Motala, a 48-year-old female elephant, was fitted with a permanent prosthetic leg over the weekend. The elephant sparked international attention and sympathy when she lost part of her leg while working at a logging camp in 1999. The Asian elephant stepped on a landmine and due to her injuries, part of her front leg was amputated.
Sadly, the initial blood work performed on the injured pachyderm revealed that Motala had also been fed amphetamines to make her work longer and faster, an all-too common practice. Logging can be particularly dangerous for elephants. Besides logging, many elephants are also used to beg for food and money on the streets and as taxis.
By Levi Novey •
April 17, 2009
A project that trained medical personnel to install solar power at hospitals and mobile clinics along the war-torn border of Burma has won the top prize at this year’s Energy Globe environmental awards.
The medical centers provide crucial aid to approximately 200,000 refugees who have fled Burma because of the catastrophic, genocidal efforts [...]
By Sam Aola Ooko •
July 29, 2008
Scientists in South Africa are testing a genetically engineered tobacco plant which detects the presence of nitrogen-dioxide, a marker for landmines, to turn red, in the hope that it may eventually be used to clear mine fields in post-conflict zones around the globe.
The team is part of a joint initiative of University of Stellenbosch and the Danish biotechnology firm, Aresa, which has developed the “RedDetect” bio-sensor technology in a weed called Thales Cress.
The weed changes color from green to autumnal red when it detects nitrogen dioxide leaching from mines buried in the soil.
Because the weed is too small to be seen from a safe distance, the scientists went looking for a more viable alternative, and landed on the tobacco plant, which grows easily in most parts of the world, with a little help from genetic engineering.
