in Bolivian rainforest - 23-September-2005 Fires have burned more than 1700 square miles (4450 square km) of Amazon rainforest and pasture in Bolivia, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency in two provinces. mongabay.com 10 million people will need humanitarian assistance in Southern Africa - 23-September-2005 As many as 10 million people in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe have been assessed as food insecure and will need humanitarian assistance until the next harvest according to a food security brief from USAID. FEWS NET 193,000 barrels of oil spilled in Gulf wetlands due to Katrina - 23-September-2005 Reports from the Coast Guard indicate that at least 193,000 barrels of oil and other petrochemicals have been spilled in wetlands and coastal areas in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The storm ruptured pipelines, damaged oil storage facilities, and chemical production plants. mongabay.com Researchers Discover Protein Signatures for Prostate Cancer - 22-September-2005 A new study shows that testing blood samples for antibodies that target prostate cancer cells may help identify patients with early stages of the disease. In the September 22, 2005, issue of New England Journal of Medicine, researchers report the findings may lead to a new test that could complement the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test in detecting early stage prostate cancer. NIH press release Modeling Hurricane Rita's Path - 22-September-2005 An advanced research weather model run by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is following Hurricane Rita to give scientists a taste of how well forecast models of the future may predict hurricane track, intensity, and important rain and wind features. NCAR press release Natural resource management revolutionized around Cambodia's 'Great Lake' - 22-September-2005 When Patrick Evans first arrived at Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake eight years ago, there were days when it seemed more like a militarized zone than one of the world's most productive freshwater fishing grounds. FAO press release Climate change could have significant impact on health of Australians - 22-September-2005 The Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) are calling for a national response to one of the world�s most significant environmental threats � climate change and its effect on human health. Australian Medical Association and the Australian Conservation Foundation press release Biomimicry Employed by MIT Nanotechnology Researchers - 21-September-2005 The ocean is a perilous environment for a soft-bodied creature like a sea snail, so nature gives it an advanced nanostructured armor system that is stiff and strong yet lightweight. It's called a shell. MIT press release Hurricane Katrina damage just a dose of what's to come - 21-September-2005 The kind of devastation seen on the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina may be a small taste of what is to come if emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2 ) are not diminished soon, warns Dr. Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution�s Department of Global Ecology in his opening remarks at the 7th International Carbon Dioxide Conference in Boulder, Colorado, September 26, 2005. Carnegie Institution release Danish researchers develop hydrogen tablet that stores hydrogen in inexpensive and safe material - 21-September-2005 Scientists at the Technical University of Denmark have invented a technology which may be an important step towards the hydrogen economy: a hydrogen tablet that effectively stores hydrogen in an inexpensive and safe material. With the new hydrogen tablet, it becomes much simpler to use the environmentally-friendly energy of hydrogen. Hydrogen is a non-polluting fuel, but since it is a light gas it occupies too much volume, and it is flammable. Consequently, effective and safe storage of hydrogen has challenged researchers world-wide for almost three decades. At the Technical University of Denmark, DTU, an interdisciplinary team has developed a hydrogen tablet which enables storage and transport of hydrogen in solid form. Technical University of Denmark press release Ant produces own natural herbicide to poison unwanted plants - 21-September-2005 For the first time, scientists have identified an ant species that produces its own natural herbicide to poison unwanted plants. Stanford University biologist Deborah M. Gordon and her co-workers describe the findings in the Sept. 22 issue of the journal Nature. Stanford University press release Number of Amazon forest fires in Mato Grosso, Brazil fall 44% - 21-September-2005 The Brazilian National Institute for Spatial Research (INPE) reports that fires have fallen 44% in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil when compared to last year's figures. mongabay.com Cocoa innovations could help West Africa escape poverty - 21-September-2005 Ghana is leading efforts to use waste from cocoa farming to produce household products and drinks -- from fertilizer and soap to wine and brandy -- that will boost income for poor farmers. mongabay.com Pig iron production fueling Amazon deforestation - 21-September-2005 Pig iron production in the states of Para and Maranh�o is fueling deforestation a Brazilian newspaper reports. mongabay.com Stronger New Orleans' levees could have high real estate and environmental cost - 21-September-2005 Today The Wall Street Journal published an article on proposals for improving the levees around New Orleans. The city's existing flood-control system, which was designed to handle up to a Category 3 hurricane, failed during Category 4 Katrina and New Orleans was swamped with flood water. mongabay.com Can hurricanes be weakened using oil slicks or other techniques? - 21-September-2005 Hurricane Katrina was the most expensive natural disaster in the history of the United States. Hurricane Rita threatens to add to the 2005 hurricane season's toll. Is there anything that can be done about these deadly and destructive storms? The answer is someday there may be ways to reduce the intensity of these tropical storms but in the meantime, the best option is to avoid new construction in hurricane-prone regions. mongabay.com What is a Category 5 Hurricane? - 21-September-2005 Hurricane Rita just strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane. A Category 5 hurricane is the strongest and most severe class of hurricane. The scale, known as the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, classifies hurricanes by the intensity of their sustained winds, storm surge and flooding, developed in 1969 by civil engineer Herbert Saffir and National Hurricane Center director Bob Simpson. mongabay.com New York City to dim lights to protect migrating birds - 21-September-2005 New York civic leaders on Tuesday said the lights of buildings above the 40th floor will be turned off after midnight in the fall and spring migration seasons to save birds. Since 1997, more than 4,000 migratory birds have been killed or injured from colliding into skyscrapers, bird experts said. Reuters US summer wetter, warmer than usual says NOAA - 21-September-2005 The June-August summer season was the tenth warmest on record for the contiguous U.S., while precipitation was above average. Global temperatures were second highest on record for the boreal summer, which runs from June 1 through August 31. Twelve named tropical systems formed in the Atlantic by the end of August, including Hurricane Katrina, which was among the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the U.S. NOAA Last 4 missing Gulfport dolphins rescued following hurricane - 21-September-2005 The NOAA Fisheries Service and the Marine Life Aquarium of Gulfport, Miss., working with a number of other partners, rescued the last four of the eight trained bottlenose dolphins that were swept out of an aquarium tank torn apart by the storm surge of Hurricane Katrina on August 29. Normally held in captivity, the dolphins don't have the necessary skills to survive on their own. They have survived various injuries and predators and have stayed together since the storm. NOAA Builder of rainforest canopy walkways believes conservation can be profitable - 20-September-2005 This month's issue of The Ecological Finance Review details Greenheart Conservation Company, a for-profit company that designs, builds and operates conservation based canopy walkways (canopy trails) and other nature-based attractions around the world. Operating on the premise that conservation can be economically viable, Greenheart believes that is has already become a "model of how to shift gears from an industrial to a green economy." Greenheart has developed or is developing canopy walkways in Peru, Nigeria, Madagascar, Ghana, Brazil, Guyana, the United Kingdon, and Canada. The Ecological Finance Review Cost of Iraq War to top $1.25 trillion says academic - 20-September-2005 The total cost of the Iraq War for the UK, the USA, Iraq and other nations is likely to top US$1.25 trillion dollars according to Keith Hartley, a professor at the University of York's Center for Defence Economics. mongabay.com FDA Approves First Pediatric Generic AIDS Drug - 20-September-2005 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced the approval for marketing of several generic versions of drugs that treat HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Previously, the products had been only tentatively approved and were not available in the United States because patent or market exclusivity blocked their approval. FDA Conservation scientists want $404 million to save disappearing amphibians - 20-September-2005 Yesterday conservation scientists proposed a $404 million effort to preserve declining global amphibian poplations. The strategy would call for funding from governments, private institutions and individual donors to finance long-term research, protect critical habitats, reduce the trade in amphibians for food and pets, and establish captive breeding programs. mongabay.com 33% of evacuees report experiencing health problems or injuries as a result of the hurricane - 20-September-2005 To give voice to people whose lives have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing floods, The Washington Post, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a unique survey of evacuees in shelters in the Houston area. One-third (34%) of Katrina evacuees report that they were trapped in their homes and had to be rescued. Half (50%) of those who were trapped said they waited three or more days to be rescued. Harvard School of Public Health Malaria parasite dispersal mechanism uncovered - 20-September-2005 Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have determined the sequence in which the malaria parasite disperses from the red blood cells it infects. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is one of the National Institutes of Health. NIH DDT linked to Early Miscarriages - Harvard Study - 20-September-2005 Healthy, nonsmoking women with high levels of DDT residues in their bloodstream are far more likely to miscarry during the early weeks of pregnancy than those with lower levels, a study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found. Harvard School of Public Health In Niger, 50% deaths among children under five from malaria - 20-September-2005 Seeking to avert a second wave of deaths among Niger�s undernourished children, the World Health Organization (WHO) is dispatching 100 000 antimalarial treatments to the west African country, where peak malaria season has begun in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. World Health Organization Tropical deforestation affects rainfall in North America - 20-September-2005 NASA research has found that deforestation in the tropics affects rainfall patterns in North America. Deforestation in the Amazon region of South America influences rainfall from Mexico to Texas and in the Gulf of Mexico. Similarly, deforesting lands in Central Africa affects precipitation in the upper and lower U.S Midwest, while deforestation in Southeast Asia was found to alter rainfall in China and the Balkan Peninsula. NASA New measure of wealth accounts for resource depletion, environmental damage - 18-September-2005 Accounting for the actual value of natural resources, including resource depletion and population growth, shows that net savings per person are negative in the world's most impoverished countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new World Bank publication, Where is the Wealth of Nations?, launched on the eve of the 2005 U.N. World Summit. World Bank Domestic black market for endangered wildlife thrives in Indonesia - 18-September-2005 Indonesia is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world and yet has the longest list of endangered wild species. Wild species are becoming endangered due to unsustainable deforestation and poaching. The government does not yet have a national plan to seriously address this problem; while Indonesia has laws protecting wild species, enforcement is weak. ProFauna UK 90% of largest companies concerned about climate change - 18-September-2005 More U.S. corporations than ever before now factor climate change into the risks and opportunities faced by their businesses, according to a report released today by the Carbon Disclosure Project, a coalition of institutional investors with more than $21 trillion in assets. Increased interest from the investment community, in conjunction with related macro-economic developments, is encouraging the development of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon Disclosure Project release Tampa Bay could be hit by 25-foot storm surge in Category 4 hurricane - 16-September-2005 A Category 4 hurricane could cause a storm surge of as much as 25 feet in Tampa Bay, according to a University of Central Florida researcher who is looking at the risks Florida cities face from tidal surges and flooding. University of Central Florida release Number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has nearly doubled over past 35 years - 16-September-2005 The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes worldwide has nearly doubled over the past 35 years, even though the total number of hurricanes has dropped since the 1990s, according to a study by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The shift occurred as global sea surface temperatures have increased over the same period. The research appears in the September 16 issue of Science. UCAR release Missing Gulfport dolphins rescued following Hurricane Katrina - 16-September-2005 Wildlife experts on Thursday began rescuing a group of eight bottlenose dolphins swept from their aquarium home into the Gulf of Mexico by Hurricane Katrina. Reuters Coca cultivation and eradication destroy rainforest - 15-September-2005 1.8 million hectares of rainforest in Colombia have been destroyed to make room for drug plantations according to the director of Amazon Institute of Scientific Investigation. mongabay.com Number of tourists visiting Antarctica surges over past decade - 15-September-2005 The number of sightseers visiting Antarctica has surged 308 percent since 1992 according to figures released in a report by the UN. For the 2004-2005 year, more than 27,000 people visited the icy continent. mongabay.com Hexavalent chromium, lead and arsenic found in flood waters - 15-September-2005 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released its daily update on Hurricane Katrina flood water sampling data for chemicals. EPA release NASA Satellite Data Used to Assess Amazon Deforestation - 15-September-2005 The Amazon, a vast tropical forest stretching across South America, is so large that is virtually impossible to study the evolving landscapes within the basin without the use of satellites. Scientists have used satellite imagery of the Amazon for more than 30 years to seek answers about this diverse ecosystem and the patterns and processes of land cover change. This technology continues to advance and a new study shows that NASA satellite images can allow scientists to more quickly and accurately assess deforestation in the Amazon. NASA release WCS supports new primate protection agreement - 14-September-2005 The Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced today that a new international agreement signed last week in the Democratic Republic of Congo will play a key role in safeguarding and improving populations of the world's great apes, including gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans. WCS release How to save disappearing amphibians subject of meeting this weekend - 14-September-2005 Scientists are meeting this weekend to discuss strategies for addressing the global decline of amphibians. Earlier this year, the Global Amphibian Assessment, a survey of the planet's amphibian species, found that nearly a third (32%) of the world's amphibian species are threatened and 129 species have gone extinct since 1980. mongabay.com Ecotourism in the rainforest, a guide to your first visit - 14-September-2005 The rainforest is an incredible place. Having having realistic expectations about your experience, being prepared, and knowing what to bring will make your trip run more smoothly. Hopefully your initial visit to the rainforest will be the first of many. mongabay.com FAO sponsors microentrepreneurship program for Africans villagers - 13-September-2005 Poor communities in the Gambia are now earning regular income by selling forest products, thanks to an FAO programme that helps communities to build up markets for local products. FAO press release Polio outbreak confirmed in Somalia - 13-September-2005 The Global Polio Eradication Initiative - spearheaded by the World Health Organization, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF - today launched an ambitious new series of polio immunization campaigns to prevent the re-establishment of the disease in the Horn of Africa. WHO Anti-HIV drug from rainforest almost lost before its discovery - 13-September-2005 Rainforest plants have long been recognized for their potential to provide healing compounds. Indigenous peoples of the rainforest have used medicinal plants for treating a wide variety of health conditions while western pharmacologists have derived a number of drugs from such plants. However, as forests around the world continue to fall there is a real risk that pharmaceutically-useful plants will disappear before they are examined for their chemical properties. Increasingly, it is becoming a race against time to collect and screen plants before their native habitats are destroyed. One near miss occurred recently with a compound that has shown significant anti-HIV effects, Calanolide A. mongabay.com Hurricane Katrina to cost Louisiana fisheries $1.1 billion - 13-September-2005 The Louisiana Department and Wildlife and Fisheries' preliminary estimates indicate a potential $1.1 billion loss in retail fisheries revenue over the next year and an additional $150 million loss in oyster revenue in the second year due to Hurricane Katrina damage. Louisiana Department and Wildlife and Fisheries release Airline passengers urged to fight global warming via green tax - 12-September-2005 Starting today, British Airways passengers will be asked to make a donation towards green energy efforts whenever they fly. The airline is introducing the �green fee� to persuade the government that it takes the issue of pollution seriously and that policymakers need not adopt a European proposal for environmental taxes on flights. The EU is considering such a proposal as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions which are strictly limited under the Kyoto Protocol. British Airways release New Orleans Aquarium animals shipped to Monterey Bay Aquarium - 12-September-2005 Two sea otters and 19 penguins from the New Orleans Aquarium have been sent to Monterey Bay Aquarium. The aquarium will start providing updates on the animals once they have been stabilized. There are currently no plans to place them on exhibit at Monterey Bay. Monterey Bay Aquarium release Hurricane Katrina Surface Water Monitoring Plan prepared - 12-September-2005 The Louisiana Office of Environmental Assessment has prepared a "Hurricane Katrina Surface Water Monitoring Plan" to determine the impact of Hurricane Katrina on water quality in affected areas. Modified Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality release Divers to monitor health of coral reefs in the UAE - 12-September-2005 The Emirates Diving Association is training its members and staff to monitor the health of the coral reefs and marine life in the UAE. mongabay.com Virunga hippo population falling rapidly from poaching - 12-September-2005 A new aerial survey shows that the hippo population in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo will soon be extinct due to rampant poaching for hippo teeth and meat, WWF warned today. WWF Release Key Discovery Made in Feline AIDS Research - 10-September-2005 A University of Florida researcher has discovered an unexpected link between the viruses that cause feline and human AIDS: Cats vaccinated with an experimental strain of the human AIDS virus appear to be at least as well-protected against the feline version of the disease as those immunized with the vaccine currently used by veterinarians. University of Florida Release Gator season delayed due to Hurricane Katrina - 9-September-2005 The Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has delayed the opening and closing dates of the 2005 wild alligator harvest season in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 49:953B of the Administrative Procedure Act and LAC 76:V.701 due to Hurricane Katrina. Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Humans impacted climate thousands of years ago - 9-September-2005 New research suggests humans were influencing the world's climate long before the Industrial Revolution. Atmospheric levels of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, climbed steadily during the first millennium due to massive fires set by humans clearing land agriculture. mongabay.com High oil prices make Asia pursue green energy - 9-September-2005 For energy-hungry Asian governments, the answer could literally be blowing in the wind. Across the region, renewable energy such as solar, wind and geothermal power is gaining ever greater credence as a way to curb the region's appetite for oil and cut runaway import bills. Reuters Surviving animals from New Orleans aquarium to be sent elsewhere - 9-September-2005 Surviving animals from the New Orleans will find new homes according to aquarium spokeswoman Melissa Lee. Despite escaping Hurricane Katrina with little physical damage, the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans suffered significant loss of animal life when the facility's emergency generator failed and made conditions unlivable for most its animals. mongabay.com Kepler's - death of independent bookstore a missed opportunity? - 9-September-2005 Last week Kepler's bookstore in Menlo Park suddenly and unexpectedly closed its doors after 50 years of bookselling on the Peninsula. The independent bookseller was considered one of California's literary landmarks, a place where well-read employees could make informed recommendations on virtually any genre. While high rent is reported to have played a role in the closure, Kepler's employees cited slow sales and competition from discount and online retailers as reasons for shutting the doors. mongabay.com Carbon reinjection strategies to be affected by climate change - 8-September-2005 An Earth System model developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign indicates that the best location to store carbon dioxide in the deep ocean will change with climate change. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign press release Vegetation growth in Arctic could add to global warming - 8-September-2005 Warming in the Arctic is stimulating the growth of vegetation and could affect the delicate energy balance there, causing an additional climate warming of several degrees over the next few decades. A new study indicates that as the number of dark-colored shrubs in the otherwise stark Arctic tundra rises, the amount of solar energy absorbed could increase winter heating by up to 70 percent. The research will be published 7 September in the first issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, published by the American Geophysical Union. American Geophysical Union press release Visiting Croatia; tourists replace soldiers - 8-September-2005 Fourteen years ago Croatia was a war zone. Serbian forces occupied about one third of the country and shelled the historic city Dubrovnik. Ethnic cleansing and atrocities were committed and thousands of people were displaced. Today, peace has returned to Croatia and the country is experiencing a tourism boom. With some of the best weather in the Mediterranean and the sparkling waters of the Adriatic there are good reasons that Croatia has regained its former glory at a top tourist destination. mongabay.com Guidelines to promote a sustainable tourism - 8-September-2005 With massive growth in tourism predicted in the coming years, two United Nations agencies have teamed up to produce a set of guidelines to help governments around the world to promote a sustainable tourism that spreads prosperity while avoiding harm to the environment and local communities. UN release Hurricane could hit San Diego - 8-September-2005 San Diego has been hit by hurricanes in the past and may be affected by such storms in the future according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). While a hurricane in San Diego would likely produce significantly less damage that Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, it could still exact a high cost to Southern California especially if the region was caught off guard. WCS "Albino" giraffe spotted - 8-September-2005 "Albino" giraffe spotted by WCS in Tanzania. WCS States housing thousands of evacuees -- state by state estimates - 8-September-2005 Almost 240,000 hurricane victims are in Texas; 25,000 in Alabama; 60,000 in Arkansas; 15,000 in Tennessee; 15,000 in Georgia. More than 485 Red Cross shelters have been opened in 18 states including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia with more on standby. More than 142,000 evacuees are being sheltered by the American Red Cross. Meanwhile a debate has emerged on whether to call displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina "refugees," "evacuees," "victims" or "survivors." mongabay.com Emerging Staph Strains Found to be Increasingly Deadly - 7-September-2005 A study of how the immune system reacts to strains of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria � emerging strains that sicken otherwise healthy people, or so-called �community-acquired� infections � has shown for the first time that these strains are more deadly and better at evading human immune defenses than more common S. aureus strains that originate in hospitals and other health-care settings. NIH release $50 electronic food cards for hurricane refugees - 7-September-2005 Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today issued two directives to further meet the food and housing needs of Hurricane Katrina survivors. USDA $170 million in emergency assistance for farmers - 7-September-2005 Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced that USDA is making more than $170 million in emergency assistance available to agricultural producers suffering from Hurricane Katrina. In addition, USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is implementing immediate changes to its Marketing Assistance Loan Program due to the hurricane. USDA EPA advisory for health safety in flooded areas - 7-September-2005 Floodwaters from six locations across the New Orleans area were sampled by EPA and analyzed for chemicals and bacteria. Preliminary information indicates that bacteria counts for E. coli in sampled areas greatly exceed EPA's recommended levels for contact. At these levels, human contact with water should be avoided as much as possible. EPA Economic impact of hurricane close to neutral - 7-September-2005 The CBO projects 400,000 people will be unemployed due to Hurricane Katrina. Further, the hurricane is unlikely to have much impact on overall economic growth in the United States. Generally, the overall impact of natural disasters is often close to neutral since lost output from destruction and displacement is then compensated for by a big increase in reconstruction and public spending. Congressional Budget Office Glaciers melting at alarming rates, water problems feared - 7-September-2005 Global Warming is melting glaciers in every region of the world, putting millions of people at risk from floods, droughts and lack of drinking water says a report from WWF. WWF Release NASA offers assistance to hurricane victims - 7-September-2005 NASA science instruments and Earth-orbiting satellites are providing detailed insight about the environmental impact caused by Hurricane Katrina. Images and data are helping characterize the extent of flooding; damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure; and potential hazards caused by the storm and its aftermath. NASA Release Whale uses fish as bait to catch seagulls then shares strategy with fellow orcas - 7-September-2005 An enterprising young killer whale at Marineland has figured out how to use fish as bait to catch seagulls � and shared his strategy with his fellow whales. AP Number of hurricane evacuees sheltered in various states, cities - 7-September-2005 These lists of shelters have been compiled from various press and government reports. mongabay.com White alligator, sea otters, penguins at New Orleans Aquarium OK, fish are not - 6-September-2005 Despite escaping Hurricane Katrina with little physical damage, the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans has suffered significant loss of animal life. According to the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), the aquarium has lost most of its fish. A skeleton staff is preparing to move some animals out of the facility and caring for surviving animals in the collection. The sea otters, penguins, leafy and weedy seadragons, birds (macaws and raptors), and the white alligator are fine. mongabay.com An environmental disaster in New Orleans - 6-September-2005 New Orleans faces an environmental disaster. Reuters Fires in peat lands cost climate - 6-September-2005 The tropical rainforests of Kalimantan have long been threatened and increasingly endangered by deforestation and other invasive types of human activity. However, a lesser known ecosystem in the region that is literally coming under fire, is the tropical peat lands, particularly in the central area of the province of Indonesian Borneo. mongabay.com Human evolution linked to climate change says study - 6-September-2005 New evidence suggests human evolution was caused by specific periods of climatic change in Africa according to research presented at the Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society. These climatic influences played a crucial part in enhancing human development says Dr Mark Maslin, Senior Lecturer in Geography at University College London. mongabay.com Gas hydrates in ocean could trigger catastrophic climate change - 6-September-2005 Global warming will cause gasses trapped beneath the ocean floor to release into the atmosphere according to research presented at the Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society. The impact could initiate a catastrophic global greenhouse effect. mongabay.com Climbing and yoga firm to use renewable energy - 6-September-2005 In a move that underscores the company's commitment to being part of the solution, prAna announces the prAna Natural Power Initiative, which will provide renewable wind energy to 100 of its retailers across the nation. 3Phases Energy Press Release Chernobyl environment and people recovering - 6-September-2005 Chernobyl's ecosystems seem to be recovering just 19 years after the region was badly contaminated with radiation from a nuclear meltdown according to a report backed by the United Nations. mongabay.com Personal account of hurricane destruction along Mississippi Gulf Coast - 6-September-2005 The following is an eyewitness account of hurricane destruction along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Included is information on plans to provide pro bono services from out of state lawyers to the storm victims, many of whom will need assistance in dealing with insurance companies, relief bureaucracies, and possibly personal or small business bankruptcies in the aftermath of the storm. mongabay.com 500,000-year-old chimpanzee fossil found - 6-September-2005 Palaeontologists discovered the first known chimpanzee fossil while digging near Lake Baringo, Kenya. mongabay.com Medicinal plants explored at Conservatory of Flowers - 6-September-2005 Plants have long been used by humans for treating a wide range of ills from childhood leukemia to hangovers. Indeed, many of the pharmaceuticals currently available to Western doctors have a long history of use as herbal remedies including quinine, opium, aspirin, and coca. mongabay.com Zoo and Aquarium likely closed a year after hurricane - 4-September-2005 Despite escaping Hurricane Katrina physically unscathed, the aquarium facility in New Orleans has suffered a significant loss of animal life. mongabay.com Satellite pictures show much of Africa burning - 6-September-2005 The use of fire for creating and maintaining agricultural areas is an annual practice across most of Africa. NASA's Earth Observatory recently released a bews brief documenting fire patterns across the African continent for 2005. The text from the feature appears below and is accompanied by a series of images showing seasonal use of fire in the region. NASA release New Method Can Rapidly Detect Potential Bioterror Agent causing Q fever - 6-September-2005 A new combination of analytical chemistry and mathematical data analysis techniques allows the rapid identification of the species, strain and infectious phase of the potential biological terrorism agent Coxiella burnetii. The bacterium causes the human disease Q fever, which can cause serious illness and even death.. Georgia Institute of Technology Mad cow disease came from humans suggests new theory - 6-September-2005 Mad cow disease may have originated from human remains mixed into cattle feed, according to a controversial new theory. Press Association Mississippi's poor areas have worst hurricane impact - 5-September-2005 People living in the path of Hurricane Katrina�s worst devastation were twice as likely as most Americans to be poor and without a car � factors that might help explain why so many failed to evacuate as the storm approached. AP Poverty worsens hurricane impact -- AP analysis - 5-September-2005 An Associated Press analysis of Census data shows that the residents in the three dozen hardest-hit neighborhoods in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama also were disproportionately minority and had incomes $10,000 below the national average. AP Bioinsecticide for the tomato and the green bean - 5-September-2005 Bioinsecticide for combating a pest that affects the tomato and the green bean The tomato fruitworm is the name given to an insect pest which, due to its polyphagous character, causes very serious damage to a number of plants, such as the tomato and the green bean. Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa release Poverty decimates great apes - 5-September-2005 Fewer than 250 wild Sumatran orangutans may exist in fifty years, their habitat is disappearing and the devastation of the Asian tsunami has accelerated the rate of destruction. This is among the findings being announced at the launch of the first World Atlas of Great Apes and their Conservation by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, which reveals that it is not just humans that will benefit from a campaign to �make poverty history�. For the other 6 species of great ape � the eastern and western gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo, Sumatran and Bornean orangutan � it could literally save them from the cooking pot. UNEP World Conservation Monitoring release Forest fires have serious economic and health consequences warns FAO - 5-September-2005 Large forest fires in South-East Asia, notably in Indonesia, have caused serious health and environmental problems, in particular choking haze in the region, FAO said today. FAO release Global Wildlife Center; Jackson, Birmingham, Baton Rouge Zoos OK - 4-September-2005 The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) reports that the Jackson zoo, Birmingham zoo, Montgomery Zoo, and Baton Rouge Zoo came through Hurricane Katrina with relatively little damage. None of the facilties lost staff or animals and most of the damage was limited to fallen trees. mongabay.com Madagascar to be represented at Winter Olympics in skiiing event - 4-September-2005 Mathieu Razanakolona will be the first person to represent Madagascar in the winter Olympics. Of all sports, he will be competing in skiing events. Razanakolona is Canadian- Madagasy; Madagascar has no snow. rAzAlpin.org release How to help the New Orleans Zoo and Aquarium after hurricane - 4-September-2005 Despite escaping Hurricane Katrina relatively unscathed, the zoo and aquarium facilities in New Orleans could use donations to help with the feeding and care of their animals. mongabay.com Enzyme may be key in HIV resistance, new drug in development based on findings - 3-September-2005 Researchers have confirmed for the first time the benefit of an innate defense system present in the few patients who remain healthy after years of infection with HIV despite receiving no treatment, according to an article published in the September edition of the Journal of Virology. University of Rochester Medical Center release Ancient 46-foot long crocodile found in Amazon - 3-September-2005 Peruvian scientists discovered the fossilized remains of a giant, 46-foot-(14-meter)-long crocodile deep in the Amazon rainf orest, lending credence to a theory that the Amazon was once a huge inland sea. mongabay.com New Orleans Aquarium and Zoo faring well since hurricane - 2-September-2005 Audubon Zoo, the Aquarium of the Americas, the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species in New Orleans survived Hurricane Katrina relatively unscathed according to reports from operators of the facilities. However, in neighboring Mississippi, the Gulport Marine Life Oceanarium aquarium was totally destroyed. mongabay.com Aerial photos of Hurricane Katrina destruction - 2-September-2005 NOAA posted online more than 1450 aerial images of the U.S. Gulf Coast areas that were decimated by Hurricane Katrina. NOAA will be flying more missions in the days ahead that will yield hundreds of additional aerial digital images. The regions photographed on Tuesday range from Bay St. Louis to Pascagoula, Miss. The southeast coastal areas of Louisiana are being photographed on Wednesday. The aerial photograph missions were conducted by the NOAA Remote Sensing Division the day after Katrina made landfall at approximately 7:10 a.m. EDT on Aug. 29, 2005, in Plaquemines Parish, La. NOAA NOAA posts photos from inside Hurricane Katrina - 2-September-2005 NOAA hurricane hunter WP-3D Orion and Gulfstream IV aircraft conducted ten long flights into and around the eye of Hurricane Katrina. Lt. Mike Silah, a P-3 pilot, got to see Hurricane Katrina up close and personal, especially when she was an extremely dangerous Category Five storm in the Gulf of Mexico. The day before the powerful and destructive storm made landfall on the USA Gulf Coast, Silah snapped a series of images capturing the eyewall of Katrina. NOAA Anti-Cancer Drugs has promise for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome - 1-September-2005 Bethesda, Maryland � In a surprising development, a research team led by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has found that a class of experimental anti-cancer drugs also shows promise in laboratory studies for treating a fatal genetic disorder that causes premature aging. NIH release Fruit fiber may help protect against second-hand smoke effects - 1-September-2005 A new study finds early life exposure to second-hand smoke can produce life-long respiratory problems. The study of 35,000 adult non-smokers in Singapore found that those who lived with a smoker during childhood had more respiratory problems, including chronic cough. Study participants who reported eating more fruit and soy fiber as adults seemed to be protected against some of the negative health effects often associated with early tobacco exposure. NIH release NIH Looks at Genomics of Inflammation from Severe Injury - 1-September-2005 When it comes to inflammation, too much of a good thing can be deadly. In some severely injured patients, this normal healing process can develop into a lethal, whole-body response, including bloodstream infection (sepsis) and multiple organ failure. How and why inflammation turns from healing to harming is still mysterious, so doctors can�t accurately predict how each injured patient will fare. NIH release Fake Lipitor Manufacturers Indicted - 1-September-2005 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, today announced the indictments of 11 individuals, a drug repacker, and two wholesale distributors in cases related to the sale of Lipitor, a popular cholesterol reducing drug. FDA release Chimps and Humans Very Similar at the DNA Level - 1-September-2005 The first comprehensive comparison of the genetic blueprints of humans and chimpanzees shows that our closest living relatives share perfect identity with 96 percent of our DNA sequence, an international research consortium reported today. NIH release New Influenza Vaccine Ready for Flu Season - 1-September-2005 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Fluarix, an influenza vaccine for adults that contains inactivated virus. Fluarix is approved to immunize adults 18 years of age and older against influenza virus types A and B contained in the vaccine. Influenza is also commonly called the flu. FDA release Hurricane news, by county and city, for LA, MS - 1-September-2005 Links to news updates. Organized by city and country. mongabay.com NASA releases satellite photos showing flooded New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina - 1-September-2005 NASA released satellite photos showing destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The images, available on NASA's Earth Observatory web site clearly show signficant parts of the city inundated with flood water. mongabay.com Easter Island Mystery revealed using mathematical model - 1-September-2005 The history of Easter Island, its statues and its peoples, has long been shrouded in mystery. Some have suggested that aliens marooned on earth planted the statues as signals to their fellow aliens to rescue them. Others have said that the statues were constructed by a great race of guilders that were stranded on the island and built them before being rescued. Still others are convinced that an ancient society with the capability of flight constructed them along with the Nazca lines in Peru. However new evidence based on pollen analysis supports a much simpler theory, that the Easter Island inhabitants destroyed their own society through deforestation. mongabay.com Hurricane news, by county and city, for LA, MS - 1-September-2005 Links to news updates. Organized by city and country. mongabay.com XML / RSS feed | current news | archive News index | RSS | News Feed Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing |
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