Green Options » language

Orangutans Change Their Gestures Until Understood - Ape Charades?

Michael Ricciardi — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:15:19 +0000

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Of the great apes–a group that includes chimps, gorillas, and bonobos–the orangutan (found only in the tropical rain forests of Sumatra and Borneo islands) is the most endangered, currently. Recent wild fires, tribal conflicts and on-going deforestation has seriously dwindled their total habitat. Some primatologists believe that the orangutan is the closest primate relative to humans–more than even the chimpanzee.

Obama Raises the Spectre of a Warming Planet - and the Sun, Wind, and Soil That Will Stop It

Timothy B. Hurst — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:22:19 +0000

In an earlier post, I raised the fact that only two U.S. Presidents have ever even mentioned the environment in their inaugural addresses. And after today, that record will technically stay intact.

Though President Obama did not utter the word “environment” per se, he spoke both directly and indirectly about the major energy and environmental issues of today; more so than any of his predecessors. Below are the excerpts in which Mr. Obama referred to the environment:

“…each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.”

“For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.”

“With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet.”

“To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.”

Full text of inaugural address
Image: CC licensed by flickr user victoriapeckham

Honey Bees on Cocaine Change Ideas about the Insect Brain

Gavin Hudson — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:51:38 +0000

By doping honey bees with cocaine, researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered evidence that the insect brain has a reward system.

The famous “waggle” dance of honey bees is a complex language that allows foraging bees to communicate the distance, direction and quality of a food source to the rest of the hive. The study showed that honey bees on cocaine tend to dance more, without relation to the quality of food or state of the hive. Given the effects of cocaine on people, hyperactivity may seem like a fairly obvious reaction. However, the implications of the study suggest something that has not been found before: a reward system in the insect brain.