The next time you wake up to find fresh molehills dotted around your garden, you’ll probably see red, but think twice before you scream blue murder. That pesky mole may well be one of several endemic South African species, now critically endangered. But the Red Data Project seeks to change all that.
"Feel like sending United States troops some goodies to help them in their fight against Everyone Else? Yes, I’m being ironic, but it’s still interesting to see the facilities set up to help the US troops online. (Whereas back in South Africa, 89% of the South African National Defence Force isn’t going to be around soon, and our government just shrugs)." Ian Fraser finds some interesting stuff online.
The world is heading for wildly uneven population swings in the next 45 years, with many rich countries ”downsizing” during a period in which almost all developing nations will grow at breakneck speed. A new report predicts that at least an extra 1 000-million will be living in the world’s poorest African countries by 2050. There are more people on Earth than ever before, and fewer resources to support them.
”I am starting to push myself into influential positions. That is the only way left. Most of the guys on the local youth league are weak intellectually and I can convince them. Based on other people’s experiences, it should enhance my prospects of getting a job in the government,” said Bonolo, a 24-year-old graduate. Naked opportunism or practicality?
Alwyn Myburgh emerged as the pick of the South African 400m hurdles crop when he edged defending Olympic champion Angelo Taylor and runner-up Hadi soua An Al Somaily out of the Athens Olympic finals in a nail-biting semifinal at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night. ”Oh man, I just can’t believe this,” said a jubilant Myburgh.
Special Report: Olympics 2004
You would have thought that rising levels of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) would convince us of the need for good sex advice — someone who can help us negotiate and enjoy safer sex, cope with relationships, and debunk the many myths about sex. Sex education shouldn’t begin and end at school, and STIs are not just for teenagers.
To the Olympic victors go the spoils, the gold medals and the lucrative shoe contracts, but no one remembers who came in last. Until now. A Canadian writer has dedicated himself to immortalising gallant Athens losers in cyberspace, compiling a losers hall of fame, in a celebration of true Olympic spirit.
Special Report: Olympics 2004
The current world order is essentially about the geopolitics of oil, and the book The End of Oil by Paul Roberts is a tour de force in charting, in a highly readable, balanced and objective manner, a fluid, constantly changing dynamic. We need to face up to the crisis in energy consumption.
I am not cynical about EIAs, I just have a skewed view of their effectiveness when most of the times I hear about them it is from the same advocacy groups conducting campaigns in the media. The truth is that a hungry stomach does not see the grace in the buck, writes Donald Kau.
Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic added the Olympic gold medal — and the Olympic mark — to his world record by completing a come-from-behind victory on Tuesday in the decathlon. Ezekiel Kemboi led a Kenyan sweep in the 3 000m steeplechase and Tonique Williams-Darling won the 400m in 49,41 seconds.