5 DISTURBING FACTS ABOUT OUR WORLD
Scientists and economists
recently collaborated in a study of five natural habitats converted for human
use and commercial profit. A tropical forest in Malaysia was razed for intensive logging, a
tropical forest in Cameroun was converted to oil palm and rubber plantations, a
mangrove swamp in Thailand was turned over to shrimp farming, a freshwater
marsh in Canada was drained for agriculture, and a coral reef in the
Philippines was dynamited
for fishing.
The researchers came up with some
surprising results. Had those five natural habitats been left in their wild
state, their long-term economic value to the community would have been from 14 to 75 percent more than
after conversion. In fact, an ecosystem loses, on average, half its value as a
result of human interference, and each year, environmental conversion costs $250 billion. By
contrast, preserving natural systems would cost $45 billion. The researchers say that goods and
services –in the form of food, water,air,shelter, fuel, clothing, medicine, and
storm and flood protection –provided in return are worth at least $4.4 trillion, a 100-to-1 benefit-cost
ratio, reports London’s newspaper The Guardian. Dr. Andrew Balmford of
Cambridge University, England, who led the study, said: “The economics are
absolutely stark. We thought that the numbers would favor conservation, but not
by this much.”
Sadly, even since the 1992 Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 11.4
percent of the earth’s natural environments have been converted mainly because
of ignorance of what is being lost and a desire for short-term financial gain.
Ten years later at the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in
Johannesburg, no clear solutions were forthcoming to resolve the dilemma. Dr.
Balmford expressed his concern, saying: “one-third of the world’s wild nature
has been lost since I was a child and first heard the word ‘conservation.’
That’s what keeps me awake at night”.
Some of the amazing living things we
stand to lose if we do not take actions to correct the anomaly are;
MYSTERIOUS LAVENDER
Queen Elizabeth 1 of England ordered
that the royal table be supplied with a condiment made of it. Charles VI of
France sat on cushions stuffed with it. What was the object of this royal
ardor? A fragment shrub known as lavender. Anyone who has ever stood amid the
purple haze of a lavender field will understand why so many people are
captivated by this aromatic plant.
There are over 30 species of lavender.
This hardy herb thrives in diverse climates, from the cool air of the French
Alps to the dry heat of the Middle East. The plant’s botanical name Lavandula
comes from the Latin lavare, meaning “to wash.” It is derived from a custom of
the ancient Romans, who perfumed their baths with lavender oil.
MEDICINAL VALUE
The medicinal use of lavender dates back
nearly 2000 years. During the middle ages, it was a main ingredient in a
concoction known as four thieves vinegar, which was used to combat the plague.
The vinegar likely derived it name from the fact that grave robbers who
rummaged through the belongings of plague victims washed in this lavender-based
solution. Despite the risks of their work, it seems they rarely contracted the
disease.
Herbalists of the 16th century
claimed that lavender would cure not only colds and headaches but also
paralysis of the limbs and neuroses. In addition, they believed that wearing a
skullcap made of lavender would increase intelligence. As recently as World War
1, some governments asked their citizens to gather lavender from their gardens
so that the extracted oil could be used to dress soldiers’ wounds.
TRADITIONAL TREATMENT
Some lavender oils, especially lavandula
angustifolia, appear to have an effect on a number of species of bacteria and
fungi. Some researchers have suggested that lavender oil may be useful for
treating bacterial infections that are resistant to antibiotics. Lavender oil
has also found several uses in midwifery. In a large clinical trial it was
shown that the mothers using lavender oil in their bathwater consistently
reported lower discomfort scores 3 to 5 days post-natally. Lavender oil is also
currently used in many delivery rooms for its general calming action.
What about Queen Elizabeth’s taste for
lavender? Is lavender really edible? Lavender was a favorite flavoring in the
cooking of Tudor and Elizabeth England, used as a relish to be served with
game, roasted meats, with fruit salads, sprinkled over sweet dishes, or as a
sweetmeat in its own right. Today some species of lavender are used to flavor
biscuits, cakes, and ice cream. On the other hand, not all types are desirable
–especially to insects. In fact, lavender oil or powdered foliage and flowers
may also be useful as both commercial and domestic pesticides as the
application of lavender deters mites, grain weevil, aphids and clothes moth.
GLOBAL DEMAND
In recent decades lavender has enjoyed
renewed popularity. It is now cultivated in Australia, Europe, Japan, New
Zealand, and North America. Lavender is unlike wine, oil produced from the same
species will vary from region to region, as it is influenced by the soil and
climate in which the lavender grows. Even the timing and method of harvesting
can affect the final product.
Unlike wine, lavender oil is
extracted not by crushing but by steaming. It takes about 250 kg of lavender to
produce one liter of oil. The freshly cut flowers, stalks, and leaves are
firmly pressed into a large steel drum. Steam is pumped into the base of the
container, and as it rises through the plant parts, it releases the oil. The
steam and oil pass through a condenser and into a pot, where the oil separates
from the water and rises to the surface. The oil is drawn off and stored in
ceramic-lined containers, where it is left to mature for some months
Some lavender oils
are used in soaps, creams, and candles. The flowers are sold freshly cut or
dried, and the flower heads are a prized ingredient in potpourri. Thousands of
tourists come each year to taste lavender treats and to absorb the sight and
scent of the lavender field.
ROSE MYSTERIOUS NAMES
Because of the sheer number of different
plants being bred, naming new varieties has become a major challenge. Already
there are about 100000 day lilies with names. At least that many rose and more
than 400 dahlias. All the obvious poetic nouns and adjectives, such as
beauty,blush,delight,dream, glory,queen,sunset,sunrise,velvet,fragrant,delight
and magic, have been appropriated-and registered-in virtually every possible
combination. Nowadays, plant namers are being driven to new heights –and
depths- of commercial nomenclature. For example at gardening stores these days
you can buy a Taco Supreme iris, a Macho man rose, an abba dabba do hosta, a
primal scream day lily or a kung fu dahlia. You can even have a flower named
after your self- for a price. A company in California allows you to name a rose
for $10000, providing the name is in good taste. Another charges $7500 but
throws in a few extras, including a weekend in Los Angeles.
WHY TIGERS ARE LOVELY
The dog might be man’s best friend, but the
world’s favorite animal is tiger, after a series of documentaries, each
featuring one of ten animals, a poll of over 52,000 people from 73 countries
put the tiger ahead of dog by just 17 votes. In third place is was the dolphin,
followed by the horse, the lion, the snake, the elephant, the chimpanzee, the
orangutan, and the whale. Animal behavior Dr. Candy d’Sa explained that humans
can relate to the tiger, as it is fierce and commanding on the outside, but
noble and discerning on the inside. In contrast, the dog is a loyal and
respectful creature and brings out the lighter, more communicative side of
human nature.
Conservationists
welcomed the tiger’s victory. If people are voting for tigers as their favorite
animal, it means they recognize their importance, and hopefully the need to
ensure their survival. It is estimated that only 5,000 tigers remain in the
wild.
DIATOMS
Diatoms, microscopic algae that encase themselves in ornate, exquisitely
patterned glass shells, are found in prolific numbers in every ocean on earth.
They have fascinated scientists for centuries –in fact, ever since the
microscope was first invented and men could sketch their beauty. Justifiably,
the diatom is called the jewel of the sea.
Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite
in the 1860’s, used silica from diatoms to stabilize nitroglycerin, which
enabled him to form portable sticks of the explosive.
Fossilized diatom shells are used commercially in many ways today –for example,
to illuminate road paint, purify wine, and filter swimming pool water.
Far more important, though, is the
fact that these tiny one-celled plants account for one fourth of the photosynthesis on our planet. Researchers Allen
Milligan and Francois Morel, of Princeton University, U.S.A., have found that
silica in the diatom’s glass shell causes chemical changes in the water inside
it, creating an ideal environment for photosynthesis. The reason the glass is
so ornate, scientists believe, is that a greater surface area is thus exposed
to the water inside the cell, making photosynthesis more efficient. Just how
these minute but beautiful cases are formed from silicon
dissolved in seawater is still a mystery, but what researchers do know is that
by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, diatoms play a vital role in
sustaining life on earth, perhaps an even more important role than most land
plants.
Morel rates diatoms among the most successful organisms on earth.
Milligan adds that without their appetite for carbon dioxide, “the greenhouse
effect might be much more severe.”
When diatoms
die, their carbon remains sink to the ocean floor and eventually fossilize.
Some scientists believe that in this form, under intense pressure, diatoms have
contributed to the world’s oil reserves. Concern is growing, however, that as
seawater temperatures rise because of global warming, this allows bacteria to
eat the diatoms’ remains before they can sink, and carbon is released back into
the surface water. Thus, even this tiny “jewel of the sea” is part of a
marvelously designed life-sustaining system that could now be under threat.
MIND-BOGGLING FISH
Few fish grab our attention the
way the clown fish does. Perhaps it wins our hearts with its fancy coloring,
which may remind us of a circus clown. Or maybe we are struck by its surprising
choice of home –among the stinging tentacles of a sea anemone. Not
surprisingly, another name for the clown fish is anemone
fish.
Like many Hollywood actors, clown
fish are not averse to photographs. Divers and snorkelers can usually expect
clown fish to pose for pictures, since they rarely stray far from home and are
not particularly shy.
But what makes clown fish amazing is
their seemingly risky lifestyle. Living among poisonous tentacles would seem to
be comparable to setting up home in a nest of serpents. Still, clown fish and
their anemone of choice are inseparable. What makes this strange partnership
possible and successful?
Like most good partnerships, clown
fish and anemones give and take. The relationship is not merely convenient for
the clown fish; it is vital. Marine biologists
have confirmed that clown fish cannot live in the wild without a host anemone.
They are poor swimmers and would be at the mercy of hungry predators without
the anemone’s protection. However, by using the anemones as a home base and as
a safe shelter when threatened, the clown fish may reach ten years of age.
The anemone provides a safe nesting
site as well as a home. The clown fish deposits their eggs at the host anemone,
where both parents keep careful watch over them. Later, the clown fish family
can be seen swimming around that same anemone.
What does the anemone get out of this
relationship? The clown fish serve as marine bodyguards, driving away butterfly
fish that like to feed on anemone tentacles. At least one species of anemone
cannot live without resident clown fish. When researchers removed the clown
fish, within just 24 hours, the anemone had disappeared completely. Apparently,
butterfly fish had consumed them.
It seems that clown fish even provide
their host with energy. The ammonium that clown fish excrete helps spurs growth
in the host anemone. And as the clown fish swim among the tentacles, they help
circulate oxygen-rich water to the anemone.
In the case of clown fish, protection
is skin-deep. They have mucus on their skin
that keeps them from being stung. Thanks to this chemical coating. It seems the
anemone considers the clown fish one of its own. As one marine biologist put
it, the clown fish becomes a fish in anemone clothing.
Some studies suggest that when selecting
a new host, the clown fish has to go through a
process of adaptation. It has been observed that when the fish approaches an
anemone for the first time, it touches the anemone intermittently for a few
hours. Apparently, this on-and-off contact allows the clown fish to modify its
protective coating to conform to the new anemone’s particular poison.
Possibility the clown fish gets stung a little during this process. But after
that, the two get along fine.
The collaboration of such different
creatures offers a fascinating lesson in teamwork.
In so many human endeavors, people from diverse cultures and backgrounds
achieve remarkable results by pooling their resources. Like the clown fish, we
may take a little time to adapt to working with others, but the results are
well worth it.
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