Geographical articles from October 2003

Geographical archives from October 2003

A few new directions.(Editorial)
October 1, 2003... This month there are a number of new editorial sections in Geographical--all part of our commitment to keeping you abreast of current thinking, as well as making better use of the incredible photographic archives held at the Royal Geographical...

Not so big after all.(Prize Letter)(Uluru)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... In your piece on Australia's World Heritage destinations (Wild places, September 2003) you perpetuate a seemingly global misunderstanding by describing Uluru as "the world's largest monolith". It is in fact the second largest. The honour if...

Solar solutions.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... After reading the renewable-energy article in the August 2003 issue of Geographical, I, too, was stimulated into investigating solar heating for my home. The concept of purchasing what I needed from a builders' merchant didn't even enter my...

Everest baptised.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... In this year of Everest fever, it was interesting to note the photograph of the church of St Alphege in Greenwich in the September issue (No ordinary churches). That is the church in which George Everest was baptised, although it isn't known...

When will it end?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Near to the conclusion of one of your articles you write, no doubt with a little humour "2064: file world's oil reserves are exhausted" (South America in a nutshell, September 2003). I wonder if you might be able to make some space for an...

Climbing for Swaziland.(Letters)(Sibusiso Vilane climbs Everst)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Sibusiso Vilane's achievement on Everest (In conversation, September 2003) suggests that black Africans from high elevation regions may have special attributes that suit them to mountaineering, as is the case in athletics. In the 80 km/h winds...

Corrections.(Letters)(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2003... Geographical, September 2003 Traveller's Worldwide In our volunteering special, we inadvertently printed an incorrect cost for the Travellers Worldwide orang-utan rehabilitation placement in Malaysian Borneo. The price we quoted was...

Conservation charity The Tree Council has designated 12 October as Seed Gathering Sunday as part of its campaign to promote tree growing.(UK)
October 1, 2003... Conservation charity The Tree Council has designated 12 October as Seed Gathering Sunday as part of its campaign to promote tree growing. Log on to www.treecouncil.org.uk for more information about tree care and organised events.

From 2004, the most energy-efficient fridges and freezers will carry A+ and A++ labels.(Europe)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... From 2004, the most energy-efficient fridges and freezers will carry A+ and A++ labels to make them easily identifiable, the European Commission has announced.

The deadline for applications for the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust travelling Fellowship is 22 October.(UK)
October 1, 2003... The deadline for applications for the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust travelling Fellowship is 22 October. If you are a British citizen and have an individual overseas project that you'd like to undertake, the Trust, which makes more than 100...

Scheme brings vitamins to poor.(Global)(Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... A newly launched coalition of public-and private-sector organisations is aiming to significantly reduce the deficiency in vitamins and minerals among some of the world's poorest people. The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) will...

Conference raises awareness of largest ocean carbon sink.(Global)(British Antarctic Survey)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... An international meeting on the southern Ocean has heralded the first step towards a collective approach to studying the world's largest oceanic carbon sink. Organized by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), The three-day conference at the...

Kew added to the World Heritage list.(UK)(Royal Botanic Gardens)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, was among 24 new sites recently inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list. The listing was in recognition of the great value of Kew's historic landscape exceptional buildings and the important role that it plays...

Laws aim to halt black market caviar.(Russia)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Russia has announced plans to introduce a state monopoly for black caviar in order to fight poachers and smugglers who are pushing sturgeon in the Caspian region towards extinction. The move comes amid growing alarm at the impact of the...

EU to ban grizzly imports.(British Columbia)(European Union)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The European Union will ban the import of hunting trophies from British Columbia if its government fails to improve the conservation status of grizzly bears. Margot Wallstrom, European Commissioner for the Environment, informed Joyce Murray,...

Antarctic sea ice is on the increase.(Antarctica)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Sea ice in the Antarctic has by at least 8,200 square kilometers per year since the late 1970s, according to a NASA expert. Speaking at the BAS conference on the Southern Ocean, Claire Parkinson said, "While certain warming regions such as the...

Whole-waste vehicle tyres are now barred from landfill sites, thanks to a change in the law--the first of the several that will see a ban on the tyre industry dumping used casing within three years.(UK)
October 1, 2003... Whole-waste vehicle tyres are now barred from landfill sites, thanks to a change in the law--the first of several that will see a ban on the tyre industry dumping used casings within three years. The UK produces 480,000 tonnes of waste vehicle...

Scientists head for tree-tops.(Global)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The first international project of research, conservation, education, community work and fundraising for forest canopies has been launched by the Global Canopy Programme (GCP). The 20:20 Vision project aims to create a global network of 20...

Trees grow bigger in New York City than in a rural setting, according to scientists at Cornell University.(USA)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Trees grow bigger in New York City than in a rural setting, according to scientists at Cornell University. Poplar trees planted 100km outside the city grew to only half the size of their urban counterparts. The scientists speculate that...

Birds of prey and owls were victims of more than half of the 591 crimes against wild birds reported in Britain last year, according to the RSPB.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Birds of prey and owls were victims of more than half of the 591 crimes against wild birds reported in Britain last year, according to the RSPB. Out of 32 bird-nest robberies reported, 24 were from the nests of peregrine falcons.

Makeover sees return of rare damselfly.(UK)
October 1, 2003... The threatened southern damselfly has returned to Dorset heathland after a 27-year absence thanks to pioneering conservation work. A 3,500[pounds sterling]project by the National Trust, Environmental Agency and Dorset Wildlife Trust gave a pond...

Global population watch.(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The world population at the time of going to press was According to: the United Nations 6,347,218,216 the CIA 6,314,069,166 the US Bureau of the Census 6,302,486,693

How are population statistics compiled?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... When you see a website or installation that purports to display the world population down to the latest newborn, you're watching a spreadsheet in action. All population statistics are estimates built with the help of a mathematical model. But...

If scientists can eradicate smallpox, why not malaria?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The war on smallpox was the second worldwide attempt to wipe out a disease. Malaria was the first objective, but the project ended in failure and recrimination, although lessons learned in that campaign helped in the eradication of smallpox. In...

Why is snow white?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Under a magnifying glass, snowflakes look transparent. The reason why millions of those flakes packed together look white lies in the facets and edges of each flake. Light bounces off the spiny edges, while the rest of the light passes through...

Are sailing boats pulled along rather than being pushed by the wind?(Quizzical)
October 1, 2003... Both are correct. The physics of a sailing boat are surprisingly similar to those of a winged aircraft, where it's the difference in the pressure above and below the wings as it pushes through the air that lifts the aircraft into the sky....

Why are there minutes and seconds on a compass as well as a watch?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... It was the astronomer and astrologer Ptolemy who made the connection between time and angles in the second century BC when he drew up his star charts. According to Dr Irving Finkel of the British Museum, Ptolemy applied a counting system that...

Was there jetlag before time zone were invented?(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Jetlag was recognised as a condition "as soon as people could fly quickly across time zones," says Professor Josephine Arendt of the Centre for Chronobiology at the University of Surrey. "The bigger the shift [in time zones] the worse the...

Kakadu uranium mine shuts down: Matthew Brace reports on a historic victory for Australia's conservationists and the nation's indigenous people.(Breaking News)
October 1, 2003... The Mirrar Aboriginal people in Australia's Kakadu National Park have won a lengthy battle to close a controversial uranium mine that has threatened both their sacred sites and the park's World Heritage status. No uranium was ever mined...

Last line of defence: hidden away in the mountains of southeastern China, the Hakka, one of the country's largest ethnic groups, live in circular fortified buildings, some of which date back to the 12th century. Matt Havercroft looks at the modern realities facing the Hakka and their unique architecture photostory: Nicolas Reynard.
October 1, 2003... Several years ago, military liaison officers at the US embassy in Beijing received a disturbing phone call. Missile silos, they were told, had been spotted on satellite images of a remote mountainous area of Yongding county in Fujian province,...

The road back to Bali: a year more than 200 people lost their lives in the Bali bombings, Matthew Brace, the first journalist to arrive at the scene, reports on the island's struggle to rebuild its shattered tourism industry.(Bali Bombing)
October 1, 2003... Less than an hour after three bombs ripped apart the centre of the southern Balinese town of Kuta, as fires raged, buildings collapsed and street signs melted, a Balinese man turned to me and cried, "We're all dead now." His words have...

See it for yourself: best know as a publisher of travel guides, Lonely Planet is about to enter the coffee table book market with a collection of more than 250 stunning images drawn from its library.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Lonely Planet produces probably the most widely known series of guides for independent travel. It's certainly the most popular, not to mention the most comprehensive--at present there are 650 titles in the set. But this impressive literary...

The rise and rise of globalisation.(Geographical dossier)
October 1, 2003... A taxi driver once looked in his rear-view mirror to find Bertrand Russell--"one of the greatest minds ever, right?"--sitting in the back of his cab. So he thought he'd take the opportunity to learn something. "I asked him, 'What's it all...

What is globalisation? One of the main obstacles preventing many of us understanding globalisation is the fact that the term is so vaguely defined. We invited three leading academics to offer their opinions.(Geographical dossier)
October 1, 2003... "Every generation, at least in the 20th century, has some kind of symbolic ideology that gives them a 'map' of the world," says Dr Ian Linden of the School of Oriental and African Studies and author of a new book on globalisation, A New Map of...

Winners and losers: globalisation is a complex phenomenon with a variety of different effects. While one village, city or country may gain, its neighbour will lose. In environmental terms, we may all suffer. So what are the effects of globalisation and what do they mean for people around the world?(Geographical dossier)
October 1, 2003... British imperialism and 'internationalisation' introduced India to everything from cricket to parliamentary democracy, but globalisation has changed things further. India liberalised its economy in 1991, and within a few years, US firms were...

Reactions and actions.(Geographical dossier)(globalization)
October 1, 2003... The rise of the anti-capitalist protester and the recent spate of terror attacks in the USA, Indonesia and the Middle East has shown that globalisation has provoked strong reactions across the world. While some object to its economic impact,...

Bygone Baghdad: the recent conflict in Iraq has left many of us with an image of Baghdad that revolves around bomb craters, looting and smoking buildings. But it wasn't always thus. In the first of a new series, we delve into the archives of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) to show another side of the metropolis once known as the City of Peace.(Geographical Archive)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Baghdad, whose name means God-given in Persian, has shown remarkable resilience, withstanding centuries of invasions, floods, even plagues. Located in the historic Tigris-Euphrates valley, the city began life as a group of pre-Islamic...

Cave man: Andy Eavis is one of Britain's most accomplished speleogists, having led numerous subterranean exploratory expeditions the world over and helped to introduce China to the science. Christian Amodeo caught up with the Hull-based businessman to talk about his lifelong passion for caves.(Long Live Dreams[TM])(Interview)
October 1, 2003... As his Jaguar coupe hugs to the bend of an A-road just outside Hull, the straight-talking speleologist Andy Eavis says, "I have probably been responsible for the discovery of more unknown places than any other living person." It's a bold claim,...

The Times Picture Collection: London.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... by Ian Harrison, Times Books, pb, pp216, 12.99[pounds sterling] A photojournalistic anthology of London as seen through the discerning eye of The Times, this is a document of the changes the city underwent century. The images cover all...

The Full Cupboard of Life.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... by Alexander McCall Smith, Polygon, pb, pp202, 8.99[pounds sterling] This is the fifth volume in McCall Smith's delightful Botswana-set No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency roman-fleuve. This isn't the modern-day Botswana of upmarket safaris,...

Audubons' Elephant.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... by Duff Hart-Davis Weidenfeld & Nicolson, hb, pp288, 18.99[pounds sterling] Though famous for drawing birds, John James Audubon also invented fish. So convincing was his description of the Devil-Jack Diamond--ten feet long and weighing 400...

To The Poles (Without a Beard).(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... by Catharine Hartley Pocket Books, pb, pp272, 7.99[pounds sterling] Even a quick glance at the adventure/travel section of your average bookshop will reveal a veritable snowstorm of 'riveting' and 'inspiring' books about the 'death-defying...

Discovering Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... by Tony Martin, Colin Baxter Photography, pb, pp96, 9[pounds sterling] Despite outward appearances, Discovering Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises is an unusual book. It presents itself as a 'beginners guide', and therein lies its...

The Secret Voyage of Sir Francis Drake.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... by Samuel Bawlf Penguin, hb, pp400, 20[pounds sterling] In 1577, Francis Drake left Plymouth with 164 men and a fleet of five vessels on a secret voyage for Queen Elizabeth I. Ostensibly a mission against the Spanish Navy, the voyages true...

Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... by Sun Shuyun, Harper Collins, hb, pp464, 17.99[pounds sterling] In the seventh century, Chinese monk Xuanzang made an 18-year pilgrimage to India. His aim was to study Buddhism at its source and to bring Buddha's original teachings back to...

As Far As My Feet Will Carry me.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... by Josef M Bauer Robinson, pb, pp275, 7.99[pounds sterling] A reminder of the suffering that humans are capable of inflicting--and surviving--this is the true story of a German prisoner-of-war's escape from a Siberian lead mine. Having...

Wild West China--The Taming of Xinjiang.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... by Christian Tyler John Murray, hb, pp314, 20.00[pounds sterling] Don't let the title fool you--a Chinese Clint Eastwood armed with six-shooter and ten-gallon-hat doesn't gallop onto the scene that Christian Tyler sets in this...

Tea: Addiction, Exploitation and Empire.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... by Roy Moxham Constable, hb, pp288, 14.99[pounds sterling] As we near the 100th anniversary of the invention of the teabag, it's good to see Roy Moxham, author of the excellent Great Hedge of India, turning his considerable talents to the...

Post-war reconstruction: forever re-inventing the wheel?(Editorial)
October 1, 2003... Reconstruction of war-torn countries requires a complex juggling act if political, social and environmental needs are to be satisfied. And with the humanitarian stakes so high, it's vital that lessons learned are appropriately re-applied. ...

New President.(In Society)(Neil Cossons)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The RGS-IBG is delighted to Welcome Sir Neil Cossons as its new president. Sir Nell is chairman of English Heritage, former director of the Science Museum and a geography graduate. The position will be held for three years, during which the...

Aquatic awards.(In Society)(Ralph Brown Expedition Award )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... This years 15,000[pounds sterling] Ralph Brown Expedition Award has been jointly awarded to two Fellows of the RGS-IBG for their research projects in Africa. A team led by Dr Richard Taylor, University College London, is assessing the impact of...

Not for the likes of you.(In Society)(audience development project )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The Information Services and Resources Division of the RGS-IBG has been selected to take part in 'Not for the Likes of You', an audience development project commissioned by Arts Council England, Re:source, English Heritage and the Heritage...

Society events in October.(Calendar)
October 1, 2003... For further details, please contact the Events Office on 020 7591 3100 (unless otherwise stated), or see full listings at www.rgs.org/events At the Society 6 October, 6.30pm TRACKING ELEPHANTS IN NORTHERN KENYA Using advanced...

Monteverde Cloudforest Reserve, Costa Rica: tour the archaeological wonders of Jordan, head to Siberia with this year's RGS-IBG Journey of a Lifetime Award winners, discover how global warming is affecting winter tourism and learn about Baobab Travel's remarkably charitable take on reponsible tourism.(Geographical travel)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Set high on a mountain in the Cordillera de Tilaran, the 10,500-hectare Monteverde Cloudforest Reserve is a verdant wonderland of towering rainforest trees swathed in thick mosses and festooned with a multitude of epiphytes. Reaching an...

Jordan: situated on the eastern limits of the Levant, Jordan is a fledgling country in an ancient land. Its modern borders encompass biblical kingdoms, Roman provinces and great hill cities dating back to civilisation's early days--all set in some of the most spectacular scenery in the Middle East. Jo Bourne profiles this archaeological wonderland.(21st-Century Countries)
October 1, 2003... Jordan at a glance A snapshot of modern Jordan, its people and its geography The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, created in 1946, has a complex modern history. On the eve of the First World War, the land from Turkey in the north to Yemen...

Last post for postcards.(travel news)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Postcards are becoming a thing of the past, according to a recent survey of British holidaymakers. Picture postcards became a hugely popular part of British culture during the Victorian era, but the results of the survey, which was commissioned...

Tourism and the media.(Tourism Concern)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The media's ability to make or break a holiday destination has been particularly pronounced this year. To take one example, reports comparing the SARS outbreak to the bubonic plague led to an 86 per cent slump in visitor numbers to Asia and the...

Pets welcome.(Travel Update)(pet-friendly accommodation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... A new edition of the Pets Welcome guide, priced 7.99[pounds sterling], is out this month, packed with pet-friendly accommodation throughout the UK. * Info: www.holidayguides.com

A maze in.(Travel Update)(Kielder Forest Park)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Get lost in the new Minotaur Maze at Kielder Castle, Northumberland, the latest piece of public art in Kielder Forest Park. The 125,000[pounds sterling] labyrinth, designed by architect Nick Combe and artist Shona Kitchen, is built from 480...

Tiger attack leads to safety rule rethink.(Travel Update)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The way in which tiger tours are conducted in India's wildlife sanctuaries is to change in an attempt to improve safety for tourists and tigers alike. The mauling of two French tourists by a tigress that had previously been hit by a jeep has...

Travel update.(travel news)(Scientific Exploration Society in India)
October 1, 2003... The Scientific Exploration Society is looking for 14 people with an interest in working on an aid project in the remote village of Riang Maw in the northeastern Indian state of Megahalaya--'The Abode of Clouds'. Dates: 17 November-5 December....

Land of black snow: Andy Home and Grigori Gerenstein, winners of the RGS-IBG Journey of a Lifetime Award, report back from the Siberian mining town of Noril'sk.
October 1, 2003... The first sight of the countryside around the Russian city of Noril'sk is nothing short of apocalyptic--a landscape of black snow, decaying buildings and a cobweb of rusting pipes. Dotted around are giant metals plants, their chimneys belching...

Geographical journeys of a lifetime.(Geographical Promotion)
October 1, 2003... If you've ever dreamt of undertaking an incredible adventure in a distant land, now might be time to make it a reality. Geographical presents a selection of specialist companies' unforgettable tailor-made trips, in order to inspire the first...

Winter tourism feels the heat: with ski seasons becoming shorter and less predictable and glaciers in retreat, it seems global warming has already begun to affect winter tourism. Mark Lynas reports on a shrinking industry.(Snow And Ice Special)
October 1, 2003... That's it, the season's over." The two ski attendants from the Glencoe Ski Centre were sitting in front of a computer in a nearby village, watching a five-day forecast download from the Internet. One of them shook his head glumly as the heavy...

Saving the snow: in the second part of his report on climate change and winter tourism, Mark Lynas suggests how you can to do your bit to ensure that you can have your snow and ski on it too.(Snow And Ice Special)
October 1, 2003... Committed but enviromentally aware skiers but snowboarders will be familiar with this conundrum: how can you continue to enjoy the thrill of the slopes, without contributing global warming in the process? It's a tough one--but the choices you...

Cold play: if you're planning to hit the piste in style this winter, or think that now is the time to realise a polar dream, these specialist companies can help you to do it right.(Geographical Promotion)
October 1, 2003... Neilson Holidays If you want culture, adventure and something really different for your holiday, if you're a competent skier or boarder looking for that little bit extra, then the Northern Highlights Tour from active-holiday experts...

Louise de Waal: establish Boabab Travel, a small tour operator that channels up to an incredible 80 per cent of client's fees back to the host country. Christian Amodeo speaks to her about her philosophy and hopes for travel business.(Travel For A Living)(Interview)
October 1, 2003... Louise de Waal establish Boabab Travel, a small tour operator that channels up to an incredible 80 per cent of clients' fees back to the host country. Christian Amodeo speaks to hopes for travel business What made you establish Baobab...

David Shepherd, the internationally renowned wildlife artist and conservationist will be giving a presentation at the RGS-IBG this month. Christian Amodeo talks to the 72-year-old painter about his life and work.(In Conversation)(Interview)
October 1, 2003... When did your interest in wildlife begin? I started collecting books on Africa as a child even though I'd never gone abroad. I was fascinated with the animals. They motivated me and I got it into my head that I was God's gift to Kenya's...

Antartica science in the polar wilderness.
October 1, 2003... Since the great era of Antarctic exploration began in the early 20th century, science has played a central role in our interaction with the frozen continent. Most of the early expeditions to Antarctica had scientific objectives, such as...