Geographical articles from March 2006

Geographical archives from March 2006

Shopping basket shocker.(palm oil usage in industries affects rain forests)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... It's getting more and more difficult for us to ignore the social and environmental effect that each of us is having on the planet. Each week, it seems, brings a new campaign to highlight the human rights abuses involved in the manufacture of...

Garry Weare, author of Lonely Planet's guide to trekking in the Indian Himalaya, is returning to Britain from his native Australia in March to present his new illustrated lecture, 'The complete guide to trekking in the Himalaya', to raise funds for Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Garry Weare, author of Lonely Planet's guide to trekking in the Indian Himalaya, is returning to Britain from his native Australia in March to present his new illustrated lecture, 'The complete guide to trekking in the Himalaya', to raise funds...

In December last year, the US Senate narrowly blocked a Republican-led attempt.(USA)
March 1, 2006... In December last year, the US Senate narrowly blocked a Republican led attempt to allow drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The global trade in caviar and other products made from the wild, endangered sturgeon fish has been banned by the Convention for Trade in Endangered Species for scientific reasons and to bring an end to illegal poaching in the Caspian Sea.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The global trade in caviar and other products made from the wild, endangered sturgeon fish has been banned by the Convention for Trade in Endangered Species for scientific reasons and to bring an end to illegal poaching in the Caspian Sea....

The Unlocking the Archives project at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), won the Judges' Special Award at the British Construction Industry Awards 2005 "for a building or civil engineering project of any size which the judges consider to be particularly inspirational in one or more aspects".(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Unlocking the Archives project at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), won the Judges' Special Award at the British Construction Industry Awards 2005 "for a building or civil engineering project of any size which the judges consider...

Marine parks improve whole ecosystems.(predatory fish protected)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A study into the benefits of a fishing moratorium around a coral reef in the Bahamas has found that it has had an ecosystem-wide effect. The study allays fears that a build up of predatory fish could harm populations of their herbivore prey,...

Fissure could be the start of a new ocean.(Afar desert )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A fissure in the remote Afar desert in northeastern Ethiopia could represent the creation of a new ocean basin, say scientists. A team of 18 researchers from Ethiopia, Britain, France, Italy and the USA have been observing the...

Goodall receives UNESCO medal.(Jane Goodall )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... British-born primatologist Jane Goodall has been awarded UNESCO's 60th Anniversary Medal in recognition of her lifelong dedication to the preservation of Africa's endangered apes. Goodall has been a researcher and champion of chimpanzees and...

This elephant, taking a dip in Botswana's Okavanga Delta, features in the new BBC natural history series from the team behind the multi-award-winning series The Blue Planet.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... This elephant, taking a dip in Botswana's Okavanga Delta, features in the new BBC natural history series from the team behind the multi-award-winning series The Blue Planet. Due to be broadcast in March, Planet Earth is an ambitious portrait of...

Top 10 prison populations around the world.(according to populations)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... TOP 10 Prison populations around the world 1 USA 2,085,620 2 China 1,548,498 3 Russia 763,054 4 Brazil 330,642 5 India 313,635 6 Ukraine 198,386 7...

North Sea fish quotas down.(European Commission)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The European Commission has decreased this year's North Sea cod quotas by 15 per cent on 2005 levels in a bid to hasten the species' recovery. The same reduction has been applied to the number of days that boats can spend at sea. As more than...

Sir Francis Chichester (1901-72): aviator and sailor Sir Francis Chichester was perhaps the greatest single-handed navigator of his age, circumnavigating the globe several times by boat and by air.(Biography)
March 1, 2006... What was his background? Francis Chichester was born in Devon on 17 September 1901. At the age of 18, after studying at Marlborough College, he emigrated to New Zealand to fulfil his boyhood dreams of exploring the world. Why is he...

Human-chimpanzee split relatively recent.(WORLDWATCH)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A team of US researchers has narrowed down the time period during which the most recent common ancestor of humans and their closest ape relatives, chimpanzees, lived. Scientists at Arizona State and Penn State universities analysed the largest...

Russia.(flag )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Description A rectangular banner comprising three equal horizontal stripes of white, blue and red, known as the pan-Slavic colours. The flag's width-to-length ratio is 2:3. History White, blue and red flags had been used in Russia prior to...

One of Britain's leading landscape and travel photographers, Nigel Hicks, is running a photographic tour of the Laponia region in September 2006, timed to coincide with both the peak of the stunning autumn colours and the autumn round-up of the reindeer by the local Sami people.(LAPLAND)
March 1, 2006... One of Britain's leading landscape and travel photographers, Nigel Hicks, is running a photographic tour of the Laponia region in September 2006, timed to coincide with both the peak of the stunning autumn colours and the autumn round-up of the...

The large hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica is closing at a slower rate than expected.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The large hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica is closing at a slower rate than expected. Computer models suggest it will take until 2065--15 years longer than originally predicted--for the hole to be repaired, suggesting that pools of CFCs...

Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, a regular contributor to Geographical, won first prize in the 2005 NATJA Awards Competition for his article The white elephants of Burma (September 2005).(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, a regular contributor to Geographical, won first prize in the 2005 NATJA Awards Competition for his article The white elephants of Burma (September 2005). The awards, given annually by the North American Travel...

Researchers at McMaster University, Canada, and Penn State University, USA, have obtained the first DNA sequences.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Researchers at McMaster University, Canada, and Penn State University, USA, have obtained the first DNA sequences from a woolly mammoth, a species that became extinct about 10,000 years ago.

The Mantis Collection, a leading South African luxury game reserve and boutique property group, is extending its ties with the Wilderness Foundation by declaring a wilderness area within Sanbona Wildlife Reserve.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Mantis Collection, a leading South African luxury game reserve and boutique property group, is extending its ties with the Wilderness Foundation by declaring a wilderness area within Sanbona Wildlife Reserve. The 54,000-hectare reserve in...

Richard Sandbrook, founder member of Friends of the Earth and a major proponent of global sustainable development, has died at the age of 59 following a short illness.(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Richard Sandbrook, founder member of Friends of the Earth and a major proponent of global sustainable development, has died at the age of 59 following a short illness. He was executive director of the International Institute for Environment and...

Marine Current Turbines has been granted consent by the Environment and Heritage Service in Northern Ireland to install a 1,000-kilowatt tidal-energy turbine in Northern Ireland's Strangford Lough.(UK)
March 1, 2006... Marine Current Turbines has been granted consent by the Environment and Heritage Service in Northern Ireland to install a 1,000-kilowatt tidal-energy turbine in Northern Ireland's Strangford Lough. The project has received a 4.3million [pounds...

The second of EUMETSAT's new weather satellites, MSG-2 was successfully launched from Kourou, French Guiana, on an Ariane-5 GS launcher on 21 December last year.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The second of EUMETSAT's new weather satellites, MSG-2 was successfully launched from Kourou, French Guiana, on an Ariane-5 GS launcher on 21 December last year. The European Space Agency-controlled satellite has 12 spectral channels and will...

Dentist Paul Cassar from Chichester, West Sussex, recently flew to Agra, India, to carry out surgery on nine rescued sloth bears whose teeth had been smashed by nomads who were using the animals to beg.
March 1, 2006... Dentist Paul Cassar from Chichester, West Sussex, recently flew to Agra, India, to carry out surgery on nine rescued sloth bears whose teeth had been smashed by nomads who were using the animals to beg. Cassar was persuaded to help by one of...

Alan Hinkes, who, in May 2005, became the first Briton to climb all of the world's mountains taller than 8,000 metres, has been officially recognised in the New Year Honours List.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Alan Hinkes, who, in May 2005, became the first Briton to climb all of the world's mountains taller than 8,000 metres, has been officially recognised in the New Year Honours List. The 51-year-old from North Yorkshire said he was "over the moon"...

It's warm down under: world weather with BBC weather forecaster Helen Willetts.(British Broadcasting Corp.)
March 1, 2006... This month, Melbourne hosts the XVIII Commonwealth Games. Athletes from the UK will no doubt be grateful that the Southern Hemisphere is heading into autumn and that the Games are being held in the continent's south. Late summer in Melbourne is...

50 years ago today: Geographical March 1956.(WORLDWATCH)
March 1, 2006... The March 1956 Geographical featured an article on the industrialisation of the Rhone Valley in France, focussing on two major engineering projects. The first, the Genissiat dam, was completed in 1948 and forms an artificial lake driving...

Survey to assess extent of Spanish bluebell invasion.(British Museum of Natural History)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Natural History Museum is calling on people living in Britain to search for, identify and record bluebells in their local area in order to determine the extent to which cross-breeding among bluebell species is occurring. Voted...

British Antarctic Survey (BAS).(service)(Organization overview)
March 1, 2006... When was BAS founded and how? BAS was founded 60 years ago following a secret Second World War expedition to the Antarctic mounted by the admiralty on behalf of the colonial office. Codenamed Operation Tabarin, the expedition was sent to...

Q&A: this month, Chris Edwards answers your questions about the Earth's spin, the football World Cup, the body clocks of polar animals and the world's most successful exporters and longest rivers.
March 1, 2006... Will the Earth ever stop spinning on its axis? D Taylor, Bromley The Earth is gradually slowing down, but it's unlikely ever to stop spinning completely. The slowing of the Earth's rotation causes world time to go out of step with the...

Disaster forum.(Royal Geographical Society, Institute of British Geographers )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Governments are failing to take disaster risk reduction seriously enough, according to experts at last month's disaster forum at the RGS-IBG. The event was organised to address the importance of planning in response to the large number of...

When calling 999 isn't an option.(Royal Geographical Society gives training to travelers)(Editorial)
March 1, 2006... EDITORIAL: Anyone undertaking an expedition to a remote location abroad--be it for research or adventure--is sure to come up against a number of challenging situations that require prior preparation and training. And whether you're planning to...

Society forum to tackle waste issues.(Royal Geographical Society)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Waste is on the agenda at the Society's next Environment and Society Forum. These forums consist of a series of meetings and conferences aimed at discussing and raising the profile of important environmental issues. They are aimed at those...

A selection of March's other Society events.(Royal Geographical Society)(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... For details, please contact the Events Office on 020 7591 3100 13 March, 6.30pm Trawler (LECTURE, LONDON) Redmond O'Hanlon, one of the world's best-loved adventurers and travel writers, entertains us with tales from his...

Lecture of the month: going wild in Africa.(British Broadcasting Corp .)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... 6 March, 6.30pm (LECTURE, LONDON) Hayley Smith and Kate Humble are the producer and presenter, respectively, of the BBC2 series Wild in Africa, which features some of Namibia's most beautiful landscapes. Hayley and Kate will give an...

London after the fire: London by Homann's Heirs (1736-37).(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... This map, which bears the rather unwieldy title (in translation) of 'Newest Ground-plan of the Cities of London and of Westminster, together with the Suburb of Southwark, wherein all Main Roads, large and small Lanes, even most of the City...

Royal Geographical Society: with IBG.(Institute of British Geographers )(Organization overview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Patron Her Majesty The Queen Honorary President HRH The Duke of Kent The Council President Sir Nell Cossons OBE Vice Presidents Elspeth Insch OBE, Professor Sarah Metcalfe, Professor Keith Richards Honorary Treasurer...

Treasure from trash in Cairo: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) grants officer Greg Dow unveils the winners of this year's Journey of a Lifetime Award, who are off to Cairo to document the past and present of a community of recyclers.(Jessica Boyd and Bill Finnegan honored )
March 1, 2006... Each year, the Society, in partnership with BBC Radio 4, offers a one-off 4,000 [pounds sterling] grant for an inspiring and original journey. The winners of the Journey of a Lifetime Award are also given the opportunity to record a documentary...

Research fellowships.(Sultanate of Oman)
March 1, 2006... The Thesiger-Oman Fellowship programme has been developed with the Sultanate of Oman to reflect the famous explorer's interest in the desert and its peoples. The two grants of 8,000 [pounds sterling] are awarded annually to researchers at a...

Neville Shulman Challenge Award.(for geographical project)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Neville Shulman Challenge Award, a grant of 10,000 [pounds sterling] for a geographical project with a high degree of physical or mental challenge, has had its deadline extended to 31 March. Anyone planning a challenging project that...

Forthcoming deadlines.(Brief article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... 17 MARCH The Peter Fleming Award: 9,000 for senior researcher for a project that advances geographical science. 17 MARCH The Gilchrist Expedition Award: 15,000 [pounds sterling] for senior researchers conducting geographical field science....

Geographical Young Geographer of the Year competition 2006.
March 1, 2006... Now into its sixth year, the Geographical Young Geographer of the Year competition is all about promoting geography in such a way as to inspire and encourage the next generation of geographers, travellers and explorers THIS YEAR'S...

Once were warriors: once every decade or so, the Siria Maasai clan meets to perform the eunoto ceremony, which marks the end of its young men's time as warriors and sets them on the path to becoming clan elders. Patrick Cunningham witnesses the elaborate preparations.
March 1, 2006... Gazing out across the sparsely treed plain below them, the four young Maasai stand proudly upright. They talk, quietly but animatedly, about the ceremony that is about to unfold. Soon, they and their fellow moran--young warriors--will leave...

After the storm: on 7 September 2004, Hurricane Ivan hit Grenada, causing millions of pounds worth of damage and killing 39 people. Visiting the area a year later, Jo Sargent was amazed both by the speed of the island's recovery and by the resilience of its people.
March 1, 2006... "I came here a few days after the hurricane and tears almost came to my eyes--it was all gone. It looked like it had been bombed." Dressed in an immaculate white suit, with a military bearing that reflects his 20 years in the British Merchant...

Counting camels, consulting stones: last year, explorer and conservationist John Hare travelled to the Mongolean Gobi desert to survey the critically endangered wild Bactrian camel, His survey, team made use of the latest in 21st-century technology ... and 21 stones.
March 1, 2006... TSOUIN BLEW HARD on his cupped right hand, bent forward and studied intently the 21 pebbles, neatly arranged in four piles in front of him. The stones were on a chopping board, balanced on his lap. He huddled over them, perched on a pink...

Seeds of destruction.(palm oil destroys rain forests)
March 1, 2006... Palm oil is now the world's most popular vegetable oil. However, its rapid rise to market dominance has been at a heavy environmental cost--its production is one of the primary causes of rainforest destruction in Southeast Asia. Environmental...

Windmills of the green mind.(Navarra, Spain)
March 1, 2006... TUCKED AWAY IN the northeast corner of Spain, the region of Navarra is probably best known for its robust red wines and for the annual running of the bulls in its capital, Pamplona. But this sleepy agricultural district is slowly making a name...

Travelling in the footnotes: Yemen-based author Tim Mackintosh-Smith is often described as the best travel writer of his generation. On a are visit to London, he tells Justin Marozzi of his fascination with another 'best travel writer of his generation': the 14th-century author Ibn Battutah.(Interview)
March 1, 2006... You don't often hear Sir Richard Burton called a "conceited, horrible, nasty, bitchy bastard". Especially not at the Royal Geographical Society. Within these hallowed walls, he's more commonly revered as a prince of explorers, a dashing...

On the right track: train travel is one of the greenest alternatives to flying, but as Tom Chesshyre discovers, the right train can offer the world on wheels, and travelling by rail can be an enriching end in itself.
March 1, 2006... The 'Inca' dancing girls were giving it their all--whirling around the platform in bright red costumes, swirling multicoloured scarves. The band of percussionists and guitarists was banging and strumming happily along. And we were drinking...

Gertrude Bell's visions of Arabia.(Gertrude Lowthian Bell)
March 1, 2006... Hailed as the uncrowned queen of Iraq, Gertrude Bell spent her life exploring the Middle East. Her knowledge of the region and its people was so extensive that, during the First World War, she became an advisor to British Intelligence and was...

An exploration icon explained.(Wilfred Thesiger: The Life of the Great Explorer by Alexander Maitland )(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Wilfred Thesiger: The Life of the Great Explorer by Alexander Maitland HarperCollins, hb, pp528, 25 [pounds sterling] Wilfred Thesiger would surely disapprove, but barely three years after his death, he has attained mythical status as one...

The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca.(Book review)
March 1, 2006... The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah Doubleday, hb, pp355, 12.99 [pounds sterling] Courage comes in many forms and defies proper definition. Seldom planned and often impulsive it's frequently undeserving of admiration....

Light on Earth: Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Two Decades of Winning Images.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Light on Earth: Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Two Decades of Winning Images BBC Books, hb, pp223, 30 [pounds sterling] For 20 years, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition has showcased some of the world's best nature...

Tall tales and true.(The Incredible Journey)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... The incredible Journey by Marco Polo, translated by Robin Brown Sutton Publishing, hb, pp230, 20 [pounds sterling] They called him Marco Milione--teller of 1,000 tall tales. The epic adventures of Marco Polo are generally entitled, in...

Black Market: Inside the Endangered Species Trade in Asia.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Black Market: inside the Endangered Species Trade in Asia by Ben Davies Earth Aware Editions, pb, pp175, 19.99 [pounds sterling] This book is a bit of a rare species in itself. It's unusual for a book on this subject to be so well...

Geographical classic #28.(Sailing Alone Around the World)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Sailing Alone around the World by Joshua Slocum. First published in 1900. Most recent edition published by Dover Publications, pb, pp294, 7.95 [pounds sterling] Setting out from Boston, USA, in his 34-foot (10.4-metre) sloop Spray in 1895,...

Paperback round-up.(Berserk in the Antarctic by David Mercy)(The Cruellest Journey by Taras Grescoe)(The Devil's Picnic by Kira Salak)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... This month's round-up of the latest paperback releases includes an eclectic mix of how not to travel, what not to eat and where not to go if you're after a relaxing break in the sun. David Mercy's Berserkin the Antarctic is a chilling...

Whicker's War.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Whicker's War by Alan Whicker Harper Collins, hb, pp255, 18.99 [pounds sterling] Sixty years after he was demobbed, Alan Whicker retraces his wartime journey through Italy with the Army Film and Photo Unit. The result is a narrative it's...

Top 10 writer's reads.(Sara Wheeler's best books)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Sara Wheeler spent seven months in Antarctica in 1995 as writer in residence with the US Polar Program. She is the author of the international bestseller Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica and Travels in a Thin Country, a finalist for the...

Grizzly Man.(Movie review)
March 1, 2006... Grizzly Man directed by Werner Herzog produced by Appian Way, running time: 103 mins, showing in cinemas nationwide Timothy Treadwell spent 13 summers camping in Alaska observing the behaviour of grizzly bears. On his final trip into the...

Making sense of the metropolis.(The City: A Global History)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... The City: A Global History by Joel Kotkin Weidenfeld & Nicolson, hb, pp218, 14.99 [pounds sterling] The City proceeds at breakneck speed through the history of the city, from the infrastructure that built up around temples in early...

Political orthodoxy and visual diversity.(Jordan: A Timeless Land )(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Jordan: A Timeless Land by Christa Paul et al. IB Tauris, hb, pp256, 35 [pounds sterling] Ever since the intrepid English explorer David Roberts returned from Petra in 1839 armed with detailed drawings of the 'rose red city', we've been...

Helping the rich get richer.(A Brief History of Neoliberalism)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... A Brief History of Neoliberalism by David Harvey Oxford University Press, hb, pp256, 14.99 [pounds sterling] The problem with any history of neoliberalism--an economic theory that came to prominence during the 1970s as liberal governments...

Outdoor clothing for women: an expanding and lucrative sector of the outdoor market, women are finally having their needs and tastes catered for by manufacturers.
March 1, 2006... When I was a child, my grandmother warned me not to warm my cold hands under a hot tap, or else I'd get chilblains. However, as I prepared to take part in a 580-kilometre race across the Canadian Arctic last year, Granny's advice was fairly low...

A breath of fresh air.(Sports Oxyshot from Puralife)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Sports Oxyshot, the world's first truly stable super-concentrated oxygen solution and the first that's safe to drink, is now available in the UK. An "extreme oxygen supplement", Sports Oxyshot comprises a 15 per cent concentration of...

Berghaus goes back to the future.(rucksack introduced)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... To celebrate turning 40 this year, Berghaus is launching the Anniversary 40, a commemorative rucksack inspired by the famous Cyclops sack. Featuring retro styling and the original 1960s Berghaus branding, yet boasting modern and durable...

Fit for a woman.
March 1, 2006... Lowe Alpine's women's Glacion technical wind-resistant jacket (140 [pounds sterling]), a Polartec APEX Design Award winner in 2005, gets the thumbs up from Geographical. Offering a comfortable, body-hugging fit, this lightweight jacket consists...

Let's get medical.(Royal Geographical Society with Wilderness Medical Society provides medical training)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Expedition Advisory Centre at the RGS-IBG, in association with Wilderness Medical Training, is holding a two-day training course at the Society on the weekend of 11-12 March. Designed for small expedition groups, solo travellers and others...

Learn to lead.(Scientific Expedition Society holds training program for coming expedition leaders )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Scientific Expedition Society is holding a training weekend for budding expedition leaders and deputy leaders on the weekend of 4-5 March in Mill on the Brue in Dorset. The weekend will cost 90 [pounds sterling]. * Info: Fiona Place...

This lamp's a shrimp.(GEAR ESSENTIAL)
March 1, 2006... Krill lamps are handy electronic light sticks that run on two AA batteries and can be turned on and off as required. The 13-centimetre-long lamps come in two strengths: Original (19.99 [pounds sterling]), which offers more than 120 hours on a...

Travellers diarrhoea: medical advice from Jason Gibbs, head pharmacist at Nomad Travel stores and health clinics.
March 1, 2006... Part two: management and treatment There are three main approaches to the management of travellers diarrhoea (TD): rehydration, the use of antimotility agents or 'blockers' and the administration of antibiotics. The most important...

Explorer's essentials: Martin Hartley, adventure and photographer.(travel accessories)
March 1, 2006... Small pair of pliers If you have cold fingers and something fiddly needs attention, pliers can do most jobs well and quickly. Travel pillow A good night's sleep is essential to recharge your batteries. If your only sleeping companion is a...

Helping you choose that vitally important, but often rather confusing, item of kit: the guidebook.(travel guides from Greenwood Publishing Group Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Greenwood Guides What are they like? Published by Greenwood, these guides list either accommodation or activities and places to eat in South Africa, New Zealand, Canada and Australia. They aim to give their readers information on...

Peak viewing: whether you're planning to climb an 8,000-metre giant or are just off for some hiking in the Alps, Keith Wilson's tips will help your mountain photos scale the heights.
March 1, 2006... The photograph of Tenzing Norgay standing on the summit of Mount Everest, his ice axe held triumphantly aloft, is one of mountaineering's most enduring images. Today, no mountaineer can hope to make a living without photographing their...

Wallace served poorly.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... Ordinarily I would say that any attention given to Alfred Russel Wallace is space well spent, but your article on him in the December issue (On the origins of a theory) contains a number of inaccuracies that don't serve him well. First,...

Canine surprise.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... Banks's Spirit of the Age cartoon (Mailbag, February 2006) illustrates the commercialisation of the 'Geographical Wonders of the World'. The character wearing a fez with a chubby dog on a lead in sight of the pyramids appears to be expressing...

Lost in the post.(stamp celebrates history of Thirty Years War, 1618-1648)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... This stamp celebrates the 1,000-year history of the city depicted--a history that includes being attacked and besieged by Swedish troops during the Thirty Years'War and hosting Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806. Indeed, it was from here that Napoleon...

Spirit of the age.(Cartoon)
March 1, 2006... THIS ONE I JUST STUMBLED ON BY ACCIDENT! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The perils of plant hunting.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... I loved February's Archive images by Francis Kingdon-Ward (Portfolio of a plant hunter) and was fascinated to learn that the famed plant hunter was so accident prone (Worldwatch). It's a wonder he ever managed to take any photos or collect any...

Simon Yates.(Interview)
March 1, 2006... Simon Yates is a mountaineer who first came to prominence following an incident in 1985 when his climbing partner, Joe Simpson, broke his leg and then fell into a crevasse during their descent of Siula Grande in Peru. Simpson's book about their...