ApocaDocuments (7) for the "Recovery" scenario from this week
[see full week] ~ [see full Recovery scenario and stories]
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Sat, Aug 1, 2009
from via ScienceDaily:
Bizarre Bald Bird Discovered In Asia
An odd songbird with a bald head living in a rugged region in Laos has been discovered by scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and University of Melbourne. Dubbed the "Bare-faced Bulbul" because of the lack of feathers on its face and part of its head, it is the only example of a bald songbird in mainland Asia, according to scientists. It is the first new species of bulbul – a family of about 130 species – described in Asia in over 100 years. ...
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Let the toupee-making begin!
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Fri, Jul 31, 2009
from The Earth Institute at Columbia University via ScienceDaily:
Index Insurance Has Potential To Help Manage Climate Risks And Reduce Poverty
Climate has always presented a challenge to farmers, herders, fishermen and others whose livelihoods are closely linked to their environment, particularly those in poor areas of the world. A type of insurance, called index insurance, now offers significant opportunities as a climate-risk management tool in developing countries... "Only the richest three percent of people in the world are covered by insurance," said Olav Kjorven, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau for Development Policy. "The world's poor have been completely left out, even though they are the most vulnerable people most in need of protection. Droughts, floods and hurricanes often strip whole communities of their resources and belongings. Index insurance, however, could finally enable millions of poor people to access financial tools for development and properly prepare for and recovery from climate disasters." ...
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"Index insurance"... it sounds soooo sexy!
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Fri, Jul 31, 2009
from Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea via ScienceDaily:
New Hope For Fisheries: Overfishing Reduced In Several Regions Around The World
Scientists have joined forces in a groundbreaking assessment on the status of marine fisheries and ecosystems. The two-year study, led by Boris Worm of Dalhousie University and Ray Hilborn of the University of Washington and including an international team of 19 co-authors, shows that steps taken to curb overfishing are beginning to succeed in five of the ten large marine ecosystems that they examined.... The work is a significant leap forward because it reveals that the rate of fishing has been reduced in several regions around the world, resulting in some stock recovery. Moreover, it bolsters the case that sound management can contribute to the rebuilding of fisheries elsewhere. ...
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This news floats my bobber!
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Fri, Jul 31, 2009
from San Francisco Chronicle:
Bill would restrict antibiotics in food animals
A New York congresswoman is trying to rally support for a federal bill that would restrict antibiotic use in food animals just months after a similar measure tanked in California. Despite being voted down in Sacramento, a proposal that bans feeding antibiotics to cattle, hogs and poultry to increase their growth seems to be gaining momentum in the nation's capital, where the Obama administration has condemned the practice.... scientists and doctors fear that the overuse of these drugs makes them less effective in fighting bacteria in humans and animals. Microbes that develop immunity to the drugs will multiply and flourish. ...
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Big farms like big pharms.
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Thu, Jul 30, 2009
from American Chemical Society via ScienceDaily:
'Shrimp Shell Cocktail' To Fuel Cars And Trucks
Call it a "shrimp cocktail" for your fuel tank. Scientists in China are reporting development of a catalyst made from shrimp shells that could transform production of biodiesel fuel into a faster, less expensive, and more environmentally friendly process. The researchers describe development of a new catalyst produced from shrimp shells. In laboratory tests, the shrimp shell catalysts converted canola oil to biodiesel (89 percent conversion in three hours) faster and more efficiently than some conventional catalysts. The new catalysts also can be reused and the process minimizes waste production and pollution, the scientists note. ...
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Were I a shrimp, I might find this environmentally UNfriendly!
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Wed, Jul 29, 2009
from HBO:
From the ApocaDesk
Airing on HBO over the next month is the documentary The Yes Men Fix the World about the fabled pranksters — the Yes Men. I first heard about them late in 2004 when one of the two Yes Men posed as a Dow spokesman, apologizing for the Bhopal disaster and promising 12 billion dollars in relief for the still ravaged area. By taking responsibility for the disaster, the Yes Men put Dow in the position of having to deny they were apologizing or trying to recompense for the toxic event, exacerbating its image as a heartless, market-obsessed corporation. It was a brilliant combination of politics and theater.
Since then, I've learned much more about the Yes Men, and how motivated they are by concerns over climate change — and the lack of progress being made.
This documentary, made by the Yes Men themselves (Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno), shows firsthand the japes they've accomplished over the past few years.
The film takes you inside the Dow action, from the hoax itself, to the Yes Men's subsequent visit to Bhopal to investigate the ramifications of their actions.
Other actions include a segment on the publication of 80,000 copies of a fabricated issue of The New York Times that presented a number of fanciful stories, including the ending of the war in Iraq and the prosecution of George W. Bush for high treason.
You might think we can only dream about such things, but the film is designed to take us beyond the dream stage and into reality — a reality that could exist if corporations acted responsibly, and not just for the bottom line. It's inspiring, really. All it takes are sense of humor, some courage and the ability to create fake Web sites, and you could be your own Yes Men or Yes Women group.
The Yes Men plan on being in UN climate change conference in Copenhagen in December. Yet one more reason to stay tuned to that pivotal event.
The documentary, currently showing on HBO, repeats 9 a.m. on Aug. 2, 12:05 a.m. on Aug. 6, 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 8, 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 11 and 11 a.m. on Aug. 14.
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Let the Yes movement begin!
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Tue, Jul 28, 2009
from SciDev.net:
Fungal biopesticide saves crops from locusts
Crops in East and Southern Africa have been saved from devastation by the first large-scale use of a biopesticide made of fungal spores.
Locust swarms lay waste to crops, with just a small part of a swarm -- around a tonne of locusts -- eating the same amount of food in one day as around 2,500 people, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).... But spraying the biopesticide, Green Muscle, in Tanzania appears to have contained the outbreak.
Green Muscle consists of spores of the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae suspended in mineral oils. The fungi grow in the locust, producing a toxin and weakening them, making them easy prey for birds and lizards.
Most infected locusts die within 1-3 weeks, depending on the temperature and humidity. The pesticide has an 80 per cent mortality rate.... Green Muscle kills only locusts and grasshoppers, unlike chemical pesticides, which can harm a wide range of organisms. Even the birds and lizards that eat the treated locusts suffer no side effects, says Pantenius. ...
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Using a scalpel instead of a sledgehammer! Who'da thunk it?
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