Geographical articles from March 2003

Geographical archives from March 2003

The world's water woes. (From The Editor).(Geographical)(Editorial)
March 1, 2003... This month at the Third World Water Forum in Japan, scientists will be trying to solve the most pressing environmental issue of our time: how to stop the world from drying out. With flood stories regularly appearing on news bulletins in the...

Help us to help. (Prize Letter).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... You make a great deal of noise, quite rightly, about tourism that benefits locals, charity work and so on. But through oversight or carelessness, you miss big opportunities to garner help. For example, take the excellent article on the famine...

Shark attack. (letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... As a Fellow of the RGS-IBG, I get my Geographical every month and whiz through for some really first-class articles and information, not to mention some really stunning photos. However, an article in Worldwatch in the February 2003 issue...

Headed south. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... It's time to reveal who came closest to guessing how many nautical miles the Marco Polo travelled on its journey to Antarctica (Orient Lines competition, January 2003). Congratulations to Mr and Mrs AJ Hoiting for being closest to guessing the...

Gender bender. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Delighted as I was to read the January 2003 article on the South Polar Times and to see Discovery featured as well, I must take you to task for calling the old barque `it'. She had such a remarkable and stirring life in the Southern Ocean and...

Canadian heritage. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Your article A long life at sea (January 2003) states that "... the expedition's joint committee sold Discovery for 10,000 [pounds sterling] to the Hudson Bay Company in the USA. "The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) was at that time British and is...

Mountain anxiety. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Thank you for the interview with Sir Chris, full of information about a great mountaineer and full of typical Bonington chat (High achiever, December 2002). But I am sure that when he read it he wouldn't have liked the statement by your...

Amazon recollections. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... An expedition comprising Besley, Dunne, Coates and Holbrook travelled down the Amazon from source to mouth in 1913/14. My wife (the granddaughter of JW Dunne) can recall seeing a series of articles in a geographical magazine that were published...

Aiming to educate? (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Please keep the articles coming about the work of the UN. I appreciated the Gordon Roddick interview, and the South Polar Times excerpts. Is there an editorial policy at work, educating and civilising your readers and countering the trivial,...

The great outdoors. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Looking for inspiration to get you out into the fresh air this year? Then make your way to the Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show at the NEC from 14 to 16 March. There you'll find an exhibition of Everest memorabilia and images as well as film...

A gem of an idea. (Global).(The Kimberley Process on tracking conflict diamonds)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Kimberley Process, an international scheme that aims to bring an end to the world trade in `conflict diamonds', was officially launched on 1 January 2003. The scheme uses certificates to track diamonds to their mine of origin, a system...

No carbon credit. (Global).(Kyoto Protocol)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Planting trees to soak up carbon dioxide may not be an effective way to reduce climate change, according to new research. The Kyoto Protocol allows countries that plant forests to claim `carbon credits' to offset their emissions. But a...

It's still a wild world. (worldwatch).(wilderness research)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Almost half of the world is still wilderness, according to a study that involved more than 200 scientists from 24 countries. "The term `wilderness' is relative, of course--all of our planet is affected by people," said Thomas Brooks of...

The New Economics Foundation think-tank has warned of a forthcoming era of "ghost-town Britain" if the decline in services in small communities continues. (UK).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The New Economics Foundation think-tank has warned of a forthcoming era of "ghost-town Britain" if the decline in services in small communities continues. Between 1995 and 2000, 20 per cent of local outlets such as corner shops, banks, pubs and...

Oil could continue to leak from the tanker Prestige for up to four years. (Europe).(Spain's northern coast)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Oil could continue to leak from the tanker Prestige for up to four years, according to scientists monitoring the sunken vessel, which has already polluted 900km of Spain's northern coast.

2002 was the second warmest year since records began in 1860. (Global).(United Nations World Meteorological Organization)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... 2002 was the second warmest year since records began in 1860, the UN's World Meteorological Organization has found. It beat 2001 to second place, while 1998 remains the hottest year.

The greater mouse-eared bat, thought to have died out in the UK a decade ago. (UK).(alive and well in West Sussex)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The greater mouse-eared bat, thought to have died out in the UK a decade ago, has been rediscovered by conservationists in West Sussex.

The ocellated turkey is recovering from the brink of extinction. (Central America).(Belize, Guatemala and Mexico sucessful wildlife conservation)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The ocellated turkey is recovering from the brink of extinction. The large warty-headed bird, a wild relative of the barnyard turkey that is endemic to Central America, has long been hunted for its flesh. But wildlife reserves and protected...

Maize menace takes root. (Europe).(western corn rootworm)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... An insect pest from Mexico is ravaging Europe's maize fields. The western corn rootworm was first detected near Belgrade airport in 1992 and spread quickly. "Within the next ten years, we expect it to have a Europe-wide range," said Dr Stefan...

Egypt's eggshell eulogies. (Egypt).(antiquities research)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The ancient Egyptians' use of Nile papyrus as a writing material is well known. Now, finds near the Red Sea coast have revealed that medieval Egyptians wrote eulogies on something more unusual--ostrich eggs. "We think the eggs were placed...

Drying out: as the human population grows, its consumption of water is increasing even more rapidly, and water scarcity looks set to become the most important environmental and political issue of this century. With the third world water forum due to convene in Japan this month, John Vidal explains why water has become our most endangered resource. (World Water Crisis).
March 1, 2003... THE VILLAGES OF DEYATA DODOTA and Dewaro in central Ethiopia are just eight kilometres from each other, yet they couldn't be further apart. Thanks to a WaterAid scheme, Deyata Dodota has water piped to it, while the people of Dewaro rely on...

Boiling point: while the number of conflicts over water looks set to rise dramatically in the coming years, the phenomenon is nothing new. Charles Haviland examines a dispute that has been raging in Southern India for more than a century. (Cauvery River Dispute).
March 1, 2003... YARDS AWAY FROM US, A BURNING barricade of car tyres lit up the dusk. Youths and children threw stones. Our car was becoming a work of art, covered from top to bottom in graffiti. The driver, a Tamil, was beside himself. He and my Tamil...

Trade roots. (Syrian Souk).(Aleppo, Syria)
March 1, 2003... The Syrian city of Aleppo competes with Damascus for the title of world's oldest inhabited city. Home to the longest covered souk in the Middle East, its kilometres of stone archways act as the city's commercial arteries, where hundreds of...

Appetite for destruction: as the number of tourists visiting Mount Everest and the surrounding Sagarmatha National Park has increased, so too has the amount of land clearing in the Khumbu region. Paul Deegan asks if tourism is putting too much pressure on the Khumbu's natural resources and looks at what can be done to protect the slopes of the world's tallest mountain. (Everest's Forests).(Nepal)
March 1, 2003... IN MAY LAST YEAR, PASANG GLENZEN SHERPA was walking from the hamlet of Phakding to the airstrip at Lukla in the Khumbu region of Nepal when he came across a stream of porters, each bearing a large stack of logs. Pasang, executive director of...

Credit where credits due. (Mali Microcredit).(Sub-Saharan Africa microcredit scheme by Joliba Trust, www.jolibatrust.org.uk)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... Sub-Saharan Africa is home to the world's poorest people and the Dogon of Mali are no exception. For centuries they have managed to cultivate the barren land of the West African Sahel, but during the past 30 years, environmental degradation has...

Tiger Woods.(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... WILD TIGERS OF BANDHAVGARH: ENCOUNTERS IN A FRAGILE FOREST by Iain Green Chevron Publishing, hb, pp192, 24.95 [pounds sterling] Compiled by Kent-based wildlife photographer lain Green during his extensive field observations in the...

Golden Oldies.(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... DEAD RECKONING: GREAT ADVENTURE WRITING FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF EXPLORATION, 1800-1900 edited by Helen Whybrow, Granta, hb, pp416, 23.95 [pounds sterling] During the 19th century, setting off to `discover' the world wasn't the frivolous...

The Rough Guide To Bhangra.(Sound Recording Review)
March 1, 2003... Various artists. Playing time: 72:46 (Rough Guide, 9.99 [pounds sterling]) From disco to hip-hop, reggae to drum `n' bass, bhangra has been mixed with almost every conceivable non-Asian style. Originating in north India's Punjab region...

The Extraordinary Voyages Of Pytheas The Greek.(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... by Barry Cunliffe Allen Lane, pb, pp192, 12.99 [pounds sterling] Roughly 2,30.0 years ago, a Greek expedition headed by Pytheas set out to explore northern Europe, a region deemed too cold to sustain human life. Using archaeological...

Letters From Russia.(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... by Astolphe de Custine and Anka Muhlstein The New York Review of Books, pb, pp640, 14.99 [pounds sterling] In 18391 the French aristocrat Astolphe de Custine travelled to Russia. Having developed a keen eye for social injustices through...

Living colour.(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... THREADS OF COLOUR by Jamie Marshall and Dominic Bradbury Andrew Martin, hb, pp215, 25 [pounds sterling] These days we take for granted our ability walk into a shop and buy clothes of virtually any colour. But until the mid-19th century,...

Unsuitable for Ladies: An Anthology of Women Travellers.(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... edited by Jane Robinson Oxford University Press, pb, pp482, 9.99 [pounds sterling] It was once said that real ladies do not travel. Jane Robinson's collection of women's travel writing dispels that notion. Her anthology spans 16 centuries,...

The Travels of lbn Battuta.(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... by Ibn Battuta and Tim Mackintosh-Smith Picador, hb, pp352, 20 [pounds sterling] In 1325, 21-year-old Ibn Battuta set out from Morocco on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He didn't return for another 29 years. His 120,000-kilometre journey took him...

Forgotten Kingdom: Eight Years in Likiang.(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... by Peter Goullart John Murray, pb, pp238, 9.99 [pounds sterling] Between 1939 and 1947, Peter Goullart lived in Likiang, in the stunning southwestern province of Yunnan on the borders of Tibet. His experiences brought him into contact with...

Living the high life.("From the Edge: The Mountain Photography of Bradford, Washburn" at Michael Hoppen Gallery, London)
March 1, 2003... FROM THE EDGE: THE MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHY OF BRADFORD WASHBURN Until 19 April 2003 Michael Hoppen Gallery, 3 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TD Tel: 020 7352 3649; www.michaelhoppen-photo.com Open Tue-Sat, 12-6pm Admission free Living legend...

Will geography be left behind? (Editorial).(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... Last November, Education and Skills Secretary Charles Clarke announced the rapid expansion of the Specialist Schools Programme, which will give every secondary school the chance to raise its status by concentrating on particular subject areas....

Geography in the news goes live. (In society: a round-up of news, views and events happening this month at the society).(Royal Geographical Society, www.rgs.org)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Geography in the News is the Society's exciting new online resource, which aims to increase the understanding of contemporary issues with a geographical perspective relevant to the GCSE and A-level curricula. Launched this month, the site...

Lecture news. (In society: a round-up of news, views and events happening this month at the society).(Tim Severin at the Royal Geographical Society on "Seeking Robinson Crusoe")(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... On 2 December 2002, author Tim Severin thrilled a capacity audience at the RGS with a lecture entitled Seeking Robinson Crusoe. He told how a Scottish sailor, Alexander Selkirk has long been considered a real-life inspiration for Daniel Defoe's...

Ordnance Survey support. (In society: a round-up of news, views and events happening this month at the society).(becomes Royal Geographical Society corporate benefactor)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Society has recently been very pleased to welcome Ordnance Survey as one of its major corporate benefactors. The Society and Ordnance Survey share a substantial common interest in geography, particularly when it comes to areas such as the...

At the society. (A Selection Of RGS-IBG Events March).(Calendar)
March 1, 2003... 3 March, 6.30pm OWNING THE FRONTIER Andro Linklater argues that the key to modern US power is to be found in the survey lines that, in the 19th century, turned the country's wilderness into property and transformed its owners from...

Regional events. (A Selection Of RGS-IBG Events March).(Calendar)
March 1, 2003... Thee events are all open to non-Fellows 4 March, 7.00pm A JEEP TREK THROUGH NORTHERN PAKISTAN (LECTURE, LYMINGTON) Mary Stewart describes her unique and exciting experiences just before and after the events of 11 September, during...

Benefits of joining the society and subscribing to the magazine. (In society: a round-up of news, views and events happening this month at the society).(Royal Geographical Society)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) is a world centre for geographers and geographical learning dedicated to the development and promotion of knowledge together with its application to the challenges facing society and the environment....

Contact the society. (In society: a round-up of news, views and events happening this month at the society).
March 1, 2003... The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) 1 Kensington Gore London SW7 2AR Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7591 3000 Facsimile: +44 (0) 20 7591 3001 Website: www.rgs.org Email: info@rgs.org

Half the world is wilderness. (Exploration & discovery).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Most of us who live in urban environments will find it hard to believe that just under half the Earth's land surface is still wilderness. But this is the conclusion of a team of more than 200 researchers, who spent two years compiling...

Site etiquette. (exploration & discovery).(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... Thanks to a newly published guide, you'll be well prepared the next time you discover a site of archaeological importance. What To Do When You Find an Archaeological Site not only covers the practical considerations for dealing with such a...

Youngest person to walk to South Pole. (exploration & discovery).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Andrew Cooney, a 23-year-old from Nottinghamshire, has become the youngest person to walk to the South Pole. Cooney completed his gruelling 1,175-kilometre trek, which began in mid-November, in the first days of January. In doing so he broke...

Mountain confusion. (exploration & discovery).(Eric Shipton's climb up the Cordillera Darwin mountain range)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... John Shipton, son of the late mountaineer and explorer Eric Shipton, has mounted a campaign to clear up confusion surrounding the name of the highest peak of Patagonia's Cordillera Darwin mountain range. The 2,469-metre peak, first climbed...

EAC course in March. (exploration & discovery).
March 1, 2003... MANAGING SAFETY ON EDUCATIONAL VISITS 4-5 March 2003 This non-residential course concentrates on the need to plan, manage and evaluate off-site visits involving young people. It is aimed at teachers and youth leaders, along with anyone...

Get insured. (exploration & discovery).(Aon Limited)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A on Limited organises the official RGS-IBG Expedition Travel Insurance scheme, which is designed to meet the specialised needs of scientific and educational expeditions. Further information can be obtained from the Expedition Advisory...

Horseback odyssey. (exploration & discovery:).(northwestern China)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... An Oxford academic has taken an eight-week horseback odyssey through some of the most remote valleys of northwestern China in search of the region's nomad heritage before it is eclipsed by encroaching modern influences. Dr Felix Ng's...

Endeavour on Everest--tickets selling fast. (Everest Spirit of Adventure).
March 1, 2003... The main event, Endeavour on Everest--the Royal Gala Celebration, will take place on 29 May 2003. Tickets for the main evening performance went on sale in December and the remainder are selling fast. Two daytime performances have been added to...

Ways to remember: official 50th anniversary souvenirs and prints. (Everest News).(Royal Geographical Society)
March 1, 2003... The Royal Geographical Society Picture Library is a unique photographic resource containing around 20,000 images from the nine Everest expeditions organised by the Society and the Alpine Club between 1921 and 1953. Thanks to the ongoing Everest...

Special Edition of The Ascent of Everest.(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... John Hunt Hodder & Stoughton, 55 [pounds sterling] This special edition of John Hunt's landmark account of the 1953 British expedition is blue-cloth bound and has the superb original dust-wrapper. Each book contains a copy of the signatures...

Everest--The Official 50th Anniversary Volume.(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... George Band Harper Collins, 20 [pounds sterling] Everest is an account of the tribulations of the 1953 expedition, set against the adventures and tragedies of earlier attempts. The story is brought up to date with accounts of new routes,...

To the Top--The Story of Everest.
March 1, 2003... Stephen Venables Walker in association with RGS-IBG, 7.99 [pounds sterling] (5 May 2003) Aimed at children aged nine and over, To the Top brings to life the history, of climbing Everest. Published in association with the Royal Geographical...

Everest, Summit of Achievement.(Book Review)
March 1, 2003... Various authors Bloomsbury, together with RGS-IBG, 35 [pounds sterling] (April 2003) The momentous event when stood where no-one had been before is celebrated in a major new large-format illustrated book. Everest, Summit of Achivement...

Society projects and events: Everest-related projects, lectures and exhibitions.
March 1, 2003... UNLOCKING THE ARCHIVES Increasing the accessibility of the Everest Archive forms part of one of the most ambitious projects in the history of the Society--to widen access to its world-renowned collections. The 7 million [pounds sterling]...

The names behind the celebrations.(Royal Geographical Society)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY (WITH IBG) The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) is a world centre for geographers and geographical learning dedicated to the development and promotion of knowledge together with its application to the...

Geographical travel: get away from it all on one of our island holidays, head off on an adventure holiday high in the Swiss Alps and sample the dishes on offer at Malaysia's vibrant night markets. (Geo Travel).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK, PATAGONIA, CHILE Lying close the border with Argentina in southern Chile, the 1,800-square-kilometre Torres del Paine National Park boasts some of South America's most. striking landscapes, with spectacular...

Future holiday islands. (travel news).(plans for the enormous AZ Island)
March 1, 2003... Parisian architect Jean-Philippe Zoppini has collaborated with the construction company Alstom to promote a futuristic concept for an artificial floating island or huge ocean-liner known as AZ Island. Designed for 10,000 passengers or...

A short-sited policy? (Tourism Concern).(Pagan, Myanmar becomes World Heritage site)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... When an area is placed on UNESCO's World Heritage list, it's usually considered a good thing. But the listing of Pagan in Myanmar has stirred up a hornet's nest. More than half of Pagan's 4,000 original 11th-century pagodas and temples are...

Intrepid travel foundation.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Intrepid Travel, in conjunction with Charities Aid Foundation Australia, has launched a foundation to support community and conservation programmes throughout Asia. "We have always believed in giving back to the countries through which we...

Super-Sonic Cruiser shelved.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Boeing has shelved plans to build its Sonic Cruiser, the futuristic plane that would have travelled at speeds of more than 1,000km/h at an altitude of 40,000 feet. The aircraft, which would have slashed long-haul flight times, was abandoned in...

See India with Ibex. (Travel Update).
March 1, 2003... Dedicated to "travellers who choose to tread lightly," Ibex Expeditions won India's Ministry of Tourism Award of Excellence last year, having been judged the country's most eco-friendly tour operator. * Further information: +91 116912641;...

Family adventures. (Travel Update).
March 1, 2003... If the only rush in your holiday is to get to the airport on time, perhaps you should consider the new family-oriented trips from Activities Abroad. From horse-trekking to white-water rafting, its outdoor adventures offer adrenaline rushes...

Tea break. (Travel Update).(stay at a farm in Darjeeling)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Continuing the active and family themes, Walks Worldwide offers the chance for a family to stay in a traditional farmhouse at Karmi farm in the Darjeeling hills next month. There are numerous opportunities for undemanding walks in the...

Riders on the storm. (News).(Tempest Tours)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A new form of tourism is developing in response to increased interest in wild weather. With extreme meteorological conditions seemingly on the rise across the globe, tourists in the USA are paying to join tornado-hunting trips in an effort to...

Atoll-hopping in luxury. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The first inter-atoll, luxury cruise vessel has been launched in the Maldives. Island Explorer, a state-of-the-art, 39-metre catamaran was launched by the Toronto-based Four Seasons group and will run from the company's Kuda Huraa resort. ...

The real getaway: if you really want to get away from it all, nothing beats an island holiday. But with sustainable tourism offering an increasing number of `interactive' holidays, says Helen Truszkowski, it doesn't have to be all Robinson Crusoe, coconut palms and Sandy beaches. (Island Getaway)(Cover Story).
March 1, 2003... Iceland Where? Located in the North Atlantic Ocean between the UK and Greenland Climate Mild, windy winters and damp, cool summers. Maximum temperatures average 14[degrees]C in the summer and 2[degrees]C in the winter Iceland is a...

Exclusive offer voyage to the Antarctic: geographical is offering readers an exclusive opportunity to embark on an unforgettable experience to Antarctica and the Sunantarctic Islands with condor journeys and adventures. (Reader Offer).
March 1, 2003... The mysterious White Continent, with its multicoloured ice caps, glistening glaciers and towering snow-capped mountains, offers unparalleled scenery, wildlife and photographic opportunities. As part of an exclusive offer open only to readers of...

Mountain high: the Swiss Alps have traditionally been the domain of winters sports enthusiasts. But, as editor Carolyn Fry discovers, adventurous visitors are also finding thrills among the peaks during the summer. (Geo Travel).
March 1, 2003... NINETEENTH-CENTURY BRITISH adventurers were the first to test their mountaineering prowess on the unclimbed peaks of the Alps. In hob-nailed boots and tweeds, they hiked, hauled and scrambled their way to the summits of the Jungfrau, Eiger and...

Late night shopping: with its history of trading, colonisation and immigration, modern-day Malaysia has an extraordinarily multicultural society. Nowhere is this more apparent than in its night markets, where exotic flavours of the past and present create an intoxicating, unmissable experience. (Geo Travel).
March 1, 2003... AS THE LAST RAYS OF SUNLIGHT CARESS THE evening sky, a fascinating metamorphosis takes place all over Malaysia. Shops close up for the day and traffic on the usually congested streets begins to thin. But as one cycle ends, another unfolds over...

Patrick Gibbs: artist Patrick Gibbs uses his evocative and colourful paintings to capture the people and landscapes he encounters during his journeys to exotic destinations. Christian Amodeo visited him in his South London studio to find out more about his travels and his inspirations. (In Conversation).(Interview)
March 1, 2003... When did you decide to be an artist? When I was about seven, I did a picture of three cows in a field and everyone seemed to think it was great. They told me I should be an artist when I grew up and I took them literally. Where did you...