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World News (not involving animals)
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...The bulk of the increase in forest cover – about 3800 sq km – was in just one state, the report shows, and is partly attributed to a correction in previous survey data.In fact, India may be losing quality forests. Dense forests are degrading into scrub or sparsely covered forest areas in many states, says the report. “Moderately dense” forest cover – areas with a tree canopy density of between 40-70% – shrank by 1991 sq km in the two-year period, while “open forests” with less than 40% canopy increased by 7831 sq km.Another potential worry: the Himalayan northeastern region, which holds one-fourth of the country’s forests, has seen a small decline of 627 sq km in forest cover.India’s total forest cover now stands at 697,898 sq km or 21.23% of the country’s area. That’s well short of the official goal to get cover up to 30% of land area (in February, the government approved a £4.46m project to increase forest area)."
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/b...er-numbers ~~The report does for the first time talk about where the increase in forest cover is taking place. It is taking place largely outside lands that are designated as forest lands on land records. This suggests that these are not healthy forests which can hold rich biodiversity but probably mere plantations. The quality of these new forests are suspect replacement for the decently well-wooded forests the country is losing. The report shows nearly 2,000 sq km of moderately dense forests either degraded, got thinned down or just chopped off in the two years under assessment. http://www.business-standard.com/article...137_1.html Does anybody have more info on this? 
The loss of functional forests makes me doubt the new consensus methods even more, unfortunately. Species would likely adapt to open forests, but the problem is still there.
(03-09-2015, 10:25 PM)'tigerluver' Wrote: The loss of functional forests makes me doubt the new consensus methods even more, unfortuntaley. Species would likely adapt to open forests, but the problem is still there. I think that another problem is this: how much space is there for new forest cover? India wants to have 30% forest cover, but is that possible? When we look at population density maps or road/railway maps, what do we see?
Good points. From 2012, I found this: http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/in...r-declines
 *This image is copyright of its original author And population density from 2001:  *This image is copyright of its original author Realistically, it'll be difficult to beat corporations on gaining the land for conservations. Money talks, and in my opinion to only leverage conservation has is ecotourism. 
Groundwater depletion shifting Earth's axis: Scientists
Rosamma Thomas | TNN | Apr 21, 2016, 07.30 PM IST  *This image is copyright of its original author JAIPUR: Groundwater depletion in India is a calamity that now calls for urgent measures. What is less well known, though, is that Earth's spin around its axis too is especially sensitive to changes in the mass of water beneath Earth's surface. By the law of rotation, the 45 degrees North and South latitudes would play an especially important role in determining the spin. And India's groundwater depletion has indeed been causing a shift in the axis, scientists have explained in a paper published earlier this month in the journal Science Advances. The paper, published April 8, by Nasa scientists Surendra Adhikari and Erik Ivins of Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California, built on earlier studies showing that there were connections between the Earth's movement and changes in the surface or interior of the planet. The Earth, Nasa website explains, is still adjusting to loss of ice in North America after the last Ice Age. The reduced mass beneath North America is pulling the spin axis of Earth towards Canada, at a rate of a few inches each year. Around the year 2000, scientists found, Earth's spin around the axis took an abrupt turn east. It is now drifting in that direction at a pace of about seven inches a year. Adhikari says the eastward shift of the axis was earlier considered to be because of the loss of mass in Greenland and Antarctica, with the rapid melting of ice. Using the monthly record of changes in mass made available through the observations of the twin satellites that are part of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), in which Nasa collaborates with Germany, scientists found that the massive energy needed for such a shift in the axis could not be produced by the loss of mass in Greenland alone. Latest Comment There is another factor in the spin of earth that the axis of earth makes one wobble every 30 or 35 thousand years which is imperative that if ice age is melting ,it will recover after the wobble of earth.Jawahar Lal Taku Something east of Greenland had to be exerting an additional pull. "The bulk of the answer is a deficit of water in Eurasia: the Indian subcontinent and the Caspian Sea area," Adhikari is quoted as saying on Nasa website. The finding came as a surprise, because the quantity of the loss due to depletion of aquifers and drought in the area is nowhere near the losses caused by changes in the ice sheets. Earth's spin axis, though, is especially sensitive to changes occurring at 45 degrees latitude, both North and South. "That's why changes in the Indian subcontinent, for example, are so important," Adhikari explains. From around the web http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...929420.cms 
Centuries before the appearance of the likes of Greenpeace, World Environment Day, and what is known as the environmental movement, the shruti (Vedas, Upanishads) and smruti (Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, other scriptures) instructed us that the animals and plants found in the land of Bharatavarsha are sacred; that like humans, our fellow creatures, including plants have consciousness; and therefore all aspects of nature are to be revered. This understanding, care and reverence towards the environment is common to all Indic religious and spiritual systems: Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Read more: http://indiafacts.org/hindu-roots-modern-ecology/# 
Biased strangers take a DNA test - the results show why we shouldn't judge others on their looks
 *This image is copyright of its original author Humanity has in many ways come quite far, but it's also clear that it still has a long way to go. Prejudice is one such area where we have much room for improvement. It continues to create problems among people, and at worst, our bigotry leads to wars and conflicts where countless innocent lives are lost. Still, these massive problems often begin with the first impressions we make about others based on their skin color, physical appearance, and perceived nationality. In an effort to contrast the prejudices we all have with the facts about who we actually are, travel company Momondo gathered 67 people from various ethnicities and offered them a DNA test. All of the test subjects had one thing in common: they were proud of their nationality, ethnicity, and heritage. But they were also full of bias against people from other races, who in their eyes are totally different from themselves. Sound a little bit familiar? The whole thing starts with a question: "Would you dare to question who you really are?" Then, Momondo gave each of the participants a DNA test. And two weeks later, the test subjects returned to see the results. The results left the participants in tears... and shattered everything they ever thought about themselves. This video is an important reminder for all of us to accept others regardless of their nationality or skin color. Because we actually have a lot more in common than we think! I really hope that this thought-provoking video helps people look beyond appearances and take a step closer toward each other. We must never forget to love our fellow human beings for who they are, regardless of their appearance, origin, or nationality. Please share this important video, so that more people can learn this valuable lesson for themselves! http://en.newsner.com/biased-strangers-take-a-dna-test-the-results-show-why-we-shouldn-t-judge-others-on-their-looks/about/family 
Good and informative posts, but I feel like threads not relating to nature or human interaction with nature belongs to NationWarrior. Just my personal opinion, nothing more.
Agree with polar, Nationwarriror is more suitable for this thread.
But the video is awesome, I must agree.  (04-26-2016, 10:47 PM)Pckts Wrote: Groundwater depletion shifting Earth's axis: Scientists In India we called media as #Presstitutes, actually it is insult to Prostitutes!!  Anyway, I studies it is in my 4th standard. Ground water hardly 0.6% in total water on earth in that India may holds 0.01% of water (on earth).So, according to some pseudo scientists and their research findings earth changing its access because Indians are using ground water ...... Actually India is Monsoon(3/4 months rigorous rains) country.  *This image is copyright of its original author
I was reading some article of the great scientist Stephen Hawking. He is saying that we humans need to find some other place in universe if we want to exists after 1000 years.
He was giving his comments at the Oxford Union debating society describing 2016,  *This image is copyright of its original author He said that in the last 50 years humans "have been able to come this close to understanding the laws that govern us and the universe." "We will map the position of millions of galaxies with the help of super computers like Cosmos," he added. "We will better understand our place in the universe. Perhaps one day we will be able to use gravitational waves to look right back into the heart of the Big Bang." "But we must also continue to go into space for the future of humanity." "I don’t think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet." Read more - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people...17366.html Not only this, He also commented on AI (artificial intelligence). According to this great scientist, AI will be either the best or the worst thing, ever to happen to humanity. Two years ago, he told the BBC that the development of AI could "spell the end of the human race." His concerns were shared by Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak who, along with more than 8,000 leading researchers and scientists, signed a letter warning that artificial intelligence can potentially be more dangerous than nuclear weapons. Well, what I think we can only predict, no one is sure of future things. But I feel that humans will be mass extinct just like dinosaurs, Moving to another planet (like mars) is not a solution either. I think mars will become life sustaining planet in millions of year which will support life slightly different than earth. Planet mars image  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
While reading these things, I read a comment of a guy. He ha written some valid point, Read it
The mars is likely to be next planet in the solar system to have life. Reason: The CO2 atmosphere which aids in hydro carbon development the foundation to living organisms. Apart from this, the sun is expanding and in over a period of time (million years) it will gobble up mercury (the nearest planet to the sun) and venus will take the position of Mercury. Earth will be closer in comparison with no life in it due to its extremely hot temperature. Mars will be ideal for life and process would begin. As far as humans moving to settle in Mars is not going to make any difference in colonizing the planet. It is the natural evolution process that will make Mars another living planet in about million years. Humans of this planet may not survive to see a full fledged civilization occurring on Mars. It is not another house that the humans of earth would move easily lock stock and barrel. The Hindu spiritual wisdom speaks about transmigration of souls to another planet in the unending galaxy of stars. Depending upon one's Karma the human soul has the capacity to travel beyond time to be born again in totally alien planets. One can be proud of their pedigree and status in this birth, but the death levels everything. Most invest for future but very few invest for next life. Moksha (free from births and deaths) is the ultimate goal for humans according Hindu scriptures. The limit where the science ends, the spiritual journey continues beyond. 
Moving into another planet ? Hmm I saw that in a good film "Interstellar"... But it would seem to me amoral. We have slaughtered the wild life of Earth, wrecked and sacked all the natural biotops and we would invade a new planet with all our defects and flaws ?
I feel that I'm going to disturb you, to make you angry. After all, a "new world" has already been seetled, from 1492 and the following centuries. And most of the colonizers were outlawed criminals (from Italy), poor wretchs suffering from hunger (from Irish) and so on... And what did it happen ? The first history genocid, the native american indian extermination, could start. And so on, the wildlife of this new continent slaugthered too... No use to invade a new world if we are unable to retain the lessons of the History. And I believe the humanity is fundamentally bad.  (11-18-2016, 03:50 PM)Spalea Wrote: Moving into another planet ? Hmm I saw that in a good film "Interstellar"... But it would seem to me amoral. We have slaughtered the wild life of Earth, wrecked and sacked all the natural biotops and we would invade a new planet with all our defects and flaws ? I quite agree. Now is the time for rules to be written and agreed upon by all the nations of earth. Life on another planet; if we should reach that discovery-goal, no matter how repulsive or insignificant we view it, should be treated with it's well being as an absolute top priority. I sincerely hope that humanity has learned from our past abominations.
Experts at the University of Oslo, Norway have discovered a new way for robots to design, evolve and manufacture themselves, without input from humans, using a form of artificial evolution called “Generative design,” and 3D printers – although admittedly the team, for now at least, still has to assemble the final product, robot, when it’s printed.
http://www.globalfuturist.org/2017/01/norwegian-robot-learns-to-self-evolve-and-3d-print-itself-in-the-lab/ |
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