Geographical articles from October 2006

Geographical archives from October 2006

Reducing the pressure.(Antarctica travel)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Antarctica has long had a powerful hold on our collective imagination. Numerous brave men and women have lost their lives there, and it continues to draw adventurous types keen to test their mettle. The advent of Antarctic tourism now...

The melting of Greenland's ice cap has been accelerating since 2004, according to data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The melting of Greenland's ice cap has been accelerating since 2004, according to data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite. The ice cap is currently melting at a rate of about 239 cubic kilometres per year--two to...

In response to the Japanese government's efforts to raise birth rates.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... In response to the Japanese government's efforts to raise birth rates, Tokyo rail companies are providing women in the early stages of pregnancy with badges that read "There is a baby in my belly."

The mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, is planning to begin transporting the city's rubbish using barges instead of trucks in attempt to reduce traffic and pollution.(USA)
October 1, 2006... The mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, is planning to begin transporting the city's rubbish using barges instead of trucks in attempt to reduce traffic and pollution. Kerbside rubbish will be taken to waterfront locations and shipped to...

Flooding in parts of western India since the beginning of this year's monsoon season in May has already led to the evacuation of more than half a million people.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Flooding in parts of western India since the beginning of this year's monsoon season in May has already led to the evacuation of more than half a million people, an estimated 234 deaths and the closure of the country's main domestic natural gas...

In an unusual attempt to reduce crime, police in Tanzania have announced plans to close down pool and snooker halls in Dares Salaam during daytime.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... In an unusual attempt to reduce crime, police in Tanzania have announced plans to close down pool and snooker halls in Dares Salaam during daytime. According to a police statement, the halls had become meeting places for muggers and house...

In August, Johannesburg experienced its first snow shower.(SOUTH AFRICA)
October 1, 2006... In August, Johannesburg experienced its first snow shower for 25 years as icy temperatures gripped parts of the country.

Geographer detained for 'spying'.(WORLDWATCH)(Ghazi Falah)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Ghazi Falah, an associate professor from the department of geography and planning at the University of Akron in Ohio, USA, was detained in Israel for 22 days after being accused of espionage. Fifty-three year old Falah, who has dual Israeli and...

Top ten least wanted aliens.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The Environment Agency has released a hit list of the UK's most invasive non-native plant and animal species. The ten species identified for containment and removal originate from as far away as Japan, North America and Tasmania, and all but...

Rows of blue agave plants march across a hillside located between the foothills of the Tequila Volcano and the valley of the Rio Grande in western Mexico.
October 1, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Rows of blue agave plants march across a hillside located between the foothills of the Tequila Volcano and the valley of the Rio Grande in western Mexico. The plantation forms part of the Agave Landscape and...

OS maps to reveal 'sensitive' sites.(WORLDWATCH)(Ordnance Survey)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The days of ramblers stumbling across mysterious military bases, bunkers and power stations that aren't shown on their Ordnance Survey (OS) maps are soon to be a thing of the past. Prompted by the easy availability of high-quality satellite...

Top 10 fastest growing cities (average percentage annual growth, 2000-05).(Statistical table)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Fastest growing cities (average Percentage annual growth, 2000-05) TOP 10 1 Beihai, China 11.5 2 Ghaziabad, India 6.4 3 Surat, India 6.2 3 Toluca, Mexico 6.2...

Oil spills on troubled waters.(WORLDWATCH)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The humanitarian crisis unleashed by the Israel-Lebanon conflict has been joined by an environmental disaster that conservationists are saying is the worst in the Mediterranean's history. An oil slick caused by Israeli bombs hitting the Jiyyeh...

Fox threat to Tasmania's wildlife.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The possibility that foxes have become established in Tasmania s looking more likely following the discovery of a dead adult male in August in the state's north. Before the first fox was spotted in 2001, Tasmania was considered to be free from...

Scientists discover what makes us human.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Scientists have identified what may prove to be the region of our DNA that separates us from our nearest relatives. A team led by Katherine Pollard of the University of California, Davis, believe they have found the region of the human genome...

50 years ago today: Geographical October 1956.(Anthony Smith's journey to River Nile)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The October 1956 Geographical featured the first part of a two-part story that related journalist Anthony Smith's journey along the River Nile. Smith was interested in the "many and much-argued problems of using the Nile's water". Starting...

Stay out of the sun.(statistics of skin cancers death )(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Following hot on the heels of one of the hottest, driest summers on record in parts of Europe and the USA, the World Health Organization has released a new report that suggests as many as 60,000 people worldwide die every year as a result of...

Invasion of the jellyfish.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... According to marine biologists, this summer's hot, dry weather has led to a surge in jellyfish numbers around the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and a corresponding increase in the number of stings suffered by bathers. A recent survey by...

The death toll following what many have described as the worse flooding in a century.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The death toll following what many have described as the worse flooding in a century was expected to reach 10,000 in North Korea after two weeks of heavy rainfall during July.

American beef is back on the menu in Japan after a 2003 ban over fears of BSE contamination was relaxed in August.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... American beef is back on the menu in Japan after a 2003 ban over fears of BSE contamination was relaxed in August. Japan is the USA's most important overseas market for beef, worth US$1.4billion when the ban was first imposed.

Plans to build a new 68,000-seat stadium in Cape Town in time for the 2010 football World Cup have been reluctantly agreed by the city's mayor, Helen Zille.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Plans to build a new 68,000-seat stadium in Cape Town in time for the 2010 football World Cup have been reluctantly agreed by the city's mayor, Helen Zille. Zille believes that the US$420million needed to construct the stadium could be better...

The British Geological Survey has developed a new interactive GIS-based website that shows England's mineral resources.(UK)(www.bgs.ac.uk)(Website overview)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The British Geological Survey has developed a new interactive GIS-based website that shows England's mineral resources. In addition to pinpointing coal, gypsum, sandstone, salt and other resources, it identifies protected areas. Visit...

The US Department of Energy is to spend US$250million to establish and operate two new research centres.(USA)
October 1, 2006... The US Department of Energy is to spend US$250million to establish and operate two new research centres to accelerate development of biofuels.

More than a million HIV+ people in sub-Saharan Africa are now being treated with anti-retroviral drugs.(AFRICA)
October 1, 2006... More than a million HIV+ people in sub-Saharan Africa are now being treated with anti-retroviral drugs, a ten-fold rise in the past three years.

Temperatures in parts of northern Canada reached 31[degrees]C in August.(CANADA)
October 1, 2006... Temperatures in parts of northern Canada reached 31[degrees]C in August, prompting one Inuit community in Kuuihuaq, northern Quebec, to order air-conditioning units.

Bottom trawling in the vicinity of Alaska's Aleutian Islands has been banned following the discovery of deep-water coral reefs.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Bottom trawling in the vicinity of Alaska's Aleutian Islands has been banned following the discovery of deep-water coral reefs. The ban covers an area of 958,000 square kilometres.

Chinese farms are losing more than US$2.5billion a year through contamination of crops by industrial pollution, according to a government agency.(CHINA)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Chinese farms are losing more than US$2.5billion a year through contamination of crops by industrial pollution, according to a government agency. In recent years, an estimated 12 million tonnes of grain have been contaminated with heavy metals....

Helium future uncertain.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The University of Cambridge is to undertake a three-year research project into the long-term availability of helium. Recently, global demand for the non-renewable gas from medical science and engineering applications has grown dramatically. ...

Dossier updates: oil and water.(WORLDWATCH)(genetically modified crops to combat crop losses)(more companies join the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... In the March Geographical, the Dossier highlighted the environmental damage associated with the production of palm oil and efforts by a group called the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to develop a sustainable supply of the oil. At...

The energy challenge: a one-day forum.(In Society: a round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)
October 1, 2006... In July, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) responded to growing concerns about how the UK is going to meet its future energy needs by publishing an energy review. 'The Energy Challenge' contained a number of proposals designed to...

Explore 2006: register now.
October 1, 2006... November marks the 30th anniversary of the Royal Geographical Society's annual expedition-planning seminar, Explore. An event unique in the expedition world, Explore is specifically geared towards first-time expeditioners. The 300 delegates...

Lecture of the month: making maps in emergencies.(RGS-IBG)
October 1, 2006... 20 October, 7.45pm (LECTURE AND WORKSHOP, STANFORDS BOOKSHOP, LONDON) Once the domain of cartographers, mapping solutions are now a vital commodity for geographers, especially when natural disasters strike. Thanks to the arrival of new...

A selection of October's other Society events.
October 1, 2006... For details, please contact the Events Office on 020 7591 3100 6 October, 8pm 17 October, 8pm Forecasting and our changing weather (LECTURES, BRECON AND SOUTHAMPTON) As part of the Regional Theatres Programme, BBC weather presenter...

Royal Geographical Society with IBG: advancing geography and geographical learning.(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Patron Her Majesty The Queen Honorary President HRH The Duke of Kent The Council President Professor Sir Gordon Conway Vice Presidents Andrew Linnell, Professor Sarah Metcalfe, Professor Keith Richards Honorary Treasurer David...

Navigating the natural world: Charles Darwin's pocket sextant.
October 1, 2006... Born in 1809, Charles Robert Darwin fascinated by science from an early age, even creating a makeshift chemistry lab in the family's garden shed. But despite such early promise, he wasn't a particularly gifted scholar and his father, concerned...

The history of a miracle.(evaluation)
October 1, 2006... As far as we know, the Earth is the only planet in the universe upon which life has evolved. The history of its miraculous origin and diversification is told in the fossil record, but it's also all around us in the organisms that exist today....

Secrets of the death jars.(PLAIN OF JARS)
October 1, 2006... Described by UNESCO as "one of the most intriguing and enduring puzzles of Southeast Asian prehistory", the Plain of Jars in Laos has long defied archaeologists' attempts to explain its origins and significance. With World Heritage listing on...

Enduring qualities.(HMS ENDURANCE)
October 1, 2006... The Antarctic is still the world's great nautical unknown, with many charts ominously annotated with the words 'inadequate surveys.' At the forefront of attempts to rectify this situation is the Royal Navy icebreaker HMS Endurance, which spends...

How green is your business.(SPECIAL REPORT: Geographical dossier)
October 1, 2006... With governments slow to act on neutralising the threat of warming, large corporations are taking the lead in efforts to save the planet. But they're not just doing it out of the goodness of their hearts nor, necessarily, for the good press...

The Dunes of the Badain Jaran: located in the heart of the otherwise sandless Gobi Desert, the Badain Jaran is home to the world's tallest sand dunes. Always looking for a new extreme to experience, Nick Middleton set out to find and climb one of these so-called megadunes.(GOBI DESERT MEGADUNES)(Travel narrative)
October 1, 2006... We climbed onto the flat roof of the house to survey our options. The nearest peak soared straight up from the depression, its towering slipface oriented towards the southeast. On the other side of the basin, which was perhaps a kilometre...

Sinking the arc: fourteen years after the Rio Earth Summit, Brazil continues to lose an area of rainforest the size of Wales every year. Fauna & Flora International's regional director for the Americas Evan Bowen-Jones visits a strategically placed reserve that will hopefully help to stop the northward progress of the 'arc of deforestation' threatening the heart of the Amazon.
October 1, 2006... It was the biggest snake I'd ever seen: eight metres of sinuous muscle resting in the clear waters of the Cristalino River. Anacondas of such size are usually only found in more remote parts of the Amazon as the snakes tend to be killed by...

Safari sensation: home of the true African safari, Kenya is re-inventing itself for a new generation, opening up its superb countryside to a lighter form of tourism: offering private, culturally aware and adventurous safari options.
October 1, 2006... Kenya has long been internationally famous for its wildlife. The lions of the Mara and the elephant of Amboseli being frequent stars of TV dramas and best-selling novels. Yet in other ways this gem of East Africa is almost undiscovered....

Building on the past, gambling on the future.(MACAU)
October 1, 2006... The former Portuguese colony of Macau represents one of the first and most enduring encounters between China and Europe. Today, however, it's best known as the gambling capital of the East. With construction of a massive new casino development...

Old New York.(GEOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE)
October 1, 2006... Founded in 1625 by a handful of Dutch settlers, New York City has gone on to fulfil several different roles--it served as the original seat of the US government, is the home of the nation's financial markets, has been a gateway to the USA for...

To the ends of the Earth--and back.(Pathfinders: A Global History of Exploration)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Pathfinders: A Global History of Exploration Felipe Fernandez-Armesto Oxford University Press, hb, pp448, 25 [pounds sterling] Pleasingly, there's no quirky, attention-grabbing thesis at the heart of Felipe Fernandez-Armesto's splendid new...

The deadest of the dead.(Dodo: The Bird Behind the Legend)(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Dodo: The Bird behind the Legend by Alan Grihault Imprimerie & Papeterie Commerciale, pb, pp172, 16.99 [pounds sterling] It's perhaps debatable whether the panda is an appropriate symbol for the WWF, given that its endangered status is at...

Life and death in the mountains.(Because It's There: The Life of George Mallory )(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Because It's There: The Life of George Mallory by Dudley Green Tempus, pg, pp208, 9.99 [pounds sterling] I had mixed feelings about reviewing a biography of George Mallory. After all, most people know the story of the climber infatuated...

The Power of Projections.(Book review)
October 1, 2006... The Power of Projections by AJ Klinghoffer Praeger, pb, pp192, 28.99 [pounds sterling] This may be a book about maps but, despite its title, it isn't a satisfactory examination of the sphere of map projections. The difficulties...

Tales from Nowhere: Unexpected Stories from Unexpected Places.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Tales from Nowhere: Unexpected Stories from Unexpected Places edited by Don George Lonely Planet, pb, pp288, 7.99 [pounds sterling] Despite a tooth-grindingly pompous introduction, Tales from Nowhere, the latest anthology of travel writing...

Top 10 writer's reads.
October 1, 2006... 1. Chronicle of the Guayaki Indians by Pierre Clastres (Faber and Faber, 9.99 [pounds sterling]) A sympathetic and intelligent depiction of a forest people; a superb counterbalance to the anthro trash currently so popular on TV 2. The...

Summit, 150 Years of the Alpine Club.(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Summit, 150 Years of the Alpine Club by George Band HarperCollins, hb, pp286, 25 [pounds sterling] It would be difficult to think of a more fitting author than George Band to chronicle the history of the Alpine Club, linked, as it is,...

A first glimpse of Australia.(A Voyage to New Holland )(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... A Voyage to New Holland by William Dampier Nonsuch Publishing, pb, pp256, 14 [pounds sterling] William Dampier was a pirate turned naturalist whose books on the fauna and flora of distant lands became bestsellers back home in Britain and...

It's a small world after all.(Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations edited by Josh Ryan et al. Lonely Planet, pb, pp160, 9.99 [pounds sterling] Not concerned with real micronations such as Tuvalu, Lichtenstein or San Marino, nor with those of...

Geographical classic #35.(Lost City of the Incas: The Story of Machu Picchu and its Builders)(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Lost City of the Incas: The Story of Machu Picchu and its Builders by Hiram Bingham. First published in 1952. Most recent edition published by Phoenix, pb, pp286, 8.99 [pounds sterling] To discover one lost city of the Incas might be...

A South American search.(Ghost Train Through the Andes)(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... Ghost Train through the Andes by Michael Jacobs John Murray, hb, pp310, 20 [pounds sterling] Michael Jacobs' grandmother lived an unusual life: James Joyce once made a pass at her and, when young, her pet goat drowned in a vat of boiling...

A Geography of Time: The Temporal Misadventures of a Social Psychologist.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... A Geography of Time: The Temporal Misadventures of a Social Psychologist by Robert Levine Oneworld, pb, pp258, 10.99 [pounds sterling] In a breezy read, heavily reliant on anecdote, Levine quotes one of his favourites--about an Afghan man...

The Bird Man and the Lap Dancer: Close Encounters with Strangers.(Brief article)(Book review)
October 1, 2006... The Bird Man and the Lap Dancer: Close Encounters with Strangers by Eric Hansen Methuen, pb, pp229, 7.99 [pounds sterling] Eric Hansen is described on the cover of his book as "the literary Indiana Jones", which automatically builds up...

Hit the heights: essential gear: Geographical's own Everest summiteer Paul Deegan offers some tips on everything you need to survive on the Death Zone.(HIGH-ALTITUDE MOUNTAINEERING)
October 1, 2006... Most people think that mountaineering on 8,000-metre Peaks such as Mount Everest is all about surviving deep-cold temperatures. But for much of the time, heat is the climber's main enemy. And the hottest place on Everest is me notorious Khumbu...

Ten of the best: the last thing you want to do when preparing for an ascent of an 8,000-metre peak is to compromise on your gear. So make sure you consult our regular round-up of the best on offer before you buy.(ESSENTIAL GEAR)(Buyers guide)
October 1, 2006... [1] Down suit PHD Xero Down Suit 500 [pounds sterling]/1.7 kilograms Designed by the man who produced the legendary Annapurna duvet jacket, the wind--and snowproof Xero sports the same box wall construction found in top flight...

Czech rope trick.
October 1, 2006... Czech rope maker Lanex has launched a range of unusual high-tech climbing ropes. In addition to Teflon yarn protection that safeguards against water and dirt, all of the ropes in the company's new Tendon range have microchips embedded in each...

Gyms to get greener.(exercise produces electricity)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Engineers at the University of Stirling are working on treadmills and rowing machines that will turn their users' kinetic energy into electricity. According to health and fitness experts, an average person could create around 300 watts of power...

Sir Wally Herbert testimonial.
October 1, 2006... On the evening of 18 October, the RGS-IBG will be hosting a special gala event to honour the achievements of Sir Wally Herbert. Now aged 71, Herbert's numerous achievements include being the first to walk to the North Pole and valuable...

Tunnel tent for two or three or four.
October 1, 2006... Scottish camping gear specialist Lichfield has released a new range of tunnel tents, featuring a porch area with built-in polyethylene groundsheet. Available in two-, three- and four-man configurations, the tents start at a very reasonable 45...

Extra warmth from Paramo.
October 1, 2006... After closely observing how animals insulate themselves in the cold, performance clothing maker Paramo has developed two new over-layers designed to keep you toasty, no matter what the conditions. The Torres Smock (from 100 [pounds...

Bamboo base-layers.
October 1, 2006... Bamboo has been used for thousands of years in China and Japan in everything from construction to cooking, but now Bam, a new environmentally friendly clothing company, has discovered a way to use one of nature's fastest growing plants to make...

Skin conditions II: parasites: medical advice from Jason Gibbs, head pharmacist at Nomad Travel stores and health clinics.(Travel health)
October 1, 2006... There are numerous different types of skin condition and many different causes. Here we look at common infections caused by parasites. Creeping eruption: Otherwise known as cutaneous larvae migrans, creeping eruption is caused by a type of...

Explorer's essentials: Rebecca Stephens, first British woman to climb Mount Everest and the seven summits.(OUT AND ABOUT)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... 1. Brasher walking boots. Not the most durable boot, but mine are light and fantastically comfortable. * www.brasher.co.uk 2. Leki telescopic walking poles. Always a debate as to whether to take one or a pair, but either way, there's...

Berlitz hide this ... phrase book.(The Geographical Good Guide Guide: Helping you choose that vitally important, but often rather confusing, item of kit: the guidebook)
October 1, 2006... What are they like? These concise, pocket-sized phrase books offer less formal terms and phrases for a range of typical circumstances that younger travellers might encounter on holiday. They are currently available for French, Italian and...

Time after time: Geophoto: if you're heading out after dark in search of some unusual and evocative shots, just open up your shutter and leave it that way.(PHOTOGRAPHY)
October 1, 2006... The early days of photography weren't notable for their speed. Light-sensitive emulsions were slow, shutter speeds were slow and no photograph could be made without a rock steady tripod. Looking at photographs from the 19th century and the...

Essential option: tripod.(Equipment: Tripods, lenses and portable hard drives)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... I've said it before, but I'm going to say it again, a tripod is vital for achieving a really sharp image, for precise framing, and particularly when using the slowest of shutter speeds. With your camera on a tripod, you can set up your...

Lens option: tilt-and-shift lenses.(Equipment: Tripods, lenses and portable hard drives)
October 1, 2006... If you're photographing city architecture at night, you may need to correct the trapezoidal effect seen in pictures taken of tall buildings so that the subject doesn't look distorted. Tilt and shift lenses enable you to do this, and in 35mm and...

Digital option: portable hard drive.(Equipment: Tripods, lenses and portable hard drives)
October 1, 2006... Using a digital camera means not having to worry about running out of film, but what do you do if you're out after dark in a remote location photographing the night sky when your memory cards fill up and there are no images you want to trash?...

Seeking identities.(MAILBAG)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... I attach a photograph that came to light when packing for a house move. It came to me from my mother's collection and I can only recognise one person--my father, Hereward AP Jensen, in the middle row, second from the right. I was hoping that a...

Macarthur's no explorer.(MAILBAG)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... What on Earth is Rebecca Stephens doing when she refers to Ellen Macarthur as a great explorer (Reviews, September 2006)? Equal shame should attach to Joanna Vestey and Justin Marozzi. Ellen Macarthur has explored nothing. She merely...

Faces in a photo.(LETTER OF THE MONTH)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... The article on Borneo in the August issue of Geographical (Wild at Heart) caught my eye as I spent a wonderful week in Sarawak last summer. As I turned the pages, the amazing photos brought a smile of recognition to my face: the proboscis and...

Kingdoms of the mind.(MAILBAG)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... It was with great pleasure that l read Lizzie McGuire's piece about eastern Tibet's nomads (The end of the roam?, September 2006). Having led several research expeditions in eastern Tibet between 1996 and 2001 for my book, Eastern Tibet:...

Jo Sargent in conversation with ...(Frans Lanting)(Interview)
October 1, 2006... Frans Lanting is a wildlife photographer whose work has appeared in books, magazines and exhibitions all over the world. Life, his latest project, is a multi-media venture that explores the history of life on Earth. It takes the form of a book,...