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readapt quickly to earth’s gravity after NeEWsS~ short flights, there is great concern that irreversible changes may occur in body . systems during repeated or long-term S rE A C = A G - | N G exposure to space flight,” Dr McCor- mack said. “Tt will be an intriguing speculation Hamans beings may not be able to (Bones) McCormack of NASA's Life to know what the people will look like - survive for long in space without fun- Sciences Division and chief medical it’s not clear. damental changes to their body sys- officer for the US space shuttle program. “Certainly the bone structure of the tems due to lack of gravity. “Unless suitable countermeasures body will change because we won’t Russian scientists reported that dur- are taken a colony would die out, require large bones to withstand the ing Cosmonaut Romanenko’s 326 days unless continually replenished with stress of one G (gravity).” aboard the Soviet space station Mir last earth people,” he said in Brisbane last Another alternative would be to year, his height increased by 2.4 cm. October. provide ‘artificial’ gravity, centrifugal Zero gravity seems to cause dramatic “While bodily systems usually or otherwise. and possibly irreversible changes in the bone structure and nearly every system in the body changes after time in zero gravity. The bodys metabolism ages rapidly, especially the nervous, immune and endocrine systems. Human colonisation of Mars would not be possible unless these effects could be overcome, said Dr Percival How TO RUIN AUSTR ALI . Native ‘Animals Save ay 6e q Plains, 40 km from Nairobi, to demonstrate For too long, too many companies in agricultural system is replaced and the that Africa’s own animals have a profound Australia have felt our national heritage land revitalised. Over 55% of arid effect on Its soil and plants. has been their private property andthus —_ lands and 45% of non-arid areas need SibeRig ‘Caltie’ and |paactles’ 0p) SO)RoeE . 7 _ plots of land, he's discovered it's environmen- theirs to chop down or degrade.” These _ treatment for land degradation. tally and economically wise to raise native strong words from Federal Environment Since European colonisation, more animals rather than livestock. Minister Senator Graham Richardson _ than two-thirds of the original tree cover le i pee plots ioe *y a ee grow thriving grass, whereas plots occup y last October were a harsh dose of eco- _has been removed and over three quat- | frnorted cattle grew only sparse vegetation: logical and economic reality at a time ters of our rainforest has disappeared. Cattle cause a big loss of grass cover, espe- when national agricultural production About 2,200 plant species including a cially around waterholes - at which they must has dropped by nearly 30% a year be- uarter of all gum trees are under threat | drink more often than native wildlife. But Mr cause of soil erosion of extinction Peper pe oes mene - : ca ~ Won, , digenous animals’ saliva, faeces and urine ‘Our soils continue to blow away, “While the miners push their barrow which acts as a catalyst to boost local plant the Senator’s speech read at an address for the right to easy access to ever more growth. to the national conference of the Austra- _ of this continent, the stark reality of how > ihe rare fiat bela pe lian Conservation Foundation in much has already been lost is often ig- | fication. : Sydney. “We continue to lose native nored,” the Minister would have said -if | “People sald It was just overgrazing. But vegetation and habitat at a devastating not for the fact he was stranded in then I realised that could not be because there rate, Queensland by a strike. His speech was were fewer animals there than J had scen in - q 4 wildlife areas,” he sald. After a master’s degree “For every loaf of bread you buy pro- delivered by Federal MP Steve Dubois, | jn witatife science at Cornell University rs duced from wheat grown on the Darling ALP Caucus Environment Committee experiments on his 8,000 hectare ranch he is Downs in Queensland, Tkg of soil have Chairman. convinced native wildlife Is good for the land been lost forever. “Producers have dominated landuse | 24 that imported livestock harm it. 4 ; Fas ——- . Mr Hopcraft encourages meat eaters to How much longer before we hit decision-making in this country for the switch to a dict of native animals and raises bedrock?” The cost to restore degraded past 200 years, more often than notat the about 15 species on his ranch for consumption Australian lands in 1988 was $2,000 cost of the environment,” said Mr | i= aa Sew a rea - nia! . 2 mals requires less in the way of water supply, million, an amount not made available Dubois. ; Seat fencing, fuel, pumps-and researchers trying for the purpose. This burden will com- We are now paying the price. find new ways of keeping cattle alive, pound until the present unsustainable Reuter 6 NEXUS New Times Seven - Summer 1989 readapt quickly to earth’s gravity after short flights, there is great concern that irreversible changes may occur in body systems during repeated or long-term exposure to space flight,” Dr McCor- mack said. “Tt will be an intriguing speculation to know what the people will look like - it’s not clear. “Certainly the bone structure of the body will change because we won’t require large bones to withstand the stress of one G (gravity).” Another alternative would be to provide ‘artificial’ gravity, centrifugal or otherwise. SPACE AGEING Hamans beings may not be able to survive for long in space without fun- damental changes to their body sys- tems due to lack of gravity. Russian scientists reported that dur- ing Cosmonaut Romanenko’s 326 days aboard the Soviet space station Mir last year, his height increased by 2.4 cm. Zero gravity seems to cause dramatic and possibly irreversible changes in the bone structure and nearly every system in the body changes after time in zero gravity. The bodys metabolism ages rapidly, especially the nervous, immune and endocrine systems. Human colonisation of Mars would not be possible unless these effects could be overcome, said Dr Percival (Bones) McCormack of NASA's Life Sciences Division and chief medical officer for the US space shuttle program. “Unless suitable countermeasures are taken a colony would die out, unless continually replenished with earth people,” he said in Brisbane last October. “While bodily systems usually Yi iiss WLLL ZZ Native. ‘Animals Save ie N me TRALIA | Kenyan rancher David Hopcraft has been con- How RUIN TO IN AUS I NALIA Kenyan rancher David Hopcraft has been con- ducting experiments on his land on the Athi Plains, 40 km from Nairobi, to demonstrate agricultural system is replaced and the that Africa’s own animals have a profound land revitalised. Over 55% of arid |