Got The Best Idea To Remove Carbon Dioxide From Atmosphere? -Here Is Your Chance To Win $ 25 Million

Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson has offered a prize of $ 25 million for the guy who comes up with the best idea to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The winner will have to come up with an idea that will remove at least one billion tones of carbon from the atmosphere per year. Former US Vice President Al Gore was present on the occasion of the announcement in London. NASA scientist James Hanson, Gaia theory man James Lovelock, environmentalist Sir Crispin Tickell and Australian Mammologist Tim Flannery heads the panel, which will decide the winner.

Moth And Gyroscope

Scientists studying the moth Manduca Sexta, have come up with the finding that moths control their flight by tiny gyroscope like sensors in its antennae. This has helped unravel the mystery of moths’ flight in crepuscular conditions where visual clues are absent. The researchers have found that a structure called Johnston’s organ holds the clue. A spin-off from this finding could be the development of robotic flying insects. Dr Sanjay Sane of University of Washington, Seattle, headed the study. The details appear in the latest issue of Journal science. Dr Sanjay is the lead author.

President Chirac Expresses Support For The 4th IUCN World Conservation Congress And Moots A New Powerful UN Environment Organisation

At the just concluded Paris Conference for Global Ecological Governance President Chirac has expressed strong support for the 4^th IUCN World Conservation Congress. The Paris Conference for Global Ecological Governance was organized at the initiative of President Chirac. The conference brought together government ministers, scientists, company heads, NGOs and public figures from over sixty countries around the world.

President Chirac emphasized the need to create a new powerful United Nations Environment Organisation(UNEO). Mr Chirac said "We must build world environmental governance. In this area as in others, unilateralism leads nowhere. Just as multilateralism is the prerequisite for peace, it is the key to sustainable development. The United Nations Environment Programme is outstanding, and I want to pay tribute to it. But it does not have adequate powers or institutional clout. We must aim to transform it into a fully-fledged United Nations agency. This UNEO will act as the world’s ecological conscience. It will carry out impartial and scientific assessment of environmental dangers. It will have policy-making terms of reference giving it the legitimacy to implement action jointly decided. It will lend greater weight and greater cohesion to our collective endeavours."

SOS from Indonesia - Orangutans In Peril

The latest United Nations Environment Programme report does not bode well for the Orangutans. Orangutans are the only great apes outside Africa. The report says the orangutan population has dropped below twenty seven thousand and human activities have taken away up to fifty percent of the orangutan’s environment. The rate of loss has been accelerated during the course of last five years. Female orangutans are usually killed to steal their babies for sale as pets. If no action is action is taken 98% of forests on the island of Sumatra and Borneo will be gone by 2022. Smuggled timber finds it way to the West. Illegal logging is ravaging 37 of Indonesia’s 41 National Parks. Indonesian Government has made a fervent plea to the western countries to help check the menace.

Nilgiri Tahr Births On In Eravikulam National Park

This year's birth season for the highly endangered Nilgiri Tahr has started in Eravikulam National Park near Munnar,Kerala,India.The park will remain closed to visitors till March 15th to minimise disturbances.Core areas are absolutely taboo to even forest officials. Nearly half the world's wild population of Nilgiri Tahr lives in Eravikulam. The Forest and Wildlife Department of Kerala which takes great pride in protecting the animal is bestowing extra care to look after the welfare of this endangered denizen of Eravikulam

Butterflies- Bacteria's Powerful Effect On Mating

The latest issue of Current Biology has some interesting news about butterfly promiscuity. A study of the species Hypolimnas bolina, common in SE Asia revealed that bacteria Wolbachia that kill off male butterflies increases promiscuity in females. As male population fell females mated more frequently. Wolbachia bacteria is passed from mother to son and kill the emryo before it hatches.The study was headed by Dr Sylvain Charlat of the University College London.

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Global Mercury Ban Urged

A consortium of NGOs from around the globe “Zero Mercury Coalition”, has called for immediate action by governments worldwide to phase out mercury and export of the toxic metal. The case will be forcefully argued at the next week’s meeting of UNEP to be held in Nairobi. Mercury poisons the brain and is a threat to future generations. 5 years back UNEP came up with a “Global Mercury Assessment Report” but no firm action has been initiated so far. Even though use of mercury has come down in developed countries its use is shooting up alarmingly in developing countries. The environmentalist wants the governments to set firm reduction goals and put legal obligations on the companies.

UK - Saving The Red Barbed Ants

Red Barbed Ants (Formica rubibarbis) one of the rarest native species in UK, is on the decline due to habitat loss. It is now found only in one site in Surrey and a few colonies in the isle of Scilly. The ants are unique in the sense that, they form only all female colonies, or all male colonies. The one nest in Surry is producing all females only. So males have to be introduced there on a war footing if the species is to survive. Scientists will take females from the nest in Surrey, and males from colonies found on the Isles of Scilly in an effort to form breeding colonies needed to spread the species to new areas. Threat from rapidly spreading “slave maker ants” also needs to be obviated to conserve the species. Slave maker ants take away pupae, carry it to their nest and bring them up as slave ants. Scientist from Zoological Society of London(ZSL) are spearheading the whole operation.

Lights Out On February 1St

The "Alliance pour la Planète" (A national grouping of environmental
associations) has appealed to all citizens to give the planet 5 minutes respite on 1^st Of February.

DIFFERENT TIMEZONES!

GMT (+1) - i.e. Spain, France and central europe - 7.55pm

GMT - Portugal & UK - 6.55pm
GMT (-5) - Eastern USA - 1.55pm
GMT (-8) - Western USA - 10.55am
India - GMT (+5.30) India February 2, 2007 at 12:25:00 AM

The purpose is not just to save electricity for 5 minutes that day, but also to draw the attention of citizens, the media and the authorities to the waste of energy and the need to initiate action! 5 minutes respite for the planet:that's not long; it costs nothing and will show our politicians that climate change is something, which should figure, prominently in political debates.

February 1^st has been chosen because that is the day on which the latest report of the United Nations Panel of Experts is to be released in Paris. Although this event is scheduled to take place in France, we should not miss this opportunity of drawing attention to the global climatic situation.

If all of us participate our actions will have great public and political resonance, at an important moment in our life.

Please make this appeal as widely known as possible in your own circles andnetworks. Please also publish it on your websites and in your newsletters.

UK- National Survey Of Garden Birds Begin

The Big Garden Bird Watch, a national survey of garden birds, organized by RSPB in Britain is a unique event. The event was kick started in 1969 as an activity for children who are members of the Young Ornithologists Club. It caught on and became a national event in which people of all shades started participating with gusto. Thousands of enthusiastic birdwatchers across Britain will spend time in their garden this weekend taking part in this national survey to assess the visitors to home gardens. Last year 470,000 people took part and counted 8 million birds in 270,000 gardens. A severe drop in Starlings and House sparrows has been observed over the years according to RSPB. On the plus side Greenfinch and Wren have shown an increase.

Plunder Of Tuna Goes On Unabated

The plunder of Tuna has been bothering the environmentalists for some time now. Global tuna stocks are critically depleted and some species, such as blue fin tuna, used for high-end sushi and sashimi, are at high risk of collapse. It was hoped that the latest round of talks by members of the five regional management organizations in Japan, would yield some results. But the expectations have been belied. Talks regarding the concrete action to reduce fishing capacity to sustainable levels, ensuring legally caught supplies of tuna to markets did not reach any consensus. The failure will bring about further erosion in Tuna stocks and loss of livelihood for lot of fishermen across the globe. The only outcome of this much-touted conference was an agreement to meet again to resolve the issue. The recourse now is for responsible fishing industry, responsible retail sector and responsible consumers to chip in with their efforts to save the Tuna. Officialdom seems to have failed in their duty.

Indonesia Promises To Stop Illegal Coffee Growing In Sensitive Wildlife Areas

Last week WWF had alleged that coffee growers had cleared land in Bukti Barisan Sewlatan National Park and this is posing serious threat to endangered wildlife. WWf had expressed the apprehension that if the trend continues like this, elephants and tigers will disappear from the area in 10 years time. The local Government of Lampung has come out with the statement that the allegation is not entirely true. Even though the data released by WWF for the period 2004-05 is with the substance the Government has taken steps to stop this trend. Part of the forest was indeed cut down during 2004-05.The Government has promised serious action to curb malpractices in future. Government of Lampung has also issued instructions to Indonesian Coffee Exporters association to stop buying coffee suspected to be grown in encroached wildlife areas.

World’s First Artificially Inseminated Rhino Gives Birth

The World’s first Rhinoceros Conceived By Artificial Insemination has been born in Budapest zoo. The vets at Budapest zoo decided to do artificial insemination as the female rhino failed to conceive normally. The gestation period lasted 16 months and 15 days. The 58kg baby is in very healthy state and stood on its leg within an hour of being born. The baby needs to be fed artificially till the mother is ready to nurse.

Radio Frequency Identification Tags Snoops In To Wasp Behaviour

A study of wasp behaviour using radio frequency identification tags, in the tropics of Panama, by Zoological Society of London is throwing new lights on the behaviour of wasps. The target species of wasp was Polistes Canadensis. The worker wasps were observed tending nearby relative holding nests also, helping to raise the young ones. The researchers believe that this is an effort at boosting their chances of propagating the genes. Details appear in the latest issue of Current Biology

Barrow Island, Australia Needs Your Help

Barrow Island described as Australia's 'Galapagos' because of its rare and endangered species, is the second largest island in Western Australia, and is one of Australia's oldest nature reserves. It is famous for marsupials like the burrowing bettong, the golden bandicoot and many other threatened and endemic species. The Australian Government is going ahead with the development of a huge gas plant by the energy companies, Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil against the advice of its own Environmental Protection Authority. The environmentalists of Australia need help from people worldwide to stop this atrocity. Please send mails to Australian Government and energy companies, Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil requesting them to stop this suicidal project. To make things easier you can go to WWF site and sign a petition there.

Biplane Design Of Flying Dinosaurs

The latest issue of Proceedings of National Academy of Science Journal has interesting info about flying Dinos. It postulates that the flying Dinos dropped its hind legs with feathers below its body adopting a biplane configuration. This contrasts with earlier belief that the Dinos maintained their wings in a tandem pattern. The result is extensive research done on Microraptor gui fossils obtained from China. Microraptor lived 125 million years ago. The researchers are Sankar Chatterji and Jack Templin

Scientists Fascinated By Brilliant White SE Asian Insect

Incredibly white scales whiter than the enamel on human tooth and 10 times thinner than human hair on a SE Asian Cyphochilus beetle has fascinated the scientists and is providing fodder for lot of experiments. According to lead scientist Dr Pete Vukusic of Exeter University such pure whiteness is quite uncommon and mimicking it could lead to an array of industrial applications like papers, plastics, paints or white-light displays. The scientists have done detailed analysis of the phenomenon. The finding has been reported in the latest issue of Science Magazine.

Montgomeryshire Declared Best Wildlife Area In Wales

A survey conducted by BBC Wildlife Magazine has selected Montgomeryshire as the best wildlife area in Wales. What impressed BBC team were the enormous areas of protected land, Stunning well protected Lake Vyrnwy reserve and the tranquil unpolluted countryside where wildlife lives without human interference.

Rhino Poaching In Nepal- IUCN Members Call For Urgent Action

From a population of 612 individuals in 2000, the Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) population in Nepal has come down to 405 today. The main reason for this drop is poaching. Concerned about this decline, the commission members of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in Nepal, has submitted a petition to the Environment Conservation Committee of the Nepalese House of Representatives requesting immediate action to save Rhinos. The members have also come up with a set of germane recommendations. IUCN Nepal has also handed over the much needed field gears and equipment to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation to give a boost to the conservation efforts of Rhinos. For more info log on to www.iucnnepal.org