Geographical articles from December 2006

Geographical archives from December 2006

The shock of the new.(periodicals)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Regular readers of Geographical will notice a suite of new departments in the front of the magazine this month. First up--by popular demand--is the return of our Where in the world? competition, where you have the chance to win a Bradt travel...

Containing the concrete coastline.(landowners to hand over their lands to government)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The Spanish government is forcing the owners of 8,000 hectares of vulnerable coastal land to sell their plots to the state in an attempt to halt development and protect scenic areas. Using Spain's 1988 'law of coasts', which states that...

High-altitude junkyards.(environmental impact of mountain climbing)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The mayor of a small French village on the slopes of Europe's tallest mountain has courted controversy by calling for a limit on the number of people climbing Mont Blanc in order to alleviate pressure on already crowded overnight refuges and...

Hurricane tree wins.(oak trees)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... An image of an oak tree emerges from the aftermath of Hurricane Gudrun, which struck southern Sweden in January last year (left). This image, taken by Sweden's Jocke Berglund, won the World in Our Hands category of the 2006 Shell Wildlife...

Perth belongs to aborigines.(noongar people to be the owners)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... In a landmark federal court ruling in Western Australia, a judge has declared that the indigenous Noongar Aboriginal people are the traditional owners of a 6,000-square kilometre area of land in which the city of Perth is situated. This is the...

Conservation innovation recognized.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... In October, five people were recognised at the biennial Rolex Awards for Enterprise at a special gala event in Singapore. Among the recipients of the awards, which aim to identify and support individuals engaged in attempts to further human...

The 15-strong community of the Scottish Hebridean island of Canna is preparing to welcome new residents after the National Trust for Scotland.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The 15-strong community of the Scottish Hebridean island of Canna is preparing to welcome new residents after the National Trust for Scotland, which owns the island, offered two new homes for rent to new families. Applicants must have practical...

Researchers at the University of Nebraska, USA, have discovered an innovative way of preventing nitrogen from fertiliser leaching into groundwater--disposable nappies.(USA)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Researchers at the University of Nebraska, USA, have discovered an innovative way of preventing nitrogen from fertiliser leaching into groundwater--disposable nappies. The polymer used in nappies has been found to be very effective at absorbing...

The largest flood-storage project in Europe has opened in Lincolnshire.(UK)(Alkborough Flats Tidal Defence Scheme)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The largest flood-storage project in Europe has opened in Lincolnshire. According to the Environment Agency, the Alkborough Flats Tidal Defence Scheme will reduce the risk of flooding for 300,000 people, while at the same time offering a...

Conservationists from the Siberian Tiger Artificial Propagation Base in China are training 620 captive-bred endangered Siberian tigers to survive in the wild.(CHINA)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Conservationists from the Siberian Tiger Artificial Propagation Base in China are training 620 captive-bred endangered Siberian tigers to survive in the wild. They plan to release the animals into a 15-hectare patch of forest in China's...

A lack of natural predators has seen the koala population of Kangaroo Island, off South Australia, grow to more than 28,000, wreaking havoc on the island's forests.(AUSTRALIA)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A lack of natural predators has seen the koala population of Kangaroo Island, off South Australia, grow to more than 28,000, wreaking havoc on the island's forests. In order to bring the population under control, scientists are testing a...

Around 170,000 square kilometres of Indonesia are being offered to investors in order to help boost the nation's energy security.(INDONESIA)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Around 170,000 square kilometres of Indonesia are being offered to investors in order to help boost the nation's energy security, farming, forestry and palm oil and sugar plantations, as well as creating employment opportunities.

A cigarette case and watch owned by TE Lawrence, otherwise known as Lawrence of Arabia, were sold by Christie's auction house in London to an unnamed buyer for 254,400 [pounds sterling].(UK)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A cigarette case and watch owned by TE Lawrence, otherwise known as Lawrence of Arabia, were sold by Christie's auction house in London to an unnamed buyer for 254,400 [pounds sterling]. The compass was used during the Arab revolt in 1916.

Top 10 highest foreign debt (US$million, 2003; developed nations excluded).(Brief article)(Statistical data)
December 1, 2006... TOP 10 Highest foreign debt (US$million, 2003; developed nations excluded) 1. BRAZIL 235,431 2. CHINA 193,567 3. RUSSIA 175,257 4. ARGENTINA 166,207 5. TURKEY 145,662 6. MEXICO 140,004 7....

DDT making a comeback.(WORLDWATCH)(World Health Organization)(Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged that DDT, a pesticide banned 30 years ago, be reintroduced to combat malaria, which kills a million people, many of them children, each year. "Today, malaria remains a major cause of poverty and...

Underwater 'lost world' discovered in Papua.(WORLDWATCH)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Following on from the discovery of a 'lost world' of new plants and animals in the Foja Mountains in the Indonesian province of Papua, scientists from Conservation International (CI) have now discovered a treasure trove of new marine species...

Dossier update: ivory ban upheld, for now.(WORLDWATCH)(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The Dossier in last month's Geographical highlighted the dilemma faced by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) on whether or not to sanction the sale of stockpiled ivory. At a meeting in Geneva on S October, the...

Glacier loss accelerating water shortages on the way.(CLIMATEWATCH)(Report)
December 1, 2006... A recent study led by Dr Gears Kaser, a glaciologist from the University of Innsbruck in Austria, has revealed that the rate at which glaciers are melting has significantly accelerated during the past five years and could lead to water...

Ten-year time limit.(CLIMATEWATCH)(limited time to reduce global warming)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The world has ten years in which to take action on global warming if it's to avoid disaster, according to a NASA climate scientist. Speaking at a climate change conference in California, James Hansen said that governments must control...

Permafrost thaw.(CLIMATEWATCH)
December 1, 2006... Melting permafrost in Siberia is producing more of the potent greenhouse gas methane than previously thought, according to joint research by Russian and US scientists published in the journal Nature. Although the so-called thaw lakes were known...

Ice-core analysis.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A recently extracted Antarctic ice core has provided further evidence that carbon emissions have accelerated in recent years and that the climate of the future will be dangerously warm. In-depth analysis of tiny air bubbles inside a...

The penny drops ...(Alexander Downer on climate)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... "It was a bloody hot day, 33[degrees]C and a north wind... And a bunch of people, not just farmers, were saying: 'Maybe there is something in this climate change thing." Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, October 2006

The Kuril Islands.(GEOPOLITICAL HOTSPOT)
December 1, 2006... Even the remotest sounding objects of discord. In August, over the little-known southern the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Russian killed a group of Japanese fishermen conducting illegal fishing and placed on Russo--Japanese relations. ...

Water: by 2025, two thirds of the world's population will be short of water.(STATE OF THE WORLD)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Water use varies widely according to its availability, its importance to a country's industry or agriculture, and the way in which people use it in their homes. Water is one of the basic requirements for life, and it is becoming more and...

Gower: areas of outstanding natural beauty: sometimes described as Wales in miniature due to the diversity of its landscape, Gower is one of the UK's most protected areas. Jo Sargent explores the peninsula as it celebrates 50 years of AONB status.(Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty)
December 1, 2006... Standing on a sunny cliff-top in Rhossili, looking out over a sea as smooth as a millpond, it's easy to understand why Gower was picked to become Britain's first ever Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Worms Head, one of the most...

Grants for young geography researchers.(IN SOCIETY: A round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)
December 1, 2006... December is a key month for young academics, as the Society is offering a range of small research grants specifically designed to give aspiring geographers a helping hand in their pursuits. Life as a postdoctoral fellow can often be restricted...

Rediscovering past treasures.(IN SOCIETY: A round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... More than 50 of the Society's classic and less well-known travel and exploration accounts from the 19th and early 20th centuries have been reprinted and will go on sale this month. The reprints are the work of Rediscovery Books, a specialist...

Lecture of the month: planet earth.
December 1, 2006... 11 December, 6.30pm (LECTURE, LONDON) Described as the most ambitious factual series ever commissioned by the BBC, Planet Earth presents a stunning portrait of our world and its natural history. In this Monday night lecture, the...

Forthcoming events in November/December.(IN SOCIETY: A round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)
December 1, 2006... For details, please contact the Events Office on 020 7591 31 00 30 November, 7pm Climate change and the environment: your questions answered (DEBATE, LONDON) Your chance to debate environmental issues with a panel of experts...

Join the Society--GET the magazine.(IN SOCIETY: A round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Often called the 'Home of Geography', the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) promotes an enjoyment and understanding of our world. Membership is open to anyone. You may use geography in your profession, have a thirst for geographical...

George Mallory's goggles: did the legendary climber take in the view from the world's highest point through these goggles?(ARTEFACT OF THE MONTH)
December 1, 2006... Between 1852, when it was first established that Mount Everest was the highest mountain on Earth, until Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay finally reached the peak's summit in 1953, it was every mountaineer's dream to become the first person...

Earthly pleasures.(ADOBE ARCHITECTURE)
December 1, 2006... One of humanity's earliest-known building materials, adobe is a combination of clay, earth, sand and water. Often strengthened using straw or manure, it's shaped into bricks and left out to dry in the sun. This mud-like mixture has been used...

An iceman's best friend: the dogs bred by the Chukchi people of the Russian far east enabled them to occupy some of the world's most inhospitable territory and helped them to fight off the Cossacks. Benedict Allen tells the story of the most efficient mode of tundra transport humanity has ever invented.(SLEDGE DOGS)
December 1, 2006... About five years ago, I took a dog team up through Chukotka, in the Russian far east, with the idea of attempting a dash across the frozen Bering Strait to Alaska. It had seemed a great idea at the time, but I'd chosen the worst winter in...

Return of the wild: in the largest, most ambitious exercise of its kind ever to be undertaken, 8,000 animals from 27 mammal species have been reintroduced into Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa's North-West province. But as well as returning this former farmland to its natural state, 'Operation Phoenix' is also helping to provide a future for the local communities.(MADIKWE GAME RESERVE)
December 1, 2006... Flying over Madikwe Game Reserve. the ground below is a mosaic of russet, green and golden hues. vibrant in the slanted rays of the setting sun. To our right, a herd of elephants wallows in the mud on the fringe of a waterhole. As we circle the...

The Hungry dragon and the dark continent: as China's economy grows, so too does its need for energy and resources. In order to fill those needs, the country is quietly signing agreements with many poor African nations--in the process fundamentally altering the patterns of global trade and realigning political allegiances.(SPECIAL REPORT: Geographical dossier)
December 1, 2006... Jacob Lukaka is optimistic about the future. When he graduates from the University of Nairobi later this year, the 23-year-old Kenyan student will start work for a travel company. Ordinarily, quite a few of his fellow countrymen would have been...

Mapping a metropolis: the British Library is about to mount the first major exhibition of London maps for more than 40 years, featuring an unprecedented collection of charts and other material that offer fascinating insights into the growth and life of the capital. Peter Barber, the library's head of map collections, offers a sneak preview.(LONDON MAPS)
December 1, 2006... From the end of November until early March next year, the British Library will be showing an exhibition entitled London: A Life in Maps. It will be the first on the theme since 1964, when The Growth of London exhibition was mounted in the...

Where there's smoke, there's gold: it sounds like something from a tale by Jules Verne: deep-sea volcanoes that belch out black 'smoke' into a strange world inhabited by outlandish creatures and strewn with precious minerals. Scientists are captivated. But so, too--much to the alarm of environmentalists--are mining companies.(UNDERSEA VENTS)
December 1, 2006... Imagine a world so ephemeral that your entire species could be wiped out in just a few seconds, where the temperature difference between your head and your feet could be almost 100[degrees]C and the ground beneath you is constantly shifting,...

Island in the stream: the oft-repeated claim that India's Majuli Island is the world's largest riverine island may not be true, but with its unique monasteries and fascinating tribal cultures, the island is a beguiling destination none the less. It's just a shame it's shrinking.(MAJULI ISLAND)
December 1, 2006... It's dusk, and our long, heavily laden boat slides out into an inky river capped by a fading ochre sky. Among its passengers are villagers, shopkeepers and a handful of mendicants, their bicycles and the odd scooter. I alone have a car; parked...

Capturing Kathmandu.(GEOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE)
December 1, 2006... Little is known about Captain Clarence Comyn Taylor, other than that he served in the military, medical and nursing services of the East India Company during the latter half of the 19th century. However, photographs he took of the Kathmandu...

Exploring the sprawl.(Planet of Slums )(Book review)
December 1, 2006... Planet of Slums by Mike Davis Verso, hb, pp256, 15.99 [pounds sterling] Unless your heart is calcified, this is the one of the most harrowing books you're ever likely to read. Mike Davis offers a glimpse of the urban squalor that infests...

Retreat into a rural world.(A Portrait of England )(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2006... A Portrait of England edited by Joanna Eede Think Books/Campaign to Protect Rural England, hb, pp180, 20 [pounds sterling] To mark the 80th anniversary of the charity that has helped to establish the UK's national parks and Areas of...

Shadow of the Silk Road.(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2006... Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron Chatto and Windus, hb, pp363, 20 [pounds sterling] There have been numerous books about the Silk Road, but what makes this one so distinctive and memorable is that it's about Colin Thubron on the...

Fragile Earth: Views of a Changing World.(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2006... Fragile Earth: Views of a Changing World Various authors Harper Collins, hb, pp272, 30 [pounds sterling] Writers as diverse as Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Mark Lynas, Fred Pearce and Bjorn Lomborg have joined together to create a book that...

Edge of Empire: Conquest and Collecting in the East 1750-1850.(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2006... Edge of Empire: Conquest and Collecting in the East 1750-1850 by Maya Jasanoff Harper Perennial, pb, pp404, 8.99 [pounds sterling] Collecting is an integral aspect of imperialism: the seizure of territories is collection writ large,...

Top 10 writer's reads.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Nicholas Jolly is a writer and painter. Under the guise of his alter ago, Vic Darkwood, he co-founded The Chap magazine and has co-written several books, including The Chap Manifesto and Around the World in Eighty Martinis. His first solo...

Into the wild blue yonder.(Bluelist: The Best of Travel in 2007)(Book review)
December 1, 2006... Bluelist: The Best of Travel in 2007 Various authors Lonely Planet, pb, pp260, 14.99 [pounds sterling] This, the second edition of Lonely Planet's Bluelist, is structurally little different from last year's edition, but contains even...

Calum's Road.(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2006... Calum's Road by Roger Hutchinson Birlinn, hb, pp196, 9.99 [pounds sterling] "This story is set in a very small place"--the Hebridean island of Raasay is 19 kilometres long and three to five kilometres wide and, even when flourishing,...

God's Gold: The Quest for the Lost Temple Treasure of Jerusalem.(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2006... God's Gold: The Quest for the Lost Temple Treasure of Jerusalem by Sean Kingsley John Murray, hb, pp314, 20 [pounds sterling] In his preface to this entertaining book, Sean Kingsley solemnly declares that while God's Gold is a search...

The enchanted archipelago.(Galapos: The Islands that Changed the World)(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2006... Galapos: The Islands that Changed the World by Paul D Stewart BBC Books, pb, pp240, 18.99 [pounds sterling] It always used to be difficult to reach the Galapagos Islands. Most species lacked the wherewithal to reach the cluster of...

Geographical classic #37.(The Southern Gates of Arabia )(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2006... The Southern Gates of Arabia by Freya Stark John Murray, pb, pp270, 9.99 [pounds sterling] It was all a bit different in Freya Stark's day. In the introduction to her perennial classic, The Southern Gates of Arabia, there is a footnote in...

Equality goes outdoors: guess what? Women and men are physically different. Okay, so you already knew that, but kit manufacturers have only just cottoned on--and it's about time.(ESSENTIAL GEAR)
December 1, 2006... In terms of fashion, I realised early on that I'm cursed by the length of my body and time size of my feet. I'm no grant out smart trousers in high street stores tend to stop at my ankles, and trying to find strappy sandals in a size nine is...

Ten of the best: as the range of kit designed specifically for women grows, so too, does the difficulty of choosing what to buy. But fear not, we've already tracked down some of the best female-friendly gear on the market.(ESSENTIAL GEAR)(Buyers guide)
December 1, 2006... 1 For the mountains Berghaus Women's Katharo 55 70 [pounds sterling]/2.18kilograms The adjustable back system on this 55-litre rucksack is designed to promote the transfer of weight from the shoulders to the hips. The Katharo also...

Marathon man sets off.(Dean Karnazes)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... On 17 September, US marathon runner Dean Karnazes began the first of 50 marathons to raise money for charity. Karnazes will be taking part in The North Face Endurance SO challenge, which comprises 50 marathons in 50 US states on 50 consecutive...

Primus set to turn heads.
December 1, 2006... Primus is usually associated with portable camping stoves, but now the company has applied its technical expertise to head torches. Its new range of four head lamps come with five LEDs, a 15-metre range, and an in-tent light bag--remove the...

Regatta partnership.(Raleigh International)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Outdoor-clothing manufacturer Regatta has joined forces with youth-development charity Raleigh International to launch the Regatta Foundation. The foundation aims to encourage and provide the means for disadvantaged youngsters between the ages...

World's biggest Swiss Army knife.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... So, you think you have everything you need for a camping trip? Think again. The latest offering from Swiss Army knife manufacturer Wenger will make even the most well prepared gadget-lovers green with envy. Bristling with awl incredible 85...

One jacket, seven looks.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Columbia's first interchangeable jackets were released back in 1982, offering climbers, walkers and snow-sports enthusiasts a choice of three styles in one jacket. Its latest venture into the world of versatile couture has just arrived in the...

Charity mountaineering risks.(Mount Kilimanjaro )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Thousands of charity trekkers climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania are unnecessarily putting themselves at risk from potentially fatal altitude sickness or high-altitude cerebral or pulmonary oedema because they aren't taking the time to...

Malaria: medical advice from Jason Gibbs, head pharmacist at Nomad Travel stores and health clinics.
December 1, 2006... Malaria is one of many diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and claims more than a million lives annually worldwide. The first and most important rule in preventing infection is don't get bitten. There are four main ways of doing so: Reduce...

Explorer's essentials: Roz Savage, solo rower.(OUT AND ABOUT)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... 1. Inova head torch. Provides a bright, large field of even illumination and has a variety of settings, including automated SOS in Morse code. * www.inovalight.com 2. 3M duct tape. Serves a myriad of purposes; I rowed more than...

Bradt travel guides.(The Geographical Good Guide Guide: helping you choose that vitally important, but often rather confusing, item of kit: the guidebook)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... What are they like? Hilary and George Bradt compiled their first travel guide while floating down a tributary of the Amazon River in 1974. Having started out primarily focusing on countries, they recently branched out into city guides and the...

Colour and composition: Point-and-shoot cameras may have made photography simpler, but to get better pictures, you need to stop and think.(Geo photo)
December 1, 2006... In our automatic age of instant exposures shot from the hip, composition and the placement of colour within a photograph are given too little consideration. But if you want to add a little art to your images, you'll need to think before you...

Budget option: colour-correction filters.(Equipment: filters and film)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Of all the filters that can be used with film and digital cameras, by far the most useful for colour photography are the ultraviolet (UV), polarising and warm-up (81 series) filters. Most UV light is screened from the Earth's surface by the...

Film option: Velvia 100.(Equipment: filters and film)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... If you're still using a film camera, chances are that it's because of the renowned qualities of this remarkable slide film. A year ago, Fuji replaced its best selling professional film, Velvia 50, with a faster version, and despite the fears of...

Not so pleasant.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... It wasn't until I reached the end of your excellent article about the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) scheme (A green and pleasant land, November 2006) that I noticed the title. As I'm sure you're aware, the phrase in question is...

Study aid.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... I have been receiving your magazine for a year now and have found it immensely useful for my studies, as well as an informative and enjoyable read. One of my English assignments was to produce an 'adbuster' with an essay explaining the issue in...

Columnists in their ivory towers.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... I just wanted to write to congratulate you on the ivory trade Dossier in the November Geographical (On the tusks of a dilemma). I think many readers will, like me, have had their eyes opened by your thorough investigation of this most...

The elephant in the room.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... I noted with interest the review of Dodo: The Bird behind the Legend in the October Geographical, which mentions that despite visiting Mauritius, Charles Darwin didn't refer to the dodo in his journals, but did mention having seen an elephant....

Stirring things up.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... I have always been a bit suspicious about Starbucks' promotion of fair trade coffee--as it says on its website: "sip coffee and help Africa's wildlife and people". And since reading the news about the row that's emerged between Starbucks and...

Natalie Hoare in conversation with ... Ajantha Perera.(Interview)
December 1, 2006... Ajantha Perera, the University of Colombo after bringing members of an impoverished underclass of 'rag pickers' to her lectures. She has since devoted her full attention to improving conditions for the rag pickers and lobbying the Sri Lankan...