ScienceDaily (Aug. 13, 2008)
Even moderate climate change and limited land use changes could have
an adverse impact on flora, the researchers write in the current
edition of Biology Letters
Find more at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813102725.htm
citation
Pompe et al. Climate and land use change impacts on
plant distributions in Germany. Biology Letters, 2008; 1 (-1): -1
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Hawaii
Natives attempt another takeover
HONOLULU — A group of Native Hawaiians claiming to be the state’s
legitimate rulers occupied the grounds of a historic palace for two hours
before being arrested by state officers in the second recent takeover of
its kind.
A staff member of the Iolani Palace said she was assaulted and slightly
injured during the takeover Friday night, then snubbed by city police who
claimed they didn’t have jurisdiction. Gov. Linda Lingle said Saturday
that there would be an investigation into the police response to the
takeover.
A group of men, wearing red shirts with “security” stenciled in yellow on
the back, took over the grounds by chaining the gates of the palace next
to the state Capitol and posted signs saying: “Property of the Kingdom of
Hawaiian Trust.”
Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of the Friends of Iolani Palace,
said he and other staff members were locked down in the palace and a
nearby administration building during the takeover.
“They’ve got a king, and the king wants to sit on the throne,” de Alba Chu
said.
State law officers climbed over the fence a couple of hours after the
takeover began and made about 20 arrests. The palace, normally open to
tours, will remain closed during the weekend to assess any damage and to
ensure its security, police said.
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Published on Thursday, August 14, 2008 by The Independent/UK
Back to Nature: The Cheeky New Way To Save The Planet
by Michael Hewitt
The link between playing nude volleyball and stopping the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf melting to the size of an ice cube may seem a bit tenuous. But a growing number of naturists contend that, not only are they in the vanguard of the environmentalist movement, but their lifestyle might even help to reverse anthropogenic global warming. Econudes.org was founded two years ago by naturists dissatisfied with the passive, Health & Efficiency, beach ball-bopping image of nudism. Clothes, and all the ancillary industries involved in their manufacture, transportation and upkeep, are a major cause of climate change, they say. Eliminate them, and you eliminate a significant threat to mankind. “Get your kit off and save the planet” is the message. Continue reading
Rising Ocean Acidity Slows Marine Fertilization
Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:15am EDT By Michael Perry
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Rising acidification of the ocean could reduce fertilization of marine invertebrates and might eventually wipe out colonies of sea urchins, lobsters, mussels and oysters, according to a study.
Scientists knew that ocean acidification was eating away at the shells of marine animals, but the new study has found that rising acidity hindered marine sperm from swimming to and fertilizing eggs in the ocean.