The Daily Rhino
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Things you probably won't be showing your kids: Part III
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#6 A Parsi Funeral
PARSIS may themselves one day be added to this depressing list as they are estimated to number only about 50,000 in Mumbai. However, right now it is the days of their traditional funerals that are numbered.
Zoroastrianism, founded in Persia by Zarathustra, had been in existence for over 2 millenia before the 7th century Arab invasion. Burial, burning or dumping into the sea are forbidden in the religion, so as not to pollute the elements of earth, fire or water. Hence bodies are left high in Towers of Silence, lying on marble to be fed upon by vultures until nothing but sun-bleached bones remain. The vulture population, especially that of the white-backed vulture (pictured), in India has been drastically reduced as a result of cattle carcasses becoming toxic due to widespread use of an anti-inflammatory called Diclofenac. The drug causes renal failure and death when it gets into the bodies of carrion-eating birds. The white-backed vulture population is estimated to have been slashed by an astounding 99.7% in a decade.
Captive breeding programmes have been started and attempts to ban the veterinarian form of Diclofenac (used for arthritis in humans) have been made. Parsis themselves have turned to solar power in order to accelerate the decomposition process and an engineer has even created an ozone-producing machine to quell the stench. Mark Twain visited Bombay in 1897 and observed a Parsi funeral:
Sadly, the outside world has not returned the favour.
#7 The Roma
The word gypsy has become somewhat corrupted now; used to describe just about anyone with a caravan or hoop earrings. The traditional Romany gypsy came to central-east Europe about 1000 years ago, from Rajasthan in India. Oft erroneously portrayed as hook-nosed fortune-tellers, the number of Romany themselves is stable, but the traditional culture is on the wane.
Land shortage and European Human Rights legislation (creating incentive to be assimilated into other communities) is creating an increasing trend of the Romany ditching their age-old way of life and settling down.
#8 The Tiger
Tigers aren't like pandas. Pandas are notorious for their embarrassing lack of libido, but tigers breed very successfully in captivity. I like to think the Bengal Tiger breeds most vigorously, but he probably sits around talking about lion/tiger politics and how Bengal Tigers are more intelligent than others. Texas alone boasts over 10,000 caged tigers, but in the tiger's home of Asia, only four thousand are left. Three and a half thousand of these are in India, with most of the rest in Russia and Sumatra. Without wanting to sound like a long-playing record, as in the case of the Javan Rhino, Chinese medicine has a lot of answer for, still the chief drive of poaching in India. Fucking shitheads.
Yet threats to the tiger's livelihood are legion. Poaching occurs not only for medicinal demands, but tiger hides remain popular. Man also hunts tiger prey – hoofed animals – widely. Deforestation and mining rob the tiger of its natural habitat.
Ruth Padel, the author of Tigers in Red Weather, states that India is the only country likely or able to do anything to stop tigers vanishing forever. In The Independent, Padel quoted from the Mahabharata:
"Do not cut down the forest with its tigers, do not banish the tigers from the forest.
The tiger perishes without the forest, the forest perishes without its tigers.
The tiger should stand guard over the forest and the forest should protect its tigers."
She commented on a recent survey which named tigers the "world's favourite animal". Padel feels it's because tigers represent the wild itself. The world desperately needs the symbol of the wild, wildlife and wilderness to survive. If only so that we can remain civilised.
#9 The Flower Valley at Bhyundar Gorge
Few countries can match India's biodiversity. A foray into the foothills of the mighty Himalaya reveals India's alpine beauty. A carpet of lilies, primulas, poppies and anemones bursts into life as the snow recedes. Towering snowy mountains provide a spectacular backdrop to a symphony of colour.
Over-grazing seems to have caused bracken to overrun the flowers. But as with the Three Gorges project, a new dam will divert water from the area and a busy new road will change the peaceful garden forever.
.
#6 A Parsi FuneralPARSIS may themselves one day be added to this depressing list as they are estimated to number only about 50,000 in Mumbai. However, right now it is the days of their traditional funerals that are numbered.
Zoroastrianism, founded in Persia by Zarathustra, had been in existence for over 2 millenia before the 7th century Arab invasion. Burial, burning or dumping into the sea are forbidden in the religion, so as not to pollute the elements of earth, fire or water. Hence bodies are left high in Towers of Silence, lying on marble to be fed upon by vultures until nothing but sun-bleached bones remain. The vulture population, especially that of the white-backed vulture (pictured), in India has been drastically reduced as a result of cattle carcasses becoming toxic due to widespread use of an anti-inflammatory called Diclofenac. The drug causes renal failure and death when it gets into the bodies of carrion-eating birds. The white-backed vulture population is estimated to have been slashed by an astounding 99.7% in a decade.
Captive breeding programmes have been started and attempts to ban the veterinarian form of Diclofenac (used for arthritis in humans) have been made. Parsis themselves have turned to solar power in order to accelerate the decomposition process and an engineer has even created an ozone-producing machine to quell the stench. Mark Twain visited Bombay in 1897 and observed a Parsi funeral:
"it disseminates no corruption, no impurities of any sort, no disease-germs; that no wrap, no garment which has touched the dead is allowed to touch the living afterward; that from the Towers of Silence nothing proceeds which can carry harm to the outside world."
Sadly, the outside world has not returned the favour.
#7 The Roma
The word gypsy has become somewhat corrupted now; used to describe just about anyone with a caravan or hoop earrings. The traditional Romany gypsy came to central-east Europe about 1000 years ago, from Rajasthan in India. Oft erroneously portrayed as hook-nosed fortune-tellers, the number of Romany themselves is stable, but the traditional culture is on the wane.
Land shortage and European Human Rights legislation (creating incentive to be assimilated into other communities) is creating an increasing trend of the Romany ditching their age-old way of life and settling down.
#8 The Tiger
Tigers aren't like pandas. Pandas are notorious for their embarrassing lack of libido, but tigers breed very successfully in captivity. I like to think the Bengal Tiger breeds most vigorously, but he probably sits around talking about lion/tiger politics and how Bengal Tigers are more intelligent than others. Texas alone boasts over 10,000 caged tigers, but in the tiger's home of Asia, only four thousand are left. Three and a half thousand of these are in India, with most of the rest in Russia and Sumatra. Without wanting to sound like a long-playing record, as in the case of the Javan Rhino, Chinese medicine has a lot of answer for, still the chief drive of poaching in India. Fucking shitheads.Yet threats to the tiger's livelihood are legion. Poaching occurs not only for medicinal demands, but tiger hides remain popular. Man also hunts tiger prey – hoofed animals – widely. Deforestation and mining rob the tiger of its natural habitat.
Ruth Padel, the author of Tigers in Red Weather, states that India is the only country likely or able to do anything to stop tigers vanishing forever. In The Independent, Padel quoted from the Mahabharata:
"Do not cut down the forest with its tigers, do not banish the tigers from the forest.
The tiger perishes without the forest, the forest perishes without its tigers.
The tiger should stand guard over the forest and the forest should protect its tigers."
She commented on a recent survey which named tigers the "world's favourite animal". Padel feels it's because tigers represent the wild itself. The world desperately needs the symbol of the wild, wildlife and wilderness to survive. If only so that we can remain civilised.
#9 The Flower Valley at Bhyundar Gorge
Few countries can match India's biodiversity. A foray into the foothills of the mighty Himalaya reveals India's alpine beauty. A carpet of lilies, primulas, poppies and anemones bursts into life as the snow recedes. Towering snowy mountains provide a spectacular backdrop to a symphony of colour.Over-grazing seems to have caused bracken to overrun the flowers. But as with the Three Gorges project, a new dam will divert water from the area and a busy new road will change the peaceful garden forever.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Things you probably won't be showing your kids: Part II
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#4 The Arctic Ice Shelf and the Polar Bear
MOST of the coastline along Russia and Canada's north is ice-free in summer, which is a distinct change from the recent past. Most people have heard a great deal about the ice caps melting - but a vicious cycle is often overlooked. The expanding Arctic Sea absorbs more heat than ice. Ice reflects a large amount of heat from the sun, but the liquid water absorbs it and slowly transfers it to the ice, actually accelerating the process. The more ice melts, the faster the remaining ice will follow suit. The melting Arctic Shelf also spells the end for the polar bear, which lives on the ice and hunt for seals whilst swimming between ice masses. Polar bears have already started to drown whilst looking for food as they have been unable to find ice to rest upon. Predictions see all the ice in the Arctic melting by the end of this century, but the polar bear could be extinct 50 years before that.
#5 The Three Gorges River Valley (China)
The massive, and I mean MASSIVE, hydro-electric power-generating dam on the Yangtze River is China's single largest feat of building since a certain wall and the biggest dam in the world. Having been started in 1997, it should be finished in five years. Behind the dam a new lake will be formed. Four hundred miles long - we're talking Great Lakes size. The gorgeous Three Gorges valley will be flooded, as will 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,300 villages. Some ancient archaeological sites, the river dolphins, sturgeon and over 6000 species of plant (57 are endangered) will also be sadly lost.
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#4 The Arctic Ice Shelf and the Polar BearMOST of the coastline along Russia and Canada's north is ice-free in summer, which is a distinct change from the recent past. Most people have heard a great deal about the ice caps melting - but a vicious cycle is often overlooked. The expanding Arctic Sea absorbs more heat than ice. Ice reflects a large amount of heat from the sun, but the liquid water absorbs it and slowly transfers it to the ice, actually accelerating the process. The more ice melts, the faster the remaining ice will follow suit. The melting Arctic Shelf also spells the end for the polar bear, which lives on the ice and hunt for seals whilst swimming between ice masses. Polar bears have already started to drown whilst looking for food as they have been unable to find ice to rest upon. Predictions see all the ice in the Arctic melting by the end of this century, but the polar bear could be extinct 50 years before that.
#5 The Three Gorges River Valley (China)
The massive, and I mean MASSIVE, hydro-electric power-generating dam on the Yangtze River is China's single largest feat of building since a certain wall and the biggest dam in the world. Having been started in 1997, it should be finished in five years. Behind the dam a new lake will be formed. Four hundred miles long - we're talking Great Lakes size. The gorgeous Three Gorges valley will be flooded, as will 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,300 villages. Some ancient archaeological sites, the river dolphins, sturgeon and over 6000 species of plant (57 are endangered) will also be sadly lost.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Things you probably won’t be showing your kids
THE first of a somewhat depressing list of what is soon to disappear from our world forever. Inspired by The Independent.
#1 The Javan Rhino
An obvious starting point, the one-horned Javan rhino is a beast desperately close to the DR’s heart. Rhinoceros sondaicus is now the rarest large mammal on the planet and most estimate its numbers at only 60. We’re so used to hearing about minute numbers of a species left on earth I think we’ve become numb to it. Sixty. One rhino for every second in a minute. And that’s all there is. One minute’s worth of Javan rhino.
Most of these 60 reside in the far west of Java, with a few in Vietnam. In what has become a familiar tale, the previously abundant Javan rhino will be extinct broadly due to one reason – Chinese traditional medicine. The DR fucking HATES this mumbo-jumbo bullshit and also asks that you pardon his French. Such a moronic system of quackery has systematically led to the needless deaths of millions of animals to conjur a placebo dose of rhino horn. The Javan rhino used to roam all over South-East Asia and China. The Sumatran rhino is a cousin from Java’s neighbouring island. It has twice as many horns and about twice as many living, in comparison to the Javan rhinoceros.
#2 Shonargaon-Panam, Bangladesh
The one-time capital of Bengal, Shonargaon (Sonargaon) is a Bengali history lesson. Architecture from the Sultans and the British can be seen side by side. 97% of Bangladesh is under threat from rising sea levels, but in the case of Shonargaon, the situation is worse still. A chronic lack of funding has thwarted all attempts to salvage its rich heritage, now frequently vandalised. Squatting is more than commonplace, as are illegal building, poor sewage and building maintenance and natural disasters such as flooding and earthquakes. Woodwork is ravaged by bugs and historic buildings succumb to rising damp.
#3 Buddhism’s Legacy in Afghanistan
Millions of hearts broke as the Taliban inflicted their primitive fundamentalist beliefs upon some of Buddhism’s greatest statues. The colossal Buddha statues at Bamiyan were blasted by dynamite, but in truth were already in a poor state of repair before the nutballs were helped into power by America. Decades of neglect had preceded the Taliban’s vitriolic onslaught. Hamid Karzai has vowed to restore the Buddhas, which is a noble but laughable objective. In a country which ranks amongst the poorest in the world, expenditure on alien archaeology could never be justified. Like all of Afghanistan’s Buddhist heritage, the Buddhas of Bamiyan are unwanted and unloved. They will simply continue to decay.
THE first of a somewhat depressing list of what is soon to disappear from our world forever. Inspired by The Independent.
#1 The Javan Rhino
An obvious starting point, the one-horned Javan rhino is a beast desperately close to the DR’s heart. Rhinoceros sondaicus is now the rarest large mammal on the planet and most estimate its numbers at only 60. We’re so used to hearing about minute numbers of a species left on earth I think we’ve become numb to it. Sixty. One rhino for every second in a minute. And that’s all there is. One minute’s worth of Javan rhino.Most of these 60 reside in the far west of Java, with a few in Vietnam. In what has become a familiar tale, the previously abundant Javan rhino will be extinct broadly due to one reason – Chinese traditional medicine. The DR fucking HATES this mumbo-jumbo bullshit and also asks that you pardon his French. Such a moronic system of quackery has systematically led to the needless deaths of millions of animals to conjur a placebo dose of rhino horn. The Javan rhino used to roam all over South-East Asia and China. The Sumatran rhino is a cousin from Java’s neighbouring island. It has twice as many horns and about twice as many living, in comparison to the Javan rhinoceros.
#2 Shonargaon-Panam, Bangladesh
The one-time capital of Bengal, Shonargaon (Sonargaon) is a Bengali history lesson. Architecture from the Sultans and the British can be seen side by side. 97% of Bangladesh is under threat from rising sea levels, but in the case of Shonargaon, the situation is worse still. A chronic lack of funding has thwarted all attempts to salvage its rich heritage, now frequently vandalised. Squatting is more than commonplace, as are illegal building, poor sewage and building maintenance and natural disasters such as flooding and earthquakes. Woodwork is ravaged by bugs and historic buildings succumb to rising damp.
#3 Buddhism’s Legacy in Afghanistan
Millions of hearts broke as the Taliban inflicted their primitive fundamentalist beliefs upon some of Buddhism’s greatest statues. The colossal Buddha statues at Bamiyan were blasted by dynamite, but in truth were already in a poor state of repair before the nutballs were helped into power by America. Decades of neglect had preceded the Taliban’s vitriolic onslaught. Hamid Karzai has vowed to restore the Buddhas, which is a noble but laughable objective. In a country which ranks amongst the poorest in the world, expenditure on alien archaeology could never be justified. Like all of Afghanistan’s Buddhist heritage, the Buddhas of Bamiyan are unwanted and unloved. They will simply continue to decay.
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