Avian Flu Has Wings
Italy discovered bird flu in a wild swan on Saturday, the same day the virus was found in Greek and Bulgarian swans. Italian health officials have announced emergency health measures designed to combat the spread of the virus. The measures include the establishment of protective zones around outbreak sites and extensive testing of local poultry. Greece, Bulgaria and Slovenia are implementing similar methods of containment. At the same time, a World Health Orgaanization-sanctioned lab in Indonesia confirmed that the deaths of two local women were caused by avian flu.
Germany also confirmed that two local swans have died from bird flu in a Baltic island north of mainland Germany. Austria found bird flu as well in two dead swans. These two countries, as well as Sweden and Denmark, are initiating some emergency measures, though Sweden and Denmark's are only precautionary. Experts are advising Europeans not to panic, but also warn that bird migration this spring could carry the virus northwards.
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Outbreaks of avian flu were announced last week in three states of Nigeria, the beginning of a potential crisis in public health due to the extreme poverty of the war-torn area. No human cases have been reported yet, but since 60% of Nigeria's poultry handlers are farmers, the risk of human contamination is especially high.
Something Old, Something New, Something Blue
Charred human remains have been found at the site of the stake in Rouen, France, where Joan of Arc was burned, and forensic scientists are hoping to test their provenance. There is no way to determine whether or not the rib bone and scrap of skin belong to the martyred saint. Still, the scientists say they will use DNA testing and carbon dating to decide the gender and era of the burned person.
Darwin's "warm little pond" theory regarding the beginning of life has been put in doubt after examination of volcanic areas of Russia and the US. Researchers probed hot volcanic waters for evidence that these conditions could permit the assembly of chemicals into living organisms, and found that none existed. Other theories for the genesis of life on Earth include organic molecules coming from outer space.
Researchers on a two-week dive found an underwater mountain in the Caribbean filled with new species of fish and vast areas of "seaweed cities." The health of the area, the third biggest atoll in the world, is precarious, however, due to nearby oil tankers. Researchers are seeking to get the newly found territory, called the Saba Bank, designated a "Particularly Sensitive Sea Area" by the International Maritime Organization.
Putting Land Aside
The Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, created two new national parks in the Amazon rain forest this week and expanded another in order to protect an endangered area where the government is planning a highway project. All in all, the president placed 16 million acres under protection this week, bringing the protected areas of the Amazon to a total of 113 million acres.
A group of American conservation groups took legal action against the US government on behalf of Waterton Glacier Peace Park in Montana. According to their petition, the US is acting in violation of the UN World Heritage Convention of its emissions of greenhouse gases, which have depleted over 80% of Park's famed glaciers. The action echoes earlier suits filed on behalf of national parks in the Himalayas and Peru.
Sustainable methods of agriculture are apparently not only ecologically desirable, but also economically beneficial to farmers in developing countries. Scientists looked at 280 cases in 57 underdeveloped countries and found that techniques like crop rotation and organic farming increased yields by an average of 79%. For example, the use of pesticides requires farmers to spend large amounts of their income on chemicals, and organic crops require less water to cultivate.
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