For the more studious we have topics on Medicine, Science and Technology to round off with.

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Butterflies are providing scientists with a glimpse into the world of insects. Whereas larger animals typically have opportunities to breed over a couple of years; butterflies only get one chance in their annual cycle.  Thus, their well-being is of utmost importance as chances of extinction are much higher.

Butterflies are very fragile insects and are greatly affected by temperature change and other environmental impacts. Often, they need large areas of land which has increasingly been made more difficult to find. Conservationists are recognising the importance of butterflies and all other insects in our eco-system and are making efforts to procure a more sustainable future.

A breakdown in law enforcement has led to an increase of the poaching of Zimbabwe’s rhinoceros. Conservationists are highly concerned about the drastic increase in the slaying of the beautiful animal for its valuable horns.

Criminal gangs are killing the rhinos of Zimbabwe for its horns which are highly valuable in Asia. The horns are used in traditional medicine in many countries as well as for ornamental and ceremonial daggers in the Middle East.

A rare Megamouth Shark was accidentally caught by fishermen in the Philippines, and then later on butchered and eaten. The Megamouth is one of the rarest fish in the world, with only over forty of the species having been encountered around the world.

The Megamouth Shark is a deep water fish which can grow up to 5.5 metres in length. It was first discovered in 1976, and since then there has only been 43 sighting of the large shark. Members of the WWF tried hard to dissuade the local fishermen from eating the spectacular fish but to no avail. Shark meat is used to make some of the local specialities in the area, and the large fish was butchered after dying trying to escape from the net.

Researchers in Britain fear the death of many of the trees native to the country. Trees have been struggling with various diseases after a host of microbes have attacked them. The new diseases are not indigenous to Britain, but are thought to have originated from warmer countries. Global warming has contributed to enhancing the ability of the microbes to survive in Britain’s cold wet weather.

Plants all over the country have been struggling with various environmental stresses. Increasing signs of struggle have become apparent in many species of trees, including a loss of leaves and a slow death. Environmentalists are becoming more aware and fearful of the changes occurring due primarily to the higher temperatures brought on by global warming.

Scientists have discovered that the algae in the ocean could play a vital role in stopping global warming. Marine algae capture huge amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and when they die they would take the carbon stores to the bottom with them. Researchers have been given the go-ahead to drop quantities of iron into the seas, as the growth of the algae is often limited by the lack of iron.

The project is slightly controversial; with some conservationists worried about the long-term ecological effects of the excessive iron in the oceans. Other scientists are saying that adding iron to the waters will help the algae to grow and thus increase the amount of carbon dioxide that is captured from the atmosphere.

Only a few years ago, the Brown Bear was on the verge of extinction in Italy due to a variety of reasons, including poachers, hunters and vengeful people poisoning the animals. Today however, conservationists are celebrating their success after several cubs have been spotted in the country.

Many people were outraged a couple of years ago, when cubs were found dead having ingested poison given to them by people. Further stories at the time included the death of several bears after being shot by poachers. Brown bears are typically not a danger to humans, and following the stories, conservationists have been trying to protect the big animals. They are overjoyed with the new cubs and hope to keep the population numbers rising.

Twenty years ago the idea of mobile phones seemed far-fetched; yet they became the norm. Ten years ago the idea of sending someone a text message seemed silly; yet that too became an everyday occurrence. Only a few years ago, we believed that mobile phones were as far advanced as they could possibly be; then cameras were introduced into the phones. Today, we can use mobile phones to take photos, to send emails, to look at the internet and even as a global positioning device. How much further can the mobile technology keep going we wonder? Mobile giant Nokia has innovative plans to introduce a home control centre for mobile phones; whereby you can control your entire household when you are not even there.

Imagine a phone that you can use to control the heating at your house. You are running a few hours late from work due to a sudden snowstorm, and all you really want is to come home to a warm and toasty home. With the new Nokia mobile, you will be able to control your heating, and adjust the temperatures of your house to the desired heat. You will also be able to control other home appliances, as well as all the lighting. No longer do you need to worry about burglars thinking that you are away. Just turn on the lights during the day or night to scare them away. The new Nokia mobile may seem far-fetched, but then, didn’t we say that about everything that is today considered to be normal?

Thousands of Britons will be horrified to find out that the bacon and ham that they have been eating comes from pigs brought up under cruel farm conditions. Almost 70% of the pork imports would be illegal if they had been produced in Britain, as the appalling conditions which the pigs face are inhumane. In 1998, a ban was installed in Britain whereby pregnant sows were not allowed to be kept in cramped conditions, but this ban is not due to be in place in the rest of the European Union until 2013.

When the ban was put out, pig farmers all over the country were forced to spend thousands of pounds to make new homes for the pigs, and many farmers were unable to afford the changes. The number of pig farmers in the UK has drastically decreased, and the importing of pork has thus increased. So, although good living conditions are required for British pigs, more than half of the pork eaten in the country has been brought in from abroad, from pigs living under horrible conditions. Farmers in the UK have struggled to keep similar prices going, as they spend more to keep the animals in good conditions.

The Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee are demanding that supermarket products be labelled to inform people on the conditions in which the pigs were brought up. Although many people will still buy the cheapest product; others will opt to go for the pork from pigs who led a good life. Britons all over the country will be shocked at the conditions that the little piglets and their parents were forced to endure, and will hopefully take part in helping to make a change.

The beautiful narwhal is expected to become on the endangered list in less than five years if their needless killing continues. The international ivory ban that came into effect in 1989 is limited to the tusks of elephants, and does not include the single tusk that extends from the narwhal’s jaw. Last week, stunned conservationists discovered that several narwhal tusks were being auctioned in London and were expected to fetch in the area of £10,000 each.

Environmentalists managed to get the tusks off of the auction block after speaking to the people in charge. They are however concerned at the high amounts of money that people will pay to have the ivory from the beautiful narwhal. The high prices are enticing people to go out and hunt these creatures, and their numbers are starting to dwindle. The narwhals are being monitored, but how long will it take to stop the needless killing of these peaceful creatures?