The Ukok National Park is located in the Ukok Plateau in central Asian Russian Republic of Altai. The Republic of Altai lies at the intersection where the borders of Mongolia, China, Russia and Kazakhstan meet. The terrain is high intermontane plateau at an altitude of 2,500 metres or 9,500 feet above sea level. The area is one of the last refuges of the elusive snow leopard. Other endangered species protected there include the Argali mountain sheep, the steppe eagle and the black stork.
An isolated and hard to reach region, the Ukok Plateau has long benefitted from its remoteness. That is beginning to change. Currently the Ukok Plateau is being threatened by plans for a gas pipeline between China and Russia. It is also being threatened by a proposal to build a road through it as well as overuse of the steppe by ranchers.
I highlight one world national park a week. You can find previous entries in the series in the Environment and Travel categories. There are previous entries on national parks in Ecuador, Peru and Zimbabwe.
MoveOn.org, the liberal anti-war grassroots organization, will begin running this ad on behalf of Senator Obama. The light-hearted 30 second spot will air on MTV and Comedy Central.
Here is the Thursday, July 10th, 2008 edition of events and interesting reads from around the world. It was sadly a very violent day around the world with attacks in Georgia, Turkey and Darfur plus continuing violence in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe. It appears the world is on the verge of a great upheaval. It is quite worrisome.
The Return of Al-Qaeda
It appears that the attack on the US Consulate in Istanbul may have been the work of Al-Qaeda. Stories from the International Herald Tribune and the BBC.
Attacks on UN Troops in Darfur
It is clear that either the government in Khartoum is complicit with the militias operating in Darfur or it does not care. My sense is the former. Reports from Al Jazeera and the Washington Post.
UK Troops Unhappy
Nearly half of British troops regularly consider quitting the army and navy because of plummeting morale, poor equipment and low pay, a Ministry of Defence survey of more than 24,000 military personnel has found in a report from the UK Guardian.
French Nuclear Leak and the US Prepares to Build More Nuclear Plants
Two stories from Germany’s Der Spiegel on the nuclear power industry. The first is on a French Nuclear Leak at the Tricastin nuclear plant.
Following Tuesday’s accidental leak of over 30,000 liters (7,925 gallons) of a solution containing uranium in southern France, nuclear safety agencies are minimizing the possible danger. But emergency bans put on water use in the area by local authorities have worried residents and environmental organizations at a time when much of Europe is re-embracing nuclear power as way to slow global warming.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain has proposed building 45 new nuclear reactors by 2030 with a longer term goal of 55 more. His Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, is also in favor of more atomic energy. Is the US experiencing a nuclear power renaissance?
I don’t like nuclear but I don’t see an alternative. Even so nuclear is a stop-gap measure anyway. It is likely that we have either peaked uranium or will do so soon. Still a little goes a long way. It also lasts a long time and that’s the problem with nuclear. All that radioactive waste. No easy answers when it comes to nuclear but very hard questions.
An Indian Perspective on the Bombing in Kabul
India and Pakistan have vied for influence in Afghanistan for decades. In the 1990s, with the Pakistan-backed Taliban in power, Islamabad’s influence peaked. Then in a reversal of fortune, India, which backed the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance during the years the Taliban were in power, saw its fortunes improve in Kabul, even as Islamabad’s influence touched a nadir. I personally suspect Pakistan’s ISI assisted elements of the Taliban. Pakistan is a problem that has to be tackled and there no easy answers. The ISI is a government within a government. The perspective from Sudha Ramachandran in the Asia Times.
The Russian Rouble
There is no doubt that Russia is on the rise.
Introducing Dmitry Medvedev
The Russian President’s comments at the G-8 Summit.
Was Eduardo Frei Murdered?
Eduardo Frei was Chile’s President prior to Allende. A court forensics expert said Wednesday that former Chilean President Eduardo Frei Montalva was assassinated in January 1982 after a simple hernia operation during the rule of dictator Augusto Pinochet. The statement by Carmen Cerda, the chief of the forensics team investigating the case, confirmed longtime suspicions that Frei Montalva, who was Chile’s elected president from 1964 to 1970, had died of foul play at age 71. Medical officials had said that infection related to the surgery was the cause of death. The full story from the Miami Herald.