EYE IN THE SKY

The Amazon,one of the world's remaining wilderness areas, is about to
get a long-awaited aerial monitoring system to help protect the
Brazilian rainforest system against illegal exploitation. The
Brazilian Amazon covers 5.2 million square kilometres, and makes up
more than 60% of Brazil's land area. It contains about a third of the
world's remaining tropical rainforest, and about 30% of the world's
biodiversity.

In the next few months, the $1.3-bn Amazon surveillance system (Sivam)
will be up and running, monitoring meteorological data and aerial
activity over an area the size of Europe.

Twenty radar systems will be set up, which will give the Brazilian
Amazon complete coverage. The project, which is more than 95% ready,
includes three surveillance aircraft, four satellite reception
stations, 14 lightning detectors, 83 weather stations, 200 floating
data-collection points and a network of 914 points linked by computer
and fax. The integrated system will employ about 1,000 experts.

The new system will be able to catalogue and map Amazonian land better
than before, and be able to detect forest fires and deforestation with
more accuracy than the current methods. It will also be able to locate
illegal airstrips with relative ease and see if people are invading
land belonging to indigenous tribes.

The aim of harnessing the rainforest's resources has been a
long-standing dream of successive Brazilian governments. In the late
1960s, the huge Trans-Amazon Highway was built, which only served to
quicken deforestation, but Sivam will not be used for destructive
purposes, according to experts. Also, while Brazil has borrowed the
money to build Sivam, it hopes that it will end up saving the country
money by cutting down on smuggling, forest fires and illegal mining.

Sharks in Maldives

Although many people are frightened at the thought of swimming with sharks.
Maldivian reef sharks are not at all aggressive towards snorkellers
or divers. The very few people who have been bitten by sharks here are
divers involved in shark feeding, and fishermen who are careless in
landing sharks that they have caught. Of the forty or so species of
shark that have been recorded from the Maldives so far, the most
familiar is the Blacktip Reef Shark. Juveniles occur in shallow water
near island beaches, where they avoid larger, deeper-swimming sharks
that might eat them. As a result this species is seen far more often
by sunbathers than by divers or snorkellers. In contrast, the Whitetip
Reef Shark might be seen on almost any dive or snorkel and is probably
the most widespread shark species on Maldivian reefs. The other common
species is the Grey Reef Shark, which occurs regularly at particular
channel entrances and current-swept reefs. Getting into position at
the upstream end of such dive sites is sometimes a bit of a challenge,
but always rewarding.

* In this post I displayed two Whale Sharks (Rhincodon typus,
Fehurihi in Dhivehi. The largest fish in the World, this is a
harmless plankton feeder) photo those are taken in the Maldives.

Happy Planet

Ever heard of Vanuatu? Well, neither had I, until I read a study by the British think-tank New Economics Foundation that named it as the world's happiest country. This archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean topped a list of 178 countries ranked according to their people's wellbeing and its consequent environmental impact. Their secret? According to Marke Lowen of Vanuatu Online, "people are generally happy here because they are satisfied with very little". And I thought: wasn't that what Muslims are taught? The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Blessed is he who is guided to Islam and whose livelihood is daily bread and who is contented." (Tirmithi) It is as if these are the three principles of living a truly happy life. No frets about paying mortgage for that penthouse or wearing the latest designer clothing or dining at that posh restaurant. The real blessing lies in that you wake up today as a Muslim, have lunch in your refrigerator and not just that, but you are content with what you have. Because "self-sufficiency does not mean plenty of provisions", as the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, explained, but it implies "self-sufficiency of the spirit" (Bukhari and Muslim). If we remain displeased with what we have, we will always live a life of worries. I have witnessed my fair share of housewives whose husbands earn lots complaining of not having enough money and millionaires who rival Uncle Scrooge. Equally, nothing can make us relish in what we possess if we are never satisfied with it. We will not be grateful for the healthy body, if we always find fault with the crooked nose and chubby fingers. We will not thank Allah for landing that good job, because we will always wonder if, had we waited longer, we could have gotten one that paid more. Further, as the study showed, in our pursuit of happiness, we are not only slowly failing ourselves, but the earth on which we live. By seeking it through riches, we do not appreciate the beauty of Allah's creation and His blessings. We save to build a high-maintenance swimming pool; but what's that compared to Allah's vast oceans and long streams? We look to buy that full options SUV, but what is the world's best car compared to two functioning legs for a man? We wish we had lots of money to spend freely, but could a six-figure income bring back a loved one who passed away? Such greed for money has wrought us ruin from the beginning of time, but it remains a part of our nature, as the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "If the son of Man had two vast plains full of wealth, he would yet long for a third, and nothing fills the innermost part of the son of Man but dust", meaning death. (Bukhari and Muslim) Happiness does not have everything to do with wealth. Have we not seen the rich woman who committed suicide? Or the wealthy man who was murdered for his riches? Even on this list, from Italy (66) to Japan (95) to Britain (108) to the United States (150), most wealthy nations could not grace the ranks of the happier half. In this mindless race towards increase in wealth, we miss out on the great happiness that results from the smallest of things. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, accordingly advised: "The little that suffices is better than what is abundant and alluring." (Bukhari and Muslim) True happiness is to appreciate what you have. We Muslims know, though, that even contentment is not enough for a happy life. The key ingredient is belief in the One God and His Prophet. "Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life. . ." (16:97) For the sake of a happier life and a blissful afterlife as well, the people of Vanuatu would be wise to give it a try. Al Jumuah Shawwal 1427H / October/November 2006