DOCSLIB.ORG

It's Time India Turned Forests Into Assets

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
It's Time India Turned Forests Into Assets It's time India turned forests into assets Globally, forest governance is undergoing reforms to benefit from community forestry Communities in India can earn up to Rs 4,000 crore from non-timber forest produce like silk cocoon (Photo: Prashant Ravi) MEXICO AND India are worlds apart, both in terms of geography and forest governance. While Mexico has earned socially, economically and environmentally by promoting community forestry, India continues to follow the colonial forest regime that has alienated communities from their land and resources. At present, the Indian government recognises community rights over their forests under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006, and empowers the gram sabha (village council) to protect and manage them. But the law remains poorly implemented as forest departments continue to resist ceding control over forests. The Forest Survey of India’s (FSI’s) report in 1999 shows that 31 million ha of forests lay within revenue villages. “This should be the minimum area over which community forest rights need to be recognised,” says forest rights activist Madhu Sarin, who was part of the drafting process of FRA. But the government has so far recognised rights over only 2.5 million ha (see ‘Rights wronged’). Worse, this hardly includes community forests. This makes India a laggard; other countries have made far greater progress in forest governance reforms. In Papua New Guinea, about 95 per cent of forests are under community control while in Mexico, China, Bolivia and Brazil, about 70, 55, 35 and 13 per cent forests, respectively, are owned by communities. A study by Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI), a global network of non-profits, shows that forestland designated for and owned by communities has increased from 11.3 to 15.5 per cent worldwide between 2002 and 2013. “More countries are realising that lack of tenure security is a hurdle to economic growth in rural areas,” says Claire Biason, networking support manager of RRI. While India needs to implement FRA in earnest to secure tenure rights for its forest dwelling communities, this may not be enough to turn its 76 million ha of standing forests into assets. Consider this. Under FRA, the government allows communities to harvest and trade non-timber forest produce. Yet more than 200 million people, including tribals, who depend on forest produce for a living remain neglected and impoverished. An estimate by India’s Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj shows that communities in India can earn Rs 4,000 crore (about US $667 million) a year from non- timber forest produce alone. But most of the produce is traded by corporations owned by forest departments and the revenue goes to the government coffers. Besides, FRA does not provide communities explicit rights over timber, the most lucrative forest resource. “One of the key reasons Mexican communities could organise themselves and wrest control over forests from the government was the potential profit from timber trading,” says David Barton Bray, professor at Florida International University. But the Indian government’s only initiative to share timber profit with communities so far has been the Joint Forest Management programme, which was introduced in 1990 to defuse movements by forest dwellers, demanding recognition to their traditional forest rights. The communities, however, abandoned the programme within a few years as they did not receive any benefit. The programme now remains only on paper and the forest department uses it to subvert FRA. “There is a stalemate in the forest policy in terms of understanding the economic benefits of standing forests,” says MadhuVerma, coordinator, Centre for Ecological Services Management at the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal. “We do not realise what we will lose by losing a forest. This is because hardly anything except for timber and NTFPsare currently traded in the market,” she says. There is no mechanism to recognise and trade the whole bundle of ecological services from forests such as watershed protection, generation of water, prevention of soil erosion, gene pool development and landscape value (for eco-tourism). This will help people to earn while protecting or conserving the forests, she adds. A study by World Resources Institute in 14 forest-rich countries shows that deforestation in community forests is much less than in those outside community control. The government is not benefitting from the vast stretches of standing forests either. Of the 76 million ha of forests, the Indian forest department manages 17 million ha for timber production, as per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This is double the area under commercial forestry in Mexico, yet its produces only 2.5 million cubic metres (cum) of timber a year—one-third of timber produced by Mexico, according to the 2010 report by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun. This is meagre to meet India’s soaring timber demand, which is expected to increase from 74 million cum in 2005 to 153 million cum in 2020, according to a report supported by the erstwhile Planning Commission. At present, most of the country’s demand is met by private plantations that produce 44.3 million cum a year, and through imports. India imported 6 million cum of timber, worth Rs 7,688 crore, in 2010. The forest departments take a high moral ground of prioritising conservation over production and cites it as reason for low productivity of Indian forests. But this does not sound convincing. An analysis of FSI data by Down To Earth suggests that India might have lost 9.4 million ha of government-managed forests between 1999 and 2013. The loss has been masked by the 12.7 million ha increase in green cover outside government-managed forests during the period. The other arguments put forth by the forest departments are low productivity of Indian forests and a Supreme Court ban on felling trees without a working management plan. “Most of our forests have long gestation period, and face anthropogenic pressures such as grazing and fuel wood collection. All this affects productivity,” says an official with the FSI. Going by FSI’s estimates, the annual productivity of Indian forests is 0.7 cum per ha compared to the world average of 2.1 cum per ha. Even at this rate, the area set aside for commercial forestry should produce over 11 million cum of timber. But this is not the case. Though the Supreme Court ban came in 1996, the forest department is yet to prepare working plans for the 17 million ha set aside for commercial forestry. Clearly, something is wrong with the way forests are being managed in India. “The forest departments have neither been able to increase the productivity of forests nor check deforestation,” says an analyst who works with a forest certification agency. Latin lessons Two decades ago, forest governance in Mexico was in an equally chaotic state. The first important step that the government took to promote community forestry was to devolve its forest management authority and responsibilities to communities. It did not stop there. It introduced reforms in forestry governance. It disbanded old agencies and created new ones to support and facilitate community forestry and ensured that management skills are not restricted to government foresters. Such reforms are urgently needed in India, says C R Bijoy of Campaign for Survival and Dignity, a network of organisations working on forest rights. By shifting forest governance authority to gram sabha, FRA aims at democratising the system. But forest and other departments cannot understand its spirit without significant capacity building. “The forest and the tribal affairs departments should go through institutional reforms keeping FRA at the centre of policies,” Bijoy suggests. Sarin says India should also look beyond the idea that only forest department is capable of managing forests. “Other departments need to pitch in to support community forestry.” An empowered community is responsible for the success of any type of community forestry. There have been several instances in India where communities have tried to trade in forest produce such as bamboo and tendu but failed due to lack of government support and marketing linkages. “This failure is then used as an argument to not allow them to manage forests,” says Subodh Kulkarni of Jnan Probodhini, non-profit that works for community rights in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district. The Mexican government had realised this at the outset. “So the new agencies first focussed on building the organisational capacity of communities,” says Bray. When villages got community forestry rights, politicisation, corruption and disputes were rife within and among communities. It monitored general assembly meetings and imposed strict conditions to ensure proper functioning of grassroots institutions before granting them government aid,” says Bray. The contexts of forest governance is changing, says Arvind Khare, executive director of RRI. “Forest-governing agencies seem to be losing their economic influence and political constituency. This is because in most developing (and quite a few developed) countries, the fate of forests is intricately linked with communities. This is a major reason for insurgencies in countries like India.” The real test for forestry now is to regain this constituency. The reporter’s travel to Mexico was supported by Society for Promotion of Wasteland Development in Delhi and Rights and Resources Initiative in Washington DC .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Tar and Turpentine
    ECONOMICHISTORY Tar and Turpentine BY BETTY JOYCE NASH Tarheels extract the South’s first industry turdy, towering, and fire-resistant longleaf pine trees covered 90 million coastal acres in colonial times, Sstretching some 150,000 square miles from Norfolk, Va., to Florida, and west along the Gulf Coast to Texas. Four hundred years later, a scant 3 percent of what was known as “the great piney woods” remains. The trees’ abundance grew the Southeast’s first major industry, one that served the world’s biggest fleet, the British Navy, with the naval stores essential to shipbuilding and maintenance. The pines yielded gum resin, rosin, pitch, tar, and turpentine. On oceangoing ships, pitch and tar Wilmington, N.C., was a hub for the naval stores industry. caulked seams, plugged leaks, and preserved ropes and This photograph depicts barrels at the Worth and Worth rosin yard and landing in 1873. rigging so they wouldn’t rot in the salty air. Nations depended on these goods. “Without them, and barrels in 1698. To stimulate naval stores production, in 1704 without access to the forests from which they came, a Britain offered the colonies an incentive, known as a bounty. nation’s military and commercial fleets were useless and its Parliament’s “Act for Encouraging the Importation of Naval ambitions fruitless,” author Lawrence Earley notes in his Stores from America” helped defray the eight-pounds- book Looking for Longleaf: The Rise and Fall of an American per-ton shipping cost at a rate of four pounds a ton on tar Forest. and pitch and three pounds on rosin and turpentine.
    [Show full text]
  • Non-Wood Forest Products from Conifers
    Page 1 of 8 NON -WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS 12 Non-Wood Forest Products From Conifers FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. M-37 ISBN 92-5-104212-8 (c) FAO 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABBREVIATIONS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 - AN OVERVIEW OF THE CONIFERS WHAT ARE CONIFERS? DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE USES CHAPTER 2 - CONIFERS IN HUMAN CULTURE FOLKLORE AND MYTHOLOGY RELIGION POLITICAL SYMBOLS ART CHAPTER 3 - WHOLE TREES LANDSCAPE AND ORNAMENTAL TREES Page 2 of 8 Historical aspects Benefits Species Uses Foliage effect Specimen and character trees Shelter, screening and backcloth plantings Hedges CHRISTMAS TREES Historical aspects Species Abies spp Picea spp Pinus spp Pseudotsuga menziesii Other species Production and trade BONSAI Historical aspects Bonsai as an art form Bonsai cultivation Species Current status TOPIARY CONIFERS AS HOUSE PLANTS CHAPTER 4 - FOLIAGE EVERGREEN BOUGHS Uses Species Harvesting, management and trade PINE NEEDLES Mulch Decorative baskets OTHER USES OF CONIFER FOLIAGE CHAPTER 5 - BARK AND ROOTS TRADITIONAL USES Inner bark as food Medicinal uses Natural dyes Other uses TAXOL Description and uses Harvesting methods Alternative
    [Show full text]
  • Challenges and Opportunities to Use of Non-Timber Forest Resources: Exploring First Nations and Non-First Nations Relationships and Perspectives
    Challenges and Opportunities to Use of Non-Timber Forest Resources: Exploring First Nations and Non-First Nations Relationships and Perspectives by Robin Samantha Charlton B.A. (Hons., International Development), University of Guelph, 2005 Research Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Resource Management Report No. 565 in the School of Resource and Environmental Management Faculty of Environment © Robin Samantha Charlton 2013 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2013 All rights reserved. However, in accordance with the Copyright Act of Canada, this work may be reproduced, without authorization, under the conditions for “Fair Dealing.” Therefore, limited reproduction of this work for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review and news reporting is likely to be in accordance with the law, particularly if cited appropriately. Approval Name: Robin Samantha Charlton Degree: Master of Resource Management Title of Thesis: Challenges and Opportunities to Use of Non-Timber Forest Resources: Exploring First Nations and Non-First Nations Relationships and Perspectives Report No. 565 Examining Committee: Chair: Bastian Zeiger, MRM Evelyn Pinkerton Senior Supervisor Associate Professor Ajit Krishnaswamy Supervisor Adjunct Professor Date Defended/Approved: Jan 24, 2013 ii Partial Copyright Licence iii Abstract The community forest (CF) tenure in British Columbia has the potential to manage non- timber forest resources (NTFRs) in order to optimize economic, environmental and social benefit
    [Show full text]
  • Pine Tar; History and Uses
    Pine Tar; History And Uses Theodore P. Kaye Few visitors to any ship which as been rigged in a traditional manner have left the vessel without experiencing the aroma of pine tar. The aroma produces reactions that are as strong as the scent; few people are ambivalent about its distinctive smell. As professionals engaged in the restoration and maintenance of old ships, we should know not only about this product, but also some of its history. Wood tar has been used by mariners as a preservative for wood and rigging for at least the past six centuries. In the northern parts of Scandinavia, small land owners produced wood tar as a cash crop. This tar was traded for staples and made its way to larger towns and cities for further distribution. In Sweden, it was called "Peasant Tar" or was named for the district from which it came, for example, Lukea Tar or Umea Tar. At first barrels were exported directly from the regions in which they were produced with the region's name burned into the barrel. These regional tars varied in quality and in the type of barrel used to transport it to market. Wood tars from Finland and Russia were seen as inferior to even the lowest grade of Swedish tar which was Haparanda tar. In 1648, the newly formed NorrlSndska TjSrkompaniet (The Wood Tar Company of North Sweden) was granted sole export privileges for the country by the King of Sweden. As Stockholm grew in importance, pine tar trading concentrated at this port and all the barrels were marked "Stockholm Tar".
    [Show full text]
  • Current Issues in Non-Timber Forest Products Research
    New Cover 6/24/98 9:56 PM Page 1 Current Issues in Non-Timber Forest Products Research Edited by M. Ruiz Pérez and J.E.M. Arnold CIFOR CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY RESEARCH Front pages 6/24/98 10:02 PM Page 1 CURRENT ISSUES IN NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS RESEARCH Front pages 6/24/98 10:02 PM Page 3 CURRENT ISSUES IN NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS RESEARCH Proceedings of the Workshop ÒResearch on NTFPÓ Hot Springs, Zimbabwe 28 August - 2 September 1995 Editors: M. Ruiz PŽrez and J.E.M. Arnold with the assistance of Yvonne Byron CIFOR CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY RESEARCH Front pages 6/24/98 10:02 PM Page 4 © 1996 by Center for International Forestry Research All rights reserved. Published 1996. Printed in Indonesia Reprinted July 1997 ISBN: 979-8764-06-4 Cover: Children selling baobab fruits near Hot Springs, Zimbabwe (photo: Manuel Ruiz PŽrez) Center for International Forestry Research Bogor, Indonesia Mailing address: PO Box 6596 JKPWB, Jakarta 10065, Indonesia Front pages 6/24/98 10:02 PM Page 5 Contents Foreword vii Contributors ix Chapter 1: Framing the Issues Relating to Non-Timber Forest Products Research 1 J.E. Michael Arnold and Manuel Ruiz PŽrez Chapter 2: Observations on the Sustainable Exploitation of Non-Timber Tropical Forest Products An EcologistÕs Perspective Charles M. Peters 19 Chapter 3: Not Seeing the Animals for the Trees The Many Values of Wild Animals in Forest Ecosystems 41 Kent H. Redford Chapter 4: Modernisation and Technological Dualism in the Extractive Economy in Amazonia 59 Alfredo K.O.
    [Show full text]
  • Bark Beetles Integrated Pest Management for Home Gardeners and Landscape Professionals
    BARK BEETLES Integrated Pest Management for Home Gardeners and Landscape Professionals Bark beetles, family Scolytidae, are California now has 20 invasive spe- common pests of conifers (such as cies of bark beetles, of which 10 spe- pines) and some attack broadleaf trees. cies have been discovered since 2002. Over 600 species occur in the United The biology of these new invaders is States and Canada with approximately poorly understood. For more informa- 200 in California alone. The most com- tion on these new species, including mon species infesting pines in urban illustrations to help you identify them, (actual size) landscapes and at the wildland-urban see the USDA Forest Service pamphlet, interface in California are the engraver Invasive Bark Beetles, in References. beetles, the red turpentine beetle, and the western pine beetle (See Table 1 Other common wood-boring pests in Figure 1. Adult western pine beetle. for scientific names). In high elevation landscape trees and shrubs include landscapes, such as the Tahoe Basin clearwing moths, roundheaded area or the San Bernardino Mountains, borers, and flatheaded borers. Cer- the Jeffrey pine beetle and mountain tain wood borers survive the milling Identifying Bark Beetles by their Damage pine beetle are also frequent pests process and may emerge from wood and Signs. The species of tree attacked of pines. Two recently invasive spe- in structures or furniture including and the location of damage on the tree cies, the Mediterranean pine engraver some roundheaded and flatheaded help in identifying the bark beetle spe- and the redhaired pine bark beetle, borers and woodwasps. Others colo- cies present (Table 1).
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Forest Service James R. Karels, State Forester
    Florida Forest Service James R. Karels, State Forester The forest needs of Florida’s citizens are much greater than many realize, often impacting our lives in ways that we may not always see. It is estimated that the average person utilizes 40 products a day that are derived from the forest. This not only includes the obvious products such as lumber and paper, but items such as toothpaste, ice cream, film, cellophane, tape, adhesives, and enhancements for many of the foods we eat and drink. There are well over 5,000 different products that come from forests. Of course, there are many other benefits we derive from forests, such as clean air, clean water, recreation and an enhanced environment. Currently the forest industry is the leading agricultural industry in Florida and second only to tourism in total impact on the state’s economy. The timber industry also provides numerous jobs, outdoor recreation opportunities for millions of visitors each year. Forestry is about balancing the ecological, social and economic needs of our state. Educating our citizens about proper forest management practices will help ensure that forests will be healthy and that the forest industry remains a viable commodity for future generations. The purpose of this book is to reach out to our youth to teach them good forestry practices. Jim Karels State Forester, Florida Forest Service Table of Contents For the Teacher, Sunshine State Standards . ii Part One: Introduction . 1 Introduction . 3 History of Florida’s Forests . 4 Forest Communities . 7 Succession . 8 The Tree . 8 Dendrology . 10 Part Two: Forest Management .
    [Show full text]
  • Naval Stores History, Dr
    Highlighting Naval Stores History, Dr. Jan Davidson Wilmington postcard, 1909, Gift of Laura Howell Norden Schorr Naval Stores were the lifeblood of colonial and antebellum North Carolina, and they were an important part of the economy into the late 19th century. The Cape Fear region was the center of the industry. Naval Stores production helped shape the region’s population, by encouraging the dependence on enslaved people’s labor, and by creating a need for a town with merchants to market naval stores. They were a good business in a region where trees and water dominated the landscape, labor was scarce, and the land was poor. In the 18th century, North Carolina produced 70 percent of the tar, more than 50% of the turpentine, and 20% of the pitch that was exported from North America. According to one 19th century account, “Nearly the whole trade of the town [Wilmington] is derived from the produce of the pine forests. The Wharves display immense quantities of pitch and resin barrels, and stills for the manufacture of turpentine are numerous.”1This made Wilmington a rather dangerous place to live. According to one scholar, “In Wilmington, twenty distillery fires occurred from 1842 to 1853, and many fires destroyed wharves and other places where turpentine was stored. Turpentine fires sometimes incinerated an entire community. Anyone who ran a still was living a dangerous life and posed a threat to the community.”2 1 Robert Russell North America: Its Agriculture and Climate, (Edinburgh: Robert and Black, 1857), p. 158 2 Lawrence S. Earley, Looking for Longleaf: The Fall and Rise of An American Forest, (University of North Carolina Press, 2004) pp, 105-106 1 What Are Naval Stores? There are four main products that fall under the heading “naval stores:” tar, pitch, spirits of turpentine, and rosin.
    [Show full text]
  • Working-Up Tar, Pitch, Asphalt, Bitumen; Pyroligneous Acid (Compositions
    C10C Working-up tar, pitch, asphalt, bitumen; Pyroligneous acid (compositions of bituminous materials C08L95/00; carbon filaments by decomposition of organic filaments D01F9/14 ) Definition statement This subclass/group covers: Working-up, e.g.processing, of tar, pitch, asphalt or bitumen, including use of techniques such as distillation, heat-treatment, water removal or extraction with selective solvents. Working up implies improvement of the material. Production of pyroligneous acid. Relationship between large subject matter areas This application related subclass covers techniques specially adapted to working up of tar, pitch, asphalt or bitumen, or the production of pyroligneous acid, even though some of the techniques per se are covered by subclasses such as C10B, C10G. For example, coking bitumen, tar or the like is covered by C10B 55/00 B01D covers distillation in general, e.g. distillation column will be classified in B01D and a process for working-up tar,by distillation, will be classified in C10C. References relevant to classification in this subclass This subclass/group does not cover: Working up pyroligneous acid for (C07C 51/42,C07C 53/08) production of acetic acid Carbonisation of wood C10B 53/02 Obtaining hydrocarbon oils C10G Deasphalting hydrocarbon oils C10G 21/00 Dewatering of hydrocarbon oils C10G 33/00 Informative references Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search: 1 Smoke flavours A23L 1/232 Shaped ceramic products containing C04B 35/532 a carbonisable binder Coumarone resins C08F 244/00 Compositions of bituminous materials C08L 95/00 Coating compositions based on C09D 195/00 bituminous materials, e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • University Of' Hawai"/ Library
    UNIVERSITY OF' HAWAI"/ LIBRARY SPLINTERS OF SANDALWOOD. ISLANDS OF 'ILIAID: RETHINKING DEFORESTATION IN HAWAI'I, 181l~1843 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN HISTORY DECEMBER 2002 By Christopher A. Cottrell Thesis Committee: David Chappell, Chairperson Jerry Bentley Marcus Daniel Mark Merlin III Table ofContents Introduction ,. '" '" 7 Chapter 1: Hawai'i and Early Sandalwood Networks in the South Seas, 1805-1819 20 Chapter 2: Bargaining, Debt and American Gunboats in Hawai'i, 1819--184J 50 Chapter 3: Ecology, Exchange and Extraction, 1811-1843 '" 67 Chapter 4: Splinters ofSandalwood, Depictions ofDeforestation , 133 Conclusion 158 Bibliography , '" '" '" ., 165 IV List of Tables Table 1., Gutzlaffs Picul Count.. 80 Table 2., O'ahu Piculs in Reynolds' journal... '" '" '" 109 Table 3., Kaua'i and Mixed WaimeaPiculs in Reynold'sjournal 110 Table 4., Hawai'i Piculs in Reynold's journal.. , '" , '" 111 Table 5., Maui Piculs in Reynold'sjoumal.. , 111 Table 6., TaxIDebt Piculsin Reynold's journal.. '" 111 v List ofMaqs Map 1., I'i's Trail Map ,. '" 91 Map 2., Stemmerman's Map '" '" .. ,,, ." '" 125 Map 3., State Map 1900 126 Map 4., St. John's Map '" , 127 6 Sandalwood. you say. and in your thought it rhymes With Tyre and Solomon; to me it rhymes With place& bare upon Pacific mountains Wrth spaces empty in the minds ofmen! Sandalwood! The Kings ofHawaii call out their men; The men go up the mountains in files; Hands that knew only stone axe now wield the iron axe; The Kings would change their canoes for ships: Men come down from the mountains carrying sandalwood upon their backs; More men and more are leviett They go up in the mountains in files; they leave their taro patches so that famine comes down on the land.
    [Show full text]
  • Naval Stores: the Industry
    286 NAVAL STORES: THE INDUSTRY JAY WARD Naval stores arc the derivatives of an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt the crude gum—oleoresin—that comes thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch from living pine trees, pine stumps, it wdthin and without with pitch." and dead lightwood. Some arc byprod- When Columbus discovered Amer- ucts from sulfate pulp mills. The term ica, the center of production in Europe is limited generally to turpentine and extended from Scandinavia through rosin, but it can be said to cover pine the Baltic countries. From them came tar, pine oil, and rosin oils. In the trade, quantities of tar and pitch for use by the product from living pine trees is the fleets of wooden sailing vessels of known as gum naval stores; the prod- all the European nations. King Phillip uct from stumps, lightwood, and pulp of Spain drew from this source for mills is called wood naval stores. In his Spanish Armada. Queen Elizabeth Colonial days, gum was cooked down drew from it for her British fleet. One to a thick tar and used to preserve the of the basic commodities sought by the ropes and calk the seams of the ships— Europeans in the New World w^as a and from that we got the name "naval source of naval stores for their ships. stores" for the products used now in a Turpentining is one of the oldest hundred ways unconnected with ships. and most picturesque of American in- The gum naval stores industry, at its dustries. The production of tar, pitch, peak in 1908-9, produced 750,000 bar- rosin, and turpentine started when rels (50 gallons each) of gum spirits of the first settlers landed on the Atlan- turpentine and 1,998,400 drums of gum tic coast.
    [Show full text]
  • High-Tech Materials Could Render Objects Invisible
    NEWS OF THE WEEK PHYSICS High-Tech Materials Could Render Objects Invisible No, this isn’t the 1 April issue of The invisibility isn’t perfect: It works only in a Science, and yes, you read the head- narrow range of wavelengths. line correctly. Materials already The authors map out the necessary speed being developed could funnel light variations and leave it to others to design the and electromagnetic radiation materials that will produce them. But around any object and render it researchers already know how to design meta- invisible, theoretical physicists pre- materials to achieve such bizarre properties, at dict online in Science this week least for radio waves, says Nader Engheta, an (www.sciencemag.org/cgi/ electrical engineer at the University of Penn- content/abstract/1125907 and … sylvania. “It’s not necessarily easy, but the 1126493). In the near future, such recipes are there,” says Engheta, who last year cloaking devices might shield sen- proposed using a metamaterial coating to sitive equipment from disruptive counteract an object’s ability to redirect light, radio waves or electric and mag- making combination nearly transparent. netic fields. Cloaks that hide objects Cloaking devices for radio waves could from prying eyes might not be much appear within 5 years, Gbur says, and cloaks further off, researchers say. for visible light are conceivable. Pendry notes The papers are “visionary,” that even a cloak for static fields would, for says George Eleftheriades, an No see? Forget the Invisible Man’s transparency potion; new example, let technicians insert sensitive elec- electrical engineer at the Univer- materials might ferry light around an object, making it invisible.
    [Show full text]