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tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:/xml/rainforest%20destruction1 rainforest destruction news from mongabay.com 2015-06-19T14:13:55Z tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14997 2015-06-19T12:58:00Z 2015-06-19T14:13:55Z Can we save the Sumatran rhino? Indonesia holds out hope

'One percent of the world's population,' veterinarian Zulfi Arsan says as he nods towards Bina, a 714-kilogram, 30-year-old female Sumatran rhinoceros leisurely crunching branches whole. A gentle and easygoing rhino, pink-hued Bina doesn't seem to mind the two-legged hominids snapping pictures and awing at her every move at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary. Jeremy Hance -5.016160 105.758490 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14836 2015-05-21T08:35:00Z 2015-05-21T23:11:01Z Timber 'mass graves' uncovered as Malaysian authorities pursue illegal loggers A crackdown on illegal logging in Peninsular Malaysia's largest continuous forest complex has uncovered three timber 'mass graves' – burial sites where valuable logs have been stashed beneath tons of earth to hide evidence. The loggers apparently made haste in fleeing the hilly terrain where they left the timber. A joint operation by Malaysia's antigraft agency and Forestry Department found parts of logs sticking out of the ground and the red earth still unsettled, indications their quarry had hurriedly concealed the felled trees. Philip Jacobson 5.543306 101.341206 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14784 2015-05-11T20:50:00Z 2015-05-16T18:58:09Z Videos reveal rare birds, wild monkeys, and jaguar family in oil-exploited park

A compilation of new camera trap videos from Yasuni National Park shows off rarely seen species like the rufuos-vented ground cuckoo and the short-eared dog as well as odd behavior, like sloths licking salt from the ground. The compilation is produced by Diego Mosquera, manager and head of the camera trap program at Tiputini Biodiversity Station. Jeremy Hance -0.575146 -76.077377 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14654 2015-04-18T15:53:00Z 2015-04-20T15:41:31Z Growing need for deforestation-free rubber as tire demand destroys native forests

Surging demand for natural rubber is decimating some of the world's most endangered forests, putting wildlife and critical ecosystem services at risk, warn scientists writing in the journal Conservation Letters. Reviewing a large body of published research, Eleanor Warren-Thomas of the University of East Anglia and colleagues detail the crop's expansion across across Southeast Asia in recent decades. Rhett Butler 20.888908 101.326675 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14530 2015-03-24T21:11:00Z 2015-03-25T01:04:20Z Photos: expedition to Amazon's white sands may have found new primate

Most people think of the Amazon rainforest as one massive, homogenous ecosystem—a giant castle of green. However, within the Amazon rainforest lie a myriad of distinct ecosystems, sporting unique characteristics and harboring endemic species. One of the rarer ecosystems in the Amazon is the white sands forest. Jeremy Hance -6.343298 -74.026909 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14512 2015-03-19T17:42:00Z 2015-03-19T17:46:26Z DRC mulls changing Virunga's boundaries for oil Last Friday, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced it was considering changing the boundaries of Virunga National Park to accommodate oil exploitation. Africa's oldest park, Virunga is home to around a quarter of the world's mountain gorillas as well as thousands of other species, many of them threatened with extinction. Jeremy Hance -0.303687 29.568020 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14507 2015-03-18T16:15:00Z 2015-03-19T16:59:30Z Discovery of 'Lost City' spurs conservation pledge

Earlier this month, National Geographic made big news: the discovery of what it called a 'lost city' below the thick jungles of Honduras. While the coverage has led to scientists crying sensationalism, it also resulted this week in a commitment of protection by the Honduras President, Juan Orlando Hernández, for a long-neglected portion of the country. Jeremy Hance 15.744008 -84.675660 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14468 2015-03-09T19:46:00Z 2015-03-09T19:52:52Z Photo essay: filming in the remote Amazon

You wake up at 4:30 AM, a little before the first rays of tropical sun begin to dance behind the treetops. You put on your wet clothes from the previous day, pack your bag, and pick up your tripod. The jungle is shrouded in a thick mist from the previous nights rain. As you walk, you recognize many of the strange calls that echo between the trees. Jeremy Hance -12.318441 -69.260806 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14430 2015-02-25T21:32:00Z 2015-03-25T18:04:54Z Cambodia deports activist leader...then suspends controversial dam On Monday, Cambodia deported well-known environmental activist, Alex Gonzalez-Davidson, back to his native Spain. Co-founder of the Cambodian NGO, Mother Nature, Gonzalez-Davidson played a vital role in blocking efforts to build the Cheay Areng Dam. But a day after deporting the activist, Cambodia's Prime Minister, Hun Sen, said the country would postpone the dam until 2018. Jeremy Hance 11.367026 103.385691 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14423 2015-02-25T15:38:00Z 2015-02-26T16:57:05Z $7 million could save lemurs from extinction

Last year, scientists released an emergency three-year plan that they argued could, quite literally, save the world's lemurs from mass extinction. Costing just $7.6 million, the plan focused on setting up better protections in 30 lemur hotspots. However, there was one sticking point: donating to small programs in one of the world's poorest countries was not exactly user friendly. Jeremy Hance -13.846412 48.910876 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14417 2015-02-24T16:00:00Z 2015-02-25T15:17:59Z Locals lead scientists to new population of near-extinct reptile

By the early Twentieth Century, the world had pretty much given up on the Arakan forest turtle, named after the hills where it was found in 1875 in western Myanmar. Now, this Lazarus reptile —which has been dubbed one of the 25 most threatened turtles on the planet —has more good news: researchers have documented an entirely new population where no one Jeremy Hance 21.483210 92.525138 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14413 2015-02-23T15:42:00Z 2015-02-25T21:53:28Z Are small-scale hydro projects always greener?

Rising energy demand and global efforts to mitigate climate change have made renewable energy projects increasingly attractive. One widely known and well-developed source of renewable energy is hydroelectricity. However, past environmental campaigns against large dams have resulted in policy changes in some parts of the world, leading to an increasing number of small hydropower projects. Jeremy Hance 13.825588 74.900236 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14372 2015-02-11T22:47:00Z 2015-06-18T02:12:35Z Mining activist released after being charged with terrorism, rebellion in Ecuador Yesterday, mining and environmental activist, Javier Ramírez, walked out of an Ecuadorian courtroom with his freedom. Ramírez, who has long fought against a massive state-owned massive copper mine in the cloud forest village of Junin, was arrested in April last year and subsequently charged with rebellion, sabotage, and terrorism among other thing. Jeremy Hance 0.275663 -78.665073 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14341 2015-02-04T17:50:00Z 2015-02-06T15:10:31Z The Amazon's oil boom: concessions cover a Chile-sized bloc of rainforest

Hungry for oil revenue, governments and fossil fuel companies are moving even further into one of the world's last great wildernesses, according to a new study in the journal Environmental Research Letters. The total area set aside for oil and gas in the Western Amazon has grown by 150,000 square kilometers since 2008, now totaling more than 730,000 square kilometers—an area the size of Chile. Jeremy Hance -14.057138 -68.658039 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14260 2015-01-14T16:55:00Z 2015-01-14T17:13:44Z Did palm oil expansion play a role in the Ebola crisis?

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa may have been the result of complex economic and agricultural policies developed by authorities in Guinea and Liberia, according to a new commentary in Environment and Planning A. Looking at the economic activities around villages where Ebola first emerged, the investigators analyzed a shift in land-use activities in Guinea's forested region, particularly an increase in oil palm. Jeremy Hance 8.571239 -10.128214 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14214 2015-01-05T15:38:00Z 2015-01-05T15:56:55Z Featured video: new documentary highlights 'Sumatra Burning' A new half-hour documentary investigate the impact of the palm oil industry in Indonesia, including burning forests and peatlands as well as haze spreading across Indonesian borders. Entitled Sumatra Burning, the documentary explores palm oil production on the island of Sumatra, which is experiencing some of the highest deforestation rates on the planet. Jeremy Hance 0.394984 101.370236 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14193 2014-12-23T22:52:00Z 2014-12-23T22:52:35Z Ecuador sends aid money back to Germany over planned rainforest visit A visit to a rainforest slated for oil drilling has blown up into a diplomatic row between Ecuador and Germany. Ecuador has said it will no longer partner with Germany on environmental issues and will return aid money, after the South American government discovered that German legislators were attempting to visit the much-embattled Yasuni National Park. Jeremy Hance -1.198430 -75.591814 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14188 2014-12-23T16:23:00Z 2015-01-21T20:13:49Z Top 10 Environmental Stories of 2014

In 2014, the unimaginable happened: companies representing the majority of palm oil production and trade agreed to stop cutting down rainforests and draining peatlands for new oil palm plantations. After years of intense campaigning by environmentalists and dire warnings from scientists, nearly two dozen major producers, traders, and buyers established zero deforestation policies. Jeremy Hance -2.391216 -64.166830 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14180 2014-12-22T14:35:00Z 2014-12-23T15:38:52Z Edited Reality: What I Learned from Filming Eaten Alive

On November 3, 2014, I woke up to check my flight status from Bangalore to New York. What I found when I opened my laptop was a mindboggling amount of emails, hate mail, death threats, and interview requests. The numbers were staggering. The night before, the Discovery Channel had aired the first trailers for the show they decided to call Eaten Alive. Jeremy Hance -12.546168 -69.339244 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14162 2014-12-16T22:08:00Z 2014-12-16T22:30:15Z Success of 'land sparing' will depend on global economics, regulations

Agriculture is the primary driver of tropical deforestation. Indeed, most global food production occurs in the tropics, including important commodity crops such as sugarcane, soybeans, palm oil, and beef. Recent estimates indicate that forest clearing for agriculture contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. This fuels concern over how to balance food production for a growing population with climate change mitigation through conserving tropical forests. Brittany Stewart tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14144 2014-12-11T17:10:00Z 2014-12-11T21:33:52Z New film highlights local resistance to Nicaragua's canal

This fall, filmmakers Tom Miller and Nuin-Tara Key with Pretty Good Productions found themselves in Nicaragua where they heard about a stunning project: the Gran Canal. Approved last year, the canal is meant to compete with the Panama Canal to the south. Built by a Chinese company, it will cut through 278 kilometers, destroying forests and driving through the largest freshwater body in Central America. Jeremy Hance 12.163097 -83.692639 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14128 2014-12-08T17:06:00Z 2015-06-18T02:12:51Z Indigenous leader murdered before he could attend Climate Summit

Days before José Isidro Tendetza Antún was supposed to travel to the UN Climate Summit in Lima to publicly file a complaint against a massive mining operation, he went missing. Now, the Guardian reports that the body of the Shuar indigenous leader has been found, bound and buried in an unmarked grave on the banks of the Zamora River. Jeremy Hance -3.576019 -78.485306 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14110 2014-12-04T16:11:00Z 2014-12-11T16:37:27Z Is the Gran Canal really a 'big Christmas present' for Nicaraguans?

"A big Christmas present"—that is how Paul Oquist, an advisor to Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega, described the country's plan to build a mega-canal across the nation. Preliminary construction on the canal is set to begin December 24th, despite major concerns over environmental destruction, forced removal of thousands of people, and a lack of transparency. Jeremy Hance 11.973290 -83.883255 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14106 2014-12-03T18:53:00Z 2014-12-30T22:26:16Z New survey finds surprisingly large population of endangered owl

The Anjouan scops owl—an elusive owl found only on its tiny eponymous island—was once considered among the world's most endangered owls, and even the most threatened birds. However, the first in-depth survey of the owls on the island finds that, in fact, the population is far larger than initially estimated. Jeremy Hance -12.227030 44.417853 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14070 2014-11-25T19:33:00Z 2014-12-30T22:26:27Z Meet the world's rarest chameleon: Chapman's pygmy

In just two forest patches may dwell a tiny, little-known chameleon that researchers have dubbed the world's most endangered. Chapman's pygmy chameleon from Malawi hasn't been seen in 16 years. In that time, its habitat has been whittled down to an area about the size of just 100 American football fields. Jeremy Hance -16.904995 35.196914 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/14041 2014-11-18T22:39:00Z 2015-06-18T02:13:10Z A tale of 2 Perus: Climate Summit host, 57 murdered environmentalists

On September 1st, indigenous activist, Edwin Chota, and three other indigenous leaders were gunned down and their bodies thrown into rivers. Chota, an internationally-known leader of the Asháninka in Peru, had warned several times that his life was on the line for his vocal stance against the destruction of his peoples' forests, yet the Peruvian government did nothing to protect him—or others. Jeremy Hance -14.153426 -69.134704 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13944 2014-10-27T12:46:00Z 2014-10-27T12:55:10Z Scientific association calls on Nicaragua to scrap its Gran Canal ATBC—the world's largest association of tropical biologists and conservationists—has advised Nicaragua to halt its ambitious plan to build a massive canal across the country. The ATBC warns that the Chinese-backed canal, also known as the Gran Canal, will have devastating impacts on Nicaragua's water security, its forests and wildlife, and local people. Jeremy Hance 11.456933 -85.501372 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13941 2014-10-23T20:23:00Z 2014-10-23T21:35:02Z Beef, palm oil, soy, and wood products from 8 countries responsible for 1/3 of forest destruction Four commodities produced in just eight countries are responsible for a third of the world's forest loss, according to a new report. Those familiar with the long-standing effort to stop deforestation won't be surprised by the commodities named: beef, palm oil, soy, and wood products (including timber and paper). Nor will they be very surprised by most of the countries: Brazil, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Jeremy Hance 5.505705 101.755097 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13928 2014-10-21T17:05:00Z 2014-11-06T17:55:34Z Top scientists raise concerns over commercial logging on Woodlark Island

A number of the world's top conservation scientists have raised concerns about plans for commercial logging on Woodlark Island, a hugely biodiverse rainforest island off the coast of Papua New Guinea. The scientists, with the Alliance of Leading Environmental Scientists and Thinkers (ALERT), warn that commercial logging on the island could imperil the island's stunning local species and its indigenous people. Jeremy Hance -9.1579 152.779 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13927 2014-10-21T14:47:00Z 2014-12-30T22:30:02Z Saving Asia's other endangered cats (photos)

It's no secret that when it comes to the wild cats of Asia—and, really, cats in general—tigers get all the press. In fact, tigers—down to an estimated 3,200 individuals—arguably dominate conservation across Asia. But as magnificent, grand, and endangered as the tigers are, there are a number of other felines in the region that are much less studied—and may be just as imperiled. Jeremy Hance 5.395824 117.268519 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13922 2014-10-20T14:08:00Z 2014-10-21T15:05:26Z Walking the walk: zoo kicks off campaign for orangutans and sustainable palm oil

If you see people wearing orange this October, it might not be for Halloween, but for orangutans. Chester Zoo's conservation campaign, Go Orange for Orangutans, kicks off this month for its second year. The campaign aims to raise money, and awareness, for orangutans in Borneo, which have become hugely impacted by deforestation often linked to palm oil plantations. Jeremy Hance 53.224664 -2.884033 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13913 2014-10-15T19:34:00Z 2014-10-16T16:07:39Z Daring activists use high-tech to track illegal logging trucks in the Brazilian Amazon

Every night empty trucks disappear into the Brazilian Amazon, they return laden with timber. This timber —illegally cut —makes its way to a sawmills that sell it abroad using fraudulent paperwork to export the ill-gotten gains as legit. These findings are the result of a daring and dangerous investigation by Greenpeace-Brazil. Jeremy Hance -2.445331 -54.707183 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13906 2014-10-14T15:06:00Z 2014-10-15T00:54:51Z 'River wolves' recover in Peruvian park, but still remain threatened inside and out (photos)

Lobo de río, or river wolf, is the very evocative Spanish name for one of the Amazon's most spectacular mammals: the giant river otter. This highly intelligent, deeply social, and simply charming freshwater predator almost vanished entirely due to a relentless fur trade in the 20th Century. But decades after the trade in giant river otter pelts was outlawed, the species is making a comeback. Jeremy Hance -11.890522 -71.402772 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13893 2014-10-09T13:13:00Z 2014-12-30T22:31:05Z Forest fragmentation's carbon bomb: 736 million tonnes C02 annually Scientists have long known that forest fragments are not the same ecologically as intact forest landscapes. When forests are slashed into fragments, winds dry out the edges leading to dying trees and rising temperatures. Biodiversity often drops, while local extinctions rise and big animals vanish. Now, a new study finds another worrisome impact of forest fragmentation: carbon emissions. Jeremy Hance -2.918691 -44.748354 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13884 2014-10-07T17:14:00Z 2015-01-20T03:29:21Z An impossible balancing act? Forests benefit from isolation, but at cost to local communities

The indigenous people of the Amazon live in areas that house many of the Amazon's diverse species. The Rupununi region of Guyana is one such area, with approximately 20,000 Makushi and Wapishana people living in isolation. According to a recent study published in Environmental Modelling & Software, a simulation model revealed a link between growing indigenous populations and gradual local resource depletion. Tiffany Roufs 3.930703 -59.092860 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13832 2014-09-24T20:56:00Z 2014-11-06T17:52:52Z Turning point for Peru's forests? Norway and Germany put muscle and money behind ambitious agreement

From the Andes to the Amazon, Peru houses some of the world's most spectacular forests. Proud and culturally-diverse indigenous tribes inhabit the interiors of the Peruvian Amazon, including some that have chosen little contact with the outside world. And even as scientists have identified tens-of-thousands of species that make their homes from the leaf litter to the canopy. Jeremy Hance -13.256860 -68.993973 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13811 2014-09-22T13:36:00Z 2014-09-23T00:10:27Z Extinction island? Plans to log half an island could endanger over 40 species

Woodlark Island is a rare place on the planet today. This small island off the coast Papua New Guinea is still covered in rich tropical forest, an ecosystem shared for thousands of years between tribal peoples and a plethora of species, including at least 42 found no-where else. Yet, like many such wildernesses, Woodlark Island is now facing major changes: not the least of them is a plan to log half of the island. Jeremy Hance -9.038617 152.610839 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13794 2014-09-18T15:35:00Z 2014-11-10T20:11:01Z The cheap option on climate change: recognize indigenous rights to forests

Since 2008, governments have invested $1.64 billion in funds to kick-start REDD+, or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, the global effort to conserve the world's forests in order to better mitigate climate change. However, a new report by the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) finds that same amount of money could have secured the legal rights of indigenous and local people to 450 million hectares of forest, an area 40 percent larger than India. Tiffany Roufs tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13793 2014-09-17T19:46:00Z 2015-06-18T02:13:29Z 'The green Amazon is red with indigenous blood': authorities pull bodies from river that may have belonged to slain leaders Peruvian authorities have pulled more human remains from a remote river in the Amazon, which may belong to one of the four murdered Ashaninka natives killed on September 1st. It is believed the four Ashaninka men, including renowned leader Edwin Chota Valera, were assassinated for speaking up against illegal logging on their traditional lands. Jeremy Hance -10.433375 -71.573146 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13774 2014-09-12T00:57:00Z 2014-09-12T01:03:10Z Brazil confirms last year's rise in Amazon deforestation Brazil's National Space Agency INPE has officially confirmed last year's rise in Amazon deforestation. Rhett Butler -1.933227 -66.283264 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13719 2014-08-27T18:52:00Z 2014-11-06T17:48:27Z The Gran Canal: will Nicaragua's big bet create prosperity or environmental ruin?

A hundred years ago, the Panama Canal reshaped global geography. Now a new project, spearheaded by a media-shy Chinese millionaire, wants to build a 278-kilometer canal through Nicaragua. While the government argues the mega-project will change the country's dire economic outlook overnight, critics contend it will cause undue environmental damage, upend numerous communities, and do little to help local people. Jeremy Hance 11.392321 -85.465667 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13717 2014-08-26T20:18:00Z 2014-12-30T22:34:37Z How do we save the world's vanishing old-growth forests?

There's nothing in the world like a primary forest, which has never been industrially logged or cleared by humans. They are often described as cathedral-like, due to pillar-like trees and carpet-like undergrowth. Yet, the world's primary forests—also known as old-growth forests—are falling every year, and policy-makers are not doing enough to stop it. Jeremy Hance 5.159093 116.924597 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13699 2014-08-21T21:51:00Z 2014-12-30T22:34:49Z Have scientists discovered a new primate in the Philippines?

Despite some media reports, scientists have not yet discovered a new species of big-eyed, nocturnal primate—known as tarsiers—in the Philippines. Instead what they have discovered is an intriguing population that is genetically-distinct even from nearby relatives, according to a new open-access paper in PLOS ONE. Jeremy Hance 10.168583 125.594253 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13696 2014-08-21T14:56:00Z 2014-08-21T15:17:04Z Next big idea in forest conservation? DNA fingerprinting trees to stem illegal logging

As a professor at Texas Tech, Dr. Chuck Cannon has been, among other things, working to create a system of DNA fingerprinting for tropical trees to undercut the global illegal logging trade. 'If we just enforced existing laws and management policies, things would be pretty good, but unfortunately, that is where things fall apart in many tropical countries,' Cannon said. Jeremy Hance 15.038075 106.306014 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13658 2014-08-13T12:22:00Z 2014-12-30T22:35:41Z Forgotten species: the exotic squirrel with a super tail

With among the world's largest tails compared to body-size, the tufted ground squirrel just might be the most exotic squirrel species on the planet. Found only on the island of Borneo, this threatened species is also surrounded by wild tales, including the tenacity to take down a deer for dinner. New research explores the squirrel's monster tail and whether other tales about it may be true. Jeremy Hance 1.187729 114.549402 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13645 2014-08-11T14:30:00Z 2014-08-12T13:18:37Z Indonesia's children see ravaged environment in their future

A generation ago, Borneo was one of the wildest places on the planet. But decades of logging and oil palm plantations has changed the landscape of Borneo forever: in fact a recent study found that the island has lost 30 percent of its total forest cover since 1973. In the face of this large-scale environmental destruction, a new study finds that Indonesian Borneo's children have a pessimistic view of their future. Jeremy Hance -0.910536 114.307703 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13576 2014-07-23T19:14:00Z 2014-07-29T19:41:54Z Peru slashes environmental protections to attract more mining and fossil fuel investment

In an effort to kickstart investment in mining and fossil fuels, Peru has passed a controversial law that overturns many of its environmental protections and essentially defangs its Ministry of Environment. The new law has environmentalists not only concerned about its impact on the country but also that the measures will undermine progress at the up-coming UN Climate Summit in December. Jeremy Hance -13.018651 -70.498686 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13533 2014-07-14T16:07:00Z 2014-12-30T22:38:15Z Only 15 percent of world's biodiversity hotspots left intact

The world's 35 biodiversity hotspots—which harbor 75 percent of the planet's endangered land vertebrates—are in more trouble than expected, according to a sobering new analysis of remaining primary vegetation. In all less than 15 percent of natural intact vegetation is left in the these hotspots, which include well-known jewels such as Madagascar, the tropical Andes, and Sundaland. Jeremy Hance -24.263585 -48.415697 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13521 2014-07-09T21:23:00Z 2014-07-15T16:35:27Z A garden or a wilderness? One-fifth of the Amazon may have been savannah before the arrival of Europeans

The Amazon is the largest tropical forest on the planet, covering about 6.5 million square kilometers, although much has been lost in recent decades.Yet new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) finds that quite recently—just 500 years ago—a significant portion of the southern Amazon was not the tall-canopied forest it is today, but savannah. Jeremy Hance -12.770027 -64.469834 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13507 2014-07-08T19:21:00Z 2014-12-30T22:39:26Z Pope Francis: 'this is our sin: we exploit the earth' In Southern Italy over the weekend, Pope Francis reiterated his view that environmental destruction constituted a sin. Visiting the largely agricultural region of Molise, the Pope responded to an address by a local farmer attending university. Jeremy Hance 41.559516 14.661415 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13500 2014-07-07T19:50:00Z 2014-12-30T22:39:34Z Booming populations, rising economies, threatened biodiversity: the tropics will never be the same

For those living either north or south of the tropics, images of this green ring around the Earth's equator often include verdant rainforests, exotic animals, and unchanging weather; but they may also be of entrenched poverty, unstable governments, and appalling environmental destruction. A massive new report, The State of the Tropics, however, finds that the truth is far more complicated. Jeremy Hance 1.231376 14.923358 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13458 2014-06-26T20:07:00Z 2014-06-30T15:55:16Z Next big idea in forest conservation? Playing games to understand what drives deforestation

Dr. Claude Garcia plays games, but you won't find him betting his shirt at the casino. As leader of the Forest Management and Development Research Group at ETH Zürich, Garcia and his team use participatory modeling and role-playing games, merged with more traditional disciplinary sciences such as ecology, economics, and sociology to understand and manage complex landscape change in the tropics. Jeremy Hance 11.830113 75.908619 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13454 2014-06-25T23:04:00Z 2014-11-06T17:06:52Z Is Cameroon becoming the new Indonesia? Palm oil plantations accelerating deforestation

The potential for new laws governing the use of forest resources this year in Cameroon promises an opportunity to stem the rapid loss of forest in the biologically diverse country. But the changes may ultimately not be what's needed to save Cameroon's forests. Morgan Erickson-Davis 3.750898 9.993512 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13423 2014-06-23T13:33:00Z 2014-12-30T22:43:04Z Broken promises no more? Signs Sabah may finally uphold commitment on wildlife corridors

Five years ago an unlikely meeting was held in the Malaysian state of Sabah to discuss how to save wildlife amid worsening forest fragmentation. Although the meeting brought together longtime adversaries—conservationists and the palm oil industry—it appeared at the time to build new relationships and even point toward a way forward for Sabah's embattled forests. Jeremy Hance 5.531846 118.292569 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13399 2014-06-17T18:18:00Z 2014-12-30T22:42:43Z Camera trap captures first ever video of rarely-seen bird in the Amazon...and much more

A camera trap program in Ecuador's embattled Yasuni National Program has struck gold, taking what researchers believe is the first ever film of a wild nocturnal curassow (Nothocrax urumutum). In addition, the program has captured video of other rarely-seen animals, including the short-eared dog and the giant armadillo. Jeremy Hance -0.637516 -76.148906 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13373 2014-06-12T16:51:00Z 2014-06-13T22:06:16Z Next big idea in forest conservation? Learning from innovations to make REDD+ work

A scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Brazil, Dr. Amy Duchelle coordinates research on the effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and co-benefits of REDD+ initiatives at the sub-national level in Latin America as part of CIFOR's Gloal Comparative Study on REDD+. Jeremy Hance -5.481673 -59.772298 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13365 2014-06-10T13:44:00Z 2014-12-30T22:42:12Z Mountain forests store 40 percent more carbon than expected It's not easy to measure carbon in mountain forest ecosystems. But a new review study in Biogeosciences found that many estimates of carbon storage in montane tropical forests have been largely underestimated. Jeremy Hance 0.103256 -78.520036 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13347 2014-06-05T20:16:00Z 2014-06-05T21:55:57Z Next big idea in forest conservation? Work locally, relentlessly, and, if necessary, ignore the government

In 1997, Gabriella Fredriksson, then a young PhD student, was studying sun bears in East Kalamantan, Indonesia, when massive forest fires broke out in the park. 'It quickly became clear that there was no government agency, NGO, or private company in the area interested in assisting putting out these fires, which were threatening to burn down the entire reserve,' Fredriksson told mongabay.com. Jeremy Hance 1.459166 117.013715 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13345 2014-06-05T13:04:00Z 2014-06-08T22:34:58Z Oil company breaks agreement, builds big roads in Yasuni rainforest

When the Ecuadorian government approved permits for an oil company to drill deep in Yasuni National Park, it was on the condition that the company undertake a roadless design with helicopters doing most of the leg-work. However, a new report based on high-resolution satellite imagery has uncovered that the company, Petroamazonas, has flouted the agreement's conditions, building a massive access road. Jeremy Hance -0.942388 -75.716907 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13328 2014-06-03T03:08:00Z 2014-07-08T21:40:21Z Logger continues to destroy Indonesian rainforest despite green promises (Photos)

Indonesian logging giant Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) is continuing to destroy endangered rainforests on Sumatra despite a high profile commitment to clean up its operations, reveal aerial photos captured by Greenpeace last month. Rhett Butler 1.188155 102.293331 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13326 2014-06-02T16:40:00Z 2014-06-02T16:54:29Z After throwing out referendum, Ecuador approves oil drilling in Yasuni's embattled heart By 2016, oil drilling will begin in what scientists believe is the most biodiverse place on the planet: remote Yasuni National Park. Late last month, Ecuador announced it had approved permits for oil drilling in Yasuni's Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputinin (ITT) block, an untouched swathe of primary rainforest covering around 100,000 hectares or about 10 percent of the park. Jeremy Hance -1.088304 -75.487242 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13321 2014-06-02T13:27:00Z 2014-06-03T14:18:01Z Of jaguars and loggers: new film to showcase one of the least-known regions in the deep Amazon

In August, three young filmmakers will go on the expedition of a lifetime. They plan to spend six months filming in one of the most remote, most spectacular, and most endangered ecosystems on the planet: the Las Piedras River system. This unprotected swathe of Amazon jungle contains massive anacondas, prowling jaguars, and even uncontacted indigenous people. Jeremy Hance -12.184542 -69.374536 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13299 2014-05-28T15:22:00Z 2014-05-28T15:51:00Z Greenpeace accuses controversial palm oil company and Cameroon government of illegal logging

Greenpeace has just accused one of the world's most controversial oil palm companies, Herakles Farms, of colluding with top government officials to sell off illegally logged timber to China. According to a new report, an agreement between Cameroon's Minister of Forestry and Herkales Farms—through a shell company—could torpedo the country's agreement with the EU for better timber management. Jeremy Hance 5.063568 9.285140 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13271 2014-05-22T15:42:00Z 2014-06-25T15:48:50Z Zero-deforestation commitments pose acute challenges for commercial giants in the palm oil industry

The path to zero-deforestation appears to be paved with good intentions, but how successful are these companies in staying on that path? A controversial proposal to construct a refinery in the wildlife-rich Balikpapan Bay in Indonesian Borneo highlights the challenges faced by both palm oil companies and conservationists in the face of zero-deforestation commitments. Jeremy Hance -1.127826 116.779421 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13232 2014-05-15T20:29:00Z 2014-05-15T20:44:56Z 53 indigenous activists on trial for police-protester massacre in Peru

In the summer of 2009, on a highway in Peru known as Devil's Curve: everything went wrong. For months, indigenous groups had protested new laws by then President Alan Garcia opening up the Amazon to deregulated logging, fossil fuels, and other extractive industries as a part of free trade agreements with the U.S. Jeremy Hance -12.050560 -77.039993 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13212 2014-05-12T17:19:00Z 2014-12-30T22:46:21Z Chinese luxury furniture linked to murder, near extinction

Intricately carved, meticulously designed, and costing hundreds of thousands of dollars: this is "hongmu," or Chinese luxury furniture reflecting the elite styles of the Ming and Qing dynasties. But while the red-colored furniture may be aesthetically beautiful, it comes with a blood price. Jeremy Hance 14.241349 102.996604 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13189 2014-05-06T19:49:00Z 2014-05-06T20:03:57Z Almost 90 percent of Republic of the Congo's lowland forests open to logging

Although the Republic of the Congo has opened up nearly 90 percent of its lowland forests to logging, the majority of the logging occurring in the country is still illegal, according to a new report from the Chatham House. In fact the UK policy institute finds that illegal logging in the Republic of the Congo may make up as much as 70-75 percent of the industry. Jeremy Hance 2.169665 17.210078 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13170 2014-05-02T21:10:00Z 2014-11-25T22:15:25Z Not all used up: why conserving selectively logged forests is important

Tropical forests, which provide rich biodiversity, vital carbon storage, and essential medicines, are being damaged and destroyed at a rapid rate worldwide. Loggers especially target old-growth forests for selective harvesting of their valuable timber. But while selectively logged forests are indeed degraded, these disturbed forests are valuable ecosystems for many species, with higher biological productivity than previously thought, and merit increased conservation attention, argues a new paper published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment Morgan Erickson-Davis 5.119325 116.149156 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13150 2014-04-29T15:58:00Z 2014-04-29T19:01:13Z Papua New Guinea pledges to cancel massive land grabs by timber companies Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, released a statement last week saying that hugely controversial land leases under the country's Special Agricultural and Business Leases (SABLs) will be cancelled if they are found to be run for extracting timber. Jeremy Hance -4.076401 141.427226 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13145 2014-04-28T18:39:00Z 2014-09-25T18:57:30Z Loggers plan to clear 20 percent of tropical island paradise

Seven years ago, a palm oil company set its eyes on Woodlark Island—a small rainforest island nearly 200 miles off the coast of Papua New Guinea—but was rebuked by the local populace. But locals and conservationists who spoke to mongabay.com at the time felt that wouldn't be the end of it: they were right. Recently, a company, Karridale Limited, has landed machinery on the island. Jeremy Hance -9.145404 152.812027 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13132 2014-04-25T13:45:00Z 2014-04-25T19:42:46Z Next big idea in forest conservation? Crowdsourced forest monitoring

In the Brazilian Amazon, deforestation alerts are being submitted via smartphones. On the ground technicians send alerts to a database stored in 'the cloud.' This information is added to maps, which, along with satellite imagery, are used to inform law enforcement. And the speed of this process is getting real results. Jeremy Hance -11.091665 -57.459438 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13116 2014-04-22T15:30:00Z 2014-04-22T15:40:30Z Illegal logging makes up 70 percent of Papua New Guinea's timber industry

Corruption, weak governance, and powerful timber barons are illegally stripping the forests of Papua New Guinea, according to a new report from the Chatham House. The policy institute finds that 70 percent of logging in Papua New Guinea is currently illegal, despite the fact that 99 percent of land is owned by local indigenous communities. Jeremy Hance -6.843058 145.777812 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13098 2014-04-18T14:04:00Z 2014-04-18T14:18:22Z Next big idea in forest conservation? Maps for the masses

Mark Mulligan makes maps for the masses. In his work on tropical forests, Mulligan uses GIS, modeling, remote sensing, and lab experiments to turn research into datasets and policy support systems, which are available online for use in development, decision-making, and education. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13086 2014-04-16T16:20:00Z 2014-04-16T16:38:58Z Ecuador will have referendum on fate of Yasuni after activists collect over 700,000 signatures In what is a major victory for environmentalists, campaigners with United for Yasuni have collected 727,947 signatures triggering a national referendum on whether or not oil drilling should proceed in three blocs of Yasuni National Park in Ecuador. Jeremy Hance -1.438883 -76.068026 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13082 2014-04-15T14:33:00Z 2014-04-15T16:36:29Z Malaysia imperils forest reserves and sea turtle nesting ground for industrial site (photos)

Plans for an industrial site threaten one of Malaysia's only marine turtle nesting beaches and a forest home to rare trees and mammals, according to local activists. Recently, the state government of Perak approved two industrial project inside Tanjung Hantu Permanent Forest Reserve. But activists say these will not only cut into the reserve, but also scare away nesting turtles from Pasir Panjang. Jeremy Hance 4.315341 100.562672 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13081 2014-04-14T18:08:00Z 2014-11-25T22:24:08Z Ants plant rainforests, one seed at a time

Deforestation is destroying forests around the world, but its effects are especially obvious in the Amazon Basin. Due to cattle ranching, soybean farming, logging, and slash-and-burn agriculture, the rainforest is disappearing at a rapid pace. But a recent study published in the Journal of Ecology offers a unique solution to replanting the deforested landscapes: ants. Morgan Erickson-Davis -11.216606 -67.295734 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13059 2014-04-08T19:48:00Z 2014-04-08T20:25:55Z Featured video: Showtime releases first episode of major new climate change series online

Although Showtime's landmark new climate change series doesn't premiere until Sunday, the network has released an edited version of the first episode of Years of Living Dangerously to the public (see below). The nine-part documentary series is being billed as a "groundbreaking" exploration into the many ways that climate change is already wreaking havoc on the lives of people around the world. Jeremy Hance 0.010477 101.530569 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13057 2014-04-08T15:48:00Z 2014-04-09T13:29:11Z Nearly 90 percent of logging in the DRC is illegal

The forestry sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is completely out of control, according to a new eye-opening report. Put together by the Chatham House, the report estimates that at least 87 percent of logging in the DRC was illegal in 2011, making the DRC possibly the most high-risk country in the world for purchasing legal wood products. Jeremy Hance -1.809386 21.981180 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13031 2014-04-03T21:11:00Z 2014-04-05T04:17:32Z Next big idea in forest conservation? Connecting deforestation to disease

Thomas Gillespie is concerned with the connections between conservation and disease, with a particular emphasis on primates. Much of his research examines the places where humans and animals are at a high risk of exchanging pathogens, and how human-caused disturbances, such as deforestation, can change disease dynamics and impacts. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/13023 2014-04-02T19:46:00Z 2014-04-02T19:55:09Z Featured video: celebrities speak out for Yasuni A group of celebrities, including recent Academy Award winner Jared Leto, Law and Order's Benjamin Bratt, and Kill Bill's Daryl Hannah, have lent their voices to a new Public Service Announcement to raise signatures to protect Ecuador's Yasuni National Park from oil drilling. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12995 2014-03-27T21:41:00Z 2014-03-27T22:04:32Z Next big idea in forest conservation? Quantifying the cost of forest degradation

How much is a forest really worth? And what is the cost of forest degradation? These values are difficult to estimate, but according to Dr. Phillip Fearnside, we need to do a better job. For nearly forty years, Fearnside has lived in Amazonia doing ecological research, looking at the value of forests in terms of environmental or ecosystem services such as carbon storage, water cycling, and biodiversity preservation. Fearnside then works to convert these services into a basis for sustainable development for rural populations. Jeremy Hance -3.094940 -59.989343 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12990 2014-03-26T22:41:00Z 2015-03-05T04:15:03Z Just how bad is the logging crisis in Myanmar? 72 percent of exports illegal

Just days before Myanmar, also known as Burma, implements a ban on exporting raw logs, the Environmental Investigative Agency (EIA) has released a new report that captures the sheer scale of the country's illegal logging crisis. According to the EIA, new data shows that 72 percent of logs exported from Myanmar between 2000-2013 were illegally harvested. Jeremy Hance 26.304355 97.194069 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12959 2014-03-20T19:27:00Z 2014-03-21T13:42:24Z Oil or rainforest: new website highlights the plight of Yasuni National Park A new multimedia feature story by Brazilian environmental news group, ((o))eco, highlights the ongoing debate over Yasuni National Park in Ecuador, arguably the most biodiverse place on the planet. Jeremy Hance -1.425451 -75.992689 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12950 2014-03-19T17:28:00Z 2014-03-19T17:31:10Z Featured video: indigenous tribe faces loggers, ranchers, and murder in bid to save their forests A new short film, entitled La Trocha, highlights the plight of the Wounaan people in Panama, who are fighting for legal rights to their forests even as loggers and ranchers carve it up. The conflict turned violent in 2012 when local chief, Aquilo Puchicama, was shot dead by loggers. Jeremy Hance 8.041062 -81.577309 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12939 2014-03-17T13:53:00Z 2014-12-03T06:29:27Z Mother of God: meet the 26 year old Indiana Jones of the Amazon, Paul Rosolie

Not yet 30, Paul Rosolie has already lived a life that most would only dare dream of—or have nightmares over, depending on one's constitution. With the Western Amazon as his panorama, Rosolie has faced off jaguars, wrestled anacondas, explored a floating forest, mentored with indigenous people, been stricken by tropical disease, traveled with poachers, and hand-reared a baby anteater. It's no wonder that at the ripe age of 26, Rosolie was already written a memoir: Mother of God. Jeremy Hance -12.418030 -69.268917 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12938 2014-03-16T21:14:00Z 2014-03-19T03:09:26Z Controversial Amazon dams may have exacerbated biblical flooding

Environmentalists and scientists raised howls of protest when the Santo Antônio and Jirau Dams were proposed for the Western Amazon in Brazil, claiming among other issues that the dams would raise water levels on the Madeira River, potentially leading to catastrophic flooding. It turns out they may have been right: last week a federal Brazilian court ordered a new environmental impact study on the dams given suspicion that they have worsened recent flooding in Brazil and across the border in Bolivia. Jeremy Hance 9.1600 64.3857 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12917 2014-03-12T16:24:00Z 2014-03-12T18:28:23Z New web tool aims to help indigenous groups protect forests and navigate REDD+ A new online tool, dubbed ForestDefender, aims to help indigenous people understand and implement their rights in regard to forests. The database, developed by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), brings together vast amounts of legal information—both national and international—on over 50 countries. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12909 2014-03-11T13:42:00Z 2014-03-11T13:55:23Z Cocaine: the new face of deforestation in Central America

In 2006, Mexico intensified its security strategy, forming an inhospitable environment for drug trafficking organizations (also known as DTOs) within the nation. The drug cartels responded by creating new trade routes along the border of Guatemala and Honduras. Soon shipments of cocaine from South America began to flow through the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC). This multi-national swathe of forest, encompassing several national parks and protected areas, was originally created to protect endangered species, such as Baird's Tapir (Tapirus bairdii) and jaguar (Panthera onca), as well as the world's second largest coral reef. Today, its future hinges on the world's drug producers and consumers. Jeremy Hance 15.667404 -86.826363 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12908 2014-03-10T23:33:00Z 2014-03-11T04:59:36Z Photos: Greenpeace stages protest in rainforest destroyed for palm oil

On Monday, Greenpeace activists in Indonesia staged a dramatic protest in an area of rainforest freshly cleared for a new oil palm plantation in Central Kalimantan. The demonstration came under the group's campaign to push consumer products giant Proctor & Gamble (P&G) to strengthen its palm oil sourcing policy to include a zero deforestation commitment like those signed recently by Nestle, Neste Oil, and Kellogg's, among others. Rhett Butler -0.749109 114.740156 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12899 2014-03-10T14:38:00Z 2014-03-10T14:58:29Z Does haze from burning forests affect marine life?

Two scientists are calling on researchers, NGOs, and governments to begin studying the impact of burning forests and peatlands in Indonesia on the already-threatened marine ecosystems of Southeast Asia. Every year, Indonesian farmers set forests, vegetation, and peatlands alight to clear them for agriculture, often palm oil, and pulp and paper plantations. Not only do these practices destroy hugely-diverse tropical forests, but the resulting haze spreads to many parts of Southeast Asia, threatening regional health and impacting economies. Now, a new paper argues that the sinister impacts of Indonesia's burning may extend as far as the oceans. Jeremy Hance 0.597093 131.501257 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12891 2014-03-07T14:06:00Z 2014-03-08T07:51:29Z Next big idea in forest conservation? Privatizing conservation management

Is it possible to equitably divide the planet's resources between human and non-human societies? Can we ensure prosperity and rights both to people and to the ecosystems on which they rely? In the island archipelago of Indonesia, these questions become more pressing as the unique ecosystems of this global biodiversity hotspot continue to rapidly vanish in the wake of land conversion (mostly due to palm oil, poor forest management and corruption. For 22 years, Dr. Erik Meijaard has worked in Indonesia. Now, from his home office in the capitol city, Jakarta, he runs the terrestrial branch of an independent conservation consultancy, People and Nature Consulting International (PNCI). Jeremy Hance -0.785983 112.680982 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12881 2014-03-06T14:11:00Z 2014-03-06T14:26:18Z Dietary diversity: key to defending tropical ecosystems A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) points to the homogenization of global diets over the past fifty years. It shows that worldwide production of traditional staples such as millet, rye, sorghum, yams and cassava have been in decline. Instead, the world's population increasingly relies on a relatively small number of 'megacrops' like wheat, corn and soy, raising serious concerns for global food security, human nutrition, and the genetic diversity of crops. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12872 2014-03-04T15:10:00Z 2014-03-04T15:28:57Z Europe not doing enough to stop illegal logging imports says Greenpeace Europe is failing to fully enforce its one-year-old EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), alleges Greenpeace, with illegally-logged wood still slipping into the continent, especially from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Jeremy Hance -6.970049 23.732758 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12793 2014-02-20T19:14:00Z 2015-02-24T21:05:22Z The lemur end-game: scientists propose ambitious plan to save the world's most imperiled mammal family

Due to the wonderful idiosyncrasies of evolution, there is one country on Earth that houses 20 percent of the world's primates. More astounding still, every single one of these primates—an entire distinct family in fact—are found no-where else. The country is, of course, Madagascar and the primates in question are, of course, lemurs. But the far-flung island of Madagascar, once a safe haven for wild evolutionary experiments, has become an ecological nightmare. Overpopulation, deep poverty, political instability, slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging for lucrative woods, and a booming bushmeat trade has placed 94 percent of the world's lemurs under threat of extinction, making this the most imperiled mammal group on the planet. But, in order to stem a rapid march toward extinction, conservationists today publicized an emergency three year plan to safeguard 30 important lemur forests in the journal Science. Jeremy Hance -18.659257 48.441009 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12788 2014-02-19T15:42:00Z 2014-02-20T19:09:19Z The making of Amazon Gold: once more unto the breach

When Sarah duPont first visited the Peruvian Amazon rainforest in the summer of 1999, it was a different place than it is today. Oceans of green, tranquil forest, met the eye at every turn. At dawn, her brain struggled to comprehend the onslaught of morning calls and duets of the nearly 600 species of birds resounding under the canopy. Today, the director of the new award-winning film, Amazon Gold, reports that "roads have been built and people have arrived. It has become a new wild west, a place without law. People driven by poverty and the desire for a better life have come, exploiting the sacred ground." Jeremy Hance -11.867351 -70.764771 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12786 2014-02-18T14:02:00Z 2014-12-30T22:53:42Z Conservation groups launch new whistleblower site for wildlife and forest crimes Welcome to Wildleaks: a new website that aims to give the global public a secure and anonymous platform to report wildlife trafficking and illegal deforestation. The illegal wildlife trade has become one of the world's largest criminal activities in recent years, decimating elephants, rhinos, tigers, primates, and thousands of lesser known species. Meanwhile, illegal logging is rampant in many parts of the world, imperiling biodiversity, undercutting locals, and robbing governments of revenue. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12773 2014-02-13T16:53:00Z 2014-12-30T22:54:01Z Featured video: camera traps catch jaguars, anteaters, and a sloth eating clay in the Amazon rainforest These are sights that have rarely been seen by human eyes: a stealthy jaguar, a bustling giant armadillo, and, most amazingly, a sloth slurping up clay from the ground. A new compilation of camera trap videos from Yasuni National Park in the Ecuadorean Amazon shows a staggering array of species, many cryptic and rare. Jeremy Hance -0.636851 -76.147327 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12718 2014-02-04T12:57:00Z 2014-02-20T19:10:42Z Gas company to drill in Manu National Park buffer zone, imperiling indigenous people The Peruvian government has approved plans for gas company Pluspetrol to move deeper into a supposedly protected reserve for indigenous peoples and the buffer zone of the Manu National Park in the Amazon rainforest. The approval follows the government rescinding a highly critical report on the potential impacts of the operations by the Culture Ministry (MINCU), the resignation of the Culture Minister and other Ministry personnel, and repeated criticism from Peruvian and international civil society. Jeremy Hance -11.813588 -72.499695 tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12712 2014-01-31T16:28:00Z 2014-01-31T16:34:30Z L'Oreal pledges to wipe out forest destruction from its products by 2020 French cosmetics giant, L'Oreal, has pledged to stop using palm oil linked to deforestation for its products by 2020. Palm oil, which is found in both cosmetics and many food items, has been linked to widespread deforestation in places like Indonesia and Malaysia, decimating biodiversity and contributing to global warming. The crop, which is both high-yield and lucrative, is now becoming increasingly popular in Africa and Latin America as well. Jeremy Hance tag:news.mongabay.com,2005:Article/12631 2014-01-14T15:33:00Z 2014-01-14T19:36:24Z High-living frogs hurt by remote oil roads in the Amazon

Often touted as low-impact, remote oil roads in the Amazon are, in fact, having a large impact on frogs living in flowers in the upper canopy, according to a new paper published in PLOS ONE. In Ecuador's Yasuni National Park, massive bromeliads grow on tall tropical trees high in the canopy and may contain up to four liters of standing water. Lounging inside this micro-pools, researchers find a wide diversity of life, including various species of frogs. However, despite these frogs living as high as 50 meters above the forest floor, a new study finds that proximity to oil roads actually decreases the populations of high-living frogs. Jeremy Hance -1.124996 -75.79196


text:
New Zealand's unusual carbon profile marks it apart from other countries trying to lower greenhouse emissions
New Zealand is facing a Gordian knot in the politics of climate change.
New Zealand's unusual carbon profile marks it apart from other countries trying to lower greenhouse emissions
New Zealand is facing a Gordian knot in the politics of climate change.
We need to go further than just defending Eleanor Catton's right to an opinion, we need to encourage her for doing her job
Eleanor Catton certainly earned her pay this week, especially all that government money everyone was decrying her for receiving while she traitorously criticised our nation's character overseas. She kicked off quite a row.
There is a lot of lip service paid to employees being an organisation's greatest asset, but the reality is rather different
'People are our greatest asset'.
Put it in to Google, with New Zealand as the specific country, and the range of companies that appear with the strap line is remarkable. From accounting firms through science to media and volunteer organisations. The employees of some of the companies might, however, give the Tui billboard response… Yeah, right.
We might have fought over it, at the time. Sometimes, we fought bitterly. At Gallipoli, we lost; but we were on the right side of history, and we found a blood-coloured poppy, like a heartbeat in the dust. Later, it would dawn on us: this is who we are, New Zealand.
Last month, business force-for-good Pure Advantage launched their latest Green Race paper. "A race has begun, and we are in it," they said, and they showed a short film.
Five reasons why talk of turning ANZAC Day into our national day is not smart
I took my son to an ANZAC Day service today. He's three and it was his first attendance. We talked about soldiers, not wanting to fight, sometimes needing to fight mean people, and bravery. The sun shone like no other ANZAC Day I can remember, and with my grandad's World War I medals in my pocket I thought, this isn't my national day.

subset: commoncrawl


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VIEWS: 16 PAGES: 15 CATEGORY: Business POSTED ON: 3/2/2010 Public Domain
CDF GRID Contribution to the Experiments Board 1 Introduction Run II of the Tevatron began in March 2001, and is foreseen to continue until the start of LHC. CDF is expected to store over 1 Petabyte of data on tape in Run II. Data handling in CDF has become an important issue as we devise schemes to reduce the data to a manageable size and proceed with physics analyses. Of particular interest to the UK are the problems of data access and resource sharing, which we envisage solving within the framework of the GRID. This document outlines the CDF requirements for a UK GRID. We start by summarizing the data model for the UK institutes on CDF. An evaluation of the requirements with regard to how GRID can provide solutions follows. Detailed use cases have been worked out to provide the rationale for the requirements. Following this, the UK CDF group describes the expertise and resources it has to offer. Timescales and goals for the project are given. Potential areas of collaboration and manpower requirements are outlined before concluding. Background information on the CDF Data File Catalogue is provided in an appendix. 2 UK CDF Data Model We begin with a description of the data samples and analysis model. This is followed by a summary of dataset size, simulation needs and the CDF software framework. These subsections set the stage for the requirements stated in the next section. 2.1 Description of Data Samples The data sets at CDF are organised by trigger type. The UK institutes intend to perform many physics analyses in the fields of B physics, electroweak measurements and searches for new physics. The relevant data samples are summarised in the table below. Physics Physics Trigger Set # Evts B lifetime Central J/psi 12 M B oscillations Displaced vertex trigger 1000 M CP violation W/Z High Pt leptons 2M Higgs Inclusive electrons 50M SUSY Inclusive muons 14M B physics SUSY High Et photons 58M Calibrations Higgs Z->b bbar 6M 1 2.2 CDF Analysis Model Raw data are processed at Fermilab on a production farm of Linux PCs to produce Secondary Data Sets, which consist of higher level objects (e.g. tracks, jets, missing energy etc.) in addition to the raw data. UK physics analyses will proceed by filtering the Secondary Data Set to produce a Tertiary Data Set, which is a subset of the Secondary and may store less information per event. We will use the Tertiary Data Set to produce ntuples of the salient information for a given analysis, which can be analysed on local machines in conjunction with ntuples of simulation information. The following operations on the data may need to be performed by the UK computing resources: Reprocessing of the data: If better detector constants are produced, secondary data sets containing sufficient information can be processed to make new Secondary Data Sets. These could be exported to FNAL. Filtering: Strip the Secondary Data Sets to produce Tertiary Sets. Each selected event could either be fully copied or a set of pointers to individual events could be stored. Analysis: Perform analysis operations on Secondary or Tertiary Data Sets and store the additional information along with the event. Analysis and filtering are often performed together. Ntuple Creation: From the Secondary or Tertiary Data Sets, store salient information in ntuples. Analysis and filtering may be performed at the same time. Ntuple Analysis: Analyse the ntuple, usually on a local machine. Simulation: Run a physics generator and a detector simulation to produce Secondary Data Sets that look like "real" data, though they usually contain additional "truth" banks. Fast simulation: Run a physics generator and a fast simulation (often just 4- vector smearing) to access large statistics. The facilities at Fermilab are not sufficient to allow us achieve this in a timely fashion, either for data analysis or for simulation (for which no central production is envisaged). We are looking to implement a GRID-like solution, with shared processing power and the CDF data sets distributed about the disk storage in the UK. 2 2.3 Summary of Data Size The table below summarises the size of the datasets at each stage of the analysis model. Data Sample Secondary(Gb) Tertiary(Gb) Ntuple(Gb) Central-J/ 1,200 120 12 Displaced vertex trigger 100,000 1,000 100 High Pt leptons 200 100 20 Inclusive electrons 5,000 200 50 Inclusive muons 1,400 56 14 High Et photons 5,800 580 58 Z->b bbar 600 300 60 2.4 Simulation There is little centralized production of simulation at CDF. Thus the UK will be responsible for making simulated data samples for each of the analyses we are interested in. We will have two classes of simulation generation: Full simulation to optimise data selection in an analysis. This will result in tertiary data samples of about 50G which must be stored, and from which ntuples are made. Fast simulation to test biases or systematic errors in an analysis. Up to 1012 events may need to be generated, although only a small amount of disk space is required since the whole event need not be stored. This is consequently a CPU limited task. 2.5 CDF Analysis Framework CDF reconstruction and analysis takes place in a software framework called "Analysis Control++" (AC++), similar in conception to the BaBar software framework with which it shares a great deal of low level code. The framework code, like the vast majority of the CDF software, is written in C++ and employs numerous object-oriented programming techniques to provide the most convenient API. The only significant remaining use of Fortran is in the Monte Carlo generators. The framework is fundamentally modular, with users specifying sequences of modules in order to perform reconstruction or analysis tasks. User modules are easily compiled and linked into binaries containing standard CDF modules. AC++ jobs are controlled through a script written in Tcl/Tk, provided as an argument to the binary. The sequences of modules, together with the sets of parameters that determine the operations of the modules, are specified in this Tcl file, along with Framework parameters such as the number of events that are to be processed. All module sequences must contain an input module. In the case of simulation this can be a Monte Carlo event generator; for data jobs 3 it would usually be the data handling input module in which standard datasets or else specific run and event ranges are specified. The CDF software framework reads in and writes out events in sequential ROOT format. The Event Data Model (EDM) is the CDF structure for arranging both the persistent (i.e. disk resident) and the transient (i.e. memory resident) representations of the events as collections of objects with various common properties, connecting links, etc. An important near-future upgrade of the CDF software is the implementation of multi-branch ROOT I/O. Different parts of the event data will live in different branches and will only be physically read-in as required, thus greatly reducing the I/O related overheads in many applications. Databases are a crucial ingredient of CDF operations. Trigger, calibration, run conditions and data handling information are all stored in a database that, typically, every user application would need to access at least once per job. Within Fermilab CDF has decided to use Oracle, with which any future extensions of the CDF software must also be compatible. It is likely that, in the near future, a freeware database such as MySQL or PostgreSQL will be supported for offsite users such as those at UK institutions. A heterogeneous database environment must therefore be anticipated and planned for. Details of the CDF Data File Catalogue can be found in the appendix. In the first instance it can be assumed that a CDF software installation exists on all machines available on the GRID to run CDF software tasks. These installations can be made to contain standard executables, such as those required to run standard reconstruction or make standard ntuples. However, alternative schemes are being developed for distributed Monte Carlo production whereby all necessary shared libraries and associated files are packaged together with the specified binary, such that it can be run on any machine of a given architecture and operating system version. 3 CDF Requirements 3.1 Hardware Requirements HW1: Adequate bandwidth between the UK and Fermilab to re-populate the disks with newly available datasets (following, for example, a full reprocessing of the data on the CDF production farms) in a period of time that does not reasonably interfere with analysis: 3 TB in 2 weeks. This corresponds to a sustained rate of approximately 20 Mb/s. HW2: Adequate bandwidth between UK sites for the transfer of secondary datasets (following, for example, reprocessing by a UK group) as they are created. This should be more than the bandwidth of HW1, and less than the limit imposed by disk access (i.e. between 20 Mb/s and 100 Mb/s). 4 3.2 Middleware Requirements MW1: A web-based browser tool that generates reports containing parameters that describe datasets. It must be possible to impose requirements on the parameters (cuts, ranges, lists, …) MW2: Tools to add new datasets to the Data File Catalogue. MW3: A mechanism to copy data to and from a given site, via network or tape transport. Appropriate data integrity checks will be made and, if successful, appropriate metadata updates will be performed. MW4: A database system for tracking the data held at a site and available at other sites. This system has the following requirements: o Databases may be local, publishing their contents for use at remote sites. o In the first instance this can be a central database which is exported periodically (at least nightly) to all remote sites. o The database system must function with both Oracle and freeware databases. This probably requires the use of standard SQL. o The system may use proprietary SQL for read operations only when a significant demonstration of manpower savings is demonstrated. o The system may use proprietary SQL for write operations. o The database system must follow the standards described by the Fermilab database (ODS-DBA) group. MW5: Sites must make information about system resources (including CPU, disk space, tape robot space and relevant network capabilities), available to remote users. MW6: The resource availability information must be translated into costs that are relevant to the end-user. The most obvious cost is the time taken for a specified file transfer or analysis task to complete. MW7: A mechanism to allow jobs from participating remote sites to be run locally. Amongst other things, this must involve the ability to appropriately prioritize different classes of job. For example, in the case of systems being used for both interactive work and batch jobs, priority must be given to local interactive users. MW8: Priority must be determined from a match of resources needed on a given computing node to resources available. MW9: Job status monitoring. Convenient tools must be made available to end- users to evaluate the status of their jobs, wherever they are running. MW10: All CDF jobs must see one of the following standard CDF environments: o Standard development: access to code for building and database server o Level 3 – like environment: database, executable and ancillary files exported as tar balls. o Farm-like environment: executable and ancillary files exported as tar balls, database server accessible across network. 5 MW11: A method for deducing the most cost-effective manner to store data, potentially across multiple sites or constrained to a specific site (e.g. MAP or a local machine). MW12: Resource availability must include read, write and execute permissions on all disk storage areas. MW13: Quality of service guarantees that distinguish amongst (in order of priority): a. Video conferencing b. Distributed collaborative work c. Metadata transfer d. Data transfer. MW14: A data entry method for simulation parameters that works with the database browser, so that simulations may be made starting either fresh or with parameters from a previous simulation. MW15: There must be a method to obtain random number seeds for simulation. MW16: GRID middleware must be compatible with Fermilab security policy. 3.3 Data File Catalogue Requirements In addition to the information already contained in the CDF Data File Catalogue (for example, pertaining to the dataset name, run sections etc.), it is anticipated that the following information might be required of data in order for it to be used by GRID applications: DFC1: Location. In addition to geographical information, the metadata could contain a link to site-specific information such as network connectivity and bandwidths, available CPU etc. DFC2: Persistency state. Are the data: o Disk resident, o Tape robot resident, o Available on tape for manual staging. DFC3: Reprocessing flags, which indicate the time and type of reprocessing that has been performed on the data. For example, the type of reprocessing will include the version of the CDF software used. DFC4: Parent/child links. For example, Standard Ntuple data must point back to the secondary dataset from which it was made. Enough information must be provided to ensure reproducibility of results. DFC5: Must accommodate storage of parameters for all HEP generators. 6 4 CDF Use Cases 4.1 Identify a dataset a) Actions User runs web browser to determine what metadata are available to describe a dataset. User specifies metadata parameter cuts. User submits query to the database using the web browser and obtains a list of datasets. b) Relevant Requirements: MW1,DFC1, DFC2, DFC3, DFC4 4.2 Specify a new dataset a) Actions User runs Data File Catalogue tools to describe new data sample. b) Relevant Requirements: MW2,DFC1,DFC2,DFC3,DFC4 4.3 Submit a job a) Actions User specifies resources needed, and optionally: an input dataset an output dataset an input set of simulation parameters The cpu and data requirements are matched. b) Relevant Requirements: DFC2,MW1,MW4,MW5,MW6,MW7,MW8,MW10 4.4 Specify simulation parameters a) Actions User runs simulation parameter GUI to describe new data sample b) Relevant Requirements:MW0,MW13,MW14 7 4.5 Populate UK disks with secondary data set a) Actions: User identifies secondary datasets to be transferred to the UK. User submits a list to an application which (i) locates data at FNAL, (ii) stages data if needed, (iii) copies data to appropriate mass storage in the UK. Once data is copied, the relevant book-keeping database entries are updated. The status of the transfer is returned to the user. b) Relevant Requirements:MW11,HW1,MW3,MW5,MW9 4.6 Reprocess secondary data set a) Actions: User prepares revised reprocessing executable on own machine. Revised executable could involve addition of extra information (eg. secondary verticies) to event, or the improvement of existing reprocessing code. User identifies secondary datasets to reprocess. User submits executable and dataset specification script to application which directs job to where data resides. Data are written to disk as reprocessing proceeds. Location of dataset is updated concurrently in book-keeping database. The status of the job is returned to the user. If desired (eg. if reprocessing motivated by problem in original secondary dataset), data can also be transferred to FNAL. Dataset description is updated in book-keeping database. b) Relevant Requirements:MW1,MW4,MW10,MW11,MW12 4.7 Skim to create compressed sample a) Actions: User prepares skimming executable on own machine. User identifies secondary datasets to reprocess. User specifies a new dataset for output of skim. The output skimmed data are either written to disk or stored as pointers to run/event numbers. Location and description of dataset is updated concurrently in data file catalogue. The status of the job is returned to the user. b) Relevant Requirements:MW1,MW2,MW4,MW10,MW11 8 4.8 Compression of sample into Standard Ntuple a) Actions User identifies secondary datasets to process. User specifies a new dataset for output Ntuple. User submits script to an application which directs job to where data resides. Location and description of output ntuples are stored in book-keeping database. The status of the job is returned to the user. b) Relevant Requirements:MW1,MW2,MW4,MW10,MW11 4.9 Use Ntuples a) Actions User identifies secondary datasets to retrieve Ntuple to process. User submits a job with the requirement it run on his own machine to analyse Ntuples. b) Relevant Requirements:MW11 4.10 Simulation of general signal and background samples a) Actions User specifies simulation parameters. There is no need to prepare a specific simulation executable as this is part of the standard release of the CDF software. User specifies a new dataset for output of simulation. User submits job. User monitors progress. Output data is copied to mass storage and its location and description catalogued in the book-keeping database. The status of the job is returned to the user. b) Relevant Requirements :MW1,MW2,MW4,MW10,MW11,DFC5 4.11 High statistics simulation for investigation of systematic effects a) Actions User simulates general signal and background samples with the constraint that the output histograms, numbers and Ntuples are directed to his own machine and that no dataset be made. b) Relevant Requirements:MW1,MW2,MW4,MW10,MW11,DFC5 9 5 CDF-UK Resources The CDF-UK group has a variety of hardware resources, software resources and experience that can be used to meet the requirements stated. This section outlines the current state of CDF hardware available in the UK, the CDF "Middleware" tools, and experience gleaned from the CDF Level 3 trigger and database. 5.1 Hardware Resources CDF is expected to store over 1 Petabyte of data to tape in RunII. The UK CDF institutions have been awarded a £1.8m grant from the Joint Infrastructure Fund (JIF) for computing equipment located in the UK and at the experimental site. About 4/5 of this award is being spent on high-speed high-volume disk storage with high bandwidth access to local CPUs while the remainder is allocated to lease a dedicated network link to Fermilab to improve interactive access to computing resources at the experiment and to provide internet video conferencing capabilities. A schematic of the infrastructure request is shown below. To date, a 10TB RAID has been provided to CDF and is being used to hold the express data stream. A similar sized contribution will be made to the experiment next year. 10 The JIF grant has supplied each of the four UK institutions on CDF (Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Oxford) with an IBM 8-way SMP server connected via a Fibre Channel link to its own 1TB RAID. A similar system, twice as large, has also been provided to RAL for use by all the UK groups. Next year, the remainder of the grant will be used to approximately double the computing and storage capacity. UK institutes also have access to about 30 PCs at both Fermilab and the home institutions. We intend to place the JIF computing and data-storage facilities on the UK GRID so that the CDF data and our combined computing power are seamlessly available, initially to all the UK groups, and later for access by the CDF collaboration. A further goal is to make our disk storage and CPU available to the whole particle physics community so that the CDF prototype GRID grows into, forms, and becomes part of the GRID for Particle Physics. 5.2 MAP Simulation Facility The MAP facility at Liverpool is specifically designed for large scale simulation, and currently consists of 300 Linux boxes, each with local disk storage. Due to a recent SRIF award, MAP will be upgraded in December 2001 to 1500 processors. MAP has recently been GRID-enabled to allow remote job submission from authorized users, with job outputs returned to remote machines. MAP will satisfy all of the UK CDF simulation requirements, in addition to assisting with the LHCb and ATLAS data challenges (see respective proposals), provided sufficient human resources are available. 5.3 Current CDF 'Middleware' Tools At present, we will proceed towards our physics goals in a completely manual and non- automated fashion. Data sets are located at Fermilab and will be sent to (and around) the UK. Data sets in the UK will be tracked manually. All UK computers will be set up with the same directory structure and accounts and all UK CDF members have access to each computer. Local groups will have priority on their own machines. Large CPU usage will be scheduled by email or phone requests. The following tools are at our disposal: ftp, bbftp and Gridftp for transferring the data. In addition there are automated scripts which search for new data, and transfer it when found. A "Data File Catalogue Browser" which is a web based form to allow data of interest to be located. A staging facility named the `Data Inventory Manager" that identifies whether data is on disk, and if not, stages it from tape. Standard data processing and simulation executables can be customised via tcl control commands. A mechanism by which the CDF database can be exported to remote computers. A system which schedules simulation jobs on MAP. 11 5.4 Level-3 Trigger The UK CDF groups have the responsibility for creating the executables that are run on the CDF Level-3 PC farm. This has many aspects that are of interest to GRID. For example, database book-keeping methods have been devised for automatically tagging and keeping track of which code versions were used to build which executables in order to ensure strict reproducibility of the results. Methods have been devised for discovering and packaging up into tar-balls all the dependencies (shared libraries, flat files etc.) of a given executable such that it can run on any machine with the correct OS installation. In addition, Level-3 relies on the export into flat-file format of required database constants, again with the result that the executable can be run on machines without connections to the central CDF database servers. 5.5 CDF Database The UK CDF groups have designed, implemented and managed the CDF database project, which is responsible for storing, cataloguing and retrieving calibrations, triggers, run conditions, hardware configurations and the data file catalogue. Experience has been gained in the following areas: Maintenance of the Oracle relational database management system: this includes defining the database architecture (ie. rollback, temporary and user segments, disk configuration including choice of RAID) and optimizing the parameters that control it (eg. system memory, simultaneous connections). Establishment of high availability (>99% up time) system due to online and offline requirements. Provision of a non-expert environment to users. Provision of a web-based database browser for users. Simulation and monitoring of the database size, rate of growth and access patterns to ensure adequate performance. Replication. The online database is replicated offline, to protect online operations from offline use. API. Use of code generation to provide a standard C++ environment for read/write access. Export to remote institutes. Development of a prototype scheme for export of databases to remote sites. Evolution of schema to adapt to changing requirements. Manpower evaluation. All of the items described above are relevant for the development and effective operation of the GRID. 6 Timescales and Goals There are three distinct phases to our project. The first is a manual implementation and is currently underway. The second automates the handling of the data sets. The third automates the job submission and control. 12 6.1 Stage 1: Manual Implementation Arrange a common structure on all UK CDF machines. Make sure access is available to all UK CDF physicists. There may be some security issues here; at a minimum access from one UK CDF machine to another should be possible. Locate datasets at FNAL using the "Data Catalogue Browser" and transfer to UK by ftp, possibly using automated scripts. Coordinate where datasets are located. Circulate this information by email, web pages, and word of mouth. Create executables by hand. Communicate with tcl file. Insert dataset name by hand. Use basic monitoring tools to show system load. Investigate a basic scheduling system (e.g. set the priority level so that local users have priority). Implement a basic sleep and kill facility so that local users have priority. Export the CDF database by hand to remote machines using existing tools. These tasks are underway now. The timescale for completion is the end of 2001. They will be done irrespective of GRID developments and will use the existing UK physicist"s effort on CDF and thus do not require additional manpower from GridPP. 6.2 2. Automatic handling of data sets Automatic registration and update of datasets: recording of movement, type, medium (disk, tape, box beside tape) and creation of datasets. Tools which might achieve this are LDAP, Globus, SAM etc. Monitor network traffic. Require a single method which returns the location of data, whether it be in the UK or at FNAL. (The FNAL end requires interfacing with existing CDF database.) Broadcast available CPU from each of the UK machines. Methods for the automatic distribution, suitability and performance of the CDF database (This is CDF specific.) More sophisticated monitoring: listing of jobs on each machine, with time elapsed and an estimate of time remaining. Interface of MAP simulation output with Data File Catalogue. These tasks will automate the cataloging of the data sets. Jobs will still be submitted "by hand". For the most part, we will use common GRID tools similar to those we expect are required by the LHC experiments. There is some CDF specific implementation of them however, particularly in interfacing with the CDF databases. The timescale for completion is "asap" since we are currently taking data. Realistically we suspect it will 13 take one year. If it takes longer than 2004, then it is of little use to us. The tasks will not be achieved without new manpower. 6.3 Stage 3. Automated job submission The job submission should be fully automated and seamless so that a user merely has to specify the executable and data. The decision on where to run the job takes account of available CPU, network conditions and disk contents. Possible tools are Globus, Condor etc. The timescale for this is 18 months to 2 years. Ideally it should be available by mid 2004 although it is still useful up until mid 2005. 7 Collaborative Effort and Manpower Needs We expect that many of the tools we need are also required by the LHC experiments, BaBar and D0. Synergies with the SAM software of D0 clearly exist, and need to be examined to see if they satisfy our requirements. Hardware resources within the UK which can be pooled between experiments include the MAP simulation facility, and ScotGrid. Contacts with Particle Physics Data Grid (PPDG) through Fermilab have been established and the Globus Toolkit will be installed on the CDF central systems and machines connected to the UK JIF network. Both Rutgers and the University of Chicago wish to collaborate with UK CDF on GRID issues. We have had discussions with Ruth Pordes, co-leader of PPDG, who is anxious that a GRID-like solution be found for data distribution at CDF. Currently, no one solution is envisaged for this; it thus presents an excellent opportunity to use Fermilab resources and for the UK to play a leading role in this extremely important initiative. Under the assumption that GridPP will provide a common infrastructure for the UK physics experiments we estimate, based on our experience with databases at CDF, that about 2 FTE /year are required to interface the CDF specific elements to UK GRID. In addition, 0.5 FTE /year are required to develop and maintain the CDF interface to MAP. 8 Summary CDF is in a position to offer concrete requirements and use cases based on the present experience of both commissioning and doing physics in a hadron collider environment. Furthermore the CDF UK groups can offer the experience gained in their roles in design and coordination of the databases, the handling of data in level 3 and the operations of the processing farms. We believe that in addition to providing a testbed for data transfer and cataloguing for the GRID, CDF will help create, define and develop the GRID middleware tools for the future. 14 9 Appendix: The Data File Catalogue The Data File Catalogue (DFC) is the currently existing utility used to store and retrieve information about CDF datasets. It consists of a relational database (currently implemented in Oracle) together with an API to query the database from the CDF software. Datasets are described as collections of filesets, which in turn are described as collections of files. Files themselves contain run sections, which are the smallest units of data described in the DFC and correspond physically to approximately 30 seconds of data-taking. The DFC also contains the mapping between filesets and tape partitions in the CDF tape store. Datasets are specified to CDF applications in the fragment of the Tcl control file read by the Data Handling Input Module (DHInputModule). The DHInputModule gathers the tape partition numbers corresponding to that dataset"s filesets by querying the DFC. The DHInputModule communicates these to a program called the Disk Inventory Manager (DIM) that contains a list of which tape partitions are currently staged to disk. The required filesets already present on disk are passed back to the DHInputModule to begin processing while the tape partitions that need to be staged are passed to a tape daemon to initiate the relevant tape mounting and staging operations. A key requirement in the overall design of these data-handling elements has been transparency to the end-user, in the sense that all the necessary tape and disk manipulations go on behind the scene once the datasets themselves have been specified. The DFC and DIM together are similar in concept to a GRID-style replica catalogue. It is indeed forseen that DFC"s will be installed to manage storage at remote sites as well as at Fermilab. Clearly though, there are many issues that need to be addressed in the context of GRID. For example: Event level meta-data. The smallest unit of data is the run section, as described above. This has the consequence that "virtual" datasets formed, in the most naïve sense, from lists of run and event numbers, cannot easily be accommodated in the current DFC scheme. Site specific information. The DFC and DIM have so far been developed and run only at Fermilab. Assumptions are made about local file structures, for example relating to the staging area path name. Therefore it is likely that some work would be needed to fully separate these utilities from site specific information that should be stored and accessed in appropriate database entries. Links to other meta-data. Other meta-data such as run conditions and trigger information is not directly linked to the DFC schema. Therefore the DFC as it stands is not a true meta-data store. 15
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This app is composed of the following 4 parts. The toolbar on the bottom allows you to quickly navigate through the different features. Here is what each offers:
It contains a large number of geographical phenomena and adventure knowledge, which can be used not only as usual textbook to know about outdoor survival lore, but also as a manual when you are in urgent need of it.
When you choose a theme, you will first see a descriptive picture. Click the button in the upper right corner, and you can easily read the text.
Test section is a functional module to test your knowledge about outdoor survival. Each test contains 20 questions, and both topics and answers are from the BIBLE part.
It provides 8 kinds of tools which may be used in the wild, such as flashlight, ruler, protractor, refer-to-north clock, battery management and so on.
It provides you with a log book to record the outdoor adventure experiences.
At any point, you can return to the last chosen exercise by simply tapping the AdvGuide button on the toolbar.
Totally support OS 3.0
Outdoor survival
What's New in Version 1.1
Added a new chapter emergency treatment
Added 10 questions to the test part
If you have any further questions, comments or suggestions, please email to email@example.com
What's New in Version 1.3
Fixed the bug that chapter one displayed wrong explanation
iPhone Screenshot
Customer Reviews
Be very careful.
Much of the information in this app is ambigous, mis-leading, or flat out wrong. This is especially true in the first aid information; for example, NEVER rub snow on any frostbite (as the app suggests). The section on CPR could get somebody killed. In addition, the arrangement of the first aid is fragmented.
Besides dangerous errors the app is poorly translated, often to point of incomprehension. Given the problems this app is not worth the price and could be hazardous.
Helps outside adventures people
- $2.99
- Category: Sports
- Updated: Dec 10, 2009
- Version: 1.3
- Size: 29.0 MB
- Language: English
- Seller: Vanaple Technology(HK) CO., Limited
- © 2009 orientmaple.com
Compatibility: Requires iOS 3.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.