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Cities across Texas increase efforts to combat mosquitos

Sunday, August 12, 2012
Numerous cities throughout Texas, United States have begun broadening their efforts to fight mosquito populations, in an effort to reduce transmission of the sometimes-lethal West Nile virus. Officials in Dallas county have declared a public health emergency. Officials there have requested use of five planes, intended to spray most of North Dallas, as well as other sections of the city.

	With the concerns in Dallas, we're taking it seriously.
—A Malakoff city official

Tim Whitley, a city official in Malakoff, told Wikinews his city has begun using a pesticide specialist to spray two times weekly. According to Whitley, certain atmospheric conditions, such as wind speed and humidity, must be right before the large scale treatments can occur. He explained two treatments per week is more often than usual for the city. "With the concerns in Dallas, we're taking it seriously", Whitley added. Even in the drier climate found in Abilene, mosquitos recently tested were carrying the virus. As a result, that city has increased its pesticide treatments.

Culex pipiens, a common species of mosquito.
Image: Alvesgaspar.

Media sources indicate well over 80 cases of West Nile virus have been reported this year in Dallas county alone. A top-ranking Dallas county official told media he views the problem with serious concern. There have been nine cases of West Nile virus in the Houston region, with one of those resulting in death. A New Jersey woman who is a former resident of Lubbock told media earlier this month she'd contracted the virus and believed she'd been bitten while visiting Austin. About 60 percent of West Nile cases in the U.S. happen in Texas.
Historically, there have been some objections raised over aerial spraying and the potential health hazards distributing such chemicals may pose. A California study, however, showed evidence that in areas where aerial spraying occurred, infection was six times less likely to occur. The earliest cases of the virus appeared in the U.S. in the late 1990s

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Wildfires spread across parts of Oklahoma

Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Fire crews have battled numerous wildfires across portions of Oklahoma during recent days. At least eighteen fires have been reported across the state, one of which severely damaged the town of Luther, nearly destroying it. Media sources indicate the fires have damaged over 68,000 acres.
Many of the fires burned throughout Saturday night. In the central part of the state, various rural areas and small towns were evacuated; officers went door to door in some locales to notify residents of the impending dangers. A spokesperson for the American Red Cross reported approximately 50 people stayed overnight in an emergency shelter set up in the town of Cushing, just outside of Oklahoma City.
The state continues under a state of emergency. The governor, Mary Fallin, visited the town of Luther on Saturday, extending her sympathies amidst the disaster. She told reporters, "It's heartbreaking to see families that have lost so much." She has also issued a statewide ban on all burning activities.

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Abu Dhabi starts constructing 'green city'

Monday, February 11, 2008
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has started construction of its so called 'green city' which will be named Masdar City. It is a city which is designed to have no carbon emissions, cars, or waste. It will cost $22 billion (£11 billion) and take eight years to make. It will be able to hold a population of 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. The city will cover 1,483 acres (6.00 km²).
The city was designed by Foster and Partners, a British company.
“No one has ever built a zero-carbon city before. Nor one producing zero waste or fully powered by renewable energy. Masdar City will accomplish all three,” said Sultan Al Jaber.
The city will have a personal electrical power supply mainly from two renewable energy sources: wind turbines and solar panels. Water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant and air conditioning will be provided naturally from wind towers.
It is planned to save more than $2 billion in oil over the next 25 years along with creating more than 70 000 jobs.
The immense project will be supported by a company created for it called 'Masdar Initiative', which will develop and commercialise clean energy technologies. It will also be supported by the WWF, a global conservation charity, and it is hoped that international joint ventures will bring in more money.
Some people fear that Masdar will become a domain for the luxury development of the rich, because the city is located by Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Dr Al Jaber said, “We are often asked why we are setting our goal so high. Our answer is because someone must... Someone must push the envelope to create the solution that we, as a global community, so urgently require.”

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Bahamas become fourth country to ban shark fishing

Thursday, July 7, 2011

The Bahamas on Tuesday approved a law banning shark fishing in its waters, along with selling, importing and exporting shark products. This makes the Bahamas the fourth country to ban shark fishing, joining the Maldives, Honduras, and Palau. The 630,000 sq km of water around the Bahamas has now become an official shark sanctuary.
The ban is welcomed by many, including environmentalists. The President of the Bahamas National Trust, Neil McKinney, spoke about the issue saying, "They desperately need protection if we're not going to drive them to extinction." Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette also commented on the ban: "This is in keeping with the government's commitment to pursue conservation policies and strategies in order to safeguard the marine and terrestrial environment."
However, some feel that the ban will affect relations with China. Shark-fin soup is highly popular in China, with around 73 million sharks killed every year. To prepare shark-fin soup, the fins are often scraped off, and the body of the shark is thrown back into the water. A report published by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that shark populations have fallen by 70 to 80 per cent, with a third of all shark species being threatened or nearly threatened by extinction

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Charlie the smoking chimpanzee dies aged 52

Thursday, October 7, 2010
Charlie, a Chimpanzee in a South African zoo who became addicted to cigarettes, has died at the age of 52, exceeding the average lifespan of a captive chimpanzee by twelve years. After a video of Charlie puffing on cigarettes discarded by visitors appeared on the Internet, the animal and the zoo gained international attention and some visitors threw him additional cigarettes.
According to his keepers, Charlie was "an occasional smoker" and even tried to hide his habit from his keepers, who were trying to get him to quit by giving him medical care and a special diet. A recent study found that only seven percent of chimpanzees in captivity live beyond forty years of age. It is estimated that 500,000 people die due to smoking-related diseases every year in the United States alone.
It is believed that Charlie learned to smoke during his time in a US circus before being transferred to the zoo. Zookeepers say that the animal died of old age but an autopsy has yet to confirm this. The zoo suggested that Charlie's body could be stuffed and put on display.

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