Geographical articles from September 2003

Geographical archives from September 2003

Seen and not seen.(Editorial)
September 1, 2003... Years ago, when I was a cub journalist on a magazine that probably doesn't exist any more and whose name I've completely forgotten, I was given a piece of advice by my editor: "Never write about something you can't photograph." When you're...

In the dark on renewables.(Prize Letter)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... I would like to suggest that the UK is literally in the dark ages when it comes to renewable technologies (Renewable energy, August 2003). I have yet to find any mainstream builders' merchants at which I can purchase photovoltaic tiles or...

Snow and ice in the desert.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... I'm a US soldier serving in Kuwait. Recently I've become fascinated with Mount Everest--less than six months ago I read a book regarding Jochen Hemmleb's 1999 expedition in search of Mallory and Irvine. That book was the launching point of my...

People not specimens.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... The indigenous peoples Mark Wollacott (Letters, August 2003) wants to preserve for study purposes are people, first and last, not laboratory specimens. They have every right to participate in full global culture and ditch their past traditions....

Wind power: just hot air?(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... The articles on renewable energy in the August 2003 issue were most interesting but were they balanced or just promoting commercial interests? There is clearly a great deal of opposition to large wind farms, much of it based on sound...

More monkey business.(letters)(crossword results)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2003... Further to the discussion of the baboon photo in the July 2003 edition of Geographical (Visions of Africa), the following is an edited excerpt from Lawrence Green's book Karoo: James Edwin Wide, nicknamed "Jumper", a guard on the old Cape...

Students find new species.(Bolivia)(reptiles, amphibians, insects and screech owl discovered in Bolivian rainforest)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... A team of students from Oxford and Glasgow universities has reported the discovery of several new reptile, amphibian and insect species. The eight British students and scientists were working with Bolivian counterparts from University Major San...

North Sea litter clean-up campaign launched.(Europe)(Fishing and Litter campaign coordinated by KIMO International)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... A Europe wide initiative has been launched to reduce the amount of marine litter in the North Sea. The Fishing for Litter campaign is the latest move by Save the North Sea. It will be coordinated by KIMO International, an association of local...

Britain's oldest cave engravings.(UK)(Creswell Crags, Derbyshire site of Palaeolithic cave art )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Archaeologists have discovered Britain's oldest cave engravings in Creswell Crags, Derbyshire. Paul Bahn and Paul Petitt made the identification of the engravings with a Spanish colleague, Sergio Ripoll. They estimate the artwork, which is...

Ancient jungle discovery.(Nicaragua)(previously unknown prehistoric civilisation discovered in Nicaragua)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... A team of Spanish and Nicaraguan archaeologists has discovered a previously unknown prehistoric civilisation in the depths of the Nicaraguan jungle. Major finds include rock paintings and basalt columns from a culture similar to societies that...

Wading birds in decline.(UK)(shorebird survey in England & Wales points to loss of habitat)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Wading birds in England and Wales have suffered a dramatic decline in numbers according to a survey financed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), DEFRA and English Nature. Since 1982, snipe, lapwing, curlew and redshank have...

Huge new coral reef discovered.(Australia)(discovered in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Territory of Australia )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Scientists have stumbled across an uncharted coral reef the size of Jersey near Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Explorers from Geoscience Australia were researching the movement of sand from rivers that enter the Gulf when...

Bitter end to whale conference.(Global)(International Whaling Commission to investigate protection of all whale species)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The International Whaling Commission (IWC) adopted a pro-conservation approach at its annual meeting, held in Berlin at the end of June, much to the chagrin of pro-whaling nations. Hailed by conservationists as "a definite step in the right...

The oldest known human fossils have been found in the Afar region of Ethiopia.(Ethiopia)(new subspecies, homo sapiens idaltu)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The oldest known human fossils have been found in the Afar region of Ethiopia. The three skulls, thought to be 160,000 years old, have been assigned to a new subspecies, Homo sapiens idaltu--the latter word means 'elder' in Afar.

Modern farming methods have all but wiped out the British bumblebee, according to the International Bee Research Association.(UK)(call for suburban gardeners to create suitable habitat)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Modern farming methods have all but wiped out the British bumblebee, according to the International Bee Research Association. The group is calling on gardeners to make the suburbs more attractive to the bees.

CABI Biosciences has been granted 500,000 [pounds sterling] to study Japanese knotweed.(UK)(funding to study weed in native habitat)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... CABI Biosciences has been granted 500,000 [pounds sterling] to study Japanese knotweed in its native habitat in an attempt to find a biological control to combat the species in the UK.

A 79-metre Tasmanian eucalypt known as El Grande.(Australia)(tallest tree in world killed by fire)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... A 79-metre Tasmanian eucalypt known as El Grande, thought to be the tallest tree in the world, has been killed by a fire started to provide wood chips.

As part of Welcome to Walking Week (20-28 September).(UK)(Rambler's Association and the Natural History Museum will map UK's last elm trees)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... As part of Welcome to Walking Week (20-28 September), the Rambler's Association and the Natural History Museum are asking walkers to record sightings of elm trees. The results will be used to produce a map of the UK's last surviving mature...

No ordinary churches: pagan symbolism, occult designs from ancient Egypt, flesh-eating gods, Masonic cults, Jack the Ripper ... Charlie Furniss explores the bizarre architectural legacy of Nicholas Hawksmoor.
September 1, 2003... Businesspeople in the City of London may be alarmed to hear that they are working within an axis of evil. And not just an axis, but an entire web--a devilish network of ley lines, ancient highways and invisible paths that, according to author...

The seedhunters: with a quarter of the world's plants set to vanish within the next 50 years, Doug Alexander reports on the scientists working against the clock to preserve the Earth's botanical heritage.
September 1, 2003... They travel the four corners of the globe, scouring jungles, forests and savannas. But they're not looking for ancient artefacts, lost treasure or undiscovered tombs. Just pods. It may lack the romantic allure of archaeology, or the whiff...

Longing for land.(Ethiopians facing drought and famine)(Bale Mountains National Park cannot support migrants)(human settlement endangers animals such as russet wolves)
September 1, 2003... As Ethiopia's food crisis worsens, its people are on the move again, desperately seeking a new home. For a while, thousands had settled in an old military camp in a national park--where these photographs were taken--but have since moved to...

The wisdom of the sands: for centuries, small family groups in the Algerian Sahara have gathered remarkable collections of ancient Arabic manuscripts in their homes. These priceless works are now under serious threat of decay, but a European-led conservation project may yet save them.
September 1, 2003... In the unforgiving climate of the Sahara-scorching by day, freezing by night-the ingenuity of the desert dwellers has no equal. Traditional homes in the Gourara oasis villages are formed from a maze of dark corridors that open into living areas...

Saving the last tribes: isolated and remote in the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman and Nicobar islands are a paradise once inhabited only by little-known tribes. But encroachment by expansionist nations has brought destruction, disease and the threat of extinction to the indigenous people.
September 1, 2003... The Andaman Island could be a tourist's dream. With white sandy beaches, deserted save for the odd fisherman, coconut palms swaying gently in the cooling breeze, thick, green forests alive with exotic plants and animals, uncharted creeks, bays...

Harris of the Arctic: in April, the American Express Franklin Memorial Expedition trekked 322 kilometres across the Arctic, following in the footsteps of the ill-fated explorer Sir John Franklin. Christian Amodeo speaks to the expedition's leader, Rebecca Harris.(Long Live Dreams[TM])(American Express Franklin Memorial Expedition)
September 1, 2003... The old-world ambience of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) headquarters in Kensington is a far cry from the punishing Arctic environment, especially on a lazy summer afternoon as warm sunlight oozes through the tall windows of the...

Subterranea.(Books)(Book Review)
September 1, 2003... by Sally Gall, Umbrage Editions, hb, pp80, 32.50 [pounds sterling] Four years ago, Sally Gall and her husband were hiking through a steamy jungle in Veracruz, Mexico, when a sudden downpour forced them to seek shelter in the mouth of a...

Evolution's Captain.(Book Review)
September 1, 2003... by Peter Nichols Profile Books, hb, pp336, 16.99 [pounds sterling] Anyone who's read Peter Nichols' earlier books will know that he is a writer of fierce, even overpowering, emotional intensity--last year's Sea Change may seem to be about a...

Monturiol's Dream.(Book Review)
September 1, 2003... by Matthew Stewart Profile Books, hb, pp356, 15.99 [pounds sterling] "At the age of ten, [Monturiol] built a wooden model of a clock. It couldn't tell time, but it certainly looked the part... " Luckily, by the time Narcis Monturiol was...

The Zanzibar Chest.(Book Review)
September 1, 2003... by Aidan Hartley Harpercollins, hb, pp320, 20 [pounds sterling] The Zanzibar Chest is a story of modern Africa--both a breathtaking war memoir and search for personal identity. The book describes a world of intense natural beauty and savage...

The Most Beautiful Villages of Spain.(Book Review)
September 1, 2003... by Hugh Palmer Thames & Hudson, hb, pp208, 24.99 [pounds sterling] You may not think there'd be much call for coffee-table books based on a concept as facile as gathering photosets of villages and pumping them out under the banner 'Most...

Hold the Enlightenment.(Book Review)
September 1, 2003... by Tim Cahill Black Swan, pb, pp378, 7.99 [pounds sterling] While the world has been going crazy over US writer Bill Bryson's acerbic travel tales, his countryman Tim Cahill has been quietly going about his business filing witty yarns from...

Surviving Extremes.(Book Review)
September 1, 2003... by Nick Middleton Channel Four Books, hb, pp260, 16.99 [pounds sterling] Nick Middleton is no stranger to severe environments. The quest on this, his latest expedition, was to understand how and why the indigenous peoples of four extreme...

Radiant Transmission--Art of the Tibetan Diaspora.(October Gallery, London)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... 4 September--18 October October Gallery 24 Old Gloucester Street, Bloomsbury, London Tel: 020 7242 7367; www.theoctobergallery.com Open Tue-Sat, 12.30pm-5.30pm Tibet's culture, which is inextricably linked to its unique form of Buddhism,...

Pietro's Book: the Story of a Tuscan Peasant.(Book Review)
September 1, 2003... by Pietro Pinti and Jenny Bawtree Constable, hb, pp192, 12.99 [pounds sterling] Pietro Pinti's first-person account of his life as a peasant in the lean years under Mussolini and after the Second World War is a warm and engaging record of...

Transport congestion--the UK's headache.(Editorial)(initial results of traffic fees in London's congested area)(Editorial)
September 1, 2003... Transport congestion--the UK's headache Since congestion charging began in central London it has met with mixed emotions and speculation over its effectiveness. Transport for London's recent report on the scheme's first three months...

Journey of a lifetime.(Grants galore)(BBC Radio 4 features Royal Geological Society grant wineers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Tune in to BBC Radio 4 on Friday, 12 September at 11.02am to hear the latest Journey of a Lifetime Award programme, which will feature the experiences of RGS-IBG grant winners Andy Home and Grigori Gerenstein, who travelled to the Siberian...

Neville Shulman Challenge Award.(Grants galore)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Adrian Disney, a disabled teacher, has led a team of eight sea-kayakers, including two disabled paddlers, on a 1,930-kilometre journey from Vancouver to Juneau in Alaska. The group was awarded 5,000 [pounds sterling] by the RGS-IBG through the...

Innovative Geography Teaching grants.(Grants galore)(from Royal Geographical Society for secondary-school geography teachers)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... As well as the Awards for Excellence in Geographical Learning scheme, which recognises and rewards high achievers in A-level and GCSE examinations, the Society now operates the Innovative Geography Teaching programme. These grants, designed for...

Expedition research grants.(Grants galore)(Royal Geographical Society)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... So far this year, the Society has awarded more than 54,000 [pounds sterling] to expedition teams for geographical research. These teams, applying through the Expedition Research Grants scheme, were given the Society's endorsement and provided...

Society events in September.(Calendar)
September 1, 2003... At the Society 2 September, 6.30pm ANNUAL CONFERENCE OPENING LECTURE: TROPICAL VIEWS AND VISIONS Professor Felix Driver considers the historical geography of views and visions of the tropical world * Open to RGS-IBG members,...

So you want to make a difference? From pathway conservation on the windswept shores of Northern Ireland to orang-utan rehabilitation in deepest, darkest Borneo, the opportunities for volunteering are seemingly endless. Sebastian MacKenzie-Wilson and Simon McWhirter explore the myriad options available to people keen to lend a helping hand.(A 16-page in-depth look at volunteering opportunities)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... In the past year, about 32 million British people--almost 40 per cent of the population--will have undertaken volunteer work of some kind, donating some 90 million hours of their time to the benefit of others and the wider community. As a...

Time well spent? These days, many volunteer organisations ask not just for your time, but for your money as well. Hence potential volunteers will be hoping for more in return than a warm fuzzy feeling. So just what are the benefits of volunteering and what is involved?(Volunteering Special)
September 1, 2003... Voluntary work is often seen as the preserve of hippies and bleeding-heart liberals. But in reality it now attracts a wide cross-section of the community. Many of these people have realised that it isn't all altruism--in fact, the personal...

Mission possible: a quick scan of the advertising directory at the back of an issue of Geographical reveals just a slice of the somewhat bewildering array of opportunities available for the altruistic. We've chosen ten of the best to whet your appetite.(Volunteering Special)
September 1, 2003... Coral reef conservation & monitoring Programme: Greenforce Location: Andros Island, Bahamas Volunteering destinations don't come much better than the azure, bath-warm waters around Andros Island in the Bahamas. For the past two years,...

The age of volunteering: volunteering isn't just the preserve of elderly matrons and eager young students taking a gap-year break. Whether you're keen to get away from your parents for a while, need some respite from your office routine or looking to spice up your retirement, do yourself a favour by doing someone else one.(Volunteering Special)
September 1, 2003... One of the truly great things about volunteering is its egalitarian nature. There will always be projects in need of help, so it doesn't matter how old or young, skilled or unskilled you are, you're sure to be able to find an outlet for your...

Mission accomplished: will volunteering be all you've ever dreamed of? Well, probably not. Be under no illusions--you won't change the world, but you may change a few lives, including your own.(Volunteering Special)
September 1, 2003... Okay, so you want to become a volunteer. You've found your project, raised the necessary funds and now all you have to do is pack. Before you rush off into the wilderness, filled with altruistic fervour, it's time for a reality check....

Animal rescue: proving that it doesn't have to be a dog-eat-dog world, these select organisations offer you the chance to engage in conservation projects, improve the welfare of animals and assist scientists in the field. The work of volunteers is as rewarding as it is fascinating. You'd do well to join them.(Volunteering Directory)(Directory)
September 1, 2003... Global Vision International Global Vision International specialises in overseas conservation expeditions and teaching placements. Join a range of award-winning projects and expeditions and have the chance to work alongside some of the...

Help others, help yourself: if you want to make a difference in the world, to help others less fortunate than yourself and enjoy a life-changing experience in the process, there has never been a better time. Here is a selection of some of the exciting and varied projects you can join, offered by organisations that will help you realise your potential.(Volunteering Directory)(Directory)
September 1, 2003... Africa & Asia Venture "The babble of street children, the eagerness of my class of 60, the smiles, the sports, the poverty, the fear from lions roaring, the fun, the rafting and the sounds of Africa. Thank you, AV, for the best four months...

The politics of preservation: as Australia celebrates the listing of its 15th World Heritage site, Ian Connellan reflects on the heady mix of politics, conservation and constitutional crisis that have surrounded the nation's World Heritage listings.(Australia Special)
September 1, 2003... Visible from any elevated point in Sydney, the Blue Mountains appear as a low range of hills shrouded in a bluish haze--thought to be caused by fire delicate mist of eucalyptus oil that hangs over the region's millions of gum trees, scattering...

Wild places: Geordie Torr profiles eight of Australia's most spectacular World Heritage destinations.(Australia Special)
September 1, 2003... Great Barrier Reef, Queensland At 347,800 square kilometres--bigger than the UK, Holland and Switzerland combined--the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, largest marine protected area and largest World Heritage...

Saving Gould's petrel: for most threatened plants and animals, there is no way back from a place on the list of endangered species. But not for Gould's petrel. As Karen McGhee explains, a group of Australian conservationists has achieved such remarkable results that the small sea-bird is no longer considered to be in serious danger.(Australia Special)
September 1, 2003... When Australian scientists set out in 1992 to save Gould's petrel from extinction, it was feared the enigmatic little sea bird may have already slipped too close to the brink. The ragged uninhabited Pacific Ocean outcrop of Cabbage Tree Island,...

Explore down under: a vast land of awesome landscapes, breathtaking coastlines, great weather and a bewildering array of activities.(Australia Directory)(Directory)
September 1, 2003... David Brown Travel David Brown Travel is a well-respected independent travel agency that has been providing affordable tailor-made holidays for 30 years. Fully ABTA and IATA bonded and an Australian Tourist Board-accredited specialist, its...

Geographical travel: catch up on the latest travel news, celebrate the 80th birthday of the South American Handbook and discover the Green Globe philosophy.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... LI RIVER, GUANGXI PROVINCE, CHINA A rice-paddy mosaic accompanies the Li River as it meanders through a dramatic landscape of forest-draped domes and towers. The legacy of millenia of carbonic acid-laden rain slowly dissolving the limestone...

The sky has limits.(ideas about managing growth at UK airports)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Measures to better manage our airports and skies, including a high altitude congestion charge, are needed to make air travel more sustainable, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The think-tank also believes money...

Tourism Concern: stick to your guns.(travel news)(travel advisory against Myanmar due to poor human rights record)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Tourism Concern believes that the decision to travel to a country with a poor human rights record is up to the individual. But we've made an exception of Myanmar, where the democratic movement has specifically asked tourists to stay away (see...

High-level study may solve altitude sickness.(travel news)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The growing number of trekkers, climbers and skiers travelling to high altitudes could benefit from one of the world's largest controlled-ascent research expeditions, being carried out in Bolivia by students from the University or Edinburgh....

No more culture shocks.(Travel Update)(Culture Smart! Guides)
September 1, 2003... Local knowledge can prove vital for peace of mind and personal safety when travelling. Culture Smart! Guides are a new brand of travel guidebook from Kuperard that aim to turn readers into confident, etiquette-savvy travellers. The books...

Caribbean conservation.(Travel Update)(volunteers need for Seascape Research & Education Earthship program)(St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the West Indies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Seascape Research & Education is looking for volunteers for its Earthship programme, which is being launched in September to carry out conservation work in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the West Indies. Activities include scuba diving,...

Australian Tourism's Green vision.(World Tourism Organisation applauds Australia's strategy)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) has commended Australia's latest ten-year tourism strategy. WTO general secretary Dr Dawid de Villiers described the Tourism Green Paper as "comprehensive and well focused."

Smart seats to monitor air passengers.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Qinetiq, the UK government's R&D arm, is developing an intelligent airline seat Sensors linked to a computer will help crews spot people at risk of deep vein thrombosis or air rage.

South America in a nutshell: next year, the South American Handbook--the longest running guidebook in the English language--celebrates its 80th birthday. As well as being a mine of useful tips for travellers, the books provide a fascinating insight into the changes that the continent has undergone and the transformation of tourism in the last century.
September 1, 2003... From a businessman's manual in the 1920s to the independent traveller's bible of the new millennium, every year, the South American Handbook has advised prospective visitors on everything they need to know. It has provided guidance to...

Discover South America: South America boasts an incredible array of scenery, cultures, races and wildlife. These select companies help you make the most of an incredible continent.(Geographical Promotion)(Directory)
September 1, 2003... Bales Worldwide For more than S0 years, Bales Worldwide has organised trips to the world's most inspiring countries. You can choose from perfectly designed itineraries to more than 60 countries or let our experienced Tailor Made team help...

Cathy Parsons is CEO of Green Globe Asia Pacific, an Australian-based tourism certification programme. She tells Christian Amodeo how the organisation facilitates sustainable travel around the world.
September 1, 2003... What is Green Globe's philosophy--what does it do? Green Globe is the global benchmarking, certification and improvement programme for sustainable travel and tourism. Based on Agenda 21 and the principles for sustainable development...

Sibusiso Vilane is a 32-year-old safari guide from Swaziland who recently became the first black African to reach the summit of Mount Everest. A week after his ascent he spoke to Christian Amodeo at the RGS-IBG headquarters about his proud achievement, before returning home to South Africa to attend a celebratory reception with Nelson Mandela.(Interview)
September 1, 2003... How long did it take you to reach the top? I took 11 hours to reach the summit and nine to descend. I reached the summit at 8am and stayed there for about half an hour. By 6.30 that evening I was back at the lower camp, which lies at around...