Snake spits out new species of chameleon at scientist's feet

The latest find in natural world was the result of a reptile coughing up a lizard as conservationists studied monkeys in the jungle. The "find" was so nearly known as dinner. Instead, a small and not terribly impressive chameleon has become the newest discovery of the natural world, after a startled Tanzanian snake spat a still-undigested specimen at the feet of a British scientist, who identified it as a previously unknown species.

Dr Andrew Marshall, a conservationist from York University, was surveying monkeys in the Magombera forest in Tanzania, when he stumbled across a twig snake which, frightened, coughed up the chameleon and fled. Though a colleague persuaded him not to touch it because of the risk from venom, Marshall suspected it might be a new species, and took a photograph to send to colleagues, who confirmed his suspicions.

Kinyongia magomberae, literally "the chameleon from Magombera", is the result, though Marshall told the Guardian today the fact it wasn't easy to identify is precisely what made it unique.

One of the largest chameleons in the world, Oustalet's chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti)
copyright © WhoZoo Project,

"The thing is, color isn't the best thing for telling chameleons apart, since they can change color for camouflage. They are usually identified based on the patterning and shape of the head, and the arrangement of scales. In this case it's the bulge of scales on its nose."

Happily for Marshall, shortly afterwards he spotted a second chameleon, this time alive, and was able to photograph it. The two creatures were found about six miles apart, which he believes may be the full extent of the area colonized by the extremely rare species. Though he found the specimen in 2005, his paper on the discovery, published this week, puts the find formally on record. "It takes quite a long time to convince the authorities that you have a new species," he said.

Had Marshall hoped it might be named after him? "Oh crumbs, no. The thing is, if you work in an area of conservation importance and you can give a species the name of that area it can really highlight that area. By giving it the name Magombera it raises the importance of the forest." The tiny area of jungle is currently unprotected, he said, and he hopes the find will persuade the Tanzanian authorities to extend protection.

"When we presented our findings to the local village people they were just amazed that the world now knows an animal by the Swahili name Magombera," he said

Source:
The Guardian, "Snake spits out new species of chameleon at scientist's feet", accessed November 25, 2009
WhoZoo, credit for photograph of Oustalet's chameleon.

Sea level rise could cost port cities $28 trillion

A possible rise in sea levels by 0.5 meters by 2050 could put at risk more than $28 trillion worth of assets in the world's largest coastal cities, according to a report compiled for the insurance industry.

The value of infrastructure exposed in so-called "port mega-cities," urban conurbations with more than 10 million people, is just $3 trillion at present.

The rise in potential losses would be a result of expected greater urbanization and increased exposure of this greater population to catastrophic surge events occurring once every 100 years caused by rising sea levels and higher temperatures. (Right: Boliva glaciers melting)

The report, released on Monday by WWF and financial services Allianz, concludes that the world's diverse regions and ecosystems are close to temperature thresholds -- or "tipping points."

Any one of these surge events could unleash devastating environmental, social and economic changes amid a higher urban population.

According to the report, carried out by the UK-based Tyndall Center, the impacts of passing "Tipping Points" on the livelihoods of people and economic assets have been underestimated.

Global temperatures have already risen by at least 0.7 degrees Celsius and the report says a further rise by 2-3 degrees in the second half of the century is likely unless deep cuts in emissions are put in place before 2015. (Left: Inland glaciers are the source for fresh water for many communities throughout the world)

The consequent melting of the Greenland and the West Antarctic Ice Shield could lead to one such tipping point scenario, possibly a sea level rise of up to 0.5 meters by 2050.

The report focuses on regions and phenomena where such events might be expected to cause significant environmental impacts within the first half of the century. (Right: reduced amounts of fresh water and the increase in temperatures will make farming much more difficult and less successful).

For example a hurricane in New York, which could cost $1 trillion now, would mean a $5 trillion insurance bill by the middle of the century, the report adds.

"If we don't take immediate action against climate change, we are in grave danger of disruptive and devastating changes," said Kim Carstensen, the Head of WWF Global Climate Initiative.

"Reaching a tipping point means losing something forever. This must be a strong argument for world leaders to agree a strong and binding climate deal in Copenhagen in December."

Source:
Cable Network News, "Sea level rise could cost port cities $28 trillion", accessed November 23, 2009

Arctic Ice Volume Lowest Ever As Globe Warms: U.N

Ice volume around the Arctic region hit the lowest level ever recorded this year as climate extremes brought death and devastation to many parts of the world, the U.N. weather agency WMO said on Tuesday.

Although the world's average temperature in 2008 was, at 14.3 degrees Celsius (57.7 degrees Fahrenheit), by a fraction of a degree the coolest so far this century, the direction toward a warmer climate remained steady, it reported.

"What is happening in the Arctic is one of the key indicators of global warming," Michel Jarraud, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said. "The overall trend is still upwards."

A report presented by Jarraud at a news conference showed Arctic ice cover dropping to its second lowest extent during this year's melt season since satellite measuring began in 1979.

However, the Geneva-based agency said, "because ice was thinner in 2008, overall ice volume was less than in any other year." It added: "The season strongly reinforced the 30-year downward trend in the extent of Arctic Sea ice."

Sea ice extent is the primary parameter for summarizing the state of the Arctic sea ice cover. Microwave satellites have routinely and accurately monitored the extent since 1979. There are two periods that define the annual cycle and thus are of particular interest: March, at the end of winter when the ice is at its maximum extent, and September, when it reaches its annual minimum. Maps of ice coverage in March 2009 and September 2009 are presented in the illustrations below, with the magenta line denoting the median ice extent for the period 1979 – 2000.

Figure S1. Sea ice extent in March 2009 (left) and September 2009 (right), illustrating the respective winter maximum and summer minimum extents. [Figures from the National Snow and Ice Data Center Sea Ice Index: nsidc.org/data/ seaice_index.]

The dramatic collapse of a quarter of ancient ice shelves on Canada's Ellesmere Island in the north of the Arctic Ocean added to earlier meltdowns, reducing cover in the region from 9,000 square km (3,500 sq miles) a century ago to just 1,000 sq kms.

Ellesmere Island was once entirely ringed by a single enormous ice shelf that broke up in the early 1900s. All that is left today are the four much smaller shelves that together cover little more than 299 square miles. The 4,500-year-old Markham Ice Shelf separated in early August and the 19-square-mile shelf is now adrift in the Arctic Ocean. Also, two large sections of ice detached from the Serson Ice Shelf, shrinking that ice feature by 47 square miles _ or 60 percent _ and that the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf has also continued to break up, losing an additional eight square miles.

The WMO said the slight slowdown in warming this year, an increase of 0.31C over the 14C of the base period 1961-90, against an average 0.43C for 2001-2007, was due to a moderate-to-strong La Nina in the Pacific in late 2007. (Left: Ward Ice Shelf - Ellesmere Island)

"This decade is almost 0.2 degrees (Celsius) warmer compared to the previous decade. We have to look at it in that way, comparing decades not years," related Peter Stott, a climate scientist at Britain's Hadley Center, which provided data for the WMO report.

LA NINA, EL NINO

The image shows the differences in sea level measured by the Topex\Poseidon altimeter satellite during the 1997 El Niño and 1999 La Niña. From NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

La Nina is a periodic weather pattern that develops when Pacific sea water cools. It alternates irregularly with the related El Nino -- when the Pacific warms up -- and both affect the climate all round the world.

The WMO report was based on statistics and analyses compiled by weather services among its 188 member countries and specialist research institutions, including government-backed bodies in the United States and Britain.

"Climate extremes, including devastating floods, severe and persistent droughts, snow storms, heat waves and cold waves were recorded in many parts of the world," the agency said. In many of these, hundreds or even thousands of people died.

Among the disasters was Cyclone Nargis, (left) which killed some 78,000 in Myanmar's southern delta region in early May. In the western Atlantic and Caribbean there were 16 major tropical storms, eight of which developed into hurricanes.

In an average year, there are 11 storms of which six become hurricanes and two become major hurricanes. In 2008, five major hurricanes developed, and for the first time on record six tropical storms in a row made landfall in the United States.

The WMO says the 10 hottest years since global records were first kept in 1850 have all been since 1997, with the warmest at 14.79 C in 2005. Countries have been struggling for years to reach agreement on how to halt the trend.

This month a two-week meeting of leaders in Poznan, Poland, called to prepare a treaty for late 2009 seemed to falter amid rows between rich and poor nations and what some climate campaigners say was lack of will to get things done.

Source:
Planet Ark, "Arctic Ice Volume Lowest Ever As Globe Warms: U.N", accessed November 25, 2009
NOAA, "Arctic Report Card 2009", accessed November 25, 2009

More than 100 icebergs heading towards N.Zealand: official

A flotilla of hundreds of icebergs that split off Antarctic ice shelves is drifting toward New Zealand and could pose a risk to ships in the south Pacific Ocean, officials said Tuesday.

The nearest one, measuring about 100 feet (30 meters) tall, was 160 miles (260 kilometers) southeast of New Zealand's Stewart Island, Australian glaciologist Neal Young said. He couldn't say how many icebergs in total were roaming the Pacific, but he counted 130 in one satellite image alone and 100 in another.

Large numbers of icebergs last floated close to New Zealand in 2006, when some were visible from the coastline—the first such sighting since 1931.

Maritime officials have issued navigation warnings for the area south of the

In this Nov. 16, 2009 photo an iceberg is seen at Sandy Bay on Macquarie Island's east coast, in the Southern Ocean 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) southeast of Tasmania, Australia. It is very rare to see icebergs from Macquarie Island and is uncommon to find icebergs in this general region. ((AP Photo/Australian Antarctic Division, Eve Merfield))

country.

"It's an alert to shipping to be aware these potential hazards are around and to be on the lookout for them," Maritime New Zealand spokeswoman Sophie Hazelhurst said.

No major shipping lanes or substantial fishing grounds are in the area, but most ships there have little hull protection if they collide with an iceberg—which typically has 90 percent of its mass under water. Very few adventure sailors would be in the waters in November, when it is still the southern hemisphere's spring.

Maritime New Zealand safety services general manager Nigel Clifford said as the icebergs drift closer "the more the potential risks grow of them posing a hazard to shipping" as they break up and float lower in—or just under—the ocean surface.

The agency was "keeping a close eye on the increasing risk ... it's tracking iceberg positions and has begun initial planning for any incident," he stated. He also noted the area is not a major shipping lane, with commercial fishing vessels and a limited number of passenger cruise ships passing through and reporting positions for the drifting ice.

New Zealand oceanographer Mike Williams said the icebergs are drifting at a speed of about 25 kilometers (16 miles) a day and he expects most won't reach New Zealand, as happened during the last major flotilla in 2006 when "a lot of them went out east (carried by ocean currents and wind) away from New Zealand."

Williams, a scientist with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, said he was "pretty sure these icebergs came from the break up of the Ross Sea Ice Shelf in 2000"—an ice shelf the size of France and the origin of the 2006 flotilla of icebergs (right).

Icebergs are routinely sloughed off as part of the natural development of ice shelves, but Young said the rate appeared to be increasing as a result of regional warming in Antarctica.

"Whole ice shelves have broken up," he said, as temperatures have risen in Antarctica, where they are up as much as 5 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) in the past 60 years.

But he cautioned against linking the appearance of the bergs in New Zealand waters to global warming: The phenomenon depends as much on weather patterns and ocean currents as on the rate at which icebergs are calving off Antarctic ice shelves.

In the current case, a cold snap around southern New Zealand and favorable ocean currents conspired to push the towering visitors, which have drifted around Antarctica for the past nine years, to the region intact.

"Icebergs this far north (near New Zealand) are not that unusual," said New Zealand glaciologist Dr. Wendy Lawson Lawson, noting that an iceberg's reach was determined by its size.

"If an iceberg starts off large, it will last longer in the sea. Its movement and where it ends up is determined by the weather, wind, ocean currents and the temperature," Lawson, head of the department of geography at Canterbury University, stated.

On Monday, Rodney Russ, expedition leader on the tourist ship Spirit of Enderby, spotted a 500-foot-long (150-meter-long) iceberg about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Macquarie Island and heading north—about 500 miles (800 kilometers) south of New Zealand. Australian scientists reported another mass of 20 icebergs drifting north past Macquarie Island two weeks ago.

Young said satellite images showed the group of icebergs, spread over a sea area of 600 miles by 440 miles (1,000 kilometers by 700 kilometers), moving on ocean currents away from Antarctica.

Icebergs are formed as the ice shelf develops. Snow falls on the ice sheet and forms more ice, which flows to the edges of the floating ice shelves. Eventually, pieces around the edge break off.

Source:
Terradaily, "More than 100 icebergs heading towards N.Zealand: official", accessed November 25, 2009
Denver Post, "Icebergs head from Antarctica for New Zealand", accessed November 25, 2009

Ritual animal slaughter begins in Nepal

The two-day ritual slaughter of tens of thousands of animals -- among the world's largest sacrifice of animals -- began Tuesday in southern Nepal, officials said.

About 200,000 animals, including male water buffalo, goats and roosters will be slaughtered, despite protests from animal rights activists, according to the chief priest of the festival.

People from Nepal and India sacrifice animals to the goddess Gadhimai in the Bara district, about 150 kilometers (about one mile) south of Kathmandu, in thanks for wishes granted.

"This is a divine power center," Mangal Chaudhary, the head priest of the Gadhimai temple, said by phone. "When people wish for a son, a job, good health or anything else come true, they make an offering to the Gadhimai goddess."

He expects more than 5 million people -- 60 percent from India, which shares an open border with Nepal -- to attend the festival.

About 15,000 male water buffalo will be slaughtered, up from 12,000 five years ago, said Chaudhary, who is the 10th generation of his family to serve as chief priest.

Water buffalo are slaughtered on the first day, and other animals on the second day.

Government officials say they cannot stop the centuries-old tradition, despite opposition from animal-rights activists from Nepal and India.

"This is a matter of people's religion and belief," said chief district officer Tara Nath Gautam, the highest-ranking government official in Bara.

Animal rights activists say they aren't looking for a sea change.

"We do not expect this practice to stop overnight. A sustained effort is needed so that, sometime, the practice will end," said Nepali animal rights activist Pramada Shah.

Though meat from the sacrificed animals is given to devotees, the hides of water buffalo are taken by the festival management committee to sell. The heads are buried on the temple premises, which spread over three square kilometers, Chaudhary said.

Buffalo is eaten by low castes in Nepal and India, but goat meat is eaten by a wider population.

An estimated 100,000 to 200,000 goats are sacrificed, Chaudhary said.

Source:
Cable Network News, "Ritual animal slaughter begins in Nepal", accessed November 24, 2009

World's largest ice sheet melting faster than expected

The world's largest ice sheet has started to melt along its coastal fringes, raising fears that global sea levels will rise faster than scientists expected.

The East Antarctic ice sheet, which makes up three-quarters of the continent's 14,000 sq km, is losing around 57bn tons of ice a year into surrounding waters, according to a satellite survey of the region.

Scientists had thought the ice sheet was reasonably stable, but measurements taken from Nasa's gravity recovery and climate experiment (Grace) show that it started to lose ice steadily from 2006.

The measurements suggest the polar continent could soon contribute more to global sea level rises than Greenland, which is shedding more than 250bn tons of ice a year, adding 0.7mm to annual sea level rises.

Satellite data from the whole of Antarctica show the region is now losing around 190bn tons of ice a year. Uncertainties in the measurements mean the true ice loss could be between 113bn and 267bn tons.

"If the current trend continues or gets worse, Antarctica could become the largest contributor to sea level rises in the world. It could start to lose more ice than Greenland within a few years," said Jianli Chen, of the University of Texas at Austin.

Chen's team used data from the Nasa mission to see how Earth's gravitational pull varied month to month between April 2002 and January 2009. Measurements taken over the south pole reflect changes in the mass of the Antarctic ice sheets.

The survey confirmed the West Antarctic ice sheet is melting rapidly with the loss of around 132bn tons of ice a year, but revealed unexpected melting in the larger East Antarctic ice sheet.

The scientists used a computer model to take account of ongoing movements in the Earth's surface caused by the retreat of glaciers at the end of the last ice age. Uncertainties in the model gave the scientists only a broad estimate of ice loss in the East Antarctic ice sheet of between 5bn and 109bn tons a year.

Chen said that warmer ocean waters may have triggered the melting by seeping under the ice sheet and making it slide more easily over the rock it rests on.

Writing in the journal Nature Geoscience, Chen's team reports that Wilkes Land on the East Antarctic ice sheet was stable until 2006, but has since begun to lose ice. Another region on the ice sheet, Enderby Land, was thickening until 2006, but has since started to melt. "We're seeing these kinds of climate change effects all around the world now," Chen said.

Source:
The Guardian, "World's largest ice sheet melting faster than expected", accessed November 23, 2009

Feared Asian carp may be near U.S. Great Lakes

There are signs Asian carp may have breached barriers designed to keep the prolific fish out of the Great Lakes, which could spell ecological disaster for the vital source of fresh water, authorities said on Friday.

Concentrations of DNA discovered by Notre Dame University researchers may indicate the presence of bighead and silver carp upstream from two electrical barriers designed to bottle up the invasive fish.

Environmentalists say that if the fish reach the Great Lakes, about 20 miles from the barriers, they would quickly destroy the lakes' $4.5 billion fishery by consuming other fish and their food sources. Only Lake Superior among the five lakes may be too cold for the carp, which can reproduce rapidly and reach 100 pounds (45 kg).

The Great Lakes are the world's largest body of surface fresh water and are relied on by 30 million people in the United States and Canada for drinking water and recreation.

"This is devastating news," Andy Buchsbaum of the National Wildlife Federation said of the discovery of carp DNA in the Cal-Sag channel 8 miles from Lake Michigan.

"We have to hope that there aren't enough population of fish to reproduce and create an epidemic of Asian carp in the lakes," he said.

The barriers are on the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal, which is fed by several waterways that flow away from Lake Michigan. The canal is connected by various rivers to the Mississippi River.

Two electrical barriers constructed in recent years in the canal near Chicago were designed to shock the carp and keep them out of the lake.

The DNA could be from carp feces or eggs carried by ship and barge traffic, but it could indicate the carp have breached the barriers, Buchsbaum said.

CLOSE LOCKS

Environmentalists called for the immediate closing of several locks separating the lakes from the inland waterways, and pressed for a permanent solution that would separate the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River watershed.

"Right now we have a last shot at keeping these carp out of Lake Michigan, and that's to close the locks," said Joel Brammeier of Alliance for the Great Lakes, an environmental group.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it and other agencies had met since Wednesday to consider the best course of action. Authorities will be sampling the channel to try to locate any loose carp.

"We're not discounting any options," which could include shutting the locks, a spokesman for the Corps of Engineers said.

The waterways are used by barges serving steel plants and other industry in the area. The lock separating the Chicago River from Lake Michigan would also be affected, although tour and pleasure boat traffic is down because of the season.

The invasive bighead and silver carp have come to dominate the Mississippi River watershed that is linked to Lake Michigan by a network of canals.

The carp were introduced into the Southern United States in the 1970s to help clean man-made fish farms. They escaped into the Mississippi River during flooding two decades later.

The omnivorous fish -- which are known to injure boaters because they often leap out of the water at the sound of a passing motor -- make up 95 percent of the biomass in sections of the Illinois River.

The Corps of Engineers said it would go ahead with planned maintenance on one of the two barriers beginning on December 2. As part of the maintenance project, authorities will bar ship traffic and introduce a fish poison, rotenone, into several miles (km) of the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal downstream from the barriers to kill all fish, including the carp.

Source:
Reuters, "Feared Asian carp may be near U.S. Great Lakes", accessed November 20, 2009

Insurers face 100 million pound hit from floods in England

The British insurance industry faces a hit of up to 100 million pounds ($165.4 million) from last week's floods in northern England, the Association of British Insurers said on Monday.

The total insured loss will be in the range of 50 to 100 million pounds, based on the current tally of about 1,000 claims, an ABI spokesman said, adding that the damage estimate could be revised in the days ahead.

The latest loss estimate falls far short of the 3 billion pound bill picked up by the insurance industry following severe flooding in the summer of 2007.

Hundreds of people were rescued by emergency services in Cumbria, northern England, on Friday after heavy rain triggered what Britain's Environment Agency described as a "1 in 1,000 year" flood.

British insurance shares were mostly higher by 1055 GMT, with Aviva, RSA, and Royal Bank of Scotland, owner of insurer Direct Line, up by between 1.3 percent and 2.7 percent. ($1=.6047 Pound)

Bridges at risk amid British floods

Flooding continued on Monday, November 23rd. Wind and rain were still battering Cumbria in northern England, putting more bridges at risk and leaving flood-hit locals isolated and without services.

Six pedestrian and road bridges have already collapsed, and 11 others are closed.

Emergency services are finding it increasingly difficult to carry out rescues and evacuations.

About 314 millimeters of rain fell in 24 hours - the highest level since records began - over Cumbria as torrential rains swept across Britain and Ireland.

There are still dozens of flood warnings in force in Northern England and Wales, with more rain forecast for the coming days.

About 60 people are still sheltering in reception centers and more than 700 properties remain without power.

An urgent safety review of Cumbria's 1,800 bridges is underway, with emergency services warning one bridge in the coastal town of Workington could collapse at any time.

Calva Bridge, which is 150 years old, feeds the surrounding town with electricity and gas. It has been condemned because in the past 24 hours a dip has appeared in the road and a big crack is getting bigger.

Without that bridge, Workington and the town of Cockermouth have been left isolated, which is a major concern to local MP Tony Cunningham.

"They are running short of medication. I have got serious concerns about people who perhaps need heart tablets or need insulin," he said.

"I have been in touch with the local authorities. They are having to go as far as Carlisle, which is 35 miles away, to bring things like bread and milk.

"People are running out of food. Things are getting pretty desperate."

Workington's other bridge has already collapsed, taking the life of a policeman who was diverting motorists away from it.

Source:
Reuters, "Insurers face 100 million pound hit from floods in England", accessed November 23, 2009
ABC News Australia, "Bridges at risk amid British floods", accessed November 23, 2009

Baby gorillas in Congo getting a new playpen: Paradise

The only two baby mountain gorillas in captivity -- orphaned two years ago after their mothers were slain in massacres -- will soon be getting a lush, new playpen, Congo's wildlife authority announced Friday.

Ndeze and Ndakasi will be romping in a special sanctuary, the Senkwekwe Center now under construction in Virunga National Park, where about 200 of the world's remaining 700 mountain gorillas live.

"This is paradise for them," said Samantha Newport, the park's communications director. "They will be able to play around, climb trees and eat forest food."

Authorities began building the center in July 2007 but had to stop work after rebels invaded the park during the long-running civil war that raged in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Work resumed in September as hostilities subsided. The center is expected to be ready for occupancy by March.

The babies were found in 2007 when they were 2 months old, one on her slain mother and the other on the back of her brother, who was alive when the baby was found.

Authorities don't know who killed the mothers, but they suspect that the perpetrators were those engaging in the park's illegal charcoal industry, in which people cut down trees for fuel so they can cook and boil water.

Newport said park rangers who found the babies hustled them out of the park to the city of Goma, where they have been living on a site with a house and trees.

"If they had not been taken out of the wild, they would have died," she said.

Newport doesn't know whether the two will be moved out of the center and into the wild when they get older.

The Senkwekwe Center is a 2.5-acre plot of forest three miles from the mountain gorilla habitat in Virunga.

Emmanuel de Merode, director of Virunga National Park, said that along with sheltering the baby gorillas, the center offers "a unique opportunity to enable the local population to see gorillas, and provides a launch pad for the veterinary activities that are conducted throughout Virunga."

The center will have a 40-by-40-meter interior holding facility, visitation platforms, an education center and veterinary facilities. The wildlife authority is raising $100,000 for the completion of the center, and donations will be matched by the United Nations Foundation.

Gorillas have been caught in the middle of the civil warfare in recent years, and fighters had occupied large swaths of the 8,000--square-kilometer park. The gorilla section is in a strategically important area near the borders of Rwanda and Uganda.

Source:
Cable Network News, "Baby gorillas in Congo getting a new playpen: Paradise", accessed November 20, 2009