Geographical articles from January 2003

Geographical archives from January 2003

Uncovering a hidden gem. (From The Editor).(Editorial)
January 1, 2003... As the editor of the magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), I often visit the Society's headquarters in Kensington to meet authors and explorers and sometimes to delve into the archives to research stories. It was during one...

The long and the short of it. (Prize Letter).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... I was wondering if you or one of your readers could possibly settle a little point of interest for a group of retired men who meet regularly in our local watering hole. One of us has a habit of coming out with some astonishing facts, for...

Air rage. (letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... I would like to challenge Rob Webb's claim (Sky-high success, December 2002) that "[British Airways is] fully aware of the environmental implications of aviation and [has] dedicated staff working on these issues." Although the European Court of...

Art lesson from Algeria. (letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... Ed explains: in the Letters section of our September issue, we featured a picture of a beautiful Geographical cover made from different coloured sands, sent in by Tayed Mebarki of Algeria. We were intrigued as to how it was made, and Tayed has...

The great 101 travel questions competition.
January 1, 2003... The December heat of the fantastic wherewillwego.com 101 travel questions competition is now in full swing, with some great prizes to be won, including a trip in Thailand from Intrepid Travel and a sea-kayaking weekend in the Outer Hebrides...

Malawi as Nyasaland. (letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... In his article on the famine in Malawi (No hope in hell, November 2002), Martin Bell claimed that a portion of the blame for the "sale of grain, lack of irrigation and the failure to diversify into other crops besides maize" could "reasonably...

Different perspectives. (letters).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... I would like to respond to Paul Flint's letter about Malawi (December 2002). I was joint leader of a recent three-week school trip to Africa and was in Malawi at the same time as Paul. In fact we met briefly on the flight back from Nairobi. ...

Number of endangered species soars. (Global).
January 1, 2003... New statistics from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature reveal a dramatic rise in the number of endangered species around the world. More than 11,000 organisms are now said to face extinction. In the updated Red List of...

Americas failing indigenous people. (Americas).(Amnesty International report on Canada, Argentina and Colombia)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Indigenous people throughout the Americas are still being denied basic human rights by their governments, according to Amnesty International. Released on the 510th anniversary of Columbus's arrival on the continent, the group's statement...

Vegetable power. (Global).(biodiesel)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A scientist at Staffordshire University has developed a way to convert unwanted cooking oil into fuel, Dr Tarik Al-Shemmeri uses discarded vegetable oil as the basis of his `biodiesel' which, unlike conventional diesel, doesn't give off sulphur...

World's largest marine reserve. (Australia).(Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Australian Government is about to create the world's largest marine reserve. At 6.5 million hectares, the proposed Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve will be twice the size of Switzerland. Australia's Environment...

The Mammal Society and the British Trust for Ornithology have set up the Winter Mammal Monitoring project. (UK).(volunteers wanted)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Mammal Society and the British Trust for Ornithology have set up the Winter Mammal Monitoring project to monitor the UK's mammal populations and provide information about the British countryside. Volunteers are needed. For more information...

On the web.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A biodiversity hotspot website has been launched by Conservation International and Intel Corporation's Environmental Health and Safety Division. The site provides information on 25 areas around the world chosen for preserving the...

Iceland has been accepted back into the International Whaling Commission. (Iceland).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Iceland has been accepted back into the International Whaling Commission, and has announced its intention to recommence its commercial whaling activities.

A newt highway has been built by construction firm AMEC in the vicinity of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Project from Folkestone to Gravesend. (UK).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A newt highway has been built by construction firm AMEC in the vicinity of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Project from Folkestone to Gravesend in Kent to enable the amphibians to travel safely from an area of woodland to a nearby pond during the...

The US Government has donated $36million to the Congo Basin Forest Partnership, an initiative to protect and preserve the world. Congo.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The US Government has donated $36million to the Congo Basin Forest Partnership, an initiative to protect and preserve the world's second largest tropical forest.

Turkish delight: a British archaeologist who believes he's discovered the ancient city of Pteria is among those honoured in the 2002 Rolex Awards for Enterprise. (Global).(Geoffrey Summers)
January 1, 2003... Scientists from around the world have been recognised by this year's Rolex Awards for Enterprise for groundbreaking achievements in technology, science, the environment, exploration and cultural heritage. Five recipients of a Rolex Laureate...

Down among the dead men: the waters surrounding the remote Cape Verde islands are a graveyard, littered with the skeletal remains of more than 600 ships. Aisling Irwin meets the marine archaeologists exploring these tragic treasure troves, centuries after they were consigned to the deep. (Cape Verde Shipwrecks).
January 1, 2003... AS THE PRINCESS LOUISA BEGAN TO SINK its crew broke into the liquor store. Despairing of survival, they downed bottles of brandy to numb themselves against their imminent demise by drowning. Within a few hours it was all over and the men,...

Better living through commerce: Gordon Roddick may not be as well known as his wife and co-founder of the Body Shop, Anita, but as Liz Scarff discovers, he's just as tireless a campaigner for social justice. (Interview).(Interview)
January 1, 2003... GORDON RODDICK IS AN IDEAS MAN. He "loves the idea of using business as a social tool", an idea he's put into practice via the Body Shop and the Big Issue, both of which he co-founded. Some ideas, such as the Big Issue, are his own, while...

Cold comfort. (The South Polar Times).(Robert Falcon Scott and the British National Antarctic Expedition/Marco Polo)
January 1, 2003... Between 1901 and 1904, the British National Antarctic Expedition, led by Commander Robert Falcon Scott, explored the Antarctic continent, gathering information about the landmass, its climate and its wildlife. But the team's time wasn't...

Light amid the darkness: in his editorial, the effervescent Lieutenant Ernest Shackleton introduces the first issue of the South Polar Times, explaining how he hopes it will keep his fellow expeditioners amused through the long Antarctic winter. (South Polar Times).(Editorial)(Excerpt)
January 1, 2003... Ice-breaking news This the twenty-third day of April marks the disappearance of the sun for many long months; and as we can expect no light from without, we look for light from within. So, in the hope that this idea may in a small way be...

Life in the freezer: coming to terms with the reality of living in the Antarctic proved to be as much of a challenge as carrying out the expedition's scientific research and exploratory work. The following extracts reveal how the team dealt with the extreme conditions and found ways to distract themselves. (South Polar Times).(historical account by Ernest Shackleton and others)
January 1, 2003... Weather and what's on The greater part of this month has been stormy. In the early days we had one furious blizzard, which carded away the windmill, covered the ship in all exposed places to a depth of three feet in snow, made a drift...

Onward o'er the snow: during their three years in the Antarctic, Scott and his team experimented with various forms of transport--including tobogganing, skiing, sledging and ballooning--which provided them with plenty to write about. (South Polar Times).
January 1, 2003... Ballooning in the Antarctic No sooner was the project of taking a balloon to the Antarctic brought forward than subscriptions came forward in such a liberal style that it became a settled matter. The Captain was the first to make an...

Experiments on ice: with the expedition's scientific focus, it wasn't surprising that a number of contributions to the South Polar Times took a sideways look at the research being carried out by the expeditioners. Both serious and humorous, these often took the form of essays on, and poems to, wildlife.
January 1, 2003... Bird-catching at sea How many people, I wonder, seeing birds of the sea in a museum or private collection, give a thought as to the means, time and patience required in catching them? To say that Albatross catching does not call for...

A long life at sea: specially designed for Antarctic conditions, Discovery served Scott's expedition well and made it back to England in one piece, docking in Plymouth on 15 September 1904. But its years of service didn't end there and it went on to have a distinguished career. (The South Polar Times).
January 1, 2003... AFTER RECEIVING THE GO-AHEAD FOR AN Antarctic expedition, RGS President Sir Clements Markham commissioned a hip to be designed specifically for scientific work and icy waters. Built by the Dundee Shipbuilders Company at a cost of 51,000 [pounds...

Antarctic Oasis: Under the Spell of South Georgia.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... by Tim and Pauline Carr, WW Norton, hb, pp256, 29.95 [pounds sterling] South Georgia, once the haunt of sealers and whalers, has few books to celebrate it. The abundant seals and seabirds that call the island home have attracted wildlife...

Ice Bound.(Video Recording Review)
January 1, 2003... New Street, VHS, 156 mins, 9.99 [pounds sterling] It's hard to imagine the desolate beauty of a frigid continent that is larger than both the USA and Mexico combined, 98 per cent of which is covered in ice more than 1.5 kilometres thick,...

The Songs of the `Morning': a Musical Sketch.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... by GS Doorly, Reardon, CD, 48 rains, 14.99 [pounds sterling] The relief ship Morning made several journeys to resupply the Discovery expedition. And just as Scott and his men produced the South Polar Times while in the Antarctic, Lieutenant...

Antarctica Unveiled.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... by David E Yelverton, University Press of Colorado, hb, pp483, 25.99 [pounds sterling] Overshadowed by the tragic events of his mission to the South Pole, Scott's first expedition has seldom received the credit it is due. Yet it was this...

The Endurance Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... by Caroline Alexander Bloomsbury, hb, pp210, 20 [pounds sterling] This account of Shackleton's 1914 Endurance adventure has the added bonus of Frank Hurley's previously unpublished photographs. Remarkably, these negatives survived...

`Hell with a Capital H'.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... The death of Scott and his comrades during his attempt to reach the South Pole overshadowed the extraordinary story of the so-called Northern Party, which was carrying out scientific research into Antarctica's flora and fauna at the time....

Discovery Illustrated.(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... by IV Skelton and DM Wilson Reardon Publishing, hb, pp168, 39.99 [pounds sterling] This photographic journey charts the course of the Discovery expedition. With excerpts from diaries and journals, as well as photographs, paintings and...

Everest celebrating achievement 1953-2003: join us in honouring the 50th anniversary of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's historic triumph on Mount Everest's Mighty Summit on 29 May 1953.(Royal gala celebration)
January 1, 2003... TO COMMEMORATE THE FIRST ASCENT OF the world's highest peak, the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), Geographical, the Mount Everest Foundation and The Times newspaper are coming together to produce an exciting range of events, publications...

The lost boys: photographer Jon Nicholson reports from Rwanda, where child soldiers kidnapped by militia after the 1994 genocide are being reunited with their parents. (Rwanda's Child Soldiers).(Illustration)
January 1, 2003... During Rwanda's horrific genocide of 1994, millions of Hutus fled to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), fearing revenge attacks. In recent years, a new spirit of unity and reconciliation has prompted many to return, but for some it's...

Crossing over.(Bridges that Changed the World)(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... Bridges that Changed the World by Bernhard Graf, Prestel, pp127, hb, 19.95 [pounds sterling] Though immortalised in Lorna Doone, Tarr Steps remains one of Britain's lesser known feats of ancient engineering. The 55-metre bridge in Exmoor...

Images of Ireland.(The Irish: a Photohistory)(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... The Irish: a Photohistory by Sean Sexton and Christine Kinealy, Thames & Hudson, hb, pp224, 24.95 [pounds sterling] Ireland's first photograph was taken in 1840, a year after Louis Daguerre discovered the photographic process. In the...

New Theroux.(Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town by Paul Theroux)(Book Review)
January 1, 2003... Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town by Paul Theroux Hamish Hamilton, hb, pp512, 17.99 [pounds sterling] Many people who visit Africa go on safari in the hope of seeing the `Big Five' in the vast expanses of the Serengeti or...

Licensed to thrill: Ruth McCarthy spends a day experiencing the intriguing domain of the world's most famous secret agent at the Science Museum's Bond, James Bond exhibition.(London, England)
January 1, 2003... BOND, JAMES BOND Until 27 April 2003 Science Museum, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2DD Tel: 0870 870 4868 www.sciencemuseum.org Open Mon-Sun, 10am-6pm Admission is 8.95 [pounds sterling] for adults and 6.95 [pounds sterling] for children and...

A year of achievements. (In society: a round-up of news, views and events happening this month at the society).(Royal Geographical Society)
January 1, 2003... This has been another highly active and productive year for the Society. It began with the annual conference at Queen's University Belfast, which displayed a truly international flavour, both in terms of the delegates who attended and the...

Society events. (In society: a round-up of news, views and events happening this month at the society).(Calendar)
January 1, 2003... 13 January, 6.30 pm ICE, WATER AND STORMS Spectacular images and stories from Caroline Hamilton about the first all-woman team to walk to both poles. Hauling sledges for a total of 1,930 kilometres, they completed the journeys in 2000 and...

Non-RGS events. (In society: a round-up of news, views and events happening this month at the society).(Calendar)
January 1, 2003... 9 January, 7.00 pm VISIONS OF PALESTINE 2 An evening of talks, music and readings by distinguished guests, hosted by the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding and chaired by Jeremy Hardy. Supporting UK charities...

Regional events. (In society: a round-up of news, views and events happening this month at the society).(Calendar)
January 1, 2003... 12 January, 8.00 pm YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE YESTERDAY! Kate Adie gives a personal perspective about her experiences in a job where danger often accompanies the pursuit of truth or history. Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold Civic Centre, Mold,...

Go for it. (exploration & discovery).(grants available for research expeditions by Royal Geographical Society - Institute of British Geographers, www.rgs.org/grants)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... One of the most commonly cited excuses for not organising an expedition or overseas fieldwork is that "I can't afford it" But speak to any of the major grant-giving bodies that support student expeditions and they'll tell you that they still...

Inside passage success. (exploration & discovery).(Clare Jones and Allison Inkster kayaking venture)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Clare Jones and Allison Inkster recently paddled into the record books as the first all-female team to kayak the 1,600 kilometres from Vancouver, Canada, to Juneau, Alaska, along the route known as the Inside Passage. Jones, a 27-year-old...

Wetland ecosystems, Nyika National Park, Malawi. (Grant news expedition: a selection of project that have recently been awarded RGS-IBG Expedition research grants).(Royal Geographical Society - Institute of British Geographers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Eirene Williams (University of Plymouth) The wetlands of Nyika National Park are designated areas for wildlife conservation and are important water reservoirs for the local people. These little-studied ecosystems are threatened by regular,...

The Htonbo horseshoe bat expedition, Myanmar. (Grant news expedition: a selection of project that have recently been awarded RGS-IBG Expedition research grants).(Royal Geographical Society - Institute of British Geographers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Stephen Rossiter (Queen Mary, University of London) This project will survey bats in two poorly understood regions of central Myanmar

Tumbes expedition 2003, Peru. (Grant news expedition: a selection of project that have recently been awarded RGS-IBG Expedition research grants).(Royal Geographical Society-Institute of British Geographers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Mark Whiffin (University of York) The team will expand on work started by the Tumbes 2000 Project, with the aim of highlighting the importance of Northwest Peru Biosphere Reserve to bird conservation. It will also train park guards and Peruvian...

Northern Ethiopian lakes expedition 2003. (Grant news expedition: a selection of project that have recently been awarded RGS-IBG Expedition research grants).(Royal Geographical Society - Institute of British Geographers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Henry Lamb (University of Wales, Aberystwyth) Concentrating on three small lakes in northern Ethiopia, the expedition aims to obtain detailed sediment records of late-Holocene environmental and climatic variability.

Coral-reef mapping on the southern Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. (Grant news expedition: a selection of project that have recently been awarded RGS-IBG Expedition research grants).(Royal Geographical Society - Institute of British Geographers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Duncan Hume (University of Newcastle upon Tyne) The main aim of this expedition is to produce maps of the reefs around the Corn Islands and Pearl Cays for use in conservation and management.

Gun threat in Himalaya. (exploration & discovery).(Slovenian Janak '02 group climbing Ramtang Chang)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... An expedition in the Indian Himalaya was recently stopped by an armed gang demanding payment for safe passage. Stevie Haston, one of Britain's top mountaineers, and his wife were members of the Slovenian Janak `02 party climbing Ramtang Chang...

New edition of Expedition Medicine. (exploration & discovery).(Royal Geographical Society - Institute of British Geographers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The key to avoiding accidents and illness is proper preparation, and the new edition of the Royal Geographical Society's Expedition Medicine manual shows you how to do just that. It also sets out what to do if things do go wrong. This...

Pair to revolutionise polar travel. (exploration & discovery).(Brian Cunningham and Jamie Young on kite-powered sledge in Antarctica)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... AS Geographical went to press, two intrepid adventurers were beginning their attempt to cross Antarctica from the South Pole in approximately ten days using a kite-powered sledge. Brian Cunningham, a Northern Irishman living in Bolton, and...

High lights at sea: Orla Doherty writes from the RV Heraclitus about strange goings-on overhead and a new experience underwater. (exploration & discovery).(voyage across the Banda Sea to Seram)(Brief Article)(Column)
January 1, 2003... Our voyage east across the Banda Sea to Seram was littered with inexplicable events. First, the long, slow hours of the midnight to 4am watch were perked up by bright white lights that shot around the sky, disappearing behind clouds then...

Geographical travel: this month we chase mountain lions across the snow-covered slopes of the rockies, present out list of the top 25 not-to-be missed adventures and talk to Mandy Nickerson Bales worldwide about making the travel industry more responsible. (Responsible Travel).(ecotourism)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, USA In 1872, rare 19th-century fore,sight saw the world's first national park established in the northwestern corner of what is now Wyoming. Since then, the geological wonderland of Yellowstone National Park has...

Porters' campaign success.(Tourism Concern)(Brief Article)(Column)
January 1, 2003... This month, I have some good news for a change. A big part of Tourism Concern's job is to point out problems with tourism so as to solve them. That means making a fuss and perhaps being unpopular. But when the outcome is positive, it makes it...

Tourism helps gorillas. (Travel).(Uganda and Rwanda)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Ecotourism is helping to save mountain gorillas, according to conservationists. Despite ongoing threats to their existence, gorilla numbers in Uganda and Rwanda have risen by nine per cent in the past 13 years. Experts believe that the revenue...

City of light. (Travel).(Madurodam exhibition, Netherlands)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Madurodam, a scale model of a typical Dutch city, has celebrated its 50th birthday by going solar. The 1:25-scale town, a popular tourist attraction featuring 50,000 light bulbs, is now powered by Shell Solar's Solar City system. As well as...

25 unmissable adventures: whether it's swimming with whale sharks, skiing to the South Pole or camel-trekking through the desert, Steve Watkins suggest 25 ways you can fulfill your wildest dreams. (Trips Of A Lifetime).(world travel)(Directory)
January 1, 2003... Cosmonaut training Ever since the space race became a collaborative effort, the cash-strapped Russian space programme has been looking for ways to bring in the dollars. And so the Moscow training centre at which Yuri Gagarin learnt his...

Further adventures: if our tour of the world's not-to-be-missed travel experiences has whetted your appetite, indulge it with some of the excellent tour operators in this month's Geographical travel directory. (Trips Of A Lifetime Promotion).(travel)(Directory)
January 1, 2003... Endangered Wildlife Travels Namibia is a land of contrasts and fascinating cultures. Experience for yourself the best this amazing country has to offer, including a rare chance to experience hands-on cheetah conservation with Lise...

Puma patrol: with more and more people choosing to take active conservation holidays rather than lying on a beach, Rupert Isaacson joins an Earthwatch project to protect mountain lions in Idaho's Albion Mountains. (Responsible Travel).(www.earthwatch.org/europe)(Column)
January 1, 2003... AFTER TWO HOURS OF STRUGGLING UP THE mountainside through deep snowdrifts, the dogs began to bark. There, in our path, was what we'd been looking for: the paw print of a mountain lion. It belonged to a female that had recently passed by....

Pay to play: Mandy Nickerson, head of Bales worldwide, talks to Christian Amodeo about responsible travel and finding the balance between altruism and maintaining a financially successful international enterprise. (Travel For A Living).(Bales Worldwide)(Interview)
January 1, 2003... In what ways has Bales developed a more responsible approach? Bales is dedicated to supporting conservation initiatives and is a member of the Friends of Conservation charity. We make contributions based on total passenger numbers booked on...

Gavin Menzies. (In Conversation).(retired Royal Navy Submarine Commander)(Interview)
January 1, 2003... GAVIN MENZIES, A RETIRED ROYAL NAVY SUBMARINE COMMANDER, IS REWRITING HISTORY. IN HIS NEW BOOK, 1421, HE CLAIMS THAT CHINA CHARTED THE GLOBE LONG BEFORE EUROPEANS DISCOVERED THE NEW WORLD. CHRISTIAN AMODEO ASKS THE MAN WHO'S VISITED 120...