Ocean monitoring system 'vital to mankind'

Paul Eccleston, Telegraph 25 Nov 07;

A monitoring system for the world's oceans is vital for the future of mankind, according to an international group of scientists.

They are urging support for a £1.5bn marine monitoring system to be built within 10 years.

Warming seas, over-fishing and pollution pose threats which have to be constantly measured and monitored, according to the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO).

The scientists say an integrated ocean observation system would quickly pay for itself by providing early warning of storms, including tsunamis, safer maritime operations and conservation of fish stocks as well as collecting the vital signs of the ocean needed to monitor climate change.

The call comes as officials from 71 countries gather in Cape Town for the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) conference.

The meeting will review progress and map out the next steps in a 10-year effort to build a ground-based, ocean-drifting, air-borne and space-based Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) to monitor all of Earth's environmental conditions.

Dr Tony Haymet, Director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, USA, and Chair of POGO's Executive Committee, said: "A system for ocean observing and forecasting that covers the world's oceans and their major uses can reduce growing risks, protect human interests and monitor the health of our precious oceans.

"The world community resolved to construct a comprehensive, integrated ocean observing system two decades ago. The good news is we have demonstrated that a global ocean observing system can be built, deployed and operated with available technologies.

"Now we must move from experiment and proof-of-concept to routine use. We have progressed less than halfway to our initial goals. Let's complete the task before we are struck by more tsunamis or comparable calamities."

The monitoring system would involve the expansion of such systems as:
# a stable network of satellites surveying vast extents of the surface of the oceans;
# fixed stations taking continuous measurements on the seafloor or as floats and buoys moored in the water column and at the surface;
# small robot submarine ocean monitors, some drifting with the currents, others motoring along programmed routes;
# marine animals ingeniously outfitted with electronic tags that equip them to capture and transmit data about the environments they visit;
# merchant marine and research vessels observing and taking measurements along their routes.

There are already 3,000 small, drifting "Argo" probes that measure pressure, salinity and temperatures at depths of up to 2kms but POGO says up to 10 times as many are needed to produce a high-resolution global picture of marine conditions.

Field testing is underway of 'air-clippers' - atmosphere and ocean surface sensors tethered to balloons. From these scientists have been able to measure atmospheric and ocean measurements from within the eye of a strong cyclone where the balloons become trapped.

Robot submarines are also used to record life and conditions in ocean deeps but scientists say they have barely scratched the surface with the resources available.

They have also tagged more than 2,000 marine animals who travel into the deep oceans including elephant seals, white sharks, leatherback turtles, squid and albatross. Elephant seals, spend 10 months at sea and dive up to 1.5 km below the ocean surface.

Light, depth, temperature and salinity data measured by the tags is transmitted via satellite as the creatures travel. This helps reveal diversity hot-spots, fish nurseries and migratory routes that need protection.

Across the earth's equatorial region 50 moored buoys have been deployed to measure temperature, currents, waves and winds, salinity, carbon dioxide, allowing scientists to study the signs of and predict destructive weather patterns such as El Niño.

Scientists say four times as many are needed to create more uniform coverage. Some areas have no sampling stations at all.

Pressure gauges deployed near shore and on the deep seafloor help detect both sea level rise and tsunamis. The deep-sea operation involves a surface buoy to receive the information from below and relay it to ground stations via satellite.

There were six Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) stations, all of them deployed in the Pacific, at the time of the earthquake and devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. An additional 32 DART buoys were soon announced, including stations in the Indian, Caribbean and Atlantic oceans.

The scientists also want to see more satellites which provide a high-altitude window on marine characteristics such as sea surface roughness, temperature, currents, ice cover and shifting meadow-like areas where marine plants grow.

"Oceans cover a majority of our planet - 71 per cent - yet are vastly under-sampled," said Dr Haymet. "We have an urgent need and new technological marvels available today to complete a system by which marine scientists could authoritatively diagnose and anticipate changing global ocean conditions - something akin to the system that enables meteorologists to predict weather.

"A continuous, integrated ocean observing system will return the investment many times over in safer maritime operations, storm damage mitigation, and conservation of living marine resources, as well as collecting the vital signs of the ocean that are needed to monitor climate change.

"The information gleaned will improve understanding of plankton blooms, fish migrations, changing ocean conditions, climate change, underwater volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and the processes that cause them, and help warn of approaching tsunamis."

Scientists urge $2-3 billion study of ocean health
Alister Doyle, Reuters Yahoo News 25 Nov 07;

Marine scientists called on Sunday for a $2-3 billion study of threats such as overfishing and climate change to the oceans, saying they were as little understood as the Moon.

A better network of satellites, tsunami monitors, drifting robotic probes or electronic tags on fish within a decade could also help lessen the impact of natural disasters, pollution or damaging algal blooms, they said.

"This is not pie in the sky ... it can be done," said Tony Haymet, director of the U.S. Scripps Institution of Oceanography and chairman of the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO).

He told Reuters that a further $2-3 billion would roughly match amounts already invested in ocean research, excluding more costly satellites. New technologies were cheaper and meant worldwide monitoring could now be possible.

"Silicon Valley has come to the oceans," said Jesse Ausubel, a director of the Census of Marine Life that is trying to describe life in the seas.

"Lots of cheap disposable devices can now be distributed throughout the oceans, in some cases on animals, in some cases on the sea floor, others drifting about," he told Reuters.

POGO wants the 72-nation Group on Earth Observations (GEO), meeting in Cape Town from November 28-30, to consider its appeal for a $2-3 billion study of the oceans as part of a wider effort to improve understanding of the planet by 2015.

GEO is seeking to link up scientific observations of the planet to find benefits for society in areas including energy, climate, agriculture, biodiversity, water supplies and weather.

MOON

The ocean "has been relatively ignored" compared to land or the atmosphere, said Howard Roe, a director emeritus of the British National Oceanography Centre and former chairman of POGO.

"It's a hoary phrase that we know more about the surface of the moon than the deep ocean. It's true. The oceans are virtually unexplored," he told Reuters.

Among ocean projects, POGO wants to raise the number of drifting robotic probes, know as "Argos" and which measure conditions driving climate change, to 30,000 from 3,000 now.

And the scientists said they wanted to expand a network of electronic tagging of fish to understand migrations and give clues to over-fishing.

"By my estimates for $50-60 million a year the world could have a global system, an ocean tracking network that could follow sharks from Cape Town to Perth or follow tuna from Miami to Southampton, Ausubel said.

And better monitoring of the oceans could give more advance warnings of storms, such as a November 15 cyclone that struck Bangladesh and killed 3,500 people. It could also send tsunami alerts -- the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed up to 230,000 people.

"2012 will be the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic. I think Captain Smith would be disappointed by the continuing hesitation to firm up our ocean observing system," Ausubel said.
(Editing by Charles Dick)


Better ocean monitoring 'vital'
BBC News 25 Nov 07

The call for action has been made by the Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (Pogo), which includes many of the world's leading oceanographic research centres.

A delegation of Pogo members will make their case at the annual ministerial meeting of the international Group on Earth Observations (Geo) in Cape Town, South Africa.

Ten-year plan

Tony Haymet, chairman of the Pogo's executive committee, said the international community had agreed to "construct a comprehensive, integrated ocean observing system two decades ago".

But he added that the venture was less than half completed.

"The good news is that we have demonstrated that a global ocean observing system can be built, deployed and operated with available technologies," said Dr Haymet, director of the US's Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

"Now we must move from experiment and proof-of-concept to routine use. Let's complete the task before we are struck by more tsunamis or comparable calamities."

According to Pogo, completing such a system over the next 10 years would cost an estimated $2-3bn (£1-1.5bn), and would include:

* A network of satellites - to survey the oceans' vast surfaces
* Fixed monitoring stations - for continuous measurements on the sea bed, water columns and surface
* Small robot submarines - some will drift with ocean currents, while others will follow pre-determined routes
* Tagging - electronic devices will relay information about the areas marine animals visit
* Research vessels - to be used for scientific surveys

The scientists say a better understanding of how the oceans behave would have a range of benefits, from improving short-term forecasting of potentially devastating storms and hurricanes, to the possible impact of warming waters on marine and coastal ecologies.

"Marine scientists could authoritatively diagnose and anticipate changing global ocean conditions - something akin to the system that enables meteorologists to predict weather," Dr Haymet explained.

The Pogo delegation will present its case on Friday to the GEO ministerial meeting, which will review progress on the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) and agree a roadmap for the coming decade.

Read more!

Searching for turtle eggs: WWF Pulau Upeh conservation project

Lim Wei Phin, The Star 25 Nov 07;

A WHILE back, I was fortunate enough to be a volunteer for WWF Malaysia in their Hawksbill turtle project in Pulau Upeh, an island off Malacca.

Upon arrival at the WWF office, I was told to rest till 6pm before heading out to Pulau Upeh. We had to reach the island before 7pm, just as the sun was setting to ensure that the noise made by the engine of the motor boat did not scare the turtles away. I was informed that the turtles usually monitor the shores for a few days before actually coming up to lay their eggs.

Pulau Upeh was once earmarked as a tourist attraction, but the plans to build a resort fell through. It is now a deserted island except for two caretakers. Upon arriving at the island, I was shocked to see that the beach was only about 120m long. We immediately set up camp, and unrolled our mats on the abandoned jetty floor and placed our sleeping bags on them. That was our ‘camp’ I guess.

So, the idea here was to patrol the beach every two hours. That’s because a turtle takes at least three hours to lay its eggs, so patrolling every one and a half hour ensures that we do not miss a single turtle. We did our first patrol round and I was left dismayed as we didn’t find anything.

While waiting, I had a nice chat with the WWF worker. I learned that there are seven different species of turtles: Loggerhead turtle, Green Sea turtle, Hawksbill turtle, Kemp’s Ridley turtle, Olive Ridley turtle, Flatback turtle and Leatherback turtle.

The Leatherback turtle is the famous giant turtle which can grow as big as a Volkswagen car. They used to be commonly found in Rantau Abang, Terengganu, where they lay their eggs but the number have now declined miserably. It is currently an endangered species due to many locals digging up their eggs and fishermen catching the turtles in their nets by accident.

Only four types of sea turtles can be found in Malaysia: Green Sea turtle, Leatherback turtle, Olive Ridley turtle and the Hawksbill turtle. The most common of them are the Green Sea turtles which can be found all around the globe. However, Pulau Upeh has a unique rocky shore which attracts the Hawksbill Turtle.

Throughout the night, we didn’t stumble upon any turtles. I was disappointed at having to put up with the harsh surrounding but not seeing anything worthwhile.

In the morning, we went ashore to get breakfast. There was no fancy restaurant around but the nasi lemak and mi bandung at the hawker stalls were pretty good.

Later, I went to a turtle sanctuary where I managed to see a Green Sea turtle and a Hawksbill turtle. Those were turtles that were reared from young in captivity, and would not be able to survive long if released into the wild. One of the turtles was donated by a lady who got it from a pet shop.

I was taken to a back room where the turtle eggs were stored. The eggs were stored in boxes which were labelled with their estimated hatching time. It takes approximately 100 days for the eggs to hatch. But the fishermen who are paid to bring the eggs to the sanctuary sometimes bring them in too late.

There is talk of people selling the turtle eggs in the black market as there is a demand for them from people who use them to treat asthma and as aphrodisiacs.

Our task at the hatchery was to determine why the same batch of eggs did not hatch after the baby turtles were released into the ocean. The baby turtles have to be released to the ocean once hatched as they have to grow up in a natural environment to ensure they can survive the harsh seas. The odds of a baby turtle surviving to a fertile age is one to 1000. The turtles also have a way of coming back to the shore where it was born to lay their eggs.

After sorting out the eggs, we had dinner and then prepared to return to Pulau Upeh. We patrolled the shores again every one and a half hours. To my dismay, we didn’t encounter any turtles yet again. I was a bit disappointed.

On my third night, during the midnight patrol, as my hope and enthusiasm were dwindling, we finally spotted a turtle! Our first task was to mark the spot where the eggs were laid, so that the eggs could be collected later on.

We placed a red string into the hole where the turtle laid its eggs and left the long end of the string exposed. The turtle then buried its eggs back in such a way that the spot which was dug up was left as if untouched.

After laying its eggs, we had to ‘tackle’ the turtle to check if it was previously tagged. I was informed that a turtle usually comes up to shore to lay its eggs about three to four times a season. Each turtle which has been previously identified would have been tagged on both the front flippers to identify the number of times they came up to lay their eggs.

To our surprise, this turtle did not have a tag on it meaning it was a ‘new’ turtle to the area. I had to hold down the turtle while the other WWF worker tagged both its front flippers to ensure that the turtle could be recognised the second time round.

To my astonishment, the turtle was incredibly strong. Even with me literally sitting on it, it still managed to move and struggle back towards the ocean. After tagging the turtle, we allowed it to go back into the ocean.

Our work for the night was far from over. We had to dig up the eggs, and be very careful about breaking them. The eggs could not be shaken and must be kept vertical at all times. We carefully dug up the eggs and placed them in a polystyrene box filled with sand. I counted 108 eggs, a number which would have thrilled the punter but not the conservationist. Normally a turtle could lay up to 150 eggs.

Although a turtle was spotted that night, we still had to patrol the shore as another turtle might turn up The next morning, I was awakened by the sound of the motor boat. We gathered our belongings as well as the turtle eggs and loaded them on board. When we reached shore, the first thing was to bring the turtle eggs to the sanctuary and breakfast had to take a backseat.

Although my stint only lasted three days, I felt a deep sense of pride and fulfillment for what I had accomplished in my little adventure. It was a great experience for me and I feel that more young people should come forward to help protect one of the greatest treasures of Malaysia.

Links

Conservation of Hawksbill Turtles & Painted Terrapins in Malacca on the WWF website.

One of the turtles tagged in this programme was found to spend most of her time in the vicinity of Sentosa and our Southern Islands! More on the WWF: Voyage of our Tutles: Puteri Pulau Upeh

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 25 Nov 07

Last TeamSeagrass trip for the year at Semakau
A fabulous day out on the tidechaser blog and teamseagrass blog

Coastal Cleanup Plans for 2008
Volunteer managers always welcomed. More on the toddycats blog

Common Ravens at Play
on the bird ecology blog

Daily Green Action 23 Nov
lights out and buyings out on the leafmonkey blog

Read more!

Fake shark fins may be infiltrating the Taiwan market

Taipei Times 24 Nov 07;

A chef specializing in shark fin soup warned consumers that many shark fins bought in Taiwan are fake and might pose a hazard to their health.

Wang Chia-chuan, who works for a restaurant in Taichung, noted that the supply of shark fins has dwindled in recent years because of worldwide attempts to conserve sharks.

He said that many of the shark fins sold are actually made from a mixture of mung bean starch gel, fish skin and gelatin -- a substance extracted from the boiled bones, skins and tendons of animals.

Wang said the manufacturers of these fake shark fins then use hydrogen peroxide solution to bleach their products to make them look genuine, and that those who unknowingly consume the look-alike shark fins could be endangering their health.

Even real shark fins are not always safe to consume, because some restaurants soak dried fins in chemical solutions to speed up the process of softening them for cooking, he said.

The chef suggested that before buying such products, consumers should learn how to distinguish genuine shark fins from fake ones. He said that involves judging from the look, smell and taste of the fins, as well as using the fingers to stretch or break up the cartilage.

Read more!

1000th Whale Shark added to Photo-identification Library

The 1000th specimen of the world's largest and most cryptic fish, the whale shark, has been identified thanks to global efforts by hundreds of 'citizen scientists' and eco-tourists.

ECOCEAN, the group behind a unique, award-winning* conservation effort to save the world's threatened whale sharks, today announced the identification of the 1000th identified whale shark in its online Library which shares data from scientists and ecotourists worldwide.

"Its a major milestone, for science and for conservation," says ECOCEAN project leader Brad Norman, of Perth WA. "And it was achieved with the help of ordinary people worldwide who want to study and protect this wonderful creature."

ECOCEAN tracks individual whale sharks throughout the world's oceans using a web-based photo-ID library of the unique spots that pattern the animals' skins. Researchers and eco-tourists submit images, which are logged to reveal a picture of whale shark movements and behaviour over time.

The 1000th shark was reported by a major contributor to the ECOCEAN Photo-ID Library, Simon Pierce, a marine biologist studying the sharks that visit Mozambique. It was a 6.5m male. Simon has contributed more than 100 sharks from his three year study in Mozambique.

"We can expect there to be substantially more than 1000 sharks alive in the world today. But, even so it is still a very tiny global population that needs close monitoring to ensure its survival.

Participation in the ECOCEAN Library has increased dramatically in recent years. It took three years to reach the 500th shark milestone but only one additional year to reach 1000. This is evidence of willingness by people worldwide to use the Library to study this cryptic giant.

Brad Norman notes: "We're calling on the public worldwide to become 'citizen scientists' and help us study this wonderful animal by logging their images and sighting details on www.whaleshark.org

"This will build a better understanding of this threatened species and help save the largest fish in the ocean from extinction"

Brad Norman won a Rolex Award for Enterprise for this work in 2006. ECOCEAN won a Sun Microsystems Duke's Choice Award for Innovative Use of Java Technology in 2005 and the Peter Benchley Award for Shark Conservation (Science) 2007

Australia fights to save whale shark
Lauren Williams, Daily Telegraph 27 Nov 07;

TECHNOLOGY from NASA combined with photographs from 1000 amateur scientists has allowed researchers to track the largest and most elusive fish in the sea.

A Perth-based conservation group has recruited tourists and nature lovers from around the globe to photograph their sightings of whale sharks.

Known as the gentle giants of the sea, the rare and beautiful beasts grow up to 18m and are under threat of extinction.

But using ground-breaking technology first employed by NASA to identify star constellations, around 1000 whale sharks have now been identified - prompting some hope that their numbers are rising.

The technology allows the distinguishing patterns on the animals to be analysed and compared to others in the photograph bank. Like a fingerprint, the unique spotted designs differ on each shark.

Despite a growing number of international laws protecting the whale shark, the leader of the ECOCEAN project, Brad Norman, said there was still an illegal market for the fin and flesh of the whale shark in East Asia.

"This year Taiwan announced they would ban fishing of the whale shark, so we are having some success," he said.

Mr Norman said the largest numbers of whale sharks were found of the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia.

The latest photographic sighting was made by marine biologist Simon Pearce in waters off the coast of Mozambique.

Even at a massive 6.5m long, Mr Norman said the giant was most likely a juvenile.

"Whale sharks were only discovered in 1828. We don't know much about them," he said.

1,000th rare whale shark identified in Mozambique
Michael Perry, Reuters 28 Nov 07;

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The 1,000th whale shark, a rare and threatened species, has been discovered by researchers using a global program in which eco-tourists and scientists identify new sharks and lodge photographs on an online library.

"It's a major milestone, for science and for conservation," said ECOCEAN project leader Brad Norman in Australia.

"It was achieved with the help of ordinary people worldwide who want to study and protect this wonderful creature," Norman told Reuters on Thursday from Perth in Western Australia.

The whale shark is the world's largest fish, a slow-moving filter feeder that can grow to around 12 meters (40 feet) and weigh up to 21 metric tons. But it is difficult to study, remaining in deep ocean for months and only rarely rising towards the surface.

ECOCEAN tracks individual whale sharks around the world's oceans using a Web-based photo-ID library (www.whaleshark.org) which catalogues each whale's unique spots.

Researchers and eco-tourists submit images, which are logged to reveal a picture of whale shark movements and behavior.

The 1,000th whale shark, a 6.5 meter (19 feet) male, was recently reported by marine biologist Simon Piercea in Mozambique. Piercea has contributed more than 100 sharks from his three-year study in Mozambique.

"We can expect there to be substantially more than 1,000 sharks alive in the world today," said Norman. "But, even so, it is still a very tiny global population that needs close monitoring to ensure its survival."

Participation in the ECOCEAN library has increased dramatically in recent years. It took three years to identify the 500th shark but only one additional year to reach 1,000.

ECOCEAN's Web site tells readers how to photograph a whale shark, warning swimmers to stay at least three meters (10 feet) from the shark for fear of upsetting it.

It also explains how to photograph the left and right side spot patterns above the pectoral fins, which create a unique "bodyprint," for identification.

"We're calling on the public worldwide to become 'citizen scientists' and help us study this wonderful animal by logging their images and sighting details," said Norman.

"The data will help us determine their numbers, movements and identify critical breeding and feeding grounds which need to be protected. This will build a better understanding of this threatened species and help save the largest fish in the ocean from extinction," he said.

(Editing by David Fogarty)

Links

ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-identification Library

Read more!

Japan stands by its renewed 'scientific' whale slaughter

Justin Norrie, The Age 24 Nov 07

"This is nothing other than an economic activity. It leaves no room for researchers to carry out research based on their own ideas." Toshio Kasuya, a retired professor who worked for the Fisheries Agency's whaling program in the 1980s.

After the moratorium, Japan has killed almost 10,500 mostly minke and Bryde's whales, and has plans to slaughter several thousand more. By contrast, it killed just 840 whales in the name of scientific research between 1954 and the moratorium imposed in 1986.

LUIS Pastene's name is virtually unknown in the anti-whaling countries of the Western world. But the Chilean-born marine biologist feels their wrath every November when Japan's whaling fleet sets out on another expedition to cull hundreds of whales in the name of science.

"I'm getting so tired of the biased articles I read in Western newspapers each year at this time," says Dr Pastene, who supervises nine scientists studying whale samples at Tokyo's Institute of Cetacean Research.

It is the work his team does here that drives Japan's "scientific whaling" program, and in turn provokes international outrage. Invariably, he says, the substance of his research is lost amid invective from activists. "It's time someone told the truth," he insists.

The truth, in simple terms, is that Japan's giant 8030-tonne factory ship, the Nisshin Maru, and three smaller whaling boats, left last Sunday for the Antarctic Ocean on the biggest scientific whale hunt in history. The fleet is intent on slaughtering as many as 935 minke whales, 50 fin whales, and, crucially, 50 of the vulnerable humpback whales protected by an international moratorium since 1966.

Back at the laboratories of the institute, not far from the world's biggest fish and seafood market at Tsukiji, Dr Pastene and his colleagues will scrutinise thousands of samples taken from blubber, livers, ear-plugs, ovaries and testes, bones, lungs and even the skin of foetuses borne by cows at the time of their death.

The institute is the centre of Japan's scientific whaling program. Critics say its research is a sham designed to allow the country to continue commercial whaling, but its staff says the data is crucial to understanding whale populations, their "stock structures", movements, feedings habits and contamination by pollutants. It should also give an indication, Dr Pastene says, of competition between different whale species for food.

"For example, when the size of a population has decreased substantially, more food will be available (per capita), blubber will be thick and these better nutritive conditions will promote a younger age at sexual maturity and the pregnancy rate will increase," he says.

"Ear wax is used to determine the age of the whales and the ovaries are used to check the maturity status of the females." Also, he says, pollutants such as mercury are absorbed through food and indicate how much krill — small crustaceans — the whale communities are consuming, and therefore how they are faring against other species.

This and other research, Japan's Fisheries Agency insists, is all carried out with the innocent aim of monitoring changes to environmental conditions and whale populations in the Antarctic. That could require "employing control of whale populations if needs be", the Government says more ominously in its whaling plan.

The institute's director-general, Minoru Morimoto, rejects claims by Australian scientists that more humane methods of study could produce the same results. "Mortality, birthing rates and accurate age determination, important for whale management, cannot be done through DNA analysis of random skin flakes," he says.

Because changes occur so slowly in a whale population, he says, a large sample is needed each year to gain accurate data. The whale meat left over is then sold by the institute, formerly a government agency, to fund research for the following year.

By using mostly anecdotal data to hypothesise that an increase in the number of protected humpback whales — from roughly 1200 in 1963 to 30,000-40,000 now — is hurting minke whale populations, the body has now decided to add the humpback species, beloved of whale watchers across the world, to its research program. This "major shift" in the ecosystem must be closely watched, it warns. Due to the lack of hard data available, however, it has opted for a "precautionary approach" and settled on a small sample size of 50.

"Humpback whales in our research area are rapidly recovering," says Hideki Moronuki, whaling chief at the Fisheries Agency. "Taking 50 humpbacks from a population of tens of thousands will have no significant impact."

As Dr Pastene points out, the main purpose is to obtain the scientific information that will allow a "rational use of whale stocks in future". In other words, it might be said that Japan is killing whales to justify more killing — an irony that is not lost on its fiercest critics.

One of them has appeared recently from within the ranks of Japan's own scientific fraternity. Toshio Kasuya, a retired professor who worked for the Fisheries Agency's whaling program in the 1980s, launched a scathing attack on his former colleagues.

"Without the earnings from the meat sales, the whaling organisation that undertakes the government-commissioned research program would be unable to continue operation, and the shipping company that provides the fleet for the program would not be able to recover costs for whaling vessel construction," he wrote in a newspaper.

"This is nothing other than an economic activity. It leaves no room for researchers to carry out research based on their own ideas."

More controversially, he says scientists were told in the 1980s to manipulate the quota of whales needed for research to ensure the program continued for as long as possible. "I regret very much my role in setting up this illegal whale research."

Twenty years later, Japan has killed almost 10,500 mostly minke and Bryde's whales, and has plans to slaughter several thousand more. By contrast, it killed just 840 whales in the name of scientific research between 1954 and the international moratorium on commercial whaling, imposed in 1986.

Whale meat, meanwhile, is more widely available than ever in Japanese supermarkets and was also included in the regular menu of the Tsubohachi izakaya (Japanese-style pub) chain this year.

In 2005, Kushiro, a small town in Hokkaido, became one of the first in Japan to put whale meat back into school lunches in a push to rejuvenate its depressed economy through the whaling industry. A local seafood processing company began producing whale burgers and even whale curry — in "handy boil-in-a-bag pouches".

Naoka Funahashi, the Japanese director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, believes it is only national pride, compounded by indignation at criticism from the West, that stirs many Japanese into professing support for whaling.

Several hotly disputed polls suggest young Japanese people nowadays have little liking for the fatty meat, and one Australian study has found university students are mostly opposed to whaling.

But Mr Moronuki, from the Fisheries Agency, scoffs at this. "I also felt in the same way when I was a student … but the thing is, students don't fully understand the facts.

"On the other hand, when I try to explain the problem about the resources level of whales or what we should do to use resources continuously, many people start to understand."

Read more!

Meat, poultry, vegetables feel heat from global warming

Anil Penna, Yahoo News 25 Nov 07;

From meat, poultry and milk to potatoes, onions and leafy greens, everything consumed on the world's dining tables is feeling the heat from climate change, scientists say.

Researchers are trying to establish the extent to which global warming will affect livestock, plant life and staple crops such as rice to bolster their resistance to disease and breed stronger varieties.

The world's billion poor, whether producers or consumers, will bear the brunt, warned scientists who ended a conference Saturday on agriculture and climate change in Hyderabad, southern India.

"In some ways, the time for doing things is already past," said John McDermott, deputy director of research at the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute. "The changes are already happening."

As an example, rift valley fever, a deadly virus transmitted to sheep, cattle, camels and humans by mosquito bites, is being fuelled by climate change, the scientist said.

The virus is manifesting itself in broader swathes of East Africa and the Middle East because of climate variability in dry regions that helps vectors such as mosquitoes, tsetse flies and ticks to breed and spread, he said.

"What you see are diseases moving into areas where they have not been before, which means sometimes animals are exposed where they haven't been for a long time," he said.

"That leads to more outbreaks," McDermott added.

For the poor, livestock offers a livelihood as well as a savings bank they can tap, selling off their cows or chickens to deal with a health or family emergency.

"These are the people who don't make much of an impact on the ecological footprint of the world," said McDermott.

But they are also the people most at risk from damage wrought on livestock by diseases that could be aggravated by climate-related phenomena.

Scientists are also studying cropping and disease patterns in vegetables -- potatoes and tomatoes to cabbage and spinach, onion and garlic -- to see how they can cope with the stresses brought by global warming and its side-effects.

"If you make it a given that temperatures will go up, water will be a problem -- that will be your worst-case scenario," said Jackie Hughes, deputy director of research at the Shanhua, Taiwan-based World Vegetable Centre.

"You're going to have typhoons, cyclones and hurricanes," she said, adding vegetable growers may have to grow different varieties, use grafting techniques to address flooding and devise rain and insect protection for their crops.

"Probably, it will mean a shift of where crops are grown -- onions moving a little bit in one direction and tomatoes, cabbages coming out of very, very dry areas," she added.

Success in tackling the impact of climate change on crops is important as the world is host to a billion people who are already underweight and under-nourished, Hughes said.

The average adult is required to consume 74 kilogrammes of vegetables a year and "most don't reach that," she added.

Scientists are also concerned about the potential effect of climate change on potato blight, a weather-driven disease that takes a heavy toll on potato crops.

The pathogen that causes the blight is an "incredibly fast breeder," said Dyno Keatinge, deputy research head of the International Crops Research Institute here.

"So I am worried, you don't see me smiling in complacency," said Keatinge, who comes from Ireland where the disease caused a great famine in the 1840s.

Read more!

Commonwealth steers clear of binding emissions cuts

Simon Sturdee Yahoo News 24 Nov 07;

Commonwealth leaders failed to agree Saturday on recommending binding emissions cuts ahead of next month's climate conference in Bali, opting instead to send a "very strong political statement."

"There are clearly some (Commonwealth leaders) who are clearly not ready to use the term binding at this stage," Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon said following talks between the group's leaders in Uganda.

"The objective was to make a very strong political statement without getting caught up in too many technicalities ahead of Bali," he said.

The Bali international summit will see nations discuss a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on lowering harmful emissions. The protocol expires in 2012.

Countries such as the United States and Commonwealth members Canada and Australia -- at least under the outgoing government -- oppose binding cuts if these do not include all countries, especially economic powerhouse China.

The Commonwealth, a 53-nation federation of mostly former British colonies, comprises some of the world's biggest emitters of greenhouse gases such as Britain, India, Canada and Australia.

But some members are also very much in the front line of climate change's effects such as the Maldives and Kiribati, which are in danger of being submerged by rising sea levels in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

The Commonwealth's outgoing chairman Lawrence Gonzi, the Maltese prime minister, had said Friday that greenhouse gas emissions must be at least halved from 1990 levels by 2050.

But a Commonwealth statement said Saturday the Bali talks should be "inclusive in nature and should work towards outcomes that are ambitious, comprehensive, equitable, have respect for different national circumstances, and provide for flexibility in addressing climate change.

"Our shared goal should be to achieve a comprehensive post-2012 global agreement that strengthens, broadens, and deepens current arrangements and leads to reduced emissions of global greenhouse gases.

"This should include a long-term aspirational goal for emissions reduction to which all countries would contribute."

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown, though, welcomed his new Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd's pledge to reverse previous government policy in Canberra and sign the Kyoto agreement, as well as commit to binding targets.

He said such moves "will be a very important factor" in Bali.

Elsewhere, the Commonwealth called for more promotion of economic development of poor countries and in particular a shift from predominantly agricultural societies to ones with strong industrial and services sectors.

"Backwardness destroys the environment," Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said at a joint news conference with McKinnon.

As a sign of the disparity in Commonwealth member states, Museveni said 73 percent of his own country's workforce were in agriculture compared with just 1.4 percent in Britain.

Earlier Saturday, Commonwealth leaders appointed Kamalesh Sharma from India as the organisation's new secretary general.

Sharma, currently India's high commissioner in Britain and a former ambassador to the United Nations, replaces New Zealander McKinnon who is stepping down next year after the end of his second four-year term.

Sharma deflected questions on Pakistan, which the Commonwealth suspended on Thursday, saying the grouping's relations with Islamabad were McKinnon's responsibility until he took up his post on April 1.

"Between now and that time there are four months to go... In any event we have a working mechanism and it is for his (McKinnon's) team or for himself to make observations on issues of this nature," he told a news conference.

Sharma, 67, is the first secretary general from an Asian Commonwealth country in more than 40 years and comes as India -- the grouping's most populous member -- prepares to host the next Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Commonwealth fails to back climate targets
Barry Moody, Reuters 24 Nov 07;

KAMPALA (Reuters) - The Commonwealth said on Saturday climate change threatened the existence of small island members faced with rising sea levels but it failed to back binding targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A statement issued on the second day of a summit of the club of mostly former British colonies said the Commonwealth was gravely concerned about climate change, which was "a direct threat to the very survival of some Commonwealth countries, notably small island states."

It said the cost of inaction would be greater than taking early measures to counteract global warming.

But the declaration by the Commonwealth summit (CHOGM) contained only vague language and lacked binding targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, prompting Greenpeace Executive Director John Sauvan to condemn it as inadequate.

"There is a complete lack of urgency, given the need to get climate changing emissions under control ... and the disproportionate impact of climate change on the world's poorest Commonwealth members," he said.

The Commonwealth secretary-general, Don McKinnon, called the agreement "quite a leap forward" although it stopped short of the major statement that many countries had said they wanted.

Before the summit, Britain had called for an "unequivocal message" and had urged developed nations to make binding commitments before an environment conference in Bali next month.

The Kampala declaration stopped short of that, but did say developed countries should take the lead in cutting emissions.

"No strategy or actions to deal with climate change should have the effect of depriving developing countries of ... sustainable economic development," it said.

BALI SUMMIT

The Bali meeting will discuss an agreement to succeed the Kyoto protocol which aims to reduce emissions of the gases that cause global warming but which expires in 2012.

Kyoto exempts developing nations, including major emitters India and China, from commitments to reduce greenhouse gases.

Canada's conservative government said on Friday it would not sign an agreement in Kampala unless it called for all countries to reduce emissions.

The Commonwealth traditionally reaches agreement by consensus and the need to compromise between Canada's position and the demands of developing nations, especially island states, may explain the vague nature of Saturday's declaration.

The Commonwealth Climate Change Action Plan called for a post-Kyoto agreement to reduce greenhouse gases but spoke only of "a long term aspirational global goal for emissions reduction to which all countries would contribute."

Environmentalists sharply attacked similar non-binding language after recent summits by the G8 industrial nations and the APEC Asia-Pacific group.

A British official said the statement "does what we wanted which is to continue ...to build momentum ahead of Bali."

But he added: "there is a question over whether CHOGM is the right place to commit people to binding targets when we have Bali around the corner. Some participants felt Bali was the right place to discuss commitments."

Australia has been one of the Commonwealth states most reluctant to combat climate change, but Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd said after winning a general election on Saturday that Australia would now sign up to Kyoto.

Ex-Prime Minister John Howard government's refusal to ratify Kyoto angered Pacific island nations, including Commonwealth members, who could be submerged by rising sea levels.

(Additional reporting by Tim Cocks and Jeremy Clarke; Editing by Oliver Bullough)

Read more!

Mandai at risk?

Straits Times 25 Nov 07

MANDAI to Singaporeans is the zoo. It's also the home of the Night Safari, one of the most creative tourism products offered in years.

For those who haven't swung by this neck of the woods in the north, be advised that Mandai is special. The forest canopy of a deep green, the body of water that hugs its contours and the hush of the place altogether make for an alcove happily at odds with urban Singapore. The air is sweet. Even the light has a clarity that is a delight to photography enthusiasts.

The Singapore Tourism Board is intending to have interested parties bid for a large slice of this arbour to develop into a sort of showcase for eco-tourism. Ideas will be solicited from the trade.

The probability is that country lodges, hiking trails, health spas, kayaking and of course chomp-chomp places will be proposed.

The Nature Society is aghast. It is sure the eco-balance will be upset. The Government will have a fight on its hands as the green lobby is tenacious and has growing public support.

The economic argument usually holds sway in Singapore. But respect for nature and the environment, which goes hand in hand with a nation's affluence, is also gaining ground.

It has to come down to this: If the eventual proposals turn out to be humdrum, leave Mandai well alone. It's not worth cutting up the place (30ha, say the project papers) to accommodate businesses that will flop.

Once the flora and fauna are disturbed, it is hard to regenerate them.

The advance publicity does not sound terribly persuasive. It would make commercial sense to think up instead more new attractions and displays at the zoo and the Night Safari. These are known brands to international travellers.

Those who plump for eco-tourism in the region will think of the Philippines and Malaysia, perhaps Thailand too.

Singapore? It should play to its strengths in designing urban attractions.

RELATED LINKS

Do we need another nature-themed attraction?
NO: Nature Society thinks it will cause greater damage to nature reserve
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times 22 Nov 07

YES: A nature escape will add to Singapore's attraction as a tourist destination, say travel agents
30ha of greenery in Mandai has been set aside for a new attraction near the Zoo and Night Safari, and the idea is already drawing varied reactions
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times 22 Nov 07;

Mandai: a repeat of the losses at Bukit Timah Nature Reseve
due to over-development? and more thoughts on the nature scouter blog

Nature Society expresses concerns about plans for Mandai
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times 21 Nov 07;

Mandai to be turned into Asia's top nature spot
Channel NewsAsia 20 Nov 07

Read more!

Wanted: Familiar places and faces to feel at home

Bertha Henson, Straits Times 25 Nov 07;

LAST weekend, I was at a road which used to be my playground - Tanjong Katong Road.

That was where my alma mater, Tanjong Katong Girls' School, used to be - until 1995.

The buildings are still there, and it looked as if one block had been taken over by the Canadian International School. The other block of four storeys seems to have fallen into disrepair.

The international school took over the lease this year, for three years up to 2015. Before this, the buildings used to house a primary school.

When TKGS was moved from the road after which it was named to nearby Dunman Lane, some of us old girls had wondered about what would happen to the buildings where we had spent four years.

The authorities said they had redevelopment plans for the site, making it available for private housing. The school had to be moved because it needed more space as it was going single-session. Yet many a time I wondered about the huge green field next to the blocks, and whether the school could have been rebuilt on the site.

Sure, the current premises - boasting Roman architecture - is swell. But entering the gates as an old girl five years ago, all I could relate to was the green uniform that the girls wore. Thank goodness it hasn't gone co-ed.

But just seconds after I passed my alma mater, I did a double-take. The neighbouring Tanjong Katong Technical School where we girls had to go for technical drawing classes had become a youth hostel. And its big airy canteen had become a foodcourt.

It made me think: One of the two schools could have been saved with the neighbouring buildings being razed for extensions. Being prejudiced, the saved school should be my old school.

This is a common lament, of course. So many of us in the workforce can no longer point to buildings we used to study in. Some schools have even been erased off the map altogether.

We shouldn't stand in the way of progress. If the land became valuable, surely we should get more out of it than just use it to house a school?

In the case of the two schools along Tanjong Katong, redevelopment plans appeared to have been put on hold - for more than a decade.

Okay, so plans change. Needs change. And no, I am not suggesting that TKGS goes back to its old spot. What I am hoping for is more foresight from planners, to keep memories alive for those of us who grew up here.

And if we can't keep the buildings in place, we can at least try to keep the community together.

There are many public schemes that let people do this, whether it is being able to pick a unit in your old neighbourhood which was razed by the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme or getting priority for a flat near your old home where your elderly parents are still living in.

We might want to think of going even more local.

The Lift Upgrading Programme has finally come to my mother's neighbourhood, much to her delight. Residents had lobbied hard for it, especially since the area is close to 30 years old.

Ever since the Main Upgrading Programme was announced in the early 90s, a lift that stops on every floor was the cherry on the pie. So many people armed with keys to their new flat did not realise they would grow old and have creaky knees.

The thing is, many people also got tired of waiting.

The policy that the oldest flats get MUP-ed first didn't seem to have been consistently applied.

Younger buildings in newer housing estates somehow made it earlier in the queue. Sure, there were political considerations, which over the next few general elections went right down to how a precinct voted.

So over the last 10 years or so, the old-timers started moving out. Some upgraded to private property, but there were also those who moved out because they could not negotiate the stairs any more.

In the week that lift upgrading was announced in my mother's neighbourhood, an old woman nearing 90 moved out. Her walking stick was not much help in getting up and down even a few flights of stairs. She and her daughter went for a flat where, you guessed it, the lift stops on every floor.

Now the old lady is missing the familiarity of her old surroundings and her neighbours. Her former neighbours, who view her as a bit of an institution, miss her too.

New people have moved into the block, usually families with young children. When lift upgrading came along, they were heard muttering about the expense, even though the upgrading is heavily subsidised.

You can't quite blame them. They haven't even paid off the house yet and creaky knees still seem far away.

Then there are old-timers who have leased out their flats. Why should they pay for lifts that stop on every floor if their tenants keep paying the rent?

So the resident old-timers are now in a bit of a fix. Would they or would they not get the number of votes for that valued lift? If they don't, would they too have to go somewhere else for mobility reasons?

To think that it would have been a sure thing just five years ago.

The hope is that policymakers would keep these little things at the back of their minds when they sit down to draw up redevelopment and upgrading plans.

Then there will be less sighing, for the places we grew up in - and the people we grew old with.

This young country needs familiar places and familiar people rather than exclamations of 'Oh, how everything's changed, and everyone's gone''.

Too much of it and it's not home any more.

Read more!

Keppel Island: another shore developed

Fine-dining eatery to open on Keppel Island
Huang Lijie, Straits Times 25 Nov 07
MAKING waves on the waterfront dining scene here is restaurateur Michel Lu's latest food and beverage outlet - Prive on Keppel Island.

Opening its doors on Dec 11, the multi-million-dollar eatery comprises an 88-seat fine-dining restaurant, a 150-seat gastro-bar and a 50-seat bakery-cum-cafe.

Occupying some 12,000 sq ft, Prive is located in the marina on Keppel Island, which is opposite the luxury condominium Caribbean at Keppel Bay near HarbourFront Walk. It is accessible via a 245m cable bridge linking the mainland to the Island.

Besides snagging prime waterfront property, Mr Lu has also managed to bring on board Tony Bilson, who is much feted as the grandfather of Australian cuisine, as a non-resident executive chef.

Bilson, who heads his own restaurant, Bilson's, in Sydney, has a hand in designing Prive's menu. He will also travel to Singapore every two to three months to cook in Prive's kitchen, and to train the staff here in culinary techniques.

On the collaboration, Bilson, who is in his 60s, says he jumped at the offer because he wanted to play a part in shaping 'Singapore's role in contemporary cuisine'.

He adds that he had previously cooked at Mr Lu's now-defunct Restaurant 360 in One Fullerton and that they share a great working relationship.

The new restaurant will be a contemporary New York-style grill featuring prime Angus steak from the United States and live seafood such as lobsters and oysters.

Prices start from $20 for appetisers such as a bay scallop carpaccio to $68 for a 340g ribeye steak.

The gastro-bar will serve appetiser-portion foods priced between $5 and $18, including items such as steamed Tasmanian mussels in white wine and leek, and Gruyere stuffed risotto balls.

The bakery-cum-cafe, on the other hand, will offer a range of freshly baked breads and pastries and a range of milk shakes.

The marina on Keppel Island, due to open in January next year, can accommodate 170 yachts and includes facilities such as a clubhouse and other gourmet restaurants.

Read more!

Bear gall bladder sold at food fair

But AVA says exotic delicacy is banned here
Hedy Khoo, The Electric New Paper 25 Nov 07

SHE wanted to find local delicacies at this Asian food fair. Instead, she found exotic animal parts on sale.

The account management specialist, Miss C.L. Boh, 31, was surprised that a packet of bear's gall bladder was on sale at one booth.

Bear bile products and bear gall bladders are used as a traditional medicine to treat such ailments as fever, haemorrhoids, conjunctivitis and liver problems.

But the import and sale of these, as well as other endangered species such as tiger and rhinoceros, are illegal here.

The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) enforces the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act (ESA) to regulate trade in endangered species.

Last Sunday, Miss Boh was visiting the Asian Pacific Food Expo 2007 at the Singapore Expo Hall 5 when she spotted the illegal product. She had stopped to browse at the booth after being attracted by a pair of deer's antlers on display.

BEAR PICTURES

There she spotted a packet with a picture of a bear among packets of dried Chinese herbs and cordyceps.

Said Miss Boh: 'I was curious to see what kind of product would have a bear's picture.'

On closer look, she saw the Chinese characters, 'Bear's gall bladder' on the packet.

'How could this product be brought into Singapore when it is supposed to be banned?' said Miss Boh.

She secretly took a picture with her digital camera and alerted the AVA.

The AVA confirmed that it responded to a tip-off on 20 Nov.

They checked a booth, Jilin Baishan Cai Xing, at the expo that was trading in traditional Chinese medicinal products, including bear gall bladder.

The AVA said its officers also found two other booths selling bear gall powder.

Said an AVA spokesman: 'As the bear products at the three booths were illegally imported, they were seized and investigation is underway.'

When the New Paper visited the booth last Tuesday, the booth was empty except for a few packets of cordyceps on display.

A woman in charge of the booth said she was from Shanghai and that there were no longer any bear gall bladders for sale.

She said she had been unaware these products were not allowed to be sold here. She declined to give her name or contact details of her company.

Under the ESA, any person found to possess, sell, offer, advertise or display for sale, any endangered species imported without a permit may have to pay a compound fine of up to $5,000.

If convicted, an offender can be fined up to $500,000 and/or jailed up to two years.

AVA will also confiscate all illegally acquired or imported products that contain or purport to contain endangered species.

Anyone with information on anyone selling such products as bear bile or gall bladder can contact the AVA at 6227 0670.

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Asian bears at risk from poaching, deforestation: wildlife group
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Read more!

More bird flu outbreaks but where's battle plan?

Straits Times 25 Nov 07

People in general may be ignoring the threat because in today's world they are suffering from alert fatigue.

TOKYO - SOME Asian countries have yet to devise a plan on how to respond to a bird flu outbreak, a disease that continues to be a threat for the whole region, a World Health Organisation (WHO) official warned yesterday.

The comment by Dr Shigeru Omi, WHO's western Pacific director, came amid reports of new outbreaks in recent weeks.

In Vietnam, bird flu has hit three provinces. State media in Myanmar reported yesterday that the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus was detected at a chicken farm in the north-east.

In Hong Kong, an egret found in a park has tested positive for the H5N1 strain, prompting a warning to residents to avoid personal contact with wild birds and live poultry.

Over in South Korea, thousands of ducks have been culled in Gwangju after a low-virulent strain was confirmed.

Dr Omi said Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore were ready to tackle outbreaks, but preparations were inadequate elsewhere. He declined to identify the countries.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed at least 206 people worldwide since late 2003.

AP, Reuters

Many still consider bird flu a threat
Karina Rusk, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT 23 Nov 07

SACRAMENTO, Nov. 23, 2007 - KGO - What ever happened to the bird flu? A couple of years ago it was in the news almost nightly and there were dire predictions about a global pandemic that would kill millions. Many still consider the bird flu a public health threat and are preparing for the worst.

International travelers at SFO are keenly aware of the deadly avian influenza also known as bird flu.

"We are very afraid of it. Right now I'm not even sure they have a vaccine for it or not," said international traveler Warren Jong.

The H5NI virus primarily affects birds, from migratory waterfowl to domesticated poultry. It has not been found in the United States.

More than 250 million birds have died or been slaughtered to control the spread of bird flu and aggressive poultry vaccination campaigns have worked in places such as Vietnam.

For now only people who closely handle infected birds are at risk. The real threat is if the bird flu virus mutates making human to human transmission possible.

Dr. Mark Horton is the state director of public health.

"We think it is a matter of sooner or later, not if but when. it could be next month, next year or five years down the road," said California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Mark Horton.

The World Health Organization is tracking bird flu outbreaks in 60 countries and territories.

There is nearly 350 human cases in 12 countries. More than 200 of those people have died with more than half of the deaths in Vietnam and Indonesia.

The W.H.O. predicts in a pandemic up to 35 percent of the population could be infected and the death toll would be at least seven million people. The ease of travel will accelerate the process.

"The models which exist would indicate that this virus could spread in three months globally," said Former W.H.O Global Influenza Director Klaus Stohr, Ph.D.

The worst pandemic happened in 1918 when a similar bird flu virus did mutate and killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide, 675 thousand in the U.S.

But this is 2007, not 1918. There are antibodies, medical advances and even a pre-pandemic vaccine with others in development.

Dr. Roger Baxter of Kaiser Permanente doesn't agree with a worst case scenario and intentional or not he thinks dire predictions are a way to get attention and money.

"We're a fear driven country that funding for our public services is driven though fear," said Director of Vaccine Study Center Dr. Roger Baxter.

No one knows just how deadly a pandemic would be but the "what if" concerns have triggered billions in spending.

The federal government is investing more than $1 billion dollars alone in ramping up vaccine production capacity.

The people preparing for a pandemic flu say the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 serve as a poignant example of the multi layered coordinated response needed in an emergency.

California is among those taking unprecedented action. The state has spent 241 million dollars stockpiling goods.

This is a sample of some of the supplies which are strategically warehoused around the state; ventilators, respirators, masks.

Antiviral medication is available for 25 percent of the state's residents and the ability to create mobile hospitals.

"We purchased enough medical supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals for 21 thousand additional beds," said Elisabeth Lyman from the California Public Health Emergency Preparedness.

In the event of a pandemic, there are plans to limit travel, close schools and even have people quarantine themselves at home.

"It's pretty much separating the ill from the non ill, being able to disinfect the household appropriately," said Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib.

While no one disputes the necessity of planning for a pandemic some do question the huge allocation of resources .

"The monies that go toward this actually do detract from our normal health infrastructure and so I think that is actually dangerous," said Dr. Baxter.

But just like the millions that are spent retrofitting bridges for the next big earthquake, government health officials challenge anyone who says the money preparing for a pandemic is not well spent.

"Quite to the country. I think it would be quite irresponsible not to move ahead," said Horton.

One thing everyone seems to agree on is that people in general may be ignoring the threat because in today's world they are suffering from alert fatigue.

Read more!

Then there was one: US now alone as Kyoto holdout

Richard Ingham Yahoo News 24 Nov 07

Unlikely that Rudd would have time to settle into office and play "a stronger, more positive role" at Bali itself. "But at least they (the Australians) won't play a negative role anymore,"

Supporters of the Kyoto Protocol were gleeful on Saturday after Australian elections left the United States in the wilderness as the only major economy to boycott the UN's climate pact.

The ouster of Prime Minister John Howard stripped President George W. Bush of a key ally barely a week before a conference in Bali, Indonesia, on the world's response to climate change beyond 2012, they said.

"It's great news for the Kyoto Protocol," Shane Rattenburg, Greenpeace's political director, told AFP.

"It's a very important event in the international climate debate, and for Bali. It will leave Bush and the United States more isolated."

Industrialised countries that have signed and ratified the Protocol are required to meet targeted curbs in their greenhouse-gas emissions by 2012.

In March 2001, in one of his first acts in office, Bush declared he would not submit the deal to US Senate ratification.

He has been steadfastly supported by Howard, a fellow conservative who argued that Kyoto was a waste of time as it lacks the world's biggest emitter and tougher commitments from China and other emerging giants.

Howard's successor, Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd, has said that he will seek ratification of Kyoto as soon as possible and also attend the Bali gathering.

The December 3-14 conference of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) faces a Herculean task.

It must set down a roadmap for negotiations over the next two years that will have to deliver massive emissions cuts beyond 2012 and shore up support for poor countries facing the brunt of climate change.

A European diplomat said Howard's departure would hamper US efforts to coax support from two other countries whose governments, eyeing the cost of meeting their Kyoto pledges, could waver at Bali.

"We're pleased about the (election) outcome," he told AFP. "It puts more pressure on the United States and it helps us better handle the Canadians and the Japanese."

Rattenburg said that Australia, under Howard, had often played a "wrecking role" at the annual UNFCCC negotiations, such as demanding concessions for its forestry and striving to weaken or unpick deals.

WWF's climate-change director, Hans Verolme, thought it unlikely that Rudd would have time to settle into office and play "a stronger, more positive role" at Bali itself. "But at least they (the Australians) won't play a negative role anymore," he said.

He also believed that US isolation would boost the fast-growing climate lobby in Washington, which is clamouring for America "to return to the negotiating table and take on an absolute emissions-reduction target."

Such a prospect is only possible after Bush leaves office, said Verolme.

Australia accounts for less than two percent of global emissions of greenhouse gases, although it is a huge exporter of coal, one of the principal sources of the warming problem.

If it ratifies Kyoto, that will still mean only around 30 percent of planetary emissions will come under the treaty's binding targets.

The world's biggest polluters are the United States and China, which account for roughly half of the total. But the US snubbed Kyoto and China is a developing country, so neither have binding emissions goals.

A total of 172 countries and government entities have ratified the Protocol, which came into force on February 16, 2005. Thirty-six of them, plus the European Union (EU) as a party in its own right, are required to make targeted emissions curbs, concerning six greenhouse gases.

Despite his victory, ratification of Kyoto raises a dilemma for Rudd.

Meeting the country's original 2012 target would entail stringent, costly and probably unpopular measures in raising energy efficiency and switching to renewable sources.

Australia had originally pledged to keep emissions growth to eight percent above 1990 levels. As of 2005, the latest year for which figures are available, it was 25.6 percent above the 1990 benchmark, according to UNFCCC figures issued last week.

The country, a voracious burner of fossil fuels, has the highest per-capita emissions in the world.

Read more!