Here is a list of noteworthy pieces I published on my new blog site in May. Those of you who have not yet updated their links to point there might benefit from it…

Four things about four generations -the three families of fermions in the Standard Model could be complemented by a fourth: a recent preprint discusses the possibility.

Fermi and Hess do not confirm a dark matter signal: a discussion of recent measurements of the electron and positron cosmic ray fluxes.

Nit-picking on the Omega_b Discovery: A discussion of the significance of the signal found by DZERO, attributed to a Omega_b particle.

Nit-picking on the Omega_b Baryon -part II: A pseudoexperiments approach to the assessment of the significance of the signal found by DZERO.

The real discovery of the Omega_b released by CDF today: Announcing the observation of the Omega_b by CDF.

CDF versus DZERO: and the winner is…: A comparison of the two “discoveries” of the Omega_b particle.

The Tevatron Higgs limits strenghtened by a new theoretical study: a discussion of a new calculation of Higgs cross sections, showing an increase in the predictions with respect to numbers used by Tevatron experiments.

Citizen Randall: a report of the giving of honorary citizenship in Padova to Lisa Randall.

Hadronic Dibosons seen -next stop: the Higgs: A report of the new observation of WW/WZ/ZZ decays where one of the bosons decays to jet pairs.

by Suharyo Sumowidagdo

1. Menyukai Fisika (Liking physics theory)

Ini tahapan yang banyak (atau mungkin semua) orang bisa melakukannya. Seseorang tertarik pada fisika hanya pada sebatas cerita dan ide kualitatif saja. Hanya menggunakan argumen yang bisa ditangkap sehari-hari, dan sedikit (atau sama sekali tidak) menggunakan matematika.

Kegiatan pada tahap ini adalah misalnya membaca artikel-artikel populer di surat kabar, buku-buku populer. Menonton serial televisi atau film yang bernuansa fiksi ilmiah. Membaca buku-buku biografi tokoh fisika. Membaca bagaimana secara kualitatif gejala-gejala disekitar kita bisa dijelaskan dengan fisika.

Pada tahapan ini pada umumnya nyaris tidak ada kesulitan yang berarti. Dari tahap ini, seseorang bisa memutuskan apakah seseorang ingin meneruskan ke tahap selanjutnya, yakni mempelajari fisika.

2. Mempelajari Fisika (Learning physics theory)

Di tahap in seseorang mempelajari fisika dengan tujuan untuk menguasai fisika sebagai ilmu dan segala perangkat kerja yang dibutuhkan untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut. Idealnya jika seseorang memutuskan untuk mempelajari fisika, maka seseorang harus terlebih dahulu melewati tahapan pertama (Menyukai Fisika).

Pembelajaran fisika pada tahapan ini bisa pada tahapan dasar (sarjana fisika, S1) ataupun lanjutan (pascasarjana fisika, dimana saya menggabungkan S2 dan S3). Pada taraf tertentu, pembelajaran fisika juga terjadi pada orang yang mempelajari sesuatu yang erat kaitannya dengan fisika seperti keteknikan, astronomi, dan geofisika.

Pada tahap ini kesulitan yang muncul adalah banyaknya topik yang harus dipelajari,* meskipun topik-topik tersebut sudah dibatasi wawasan dan kedalamannya* . Fisika itu subjek yang berat. Selain konsep-konsep fisika sendiri, mempelajari fisika secara serius memerlukan kemampuan matematika yang baik; pemrograman komputer; ketrampilan dengan alat eksperimen + elektronika, kemampuan statistik dan analisis data, dan banyak hal lagi.

Jika pada tahapan ini seseorang mampu melewatinya dengan baik, maka seseorang akan siap untuk naik ke tahap berikutnya, yakni Melakukan Fisika dan Menempuh Karir di Fisika. Karena fisika merupakan disiplin ilmu yang luas, adalah sangat penting untuk melewati tahapan ini dengan baik jika ingin sukses di tahapan-tahapan berikutnya.

Untuk mereka yang tidak berharap untuk melanjutkan ke tahap berikutnya alias tidak ingin menjadi fisikawan, maka ini merupakan tahapan yang tepat untuk berhenti. Pendidikan S1 fisika *belum merupakan syarat cukup* untuk menjadi fisikawan, karena setiap fisikawan diharuskan menempuh pendidikan hingga tingkat S3. Namun pendidikan S1 fisika membekali siswa dengan banyak sekali ketrampilan dan keahlian untuk menyelesaikan masalah. Bekal dari pendidikan S1 fisika yang baik terpakai di banyak tempat di sektor industri, swasta, dan profesional; *namun tidak sebagai fisikawan*.

3. Melakukan Fisika (Doing physics theory)

Pada tahapan ini, seseorang menggunakan ilmu fisika yang telah dikuasainya untuk memecahkan suatu masalah, baik dalam konteks sains (penelitian murni) ataupun terapan (problem praktis). Pada tahapan ini seseorang dituntut untuk menggunakan dan mensintesa pengetahuan yang telah dipelajari pada tahap sebelumnya. Pada umumnya, setiap orang yang menempuh pendidikan fisika pernah melakukan tahap ini yakni ketika melakukan penelitian tugas akhir, baik pada tahap S1, S2, maupun S3.

Pada prakteknya, disinilah banyak sekali orang-orang mengalami kesulitan karena kurangnya penguasaan fisika secara sepenuhnya yang diharapkan telah dilakukan dalam tahap sebelumnya. Sehingga tidak jarang mereka terpaksa mempelajarinya kembali. Hal ini terjadi pada banyak orang, pada semua tingkat pendidikan dari S1 hingga S3. Terkadang pula problem yang diajukan memerlukan pembelajaran mandiri sehingga seseorang dituntut untuk mampu mempelajari hal-hal baru secara mandiri.

Pada tahap S3-lah dimana level kesulitan (sophistication) dari pekerjaan yang dilakukan bisa dianggap sama dengan level yang dihadapi mereka yang berkarir di fisika. Hal ini wajar karena seseorang mahasiswa S3 dituntut untuk mampu memberikan kontribusi pada bidang ilmu yang ditekuni, biasanya dalam bentuk publikasi ilmiah di peer-reviewed journal.

4. Menempuh Karir di Fisika (Career in physics theory).

Inilah tahap terakhir yang membedakan seorang fisikawan dengan non-fisikawan. Pada tahapan ini, seseorang dituntut melakukan tahap tiga secara rutin dan teratur. Jadi seseorang diharapkan memberikan kontribusi secara konstan kepada bidang ilmu fisika. Pekerjaan sebagai fisikawan tersedia baik di universitas, lembaga penelitian, maupun industri.

Kesulitan dan masalah utama pada tahap ini adalah masalah kontinuitas baik dari segi dana, ide-ide dan hasil penelitian, maupun keperluan untuk terus belajar topik-topik terbaru. Adalah sangat berat untuk menyeimbangkan antara ketiga-tiganya. Ada fisikawan yang setelah beberapa tahun berkarir di fisika memutuskan untuk berganti karir ke bidang lain. Pada tahapan ini semua yang telah mencapainya adalah orang-orang yang berkualitas (telah bergelar S3), dan persaingan menjadi sangat berat.

Di banyak negara (tidak hanya di Indonesia, di AS pun ada !), cukup banyak orang yang akhirnya hanya berada pada tahap antara 3-4: selesai pendidikan fisika hingga S3 namun akhirnya penelitiannya tidak aktif meski ybs masih mendapatkan posisi permanen sebagai dosen atau staf peneliti. Kategori ini tidak bisa ditempatkan sebagai fisikawan karena mereka tidak lagi aktif dalam ‘Doing physics theory’ sebagaimana diharapkan pada tahap 4. Kebanyakan mereka bekerja sebagai dosen di universitas kecil (bukan universitas riset), staf teknis di lab (bukan staf peneliti), atau pendidikan fisika.

Insurance carriers are notorious for suggesting vehicular damage is somehow related to the extent of injury. Well, here’s just another person who understands the laws of physics theory and disagrees with this stance. It would seem an insurance carrier’s stance is based more on saving money than their insured’s health and ability to recover from said injury. Sad but true folks. The following quote was published on page 648 in Chapter 10 in a book titled “Acceleration Extension Injuries of the Cervical Spine” published in 1982.

According to Chief of Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wellesley Hospital, Toronto, Ian Macnab, “The amount of damage sustained by the car bears little relationship to the force applied. To take an extreme example: If the car was struck in concrete, the damage sustained might be very great but the occupants would not be injured because the car could not move forward, whereas, on ice, the damage to the car could be slight but the injuries sustained might be severe because of the rapid accelerations permitted.”

What does this mean to you? This means, regardless of vehicle damage and how you feel, it’s imperative to have your spine checked for injuries. It is crucial to have the extent of any injuries professionally documented; not only to objectively support your injury, but also to help ensure your injuries are properly handled. Here at All-Star Chiropractic, we understand not all accidents cause injuries, but think this should be determined by someone qualified to make such an assessment and not decided based on a lack of pain. Please call us today if you’ve been involved in a car accident. Don’t wait until your insurance carrier closes the case and you no longer have an opportunity to rehabilitate your injuries with no out-of-pocket cost. Call us today with any questions, comments or concerns! 602.689.0869

http://transmodernalchemy.iwarp.com/whats_new_26.html

Whether we discuss theories that are orthodox, heterodox, fashionable or turn out to describe reality, our quest is a journey through the Imaginal Realm. Perhaps the alchemical notion of Anima Mundi needs to become Anima Universalis or Anima Imaginalis.

Infinite Space is the Goddess whose womb gives us our very existence. For medieval alchemists, the Earth was the center of it all, and what little they knew of the heavens revolved around it. In a relatively short time we have discovered our own galaxy, countless others and expanded our understanding of the immensity of space and deep time.

Space is vast and her mysteries are deeper than the Hubble Deep Field photos which allows us to peer back aeons to the birth of proto-galaxies. Everywhere we look there are hundreds of thousands of galaxies in even a portion of seemingly “empty” space. Maybe perception equals reality, but reality in real-time may not equal truth.

Maybe there is a spectrum of truths like there is of prismatic colors. In this sense, the many theories of reality are the Millennial version of the alchemical peacock’s tail that heralds the beginnings of integration, the Unus Mundus, the Grand Unified Theory or Theory of Everything in physics theory. The irridescent tail represents all the colors of light while the “eyes” symbolize all potential universes.

The challenge for the alchemist is to trust the process, the life force we presume is at work in the universe. There is, in the end, only one Life Force, though it operates on many levels, each with its own set of challenges. Discrimination of some sort, at every level, is therefore essential. Unity exists, but so does duality. Truth exists but so do fantasies.
*****

A Peacock’s Tail of Theories

Theory must explain what is observed. But almost invariably that description is an interpretation of the abstract mathematics of quantum mechanics. Contending schools of thought include Copenhagen, Transactional, Many Worlds, Bohm, existential, stochastics, many minds, objective collapse, decoherence, quantum logic, etc.

Many terms are possible properties. They are attempts to explain how quantum mechanics informs our understanding of nature since experiments are open to different interpretations (QFT, QED, SED, QCD, etc.). They are sets of rules for operating on experimental data. They help us determine the probability of certain results. A given theory may have two interpretations, one of which is deterministic, and the other not. There are variants within interpretations even though the physical theory stands.

Interpretations help us determine what is considered “real,” but they also appeal imaginatively to our archetypal beliefs. Because of their archetypal nature, theories function like Strange Attractors holding us in thrall. So, we can get zealously hooked on certain theories because of their qualities and implications. It is a philosophical as well as scientific problem. The status of interpretations is a matter of philosophical argument. Casting aside consensus opinion, heterodox theories strike out on their own based on different assumptions. The boudaries of realism and belief may blur. Different observers give different accounts of phenomena. No experimental evidence distinguishes among interpretations.

http://transmodernalchemy.iwarp.com/whats_new_25.html
ENERGETIC CHANGE: THE CHAOTIC, THE ORDERLY, THE IMAGINAL & THE REAL:

The Transmodern Alchemist, like his or her medieval or Renaissance counterpart, is rightly concerned with the true nature of reality. The great enigmas of our existence remain the riddle of matter, the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and the human mind or consciousness. We are philosophers; we seek wisdom. We are in a romance with the Cosmos, the dark hunting ground of the Unknown.

The universe informs our awareness and being. Sometimes the universal laws of nature lead us beyond ordinary science. Subjects in isolation don’t provide enough to accurately describe our complex world. More disciplines, more tools, better technologies. In theoretics we build up and tear down relentlessly, questioning our own underpinnings, adhering to no stale theory: “Solve et Coagula.”

Since matter remains a paradox, our Work, comprehending the spirit of matter, means learning more than the Standard Theory of physics theory. Both orthodox and heterodox theories stimulate our imaginative and spiritual perception. Energy and information fields, not just genetics, drive human psychophysiology. Libido (psychic energy) drives the imagination. When we speak of Mercury, Sulpher and Salt, we mean our spiritual, energetic and physical bodies as well as the elements.

Each theory adds another piece to the puzzle of existence and meaning and might potentially lead to breakthrough on the bench or in consciousness. Such a brief, conceptual survey of alternate theories in physics theory cannot do them justice, but it can provide leads for further contemplation and research for the esoteric physics theory of lab work.

We study the nature of being and our own being, the essence of inner reality. Consciousness is a timeless transformative force unfolding in nature. Alchemy, art and physics theory are modes of inquiry. So are symbolic contemplation and interaction, transformation of the material and immaterial self.

Alchemy was perhaps the first systems theory approach to metaphysics theory as a science of the transformation of complex systems. Dynamic systems exist, they are ubiquitous. The cosmos, our psychophysical orgamisms and society are complex systems. Alchemy and physics theory study the basic principles of components, structures and relationships. Systems may be ordered or disordered, or temporarily regress to an earlier stage. System engage in dynamic interaction. Dynamic tension is a basic principle of change.

Naturally, alchemists will vary in desire and capacity to unravel such deep notions. However, putting forth the effort can only enlarge our worldview, deepening our process-oriented understanding of complex psychology and physics theory, particularly micro- and astrophysics theory. But whatever is happening contains emergent meaning and can be mined for that realization. Process is an unfolding, a flow. Amplifying our experiences can reveal their depth, purpose and significance.

Awareness of our energetic potential gives new meaning to our photonic being — that we are truly made Light and so is the entire manifestation. Light reconciles the opposites. The photon is its own antiparticle because it is electrically neutral.

The dynamic photonic field includes light in all its forms: radio wave mechanicss, x-rays, microwave mechanicss, and all manifestations of the electric and magnetic fields. Some frequencies resonate with our biology. There seems to be a cosmic superconductor, a space-filling medium that is a primary reality with different properties than the classical ether. Wilczek calls this highly structured empty space the Grid.

Dynamic Form

Each of us is a miniature universe. Our aim, beyond regenerating and illuminative spagyrics, is psychological and spiritual transformation. The least nature can do is fill us with awe at Her majesty. We can change the chemistry of our own thought processes by feeding in facts and imaginative flight about the nature of reality and letting it cook within us. Therein lies the “art of transformation.” Alchemy speeds up the dynamic process activating hidden energies trapped in matter.

This distillation of spirit and thought, alchemical wisdom can be applied to everything we do. Thus, we find our union of soul, spirit and our physical condition — a soulful mind/matter connection. At least in our imaginations, we can take the quantum leap, visit parallel worlds, inhabit our energetic light bodies, ride on beams of photonic light, dive in The Abyss of a dark hole, or realize our Zero Point. We walk a razor’s edge so the sourc of life doesn’t become a bringer of destruction to the literal children of the stars.

Through psychological alchemy, Jung probed the secrets of the soul. Through observing the threshold of matter, physicists probe the secrets of matter. The secret is matter does not exist beyond consciousness. Still unknown principles fuse us with the cosmos. The Elixir of Eternal Life is seizing the noble fruit, deep awareness, in each and every moment, extracting the gold of its quintessence.

In the alchemical process, we touch the unseen forces of nature, Universal energies that interpenetrate us, utterly. More than a change in perspective, we begin living in the One World, the Unus Mundus. There are deeper non-personal realms common to humankind. Beyond individuation, the healing of psyche and soma, this is part of the collective transformation of our global culture toward sacred living.

Our challenge is to leave our world better than we found it by tapping our creativity and deepening our spirituality. Dualism is always there, ditto the hazard of literalisms, but the created meaning may be the only glue that holds them and us together in the One World. It DOES “matter,” because, well — here we ARE!

“Sit down before fact like a little child, and be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abysses Nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.” –Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895)

“At any given moment, life is completely senseless. But viewed over a period, it seems to reveal itself as an organism existing in time, having a purpose, trending in a certain direction.” –Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

“The concept of the vacuum in quantum field theory is a subtle one. Vacuum states have a rich and complex set of properties that produce distinctive, though usually exceedingly small, physical effects. Quantum vacuum noise is familiar in optical and electronic devices, but in this paper I wish to consider extending the discussion to systems in which gravitation, or large accelerations, are important. This leads to the prediction of vacuum friction: The quantum vacuum can act in a manner reminiscent of a viscous fluid. One result is that rapidly changing gravitational fields can create particles from the vacuum, and in turn the backreaction on the gravitational dynamics operates like a damping force. I consider such effects in early universe cosmology and the theory of quantum dark holes, including the possibility that the large-scale structure of the universe might be produced by quantum vacuum noise in an early inflationary phase. I also discuss the curious phenomenon that an observer who accelerates through a quantum vacuum perceives a bath of thermal radiation closely analogous to Hawking radiation from dark holes, even though an inertial observer registers no particles. The effects predicted raise very deep and unresolved issues about the nature of quantum particles, the role of the observer, and the relationship between the quantum vacuum and the concepts of information and entropy.” –P. Davies, ©2001 American Institute of physics theory.

[1] Help wanted to write Book of Life; A virtual book of all life on earth is being created by U.K. and U.S. scientists; the online reference work will create a detailed world map of flora and fauna and track changes in biodiversity…

[2] Rare bumblebee coming back to U.K.; A bumblebee which is extinct in the U.K. is to be reintroduced from New Zealand under plans being announced…

[3] Genetic survey finds that healthy human skin is crawling with bacteria; Think a good antibacterial handsoap is keeping your skin relatively microbe and bacteria free? You might want to think again…

[4] Cloaking Made Simpler, But Invisible Humans Not Yet A Reality; A new approach for manipulating light that doesn’t require sophisticated “metamaterials…”

[5] Cool Monkey News! Glowing Transgenic Monkeys! ‘Nuff said…

[6] New Evidence for Volcanoes as Sources of Mass Extinction; Paleontologists have found more solid evidence that volcanoes likely set off the Guadalupian mass extinction in the Middle Permian about 260 million years ago…

[7] North Korea follows up nuclear test with threats and missile tests; North Korea has continued to draw international ire following a nuclear test Monday by reportedly testing several short-range missiles and threatening to set aside the Korean War armistice of 1953…

[8] Here’s something likely to be controversial; Were our earliest hominid ancestors European? Read on…

[9] Now this is just cool: What String Theory is really good for; String Theory, You love it or loathe it.; To some it represents our best hope for a route to a “Theory of Everything…”

Al Jazeera English – Europe – Air France jet lost over Atlantic

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From UNEP

Monday 1 June 2009 – People around the world will unite for the planet on 5 June for World Environment Day 2009, with a strong call for environmental action just six months before the crucial United Nations climate change talks in Copenhagen.

This year’s theme is ‘Your Planet needs You! Unite to combat climate change’ – a topic that reflects everyone’s individual responsibility to protect the planet, as well as the urgency for nations to agree on a new climate change deal in December.

World Environment Day is truly a People’s Day: it is the chance for everyone, young and old, with their community or with close friends, to show that they care for the planet.

This year’s host is Mexico, reflecting the country’s growing role in the fight against climate change – with its increasingly strong participation in global carbon markets, its massive tree planting campaigns and its natural resource management.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: “On this World Environment Day. I encourage all people to take concrete steps toward making the planet greener and cleaner. Switch off the lights. Take public transportation. Recycle. Plant a tree. Clean up your local park. Hold corporations responsible for their environmental practices. And urge your government representatives to Seal the Deal in Copenhagen.”

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said: “I am delighted that Mexico and its people will be the 2009 global hosts of the annual United nations celebrations on 5 June under the theme ‘Your Planet Needs You! Unite to Combat Climate Change’. Mexico is among a group of nations showing real leadership on the challenges of our age – from climate change to bringing environmental goods and services into the mainstream of national and international economics.”

World Environment Day is a truly global event, and as such it will be celebrated on every continent – from remote villages to sprawling capitals. Here are some of the highlights of this year’s celebration.

Celebrations in Mexico

Mexico, the host country, will organize a series of events in Quintana Roo, in the Yucatan Province. Highlights include a conference on the Green Economy with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mexico’s Environment Secretary Juan Elvira Quesada, and Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

There will also be photo exhibits, an art competition, a Maya ‘Healing the Earth’ ceremony, and a Symphonic Visual Concert entitled ‘The Shield of Nature’ by the Philharmonic Choir and World Heritage Orchestra.

‘HOME’ movie premieres around the world

The global premiere of the new film ‘HOME’, by world-renowned photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand, will be one of the major worldwide events taking place for World Environment Day, with more than 100 locations around the world. Screenings – including star-studded premieres at the Eiffel Tower and in New York City’s Central Park – will be free of charge, and the film will also be available for free download on YouTube.

Using the stunning aerial footage that is Arthus-Bertrand’s trademark, the film – shot in more than 50 countries – makes an urgent appeal for our planet in peril and all its treasures, arguing that we have barely ten years left to reverse its destruction.

Climate Heroes

Another highlight of this year’s WED is the launch of the Climate Heroes project. This UNEP initiative supports individuals who are undertaking exceptional personal feats, high-profile expeditions, and other acts of environmental activism to demonstrate their commitment and to raise awareness for the simple idea that ‘Your Planet Needs You’.

The Climate Heroes include

· Roz Savage, who is rowing across the Pacific Ocean to inspire people to take action on CO2 levels by walking more and driving less;

· Charles and Sho Scott of Ride Japan, a father-and-son team cycling through Japan to raise environmental awareness;

· David de Rothschild, who is building a boat out of recycled plastic to cross the Pacific and visit the Pacific Garbage Patch and raise awareness of the gigantic problem of waste and overconsumption;

· And Project Kaisei, a team of innovators who are studying how to capture waste in the ocean, detoxify it, and recycle it into diesel fuel.

More Climate Heroes will come on board in the next few months.

North American celebrations in Omaha

Omaha (Nebraska) has been selected as North America’s host city for WED 2009, in a reflection of the city’s commitment to environmental and sustainability issues. During the period between Earth Day on 22 April and World Environment Day on 5 June, events throughout the community have been highlighting resources, initiatives and methods that promote low carbon economies and lifestyles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption.

The city will also hold its own premiere of the film ‘HOME’, and youth events will include an award ceremony for the North American winners of the International Children’s Painting Competition and an interactive environmental workshop for Omaha students.

Around the world

Thousands of other activities will take place around the world for WED – here is just a taste of some of the initiatives:

- Tree plantings around the world: WED 2009 will see a wave mechanics of tree planting around the planet as part of UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign, which aims to see 7 billion trees planted by the end of 2009. New partners who have recently come on board include the Scout Movement and the UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Tree plantings will range from the massive to the local, with 20,000 mangroves to be planted in Keddah (Malaysia) as well as small-scale plantings by communities around the world, from Sierra Leone to India.

- Twitter campaign: UNEP will plant one tree for every person who follows its new Twitter page www.twitter.com/UNEPandYou by 5 June.

- Youth video conference: A videolink will unite youth across three continents – in Nairobi, New York, Panama and Vienna – to discuss their role in promoting awareness and actions on climate change.

- Russia: UNEP will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the organizers of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, whereby UNEP will advise the Olympic organizers in their efforts to green the Games – including issues like sustainable transport, renewable energy, ecosystems management, and green procurement among others.

- Afghanistan: A neighbourhood clean-up will take place in Kabul on World Environment Day, along with a series of awareness-raising campaigns through schools and mosques.

- Bosnia and Herzegovina: In Sarajevo, the ‘Run to the Hills’ 10-km race will take runners from around Europe up the beautiful forested paths of the Olympic Mountains.

- Nepal: An ‘Ecofootball’ match entitled ‘GOAL-against Climate Change’ will bring together celebrities, politicians and environmentalists, with the aim of raising awareness on climate change and the need for a united response.

- Brazil: An online campaign will call online volunteers to produce, translate and disseminate information and advice on environmentally-friendly lifestyles.

- Kenya: A seafront clean-up will be organized on the island of Lamu with schoolchildren, students, community and government representatives.

- Belgium: The EchoFestival in Brussels’s Royal Park will include a picnic, exhibits, a concert and a fair for a “shared eco-cultural experience”.

- Republic of Korea: 30,000 children will take part in a painting competition on the environment.

World Environment Day 2009 comes just under 190 days before the UN climate convention meeting in Copenhagen. As millions of people around the world prepare to celebrate the event, and in the spirit of the WED slogan ‘Unite to combat climate change’, the UN has launched the Seal the Deal campaign to call for world leaders to agree on a climate change deal that will protect people and the planet.

Notes to editors:

About World Environment Day

World Environment Day (WED) was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

Commemorated every year on 5 June in more than 100 countries around the globe, World Environment Day is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and boosts political attention and action.

With thousands of events in UNEP’s six global regions including North America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and West Asia, World Environment Day is considered one of the largest environmental events of its kind.

For more information on WED 2009, and for a full list of events organized on the day, please visit: www.unep.org/wed/2009

For more information on the Seal the Deal campaign, please visit: www.sealthedeal2009.org

For more information please contact:

Nick Nuttall, Spokesperson / Head of Media, Tel: + 254 20 7623084, Mobile: + 254 733 632755 / +41 79 596 57 37, e-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org

Anne-France White, Associate Information Officer, on Tel: +254 20 762 3088, Mobile: + 254 738 652793, or e-mail: anne-france.white@unep.org

Shereen Zorba, Information Officer, on Mobile: +254 713601259, or e-mail: shereen.zorba@unep.org

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