World agrees hard-fought nature funding plan at UN talks

ROME - Nations cheered a last-gasp deal to map out funding to protect nature, breaking a deadlock at UN talks seen as a test for international cooperation in the face of geopolitical tensions.

Rich and developing countries hammered out a delicate compromise on raising and delivering the billions of dollars needed to protect species, overcoming stark divisions that had scuttled their previous meeting in Cali, Colombia, last year.

Delegates stood and clapped in an emotionally charged final meeting that saw key decisions adopted in the final minutes of the last day of rebooted negotiations at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters in Rome.

COP16 President Susana Muhamad of Colombia hailed the fact that countries worked together for a breakthrough, enabling progress "in this very fragmented and conflicted world".

"This is something very beautiful because it's around protecting life that we have come together, and there cannot be anything higher than that," she added.

AFP/File | CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN

The decision comes more than two years after a landmark deal to halt the rampant destruction of nature this decade and protect the ecosystems and wildlife that humans rely on for food, climate regulation, and economic prosperity.

Scientists have warned that action is urgent.

A million species are threatened with extinction, while unsustainable farming and consumption destroys forests, depletes soils and spreads plastic pollution to even the most remote areas of the planet.

- 'Hope' -

The agreement on Thursday is seen as crucial to giving impetus to the 2022 deal, which saw countries agree to protect 30 percent of the world's land and seas.

Talks were also seen as a bellwether for international cooperation.

The meeting comes as countries face a range of challenges, from trade disputes and debt worries to the slashing of overseas aid -- particularly by new US President Donald Trump.

Washington, which has not signed up to the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity, sent no representatives to the meeting.

"Our efforts show that multilateralism can present hope at a time of geopolitical uncertainty," said Steven Guilbeault, Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

AFP | Alberto PIZZOLI

Ousseynou Kasse of Senegal, speaking on behalf of the Africa Group, also threw support behind global cooperation.

"We believe that this is the way that can save the world, and we must continue down this path," he said.

Countries must be "accountable to our children, to the generations to come", he added, saying he was thinking of what he would tell his own son when he returns home.

"I will give him good news that we have a compromise, we have a deal."

The failure to finalise an agreement in Cali was the first in a string of disappointing outcomes at environmental summits last year.

A climate finance deal at COP29 in Azerbaijan in November was slammed by developing countries, while separate negotiations about desertification and plastic pollution stalled in December.

Muhamad, who has resigned as Colombia's environment minister but stayed on to serve until after the Rome conference, was given a standing ovation as the talks drew to a close in the early hours of Friday.

- 'Key milestone' -

Countries have already agreed a goal to deliver $200-billion a year in finance for nature by 2030, including $30-billion a year from wealthier countries to poorer ones.

The total for 2022 was about $15-billion, according to the OECD.

AFP | Daniel Beloumou Olomo

The main debate in Cali and later Rome was over developing countries' calls for the creation of a specific biodiversity fund, which has seen pushback from the EU and other wealthy nations, who have argued against multiple funds.

Thursday saw intense closed-door talks based on a "compromise attempt" text that Brazil put forward on behalf of the BRICS country bloc that includes Russia, China and India.

The agreement reached in Rome leaves it to the 2028 COP to decide whether to set up a specific new fund under the UN biodiversity process, or to name a potentially reformed existing fund to play that role.

Georgina Chandler, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Zoological Society of London, said the finance roadmap was a "key milestone", but stressed that money is needed urgently.

Other decisions sought to bolster monitoring to ensure countries are held accountable for their progress towards meeting biodiversity targets.

One achievement in Cali was the creation of a new fund to share profits from digitally sequenced genetic data from plants and animals with the communities they come from.

The fund, officially launched on Tuesday, is designed for large firms to contribute a portion of their income from developing things like medicine and cosmetics using this data.

Delegates in Cali also approved the creation of a permanent body to represent the interests of Indigenous people.by Kelly Macnamara World agrees hard-fought nature funding plan at UN talks

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Nepal hikes Everest climbing fee by a third

Nepal has hiked the cost of an Everest climbing permit by a third, arguing it will help tackle pollution and boost safety on the world's highest mountain, the tourism chief said Tuesday.

Fees for the peak spring climbing season will rise from $11,000 to $15,000 for a permit to scale the 8,849-metre peak, Narayan Prasad Regmi, director general of the tourism department, told AFP.

"The cost had remained constant for a decade and it was high time to revise that," he said.

Costs of climbing at less popular -- and more demanding -- times of year such as during winter or the monsoon rains have also risen at similar rates, including from $5,500 to $7,500 during the autumn season.

Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 peaks over 8,000 metres and welcomes thousands of climbers each year.

Foreign climbers already spend tens of thousands of dollars in their attempt to climb Everest, with more than 400 purchasing permits last year, bringing in around $4 million to government coffers.

The funds are put towards cleaning trash from the mountain left by climbers as well as search and rescue operations.

Mountaineering expedition companies hoped the price hike would not deter climbers, warning some might look to scale Everest through China.

"Some climbers might shift to Tibet where the facilities are much better," said Mingma G Sherpa, who runs the Imagine Nepal mountaineering company, saying the fee must be spent on improving conditions.

"Our government just increases the royalty, but doesn't do much," he said.

"It needs to also provide support to the climbers and guides."

Nepal has been criticised for allowing too many climbers on Everest while doing little to keep the peak clean.

Last year, the Nepal government ordered Everest mountaineers to carry mandatory trackers and carry bags to remove their excrement.

The fee increase was approved by the government in January, but was only published in the national gazette late Monday Nepal hikes Everest climbing fee by a third

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Incredible ‘Walking Tree’ is Named New Zealand’s 2024 Tree of the Year

A lone tree that looks like it’s out for a stroll has been crowned the 2024 Tree of the Year in New Zealand.

This extraordinary Metrosideros robusta, nicknamed The Walking Tree, ‘walked away’ with the award bestowed by the New Zealand Arboricultural Association.

Located near a cemetery in South Island, its quirky leg-style trunks immediately conjure Tolkien’s sentient walking Ents in the fantasy trilogy Lord of the Rings.

“The Walking Tree was nominated by Bryan Bell, who highlighted its remarkable form and captivating presence,” said the Association in a statement. “With its twin trunks stretched as if in mid-stride—and seemingly wearing high heels—this tree is a striking natural wonder.”

The majestic tree, from the species also known as northern rātā, is already registered on The New Zealand Tree Registry, and was the clear favorite here, running off with 42% of the total votes from among six finalists.

Addressing the tree’s age, the Association says, “It remains a mystery just how long this windswept walker has been strutting its stuff north of Karamea.”

The northern rātā, which can live for up to 1,000 years, is one of New Zealand’s tallest flowering trees. It begins as a plant-like epiphyte growing high in the forest canopy upon another host tree. Over time, its roots reach the ground, and it eventually envelops the original tree.

The northern rātā (Metrosideros robusta), nicknamed The Walking Tree, near the Karamea Cemetery in South Island, New Zealand – SWNS / NZ Arb Tree of the Year

The third annual Tree of the Year campaign is meant to recognize and celebrate the significant role that trees play within our communities—not only enhancing our local environments but also “providing a sense of place for past, present, and future generations”.

“The Walking Tree is a prime example of the remarkable trees that we, as New Zealanders, are fortunate to experience,” said the association’s president Richie Hill.“It is a must-see destination, highlighting the uniqueness and diversity that exists within New Zealand’s notable tree population.”Incredible ‘Walking Tree’ is Named New Zealand’s 2024 Tree of the Year

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Nepal’s Purnima Shrestha becomes first woman in world to climb Mount Everest thrice in 13 days

Purnima Shrestha, a 32-year-old mountaineer from Gorkha, Nepal, and a photojournalist by profession has made history as the first woman in the world to climb Mount Everest three times in the same season, all in just 13 days.

Her exceptional triple ascent beats the previous record of any woman summiteer to climb Everest thrice in a single season. She has climbed Everest four times, with a prior summit in 2018. Nepal’s Purnima Shrestha becomes first woman in world to climb Mount Everest thrice in 13 days

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How climbing Mount Everest went from heroic feat to business proposition

Book jacket: Everest, Inc.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World By Will Cockrell, Gallery. 331 pp. $29.99. PHOTO: MUST CREDIT: Gallery

It’s hard to imagine how monumental Britain’s successful summit of Mount Everest was in 1953. Fourteen previous attempts – three major British ones alone between 1921 and 1924 – had failed to conquer the 29,035-foot-high peak. Expeditions were military in scale, requiring huge teams and tons of supplies. They were also intimately bound up with entrenched ideas of class. George Finch, one of the strongest mountaineers in the nation and a pioneer in the use of supplemental oxygen, who had made it to around 27,000 feet in 1922, was blocked from being part of the 1924 expedition because of his pedigree, or lack thereof. In 1924, two of the nation’s best climbers, Sandy Irvine and George Mallory, vanished on the mountain. The victorious effort in 1953 was led by a military officer born in the British Raj. When the news broke in London just in time for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, it was broadcast over speakers along the queen’s parade route. This was a triumph of imperial ambition, the kind of feat that only a Western empire could produce.

Or so it seemed then. “Everest, Inc.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World,” by Will Cockrell, tells the story of how those impossible and deadly heights have now been summitted, according to one recent count, 11,966 times by 6,664 people. The vast majority of them are clients who pay upward of six figures for the privilege of being led up the mountain clutching prefixed rope handrails, breathing bottled oxygen cached by others, after several weeks of living in a sprawling base camp city of thousands in carpeted, heated and well-fed luxury. Some particularly high-end clients start acclimatizing weeks early in plastic bubbles delivered to their homes. Recent summiteers have included blind people, two 13-year-olds, septuagenarians and even double amputees.

Making Everest as easily purchased as a Caribbean cruise did not happen immediately. For years after 1953, the mountain remained a singular test of alpine skill and endurance. Jim Whittaker became the first American to summit in 1963; Reinhold Messner the first to summit without supplemental oxygen in 1978. In the early 1980s, two events coincided. Lou Whittaker, Jim’s twin brother, himself an elite climber and owner of a guiding service, decided to attempt Everest via a first ascent of the North Wall, a new and difficult route. And a rich, middle-aged Texan named Dick Bass, creator of Snowbird Ski Resort, hatched an idea to climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents. Whittaker needed $180,000to fund his expedition, and Bass agreed to pay for the entire thing – if he got to tag along. “It was the unlikeliest of alliances,” Cockrell writes. “No mountain guide had ever brought someone to Everest before, bearing explicit responsibility for that person’s success and safety.”

Bass reached the summit on his third try, in 1985 at the age of 55, thanks in large part to all the money he’d thrown at the endeavor. “The legend of Dick Bass was born not in the moment when he staggered into Everest base camp safely,” Cockrell writes. “It was when the man they called Large Mouth Bass began telling stories [and] the whole idea of climbing Everest began to change in the public eye.” There was no unseeing it: This staggeringly difficult athletic feat that money could not buy was a commodity after all.

“Everest, Inc.” is an apt title, because the story it tells is ultimately a business one – how Western climbing guides turned Everest from a feat of will and ability into one of logistics. Technology made oxygen lighter and more reliable, with much higher flow rates, and the mountain’s fickle weather more predictable. Posher camps enabled weaker climbers more rest. Sherpas, formerly used as high-altitude beasts of burden, became skilled alpinists; one named Kami Rita Sherpa has summited the peak 29 times. Everest was thus decoded: In 1993 alone, more climbers reached the top in one season than in the 26 years after the first ascent.

Of course, death lurked. When Bass met Whittaker, more people had died trying to summit than had made it. To a certain kind of person, it turns out, there’s no headier allure. The eight who perished during the 1996 season, an event exhaustively covered by the kind of magazines Cockrell has long written for – among them, Outside and Men’s Journal – and then in Jon Krakauer’s “Into Thin Air,” only amped the climb’s popularity. “To the potential clients, the possibility of death was an opportunity for rebirth,” Cockrell writes. “All our trips filled up after [the 1996 deaths],” a guide told him. “I felt like I could sell a penny-size Everest rock for fifteen grand.”

Is all of this Everest access a good thing? As the author of a book about the guides and the guiding industry that brought this change, Cockrell doesn’t have much choice in answering; for him it’s a hard yes. It’s still the world’s highest mountain, after all, with all that entails – danger, effort, a profound experience (no matter how reduced) that takes weeks, a killer view. Why shouldn’t anyone get to experience that? But it’s hard not to look at those pictures of clients stacked on the side of the mountain in long lines, clutching their handrails, and not think: Gross. That something fundamental to exploration and adventure and the human experience of it has been lost, is lost; that the thing they’ve purchased is a thing so vastly different from its very idea as to render it meaningless.

“Everest, Inc.” feels too rah-rah in support of the industry, sometimes, and it would have been a better book if Cockrell had slowed down and plumbed those philosophical questions more deeply. There are also too many names – I counted 39 on one page alone – and it’s odd that he never delves into the dramatic expansion of helicopters that abets both rescues and logistics. Yet there is also a much more recent part of the Everest story that is important and powerful: the gradual awakening of Sherpas to their role and skills – and long exploitation – on the mountain. In a history inextricably woven with colonialism and empire, Everest has finally become a largely Nepalese business. The five biggest companies operating on the mountain are now owned, staffed and guided by Nepalese. If someone is going to make a buck out of selling the once-revered icon, it might as well be the locals.

– – –Carl Hoffman is the author of five books, including “Liar’s Circus,” “The Last Wild Men of Borneo” and “Savage Harvest. How climbing Mount Everest went from heroic feat to business proposition

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7.8 magnitude earthquake jolts Alaska, tsunami alert issued

A strong earthquake of 7.8 magnitudes has shaken the northwestern US state of Alaska, according to US Geological Survey (USG) Associated Press (AP) reported.

According to the USG, the quake of a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale, has struck about 500 miles southwest of the city of Anchorage and 80 miles southeast of Perryville on Wednesday.

Alaska authorities have issued a tsunami alert about 200 miles from its epicenter due to the magnitude of the quake. However, no damage has been reported so far in the quake.

DailyBangladesh/PR Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/

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Altai Mountains could be sitting on gold bonanza

Ironically the word Altai means 'golden' in the local language. Picture: file image, The Siberian Times

By Svetlana Skarbo: Geologists say as much as 44.8 billion roubles-worth has been found in valley to the north of famous range. The Altai Mountains could be sitting on a vast gold mine – quite literally. Geologists have discovered a large deposit of the precious metal to the north of the range, with estimates it could be worth as much as $850million (44.8billion roubles). It is thought there could be up to 22.2 tonnes in the valley of the Anuy River in Ust-Kansk. The announcement was made by Gorny-Altai Expedition, a subsidiary of Rosgeologiya. Ironically the word Altai means 'golden' in the local language, and the Golden Mountains of Altai is the name given to the area on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Copper, silver and lead have been found in the foothills of the mountains since the 18th century, but this would be the first large and suitable deposit of gold. Geologists have now completed their field and laboratory work and compiled a final report. The deposit was recommended for inclusion in the list of subsoil plots, but it is not clear yet which company will be engaged in gold mining there. The announcement comes just weeks after Russia’s main gold producer signed a deal with a major Chinese company to explore large deposits in the Far East. The agreement between Polyus Gold and the China National Gold Group Corporation (CNG) will see the two working together at Natalka on Kolyma, in the Magadan region. When it is operational Natalka mine will become one of the largest mines in the world, with production of gold expected to top about 15 tonnes per year. Source: Article

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'Hudhud'cyclone is very severe, but not a 'super cyclone'

The notorious cyclone 'Hudhud' has turned very ugly face and due to this, lakhs of people have been evacuated from the cost of Odisha and Andhra Cyclone Hudhud is expected to make a landfall near Visakhapatnam coast. It is noted that thousands of people have already been shifted from Andhra Pradesh districts of Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari. Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to chair a high-level meeting evening to review the preparedness of both the states. Minister reviews the preparedness of the central forces to meet any eventuality in the wake of cyclonic storm. Meanwhile Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Space and Atomic Energy, here today, described the 'Hudhud' cyclone on the east coast as 'very severe' in scientific terms, but certainly not a 'super cyclone'. The Minister said that the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) attached with Ministry of Earth Sciences under him is doing minute to minute monitoring and appealed to people not to get unduly alarmist because the concerned departments are already geared up for any eventuality and the IMD officials including its Director General are maintaining a direct regular contact with the administrations of the affected States including the Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Dr. Jitendra Singh said that 'Hudhud' is expected to intensify and peak to around 185 kms by tomorrow afternoon. This information is promptly conveyed to the concerned States, following which over 24000 people have been shifted out from Visakhapatnam district alone, he added. 'Source: Article

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PM starts ice bucket chain to clean India

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Modi ropes in celebs to drive Swachh Bharat mission: Prime minister Narendra Modi used Gandhi’s birthday on Thursday to launch his pet and ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or clean India mission in an effort to modernise sanitation in the country within the next five years. In trying to popularise the concept, the prime minister kicked off a nationwide challenge on social media on the lines of the ALS ice bucket, and roped in some of the country’s top celebrities to spread the message as far as possible. On a day when senior-most officials around the country wielded the broom to set examples of cleanliness, the prime minister himself started the day by trying to change attitudes, taking a broom and sweeping up rubbish in a Delhi neighbourhood occupied by members of the low-caste Valmikis, whose lot in life is traditionally ‘manual scavenging’, an euphemism for clearing other people's faeces. "Often we assume the job of cleaning up belongs to safai karmacharis and don't bother to clean," Modi said referring to cleaners. “Don’t we all of have a duty to clean the country?” the prime minister asked. To drive home his point, he ordered government workers including his ministers came to work on Thursday to sweep offices and clean toilets. The country’s fast-growing towns and cities are littered with rubbish. Most rivers and lakes are polluted with sewage and industrial effluents. In an effort to catch popular imagination, Modi roped in nine celebrities including cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, industrialist Anil Ambani and several actors to spread awareness on cleanliness and make 'Swachh Bharat' a people's movement. Apparently inspired by the 'Ice Bucket challenge' that has gone viral recently, internet-savvy Modi asked these eminent people to nominate nine more people to join the campaign and hoped the chain would continue to expand, making the movement truly mass based. Among others nominated by Modi are actors Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Kamal Hassan, Goa governor Mridula Sinha, yoga guru Ramdev and the team of TV serial “Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma”. Most of who were invited gladly — and humbly — acceded to the prime minister’s request. Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani said he is dedicating himself to the movement. “I am honoured to be invited by our respected prime minister Narendrabhai Modi to join the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. I dedicate myself to this movement and will invite nine other leading Indians to join me in the “Clean India” campaign,” Ambani said in a statement. Other invitees too accepted expressing happiness. “I humbly accept the challenge...,” tweeted Tendulkar. Actor Priyanka Chopra also took to Twitter to accept Modi's invitation. “I humbly accept respected prime minster Narendra Modiji's challenge. This is an idea that is long overdue,” the actress tweeted. Goa governor Sinha said she was happy to be chosen as a campaigner for 'Swachh Bharat' and has already started work by inviting voluntary organisations and officers. Prime minister Modi administered a pledge to thousands of people, including school children and government employees at Rajpath on Thursday morning for remaining committed to cleanliness to make the country clean. “I will remain committed towards cleanliness and devote time for this...I will neither litter nor let others litter,” pledged all those present at a function to mark the launch of Swachh Bharat (Clean India) mission at India Gate by the prime minister. Actor Aamir Khan also joined Modi in taking the pledge along with Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Venkaiah Naidu. “I have invited nine people and asked them to come to public places and work towards a Clean India. I ask them to invite nine more people too... I am sure these nine people will do the work and each will invite nine more people to form a chain and clean the country,” Modi said. The original ice bucket challenge where such a chain was created was designed to raise funds for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — also known as Lou Gehrig's disease and motor neurone disease, and grew as a global viral phenomenon. Modi also announced starting of a campaign on cleanliness through social media using his website MyGov.in and other websites, including MyCleanIndia, a new portal dedicated to the clean India campaign. He later joined the children in the walkathon after flagging it off at Rajpath. The walkathon is part of steps for creating awareness on cleanliness. Later, Priyanka Chopra also came up with a series of tweets on the challenge that lay before her. “There is no time like the present to begin the journey towards change. Recognise that we R doing this for ourselves. If we don’t get involved and support this campaign, nothing can happen. But if we come together we can make a difference. Every action we take will be important.I want to make the change. I want a clean India. It's time to clean up our act,” her tweets said. Yoga guru Ramdev said, “My Idea of Swachh Bharat is Clean India on roads, sanitation for all and every citizen with swachh and spiritually pious heart.” “Mahatma Gandhi dreamt of an India that was not only free but also clean and developed. Mahatma Gandhi secured freedom for Mother India. Now it is our duty to serve Mother India by keeping the country neat and clean,” said the first lines of the pledge administering by Modi to countrymen on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The pledge further takes the promise from every individual to remain committed to cleanliness and devote time for this purpose. “I will devote 100 hours per year -- that is two hours per week – to voluntary work for cleanliness. I will neither litter nor let others litter. I will initiate the quest for cleanliness with my family, my locality, my village, my work place and myself. I believe that the countries of the world that appear clean are so because their citizens don’t indulge in littering nor do they allow it to happen. With this firm belief, I will propagate the message of Swachh Bharat mission in villages and towns,” read the pledge. It also exhorts all to encourage 100 other persons to take this pledge and endeavour to make them devote their 100 hours for cleanliness. In a massive PR blitz, Modi also honoured Anant Khasbardar of Kolhapur in Maharashtra for winning the logo design contest of the “Swachh Bharat Mission” and Bhagyasri Sheth of Rajkot in Gujarat for giving the mission the tagline of kadam swachhta ki ore. Khasbardar was awarded a cash prize of Rs 50,000 while Bhagyasri got Rs 25,000, along with a commendation certificate each. Source: mydigitalfc.com

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Swedes find 'world's oldest tree'

By Hania: A tree said to be the oldest on the planet - thought to be nearly 10,000 years old - has been found in Sweden. Scientists from Umeaa University discovered the spruce on Fulu Mountain in Dalarna province while carrying out a census of tree species. The age of its genetic material was recently calculated using carbon dating at a laboratory in Miami, Florida. Scientists had believed the world's oldest trees were 4,000-year-old pine trees found in North America. The oldest,  a bristlecone pine named Methuselah located in California's White Mountains, is aged 4,768, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The new record contender, which would have taken root just after the last ice age, was found among a cluster of around 20 spruces believed to be more than 8,000 years old at an altitude of 910m (2,985ft) on Fulu Mountain. The visible portion of the spruce was comparatively new, but analysis of four "generations" of remains - cones and wood - found underneath its crown showed its root system had been growing for 9,550 years, Umeaa University said. Source: Article

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Ambassadors for the natural world

Emory alum David Mizejewski gets really wrapped up in his work.

The wildlife author and spokesman for the National Science Foundation has spent his career trying to reconnect people to the natural world. As the opening speaker for a recent National Science Teacher Association conference in Atlanta, he brought out a host of "animal ambassadors," including a Burmese python, above, and a juvenile red kangaroo, below.Kids, in particular, need to spend more time exploring the outdoors, he says. “Parents are worried about the dangers out there, but there are more risks associated with a sedentary, indoor lifestyle." Strange animal facts are his forte: for example, when your dog jumps up on you and tries to “kiss” you when you get home from work, it’s not primarily that he’s happy to see you; it’s genetically coded behavior inherited from their wolf ancestors who, as pups, would go to the den’s opening and jump up to lick regurgitated food from their parents’ mouths. Owls can’t turn their heads all the way around a la The Exorcist but they can rotate their necks as much as 270 degrees in each direction. And an American alligator’s bite can have as much force as “having a pickup truck dropped on you.” Source: eScienceCommons

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Super volcano awakening in Italy?

It looks like we may be in for an earth-shattering explosion. A dormant super volcano appears to be stirring under the Phlegraen Fields of Naples in Italy. Rising soil temperatures and surface deformation in the area have alarmed seismologists. In the distant past, volcanic super eruptions caused global climate change responsible for mass extinctions of plant and animal species.

So far, scientists are unable to model the potential consequences of an awakening super volcano. Latest studies show that the Phlegraen Fields have actually been swelling above sea level at a rate of 3 cm per month. Micro quakes and large amounts of gases accumulated in soil indicate that the volcano may be preparing to erupt, says Vladimir Kiryanov, Assistant Professor of Geology at the St. Petersburg University. "The Phlegraen Fields are a super volcano. Yellowstone in the United States and Toba in Indonesia are also super volcanoes capable of spewing more than 1,000 cubic km of magma. These are catastrophic eruptions. There was a huge volcanic eruption in the Phlegraen Fields some 30,000-40,000 years ago. Volcanic ash from that eruption is still found in the Mediterranean, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and even in Russia. We are now seeing the expansion of a magma pocket, which means that there might be an eruption at a certain time." Super eruptions of such magnitude may produce the so-called “volcanic winter” effect when sulfur gases and ash will reach the stratosphere and cover the globe with thick ash clouds that solar rays will be unable to penetrate. Condensed sulfur trioxides will react with moisture, forming sulfuric acid. Downpours of sulfuric acid will hit the Earth. Scientists have obtained new evidence of a similar cataclysm following the eruption of the Toba super volcano on island of Sumatra in Indonesia about 74,000 years ago. But today, things promise to be even more devastating. Suffice it to recall the havoc wreaked by a minor increase in volcanic activity in Iceland in 2010 on air transportation over Europe. Super eruptions occurred so rarely that it is virtually impossible to calculate the approximate time span between the first and last stages of a future potential eruption. In the 1970s, the Phlegraen Fields inflated by more than 50 cm. There were even cracks in house walls. But then the process slackened. Apparently, the fact itself that a magma chamber is being filled with magma may or may not signal any immediate eruption. Alexei Sobisevich, laboratory chief at the Institute of Volcanology and Geophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, shares his view: "It actually seems to be a long-term precursor. A magma chamber may be filled up within a span ranging from decades to centuries. Many mounts grow by 5 cm per year. This is a natural process." Some scientists hold that the volcanic system of the Earth is becoming increasingly tense and that underground cavities are full of magma threatening to burst out any moment. Whether this will be a super eruption or a string of smaller eruptions, we should prepare for the worst. Source: Voice of Russia

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IUCN Green Lists: proposed approach to recognize conservation successe

For those of you who have read this blog with any regularity, you have noticed that every once in a while I will post something that is just for fun, something on the lighter side that perhaps shows nature or the oceans at their very best. With so many weighty issues to address, every once in a while we all need a break. And when we see healthy ecosystems or species, rather than be lulled into a false sense that all is well, it is hoped that people will be encouraged that the steps being taken and the steps that need to be taken are bearing fruit. Success stories propel us to do more. That is the basic philosophy being adopted by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). This worldwide organization is well-known among conservationists for its Red Lists which list and rate threatened or endangered species and ecosystems. The Red Lists are helpful in identifying specific plants, animals and ecosystems that deserve our immediate attention. However, they are negative indicators - what's going wrong - and taken as a whole, one can conclude that the whole world is going to hell in a handbasket. The IUCN recognizes that we also need success stories and so they are preparing to launch two new programs: a Green List for species and one for managed protected areas. "The concept of a green list is that it can throw a spotlight on things that are actually working,"Trevor Sandwith, director of IUCN's Global Protected Areas program, was quoted by OurAmazingPlanet."We already have well-managed, protected areas in the world, which no one is recognizing." Several national parks or protected areas are being put forth as test cases for the Green List concept. Columbia's Parques Nacionales Naturales is one; Tayrona National Park, within the Parques area, along Columbia's Caribbean coast is another. Successfully managed ecosystems and species can serve as models for other nations to observe and follow. The Green Lists program was proposed at the IUCN's recent World Conservation Congress and the plan is to have a formal program adopted at the next congress to be held in 2016. It is frustrating that movement on this idea has to be measured so slowly, but it will require the cooperation of all the member nations of the union and that will take time to iron out the details. In the meantime, it does represent an optimistic, positive-thinking approach which many believe is needed in light of the challenges we face. "We need to show that conservation is much more than just avoidance of extinction," said Elizabeth Bennett, president of the World Conservation Society (which strongly supports the concept of Green Lists as an important companion to the equally important Red Lists. Source: RTSea Blog

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You travel all around the globe looking for the world’s most beautiful cave. . . and the best one is in Sheffield

He has dedicated his life to exploring and photographing some of the world's most remote caves.

By ANTHONY BOND: His incredible journey has taken him to countries such as Indonesia, China and Portugal. But as these pictures show, despite travelling the globe, it seems that adventure photographer Robbie Shone, 32, found the best cave in Sheffield.
 

Incredible: Robbie Shone, 32, has travelled the globe for the world's best cave but seems to have found the best one in Sheffield. This is the the Giant storm drain called Megatron beneath Sheffield City Centre

Stunning: In order to stay dry in such a cold cave, explorers improvise and use a small inflatable dingy to cross Lake Cadoux in this famous french cave The Gouffre Berger

Daredevil: Suspended 300m below the roof and over 200m off the floor, one of the team ascends the rope deep underground in Miao Keng, China

Talented: Mr Shone used his rope and abseiling skills - gained from his previous job inspecting tall buildings and bridges for structural damage - to access the caves to photograph and record details about them for the first time. This is a cave chamber in China

The giant storm drain called Megatron looks stunning when lit up and is all the more incredible because it is located directly beneath Sheffield City Centre. Mr Shone used his rope and abseiling skills - gained from his previous job inspecting tall buildings and bridges for structural damage - to access the caves to photograph and record details about them for the first time. The explorer is so committed, he even spent 13 days in a row underground - camping, sleeping and eating in a remote cave in Vietnam.

Huge: Cave explorers add scale to this massive cave passage called Deer Cave, one of the largest cave passages in the world, located in Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Borneo

Mr Shone said: 'Exploring somewhere no one else has been before, is a very, very special feeling. It pushes me on to keep finding unexplored caves. 'The more difficult caves are the vertical ones when you're suspended on a rope for a long time. Sometimes you don't even know when you're going to reach the bottom. 'You can run out of rope before you reach the cave floor, in which case you have to go back up and get a longer rope.

Beautiful: Some of the cave explorers progress downstream in Clearwater River Cave - the eighth longest cave in the world in Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Borneo

Dangerous: A cave explorer stands in the main chamber of Gaping Gill in the Yorkshire Dales as it is hit by a raging flood pulse. Minutes later, the floor of this room was completely covered with water

Brave: A cave explorer climbs up the entrance out of Cow Pot, a classic cave in the Yorkshire Dales

'The longest time I spent underground was 13 days in a cave in Vietnam. It was so remote in the middle of a forest that it didn't make sense to leave and come back. So we camped and slept in the cave. 'We slept under some skylights in the cave to try and keep our body clocks in check. 'Caves are truly fascinating places. Of course I am drawn in by the photographic challenge. 'The challenge of lighting a place up that is so dark and so black that you cannot see your hand when it is up against your face, even when it is touching your nose. 'Every bit of light required has to be carried in by hand and this can mean dragging bags and bags for days and days to the ends of the earth just for one shot. 'But when the flashbulbs crackle into life and the flashes all go off together casting a picture before your eyes of the space you are in and the image is displayed on the back of the camera. 'For only a few seconds, I smile and see the beauty of our planet.'

Dark: A cave explorer climbs out of this wet cave

Mysterious: Thin whisps of clouds slowly rise out from this cave in the French Vercors known as The Gouffre Berger

Different world: The photographs are a collection of six years work by Mr Shone from some of the most beautiful and remote caves ever discovered. This is a cave chamber in China

Amazing: Cave explorers add scale to this massive cave passage called Deer Cave in Borneo

Since a school geography trip to Peak Cavern in Castleton, Derbyshire as a 14-year-old he has been hooked on caves and has now revealed this truly incredible collection of photographs taken over a six year period. 'This a collection of six years work from some of the most beautiful and remote caves ever discovered. 'Some of these photographs will be the only record of these places that we ever see as no one will ever go back to some of these caves. 'Most of these pictures have been shot from a tripod on the floor which makes it all very safe, comfortable and easy to set-up. 'There are a couple which were shot hanging on a thin rope several hundred meters off the floor.

Hazardous: A British cave explorer climbs a rope out of the giant river cave called The Whiterock River, deep underground in Clearwater Cave

On the edge: Hanging on a thin rope, Portuguese cave biologist Sofia Reboleira makes her way up to the daylight and the entrance to one of Portugal's largest caves: Algar da Lagoa, Sico-Alvaiazere Massif

Action man: Robbie Shone is pictured at work in one of the many caves he has visited

Massive: The Sarawak Chamber is the largest cave chamber in the world

'All of these expeditions to these places were self-funded expeditions where I was selected to participate as the 'expedition photographer'. 'The most challenging expedition was in 2006 to Papua New Guinea. We stayed for three months exploring caves. 'They could be quite dangerous as they had a large amount of white water flowing through them. So care had to be taken when crossing the river because if you slipped in it would be quite dangerous.

Underground: This is a stunning cave chamber in a French cave

Luxurious: This plunge pool is a place halfway along a streamway leading to Sarawak Chamber in Borneo source: dailymail, Source: Travelfwd+

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Lighting up Europe to become a whole lot greener

The European lighting industry is currently in a stage of transition, as incandescent lamps and halogen lamps are being phased out and replaced by new technologies, claims a new report by energy experts, GBI Research. The new report states that with government efforts to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Europe, the Energy-Efficient Lighting (EEL) industry is likely to achieve sales of 2.5 billion units by 2020, having grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.5% from 2012. The EU governments finally phased out incandescent lamps this month 2012, while it is proposed that halogen lamps will become a thing of the past by September 2016. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are the most cost-effective and efficient form of lighting, and several governments have provided incentives for energy-efficient CFLs, even distributing some for free, while promoting the ban on incandescent bulbs through information and registered marks on energy labels preventing consumers from purchasing low-quality products. However, the presence of mercury in CFLs has raised health concerns, and directives to limit levels of mercury and facilitate its efficient disposal would be required to win back popularity. A shortage of phosphor is also restricting imports, and production is also likely to be negatively impacted, resulting in a price rise. High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps are gaining momentum in street lighting applications, and Light-emitting Diodes (LEDs) and Organic Light-emitting Diodes (OLEDs) are also evolving to be an extremely energy-efficient lighting option. The sales volume of these lamps is low at present, and the industry must conquer the general public’s perception of LED lamps being cold, dull, and unaffordable. Although the initial cost of LED lighting is high, the overall cost of ownership is lower than for incandescent lamps, and technological advancements along with growing consumer awareness could lead to a potential boom in the market. LED lamps are constantly becoming cheaper, and due to oversupply in the LED packaging market, this trend is anticipated to continue throughout the coming years. Consumers in Europe are gradually becoming more concerned with cost than quality, and residential, commercial and industrial sectors are becoming more likely to purchase LED lamps over CFLs and halogen lamps, due to economic reasons. Ecodesign legislation is being prepared to establish minimum performance requirements for LED lights, in order to improve light quality in the EU. The EU lighting industry has additionally initiated projects such as the Ecolighting Project, which incorporates voluntary Ecolabels that identify products or services proven to be environmentally friendly. Source:   Renewable Energy Magazine, ***

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Antarctica had semi-tropical rainforests 50 million years ago

RAINFOREST thrived in Antarctica during a period of high atmospheric carbon levels 50 million years ago, scientists have discovered. And they are warning the planet's atmosphere could have similar levels of the greenhouse gas within hundreds of years and we could end up with an ice-free Antarctica. An international team led by German scientists and involving University of Queensland Environmental Geologist Dr Kevin Welsh has found tropical palms grew on the coast of Antarctica 52 million years ago. At that warm period in the earth's history, there was twice as much CO2 in the atmosphere as there is now and winter temperatures of 10C meant Antarctica's 4km thick ice sheet didn't exist. "It's massively different to what we think of today," Dr Welsh said. "It would be entirely ice-free and not only ice-free but warm enough that you'd have near-tropical rainforest actually growing along the margin of the continent."Soure: Sam Daily Times

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World's tallest observation wheel given the green light to be a high roller on Vegas strip

Building permit: Caesars Entertainment Corporation has been granted permission to build the wheel, which should be the tallest in the world at 550ft Caesars Entertainment Corporation, the business behind 50 casinos including Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, has announced it has permission to build the world's tallest observation wheel on the Vegas Strip. The Ferris-style wheel, dubbed the High Roller, is expected to stand 550ft tall, nine feet taller than the Singapore Flyer - the current world record holder - and 110ft taller than the London Eye, the tallest observation wheel in Europe. The High Roller is the centerpiece of a planned $550 million development, dubbed LINQ, expected to open next year between the company's Harrah's Las Vegas, Imperial Palace and Flamingo Las Vegas casinos.  Crucially, the

Spinning on the strip: The High Roller observation wheel will dominate the skyline in Las Vegas after it opens in 2013

Caesars project would also be 50ft taller than a rival wheel called SkyVue currently under construction about three miles south on Las Vegas Boulevard. That wheel is also expected to open in late 2013. Caesars project chief David Codiga said the amusement and transportation systems permit received from Clark County showed the High Roller, modelled after the London and Singapore structures, met rigorous national design, construction, maintenance, operation and safety standards. Mr Codiga said: 'We learned from those experiences and we've used a design team with the experience to adapt them to Las Vegas. This allows us to complete the project.' 

Artists impression: The rival Vegas wheel SkyVue , at 500ft, is also set to be finished in 2013 - the same year as the High Roller project

Big wheels: The Singapore Flyer, left, and the Star Of Nanchung in China, right, are the two tallest Ferris-style observation wheels in the world, at 541ft and 525ft respectively 

Northern Hemisphere record: The London Eye, at 443ft, is the largest observation wheel in Europe

County spokesman Erik Pappa confirmed that Caesars had been granted the permit. As designed, the wheel is oriented parallel to the casino-lined Strip. It would have 28 air-conditioned bubble-like cabins capable of accommodating 40 people each. At capacity, more than 1,100 people at a time would see broad panoramas of marquee-lit resorts during a 30-minute revolution. Mr Codiga said Caesars had already received interest from people wanting to combine the traditional 'Vegas wedding' with the new wheel experience.

Lofty plans: Construction of the 682ft Beijing Great Wheel, left, and, the 574ft Great Berlin Wheel, right, was due to finish in 2008 - but the Chinese project went into receivership, and the Berlin project has been postponed 

Jason Krolicki, project manager for Arup Engineering, said the structure was designed to exceed area seismic, wind and temperature extremes. Mr Codiga said a final certificate of operation won't be issued until the wheel is built, tested and commissioned. Support structures are now about 200 feet high for the rival SkyVue wheel, being built by developer Howard Bulloch and Compass Investments across the Strip from the Mandalay Bay resort, near McCarran International Airport

World's finest: The High Roller plans to take the 'world's tallest' crown from current record holder the Singapore Flyer. The Star Of Nanchung and London Eye will drop down to third and fourth respectively. It is part of a $100 million privately funded development expected to include 50,000-square-foot LED screens and convention space capable of hosting concerts, sporting events and product launches. In Vegas, there is little chance that any project is likely to run out of money. But any 'big wheel' project should learn from the Beijing Great Wheel and Great Berlin Wheel developments - both of which ran into difficulties and may now never be completed. Beijing's project was supposed to be completed in 2008 but went into receivership in 2010. The Berlin project was similarly supposed to be completed in 2008 but has been put on hold. Source: Travelfwd+

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Games for Nature: group explores video game potential to enlighten

RTSea: I never caught on big with playing video games, but if the statistics are any indication, I am well headed towards becoming a card

-carrying member of a shrinking minority. 1. 500 Million people play online games for at least an hour a day, and the number is expected to grow to 1.5 billion in the next decade. 2. People spend 3 billion hours each week playing online games. 3. By the age of 21 American children have spent 10,000 hours playing games, as much time as they have spent in class from fifth grade.So, with this much attention, time, and money spent on video games, it was inevitable that education would be drawn to the format as a viable learning tool. And that means that conservation and environmental education would not be far behind. A new website has been launched, the brainchild of conservationist Bruno Monteferri, Cambridge University (a major supporter) conservation professor Bill Adams, and Chris Sandbrook, a member of the United Nations Environmental Programme. Games for Nature (www.gamesfornature.org) acts as an information source for interested gamers, developers, and researchers. The site lists current games available and acts as a networking resource to discuss ideas and
opinions as to the viability, direction, and future of  video games for conservation purposes. It wasn't too long ago that educational video games were geared for younger children in keeping with the sophistication of the technology at the time. With the advances made since in graphics and platforms, from Playstations to iPhones, the average age of the user is now in their mid-30s. So, this provides opportunities to deliver more detailed, in-depth content that can enlighten users in direct and more subtle ways. Subtle because, after all, it's a game that is meant to be entertainment, not a college lecture. But with the amount of time being spent playing video games, it can be an important avenue for getting  conservation messages and a greater appreciation for nature integrated into the day-to-day thinking of a large segment of people Discussing a recent Cambridge-sponsored seminar and  workshop, a Games for Nature spokesperson said, "Did we conclude that they were important? Absolutely: gaming is a deadly serious industry whose business depends on the pleasure it gives its customers – but it also has a vital role to play in shaping the way decisions are made about human use of nature.”The Games for Nature website is a content-rich 
experience for anyone interested in learning either about specific games currently available or its potential as a conservation tool. The site has an extensive variety of videos, visual presentations, and reports on the subject - quite a treasure trove of information if you are interested. Games for Nature does not claim to have all the answers and nature-based video games could be a concept that could easily get bungled or squandered. However, serious conservationists need to examine every possible method by which they can connect with people. It has the potential to shape personal behavior and strengthen a constituency that could then impact the actions of policy makers.Source: Games for Nature: group explores video game potential to enlighten GamesforNature Seminar 2011 from GamesforNature on Vimeo.

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