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The Power of the Wind
Many scientific and environmental
experts consider wind the energy of the future. New
technologies allow increasingly efficient use of wind
power, which is clean, renewable and abundant worldwide.
Although wind energy has a vast
future ahead, its utilization by humans has a long
history. The technology of windmills, which take advantage
of the wind to move the machinery for milling wheat,
for example, was used in many countries for centuries.
Modern wind energy is also produced
by mills, but these belong to a whole new generation.
These aero-generators consist of a tall mast with
an enormous propeller that catches the wind, moving
an energy-producing turbine.
Interest in wind technology,
and other alternative sources of energy, intensified
during the oil crisis of the 1970s, but then was largely
forgotten. In the 1990s, however, it returned to the
forefront, this time for environmental reasons.
Wind energy experts have made
great strides toward debunking the criticisms of this
alternative energy source, producing quieter turbines
that take maximum advantage of the wind, wind parks
that have parallel uses - as pastures or farmland
- and setting up turbines at sea.
Wind technology is evolving,
says the Internet
portal of the Windpower Association of Denmark.
In this European nation, the wind is already providing
13 percent of the energy used by the population.
In Latin American countries like
Brazil
and Argentina, there is growing interest in taking
advantage of the immense potential of the winds. And
according to the information available on the Internet,
Europe's
immediate goal is to generate 10 percent of all its
energy needs with windmills.
Information on wind energy is
abundant in cyberspace. There are directories that
will lead you to websites of research
organizations, environmental
associations, and companies that manufacture the
wind turbines.
Windpower.org
- Portal
Eolica.net
- Web Directory
Brazilian
Wind Energy Center
National
Wind Technology Center
Yahoo!:
Wind Energy, organizations, information, etc.
Dangerous Bacteria
Anthrax has emerged in the 21st
century as a concrete threat: in a world of upheaval,
the bacteria are being spread by bioterrorists through
the mail. But beyond the panic, there is growing scientific
interest in searching for ways to control this disease-causing
agent.
An anthrax infection is caused
by the spores of the 'bacillus anthracis'. The truth
is that anthrax has
been around for a long time, but never before
has it caused so much fear among so many people.
The anthrax cases recorded among
humans throughout history have been caused by direct
contact with infected animals or animal products,
explains the Pan-American
Health Organization. But the bacterium has been
manipulated in laboratories for use as a biological
weapon.
There are three types of anthrax
infection: cutaneous, gastro-intestinal, and pulmonary,
the last being the most lethal.
Immediately after the Sep 11
terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, the
World
Health Organization issued a warning about the
increased danger of attacks with biological weapons.
When the warning became reality,
demand for information about this little-known bacterium
rose dramatically.
Government
agencies, medical
information centers and research laboratories
quickly determined the scope of the biological threat
and the tools needed to fight it, including a
vaccine.
Pan-American
Health Organization: Anthrax Fact Sheet
WHO:
Anthrax Facts
World
Anthrax Data Site
US
Center for Disease Control
US
Department of Defense: Information Paper
Yahoo!
News coverage on Anthrax
Searching
for a vaccine
Ferocious Felines Threatened
Tigers usually inspire feelings
that range from amazement to fear. They are the largest
of the felines, famous for their agility, power and
ferociousness - and their profoundly solitary lives.
But the big cats also trigger other emotions in us
because they are threatened with extinction.
Today there are just 5,000 to
7,000 wild tigers worldwide, belonging to five
subspecies. The number is small if you take into
consideration that they once populated vast areas
of the Earth.
Tigers are of Asian
origin: it is the only region where one can find the
'pantera tigris' in the wilds. Siberia, southern China,
Indochina, Bengala (India) and Sumatra are the territories
they inhabit.
As one of the many Internet sites
dedicated to tigers explains, the big cat originated
in Siberia and, some 10,000 years ago, began to expand
their domain.
The species is kept in the sights
of organizations like the World
Conservation Union. And evidence of the threats
that are closing in on the tiger's chances of survival,
mainly the consequence of human activities, is reflected
in cyberspace: many websites are dedicated to campaigns
aimed at protecting
this fantastic cat.
The awe-inspiring tiger is the
subject of Internet portals,
educational sites, and vast photo collections.
Portal:
Tiger Information Center
BBC:
Tiger Facts
Tigers
in Crisis
Tigerwatch
Conservation:
About Tigers
World
Conservation Union: Tigers
Where
Tigers Live
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