Big sugar in southern Africa : rural development and the perverted potential of sugar/ethanol exports

This paper asks how investment in large-scale sugar cane production has contributed, and will contribute, to rural development in southern Africa. Taking a case study of the South African company Illovo in Zambia, the argument is made that the potential for greater tax revenue, domestic competition, access to resources and wealth distribution from sugar/ethanol production have all been perverted and with relatively little payoff in wage labour opportunities in return. If the benefits of agro-exports cannot be so easily assumed, then the prospective 'balance sheet' of biofuels needs to be re-examined. In this light, the paper advocates smaller-scale agrarian initiatives

Firefly genomes illuminate parallel origins of bioluminescence in beetles

Fireflies and their luminous courtships have inspired centuries of scientific study. Today firefly luciferase is widely used in biotechnology, but the evolutionary origin of bioluminescence within beetles remains unclear. To shed light on this long-standing question, we sequenced the genomes of two firefly species that diverged over 100 million-years-ago: the North American Photinus pyralis and Japanese Aquatica lateralis. To compare bioluminescent origins, we also sequenced the genome of a related click beetle, the Caribbean Ignelater luminosus, with bioluminescent biochemistry near-identical to fireflies, but anatomically unique light organs, suggesting the intriguing hypothesis of parallel gains of bioluminescence. Our analyses support independent gains of bioluminescence in fireflies and click beetles, and provide new insights into the genes, chemical defenses, and symbionts that evolved alongside their luminous lifestyle

Manejo integrado de cuencas hidrográficas

Este programa es el resultado de la conjunción de esfuerzos de la Alianza WWF- Fundación Gonzalo Río Arronte IAP (FGRA), en torno a una de las mayores preocupaciones de nuestro tiempo: el agua. Los trabajos de la Alianza WWF-FGRA se desarrollan en tres cuencas de México: · Cuenca del río Conchos, en el Desierto Chihuahuense · Cuencas Copalita-Zimatán-Huatulco, en la Sierra Costera de Oaxaca · Cuenca del río San Pedro Mezquital, en Durango y Nayari

Manejo integrado de cuencas hidrográficas

Este programa es el resultado de la conjunción de esfuerzos de la Alianza WWF-Fundación Gonzalo Río Arronte IAP (FGRA) en torno a una de las mayores preocupaciones de nuestro tiempo: el agua. Los trabajos de la Alianza WWF-FGRA se desarrollan en tres cuencas de México: • Cuenca alta del río Conchos, en el Desierto Chihuahuense • Cuencas de los ríos Copalita-Zimatán-Huatulco, en la Sierra Costera de Oaxaca • Cuenca del río San Pedro-Mezquital, en Durango, Nayarit y Zacateca

Indicators for sustainable development Strategies for use of indicators in national reports to the Commission on Sustainable Development and in the EC structural funds process

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:q94/21162 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo