Geographical articles from September 2006

Geographical archives from September 2006

Controversy is in our genes.(FROM THE EDITOR)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... As an ex-scientist, I have some pretty strong opinions on the issue of biotechnology and have been very disappointed with the way that the 'debate' surrounding it has been handled in the UK, as well as back home in my native Australia. Regular...

Historic shift from country to city.(Worldwatch)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Next year will see the world's urban population overtake that of rural areas for the first time in human history, according to a UN report. Globally, urban slums are growing at a rate of 100,000 people per day and their total population...

An 'extinct' giant capricorn beetle endowed with ten-centimetre-long antennae has been discovered in a carpenter's workshop in Llanelli, south Wales.(Worldwatch)
September 1, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: An 'extinct' giant capricorn beetle endowed with ten-centimetre-long antennae has been discovered in a carpenter's workshop in Llanelli, south Wales. The beetle--the largest long-horned beetle in Europe--was...

Seven people died and hundreds of thousands were evacuated from the US states of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey at the end of June.(USA)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Seven people died and hundreds of thousands were evacuated from the US states of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey at the end of June after torrential rain caused extensive flooding.

Two German tourists were burnt when they unwittingly picked up pieces of phosphorous from a beach close to the port of Liepaja in southwestern Latvia.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Two German tourists were burnt when they unwittingly picked up pieces of phosphorous from a beach close to the port of Liepaja in southwestern Latvia. The highly flammable phosphorous was released into the Baltic after a Soviet bomb was...

On 3 July, heavy monsoon rains triggered a landslide in a village in northwestern Pakistan.(PAKISTAN)
September 1, 2006... On 3 July, heavy monsoon rains triggered a landslide in a village in northwestern Pakistan that left 12 dead and ten missing.

Want to raise the profile of geography and give it the respect and presence within the media that it deserves?(UK)
September 1, 2006... Want to raise the profile of geography and give it the respect and presence within the media that it deserves? Then join hundreds of others, including the staff at Geographical, and sign up to the Give Geography its Place campaign at...

France has signed an historic 'debt-for-nature' agreement with Cameroon that will result in debt relief totalling US$25million.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... France has signed an historic 'debt-for-nature' agreement with Cameroon that will result in debt relief totalling US$25million being invested in the protection of Cameroon's tropical forests over a five-year period.

Denmark's environment minister has announced plans to set up seven automated measuring stations.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Denmark's environment minister has announced plans to set up seven automated measuring stations on the Greenland ice cap by 2010 in order to record the speed at which the ice is thinning. It will be the first time that monitoring devices have...

China develops links with Africa.(Worldwatch)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... China is increasingly looking to Africa as a source of raw materials and energy to fuel its rapidly growing economy. The world's most populous nation has recently brokered deals with the governments of Gabon and Zimbabwe, that should bring...

Personal offerings to the spirits made by Tibetan pilgrims litter the sacred slopes of Mount Kawa Karpo, Yunnan Province, China, one of the most sacred mountains in Tibet.(Worldwatch)
September 1, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Personal offerings to the spirits made by Tibetan pilgrims litter the sacred slopes of Mount Kawa Karpo, Yunnan Province, China, one of the most sacred mountains in Tibet. Pilgrims come from all over Tibet...

Highest number of asylum applications in industrialised countries.(Worldwatch)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
September 1, 2006... Highest number of asylum applications in industrialised countries ('000, 2003) TOP 10 1 UK 61.1 2 USA 60.7 3 France 51.4 4 Germany 50.5 5 Austria 32.4 6 ...

Basic geography lost on Brits.(Worldwatch)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... According to research by UK motoring organisation Green Flag, thousands of British motorists lack even a basic knowledge of the nation's geography. Of more than 3,000 motorists surveyed, 17 per cent couldn't name the countries that make up the...

Famous French landmark to become an island again.(Worldwatch)(Mont-Saint-Michel)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Mont Saint-Michel, off the coast of Normandy in France, has become permanently connected to the mainland due to the accumulation of silt. Admirers say this has spoiled the character of the landmark, which has a Benedictine abbey, believed to...

Protection for war-torn Afghan wilderness.(Worldwatch)(Wildlife Conservation Society )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... US NGO the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Afghan government have launched a project to protect the landscapes and biodiversity of the war-ravaged nation. Funded by the US Agency for International Development, the project aims to...

Crater lake changes colour.(Worldwatch)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... A crater lake at the summit of a basalt shield volcano on the island of Aoba in Vanuatu has undergone a startling colour change--switching from emerald green to dark red. Geologists from Vanuatu's Department of Geology and Mines believe that...

Geographical flags of the world Zimbabwe.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... DESCRIPTION: Zimbabwe's flag is made up of seven horizontal stripes of green, yellow, red and black. At the hoist side, a yellow bird is emblazoned on a red star in the centre of a white triangle. The triangle is outlined by a black border. ...

Japan's shrinking, ageing population causing concern.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Japan recently overtook Italy as the country with the greatest proportion of elderly people, according to preliminary figures from the country's 2005 census. Nearly a quarter of Japan's population of 27 million is aged 65 and over, and the...

Israel cave yields new species.(Worldwatch)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Eight previously unknown species--ranging from a shrimp and a scorpion to single-celled organisms--have been discovered in a cave in an active quarry near the city of Ramla, 40 kilometres southeast of Tel Aviv. The discovery was made by...

New Orleans sinking ... in more ways than one.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... New Orleans is sinking more rapidly than was previously thought, according to a report published in the journal Nature. Some parts of the city are sinking at a rate of 2.5 centimetres per year--four or five times faster than other areas and...

50 years ago today: Geographical September 1956.(Worldwatch)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Jeremy Jefferis' Conversations on the Copperbelt was the cover story for the September 1956 Geographical. The Copperbelt, a copper mining region on the then Northern Rhodesia--Congo border, was producing more than 15 per cent of the world's...

The entire Indian Ocean region is now being monitored by a live tsunami-warning system.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The entire Indian Ocean region is now being monitored by a live tsunami-warning system. Despite this, more than 600 people were killed after the Indonesian island of Java was hit by a tsunami following an underwater earthquake on 17 July.

Chinese civil servants were forced to forego the use of cars, elevators and air-conditioning for a day in June as part of a national energy-saving campaign.(CHINA)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Chinese civil servants were forced to forego the use of cars, elevators and air-conditioning for a day in June as part of a national energy-saving campaign. According to the Chino Daily, seven million civil servants use five per cent of the...

Researchers at the University of Warwick have received a 295,000 [pounds sterling] Darwin Initiative grant to help set up a butterfly farm in Guyana.(GUYANA)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Researchers at the University of Warwick have received a 295,000 [pounds sterling] Darwin Initiative grant to help set up a butterfly farm in Guyana. The farm will help to support 5,000 people in 16 rainforest communities and contribute to the...

At least 20 people were killed and many others injured in the Nigerian capital, Lagos, after a new block of flats collapsed.(NIGERIA)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... At least 20 people were killed and many others injured in the Nigerian capital, Lagos, after a new block of flats collapsed. The state's governor is investigating who is responsible for the allegedly 'shoddy construction' of the block, which...

Hadrian's Wall has seen a 65 per cent rise in walkers between 2004 and 2005.(UK)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Hadrian's Wall has seen a 65 per cent rise in walkers between 2004 and 2005. According to new figures from the Countryside Agency, in 2005, 6,600 people walked the 135-kilometre length of the wall, and the number of day walkers reached...

Chinese media organisations could face fines of US$10,000 if they don't adhere to new government regulations before reporting emergency incidents.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Chinese media organisations could face fines of US$10,000 if they don't adhere to new government regulations before reporting emergency incidents. The move has been seen as part of an ongoing campaign by the Communist government to tighten the...

One hundred people were injured and one man died when heavy rain and hailstones.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... One hundred people were injured and one man died when heavy rain and hailstones the size of tennis balls fell near Offenburg in southwest Germany at the end of June.

New regulations for Antarctic tourism.(Worldwatch)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Restrictions on tourists are to be tightened at the most popular sites on the Antarctic Peninsula in an attempt to address concerns about the impact of increasing visitor numbers. New limits were agreed at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative...

Arctic sea level dropping.(Worldwatch)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... A team of British and Dutch scientists has revealed that the Arctic Ocean is bucking the trend of rising global sea levels and is actually falling by two millimetres a year. Their claim is based on intensive analysis of radar altimetry data...

The exhibition road experience.(In Society: a round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)
September 1, 2006... Home to the Society's headquarters, Imperial College and the Natural History Museum, among others, Exhibition Road in South Kensington is referred to as London's 'cultural quarter'. And the road's cultural credentials were made all the more...

Lecture of the month: exploring the Incas.(In Society: a round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)
September 1, 2006... December 1999 saw explorer John Pilkington embark upon his most ambitious expedition to date: a trip along the famous Royal Road, which links the major Inca cities of Quito and Cusco. The 2,735-kilometre road, which John describes as "the M1 of...

Postgrad forum.
September 1, 2006... If you're a postgraduate studying a geography course and would like to keep more up-to-date with the latest conference details, calls for papers and other relevant information, why not join the RGS-IBG Postgraduate Forum? If you're interested...

Young members question time.
September 1, 2006... Young members who wish to ]earn more about their environment and how we can respond and adapt to climate change are invited to attend a question and answer evening entitled 'Climate change and the environment: your questions answered'. A panel...

A selection of September's other Society events.(In Society: a round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Calendar)
September 1, 2006... For details, please contact the Events Office on 020 7591 3100 9 September, 2pm Guided visit around the Mendip Hills (FIELD TRIP, MENDIP) Les Davies, senior warden of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, explores how...

Linking climate and migration.(Grants news)
September 1, 2006... Natural climatic variation has been a driving force behind human migration for many thousands of years--throughout the latter part of the Quaternary period--and finding a link between the two is the prize sought by many geographers involved in...

Journey a Lifetime broadcast.(Jessica Boyd and Bill Finnegan )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Earlier this year, Jessica Boyd and Bill Finnegan were awarded the 2006 Journey of a Lifetime Award, which is run by the Society in partnership with BBC Radio 4. The journey, as reported in the March Geographical, took the pair into one of the...

Grant deadlines.
September 1, 2006... 29 September Journey of a Lifetime Award: 14,000 [pounds sterling] and a BBC Radio 4 documentary for an original and inspiring journey 29 September Innovative Geography Teaching Grants: several awards of up to 800 [pounds sterling] for...

Your headwear, I presume: Henry Morton Stanley's pith helmet.
September 1, 2006... Born John Rowlands in 1841, Henry Morton Stanley spent his childhood in a workhouse in Wales. Disenchanted with his lot in life, he left Denbigh in 1857 and made his way to Liverpool where, working as a cabin boy, he earned his passage to New...

Royal Geographical Society with IBG: advancing geography and geographical learning.(Brief article)
September 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...

Going with the grain.(RICE CYCLE)
September 1, 2006... JAPAN It's difficult to overstate the importance of rice to Japanese culture. Cultivated there for more than 2,000 years, it's the nation's staple food--the Japanese word for cooked rice, gohan also means 'meal'--and was once the basic unit of...

The road to riches the road to ruin: Brazil's decision to pay for the development of a route linking the country with Peru's Pacific ports is viewed by many as vital for the economies of both countries. But those who live along the route fear that, while it will bring prosperity for some, the road will also bring social and environmental problems for others.
September 1, 2006... Abraham Cardozo's arm sweeps over the cut planks: mahogany, shihuahuaco and tropical cedar stacked in neat piles. In places, the wood reaches higher than our heads. A young woman checks the inventory; another half dozen are busy at their...

The devil's advocates.(tasmanian devil)
September 1, 2006... Beelzebub's pup, the diabolical bear, satanic meat-lover. Dogged by a series of spine-chilling names, the Tasmanian devil has long had a woeful public image. But when news came to light that the species was facing extinction from a mysterious...

Blood feud: attempts to use gene technology to trace the migration patterns of early humans have pitted scientists against indigenous peoples and the groups who represent them. Can a way be found through this ethical minefield, or will the scientists be forced to abandon their research?
September 1, 2006... Phoenix, Arizona, is becoming one of the USA's hottest tourist cities: with more than 300 days of sunshine a year and great opportunities for shopping and fine dining, and for exploring the surrounding region's unique natural and cultural...

White death: last winter, avalanches claimed a record number of lives in the French Alps. Is global warming to blame, or is it simply that more skiers and snowboarders are venturing away from the safety of the pistes? Charlotte Davies talks to those working to understand this mysterious force of nature.
September 1, 2006... "Yeeeeehaaaah!" As snowboards and skis carve curving swathes through the light, virgin snow, delighted cries fill the air. Floating on a frozen featherbed, the powder junkies grin with glee as they feed their addiction. Then, in the...

The end of the roam? Under a banner of modernisation and conservation, China is quietly moving Tibet's nomadic peoples from their land. Poorly educated, unskilled and ruthlessly exploited by corrupt officials, many are now struggling to survive.(TIBET'S NOMADS)
September 1, 2006... Cheola and her three children live in a brothel. The derelict three-storey building in central Ganzi, eastern Tibet, is also used as a toilet; human faeces cover the staircase and abandoned rooms, and rats scuttle about in the darkened corners....

On Namibia's conservation trail: with its national parks packed with 'Big Five' game and its impressive sand dunes, Namibia is a classic adventure-safari destination. But for all the gloss of the travel brochures, there are some serious wildlife conservation issue at stake.(NAMIBIA)
September 1, 2006... "Welcome to Namibia," shouts Wayne, one of the AfriCat Foundation guides sent to meet me at Windhoek's airport. As we drive through torrential rain he bellows over his shoulder: "It's not normally like this." It's a phrase I will come to hear...

First steps of the freed.(black slave population)
September 1, 2006... During the mid-19th century, one third of the population of the southern states of the USA was black, with the majority still classed as slaves. Then, following the Civil War and the 1865 ratification of the 13th amendment to the US...

How slavery built a nation.(Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World by David Brion Davis Oxford University Press, hb, pp440, 17.99 [pounds sterling] "From the hour of their birth, some are marked out for subjection, others for rule." That...

Face of Exploration, Encounters with 50 Extraordinary Pioneers.(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... Face of Exploration, Encounters with 50 Extraordinary Pioneers By Joanna Vestey and Justin Marozzi Andre Deutsch, hb, pp412, 20 [pounds sterling] To flick through the pages of Faces of Exploration; Encounters L-with 50 Extraordinary...

Pushing the planet to its limits.(The Last Generation: How Nature Will Take Her Revenge for Climate Change)(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... The Last Generation: How Nature Will Take Her Revenge for Climate Change by Fred Pearce Eden Project Books, hb, pp352, 12.99 [pounds sterling] There's a lot of revenge around at the moment. James Lovelock's latest book was...

Half Gone: Oil, Gas, Hot Air and the Global Energy Crisis.(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... Half Gone: Oil, Gas, Hot Air and the Global Energy Crisis by Jeremy Leggett Portobello. pb. pp320. 8.99 [pounds sterling] It isn't often you find a book about the oil industry and climate change with this kind of detail, but...

The Meaning of the 21st Century: A Vital Blueprint for Ensuring Our Future.(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... The Meaning of the 21st Century: A Vital Blueprint for Ensuring Our Future by James Martin Eden Project Books, hb, pp410, 20 [pounds sterling] It's difficult to warm to a book whose subtitle declares it 'vital'; but this one has...

Top 10 writer's reads.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... 1. Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth by James Lovelock (OUP, 7.99 [pounds sterling]) For me, this was the first book that made sense of our planet 2. The Quiet American by Graham Greene (Vintage, 5.99 [pounds sterling]) A novel...

Portrait of an Oscar Wilde-ish monster.(Mao: The Untold Story)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... Mao: The Untold Story by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday Vintage, pb, pp832, 15 [pounds sterling] "Bad history and worse biography," is how two British scholars of Chinese history have described Mao: The Unknown Story, a biography of the...

Nabeel's Song.(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... Nabeel's Song by Jo Tatchell Sceptre, hb, pp400, 14.99 [pounds sterling] It's April 2003, and in an Iraqi run coffee shop in West London, Nabeel Yasin sits close to the TV screen watching with disbelief as a huge statue of Saddam...

Sibling rivalry writ large on the shores of the Mediterranean.(Sea of Faith: Islam and Christianity in the Medieval Mediterranean World)(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... Sea of Faith: Islam and Christianity in the Medieval Mediterranean World by Stephen O'Shea Profile Books, hb, pp412, 20 [pounds sterling] Taking as his starting points the eighth-century mosque in Cordoba--which, during the 11th...

Geographical classic #34.(Persian Pictures: A Book of Travel)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... Persian Pictures: A Book of Travel by Gertrude Bell. First published, 1894. Most recent edition published by Anthem Travel Classics, pb, pp192, 9.99 [pounds sterling] Gertrude Bell is a leading light among the so called Orientalists....

A rich and heady cultural mix.(Lucknow: City of Illusion )(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... Lucknow: City of Illusion edited by Ebrahim Alkazi Prestel, hb, pp295, 50 [pounds sterling] The Indian city of Lucknow, situated 500 kilometres southeast of Delhi, is the state capital of Uttar Pradesh. It's perhaps best known as the site...

England in Particular.(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... England in Particular by Sue Clifford and Angela King Hodder & Stoughton, hb, pp512, 30 [pounds sterling] Described as "a celebration of the commonplace, the local, the vernacular and the distinctive", England in Particular is a strange...

The Ambassadors: From Ancient Greece to the Nation State.(Brief article)(Book review)
September 1, 2006... The Ambassadors: From Ancient Greece to the Nation State by Jonathan Wright Harper Press, hb, pp336, 20 [pounds sterling] "What follows is a sketch," Jonathan Wright begins modestly, but in reality, this entertaining book overflows with...

Adventure packed: planning on adding a bit more adventure to your holidays? Then get some kit tips from our equipment editor, Paul Deegan.(Cover story)
September 1, 2006... My first dedicated adventure-travel experience came relatively late in life. Until six years ago, most of my ventures abroad revolved around expeditions and long range treks. The travelling bit consisted of driving from the airport to the...

Ten of the best.(ESSENTIAL GEAR)
September 1, 2006... Keep the adventure part of your next adventure holiday at acceptable levels by kitting yourself out with some of the great gear we've selected from the bewildering array on offer [1] Top-loading hybrid Macpac Zambes 175 [pounds...

Climbing and mountain medicine.
September 1, 2006... Dr David Hillebrandt, the British Mountaineering Council's honorary medical officer, has organised a one-day conference on mountain medicine. The meeting will take place on 30 September at the National Centre for Mountain Activities,...

Come diving.
September 1, 2006... The British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) is offering people the chance to try scuba diving at any BSAC branch for just 10 [pounds sterling] during this year's Try Dive Week, which commences on 25 September. Led by qualified instructors, the sessions...

New extreme-sports centre planned.(David Taylor Partnerships )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... David Taylor Partnerships is planning to open an extreme-sports centre in Rotherham in 2009. Hailed as a world first, the 60million [pounds sterling] Venture Xtreme complex will contain climbing and ice walls, white-water rafting and canoeing...

Power to the pedallers.(OUT AND ABOUT)
September 1, 2006... The latest Buy Green by Mail catalogue from the Centre for Alternative Technology contains a whole host of unusual and quirky equipment and books designed to help you reduce your impact on the environment. However, the product that caught...

Ten Highlander picnic packs to give away.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... UK outdoor specialist Highlander has just launched a new range of picnic PACKS for the summer. All of the packs contain Plates, mugs, cutlery and napkins, held neat y in individual internal pockets. There are seven styles from which to choose....

Outdoor clothing with a green twist.(Malden Mills Industries)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Malden Mills Industries, the company behind breathable Polartec fabrics, has developed a fabric made from recycled polyester. The new Polartec Power Dry fabric is made from 50 per cent recycled polyester fibres and the whole lot is completely...

Skin conditions: medical advice from Jason Gibbs, head pharmacist at Nomad Travel stores and health clinics.
September 1, 2006... There are many different skin conditions that can manifest while travelling, each with their own modes of transmission, from the bite of an infected mosquito through to sexual contact or poor personal hygiene. Fungal infections: This covers...

Explorer's essentials: Rune Gjeldnes, Norwegian polar adventurer.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... 1. Rolex Explorer II wristwatch. I've worn this across the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica and I love it--it's a personal thing. * www.rolex.com 2. Bergans Antarctica jacket and pants. Made from Dermizax waterproof, breathable fabric and...

The Geographical Good Guide Guide: helping you choose that vitally important, but often rather confusing, item of kit: the guidebook.(OUT AND ABOUT)(Economist.com City Guides)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Economist.com city guides What are they like? In 2001, the correspondents on the Economist decided to write a series of free online guides to the cities from which they were reporting. Twenty seven cities are currently covered--the...

Here comes the sun: sunrises and sunsets are photographic staples, so it's important to get your shots just right. This month, Keith Wilson tells you how.(Geophoto)
September 1, 2006... We're taught from an early age that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Of course, this is more generalisation than absolute fact--the actual direction will depend upon where you are in the world and the time of year. In...

Jewel in the crown.(MAILBAG)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... I applaud the RGS-IBG for its determined efforts to make itself more accessible to the public both online and at 1 Kensington Gore. It was, however, with a degree of concern that I read (In Society, July) that the Society is shifting the focus...

The other side of the GM debate.(MAILBAG)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... In the interests of balance, perhaps you could publish some of what I have to say about the Dossier in the July Geographical. The reason that I and many others are against biotechnology is that the research is in the hands of the very companies...

Portraits of injustice.(LETTER OF THE MONTH)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... The August cover story on the witch camp in Ghana (The witches of Gambaga) was both fascinating and heartbreaking. The wonderful portraits of the women who live in the camp lent the piece an almost unbearable poignancy, as did their stoic...

Natalie Hoare in conversation with ... Dipal Barua.(Grameen Shakti)(Interview)
September 1, 2006... Dipal Barua is the managing director of Grameen Shakti, an NGO that has helped to bring sustainable energy to Bangladesh's rural communities through micro financing. Already, 90,000 'solar home systems' have been installed, bringing electricity...