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All The News That Fits Red- Back May Antarctic Naucloar Tacte? Nuclear Tests? Antarctic Be a Blow-In All The News That Fits Red-Back May Be a Blow-In Antarctic Nuclear Tests? Israel tested three nuclear devices in the South Africa sent 260 personnel and Norwegian sector of Antarctica in coop- Norway 670 in a declared ‘exploration ex- eration with Norway and South Africa, _ pedition’. according to an E; ‘ian Government . y aman Fei ~ South African Bomb Al-Ahram said the first test - in Sep- In late December 1986 The Observer re- tember 1979 - was in Queen Maud Land __ ported that South Africa was building an (Norwegian Antarctic Territory claimed Antarctic airstrip on Marion Island to by the NAZIs in WWII). South Africa al- _ prepare the site for nuclear tests. legedly assisted in this detonation; the “South Africa probably exploded a second test was on March 5th, 1986 and _—snucleartest device in the area in 1979 and The infamous red-back spider may bea | the third was on December 3rd that year, the airstrip is very likely to have military recent immigrant who first sailed to Aus- | according to an unsourced front-page ar- implications,” said British nuclear expert tralia last century. ticle by its military editor. Mr Frank Barnaby, ex-director of the They were first described in 1870 - fol- The article said the U.S.and theSoviet Stockholm International Peace Research lowing 82 years of whitesettlement-after | Union monitored the explosions, but Institute. ‘ about 200 other Australian spider species | Norway announced that these seismic Mr Barnaby believed the island could were already reported. They would have | readings resulted from avalanches. bea missile test site for conventional and been noticed sooner if they were common In the last two tests, 1,150 Israelicivil- | nuclear warheads. The Observer claimed last century, according to Dr Robert Ra- | ian and military personnel were sent to _ Israeli and South African military repeat- ven, curator of spiders at Queensland | the Norwegian Antarctic sector, follow- edly visited the island over two years. museum. ing the signing of a secret agreement with Mordechai Vanunu, Israeli nuclear They probably arrived through the | Norway and South Africa in 1985. They technician recently jailed for 18 years, north Queensland ports of Bowen and | travelled on a ship bearing the Liberian _ told the Sunday Times Israeli nuclear sci- Rockhampton, where they were first | flag owned by the Israeli shipping com- _entistsmade regular tripsto South Africa. sighted. pany Zim. The Al-Ahram report said Israel has The red-back appeared in New Zeal- now ceased activity in Antarctica. and a few years ago and is colonising a — there as well. It is a close relative of the notorious black widow family. An antivenene was discovered in 1956, after at least 13 Australians died from red-back bites, which require about 200 treatments each year. New Spiders : — »__ Dr Raven says a close relative of the S il A I 7 t S = l tredback, the less venomous brown Ol S in Ol S widow, arrived in Australia recently and is colonising here, as is the Fiddle-back, | A new study shows that conventional The study also showed that the or- another relative from America that ar- | farms lose four times more topsoil each _ ganic farmer needs to plough less often rived some time last decade. year than organic farms. since the green manure crop fertilises the Up to three people a week in eastern Ajointstudy bythe US Department of __ soil, whereas the conventional farmer has Australia are being bitten by a mystery | Agriculture and the University of Maine to plough during winter to apply inor- spider that causes excruciating pain,deep | focused on two adjoining farms - one ganic fertilisers. Ploughing damages the skin-death and permanent scars. practised crop rotation and used green __ soil structure and increases topsoil loss. According to Dr Struan Sutherland, | manure while the other used artificial s venom expert from the Commonwealth | fertilisers. Both grew mainly wheat. Green Manure Serum Laboratories, serious reactions Over thirty-seven years the conven- Ags green manurecrops (lucerne, legume, include shock, prostration and severe | tional (chemical) farm lost 21 centimetres mustard etc) grow they protect topsoil diarrhoea; one patient developed kidney | of topsoil whiletheorganicfarmonlylost from the force of rain and wind. Plough- problems and died. Most necrotic bites | 5cm. After fifty yearsallthetopsoilonthe ing them in provides humus (organic have occurred in Victoria. ‘chemical’ farm will have disappeared. matter) to the soil, reducing water runoff. Dr Sutherland says two spiders - a The conventional farm loses almost In Australia average farm topsoil loss type of wolf spider [genus Lycos] and the | three times more soil yearly thanisnatu- is 20 tonnes per acre per year and we have white-tailed spider [Lampona cylindrata] | rally replaced, unlike topsoil on the or- lost half our topsoil since European i i 8 a Red-Back May i ? Be a Blow-In Antarctic Nuclear Tests? Israel tested three nuclear devices in the South Africa sent 260 personnel and Norwegian sector of Antarctica in coop- Norway 670 in a declared ‘exploration ex- eration with Norway and South Africa, _ pedition’. according to an E; ‘ian Government . y aman Fei ~ South African Bomb Al-Ahram said the first test - in Sep- In late December 1986 The Observer re- tember 1979 - was in Queen Maud Land __ ported that South Africa was building an (Norwegian Antarctic Territory claimed Antarctic airstrip on Marion Island to by the NAZIs in WWII). South Africa al- _ prepare the site for nuclear tests. legedly assisted in this detonation; the “South Africa probably exploded a second test was on March 5th, 1986 and _—snucleartest device in the area in 1979 and The infamous red-back spider may bea | the third was on December 3rd that year, the airstrip is very likely to have military recent immigrant who first sailed to Aus- | according to an unsourced front-page ar- implications,” said British nuclear expert tralia last century. ticle by its military editor. Mr Frank Barnaby, ex-director of the They were first described in 1870 - fol- The article said the U.S.and theSoviet Stockholm International Peace Research lowing 82 years of whitesettlement-after | Union monitored the explosions, but Institute. ‘ about 200 other Australian spider species | Norway announced that these seismic Mr Barnaby believed the island could were already reported. They would have | readings resulted from avalanches. bea missile test site for conventional and been noticed sooner if they were common In the last two tests, 1,150 Israelicivil- | nuclear warheads. The Observer claimed last century, according to Dr Robert Ra- | ian and military personnel were sent to _ Israeli and South African military repeat- ven, curator of spiders at Queensland | the Norwegian Antarctic sector, follow- edly visited the island over two years. museum. ing the signing of a secret agreement with Mordechai Vanunu, Israeli nuclear They probably arrived through the | Norway and South Africa in 1985. They _ technician recently jailed for 18 years, north Queensland ports of Bowen and | travelled on a ship bearing the Liberian _ told the Sunday Times Israeli nuclear sci- Rockhampton, where they were first | flag owned by the Israeli shipping com- _entistsmade regular tripsto South Africa. sighted. pany Zim. The Al-Ahram report said Israel has The red-back appeared in New Zeal- now ceased activity in Antarctica. and a few years ago and is colonising a 7 there as well. It is a close relative of the notorious black widow family. An antivenene was discovered in 1956, after at least 13 Australians died from red-back bites, which require about 200 treatments each year. New Spiders Dr Raven says a close relative of the S il A I 't S = l redback, the less venomous brown Ol S in Ol he) widow, arrived in Australia recently and is colonising here, as is the Fiddle-back, | A new study shows that conventional The study also showed that the or- another relative from America that ar- | farms lose four times more topsoil each _ ganic farmer needs to plough less often rived some time last decade. year than organic farms. since the green manure crop fertilises the Up to three people a week in eastern Ajointstudy bythe US Department of __ soil, whereas the conventional farmer has Australia are being bitten by a mystery | Agriculture and the University of Maine to plough during winter to apply inor- spider that causes excruciating pain,deep | focused on two adjoining farms - one ganic fertilisers. Ploughing damages the skin-death and permanent scars. practised crop rotation and used green __ soil structure and increases topsoil loss. According to Dr Struan Sutherland, | manure while the other used artificial s venom expert from the Commonwealth | fertilisers. Both grew mainly wheat. Green Manure Serum Laboratories, serious reactions Over thirty-seven years the conven- As green manurecrops (lucerne, legume, include shock, prostration and severe | tional (chemical) farm lost 21 centimetres mustard etc) grow they protect topsoil diarrhoea; one patient developed kidney | of topsoil whiletheorganicfarmonlylost from the force of rain and wind. Plough- problems and died. Most necrotic bites | 5cm. After fifty yearsallthetopsoilonthe ing them in provides humus (organic have occurred in Victoria. ‘chemical’ farm will have disappeared. matter) to the soil, reducing water runoff. Dr Sutherland says two spiders - a The conventional farm loses almost In Australia average farm topsoil loss type of wolf spider [genus Lycos] and the | three times more soil yearly thanisnatu- is 20 tonnes per acre per year and we have white-tailed spider [Lampona cylindrata] | rally replaced, unlike topsoil on the or- lost half our topsoil since European are suspected. The latter spider is com- | ganic farm. cglonisation. monly found in bedrooms and gardens. - Thanks to Nature, Vol 330, p370 NEXUS New Times Five - Winter 1988 9 2 wed viIVUWw"LiL Israel tested three nuclear devices in the Norwegian sector of Antarctica in coop- eration with Norway and South Africa, according to an Egyptian Government newspaper. Al-Ahram said the first test - in Sep- tember 1979 - was in Queen Maud Land (Norwegian Antarctic Territory claimed by the NAZIs in WWII). South Africa al- legedly assisted in this detonation; the second test was on March 5th, 1986 and The infamous red-back spider may be a | the third was on December 3rd that year, recent immigrant who first sailed to Aus- | according to an unsourced front-page ar- tralia last century. ticle by its military editor. They were first described in 1870 - fol- The article said the U.S. and the Soviet lowing 82 years of white settlement-after | Union monitored the explosions, but about 200 other Australian spider species | Norway announced that these seismic were already reported. They would have | readings resulted from avalanches. been noticed sooner if they were common In the last two tests, 1,150 Israeli civil- last century, according to Dr Robert Ra- | ian and military personnel were sent to ven, curator of spiders at Queensland | the Norwegian Antarctic sector, follow- museum. ing the signing ofa secretagreement with They probably arrived through the | Norway and South Africa in 1985, They north Queensland ports of Bowen and | travelled on a ship bearing the Liberian Rockhampton, where they were first | flag owned by the Israeli shipping com- sighted. pany Zim. The red-back appeared in New Zeal- and a few years ago and is colonising there as well. It is a close relative of the notorious black widow family. An antivenene was discovered in 1956, after at least 13 Australians died from red-back bites, which require about 200 treatments each year. South Africa sent 260 personnel and Norway 670 in a declared ‘exploration ex- pedition’. ated aha Gunahd Al-Ahram said the first test - in Sep- In late December 1986 The Observer re- tember 1979 - was in Queen Maud Land _ ported that South Africa was building an (Norwegian Antarctic Territory claimed Antarctic airstrip on Marion Island to by the NAZIs in WWII). South Africa al- _ prepare the site for nuclear tests. legedly assisted in this detonation; the “South Africa probably exploded a second test was on March 5th, 1986 and _—snucleartest device in the area in 1979 and the third was on December 3rd that year, _ the airstrip is very likely to have military according to an unsourced front-page ar- implications,” said British nuclear expert ticle by its military editor. Mr Frank Barnaby, ex-director of the Thearticle said the U.S.andtheSoviet | Stockholm International Peace Research Union monitored the explosions, but Institute. Norway announced that these seismic Mr Barnaby believed the island could readings resulted from avalanches. bea missile test site for conventional and In the last two tests, 1,150 Israelicivil- | nuclear warheads. The Observer claimed ian and military personnel were sent to _ Israeli and South African military repeat- the Norwegian Antarctic sector, follow- edly visited the island over two years. ing the signing ofa secretagreement with Mordechai Vanunu, Israeli nuclear Norway and South Africa in 1985, They technician recently jailed for 18 years, travelled on a ship bearing the Liberian _ told the Sunday Times Israeli nuclear sci- flag owned by the Israeli shipping com- _entists made regular tripsto South Africa. pany Zim. The Al-Ahram report said Israel has now ceased activity in Antarctica. Dr Raven says a close relative of the S il A Ss tredback, the less venomous brown Ol S L widow, arrived in Australia recently and is colonising here, as is the Fiddle-back, | A new study shows that conventional another relative from America that ar- | farms lose four times more topsoil each rived some time last decade. year than organic farms. Up to three people a week in eastern A joint study by the US Department of Australia are being bitten by a mystery | Agriculture and the University of Maine spider that causes excruciating pain,deep | focused on two adjoining farms - one skin-death and permanent scars. practised crop rotation and used green According to Dr Struan Sutherland, | manure while the other used artificial venom expert from the Commonwealth | fertilisers. Both grew mainly wheat. Serum Laboratories, serious reactions Over thirty-seven years the conven- include shock, prostration and severe | tional (chemical) farm lost 21 centimetres diarrhoea; one patient developed kidney | of topsoil while the organic farm only lost problems and died. Most necrotic bites | 5cm. After fifty yearsall the topsoil on the have occurred in Victoria. ‘chemical’ farm will have disappeared. Dr Sutherland says two spiders - a The conventional farm loses almost type of wolf spider [genus Lycos] and the | three times more soil yearly than is natu- white-tailed spider [Lampona cylindrata] | rally replaced, unlike topsoil on the or- are suspected. The latter spider is com- | ganic farm. monly found in bedrooms and gardens. Soils Ain’t Soils The study also showed that the or- ganic farmer needs to plough less often since the green manure crop fertilises the soil, whereas the conventional farmer has to plough during winter to apply inor- ganic fertilisers. Ploughing damages the soil structure and increases topsoil loss. As green manure crops (lucerne, legume, mustard etc) grow they protect topsoil from the force of rain and wind. Plough- ing them in provides humus (organic matter) to the soil, reducing water runoff. In Australia average farm topsoil loss is 20 tonnes per acre per year and we have lost half our topsoil since European cglonisation. monly found in bedrooms and gardens. | ~ - Thanks to Nature, Vol 330, p370 NEXUS New nes Five - Winter 1988 9 2 South African Bomb New Spiders 7: ~ Green Manure