h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Shagbark

I'm sub-editing your thought-provoking article, which will go live as A87770343 <--- you will need to subscribe to that

I have a question about "sheetfish" which I can't find, do you mean "sheatfish" which is <>? or something else?

GB

also "saryas" I can't find, there's a Sargo, which is a species of seabream?

<>

According to the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan website:
The US$85.8 million Kok-Aral Dam was built jointly by the Government of Kazakhstan and the World Bank, with the latter providing a loan of US$65 million.

I'm not sure that providing a loan constitutes a collaboration, unless it was interest-free? Anyway, I just would like to change your figure to 85.8 million dollars for the cost of the dam.

I have been unable to remember the source I used for the fish.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/04/100402-aral-sea-story/ states "All 24 species of native fish vanished"
If you wish to delete the ones that cannot be confirmed I will not object.

the term collaboration and the $64 Million figure come from
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65167
I note the National Geographic agrees with your larger dollar figure.
Perhaps the idea in terms of collaboration was that Uzbekistan wanted to deal with the matter without external help while Khazahstan was willing to accept a co-laborer from outside (even if it meant paying interest).

I have deleted "saryas", but added the info about the 24 species, and corrected the spelling of "sheatfish".


I have changed the text to read: <> with a footnote about the World Bank loan.

I am now happy with the article as it stands, but I also want you to be happy too, so please read it through carefully noting what I have done to it. If we are both happy I will return it to the Eds for final polish.

And may I say "well done", and thank you for bringing this to the attention of myself (and several others). This is one of your best, Shagbark

GB

I'm happy with it.