Tribe of Amazon “Uncontacted” Indians Photographed from Air

A photo of tribal members trying to shoot down the plane.

One of South America's few remaining uncontacted indigenous tribes has been spotted and photographed on the border between Brazil and Peru.

The Brazilian government says it took the images to prove the tribe exists and help protect its land.

The pictures, taken from an aeroplane, show red-painted tribe members brandishing bows and arrows.

More than half the world's 100 uncontacted tribes live in Brazil or Peru, Survival International says.

Stephen Corry, the director of the group - which supports tribal people around the world - said such tribes would "soon be made extinct" if their land was not protected.

'Monumental crime'

Survival International says that although this particular group is increasing in number, others in the area are at risk from illegal logging.

The photos were taken during several flights over one of the most remote parts of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil's Acre region.

They show tribe members outside thatched huts, surrounded by the dense jungle, pointing bows and arrows up at the camera.

"We did the overflight to show their houses, to show they are there, to show they exist," the group quoted Jose Carlos dos Reis Meirelles Junior, an official in the Brazilian government's Indian affairs department, as saying.

"This is very important because there are some who doubt their existence."

He described the threats to such tribes and their land as "a monumental crime against the natural world" and "further testimony to the complete irrationality with which we, the 'civilised' ones, treat the world".

Disease is also a risk, as members of tribal groups that have been contacted in the past have died of illnesses that they have no defence against, ranging from chicken pox to the common cold.

More photos at BBC News.

[A+] Food-labelling chance that was missed

Dear 6AB1 students,

The whole food labelling event has come to an end. This article basically gives a short summary of what has happened up till now. It's a good read for those who have little idea of the food labelling issue.

Regards, 

Mr. Fu 

The overhaul of Hong Kong's food labelling laws has, surprisingly, resulted in a rare defeat for the government on the floor of the Legislative Council. The government's intention was good - to benefit consumers by ensuring they are provided with more information about what they are buying to eat. But its execution went awry. Regrettably, consumers could end up being the losers, with favourite products disappearing from the shelves.
People are becoming more conscious than ever of the link between nutrition and good health. Most would welcome more informative nutritional labelling. A government opinion survey of 860 people last month found 93 per cent thought packaging of food with nutrition claims should spell out information to support them. Hong Kong has lagged behind the developed world in this respect. Public sentiment appears receptive to legislation.

The government settled on a "one plus seven" labelling regime-energy content plus seven core nutrients - which complies with a recent World Health Organisation recommendation. On the face of it, the bill should have enjoyed a smooth package.

The way the government went about drafting the legislation, however, was problematic. It prompted opposition from overseas exporters, local importers and the retail trade. By volume, Hong Kong is a comparatively small market, although our city's multicultural, cosmopolitan population generates strong demand for choice.

As a result, retailers carry a lot of small-volume lines. The cost of retesting and relabelling just for our market could be prohibitive. The government recognised this by exempting items with an annual sales volume of less than 30,000. But the exemption did not extend to those that carried health claims.

This, understandably, brought a strong backlash from foreign commercial interests, trade and commercial diplomats and retailers, who argued that 15,000 niche products which make nutrition claims could, as a result, be removed from the shelves.

The government sensibly listened to these concerns and amended the bill to create further exemptions. This satisfied the critics, but supporters of the bill felt the changes went too far. The government failed to lobby enough lawmakers to support the amendments - and the original proposals were enacted.

As a result, it seems many food products will become unavailable, therefore depriving consumers of products they enjoy eating and believe to be healthy. This was not the objective of the legislation.

Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat-ngok says it is difficult to strike the right balance between conflicting points of view. Striking a balance between different interests may be necessary to secure the passage of a bill through Legco. But the priority should be to devise the best laws possible - even if this does not please everybody. It means enacting legislation which is effective, but not impractical. That is what should have happened.

It is disappointing that the amendments were not allowed to pass, to ensure consumers still enjoy access to their favoured products. The legislation does not take effect, however, for more than two years. It is to be hoped that the international movement towards more uniform food labelling around the world will help limit the impact on small-volume health lines. Meanwhile, opponents of the legislation should continue to lobby for changes that enhance the transparency of food labelling without limiting choice.

SCMP. May 30, 2008

It's a bus. It's a train. It's both.

What do you get when you cross a bus with a train? A dual-mode vehicle that has the versatility of a bus, the speed of light rail and fuel economy vastly better than either.
Toyota and its truck-making subsidiary Hino Motors have signed on with Japan Rail Hokkaido to develop the vehicles, which carry 25 people and reportedly burn one-fourth the amount of diesel fuel required by conventional buses. Japan Rail started testing them about 18 months ago, and bringing Toyota aboard could speed up development and commercialization of what may be the mass transit vehicle of the future.
Dual-mode vehicles have four rubber tires for road use and four steel wheels for the rails, and it takes less than 15 seconds to go from road to rail and back again. It drives just like a bus on the road, and a hydraulic system raises the tires and lowers the steel wheels as the driver guides the vehicle onto the tracks.
Japan Rail provides rail service for the island of Hokkaido, and about one-third of its lines carry less than 500 people. It developed the dual-mode vehicles as a means of cutting costs on those lines without reducing service. The vehicles use a Toyota microbus body and axles built by Hino. The two companies will help Japan Rail refine the technology and increase passenger capacity with an eye toward commercial production.
"Our contribution is expected to be another step toward more practical use of the dual mode vehicle," company spokesman Kenichiro Baba told AFP.
Combing the versatility of a bus with the speed of a train has allowed Japan Rail to tailor routes and services to the communities it serves. Rather than scuttling service on under-utilized lines, Japan Rail has simply switched to smaller vehicles.
Dual-mode vehicles would be a great addition to America's mass transit infrastructure. It would make rail transit feasible in those areas that don't have the population density to support a lot of stations, and make mass transit a more viable option for exurbs. Riders could simply hop on at a bus stop in their neighborhood, then ride the rails to their destination.

Wired.

Idol pursuits

Color Keung Tsz-lam

Semi-professional models are cashing in on the fervour of the city's growing army of amateur photographers

She may not be a household name but Color Keung Tsz-lam has her own fan club. Her devoted supporters organise birthday parties and make banners to cheer her on. The 24-year-old is a sought after figure in an unusual niche - as a model for the city's growing army of photography buffs.
"Some treat me like their idol and ask for my autographs as if I were a celebrity," says Keung.

The rise of "star" models like her rests largely on an explosion in amateur photography fuelled by access to cheap digital cameras. Local amateurs have long pooled resources to hire models for an outdoor shoot, paying several hundred dollars for their fees and transport. But the number of hobbyists has shot up substantially in recent years as the equipment becomes increasingly inexpensive, with teenagers wielding professional SLR digital cameras. This surge has led in turn to greater demand for photography models - and higher fees for their services. Their work doesn't have the glamour of fashion modelling and the income can't compare, either. Indeed, many amateur models work as promotion staff at fairs for gadgets and computer games. Still, Keung says a neophyte can now charge about HK$200 for several hours' work while experienced, sought after models may command as much as HK$1,000 an hour.

Bryan Kong Chun-yin, a 20-year-old student, formed Keung's fan club after spotting her in computer games magazines. "She's beautiful and very nice," he says a little sheepishly. "She's talented too; she plays the piano and draws."

While most of his classmates at vocational school idolise Canto-pop singers and TV stars, Kong feels it's his "mission to let more people know about Color". Kong organises gatherings for members every six months, hosting barbecues or meals. Sometimes fans meet to share tips on shooting portraits. "Without Color, I don't think I'd enjoy taking photos as much as I'm [doing] now," he says.

However much she appreciates fans' support, Keung understands the psyche behind their adulation. "They might also admire top fashion models such as Kathy Chow Man-kei; these people are beyond their reach so they direct their attention to us. We are also models, but we are more approachable," she says.

Keung began modelling in secondary school, mainly for local teen magazines, and hooked up with photo clubs five years ago to build up a portfolio. "I wanted to send my photos to magazines. But since I wasn't assigned to an agency, I didn't have good pictures to make an impressive portfolio," she says. "I also couldn't afford to hire a professional to take photos for me because I was still a student, so I modelled for photo clubs. It was a good deal. I got paid and could select some good photos to compile a portfolio."

Lau Wai-lung, who has recently joined an online photo club whose members help each other hone their craft, is ambivalent about the rise of semi-professional models. "Before the era of digital cameras, a girl would have to pay if she wanted to have her photos taken. Now we have to pay the girls to model for us."

Another hobbyist, Chan Kam-wing, says the amateur models offer beginners the chance to practise shooting portraits. "It's more affordable if you can share the cost with a few snappers," says the telecoms technician.

Silver Leung Siu-wah, a comics fan and photography buff, initially saw exhibitions featuring girl promoters as a good opportunity for him to practise portraiture. But the IT project manager says he has been intimidated by huge crowds jostling for position at recent promotions. "Some even bring along ladders," says Leung. "It's not fun to carry 2kg of camera gear and battle with so many snappers in such a chaotic situation."

For pretty young women, posing for mass photo sessions can be a lucrative sideline. Candice Tang Hei-wa, a 17-year-old student, says it pays better than a part-time sales job and entry is simple. "All we need to do is upload our photos and put our MSN contacts on the internet," she says. After a couple of months, Tang now charges HK$200 an hour for a photo session.

But no one should be under the illusion that posing for amateurs will do much to improve modelling skills. "All the photographers want are big eyes and a cute smile; there isn't much variety," says Keung. "Some even ask me to point to my dimples and act kawaii [cute]. Poses like these are boring and old-fashioned but I do it as long as they like it."

Like Keung, Sheena Lo Pui-cheung began posing for amateurs to boost her portfolio. Among her biggest assignments was a university photo day, when she had to face about 100 campus snappers. "It was difficult to pose in front of so many people. I didn't know where to look, there were many flashlights," she recalls. It's fun dressing up in costumes for sessions at comics conventions and the like, she says.

Although she charges HK$300 an hour for photo sessions, the 23-year-old says it can be hard work. With no assistants to rely on, she has had to walk up and down Mount Davis with bags of clothes for an outdoor shoot and recalls another session when she had to endure mosquito bites while posing on the grass.

And without the buffer of an agency, amateur models can face harassment. But Tang insists she can fend off unwelcome attention. "I also receive many strange MSN messages but I just ignore them," she says.

Aggressive admirers too can be a menace. Keung recalls how an obsessed fan threatened to "destroy everything" of hers if she didn't answer his calls. "He got my mobile number from other people and left disturbing messages. He also followed me around after checking my schedule on my blog," she says. "He even hacked into my computer, e-mail and ICQ. Finally, I had to call the police."

Some models think photo clubs may be a springboard to professional careers, but Keung disagrees. "It helps you compile some nice photos and build up confidence posing and smiling in front of a crowd, but there's no guarantee that you'll be signed by a modelling agency," she says. "And people may lose interest after several shoots. This field is very competitive because new faces are coming up all the time."

SCMP. May 27, 2008

Being mobile in the mid-1980's

More videos from the "Diagonal View" channel at Heavy.com

Mars lander sends back first images

Within hours of touching down in the Martian Arctic, Nasa's Phoenix probe has transmitted its first snapshots of the dusty landscape. The images mark a perfect start to its three month mission to check the planet for signs it was once habitable.

Nasa officials could not have hoped for a better start to the Phoenix probe's mission on Mars. The lander touched down on flat ground just before 1am BST today and has since unfurled its solar arrays and begun surveying the immediate area.

Among the first pictures taken by the probe's stereoscopic camera was this shot of the northern plains of Mars, showing the pebble-strewn surface and polygonal cracks that are common in the region.

The official landing time for Phoenix was recorded as 00.53 BST on May 26, in a polar region called Vastitas Borealis, at 68 degrees north latitude, 234 degrees east longitude.

Once the dust settled, the spacecraft took a few pictures of itself, including its feet and solar arrays.

This image shows in more detail one of the polygon patterns that mark the ground at the landing site. Similar markings are found in the arctic regions of our own planet.

The Phoenix probe will be the first to touch water on another planet, marking a new era for Nasa's "follow the water" strategy for finding evidence of life beyond Earth.

Two hours after the landing, the first crystal clear images came back from Phoenix, showing its solar arrays had been deployed and the craft was sitting on a stable and safe surface.

"These images are telling us we have a healthy configuration for the spacecraft," said Dan McCleese, chief scientist for the US space agency's Jet Propulsion Lab in California. "This looks like a good place to start digging."

[A+} Letter to the editor

Dear 6AB1 students, 

I would like to give you a real sample of a letter to the editor. This is a good sample showing you how the government (or government-related organisations) responds to criticism from the public. Take a careful look at how the author refers to the original letter and how she responds to the criticisms point by point in the letter. I think you can base your writing on this sample.

Regards,

Mr. Fu.

No wall-like buildings in Central revamp

I refer to the letter by Katty Law ("URA's plans will ruin historic and unique part of Central", May 8), about the Urban Renewal Authority project at Staunton Street in Central.

The planning brief which guides the preparation of the master layout plan was endorsed by the Town Planning Board in November 2007. The proposed density of eight plot ratio on net site area is lower than that normally permitted in the area. While preparing the project's master layout plan, we solicited the views of the public and the district council and came up with the development plan incorporating their aspirations as far as was practicable.

We consider conservation of the existing street/lane pattern as the most important element, manifesting the history of urban development. None of the tenement buildings there is a graded historic building. Owing to the poor building conditions, only the blocks at 88-90 Staunton Street (the oldest in the area and with some architectural merit) and 10-12 Wing Lee Street will be preserved while 4-9 Wing Lee Street will be redeveloped into three-storey low-rise buildings, which is consistent with the existing terrace characteristics.

As the project site is sub-divided into three small development sites and separated by existing streets, there will not be a chance for any wall-like buildings. Indeed, adopting the public's preference, the middle site will be developed into a building of only seven storeys, providing a valuable breathing space for the adjoining high-rise environment, enhancing visual and air ventilation quality.

The Bridges Street market, which was the first permanent public market after the war for public use, will be conserved while ways to commemorate Sun Yat-sen's association with the place will be explored.

There is public open space on the rooftop of the market which is accessible from Shing Wong Street and an enhanced pedestrian linkage, open space and greenery network to improve the living environment of the area and social integration. Results of a wide range of impact assessments indicate that the proposed development will not generate an unacceptable adverse impact on surrounding areas.

We believe the three conserved elements of our project will contribute towards the holistic conservation approach in the area.

Angela Tang, general manager, external relations, Urban Renewal Authority

SCMP. May 22, 2008.