123 new species discovered in Borneo

Scientist have discovered 123 new species of Animals in Borneo.

Just goes to show how diverse and wonderful our planet is. It also highlight why we need to protect the planets rainforests... how many species have vanished, due to illegal logging or farming, without us even knowing they ever existed?

The Lungless Frog

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0c1755158955.jpg[/atsimg]

The worlds longest stick insect

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d1ea5d369850.jpg[/atsimg]

Kopstein's Bronzeback Snake

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f28064ada8fa.jpg[/atsimg]

Long-Tailed Slug

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a7fbdaeaa1cd.jpg[/atsimg]


Fascinating stuff

For more, check out...

edition.cnn.com...

news.bbc.co.uk...




[edit on 26-4-2010 by Muckster]

I think the Denrelaphis Kopsteini (flame colored snake on the CNN link) was my favorite. The wild orchid is beautiful too.

That freaking stick bug is insane!

I'm sure I will be looking for all of these tonight. I'll post any more favorites.

Thanks for this! S&F!

That stick insect is HUGE!
I got a phobia of them but I can appreciate how awesome they look.

The Indonesian forrest is disappearing faster than any other forest on the planet. This rapid destruction in Borneo is primarily due to Palm oil plantations expanding by cutting down the forest. Because of this, in the last decade the wild orangutan population has been halved. I spent 5 weeks last year in Indonesia helping Orangutan Foundation International in their goal of rescuing orphaned orangutans, and preserving the forest.

Companies like IKEA, Nestle, and Proctor and Gamble are to blame. They use significant amounts of Palm Oil and are well aware of the dirty manner in which it is produced. There are alternatives, and it is possible to be more responsible in how Palm Oil plantations are managed. But these companies simply do not care. It is all about the MONEY.

Soon, all these newly discovered species will no longer exist.

I will be back in the forests of Borneo again this year and encourage you all to get involved. Don't buy products that contain Palm oil. Join Orangutan Foundation International as they are one of the most recognized groups working to save the forest. Dr Galdikas, OFI's founder is an award winning scientist and one of "Leakeys Angels" along with Jane Goodall and the late Dian Fossy. She has twice been on the cover of National Geographic. You can even foster an orphaned Orangutan or join the summer volunteer program and go to Indonesia to help.

It is great to see these new discoveries, and sad to know that they will soon be gone.



[edit on 26/4/10 by Terapin]

reply to post by Muckster


Eric Hansen's book on Borneo is awesome -- he walks across it, being guided by the tribe there -- the Penan. Stranger in the Forest 1988 -- Borneo has been wiped out big time since then but glad to see they're documenting new species.

www.amazon.com...

www.jelldragon.com...

Most of the Penan now live a settled existence in longhouses built either by the government or the logging companies. They are still allowed to hunt and gather from the forest, but their settled lifestyle means that resources are becoming scarce around their settlements. Almost all of the jungle outside the national parks has now been selectively logged. So-called 'selective' logging actually means that every single large tree has been felled for timber. The resulting secondary forest has much less wildlife and is more difficult to hunt in due to reduced visibility. The Penan find it very difficult to sustain themselves in secondary forest and must turn to agriculture and wage-labour to get enough food.

Looks like the main palm oil company wiping out the Borneo rainforest is finally getting some serious heat:

www.digitaljournal.com...

While Nestle's change of heart should please conservationists, the news of Nestle's decision to cut Sinar Mas has angered palm oil producers in Indonesia, who are threatening a boycott of Nestle products if the contract is cancelled. The Jakarta Globe quoted an industry spokesman as having said “About 10 million oil palm farmers in 20 Indonesian provinces have stated their readiness to boycott Nestle products. Apkasindo [Indonesian Palm Oil Growers Association] is now preparing to draw up a list of Nestle products on the market."

reply to post by Terapin


Great post Terapin

Seriously, that warrants a thread of its own... I was already aware of what you mentioned, thanks to a Joanna Lumley documentary on the issue. However, there are many that are not aware...

I applaud your efforts helping the Orangutan foundation and think a thread about what you achieved, the challenges you faced, and the connection between the destruction of the forest and the palm oil plantations, would bring great interest on ATS.

I really hope to see such a thread soon... It would definitely get a star and flag from me...

If you decide not to start a thread, i may even have a go myself... but I’m sure it would be better coming from someone who has direct experience with these issues!

Good luck for when you go back out there friend

reply to post by Muckster


wonderful. i love that we still are making discoveries in the world, below the nickel. some say that space is the final frontier, yet we barely know our own world.

this just proves to me that we NEED to preserve our environment.

reply to post by drew hempel


While Nestle has decided to stop using Sinar Mas as their supplier, they are simply going with a new middle man to provide them with their Palm Oil and thus the situation has not changed much. Nestle needs to commit to sustainable yield plantations, and to refuse to purchase any Palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia until such time as the systems there are less corrupt.

Currently, Government officials sell the rights to clearcut land for Palm Oil plantations. Indonesia has the most corruption of any Asian nation.

IKEA uses 30,000 metric tons of Palm oil every year. They make tea candles out of it. Every time you light an IKEA tea candle, you are literally burning up the Indonesian forest.

Proctor and Gamble uses palm oil in cosmetics, food, and soaps such as Palmolive. There are more eco friendly alternatives, but without public pressure to change, the destruction continues. No where else on earth is the forest disappearing so rapidly.

reply to post by Terapin


Right -- so is Greenpeace doing much direct action there?

www.greenpeace.org...

www.greenpeace.org...

I mean in the Amazon they were doing direct action civil disobedience and then Cargill stated they would no longer buy soy beans from newly deforested land. But then actually enforcing such a claim is another matter.

Still... it got good media attention -- I had written an expose on Cargill in the Amazon that got some attention since I live in Minnesota where they're headquartered.

My guess is Greenpeace (my former employer) needs to take action in Sweden where IKEA is headquartered. My Swedish relatives -- distant -- visited Minnesota and made some SIX trips to IKEA at Mall of America. I've never been there nor plan to go. I knew the place was scum. haha.

Seriously it's very cool you're going to Borneo again. I thought it was be a cool thing to do -- but I'm totally broke, etc. Since you know so much on this maybe you could write up a little expose on the real palm oil skinny.

I first learned of it from that BBC doc on disgusting food -- cocoa using palm oil in milk chocolate.... I don't know it kicks in on cocoa around 2/3rds through. It's very cool as he goes to the cocoa headquarters to sell them palm oil that is not from newly cleared rainforest:

www.youtube.com...

Yeah I'm emailing IKEA right now -- they are so GREEN -- Natural Step and Green Peace collaborations, etc. what creeps.

[email protected]

That's the public relations for the UK -- I'm USA but at least it's English so I send off a short email quoting your IKEA bit on palm oil.

[edit on 26-4-2010 by drew hempel]

[edit on 26-4-2010 by drew hempel]

[edit on 26-4-2010 by drew hempel]

[edit on 26-4-2010 by drew hempel]

[edit on 26-4-2010 by drew hempel]

Hum... About the 123 new species discovered, check the following link, where we got to talk a little about this subject. In a way that might surprise you! The thread is from karmayogi11

www.abovetopsecret.com...

As to where the discussion is, Food First, published in 1977 by Houghton Mifflin Company, from Boston, written by Frances Moore Lappé and Joseph Collins is a real eye opener. The worse is that it still is very very actual.
It talks about and demonstrate the organisation of the food industries that let people dying from starvation while destroying the environment. A must.

Salut!,

Aresh

I know this will be of great interest to my wife, she grew up in Borneo with the Iban tribe. She still tells me stories of all the awesome animals and plants that were in the jungle there. My favorite picture is of the inside of a longhouse where there are bags of Japanese skulls hanging as trophies from WW2. The Iban are very short people but quite deadly with a bow or blowgun. I'm afraid that their old way of life is probably about gone by now though.

Great work on the Orangs there bud! Thanks for the word on palm oil, as consumers we can make a difference. Spread the word!