Geographical articles from February 2008

Geographical archives from February 2008

No magic bullet.(FROM THE EDITOR)(biofuels)(Editorial)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Watching the inexorable slide of biofuels from potential saviour to ecological pariah has been sad (page 44). With two global crises looming--the exhaustion of our fossil fuel reserves and global climate change--we need to find solutions...

Where in the world?(test of what country)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Identify this country using the following clues: * It's the most ethnically diverse country in Africa, with more than 130 different tribal groups * It hosted the shortest war in history * Although only four per cent of its land...

White continent now available in high definition.(map available in high definition)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Researchers from four scientific organisations have created a new map of Antarctica that represents a revolution in satellite imaging and has been likened to the jump from black and white to high-definition colour television pictures. The...

Fish farms must double output, says UN.(WORLDWATCH )(United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The amount of fish being farmed will have to double by 2030 in order to fulfill the demands of a growing population, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO). Traditional capture fisheries have now reached their maximum...

Longest ever landslide found underwater.(WORLDWATCH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... A group of British scientists has found evidence of an underwater landslide that took place 60,000 years ago and triggered the longest flow of debris ever recorded, according to research published on the website of the journal Nature. ...

Chernobyl disaster emergency phase over.(recovery phase of Chernobyl region )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The UN has declared that the Chernobyl region has entered a new phase of recovery following the devastating explosion at a nuclear power plant in 1986 and has outlined a ten-year plan for recovery. In a new resolution adopted at the General...

Iceland world's best place to live.(WORLDWATCH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Norway's six-year tenure as the world's most desirable place to live has come to an end. According to an annual table published by the UN, Iceland has knocked it into second place, with Australia, Canada and Ireland filling out the top five....

Ordnance Survey's free maps for pupils initiative has seen an increased take-up this year, with nearly 700,000 children benefiting.(UK)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Ordnance Survey's free maps for pupils initiative has seen an increased take-up this year, with nearly 700,000 children benefiting. Under the initiative, all Year 7 pupils are issued with an OS Explorer map of their local area. More than 4.4...

A 19,000-square-kilometre area of rainforest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been designated as a nature reserve in a bid to protect the endangered bonobo.(DRC)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... DRC A 19,000-square-kilometre area of rainforest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been designated as a nature reserve in a bid to protect the endangered bonobo. The Sankuru Nature Reserve, created through a partnership between US and...

The government of Afghanistan has offered Chinese bidders a 30-year lease to what may well be the world's largest copper mine.(AFGHANISTAN)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The government of Afghanistan has offered Chinese bidders a 30-year lease to what may well be the world's largest copper mine. Together with Jiangxi Copper Company, the state-owned metal producer China Metallurgical Group Corporation will spend...

A 10,000-hectare area of the Mexican state of Tabasco has been sprayed with pesticide in an effort to control the spread of dengue fever.(MEXICO)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... A 10,000-hectare area of the Mexican state of Tabasco has been sprayed with pesticide in an effort to control the spread of dengue fever. Devastating floods in the region have allowed the disease-carrying mosquito population to boom, adding to...

The only surviving copy of a Roman road map that dates back to the 12th or 13th century has gone on display at the Austrian National Library in Vienna.(AUSTRIA)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The only surviving copy of a Roman road map that dates back to the 12th or 13th century has gone on display at the Austrian National Library in Vienna, The Tabula Peutingeriana is almost seven metres long and shows a network of roads from Spain...

Native mammals continue to decline.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... A combination of disease, agriculture, human activity and climate change is putting some of Britain's best-loved and most threatened wildlife into further decline, according to an annual review published by Mammals Trust UK. Among the...

Britain's population may pass 100 million by 2081.(Great Britain)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The population of the UK could reach 108 million within 75 years if the latest estimates for fertility, immigration and longevity are realised, according to the Office for National Statistics. The latest projections suggest that the current...

UK's carbon emissions rising.(United Kingdom)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... A new report suggests that the UK's apparent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is based on incomplete figures that mask a substantial increase in recent years. According to the government's official figures, the UK has reduced its...

Domestic turbines a load of hot air.(micro-wind turbines create carbon dioxide)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Micro-wind turbines for domestic electricity generation could create more carbon dioxide than they save, according to a report from the Building Research Establishment Trust. The trust gathered wind-speed data at a range of representative...

Tropics getting wider thanks to global warming.(tropic area)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Global climate change has caused the tropics to widen by between two and 4.8 degrees of latitude since 1979, new research carried out by US scientists suggests. Geographers define the tropics as the area between 23.5 degrees north and 23.5...

The IT sector has emerged as the latest carbon villain.(information technology industry's carbon emission)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The IT sector has emerged as the latest carbon villain. According to a new report by UK-based environmental organisation Global Action Plan, the average computer server has a carbon footprint similar to that of an SUV and the global IT industry...

Rather than staying together for the sake of the children, couples may now consider doing so for the sake of the planet.(environmental impact of marriage break-ups)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Rather than staying together for the sake of the children, couples may now consider doing so for the sake of the planet. A recent 12 country analysis of the environmental impact of marriage break-ups suggests that they result in a significant...

Three of the world's leading oil producing nations have pledged US$150million each to a new fund dedicated to tackling global climate change.(Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Three of the world's leading oil producing nations have pledged US$150million each to a new fund dedicated to tackling global climate change. Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have joined Saudi Arabia--which has stumped up...

Climate change is already reducing Indonesia's agricultural output and causing its fish stocks to dwindle, according to a UN Development Program report.(United Nations)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Climate change is already reducing Indonesia's agricultural output and causing its fish stocks to dwindle, according to a UN Development Program report. The report quotes an earlier study that suggests that shifting weather patterns and erratic...

Forest regeneration may help the EU to meet its carbon-reduction targets, says a group of Finnish researchers.(EUROPE)(European Union)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Forest regeneration may help the EU to meet its carbon-reduction targets, says a group of Finnish researchers. Increasing wealth and population are causing greenhouse gas emissions to rise across the EU, with increases in efficiency and the use...

Guinea-Bissau.(narco-state)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In April last year, Antonio Maria Costa, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, warned that Guinea-Bissau could become a 'narco-state' following several large cocaine seizures earlier that year. It's estimated...

Life expectancy: growing prosperity leads to increased life expectancy. Overall, average life expectancy is rising slowly--but not everywhere.(STATE OF THE WORLD)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nutrition, water supplies and health services are the main factors influencing life expectancy. People in richer countries therefore have a longer life expectancy than those in poorer countries, but even within the...

Clwydian range: area of outstanding natural beauty: Natalie Hoare visits the Clwydian Range in northeastern Wales, the principality's most recently designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and discovers that the region has strong links to nearby Liverpool.(NATURAL BEAUTY)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Treading gingerly across a lunar-like landscape of deep grooves, cavities, nooks and crannies, I'm struck by how barren my surroundings seem. The heavily cratered grey plateau beneath my boots appears to support...

Losing our way? Not with geography.(survey of basic factual knowledge)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A recent survey conducted by GIS software company ESRI showed that a third of people think that Mount Everest (above) is in Europe--an issue discussed widely in the national press, and, indeed, last month's issue of...

Event of the month.(Rosie Stancer's lecture)(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 1, 2008... 5 February, 7pm Discovering people: Rosie Stancer (LECTURE, LONDON) Join Mary Rhodes in conversation with the polar explorer once described as 'a cross between Tinkerbell and the Terminator'. Rosie was part of the first all-female...

A selection of February's events.(conferences and lectures)(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 1, 2008... For further information, please visit www.rgs.org/whatson, email events@rgs.org or telephone 020 7591 3100 4 February, 6.30pm Force of nature: Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (LECTURE, LONDON) Britain's legendary sailor and the first...

Society praised for high-flying teaching resources.(Royal Geographical Society)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Society received praised at the recent Scottish Association of Geography Teachers annual conference for its work in reaching young people. In addition to a plethora of inspirational speeches and seminars, the conference, which was held...

Sir Francis Younghusband's bronze Buddha: the British explorer, Army officer, mystic and RGS president was given this statue by the Tibetans in 1904 during his infamous expedition to Lhasa.(FROM THE COLLECTION)
February 1, 2008... A statue of a deity was perhaps a fitting gift for Sir Francis Younghusband, a deeply religious man who, after becoming the first Westerner to enter Lhasa in more than half a century, devoted the rest of his life to spirituality. However, his...

The big picture.(GEOGRAPHICAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As always, this year's Geographical Photographer of the Year competition attracted a huge number of entries, with the judges sifting their way through around 1,000 images. And again, as always, the standard was...

Searching for a miracle: a Victorian-era English nurse seems an unlikely hero to be celebrated in a remote corner of Siberia. And yet, more than a century after her epic journey to the region, Kate Marsden is still fondly remembered for her altruism and compassion towards leprosy sufferers in the Republic of Sakha. Felicity Aston visited far-eastern Russia in the hope of tracking down the miracle herb at the heart of Marsden's story.(In memoriam)
February 1, 2008... The Jeep slides to a halt on the icy road as the driver speaks in rapid Russian, pointing excitedly at a row of half-finished houses. Leaping out, he indicates some writing painted on the side of the nearest house and explains that it reads: '3...

Golden achievers: since the mid-19th century, the Royal Geographical Society has been presenting a number of annual medals and awards to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in the field of geography and have furthered our understanding of the world. With nominations open for this year's awards, Natalie Hoare looks back at their illustrious history.(RGS medals and awards)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Scanning the list of past gold medal winners displayed in the entrance hall of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in Kensington is like reading a historical who's who of travel, exploration and geography....

Fuelling the debate.(SPECIAL REPORT: Geographical dossier)(biofuels)
February 1, 2008... In a remarkable reversal of fortune, biofuels have gone from saviour to pariah in just a few short years. Fears over the clearing of land for crops, the diversion of food crops for biofuels production, and the capacity to produce enough fuel to...

Step back in time.(stepwells in India)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] A millennium ago, stepwells were fundamental to life in the driest parts of India. These unique structures, hewn from stone, provided year-round access to groundwater, and were a focal point community. Although many...

Greening China: an environmental awakening in Western China has led to several ambitious initiatives to restore the ecology in the mountain chains of three provinces. The initial results have been stunning, and the future of the world's richest temperate habitat is looking brighter than it has for generations.(environmental protection)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hardly a day goes by, it seems, without another story of environmental woes coming out of China. Rapid and poorly controlled development has seen rivers, soil and air polluted. Less often heard are the good news...

To the ends of the Earth.(Geographical archive)(explorers)
February 1, 2008... Whether motivated by the prospect of fame and fortune, the pragmatic need to find new resources and commodities, or the desire to fill in the blank spaces on a map, explorers have long ventured into the unknown. Here, a selection of images...

Central Asia's search for identity.(The New Central Asia: Geopolitics and the Birth of Nations )(Book review)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The New Central Asia: Geopolitics and the Birth of Nations by Olivier Roy IB Tauris, pb, pp 222, 16.99 [pounds sterling] The new Central Asian nations that gained their independence in the last months of 1991...

Black Sea: The Birthplace of Civilisation and Barbarism.(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Black Sea: The Birthplace of Civilisation and Barbarism by Neal Ascherson Vintage Books, pb, pp306, 8.99 [pounds sterling] There's an alarming image on the opening pages of this revised edition of Black Sea...

Beechcombings: The Narratives of Trees.(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Beechcombings: The Narratives of Trees by Richard Mabey Chatto & Windus, hb, pp274, 20 [pounds sterling] It has been a bumper year for nature writing, and to future classics by Robert Macfarlane and the late...

Coast: From the Air.(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Coast: From the Air by Nell Oliver BBC Books, hb, pp192, 25 [pounds sterling] As a pictorial record of the British coast (Channel Islands and Ireland included), this book is perfectly entertaining. If you pick it...

Teach Yourself Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis.(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Teach Yourself Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis by David Rothery Hodder Headline, pb, pp296, 9.99 [pounds sterling] Having never reviewed a 'Teach Yourself' book before, I can only assume that my soundest...

Top 10 writer's reads.(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... 1. The Soccer War by Ryszard Kapudnski (Granta, 8.99 [pounds sterling]) My favourite journalism book, this is a wonderful chronicle of revolutions and coups around the world 2. The Wind-up Bird Chronide by Haruki Murakami (Vintage,...

Grand Canal, Great River: The Travel Diary of a Twelfth-Century Chinese Poet.(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Grand Canal, Great River: The Travel Diary of a Twelfth-Century Chinese Poet translated by Philip Watson Frances Lincoln, hb, pp256, 20 [pounds sterling] In 1170, a Chinese politician by the name of Lu You set...

British Polar Explorers.(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] British Polar Explorers by Admiral Sir Edward Evans First published 1943. Currently out of print It says something about just how highly Britain's polar explorers were held in the public affection that a book...

The microlight fantastic: microlights have made recreational aviation affordable to the average person, giving enthusiasts the freedom to explore the world from the air. Record breaking pilot Richard Meredith-Hardy describes the equipment he used on his most recent microlight expedition.(pilot gear)(Buyers guide)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The security men at the entrance to Seeb International Airport in Muscat, Oman wouldn't let me--or my blind co-pilot Miles Hilton-Barber--in because we didn't have flight tickets. The fact that we didn't need...

Green reds and whites: while the UK has yet to become a wine-guzzling nation on a par with France and Italy, many keen British consumers are becoming concerned about the ethical and environmental credentials of their Chardonnay or Shiraz. But an increasing number of producers worldwide are producing a selection of excellent eco-friendly tipples.(TRADE SECRETS)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If there's anywhere that ethical shoppers are most likely to let their haloes slip, it's at the wine merchant. Organic wine hasn't won a fabulous reputation for flavour, and while British plonk may have a low carbon...

Water colours: the British landscape is blessed with a plethora of lakes, rivers and streams. Armed with a few simple tips and tricks, photographers can turn them into works of art.(Lanscape photography)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Geo photo February is one of the coldest and wettest months of the year, a time of blustery weather and skies packed with rain clouds blowing low across the landscape, leaving the fields sodden and rivers well...

Source of Cyprus's woes.(LETTER OF THE MONTH)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... Martin Varley's otherwise excellent article on Northern Cyprus (Cyprus at the crossroads, December 2007) is misleading on the origin of the problem. The Turkish invasion of 1974, albeit illegal and deplorable, came solely in response to the...

Humanising disaster.(MAILBAG)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... Thanks for the excellent photo essay on the mud volcano disaster in Indonesia (Stuck in the mud, January 2008). I had been following the story in the newspapers, but your article illustrated the scale of the disaster in a way that I hadn't...

Stoic in the face of subsidence.(MAILBAG)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... I was fascinated by the piece on the salt-mine-related subsidence in Northwich (That sinking feeling, January 2008). In particular, I loved the rather stoic nature of the town's early-20th-century inhabitants, who quietly accepted the fact that...

Not just their knot.(MAILBAG)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... Congratulations to Tim Cope on his epic ride between Mongolia and Hungary in the footsteps of Genghis Khan (In conversation, January 2008). It was heartwarming to hear him talk of spending so much of his time staying with the local people--not...

Faith in the deigners.(MAILBAG)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... John James raises some interesting points in his letter about 'designer' landscapes (Mailbag, January 2008), many of which harked back to the piece in the October Geographical about the environmental issues facing the Lake District (Is this all...

Irony by association.(MAILBAG)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... I can't be the only one to have been struck by the irony of the placement of two news pieces on page 11 of the December Geographical (Climatewatch). On the left, scientists want to scrub carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by turning it...

In conversation.(Interview)
February 1, 2008... Aqqaluk Lynge, 60, the president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, which is based in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. A former social worker and radio broadcaster, Lynge has held the post of president for ten years. He has become a figurehead...