From the Associated Press by KATHARINE HOURELD

NAIROBI, Kenya – Authorities in Ethiopia and Kenya have seized more than 2,600 pounds (1,200 kilograms) of bloodstained ivory from about 100 illegally killed elephants at airports, the head of Kenya’s Wildlife Service said Wednesday.

Julius Kipng’etich said trained dogs sniffed out a consignment of bloodstained tusks at Kenya’s national airport late Tuesday. Another shipment of tusks sent by the same individual had been seized Monday at the airport in Ethiopia’s capital.

Both shipments were sent as unaccompanied luggage to Bangkok. Police have launched an investigation and wildlife officials said they will continue to patrol the airport with dogs.

Elephants develop strong social bonds and can even identify family members by their bones, which individuals may return to several times over the years. Kipng’etich said he had seen groups of elephants standing around a dead family member and making a distinctive sound.

“It is as if they are crying: Please don’t wear ivory. Please leave it to the elephants for heaven’s sake,” he said.

Ivory trade was banned internationally in 1989 because of its devastating effect on elephant populations. Before the ban was enacted, Kenya’s elephant population plummeted from 120,000 elephants in 1963 to just 12,000 a few decades later.

But after authorities realized elephants’ role in boosting tourism — one of Kenya’s top foreign exchange earners — they clamped down on the poachers.

The ban and subsequent enforcement slowed poaching dramatically, but in recent years it has begun to creep up, from 47 elephants killed in 2007 to 98 in 2008. So far this year, 125 already have been killed.

Kipng’etich blames the decision by signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to allow the periodic sale of confiscated ivory stockpiles to raise money for conservation.

The most recent authorized sale was in 2007, when China and Japan were both allowed to buy the stockpiled ivory from Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Although Kenya was not included in the auction, Kipng’etich said he believes it fueled demand for illegal ivory.

Iain Douglas-Hamilton, who heads the conservation group Save the Elephants, said the airport seizures were a “tremendous coup” for the Kenya Wildlife Service.

“If this proves to be native Kenyan ivory rather than ivory in transit, it’s a serious confirmation of poaching on the rise in Kenya,” he said.

Until the problem is stamped out, the Wildlife Service will continue to patrol the airports with dogs like Charles, the black-haired star of Tuesday night’s bust. He’s sniffed out more than 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms) of ivory during his nine-year career.

“This is the real hero,” said Kipng’etich, giving Charles a pat.

From The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two conservation groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency for its decision to register pesticides that curtail prairie dogs.

Defenders of Wildlife and Audubon of Kansas, which filed the federal lawsuit last week in Washington, D.C., say the chemicals threaten the endangered black-footed ferret, which feeds on prairie dogs. Prairie dogs can compete with livestock for forage.

The lawsuit says the EPA is violating the Endangered Species Act and other federal laws. It also says the EPA failed to heed warnings from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that said the chemicals have “known and potential impacts to wildlife.”

The EPA says it will release a notice next week related to the lawsuit and that once it has evaluated comment, it will determine how to proceed.

From The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO – A California woman has settled a lawsuit against her former doctors who denied her artificial insemination based on her sexual orientation, attorneys for both sides said Tuesday.

Guadalupe Benitez, 36, of Oceanside, and her spouse sued doctors at North Coast Women’s Medical Group in Vista for discrimination in 2001. California’s highest court last year barred the Christian doctors from invoking religious beliefs, ruling state law prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination extends to the medical profession.

Attorneys for the doctors and Benitez said that they settled the case for an undisclosed sum of money.

The doctors said in a statement that they want all of their patients, including those who are lesbian and gay, to feel welcome in their medical practice.

Benitez has said the doctors treated her with fertility drugs and instructed her how to inseminate herself at home, but told her their beliefs prevented them from inseminating her.

One of the doctors referred her to another fertility specialist who didn’t have moral objections. Benitez has since given birth to three children.

“It’s been a long, hard fight to get to this point,” Benitez said following the settlement announcement. “But we know we’ve made a difference in the law that will help people in California and across the country.”

The statement issued by North Coast was encouraging, said Jennifer Pizer, Benitez’s attorney.

“It shows a journey that our whole society is taking together, away from intolerance and towards inclusion,” she said.

The much anticipated “Blueout” reached the newly dedicated Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium Saturday Sept. 26, as the New Haven Chargers hosted the Stonehill College Skyhawks. After opening the season with an impressive victory at Lincoln University, New Haven saw their record drop to 1-2 with loses against Assumption College and Bentley University. The homecoming crowd of approximately 3,500 was at full throat from the games onset.

The Chargers won the coin toss and opened the game scoring on that drive with a 35-yard field goal from kicker Michael Herrera. The Skyhawks responded quickly on their next two possessions, picking up a field goal and a touchdown, resulting in a 10-3 Stonehill lead. With one minute remaining in the first half, New Haven began their final drive from the Stonehill 35 yard line. QB Ryan Osiecki threw the ball on five consecutive plays, hitting WR Jason Thompson for a 5-yard touchdown with four seconds remaining in the half. The extra point was blocked by Stonehill, leaving UNH down by a point heading into the locker rooms.

Opening the second half, the Chargers defense was strong, keeping Stonehill from scoring throughout the third quarter. The New Haven offense had two drives stall to begin the second half; however the third drive yielded different results. Osiecki was able to connect on a 38-yard pass to WR Chris Ruffin, taking the Charger offense into Stonehill territory. The pivotal play of the drive was a successful fourth down conversion pass from Osiecki to TE Zach Vonder Linden. RB Victor Jones would pound in a 1-yard touchdown run four plays later, once again giving New Haven a five point lead. The Chargers failed on a two point conversion attempt leaving the score at 15-10 heading to the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter opened to four punts, two for each team, before either one found the end zone. The Skyhawks broke the stalemate when a fourth and goal attempt from the New Haven four yard line connected, giving Stonehill a 16-15 lead. However, New Haven was determined; as head coach Peter Rossomando put it, “they fought their tails off and never gave up out there.”

The Chargers began their final possession at the 30 yard line, needing at least a field goal to win the game. Osiecki was calm under pressure all afternoon, never more so than on the game’s final drive, and converted on two fourth downs. The play of the day came with 21 seconds left in the game on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Osiecki to WR Sharieff Hall, who said of the play, “It took forever to come down to me, but when it did…it was perfect.”

The Chargers extended their lead from 21-16 to 23-16 on a successful two point attempt. The New Haven defense sealed up the victory, swatting down two consecutive hail mary passes as time expired. Ryan Osiecki characterized the win as being “good for morale, especially because it happened in comeback fashion.” The win improves the Chargers record to 2-2 on the season, and they will travel across town to take on the Southern Connecticut Owls on Friday night.

So, who ever thought we could learn things from our favorite childhood board games? Oh, right! Of course Parker Brothers’ Clue taught us how to solve crime and murder mysteries and Hasbro’s Game of Life taught us how we’d make out in the real world. But who would have ever guessed that the makers of Monopoly, not only instilled corporate capitalism in our minds but also saved the lives of Ally soldiers during World War II?

During World War II the board game Monopoly served allied prisoners with a “real life tool to get out of jail,” said Brian McMahon in Mental Floss Magazine. During WWII, the game set had become a standard element of aid packages delivered to allied prisoners of war from the Red Cross and in 1941, the British Secret Service requested that the game’s British licensee John Waddington Ltd. add secret extras to some sets.

In addition to the normal pieces, such as the dog, top hat, and racecar, these get out of jail sets enclosed a metal file, compass, and silk maps of Allied safe houses. The use of silk maps was of special interest due to the fact that it folds silently and into small spaces easily. The British Secret Service and Waddington Ltd. mastered a newly designed box for the product, with secret compartments to hide the new pieces and currency.

Departing allied soldiers were notified that if captured they should look out for the special editions, identified by a red dot in the Free Parking space. Any sets remaining in the U.K. were destroyed after the war. Of the 35,000 prisoners of war who escaped German prison camps by the end of the war it is unknown how many owe their breakout to the classic board game.

The game also played a role in the Cold War, with communist countries declaring the game capitalist propaganda, and thus banning it. Despite many laws and others “Marxist-inspired alternative games” such as Hungary’s Save or Russia’s Manage, contraband versions of the capitalist diversion were quite popular behind the Iron Curtain.

After the war, all remaining special edition sets were destroyed and everyone involved in the plot were sworn to secrecy. Although the war was over, Monopoly’s role went unrecognized because of the strict secrecy surrounding the plot until 2007, when the case was de-classified. The reason for the secrecy was very simple: Should another war occur, Allied officials wanted to be able to break out the games once more.

From Sept. 21 to Sept. 25 we addressed campus safety with Campus Safety Week. The University had a series of events that had to do with making everyone on campus, both staff and students, feel safe. The first was an ice cream truck that gave out free ice cream and advertised for the Campus Safety Forum later that evening.

Although there were not many people at the Forum, the people who did attend touched on some very important issues. Some of the people involved in the Forum were Rebecca Kitchell, Officer Mark Toledo, Patty Christiano, and the Rape Crisis Center Advocate for the UNH campus, Melissa. Melissa wanted people to know that there is support on campus for any individuals who have been sexually abused. The center focuses on those who need to talk or just need to know what to do next. She has experience in dealing with sexual abuse because of her work at the Milford Rape Crisis Center, and can handle the problem with care and diligence.

Another issue that Officer Mark Toledo addressed was pepper spray or mace. First and foremost, they are the same thing. Second, some students do not know if they can carry it around with them or they have heard rumors that they are not allowed to have it on campus.  Toledo said that if used properly and in the right situations, pepper spray is allowed. If used in the wrong situation, it could lead to an arrest. Toledo and Kitchell also both agreed that if everyone simply uses common sense, the campus would continue to be safe, if not safer.  Some common sense tips are not to walk alone at night, only walk in well-lit areas, and do not meet up with strangers.

Another event involved in safety week was the DUI Simulator. Using a computer, it simulated the effects of alcohol on driving. It has the cloudy vision that some experience when he or she is drunk, late reaction time, and overcompensation. The point of the simulator was to warn people not to drive drunk because it puts the driver, the passengers, and other drivers on the road in danger. Although this is a lesson that has been banged into the heads of drivers everywhere for years now, the DUI simulator provided a “real-life” way to experience the lessons we’ve heard for years.

The Campus Police phone number is (203) 932-7014 and there is always someone there to answer.

The moral of the week’s events is to use common sense and call campus police, a Resident Assistant, or someone else in authority that can help you handle a situation that needs help.

It seems as though summer just finally arrived, and yet now we’re looking towards turning our calendars to October this coming week. Along with the arrival of autumn comes a flurry of research papers that begin to be due from now until the end of the semester. Do you feel perplexed as to where to look to find articles for your research paper? The library can help, and most of the journal articles available are online through the UNH website.

There is a link to the library’s website directly from the UNH homepage. Follow that and you will see a blue navigation menu on the left. The best way to access journal articles is through the databases link. You will log into that the same way as you do your UNH email, with the same username and password. Once into the databases, it’s advisable to switch to the Subject Listing of Databases, because the library has so many databases that without a little guidance it can be difficult to know which databases to use to find the articles you need.

You’ll find an amazing amount of scholarly information suited for your research paper needs. You can search using your own keywords, or browse by topic in most of these databases. Increasingly, the full-text of these articles is available online. This means you don’t only find a citation, or simply the abstract or summary, but the entire journal article just as it appears in the print version of the journal. This is such a convenient way of conducting your research since most databases are available from anywhere that you have an Internet connection. Only a few are designated as in-library use only, and those are clearly listed on our website.

Many of the databases have some great features, from print and download options to RSS feeds. Setting up a feed is quick and easy. Imagine that you have a paper due at the end of the semester. Setting up a feed will ensure that you get new relevant articles delivered to your email inbox without your having to keep checking for new and timely articles.

Try it yourself and see what a great resource the library has through its databases link. And remember, if you ever need help you can stop at the library reference desk, or call us at 932-7189. Good luck to everyone with their papers!

Painted Turtles are ubiquitous due to the fact that you can find them anywhere from ponds to marshes and you can even encounter them crossing the road as you are driving towards your destination. Their maximum shell size is 25 centimeters in length and they are termed Painted Turtles because of the red and yellow striped design that embellishes their limbs, tail, neck, and carapace edge; the background color can vary from olive green to black. Differentiating between a male and female turtle can be pretty complicated. While males have longer front claws, longer tails, and concave plastrons (bottom portion of the shell), females are just the opposite with their underbelly being completely flat.

Painted Turtle

During the winter, Chrysemys pycta hibernate by burying themselves deep in mud beneath the water at 90 centimeters which insulates them for the cold season. They are usually found basking, meaning that they situate themselves on top of rocks or other areas to receive sunlight. They are not able to regulate their body temperature which is why they mostly rely on the sun for heat. Shortly after hibernation, turtles of 3 to 5 years old usually mate until fall.  Courtship usually involves the male swimming to the female and directly facing her while using his long claws to scratch her cheeks in a soft resonating matter. Eventually after the magic happens, the female will lay 4 to 15 eggs underneath the sand and will leave immediately. The offspring will become independent after they have hatched from a 72 to 80 day incubation period. Painted Turtles are considered omnivores since they not only eat plants but also insects, worms, tadpoles, small fish and crustaceans.

Painted turtles can survive without oxygen for five months under very low temperatures, which is longer than any other known air-breathing vertebrate. To prevent build up of lactic acid, they slow down their metabolic rate.

The United Nations assembled in New York City this week to discuss two major subjects: what is wrong with the world today and how they, as global leaders, can improve it. But leadership was not evident upon hearing dozens of speeches that were intended to inspire. They left little more than disappointment, especially during the Summit on Climate Change.

Despite America’s previous love affair with President Barack Obama, even supporters admit his address to the UN on Sept. 22 was vague. For example, his words displayed the urgency of global climate change but little was proposed in specific solutions. This lack of explicit objectives may be a direct result of Obama’s focus on other problems; he may want to ensure that healthcare reform is the top priority in the White House.  According to the New York Times Ban Ki-moon, the UN’s secretary general, asked world leaders to set aside national concerns in the effort to combat climate change. But critics say that Obama’s presidential legacy relies solely on the success or failure of a new system, in which climate change has not taken precedent.

However, in December the U.N. will meet again in Copenhagen to discuss global tactics against the earth’s warming in the biggest cooperative environmental pact since the Kyoto protocols were signed. If this summit provided any indication as to the new and innovative ideas for halting climate change that will be presented in December, the world should prepare to face a dreary future. Obama was not the only speaker who left behind more questions than were answered this week: China’s President Hu Jintao also spoke loosely regarding China’s plans to reduce its contribution global warming. His claims to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted while producing each dollar of gross domestic product by a “notable” margin by 2020 met widespread criticism. Also, Jintao’s promise to increase nuclear or nonfossil fuels by 15 percent by 2020 provides little hope for reducing carbon emissions. Utilizing China’s strong rivers for hydroelectric power may seem innovative, but giant dams like the Three Gorges Dam, which will drown 244 square miles of carbon-breathing plant-life when finished, can be counterproductive. Since methane, yet another greenhouse gas, is released into the atmosphere when large areas of forest and farmland are flooded to create new dams, it is ineffective and potentially harmful.

Obama and Jintao lead the two countries that are responsible for 40 percent of the emissions that cause global warming, and yet Japan, who accounts for only 4 percent, provided more innovative ideas than China and the U.S. combined. Obama insisted upon nations with a “strong industrial base” to accept any agreement regarding a decrease in emissions, silently acknowledging countries like China, India, and Brazil in order to reduce the burden on developing countries.

For the sake of humanity, let’s hope Copenhagen is more successful than NY.

WASHINGTON – Think propane and butane are just for barbecuing? Think again: The common cooking fuels can also chill your drinks and ice cream with less energy and almost none of the global warming worries of current refrigerants.

Some of the world’s largest consumer product companies are promoting freezers and refrigerators in the U.S. that use propane, butane and other coolants that don’t trap heat in the atmosphere as much as Freon and other conventional refrigerants.

The new so-called hydrocarbon coolers — already popular in Europe — are being tested by Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company at stores in the Washington and Boston areas. Meanwhile, General Electric is seeking approval to market a home refrigerator in the U.S. using a hydrocarbon refrigerant.

The new freezers take advantage of the way hydrocarbon gases absorb heat when they change from a liquid to a gas. It’s the same process when a propane tank becomes cool to the touch when you’re using it with a gas grill. The hydrocarbon refrigerant is compressed and expanded as it makes its way through the compressor and tubes surrounding the freezer.

Unlike car exhaust or power plant pollution that’s spewed directly into the air, the coolants used in most U.S. refrigerators today only enter the atmosphere when their compressors leak, or when appliances are thrown out and their refrigerant eventually escapes.

If hydrocarbons are accidentally released into the atmosphere, their effect on trapping heat is about 1,400 times less than conventional refrigerants, said Pete Gosselin, director of engineering for Ben & Jerry’s.

The fuels are flammable, of course, but current models only use the amount contained in two or three cigarette lighters. Electronic components are designed to prevent igniting a possible leak.

“It’s extremely potent,” Gosselin said. “And as the world develops, especially in developing nations, refrigeration use is one of the first technologies that comes on board.”

The appliances cost about the same as similar conventional freezers and use about 10 percent less electricity.

“And that turns out to be a huge gain in terms of your carbon footprint, that 10 percent gain in efficiency,” Gosselin said. “Every kilowatt hour that comes in the wall, comes in with a certain amount of CO2 footprint with it and if you can knock 10 percent off that, that’s huge.”

Gosselin said Ben & Jerry’s still hasn’t determined whether hydrocarbon refrigerants can be used in larger applications. Coca-Cola spokeswoman Lisa Manley said the company decided on using carbon dioxide because their equipment requires more cooling capacity and would require using more hydrocarbon refrigerant, which they decided against partly out of safety concerns.

While carbon dioxide equipment is more costly, Coca-Cola is hoping to convince others to adopt the technology and drive the price down through increased demand, Manley said.

The U.S. will be playing catch-up. Unilever, which has more than 2 million ice cream cabinets worldwide, including 100,000 in the United States, now has more than 400,000 hydrocarbon-based units in Europe, Latin America and Asia, Gosselin said.

About 42,000 bottle vending machines using hydrocarbons or carbon dioxide as refrigerant also have been installed in China, Europe and Latin America by Coca-Cola, Carlsberg and PepsiCo. And McDonald’s has opened two pilot restaurants in Denmark that don’t use traditional refrigerants, according to the Refrigerants, Naturally Web site.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which allowed Ben & Jerry’s to test the new coolers, has already completed a preliminary review on the freezers, as well as the new GE refrigerator. It expects to make a proposed rule on the machines available for public comment later this year, and a final decision could be issued by early next year, said Drusilla Hufford, director of the EPA’s Stratospheric Protection Division.

On a recent afternoon, Dominic Abruzzese, a senior at George Washington University, said he wasn’t aware the freezer steps away from him at the university’s Gallery Market was any different than others nearby.

“I knew Freon was bad, but I didn’t know people were switching to propane freezers,” Abruzzese said.

The Ridley Park, Pa., student said he would consider buying a propane-based refrigerator or freezer in the future.

“I guess I would be more likely to buy a freezer that was more environmentally friendly, for sure,” he said.

Cathy Cerda, a mother of five from Herndon, Va., said she also wasn’t aware the Ben & Jerry’s freezer was different.

“If I had to make a decision between the two, well give me that one,” she said. “But if it was a lot more expensive, because for me having five children, I think the expense would top my list.”