A former park ranger in New Zealand spent two days looking for a Weta.
There are at least 70 types of weta on New Zealand. Most look like big wind scorpions, or gigantis potato bugs, but the one found by the former park ranger looks like a giant cricket.
The one he found is considered the heaviest insect. At 71 grams it weighs more than a sparrow, and is three times heavier than a mouse!
He took pictures of it sitting in his hand, eating a large carrot.
“The Kyoto Protocol does not include the world’s two largest emitters, the United States and China, therefore it can not work!”-Peter Kent, Environment Minister of Canada
Canada is the first country to officially exit from the Kyoto environmental protocols. This follows the end of the second round of ‘Kyoto’ (aka COP 17) talks in South Africa.
The COP 17 talks acknowledged that the goals set at Kyoto would most likely not be met, and they extended the deadline for those goals to 2018. This latest round of talks is being referred to as the ‘Durban Deal’.
Edna Molewa, UN Water and Environmental Affairs Minister, called the Durban deal a “watershed” moment. However, Canada is raining on that moment, and Japan has been warning of leaving the Kyoto Protocol as well.
“The Kyoto Protocol is not the right path.”-Masahiko Horie, envoy from Japan
Japan can no longer meet all the agreed upon goals because of the fact that 85% of their nuclear plants are shut down, or damaged. Even before the loss of so many nuclear plants (for various reasons) Japan was still the number 5 polluter in the world! Think what will happen as they switch back to electricity generated by coal and petroleum fueled power plants.
The following countries either refuse to take part, have quit, or are threatening to quit the Kyoto Protocol: Brazil, India, New Zealand, Russia, Japan, Canada, China (number 1 polluter) and the United States (number 2 polluter).
New Zealand was hit by yet another major earthquake, the third this year. The 7.6 quake hit July 7, but this time it was off the north end of the island country.
A tsunami warning was issued, 1 meter (3.2 feet) tall waves were seen off of Raoul Island.
A survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows which countries are the top for computer/internet skills among teenagers.
Japan did not come in first. South Korean teenagers are number one in computer/internet skills, followed by New Zealand, Australia, then Japan and Hong Kong/China.
The OECD study looked at the digital reading comprehension and computer operating skills of 15 year olds. 16 countries were involved with the study, the United States did not take part. It turns out that girls are better at digital reading than boys (studies show that girls are better at print reading as well).
A surprising find was that use of computers in schools showed little benefit. It could be because they aren’t used at school as much as at home. The study showed that most teenagers learn their computer skills at home, not at school.
“But computer use at school had little impact on results, while using a computer at home had a more marked impact on results. To help students at school, computer use should be integrated into curricula and more invested in training teachers to use them for teaching and to help students learn, says the OECD.”
I can attest to that. Almost every year here in Idaho, the Albertsons Foundation gives our schools new computers. One year, right before the start of the school year, I was visiting Chubbuck Elementary school to meet one of my daughters teachers. The teacher was busy trying to set up some of the new computers, she was also complaining about it. She admitted that she didn’t “understand the things” and tried “not using them at all”. Over their elementary school years, my daughters, and my son, confirmed that most of the teachers did not allow them to use the donated computers. My kids learned their computer skills from me and their mother (passed away). We did so well that I have to go to my now adult kids for help with any computer problems.
The state of Idaho is pushing a new computer system on our schools, they hope to give high school students their own laptops. I’ve already read stories of how other states have done the same thing, then actually used those laptops to spy on the kids while they where at home. This new study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development blows holes in the argument by some education officials that pushing more computers in schools is the answer for our country’s educational disaster. In fact the study proves that kids learn better at home. It’s too bad most parents don’t have the luxury of home schooling.
Puyehue volcano, in Chile, continues to spew ash. Now several airports in Argentina are shut down, some until July 1.
Puyehue erupted June 4. The last time the volcano erupted was in 1960. Flights to Australia and New Zealand are still being grounded.
Christchurch, New Zealand was hit by a 5.5 quake, followed by a 6.0 aftershock, then by a 4.9.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quakes hit in the afternoon, June 13.
Christchurch was hit in February by a devastating 6.3 quake.