In Nigeria's oil-rich Niger River Delta, where Royal Dutch Shell has a tense relationship with communities, activists Tuesday welcomed the company's agreement to pay $15.5 million to settle a lawsuit that accused it of complicity in the 1995 executions of environmental and human rights advocates.
But the activists saw it as a starting point, not the end of the struggle of the Ogoni people and other communities in the region for compensation over Shell's activities.
"One hopes that this is a signal of the beginning of a new phase that will address the larger issues of the Ogoni people, in a way that other people who are not benefiting from this can also get their benefit," said Ledum Mitee, spokesman for the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, or MOSOP, speaking by telephone.
"Both the government and Shell have to build on this and address the large issues not only for the Ogoni people but for the Niger Delta," he said.
Ken Saro-Wiwa, poet, satirist and a founder of MOSOP, and eight other Nigerian activists in the delta region were hanged by the country's military dictatorship. Saro-Wiwa had a central role in MOSOP's 1990 bill of rights for the Ogoni people, which called for independence and the right to protect Ogoniland from environmental harm.
In a New York court Monday, Shell settled the case brought on behalf of six of the activists' families, but conceded no blame for their deaths.
"We believe this settlement will assist the process of reconciliation and peace in Ogoniland, which is our primary concern," Malcolm Brinded, Shell's executive director for exploration and production, said in a statement released Monday. The settlement "acknowledges that, even though Shell had no part in the violence that took place, the plaintiffs and others have suffered."
But Mitee said that was not how people in the Niger Delta saw the payment.
"They're entitled to such views but as for people here, people take this as atonement for what has been done," Mitee said. "The point is that any settlement for the benefit of any of the families that have been victims of the repression of the 1990s is welcome."
Shell began operating in the Niger Delta in 1958 and is accused by local activists of destroying the environment and traditional livelihoods, such as fishing and farming. Critics also accuse the company of working with Nigerian authorities in the 1990s to suppress opposition to its activities, which Shell denies.
More than 30 million people and dozens of ethnic groups live in the three states of Nigeria's delta area.
Since the 1990s, the Ogoni and others in the region have struggled for compensation for environmental damage and for a substantial share of the revenue generated by oil, including billions of dollars that activists say have been plundered or squandered by Nigerian officials over the years.
The situation has deteriorated sharply in recent years, with theft of oil and kidnapping of oil workers by militants claiming to represent the communities.
Thousands of people in Delta state have been displaced since mid-May by clashes between militants and the military. Since militants ambushed and killed soldiers with a joint military task force, charged with stabilizing the region, the force has attacked militants' camps.
Mitee said activists in the region are still seeking environmental compensation. "That's one of the main issues because that has an effect not only for the present but for future generations," he said.
Mitee said a victory for the Ogoni people helped draw attention to issues affecting everyone in the region. "Any positive outcome that can be generated in one area will reverberate right across the Niger Delta," he said.
About two-thirds of the settlement money will go to the families and for legal fees. The remaining $5 million will be put into a trust fund for local communities.
"The principle of saying we are going to establish a trust fund that reaches across the region sends a good message and is a good idea, even if the amount involved is not huge," said Chris Newsom, spokesman for the London-based Stakeholder Democracy Network, a human rights group.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Childhood: Obesity Linked to Sleep Disorder
Childhood obesity may have yet another dangerous consequence: disordered breathing during sleep.
Researchers had 700 children spend a night in a sleep lab where they were evaluated using a polysomnograph, an instrument that measures sleep quality and breathing function. They also underwent a physical examination by an ear, nose and throat specialist. The children were randomly selected from the community, and none were being treated for sleep problems.
About a quarter of the children had mild or moderate sleep-disordered breathing. Tonsil size was not associated with disordered breathing, and nasal abnormalities were a factor only in mild cases. But waist circumference and body mass index were strong independent risk factors for snoring and other breathing problems during sleep.
This, the authors write in the June issue of the journal Sleep, suggests that the well-known effects of excess weight may be an important factor in sleep-disordered breathing in children, just as they are in adults.
“This is another red flag related to obesity, another reason to be concerned,” said Edward O. Bixler, a professor of psychiatry at Penn State who led the research. “The metabolic issues in adults associated with obesity are now beginning to be found in younger children.”
Researchers had 700 children spend a night in a sleep lab where they were evaluated using a polysomnograph, an instrument that measures sleep quality and breathing function. They also underwent a physical examination by an ear, nose and throat specialist. The children were randomly selected from the community, and none were being treated for sleep problems.
About a quarter of the children had mild or moderate sleep-disordered breathing. Tonsil size was not associated with disordered breathing, and nasal abnormalities were a factor only in mild cases. But waist circumference and body mass index were strong independent risk factors for snoring and other breathing problems during sleep.
This, the authors write in the June issue of the journal Sleep, suggests that the well-known effects of excess weight may be an important factor in sleep-disordered breathing in children, just as they are in adults.
“This is another red flag related to obesity, another reason to be concerned,” said Edward O. Bixler, a professor of psychiatry at Penn State who led the research. “The metabolic issues in adults associated with obesity are now beginning to be found in younger children.”
Bad Habits Asserting Themselves
Anyone who hasn’t heard the healthy lifestyle message has to be living under a rock. But whether it’s the vegetable-hating inner child or the primal urge to conserve physical energy asserting itself, millions of middle-age Americans are having none of it.
Over the last 20 years, the share of Americans 40 to 74 who eat five fruits and vegetables a day has dropped to 26 percent from 42 percent, according to the latest analysis of an authoritative national survey on health and nutrition.
Moderate drinking — roughly one drink a day for women, two for men — increased to 51 percent from 40 percent, even as the number of abstainers went down, to 40 percent from 51 percent. (Advice is mixed on whether this is a healthy trend.)
And the number of smokers in the 40-to-74 group declined only slightly, to 26 percent from 27 percent.
The obesity rate increased to 36 percent from 28 percent. And 43 percent of Americans said they worked out at least 30 minutes three times a week, down from just over half.
“The results are disappointing and disturbing,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Dana E. King, a professor of family medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
Dr. King added that because fruits and vegetables are markers of a healthy diet, correlated with consumption of fat and fiber, “not eating them is reflective of a decline in diet over all over 18 years.”
The study, in the June issue of The American Journal of Medicine, compared results from two National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, in 2001-6 and 1988-94. The surveys, done regularly by the National Center for Health Statistics, include a physical examination; each included more than 7,000 respondents 40 to 74 years old.
Dr. King focused on middle-age adults because they are at greatest risk for heart disease, but was surprised that even those with diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol were no more likely to adhere to healthy habits.
“I worry that some people are taking medication instead of following a healthy lifestyle,” he said. “You take a pill and say, ‘I’ll eat whatever I want, and my doctor says my cholesterol is fine.’ Your pill may be lowering your cholesterol, but it’s not doing the other 100 things that proper eating and exercise do for you.”
In some areas, men’s habits have deteriorated more than women’s. In the earlier period, 57 percent of men and 49 percent of women reported exercising three times a week; now both sexes are at 43 percent. The rate of obesity climbed similarly in both men and women.
Although the study did not address the underlying causes of these changes, some experts say men are less receptive than women to advice on nutrition and exercise. Longer commutes and more time spent on the computer have made for more sedentary lives, said Ross Brownson, professor of epidemiology at Washington University in St. Louis.
And Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, said stress and depression might be taking a toll. “Most people know what they need to do, but they need to be confident they can actually make the changes and believe the changes will impact their health,” she said. “I think what we’re seeing is that people are giving up.”
Dr. King warned that the rise in unhealthy habits could lead to a costly surge in heart disease and other chronic ailments of the elderly. But he added, “The other half of this message is that changes in lifestyle can do so much good.”
Other studies have shown that people who adopted healthy behavior reduced their risk of heart disease and death by 35 percent in just four years. “So to those people who say it’s too late and won’t do any good — the exact opposite is true,” Dr. King said. “There’s a tremendous benefit in people of this age
Over the last 20 years, the share of Americans 40 to 74 who eat five fruits and vegetables a day has dropped to 26 percent from 42 percent, according to the latest analysis of an authoritative national survey on health and nutrition.
Moderate drinking — roughly one drink a day for women, two for men — increased to 51 percent from 40 percent, even as the number of abstainers went down, to 40 percent from 51 percent. (Advice is mixed on whether this is a healthy trend.)
And the number of smokers in the 40-to-74 group declined only slightly, to 26 percent from 27 percent.
The obesity rate increased to 36 percent from 28 percent. And 43 percent of Americans said they worked out at least 30 minutes three times a week, down from just over half.
“The results are disappointing and disturbing,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Dana E. King, a professor of family medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
Dr. King added that because fruits and vegetables are markers of a healthy diet, correlated with consumption of fat and fiber, “not eating them is reflective of a decline in diet over all over 18 years.”
The study, in the June issue of The American Journal of Medicine, compared results from two National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, in 2001-6 and 1988-94. The surveys, done regularly by the National Center for Health Statistics, include a physical examination; each included more than 7,000 respondents 40 to 74 years old.
Dr. King focused on middle-age adults because they are at greatest risk for heart disease, but was surprised that even those with diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol were no more likely to adhere to healthy habits.
“I worry that some people are taking medication instead of following a healthy lifestyle,” he said. “You take a pill and say, ‘I’ll eat whatever I want, and my doctor says my cholesterol is fine.’ Your pill may be lowering your cholesterol, but it’s not doing the other 100 things that proper eating and exercise do for you.”
In some areas, men’s habits have deteriorated more than women’s. In the earlier period, 57 percent of men and 49 percent of women reported exercising three times a week; now both sexes are at 43 percent. The rate of obesity climbed similarly in both men and women.
Although the study did not address the underlying causes of these changes, some experts say men are less receptive than women to advice on nutrition and exercise. Longer commutes and more time spent on the computer have made for more sedentary lives, said Ross Brownson, professor of epidemiology at Washington University in St. Louis.
And Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, said stress and depression might be taking a toll. “Most people know what they need to do, but they need to be confident they can actually make the changes and believe the changes will impact their health,” she said. “I think what we’re seeing is that people are giving up.”
Dr. King warned that the rise in unhealthy habits could lead to a costly surge in heart disease and other chronic ailments of the elderly. But he added, “The other half of this message is that changes in lifestyle can do so much good.”
Other studies have shown that people who adopted healthy behavior reduced their risk of heart disease and death by 35 percent in just four years. “So to those people who say it’s too late and won’t do any good — the exact opposite is true,” Dr. King said. “There’s a tremendous benefit in people of this age
Green collar job creation 'outstripped traditional sectors in US'
America's emerging clean energy economy produced new jobs at more than twice the rate of more traditional industries in the years leading up to the economic downturn, a new study released today claimed.
The report by the Pew Charitable Trusts provides the first hard evidence of jobs created by the rising demand for environmentally friendly services, and in the new clean energy sectors like wind and solar.
It said such jobs grew at a rate of 9.1% from 1998-2007, easily outstripping job growth in traditional areas of the economy, which was 3.7%.
The study stopped before the economic downturn, which has caused steep job losses in the traditional economy. Some 347,000 Americans were put out of work in May alone.
However, its authors also noted that the rapid growth came at a time when there was little or no federal government support for clean energy – unlike today when Barack Obama has committed to greening the economy.
They also said that wind farms, solar projects, and battery factories had fared better than traditional manufacturing as the job market has contracted.
"This is a sector poised for explosive growth," said Lori Grange, the interim deputy director of Pew. "Our report points to trends that show a very promising future for the green energy economy."
The report helps bolster Obama's claims that his $787 billion economic recovery plan could create millions of new jobs. The package contains about $85 billion in green investment, and the administration has repeatedly touted its efforts at creating new clean energy jobs.
The Pew report said the new jobs were created across 38 states, and not restricted to specific regions.
By 2007, more than 68,200 businesses accounted for about 770,000 green jobs. That is not hugely below the numbers of jobs in fossil-fuel industries, including oil and gas extraction and coal mining, which employed 1.27 million people in 2007, the report said.
California created the most green jobs: 125,390, while Wyoming had the fewest, just 1,419. Pay scales among the new jobs ranged from $21,000 to $111,000 a year, Pew said.
The report by the Pew Charitable Trusts provides the first hard evidence of jobs created by the rising demand for environmentally friendly services, and in the new clean energy sectors like wind and solar.
It said such jobs grew at a rate of 9.1% from 1998-2007, easily outstripping job growth in traditional areas of the economy, which was 3.7%.
The study stopped before the economic downturn, which has caused steep job losses in the traditional economy. Some 347,000 Americans were put out of work in May alone.
However, its authors also noted that the rapid growth came at a time when there was little or no federal government support for clean energy – unlike today when Barack Obama has committed to greening the economy.
They also said that wind farms, solar projects, and battery factories had fared better than traditional manufacturing as the job market has contracted.
"This is a sector poised for explosive growth," said Lori Grange, the interim deputy director of Pew. "Our report points to trends that show a very promising future for the green energy economy."
The report helps bolster Obama's claims that his $787 billion economic recovery plan could create millions of new jobs. The package contains about $85 billion in green investment, and the administration has repeatedly touted its efforts at creating new clean energy jobs.
The Pew report said the new jobs were created across 38 states, and not restricted to specific regions.
By 2007, more than 68,200 businesses accounted for about 770,000 green jobs. That is not hugely below the numbers of jobs in fossil-fuel industries, including oil and gas extraction and coal mining, which employed 1.27 million people in 2007, the report said.
California created the most green jobs: 125,390, while Wyoming had the fewest, just 1,419. Pay scales among the new jobs ranged from $21,000 to $111,000 a year, Pew said.
China launches green power revolution to catch up on west
China is planning a vast increase in its use of wind and solar power over the next decade and believes it can match Europe by 2020, producing a fifth of its energy needs from renewable sources, a senior Chinese official said yesterday.
Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice-chairman of China's national development and reform commission, told the Guardian that Beijing would easily surpass current 2020 targets for the use of wind and solar power and was now contemplating targets that were more than three times higher.
In the current development plan, the goal for wind energy is 30 gigawatts. Zhang said the new goal could be 100GW by 2020.
"Similarly, by 2020 the total installed capacity for solar power will be at least three times that of the original target [3GW]," Zhang said in an interview in London. China generates only 120 megawatts of its electricity from solar power, so the goal represents a 75-fold expansion in just over a decade.
"We are now formulating a plan for development of renewable energy. We can be sure we will exceed the 15% target. We will at least reach 18%. Personally I think we could reach the target of having renewables provide 20% of total energy consumption."
That matches the European goal, and would represent a direct challenge to Europe's claims to world leadership in the field, despite China's relative poverty. Some experts have cast doubt on whether Britain will be able to reach 20%. On another front, China has the ambitious plan of installing 100m energy-efficient lightbulbs this year alone.
Beijing seeks to achieve these goals by directing a significant share of China's $590bn economic stimulus package to low-carbon investment. Of that total, more than $30bn will be spent directly on environmental projects and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
But the indirect green share in the stimulus, in the form of investment in carbon-efficient transport and electricity transmission systems, would be far larger.
HSBC Global Research estimated the total green share could be over a third of the total package.
China also believes the price reforms that will take place in its economic recovery programme will lead to more efficient use of resources and an increased demand for renewable energy.
"Due to the impact of global financial crisis, people are all talking about green and sustainable development," Zhang added. "Enterprises and government at all levels are showing more enthusiasm for the development of solar for power generation, and the Chinese government is now considering rolling out more stimulus policies for the development of solar power."
He said the government would also plough money into the expansion of solar heating systems. He said the country was already a world leader, with 130m square metres of solar heating arrays already installed, and was planning to invest more. The US goal for solar heating by 2020 is 200m square metres.
Zhang was speaking in London on a day China came under increased pressure from Washington to do more cut its emissions.
David Sandalow, the US assistant secretary of energy, said the continuation of business as usual in China would result in a 2.7C rise in temperatures even if every other country slashed greenhouse gas emissions by 80%.
"China can and will need to do much more if the world is going to have any hope of containing climate change," said Sandalow, who is in Beijing as part of a senior negotiating team aiming to find common ground ahead of the crucial Copenhagen summit at the end of this year.
"No effective deal will be possible without the US and China, which together account for almost half of the planet's carbon emissions."
Zhang said China was pursuing "a constructive and a positive role" in negotiations aimed at agreeing a deal in Copenhagen. As part of that agreement, he said developing countries would have to pursue "a sustainable development path", and said Beijing was open to the idea of limits on the carbon intensity of its economy (the emissions per unit of output).
"We have taken note of some expert suggestions on carbon intensity with a view to have some quantified targets in this regard. We are carrying out a serious study of those suggestions," Zhang said.
Zhang told the all-party parliamentary China group in Westminster yesterday that Beijing's stimulus package was already showing signs of re-energising the Chinese economy. He said it grew by 6.1% in the first quarter of this year, and growth in the second quarter would be stronger than the first. He predicted that China would meet its target of 8% growth this year.
Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice-chairman of China's national development and reform commission, told the Guardian that Beijing would easily surpass current 2020 targets for the use of wind and solar power and was now contemplating targets that were more than three times higher.
In the current development plan, the goal for wind energy is 30 gigawatts. Zhang said the new goal could be 100GW by 2020.
"Similarly, by 2020 the total installed capacity for solar power will be at least three times that of the original target [3GW]," Zhang said in an interview in London. China generates only 120 megawatts of its electricity from solar power, so the goal represents a 75-fold expansion in just over a decade.
"We are now formulating a plan for development of renewable energy. We can be sure we will exceed the 15% target. We will at least reach 18%. Personally I think we could reach the target of having renewables provide 20% of total energy consumption."
That matches the European goal, and would represent a direct challenge to Europe's claims to world leadership in the field, despite China's relative poverty. Some experts have cast doubt on whether Britain will be able to reach 20%. On another front, China has the ambitious plan of installing 100m energy-efficient lightbulbs this year alone.
Beijing seeks to achieve these goals by directing a significant share of China's $590bn economic stimulus package to low-carbon investment. Of that total, more than $30bn will be spent directly on environmental projects and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
But the indirect green share in the stimulus, in the form of investment in carbon-efficient transport and electricity transmission systems, would be far larger.
HSBC Global Research estimated the total green share could be over a third of the total package.
China also believes the price reforms that will take place in its economic recovery programme will lead to more efficient use of resources and an increased demand for renewable energy.
"Due to the impact of global financial crisis, people are all talking about green and sustainable development," Zhang added. "Enterprises and government at all levels are showing more enthusiasm for the development of solar for power generation, and the Chinese government is now considering rolling out more stimulus policies for the development of solar power."
He said the government would also plough money into the expansion of solar heating systems. He said the country was already a world leader, with 130m square metres of solar heating arrays already installed, and was planning to invest more. The US goal for solar heating by 2020 is 200m square metres.
Zhang was speaking in London on a day China came under increased pressure from Washington to do more cut its emissions.
David Sandalow, the US assistant secretary of energy, said the continuation of business as usual in China would result in a 2.7C rise in temperatures even if every other country slashed greenhouse gas emissions by 80%.
"China can and will need to do much more if the world is going to have any hope of containing climate change," said Sandalow, who is in Beijing as part of a senior negotiating team aiming to find common ground ahead of the crucial Copenhagen summit at the end of this year.
"No effective deal will be possible without the US and China, which together account for almost half of the planet's carbon emissions."
Zhang said China was pursuing "a constructive and a positive role" in negotiations aimed at agreeing a deal in Copenhagen. As part of that agreement, he said developing countries would have to pursue "a sustainable development path", and said Beijing was open to the idea of limits on the carbon intensity of its economy (the emissions per unit of output).
"We have taken note of some expert suggestions on carbon intensity with a view to have some quantified targets in this regard. We are carrying out a serious study of those suggestions," Zhang said.
Zhang told the all-party parliamentary China group in Westminster yesterday that Beijing's stimulus package was already showing signs of re-energising the Chinese economy. He said it grew by 6.1% in the first quarter of this year, and growth in the second quarter would be stronger than the first. He predicted that China would meet its target of 8% growth this year.
As the world marks the first UN Oceans Day, marine scientist Erich Hoyt says too little of the oceans has been set aside to protect marine life. In this week's Green Room, he explains why vast protected areas are needed to ensure the long term survival of marine mammalWhere do whales live? In the sea, of course; but the sea is ever changing.
We know that sperm whales search for squid in the dark canyons off the continental shelf.
We know that other whales and dolphins feed along massive seasonal upwellings fuelled by plankton explosions that attract vast schools of fish, which in turn attract seabirds, sharks and turtles, too.
We know that whales travel from feeding areas near the Arctic and Antarctic to warm equatorial regions where they breed and raise their calves.
So where precisely do whales live?
Well, this is the starting point for marine habitat-related research on whales and dolphins. We are still in the process of determining the fine points based on ocean depth, slope, temperature, currents and other factors; but we are learning.
And the more we learn, the more we realise how important it is to know where everything lives and how it functions in the dynamic environment of the sea; not just whales and dolphins but all marine life.
Habitats for a lifetime
Since the 1960s' save-the-whale movement started in California, we have made some progress reversing the momentum toward extinction that came from centuries of whaling
s such as whales and dolphins.There are still great threats to whales and dolphins as some countries continue to go whaling and dolphin hunting.
Hundreds of thousands of whales and dolphins are killed every year as bycatch and as a result of becoming tangled in fishing gear.
Also, overfishing has damaged ecosystems and food chains; the escalating noise in the sea from shipping, military sonar and hydrocarbon exploration has invaded their habitats.
On top of all this, there is the silent kill from chemical pollution and the effects of climate change.
Meanwhile, oil, gas and mining industries have their sights set on the vast ocean seabed.
If the lessons of intensification during the previous century show us anything, it is that we need to make a place in the sea for marine life.
We cannot save the whales unless we save their habitat.
Thinking big
International agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), have set a looming deadline of 2012 to create a network of worldwide marine protection areas (MPAs) in national waters and on the high seas.
Most countries have agreed to these targets yet few are on track to reach them. In the UK, the parliaments in Westminster and Edinburgh are currently considering new marine bills that will determine the future extent of efforts to protect the sea around the British Isles.
Compared to land-based protected areas, which cover an estimated 12% of the world's continents and islands, protection of the sea stands at only 0.65%, with highly protected areas limited to just 0.08%.
Countries such as Australia, the US, and Kiribati are currently leading the world in marine protection, even if they too clearly have a long way to go in terms of full implementation.
Better understanding
Whales and dolphins have colonised many marine habitats, and have intricate relationships with many other species.
With so many species and habitats, how can we uncover the key places where whales live, the critical areas needing protection?
The past 35 years of research tell us that the same whales are returning to the same places to feed, mate, give birth, raise their calves and socialise.
Mothers have calves and then travel with them, introducing them to their favourite spots, corresponding to ideal depths, water temperatures, currents and other conditions for nursing, resting, finding prey, and so forth.
This is the concept of site fidelity. How do we know this? Individuals within the various species of whales and dolphins can be distinguished by nicks or other markings on their fins and tails, or by pigmentation differences revealed by sharp photographs.
Thus, the animals can be named and distinguished, and therefore identified when re-sighted. These re-sightings have helped us reveal site fidelity as well as abundance, crucial to telling us that one area is more important than another.
To protect these favourite places we must establish legally binding MPAs. We must create management bodies and plans, and ensure there are provisions for enforcement and monitoring.
MPAs must be much larger than land-based protected areas because of the fluid nature of the ocean and the mobile nature of its inhabitants; in some areas we may need flexible or moveable boundaries with seasonal components.
To help advance the creation of MPAs, we devised the idea of "homes for whales and dolphins".
The great bonus is that by focusing on "homes" or safe havens for whales, we can protect much more.
Whales and dolphins are umbrella species. The size of habitats needed for their protection, including consideration of MPA networks across ocean basins, will give assistance to many other species as well.
The goal, if not yet the practice, of most marine conservation revolves around the concept of ecosystem based management; so theoretically, entire ecosystems could be protected.
Whales and dolphins are sentinel species. If they are present and healthy, there is a good chance that the entire ecosystem is healthy.
Many cetaceans are among the apex predator species first to go from an area if things are not right, so if we can protect whales and dolphins, we know we are on the right road.
If marine mammals are turning up on beaches or dying in nets, then these events should be warning flags for the whole ecosystem.
The lines are being drawn in the sea. Now more than ever we need a bold vision - big, ocean-wide networks of highly-protected areas.
Fifty years from now, we will see the present day as the time when we had a chance; when we made tough choices and either elected to develop the sea, converting it into some vast watery industrial site, or decided to help significant portions of marine nature to stay wild and sustain our planet.
If we can make homes for whales and dolphins, the ocean may just have a chance.
erich hoyat in bbc
We know that sperm whales search for squid in the dark canyons off the continental shelf.
We know that other whales and dolphins feed along massive seasonal upwellings fuelled by plankton explosions that attract vast schools of fish, which in turn attract seabirds, sharks and turtles, too.
We know that whales travel from feeding areas near the Arctic and Antarctic to warm equatorial regions where they breed and raise their calves.
So where precisely do whales live?
Well, this is the starting point for marine habitat-related research on whales and dolphins. We are still in the process of determining the fine points based on ocean depth, slope, temperature, currents and other factors; but we are learning.
And the more we learn, the more we realise how important it is to know where everything lives and how it functions in the dynamic environment of the sea; not just whales and dolphins but all marine life.
Habitats for a lifetime
Since the 1960s' save-the-whale movement started in California, we have made some progress reversing the momentum toward extinction that came from centuries of whaling
s such as whales and dolphins.There are still great threats to whales and dolphins as some countries continue to go whaling and dolphin hunting.
Hundreds of thousands of whales and dolphins are killed every year as bycatch and as a result of becoming tangled in fishing gear.
Also, overfishing has damaged ecosystems and food chains; the escalating noise in the sea from shipping, military sonar and hydrocarbon exploration has invaded their habitats.
On top of all this, there is the silent kill from chemical pollution and the effects of climate change.
Meanwhile, oil, gas and mining industries have their sights set on the vast ocean seabed.
If the lessons of intensification during the previous century show us anything, it is that we need to make a place in the sea for marine life.
We cannot save the whales unless we save their habitat.
Thinking big
International agreements, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), have set a looming deadline of 2012 to create a network of worldwide marine protection areas (MPAs) in national waters and on the high seas.
Most countries have agreed to these targets yet few are on track to reach them. In the UK, the parliaments in Westminster and Edinburgh are currently considering new marine bills that will determine the future extent of efforts to protect the sea around the British Isles.
Compared to land-based protected areas, which cover an estimated 12% of the world's continents and islands, protection of the sea stands at only 0.65%, with highly protected areas limited to just 0.08%.
Countries such as Australia, the US, and Kiribati are currently leading the world in marine protection, even if they too clearly have a long way to go in terms of full implementation.
Better understanding
Whales and dolphins have colonised many marine habitats, and have intricate relationships with many other species.
With so many species and habitats, how can we uncover the key places where whales live, the critical areas needing protection?
The past 35 years of research tell us that the same whales are returning to the same places to feed, mate, give birth, raise their calves and socialise.
Mothers have calves and then travel with them, introducing them to their favourite spots, corresponding to ideal depths, water temperatures, currents and other conditions for nursing, resting, finding prey, and so forth.
This is the concept of site fidelity. How do we know this? Individuals within the various species of whales and dolphins can be distinguished by nicks or other markings on their fins and tails, or by pigmentation differences revealed by sharp photographs.
Thus, the animals can be named and distinguished, and therefore identified when re-sighted. These re-sightings have helped us reveal site fidelity as well as abundance, crucial to telling us that one area is more important than another.
To protect these favourite places we must establish legally binding MPAs. We must create management bodies and plans, and ensure there are provisions for enforcement and monitoring.
MPAs must be much larger than land-based protected areas because of the fluid nature of the ocean and the mobile nature of its inhabitants; in some areas we may need flexible or moveable boundaries with seasonal components.
To help advance the creation of MPAs, we devised the idea of "homes for whales and dolphins".
The great bonus is that by focusing on "homes" or safe havens for whales, we can protect much more.
Whales and dolphins are umbrella species. The size of habitats needed for their protection, including consideration of MPA networks across ocean basins, will give assistance to many other species as well.
The goal, if not yet the practice, of most marine conservation revolves around the concept of ecosystem based management; so theoretically, entire ecosystems could be protected.
Whales and dolphins are sentinel species. If they are present and healthy, there is a good chance that the entire ecosystem is healthy.
Many cetaceans are among the apex predator species first to go from an area if things are not right, so if we can protect whales and dolphins, we know we are on the right road.
If marine mammals are turning up on beaches or dying in nets, then these events should be warning flags for the whole ecosystem.
The lines are being drawn in the sea. Now more than ever we need a bold vision - big, ocean-wide networks of highly-protected areas.
Fifty years from now, we will see the present day as the time when we had a chance; when we made tough choices and either elected to develop the sea, converting it into some vast watery industrial site, or decided to help significant portions of marine nature to stay wild and sustain our planet.
If we can make homes for whales and dolphins, the ocean may just have a chance.
erich hoyat in bbc
'Tiny chance' of planet collision
Astronomers calculate there is a tiny chance that Mars or Venus could collide with Earth - though it would not happen for at least a billion years.
The finding comes from simulations to show how orbits of planets might evolve billions of years into the future.
But the calculated chances of such events occurring are tiny.
Writing in the journal Nature, a team led by Jacques Laskar shows there is also a chance Mercury could strike Venus and merge into a larger planet.
Professor Laskar of the Paris Observatory and his colleagues also report that Mars might experience a close encounter with Jupiter - whose massive gravity could hurl the Red Planet out of our Solar System.
Astronomers had thought that the orbits of the planets were predictable. But 20 years ago, researchers showed that there were slight fluctuations in their paths.
Now, the team has shown how in a small proportion of cases these fluctuations can grow until after several million years, the orbits of the inner planets begin to overlap.
The researchers carried out more than 2,500 simulations. They found that in some, Mars and Venus collided with the Earth.
"It will be complete devastation," said Professor Laskar.
"The planet is coming in at 10km per second - 10 times the speed of a bullet - and of course Mars is much more massive than a bullet."
Professor Laskar's calculations also show that there is a possibility of Mercury crashing into Venus. But in that scenario, the Earth would not be significantly affected.
"If there is anyone around billions of years from now, they'd see a burst of light in the sky and the two planets would be merged," he said.
"The new planet would be a little bit bigger than Venus, and the Solar System would be a little more regular after the collision, but the Earth's orbit would not be affected."
The finding comes from simulations to show how orbits of planets might evolve billions of years into the future.
But the calculated chances of such events occurring are tiny.
Writing in the journal Nature, a team led by Jacques Laskar shows there is also a chance Mercury could strike Venus and merge into a larger planet.
Professor Laskar of the Paris Observatory and his colleagues also report that Mars might experience a close encounter with Jupiter - whose massive gravity could hurl the Red Planet out of our Solar System.
Astronomers had thought that the orbits of the planets were predictable. But 20 years ago, researchers showed that there were slight fluctuations in their paths.
Now, the team has shown how in a small proportion of cases these fluctuations can grow until after several million years, the orbits of the inner planets begin to overlap.
The researchers carried out more than 2,500 simulations. They found that in some, Mars and Venus collided with the Earth.
"It will be complete devastation," said Professor Laskar.
"The planet is coming in at 10km per second - 10 times the speed of a bullet - and of course Mars is much more massive than a bullet."
Professor Laskar's calculations also show that there is a possibility of Mercury crashing into Venus. But in that scenario, the Earth would not be significantly affected.
"If there is anyone around billions of years from now, they'd see a burst of light in the sky and the two planets would be merged," he said.
"The new planet would be a little bit bigger than Venus, and the Solar System would be a little more regular after the collision, but the Earth's orbit would not be affected."
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