About six thousand rare Irrawaddy dolphins, one of the world's rarest species of freshwater and previously unknown population, were found along Bangladesh coast with a great hope for the survival of the rare species, said a study carried out by the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
The study disclosed at the first international conference on marine mammal protected areas in Maui, Hawaii yesterday, however, warned that the newly discovered population is now under threat from climate change and fishing.
The researchers who carried out the study said that they have found about 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins in the freshwater of Sundarbans mangrove forest and nearby water area of the Bay of Bengal. They used rigorous scientific techniques in an area where little marine mammal research has taken place to document the new population.
Before the discovery of the new population, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimated that the figure of the Sundarbans population was around 450.
Prior to this study, the largest known populations of Irrawaddy dolphins to date have numbered in the low hundreds or less- at least 125 in the Mekong River in Vietnam, 77 in the Malampaya Sound in the Philippines and up to 100 in the Mahakam River in Indonesia.
"This discovery gives us a great hope that there is a future for Irrawaddy dolphins," said Brian D Smith, the study's lead author.
"Bangladesh clearly serves as an important sanctuary for Irrawaddy dolphins, and conservation in this region should be a top priority," said Steven E Sanderson, the president and chief executive of the WCS.
He said thriving population of Irrawaddy dolphins exists in Bangladesh gave them hope for protecting this and other endangered species and their important habitats.
According to the researchers, declining freshwater supplies also pose a threat - from upstream water diversions like as dams and by rising sea levels caused by climate change that will see the loss of freshwater habitats.
These problems also threaten Ganges River dolphins, an endangered species that also inhabits the Sundarbans, they observed.
The Irrawaddy dolphin grows to up to 8 feet (2.5 meters) in length and lives in large rivers, estuaries, and freshwater lagoons in the South and the Southeast Asia.
The WCS has asked Bangladesh authorities to establish a sanctuary for the dolphins in the Sundarbans mangrove forest.
Dr Ainun Nishat, country representative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said the finding was an indication that the ecology in the area is not dead yet.
"There is plenty of food, mainly fish, in the area for the dolphins to eat. What is now needed is to restrict fishing in the area to protect the dolphins," he observed.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Solus Industrial Innovations Explosion at California factory
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – An explosion at a manufacturing plant that killed two people and injured two other employees working the night shift inside is believed to have been caused by an industrial process water heater, offiicials said.
The explosion rocked an industrial part of the city Thursday night, cracking the concrete walls of the building and waking up firefighters from a station across the street.
Firefighters from station 45 at first believed a truck had crashed into a building because of the commotion, said Capt. Greg McKeown of the Orange County Fire Authority.
The firefighters ran outside just after 11:30 p.m. and saw that an explosion had occurred at Solus Industrial Innovatoion, 30152 Aventura Ave., McKeown said.
"They heard the explosion, came out of the station, immediately went into action," McKeown said.
The blast damaged the industrial building, including its façade and back wall, which bulged out from the force of the explosion. The blast from the water heater, located in the rear of the building where six employees were working that night, pushed equipment into the walls of the building.
Four employees were outside of the building when firefighters approached. They said that two people were still inside the plant, McKeown said.
"There was no fire," McKeown said. "There's a lot of damage to the building."
Firefighters went inside the building and found two people dead, he said.
Two employees were taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo to be treated for minor injuries. Two other workers refused medical treatment.
Authorities are currently at the scene investigating the cause of the blast, but it is believed it was caused by a large industrial process electric water heater, McKeown said.
The blast was strong enough to make two holes in the ceiling.
McKeown said the two people killed appeared to have suffered severe trauma and no burns. When firefighters went inside, they found roofing material scattered on the ground, insulation hanging and several broken pipes.
"There's a lot of damage inside," he said.
The force broke several fire sprinkler pipes as well, igniting the fire alarm.
Firefighters with the OCFA's Hazmat team searched the area, but found no hazardous materials that would be of an immediate concern, McKeown said.
Deputies have blocked traffic in the area on Aventura Avenue for both sides of traffic, said Lt. Ted Boyne of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Traffic is blocked from Gilberto to Tomas.
According to an online profile, the company makes conveyor chains and sprockets.
The explosion rocked an industrial part of the city Thursday night, cracking the concrete walls of the building and waking up firefighters from a station across the street.
Firefighters from station 45 at first believed a truck had crashed into a building because of the commotion, said Capt. Greg McKeown of the Orange County Fire Authority.
The firefighters ran outside just after 11:30 p.m. and saw that an explosion had occurred at Solus Industrial Innovatoion, 30152 Aventura Ave., McKeown said.
"They heard the explosion, came out of the station, immediately went into action," McKeown said.
The blast damaged the industrial building, including its façade and back wall, which bulged out from the force of the explosion. The blast from the water heater, located in the rear of the building where six employees were working that night, pushed equipment into the walls of the building.
Four employees were outside of the building when firefighters approached. They said that two people were still inside the plant, McKeown said.
"There was no fire," McKeown said. "There's a lot of damage to the building."
Firefighters went inside the building and found two people dead, he said.
Two employees were taken to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo to be treated for minor injuries. Two other workers refused medical treatment.
Authorities are currently at the scene investigating the cause of the blast, but it is believed it was caused by a large industrial process electric water heater, McKeown said.
The blast was strong enough to make two holes in the ceiling.
McKeown said the two people killed appeared to have suffered severe trauma and no burns. When firefighters went inside, they found roofing material scattered on the ground, insulation hanging and several broken pipes.
"There's a lot of damage inside," he said.
The force broke several fire sprinkler pipes as well, igniting the fire alarm.
Firefighters with the OCFA's Hazmat team searched the area, but found no hazardous materials that would be of an immediate concern, McKeown said.
Deputies have blocked traffic in the area on Aventura Avenue for both sides of traffic, said Lt. Ted Boyne of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Traffic is blocked from Gilberto to Tomas.
According to an online profile, the company makes conveyor chains and sprockets.
Uss Hartford Collision in Strait of Hormuz
DUBAI (Reuters) - A nuclear-powered U.S. submarine and another U.S. vessel collided on Friday in the Strait of Hormuz but there was no damage to the atomic propulsion unit, the U.S. Navy said.
Fifteen sailors were slightly injured in the collision between the submarine USS Hartford and an amphibious vessel, USS New Orleans, it said in a statement.
"There is no damage to the nuclear propulsion plant of the Hartford," U.S. Navy spokesman Lieutenant Nathan Christensen told Reuters.
Fifteen sailors were slightly injured in the collision between the submarine USS Hartford and an amphibious vessel, USS New Orleans, it said in a statement.
"There is no damage to the nuclear propulsion plant of the Hartford," U.S. Navy spokesman Lieutenant Nathan Christensen told Reuters.
Tennis Player Sarah Gronert and Her Gender Controversy
Sarah Gronert, a 22-year-old pro from Germany, finds herself under scrutiny from her opponents and their coaches, who believe that a unique gender issue from birth should make her ineligible for the woman's tour.
Three years ago, those issues almost caused Gronert, ranked No. 619 in the world, to abandon her career. Though she has since returned to competitive tennis, the dialogue that continues to surround her relates not to her ability, but to her biology.
Gronert was born with male and female genitalia. After undergoing surgery, she's now medically certified as a woman. That's not good enough for some, though.
"There is no girl who can hit serves like that, not even Venus Williams," said Schlomo Tzoref, the coach of Julia Glushko, who Gronert recently beat on her way to winning the Raanana tournament in Israel in early March. "When I heard her story, I was in shock. I don't know if it's fair that she can compete or not. She does have an advantage, but if this is what the WTA have decided, they probably know best. If she begins to play continuously, within six months she will be within the Top 50."
It's tough to piece together the details of Gronert's story. Her story has yet to really reach American shores, so facts have to be parsed together from various foreign language websites. Yet Tzoref isn't the only one who sees the potential for Gronert to climb the ranks of the women's tour, which will surely lead to more conversation -- and infamy -- around the world regarding her standing on the tour.
We do know that, at 19, the harsh words and treatment from peers almost led Gronert to retire. Instead, she underwent surgery to remove the male genitalia and, after a struggle with the WTA that needed a petition and special committee to resolve, was allowed to compete again.
Gronert has appeared in nine tournaments in the last three years, winning two -- the Raanana tournament on March 2 and the German Kaarst tournament on January 19 -- this year. The purse for both titles was $10,000 each. Her competitors feel she had an unfair advantage towards winning those purses which will lead her to continue to rise in the sport unfairly. The longer Gronert competes, the more fevered the conversation grows (her Wikipedia page was deleted due to constant abuse by users).
Three years ago, those issues almost caused Gronert, ranked No. 619 in the world, to abandon her career. Though she has since returned to competitive tennis, the dialogue that continues to surround her relates not to her ability, but to her biology.
Gronert was born with male and female genitalia. After undergoing surgery, she's now medically certified as a woman. That's not good enough for some, though.
"There is no girl who can hit serves like that, not even Venus Williams," said Schlomo Tzoref, the coach of Julia Glushko, who Gronert recently beat on her way to winning the Raanana tournament in Israel in early March. "When I heard her story, I was in shock. I don't know if it's fair that she can compete or not. She does have an advantage, but if this is what the WTA have decided, they probably know best. If she begins to play continuously, within six months she will be within the Top 50."
It's tough to piece together the details of Gronert's story. Her story has yet to really reach American shores, so facts have to be parsed together from various foreign language websites. Yet Tzoref isn't the only one who sees the potential for Gronert to climb the ranks of the women's tour, which will surely lead to more conversation -- and infamy -- around the world regarding her standing on the tour.
We do know that, at 19, the harsh words and treatment from peers almost led Gronert to retire. Instead, she underwent surgery to remove the male genitalia and, after a struggle with the WTA that needed a petition and special committee to resolve, was allowed to compete again.
Gronert has appeared in nine tournaments in the last three years, winning two -- the Raanana tournament on March 2 and the German Kaarst tournament on January 19 -- this year. The purse for both titles was $10,000 each. Her competitors feel she had an unfair advantage towards winning those purses which will lead her to continue to rise in the sport unfairly. The longer Gronert competes, the more fevered the conversation grows (her Wikipedia page was deleted due to constant abuse by users).
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
U.S. Stocks Fall while Sun Micro Surges
11:10AM New York – U.S. stocks declined ahead Fed rate decision. General Mills declined after it offered lower than expected annual profit estimate. Darden Restaurant earnings lifted stocks in the sector.
U.S. stocks fell in the morning trading ahead of rate decision by the Fed.
Of the stocks in S&P 500 index, 93 gained, 403 increased and 4 were unchanged. General Mills led the decliners in the index with a loss of 9% followed by losses in Lincoln National Corp of 7.3%, in Capital One Financial of 6.5%, in Jacobs Engineering of 6.4% and in DR Horton of 6.3%.
Sun Microsystems surged 66% and led the gainers in the S&P 500 index stocks followed by gains in AIG of 25%, in E*Trade Financial of 19%, in Darden Restaurant of 15% and in Citigroup of 11%.
Wall Street Journal report suggested that IBM in discussion to acquire Sun Micro and boost its presence in network server market. 123jump.com contacted investors relations staff at both companies to verify the report but both companies denied to confirm the report. The deal will help IBM to increase server offering to customers and integrate several middleware and other software applications to its largest clients.
U.S. stocks fell in the morning trading ahead of rate decision by the Fed.
Of the stocks in S&P 500 index, 93 gained, 403 increased and 4 were unchanged. General Mills led the decliners in the index with a loss of 9% followed by losses in Lincoln National Corp of 7.3%, in Capital One Financial of 6.5%, in Jacobs Engineering of 6.4% and in DR Horton of 6.3%.
Sun Microsystems surged 66% and led the gainers in the S&P 500 index stocks followed by gains in AIG of 25%, in E*Trade Financial of 19%, in Darden Restaurant of 15% and in Citigroup of 11%.
Wall Street Journal report suggested that IBM in discussion to acquire Sun Micro and boost its presence in network server market. 123jump.com contacted investors relations staff at both companies to verify the report but both companies denied to confirm the report. The deal will help IBM to increase server offering to customers and integrate several middleware and other software applications to its largest clients.
Natasha Richardson Injured in a Ski Accident
Actress Natasha Richardson has been flown back to New York after being critically injured in a ski accident Monday, sources say.
Richardson, 45, was taking a skiing lesson at Mont Tremblant in Canada when she fell.
A spokesperson for the resort says Richardson, who wasn't wearing a helmet at the time, had no visible sign of injury when she fell, but later said she didn't feel well.
"It wasn't a hard fall, but we checked everything and she seemed to be all right. She was talking. She didn't show any signs of confusion or any injury," said Mont Tremblant Spokeswoman Lyne Lortie.
Richardson was taken to a local hospital and later transferred to the intensive care unit of another hospital. Published reports say she is suffering brain swelling and was flown by private jet to an American hospital for treatment.
The actress has appeared on Broadway in "Closer" and "A Streetcar Named Desire." In 1998, she won a Tony Award for her role as Sally Bowles in "Cabaret."
Richardson is also known for her roles in films such as "The Parent Trap," "Maid in Manhattan," "Love Actually," and "The Handmaid's Tale."
She is the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and the late director Tony Richardson.
Richardson is married to actor Liam Neeson. The couple has two children.
Richardson, 45, was taking a skiing lesson at Mont Tremblant in Canada when she fell.
A spokesperson for the resort says Richardson, who wasn't wearing a helmet at the time, had no visible sign of injury when she fell, but later said she didn't feel well.
"It wasn't a hard fall, but we checked everything and she seemed to be all right. She was talking. She didn't show any signs of confusion or any injury," said Mont Tremblant Spokeswoman Lyne Lortie.
Richardson was taken to a local hospital and later transferred to the intensive care unit of another hospital. Published reports say she is suffering brain swelling and was flown by private jet to an American hospital for treatment.
The actress has appeared on Broadway in "Closer" and "A Streetcar Named Desire." In 1998, she won a Tony Award for her role as Sally Bowles in "Cabaret."
Richardson is also known for her roles in films such as "The Parent Trap," "Maid in Manhattan," "Love Actually," and "The Handmaid's Tale."
She is the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and the late director Tony Richardson.
Richardson is married to actor Liam Neeson. The couple has two children.
World's Deadliest Spider Found in Store
World's deadliest spider found in produce section of Tulsa grocery store
One of the most deadly spiders in the world has been found in the produce section of a Tulsa grocery store.
TULSA, Okla. —
One of the most deadly spiders in the world has been found in the produce section of a Tulsa grocery store.
An employee of Whole Foods Market found the Brazilian Wandering Spider Sunday in bananas from Honduras and managed to catch it in a container.
The spider was given to University of Tulsa Animal Facilities director Terry Childs who says this type of spider kills more people than any other.
Childs says a bite will kill a person in about 25 minutes and while there is an antidote he doesn't know of any in the Tulsa area.
Spiders often are found in imported produce, and a manager at Whole Foods says the store regularly checks its goods and that's how the spider was found.
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One of the most deadly spiders in the world has been found in the produce section of a Tulsa grocery store.
TULSA, Okla. —
One of the most deadly spiders in the world has been found in the produce section of a Tulsa grocery store.
An employee of Whole Foods Market found the Brazilian Wandering Spider Sunday in bananas from Honduras and managed to catch it in a container.
The spider was given to University of Tulsa Animal Facilities director Terry Childs who says this type of spider kills more people than any other.
Childs says a bite will kill a person in about 25 minutes and while there is an antidote he doesn't know of any in the Tulsa area.
Spiders often are found in imported produce, and a manager at Whole Foods says the store regularly checks its goods and that's how the spider was found.
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