Mekong dams threaten rare giant fish

This item from WWF speaks for itself.  As you will know I have blogged about the Mekong on a number of occasions.
See for example http://peterfarr.blogspot.com/2009/12/another-new-species-in-greater-mekong.html, ,http://peterfarr.blogspot.com/2009/10/global-warming-in-greater-mekong.html and http://peterfarr.blogspot.com/2009/09/where-have-all-birds-gone-on-mekong-at.html


This mighty river is in dire Peril.  China wants the power, Laos wants the cash.  And the Mekong will decay forever.


Mekong dams threaten rare giant fish: "Wild populations of the iconic Mekong giant catfish will be driven to extinction if hydropower dams planned for the Mekong River go ahead, says a new report by WWF.



The report, River of Giants: Giant Fish of the Mekong, profiles four giant fish living in the Mekong that rank within the top 10 largest freshwater fish on the planet (see list of top 10 at bottom of page).




At half the length of a bus and weighing up to 600kgs, the Mekong River’s giant freshwater stingray (Dasyatis laosensis) is the world’s largest freshwater fish. The critically endangered and culturally fabled Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) ranks third at up to 3 metres in length and 350kgs.



Dam will present unsurmountable barrier for giant fish



“A fish the size of a Mekong giant catfish, simply will not be able to swim across a large barrier like a dam to reach its spawning grounds upstream,” said Roger Mollot, Freshwater Biologist for WWF-Laos. “This would lead to the collapse of the wild population of this iconic species.”



Current scientific information suggests the Mekong giant catfish migrate from the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia up the Mekong River to spawn in northern Thailand and Laos. Any dam built on the lower Mekong River mainstream will block this migration route.



The hydropower dam planned on the Mekong River at Sayabouly Province, northern Laos, is a threat to the survival of the wild population of Mekong giant catfish. The Sayabouly Dam is the first lower Mekong River mainstream dam to enter a critical stage of assessment before member countries of the Mekong River Commission advise on whether to approve its construction.



Mekong River home to more giant freshwater fish than any other



“More giant fish live in the Mekong than any other river on Earth,” said Ms Dang Thuy Trang, Mekong River Ecoregion Coordinator for the WWF Greater Mekong Programme. “Currently, the Lower Mekong remains free-flowing, which presents a rare opportunity for the conservation of these species. But the clock is ticking.”



The other Mekong giant fish featured in the report are the 'dog-eating' catfish (Pangasius sanitwongsei), named because it has been caught using dog meat as bait, and the giant barb (Catlocarpio siamensis), the national fish of Cambodia and largest carp in the world. At 300kgs each, these fish tie for fifth place on the global top ten.



Dams will amplify the impact of climate change on fisheries and agriculture 



However, the impacts of lower Mekong River mainstream dams are not restricted to these Mekong giants, they would also exacerbate the impacts of climate change on the Mekong River Delta, one of the world’s most productive regions for fisheries and agriculture.



Building the Sayabouly Dam would reduce sediment flowing downstream to the Mekong River Delta, increasing the vulnerability of this area to the impacts of climate change like sea level rise.



There are alternatives



WWF supports a delay in the approval of the mainstream dams, including the Sayabouly Dam, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of all the positive and negative impacts of their construction and operation.



To meet immediate energy demands, WWF promotes sustainable hydropower projects on tributaries of the Mekong River, prioritising those that already have hydropower dams developed on them.

The Global Top 10 Giant Freshwater Fish

1. Giant freshwater stingray (Himantura chaophraya) 600kg (500cm, 240cm disc width) Mekong River Basin
2. Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) 500kg (700cm) Yangtze River Basin
3. Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) 350kg (300cm) Mekong River Basin
4. Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) 306kg (500cm) Widespread in Europe and Asia
5. Giant pangasius (dog-eating catfish) (Pangasius sanitwongsei) 300kg (300cm) Mekong River Basin
6. Giant barb (Catlocarpio siamensis) 300kg (300cm) Mekong River Basin
7. Arapaima (pirarucu; paiche) (Arapaima gigas) 200kg (450cm) Amazon River Basin
8. Piraíba (laulau; lechero) (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum) 200kg (360cm) Amazon River Basin
9. Nile perch (Lates niloticus) 200kg (200cm) Nile River Basin
10. Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) 137kg (305cm) Mississippi River Basin

"

Scots seabird numbers take a dive

Scots seabird numbers take a dive: "The populations of some Scottish seabirds have almost halved in the past decade, according to a new report." (from BBC Scotland)

This is terrible news.  We need to do something NOW!

Porsche 918 Spyder will be made

Porsche 918 Spyder will be made: "Porsche has confirmed the 918 Spyder hybrid supercar concept will be put into production." (from Autoblog)

The news that Porsche will make its 918 Spyder show car from Geneva is welcome news.  All the right ingredients: electric motors, 500BHP petrol engine, gigantic price for a new hypercar for the 21st Century, embracing the now desiderata.  Only one real problem.  It looks like a can opener!

Now that Volkswagen has bought Italdesign - Giugiaro there is some hope that Porsche will no longer make the ugliest cars..........in the World.

FARNBOROUGH: Hawker Beechcraft flies in armed AT-6 testbed

 Flight International is carrying this article on the proposed AT-6 which crosses a T-6 Texan trainer with the mission package of an A-10  "Hog" .  The article sort of suggests that customers of an AT-6 would be getting a cut price Warthog.  Not so!  The heart of the Warthog is the gun, the GAU -8 Avenger.  An antitank gun firing DU 30 mm rounds at over 4,000 rounds per minute, powerful enough to shred the frontal armour of a main battle tank.  The gun, when firing, produces 10,000 lb of reverse thrust!  So you need a solid airframe and lots of thrust to carry it.

So a cut price tank buster...I don't think so!   A super hot COIN bird...maybe.



FARNBOROUGH: Hawker Beechcraft flies in armed AT-6 testbed: "What do you get when you cross a basic trainer with one of the world's most potent ground-attack aircraft? Hawker Beechcraft believes it has the answer,..."

Captain Slow No More: James May hits 259.11 mph in Bugatti Veyron SS

Captain Slow No More: <i>Top Gear</i>'s James May hits 259.11 mph in Bugatti Veyron SS: "
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Bugatti, UK, Luxury




Last week, we told you that the Top Gear crew was smirking about having some sort of involvement in the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport's land speed record. And while it was easy for us to chalk it up as simple Top Gear embellishment (they did take credit for the erupting Icelandic volcano, remember), it appears that the TG team - James May, specifically - had a pretty big part in all of this record-setting madness. Apparently he wasn't the 267.81-mph record-setting driver, but Captain Slow did manage to pilot the new Veyron Super Sport up to an extremely respectable 259.11 mph, and the high-speed tale is recounted in the magazine's August issue, which should be hitting newsstands as you read this.



This isn't May's first experience with the Veyron, of course. We all remember that the Captain did a similar test run in the standard-spec Bug, hitting 253 mph out on Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien high-speed oval. (We have the video available after the jump for those of you who want to re-live the experience.) Now, the one question that remains - is the Super Sport fast enough to finally reconcile that lost race between Hammond and the jet fighter? Hot tips, PS3 and Brandon!

Gallery: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sports land speed record

[Source: Top Gear]
Continue reading Captain Slow No More: Top Gear's James May hits 259.11 mph in Bugatti Veyron SS

Captain Slow No More: Top Gear's James May hits 259.11 mph in Bugatti Veyron SS originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments"

Petrol Heads really don't have a clue what a Typhoon can do.  See also http://peterfarr.blogspot.com/2009/09/typhoon-vs-veyron-contest.html

Back

458 Challenge debuts at Maranello

Ferrari debuts the 458 Italia Challenge, a sort of souped up version.  And doesn't it look great!

458 Challenge debuts at Maranello: "Maranello – The 458 Challenge has made its world premiere debut in Maranello during the Annual Dealer Meeting, a traditional event that brings together the representatives of Ferrari’s international sales network."

Back

Richards new UK armed forces head

Richards new UK armed forces head: "Gen Sir David Richards is named as the next Chief of the Defence Staff - the head of the British armed forces."

This comes as no surprise given the amount of trailing that has gone on.  Whilst it is inevitable after the rather unsuccessful  CDS incumbency by Sir Jock Stirrup it doesn't make me happy.

I have no doubt that General Richards is a skilled and courageous soldier whose service in Sierra Leone and his tenure as CGS during the current war in Afghanistan give him peerless credentials for the post and thereby lies the problem. General Richards is a soldier, an armoured warfare man, a boots on the ground military commander.  He is ideal to lead a military engaged in a deadly asymmetric struggle with a dangerous adversary.  But we have larger and far more dangerous potential enemies.  Potential enemies that have nuclear capability, powerful air arms (I would remind everyone that the Taliban has no aircraft) and maritime power projection (the Taliban hasn't any of that either), capabilities that General Richards is hardly instinctively well-disposed towards.  Will he be a powerful voice in Whitehall to advocate a much wider strategic view?  Well we'll soon see with the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review.

So my worry is that we will take our eyes off the ball and throw out the baby with the bathwater (to mix my metaphors).  I am afraid that  it might be no aircraft carriers, no new Typhoons, no Joint Strike Fighters and maybe even no Trident.  Moscow, Tehran and Islamabad are probably much cheered by the appointment.

Back

2010 Bixby Knolls Car Show & Cacklefest ignites the senses

Autoblog is carrying this item about drag racing.  I have blogged before about the paradox of grooving to both Ferrari 250 LMs and AA Fuellers at the same time; an infantile affectation that I have never grown out of.    But the fact remains that AA Fuellers still summon up the adrenaline and set the pulse racing, and it's nothing to do with the blond hair in the foreground!

2010 Bixby Knolls Car Show & Cacklefest ignites the senses: "
Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Racing

2010 Bixby Knolls Car Show and Cacklefest - Click above for high-res image gallery

When a 3,000-horsepower drag racing engine fires up, a few things happen. Your head jerks around to see where the deafening noise is coming from, your eyes start to tear up from the burnt and unburnt fuel emanating from the short, upturned headers, the ground rumbles beneath your feet and your chest pulses with the timing of the engine.



Last Saturday night we had the distinct pleasure to experience that scenario several times at the fifth annual Bixby Knolls Car Show & Cacklefest in Long Beach, California. Long Beach is a great town, but most of us probably associate it with IndyCar or the Scion celebrity derby that makes up the Long Beach Grand Prix every April. Dragsters, especially the vintage ones assembled in Bixby Knolls might seem a bit out of place at first, but for those with a decent memory or a fondness for obscure racing nostalgia, Long Beach once was the home of Lions Drag Strip. Follow the jump to read more of our day in Bixby Knolls.

Gallery: 2010 Bixby Knolls Car Show & Cacklefest

Photos by Frank Filipponio/Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
Continue reading 2010 Bixby Knolls Car Show & Cacklefest ignites the senses

2010 Bixby Knolls Car Show & Cacklefest ignites the senses originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments"

Back

Bella Tuscany

We recently spent a week in Tuscany.  We go every year to Borgo di Vagli, our place in the Tuscan hills overlooking the Val di Pierle.  On our side Tuscany: on the other side of the valley Umbria.  What could be more enchanting!
Each year we try to revisit old haunts and go somewhere new.  This year we went back to the beautiful  Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore, a Benedictine monastery dating from the Fifteenth Century, and containing Signorelli's wonderful fresco cycle of the life of St Benedict.

New for us was the wonderful hill town of Montepulciano, overlooking on one side the Val di Chiana and on the other the Val d'Orcia.  Below the town walls is one of the most perfect of all small Renaissance churches - Sant'Agnese - built by Antonio da Sangello the Elder.


And of course we went back to Cortona and for the first time visited the exquisite Church of Saint Niccolo.

To see all of my photos of our stay go to Flickr

      Back

New Layout

So to start the ball rolling I have launched a new layout.  I hope you like it.

Bloggers Block

You may wonder where I've got to and I should like to be able to say I am descending the Irrawaddy through Burma but alas it is much more prosaic.
Truth is I'm suffering from a case of bloggers block which seems extraordinary in one so opinionated as I.
But fear not my blogging mojo will return quite soon (I hope) and I shall return to boring the pants off you.

Education is Back

One of the worst aspects of the previous administration to my mind was the fact that during their tenure the word "Education" dropped silently out of the Whitehall lexicon.  There was not a single department of state with the word "education" in its title.  Instead we had the "Department for Children, Schools and Families".  An absurd title that was redolent of the Stalinist social engineering proclivities of the then government.  The assumption underlying this being that the sole purpose of education was to provide fodder for the employment market.  No mention of enlightenment, the civilising effects of education or the sheer joy of learning.

Now under the LibCon coalition Education has made a comeback.  The department has been renamed to what it should be - the "Department for Education".  This simple change says more than anything about the future direction of government. It signals real hope for a new order that sweeps aside the Victorian politics that was fine when Britain ruled the World but is totally out of place in the 21st Century.  I am so glad things are changing and I sincerely hope that the naysayers are completely and utterly wrong about the new government.

Back

BMW Dynamic Car Identity reimagines Roundel [w/video]

 First we had the "LOOK AT ME" headlights; now we seem to be getting the twirling propeller.  Is there no end to the desire of the Uberwursts to trumpet their self absorbed superiority?  They'll all go absolutely ape poo over this gimmick!


BMW Dynamic Car Identity reimagines Roundel [w/video]: "
Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, BMW

Proposal for a dynamic BMW roundel - Click above to watch video after the jump

There's everything on the Internet, isn't that what they say? A company called Zafira Consulting & Trading has posted a proposal on YouTube for a dynamic re-envisioning of BMW's roundel logo. It's got the usual form and colors but, to quote Galileo, 'And yet it moves.'



The only other logos we know of that move on a car are on Rolls-Royces and Bentleys - the wheel caps rotate to stay centered, and the hood ornaments will retract. Zafira's idea isn't anything like that. It is neat, but... well, have a look at it for yourselves after the jump and tell us if you can see it in BMW's future.



[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading BMW Dynamic Car Identity reimagines Roundel [w/video]

BMW Dynamic Car Identity reimagines Roundel [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 May 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments"

Back

Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa unveiled at Villa D'Este

 Zagato is clearly undergoing a bit of a renaissance.  Following on from the gorgeous Ferrari 550 GTZ Barchetta this stunning new take on the Alfa Romeo TZ cars is most welcome.  Will it, like the iconic Alfa Romeo Montreal unveiled at Geneva in 1970,  make it to production.  Come on Alfa, you know you want to do it!

Autoblog takes up the story:

Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa unveiled at Villa D'Este: "
Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Alfa Romeo, Racing

Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Zagato-designed Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa has been unveiled at the Villa d'Este concours, and frankly, it's spectacular. Driven by the Alfa 8C Competizione's V8, the TZ3 is very much in keeping with its 60s-era predecessors, the TZ1 and TZ2, sporting similar detail elements and the same near-breadvan profile. Also like the originals, this is a legit racing car. Unlike its forbears, however, the new machine wears aluminum bodywork stretched over a tube frame and carbon-fiber chassis. Power, as indicated before, is also of thoroughly modern origin.



Zagato says the TZ3 was commissioned by German collector Martin Kapp as a special celebration of 100 years of racing from Scuderia Ferrari, Alfa Corse, Autodelta, and Scuderia Zagato. On that 'special' bit, we think it's safe to say, 'Mission accomplished.' With class and panache to spare. Official PR pics are in the gallery below, and a full live gallery is posted at OmniAuto. Be sure to pay them a visit as well. Thanks for the tip, Claudio!

Gallery: Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa

[Source: Zagato (PDF link) via OmniAuto.it]
Continue reading Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa unveiled at Villa D'Este

Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa unveiled at Villa D'Este originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Apr 2010 09:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments"

Back

Heart of Borneo emerges as home of world’s longest insect, lungless frog and “ninja” slug

WWF is carrying this article on newly discovered species in the Heart of Borneo rain forest. I have blogged before about the discovery of new species in rainforests and hence the very real possibility of species becoming extinct before we know about them.  This report is clear that we must get our skates on if we are to prevent this.

Heart of Borneo emerges as home of world’s longest insect, lungless frog and “ninja” slug: "Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei: A frog with no lungs, a “ninja” slug firing love darts at its mate, and the world’s longest insect are among new species discovered in the three years since the Heart of Borneo conservation plan was drawn up by the three governments with jurisdiction over the world’s third largest island.
New WWF report Borneo’s New World: Newly Discovered Species in the Heart of Borneo details 123 new species discovered since the February 2007 agreement by Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia to conserve 220,000 km2 of irreplaceable tropical rainforest, designated the Heart of Borneo (HoB).
“As the past three years of independent scientific discovery have proven, new forms of life are constantly being discovered in the Heart of Borneo,” said Adam Tomasek, leader of WWF’s HoB Initiative.
Explorers have been visiting the island of Borneo for centuries, but vast tracts of its interior are yet to be biologically explored, he said.
“If this stretch of irreplaceable rainforest can be conserved for our children, the promise of more discoveries must be a tantalising one for the next generation of researchers to contemplate,” he added.
The HoB, an “island within an island” is home to ten species of primate, more than 350 birds, 150 reptiles and amphibians and a staggering 10,000 plants that are found nowhere else in the world, the report says.
The rate of discovery since the foundation of the HoB is more than three new species per month, providing ample justification for the decision to protect the region.
Speaking at the launch of the report during a meeting of the three Heart of Borneo governments, Brunei Darussalam’s Minister of Industry & Primary Resources, the Honourable Pehin Dato Yahya, paid tribute to the dedicated scientists who spent countless hours in challenging conditions to uncover the staggering bio-diversity.
“These amazing new findings highlight the importance of our efforts to implement the HoB Declaration’s bold vision,” he said of the region which also contains the pygmy elephant, orangutan, rhinoceros, and clouded leopard.
With so many new species discovered every month, WWF has made the region a global priority through its Heart of Borneo Initiative. WWF offices in Malaysia and Indonesia support tri-government efforts to conserve and sustainably manage the HoB.
Under the 2007 agreement, the three governments have committed to enhance protected area and trans-boundary management, develop eco-tourism and support sustainable resource management.
“Three years on, the Heart of Borneo Declaration is proving to be an irreplaceable foundation for conservation and sustainable development by establishing a framework for action to protect Borneo’s globally outstanding biodiversity, eco-system services and livelihoods,” WWF’s Tomasek said.
“The discovery of these new species in the Heart of Borneo underlines the incredible diversity of this remarkable area and emphasizes the importance of the commitments already made by Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia to protect it,” he added.
The discoveries also highlight the need to increase financial and technical support to ensure their continued survival, he said."

Back

CV-22 crash not caused by mechanical failure

 Flight International is carrying a report that the recent crash of a USAF Special Operations Command CV-22 Osprey was not due to mechanical failure after having already had enemy action eliminated from the possible causes.

 Source: CV-22 crash not caused by mechanical failure: "The BellBoeing CV-22 crash in Afghanistan on 8 April was not caused by

The revolutionary CV-22 is a very important aircraft for the US and its long development has been punctuated by a number of crashes due to both mechanical failure (its twin tilting rotor system is fiendishly complicated and has taken a long time to perfect) and pilot error (it is rumoured that the conversion from normal helicopters to the CV-22 is difficult).

Could it be as the result of the dreaded "brown out" that so bedevils rotary wing operations in Afghanistan?

Back

Dennis: 'Veyron is pig ugly'

Last week Ron Dennis expressed his views on the aesthetics of the Veyron, curiously timed to coincide with the unveiling of his own supercar the McLaren MP4-12C

Dennis: 'Veyron is pig ugly': "McLaren Automotive boss Ron Dennis has described the Bugatti Veyron as 'pig ugly'." (posted by Autocar)

Now I am no great fan of the Veyron as you will know but I find Ron's somewhat intemperate language a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

McLaren is not renowned for producing beautiful cars - brilliantly engineered cars yes but beautiful certainly not. The F1 was an automotive tour de force but its looks were the elephant in the room and as for the the new MP4 it's really rather.. er.. derivative. If I had enough money to buy a McLaren I certainly wouldn't.  Far too common.  But I guess most will buy it for its badge.

Back

South Atlantic becomes more seabird-friendly

Great progress has been made in ensuring the safety and survival of seabirds in the south-east Atlantic.  As BirdLife International reports changes in fishing practices have helped to curb the decline of seabirds such as the Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys:


South Atlantic becomes more seabird-friendly: "BirdLife International and WWF South Africa recently achieved a major conservation success by improving the methods used by commercial fishermen in the south-east Atlantic Ocean to avoid killing seabirds."

These very positive developments auger well for similar ventures in other parts of the world.  Albatrosses are magnificent birds that are in great peril and every step in ensuring their survival is vital.

Back

The Breadvan

I have blogged about Ferrari GTOs previously but I haven't mentioned the one-off Drogo designed "Breadvan":

This extraordinary GTO looked nothing like any of the others.  It was fast but quite bizarre looking.
Now Ferrari SpA Maranello have attested to the authenticity of the vehicle which still exists:




Ferrari SpA, by Ferrari Classiche, issues Attestation for vehicles of historic interest to “Breadvan”: "Maranello - Ferrari SpA has recently issued an Attestation for vehicles of historic interest by the Ferrari Classiche department to the 250 GT Berlinetta passo corto (chassis 2819) nicknamed the “Breadvan”."


Piero Drogo of Drogo Carrozzeria Sports Cars designed a number of Ferraris between the 50s and 1973 when he was tragically killed driving his Ferrari.  Most of them were distinctive and not to everyone's taste (witness the Breadvan) but his masterpiece, often described as the most beautiful rear-engined car ever built, was the exquisite 1967 330 P4 sports racer: 

Back

Revealed on www.ferrari.com: the new 599 GTO - The fastest ever road-going Ferrari will be unveiled to the public at the Beijing Motor Show

Well it's finally official after much speculation.  Built around the 599 Fiorano, the new GTO is now the coolest car from the coolest marque on the planet (BBC-speak for "in the world").  Not quite as luscious as the original GTO (particularly in GTO 64 guise) the newbe is nevertheless fantastic.  Now how can I get hold of one?

Revealed on www.ferrari.com: the new 599 GTO - The fastest ever road-going Ferrari will be unveiled to the public at the Beijing Motor Show

Back