HIV May Date Back a Whole Century

Scientists studying different "ancient" strains of the HIV virus now believe that a common ancestor of the HIV strains may have jumped from apes to humans a century ago or more.

As in the case of other diseases before it, increasing urbanization may have facilitated the development of HIV.

Nothing bleak here -- just a great example of scientific research. Wish we could devote more energy to research like this than to blowing up people or bailing out greedy, greasy toads on Wall Street.

Rate of Fires in Amazon Rainforest Continues to Increase

The Guardian runs a story on the efforts of Brazil's environment minister to combat the burning of the Amazon rainforest. Biologist E.O. Wilson, among others, have made the case that there is more biodiversity in the Amazon than in the rest of Earth combined.

- Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal.

- If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.

- The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us.

— E. O. Wilson

(See also this Audubon Magazine article.)