Frogs at Risk, Flu Redux, Bumbling Bees
Mountain chicken
This week: Swine flu may not be so bad after all. Good news and bad on climate. An aircraft manufacturer tries to green its image. A giant frog flies to safety. And too much daylight may increase suicides in the land of the midnight sun.
Climate: Australia is holding off on an ambitious plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions with carbon trading. Meanwhile, Canada says it will stop building coal-fired power plants unless they include cutting-edge anti-pollution technology.
Guests: Phil Mercer, BBC
Shawn McCarthy, Toronto Globe and Mail
Peter Thomson, The World’s environment editor
Green aviation: Emissions from international aviation are a significant cause of global warming. Critics say airlines aren’t doing enough to get greener. To solve this problem – and to get some good PR – Airbus has launched a contest to identify ways to fly more efficiently.
Report: By The World’s Alex Gallafent
Frog rescue: The mountain chicken – a creature that got its name because it tastes like you-know-what – is one of the largest frogs on Earth. The animals live on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. Like many frogs, mountain chickens are being decimated by a fungus. Scientists are now airlifting the frogs to Europe.
Guest: Andrew Cunningham, Zoological Society of London
Swine flu: The H1N1 influenza virus appears less deadly than scientists first feared. A new study from the World Health Organization suggests the virus could cause a pandemic similar to the 1957 “Asian flu.” That pandemic was serious but not nearly as devastating as the nightmarish 1918 flu.
Guest: Christophe Fraser, Imperial College, London
Science chat: Our weekly check-in with science news maven Elsa Youngsteadt.
• Bumblebees are bumbling fliers. Their wings move separately, and inefficiently. (Abstract of the study.)
• Suicides in Greenland are higher during the summer months, when it’s sunny 24-7. Is daylight is bad for our mental health? (The study.)
• Snails survive better when they have slower metabolisms. The same may be true for us. (Abstract of the study.)
Useful links:
The Natural Resources Defense Council on clean coal
A flight emissions calculator to check your own carbon footprint
A history of 20th century influenza pandemics
Songs:
Morrissey, Every Day is Like Sunday
Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Sunny
