http://www.fekids.com/img/kln/flash/DontGrossOutTheWorld.swf
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Theme 2009: Transboundary water - World Water Day
Theme 2009: Transboundary water - World Water Day
•WWD 2008 World Water Day 2008
•WWD 2005 World Water Day 2005
•WWD 2004 2004: Water and Disasters
•WWD 2003 2003: Water for the Future
•WWD 2002 2002: Water for Development
•WWD 2001 2001: Water and Health
•WWD 2000 2000: Water for the 21st Century
•2000: Water for the 21st Century
•WWD 1999 1999: Everyone Lives Downstream
•1999: Everyone Lives Downstream
•WWD 1998 1998: Groundwater - the Invisible Resource
•1998: Groundwater - the Invisible Resource
•WWD 1997 1997: The World's Water: Is There Enough?
•1997: The World's Water: Is There Enough?
•WWD 1996 1996: Water for Thirsty Cities
•1996: Water for Thirsty Cities
•WWD 1995 1995: Women and Water
Friday, 29 May 2009
Survival International - The movement for tribal peoples
Survival is the only international organization supporting tribal peoples worldwide. We were founded in 1969 after an article by Norman Lewis in the UK's Sunday Times highlighted the massacres, land thefts and genocide taking place in Brazilian Amazonia. Like many modern atrocities, the racist oppression of Brazil's Indians took place in the name of 'economic growth'.
Today, Survival has supporters in 82 countries. We work for tribal peoples' rights in three complementary ways: education, advocacy and campaigns. We also offer tribal people themselves a platform to address the world. We work closely with local indigenous organizations, and focus on tribal peoples who have the most to lose, usually those most recently in contact with the outside world.
We believe that public opinion is the most effective force for change. Its power will make it harder, and eventually impossible, for governments and companies to oppress tribal peoples.
Thursday, 28 May 2009
BBC NEWS | Technology | Broadband World: Mapping the global picture
More than a billion people around the world are connected to the net, but speed of access ranges from dial-up to fibre optic connections.
Use this map to explore the state of our Broadband World across eight different countries, as explained by BBC correspondents and reporters.
See also:
A tale of two broadband villages
UK 'broadband notspots' revealed
NEWS | Technology | Broadband World: Mapping the global picture
Hawai'i Short Term SO2 Alert Index
The information on this page provides current sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels due to the Kilauea Volcano on the Island of Hawai'i. Click on the site links for current day
historical data. For additional information about other air pollutants, please visit
Monday, 25 May 2009
Wind energy facts - Interesting energy facts
Wind energy is a renewable energy source.
Wind energy is a pollution-free energy source.
Wind energy is very abundant energy source in many parts of the USA.
Wind energy is mostly used to generate electricity.
Wind energy is mostly used renewable energy source.
Wind energy unlike some thought very economically competitive.
Wind energy is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy sources.
Wind Energy Fact Sheets
Wind Energy Fact SheetsAWEA's Wind Energy Fact Sheets provide up-to-date information on wind energy development, economics, cost competitiveness, and environmental compatibility.
Why renewable energy from wind turbines?
Why wind energy? Wind is an abundant source of energy that will never run out. It's also the world's fastest growing energy source and in the UK we're lucky enough to have around 40% of Europe's wind resource, potentially enough to power the country 3 or 4 times over.
World's biggest offshore wind farm approved for Thames estuary site
Plans to build the world's largest offshore wind farm off the coast of south-east England were approved by ministers yesterday in a move that could eventually bring 341 turbines to the Thames estuary.The £1.5bn scheme, called London Array, could generate 1,000 megawatts of power, enough to meet about 1% of the UK's electricity needs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8046958.stm
World's biggest offshore wind farm approved for Thames estuary site Environment The Guardian
Water Videos
General
•UNICEF on MDGs and water ,supply, health, women, link to Development Gap 2mins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXR4Z_NBD-E&feature=related
•World water day and water wars - Ethiopia ,Somalia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqLmxeRW9Uw&feature=relatedhttp://pulitzercenter.org/s
MEDCS
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqLmxeRW9Uw&feature=related Part 1 + 2 Running on Empty 2009 Part 1 conflicts eg Rio Grande USA-Mexico issue, supply, pollution, health in El Paso by colonials , desalinisation
•Water Wars Oregon/California Klamath River agriculture conflicts with Indians salmon fishing, management, allocations, Part 2 on Arizona Extra refs: http://soil4463.okstate.edu/lectures/klamath_river_case.htm
•Water Wars-USA Arizona Beaver Dam, housing and golf increases aquifers, climate change 2 parts both 4mins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy4WmRBUmW0&feature=PlayList&p=40BE83CEFA4B2C3F&index=0
•Australia water deficit – management conservation, efficiency http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U29xdvLBUIs&feature=PlayList&p=822A7C14FFBF4F09&index=0&playnext=1
NICs and LEDCs
•Kenya eg Kimana wetlands. Conflicts, pollution ,tension, Maasai, Amboseli, conservation ,tourism. sustainable management http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLNCZBEByg8 wetlands international organisation 5mins
•China-Olympics-diversions/transfers of water from S to N- technological fix to help become superpower 5mins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMZ6mGM39As
Water Wars eg
Namibia and Botswana row over Okavango wetlands 20minshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5krdot_eOE&feature=related
River Jordan Israel Palestine 16minshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U29xdvLBUIs&feature=PlayList&p=822A7C14FFBF4F09&index=0&playnext=1
Sunday, 24 May 2009
Will Africa join broadband revolution?
A way may be emerging for East African countries to circumvent the mess in telecommunications in the region - and it is rising out of the sea.
Three main new fibre-optic cable lines are being laid
From having no undersea cable links to the rest of the world, East Africa is now poised to have three.
As a result, many businesses are investing in finger-sized underwater fibre-optic cables that will open doors to the rest of the world.
BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Will Africa join broadband revolution?
Every house to have smart meter in £9bn scheme - Telegraph
Every house in the country will have a smart energy meter installed over the next decade in a bid to save consumers at least £100 million a year, the Government has promised.
EarthTrends: Searchable Database - Energy and Resources
Select the variable you wish to view from the list.
Electricity: Access to electricity, percent
Electricity: Electricity consumption per capita
Electricity: Total electricity production
Energy Consumption by Source: Biogas and liquid biomass
Energy Consumption by Source: Coal and coal products
Energy Consumption by Source: Hydroelectric
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
BBC - Tribe - Dassanech
The lands of the Dassanech have seen severe and sustained droughts for many years. In August 2006, in the harshest of ironies, their lands were struck by severe flooding.Reports have estimated over 100 Dassanech lives have been lost. The Dassanech are a people living on the margins, having to constantly adapt to their changing environment. More »Steve Robinson, the series producer for Tribe, said: "We are very concerned that some of the people that our crew, and Bruce in particular, became friends with will have been affected by the flooding, as it has hit hard the area around Lake Turkana where Bruce stayed with the Dassanech people."
For up-to-date information visit BBC News and the International Red Cross.
For current reports on the flooding that has hit so many areas in the country over the last few months visit UN OCHA Ethiopia.
To find out more about the latest humanitarian developments in Ethiopia visit the UN OCHA weekly bulletin site.
January 2007 – We've had more news about the devastation caused by the flooding in the Omo Valley. We have been keeping in touch with the three groups we filmed in the area to check how they are coping with the floods. More »
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Can Vegetarians save the world ?
A small town in Belgium has gone meat-free one day a week. A sign of things to come, says one food historian
For decades, environmental arguments against eating meat have been largely the preserve of vegetarian websites and magazines. Just two years ago it seemed inconceivable that significant numbers of western Europeans would be ready to down their steak knives and graze on vegetation for the sake of the planet. The rapidity with which this situation has changed is astonishing.
Ageing Britain series part one: Best places for retired people to live | UK news | The Observer
A dramatic 'age quake' is shaking Britain as the country grows older - for the first time ever, the number of people over 65 exceeds those under 16. Here, in the start of a new series looking at the profound financial, emotional and practical issues faced by a rising number of Britons, we report on the best places for retired people to live across the UK. Report by Tracy McVeigh
Ageing Britain series part one: Best places for retired people to live | UK news | The Observer
Saturday, 16 May 2009
Tourism In The Cairngorms, Scotland - SAC (Scottish Agricultural College)
The Cairngorms officially became Scotland’s second National Park in September 2003. As well as being a National Park, this area is also used by for a number of tourist activities.
The Cairngorm funicular is a means of transport, pulled by cables over a track bed, allowing visitor access from the car park area up the mountain plateau. It was designed primarily for winter sports enthusiasts (skiers and snow-boarders) to replace the outdated chairlift system, but is in use all year round. In summer, however, visitors are not allowed to leave the restaurant viewing platform area, due to the potential damage their walking would inflict on the fragile mountain environment and local ecosystem. Much controversy surrounded the granting of the permission for the development to take place, with heated conflicts between conservationists and the developers
Tourism In The Cairngorms, Scotland - SAC (Scottish Agricultural College)
Cairngorm Speyside Deer Management Group
Let me first explain what a Deer Management Group is. The deer herd in the Highlands is wild and largely unconfined by fencing. Therefore in different seasons and wind conditions, red deer will move across different grounds and estates. The traditional make up of highland estates has changed much in the last 30 years and so there will be many different ideas, or aims for land management. It is vital therefore that the different land managers speak to each other to co-ordinate and co-operate over their policy towards deer.
It is generally recognised that red deer, while being a vital wild resource and the source of significant employment opportunities, may be destructive, and some areas have to receive protection from them. Again the extent and severity of that protection has to be a topic that involves all land managers in the area.
Go to DEER management plan
The Cairngorms Campaign Scotland - Welcome to the Cairngorms Campaign
The Cairngorms Campaign is a membership organisation, welcoming individuals and groups as members who support its aims of protection and appreciation of the area.The Cairngorms Campaign strives to prevent unsustainable, damaging developments and argues for better management of the Cairngorms area. It works with landowners, managers, local authorities, government and agencies to this end.
The Cairngorms Campaign Scotland - Welcome to the Cairngorms Campaign
Building ban on second homes in Cairngorms - Times Online
WEALTHY outsiders are to be banned from building new holiday homes in the Cairngorms National Park under plans aimed at stopping rural communities from becoming tourist “ghost towns”. The park wants to restrict the sale of new housing within its 1,467-square-mile boundaries to people who live, work or have family links in the area. It means that outsiders will no longer be allowed to buy or build new housing for use as second homes or as holiday homes for rent. The Cairngorms is Britain’s largest national park, with a vast mountain wilderness at its heart. It encompasses large areas of the Highlands, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Angus and is home to 17,000 people and 25 per cent of Britain’s threatened species.
continued
Friday, 15 May 2009
Glenmore Lodge
We are Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre located in the heart of Cairngorms National Park. Learn, develop or qualify in an adventure sport of your choice. Our goal is to inspire adventure by teaching beginners, coaching intermediate/advanced and delivering training and assessment courses for leaders and instructors. Our role is as a national resource to the outdoor industry and community. Whether you are an individual, company, freelancer or offical body, we are here for you.
Adventure Activity Courses Holidays Scotland UK | National Outdoor Training Centre | Glenmore Lodge
Sport Scotland
We are the national agency for sport in Scotland. We put sport first.
We passionately believe in the benefits of sport, from the enjoyment and sense of achievement that participation brings, to the shared pride that national success generates.
We believe that sport makes a unique contribution to life in Scotland, helping to make us a wealthier, fairer, smarter, healthier, greener, safer and stronger nation.
Our mission is to encourage everyone in Scotland to discover and develop their own sporting experience, helping to increase participation and improve performances in Scottish sport.
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Future of the Cairngorms
The Cairngorms are Britain's premier mountain range. Their scale, their altitude, and their value as wilderness country - for recreation and for nature conservation - are without equal in these islands. They stand near the centre of Scotland, between the straths of the rivers Dee and Spey.
Transboundary Aquifers of the World - Isarm
PDF map available for downloading
The map is about Transboundary Aquifers (TBAs). It shows the present state of information regarding the occurrence and extent of TBAs world-wide. The intention of the map is to provide a global overview of these important shared water resources and to encourage their further assessment. The back of the map contains an introduction to a methodology for assessment of TBAs
Lake Powell, Utah : Image of the Day
In southern Utah, the Colorado River, halted by Arizona’s Glen Canyon Dam, creates Lake Powell, a meandering, narrow reservoir that follows the contours of the river. In the early twenty-first century, this modern marvel of engineering faced an ancient enemy: severe, prolonged drought in the American Southwest. Combined with water withdrawals that many believe are not sustainable, the drought has taken its toll on Lake Powell water levels.
Sunday, 10 May 2009
BBC News Player - Park resort plan considered
VIDEO
A major development centred around a holiday resort is to be considered by Cairngorms National Park Authority's planning committee.
Friday, 8 May 2009
Monster Wave
A huge ocean wave has been filmed from beneath the surface, revealing features never before captured on camera.
The remarkable video, which will be shown as part of the BBC Natural History Unit's new series South Pacific, was filmed in super slow motion using a high-definition camera.
Thursday, 7 May 2009
Ramsar
Wetlands are among the world's most productive environments. They are cradles of biological diversity, providing the water and primary productivity upon which large numbers of plant and animal species depend for survival. They are also important locations of plant genetic diversity and support large numbers of bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian, fish and invertebrate species. Wetlands provide tremendous economic benefits through their role in supporting fisheries, agriculture and tourism, and through much of the world they have a crucial role as a source of clean water for dependant human populations. Unfortunately they are also among the world's most threatened ecosystems, owing mainly to continued drainage, pollution, over-exploitation or other unsustainable uses of their resources.
The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention or Wetlands Convention) was adopted in Ramsar, Iran in February 1971 and entered into force in December 1975. The Convention covers all aspects of wetland conservation and wise use. The Convention has three main 'pillars' of activity: the designation of wetlands of international importance as Ramsar sites; the promotion of the wise-use of all wetlands in the territory of each country; and international co-operation with other countries to further the wise-use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention's Contracting Parties have assumed a wide range of related obligations. Current details of Contracting Parties to the Convention, and the number and extent of Ramsar sites designated globally, are available on the Ramsar website http://www.ramsar.org/.
Environment - Nature & Biodiversity
Natura 2000 is the centrepiece of EU nature & biodiversity policy. It is an EUwide network of nature protection areas established under the 1992 Habitats Directive. The aim of the network is to assure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats. It is comprised of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designated by Member States under the Habitats Directive, and also incorporates Special Protection Areas (SPAs) which they designate under the 1979 Birds Directive. Natura 2000 is not a system of strict nature reserves where all human activities are excluded. Whereas the network will certainly include nature reserves most of the land is likely to continue to be privately owned and the emphasis will be on ensuring that future management is sustainable, both ecologically and economically.The establishment of theis network of protected areas also fulfils a Community obligation under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
Natura 2000 applies to Birds Sites and to Habitats Sites, which are divided into biogeographical regions. It also applies to the marine environment.
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Confronting a World Freshwater Crisis: In-Depth Reports
Features
Top 10 Water Wasters: From Washing Dishes to Watering the Desert
The many ways we squander water, from unintentional leaks to outright negligence
Slide Show
A Six-Point Plan to Avert a Global Freshwater Crisis
Policymakers need to figure out how to supply water without degrading the natural ecosystems that provide it.
Ask the Experts
Why don't we get our drinking water from the ocean by taking the salt out of seawater?
Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute, distills an answer
Features
Freshwater Conservation: Drip by Drip
Doing small things consistently over time—if enough people participate—can make a dent, even in a global problem. Here are a few suggestions:
Features
Get Involved in Freshwater Conservation
To find out more about your local water situation, check in with your local water authority
Map
Freshwater Crisis Map: Current Situation
Lots of Water, but Not Always Where It Is Needed
Map
Freshwater Crisis Map: Looming Shortages
Models examining the effects of climate change and of population and economic growth on water availability by 2025 indicate that climate change alone will bring scarcity to many places.
Palm oil
It's an invisible ingredient, really, palm oil. You won't find it listed on your margarine, your bread, your biscuits or your KitKat. It's there though, under "vegetable oil". And its impact, 7,000 miles away, is very visible indeed.
The wildlife-rich forests of Indonesia and Malaysia are being chain-sawed to make way for palm-oil plantations. Thirty square miles are felled daily in a burst of habitat destruction that is taking place on a scale and speed almost unimaginable in the West.
When the rainforests disappear almost all of the wildlife – including the orangutans, tigers, sun bears, bearded pigs and other endangered species – and indigenous people go. In their place come palm-oil plantations stretching for mile after mile, producing cheap oil – the cheapest cooking oil in the world – for everyday food.
Rothiemurchus, Aviemore
Rothiemurchus is a special place at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, near Aviemore, in the Scottish Highlands. It offers a warm welcome, stunning scenery and outdoor activities for individuals, families, groups and corporate parties to enjoy.
Rothiemurchus, Aviemore, Scotland for Walking, Outdoor Activities, Camping and Shopping
Protecting nature and the economy
Grantown Grammar School in the Highlands is next to Cairngorms National Park. School Reporters investigate if it is possible to protect both nature and local peoples' livelihoods.
VIDEO
BBC NEWS | School Report | Protecting nature and the economy
Monday, 4 May 2009
Essentials of Geology : Chapter 18 : Animations
Glacial advance and retreat is determined by the balance between the accumulation of snow and the removal of ice by sublimation, melting, and calving (ablation). When the rate of ablation below the snowline equals the rate of accumulation above it, the glacier is stationary, as in View 1. During glacial retreat, View 2, the rate of ablation exceeds the rate of accumulation, and the position of the toe retreats toward the origin of the glacier. Glacial advance, View 3, occurs when the rate of accumulation exceeds the rate of ablation. For all views, pay attention to the motion of the stones. Note that in all cases, ice flows downhill.
ANIMATIONS
Cairngorm Landscapes
The Cairngorms form some of the most cherished scenery of the Scottish Highlands. These are granite hills - the Cairngorm Granite intrusion is one of the largest in the British Isles and displays fine examples of classic granite landforms. The Cairngorms is equally a glacially-shaped terrain that exhibits splendid corries, over-deepened valleys and roches moutonnées. The mountains provide a world-class example of a landscape of selective linear glacial erosion. Here glacial erosion has been concentrated in the glens whilst the adjacent plateau has been left largely untouched by the passage of ice. The magnificent natural sculptures of the summit tors include features over half a million years old. The Cairngorms includes the largest area of high ground in Britain. The climate of the high tops is as severe as in arctic regions and a range of cold-climate landforms are developed, reflecting the central importance of frost action both now and in the past. Much scenery-shaping activity continues today, under the savage impact of avalanches, wind storms and floods and the unseen but relentless onslaught of weathering and erosion
Braemar Guide
Braemar, or Braigh Mharr in Gaelic (which finally died out locally as a spoken language about 1900), is not only redolent with Scottish history, but is a land of superlatives. It is the highest and most mountainous parish in the UK, with each of its 182,000 acres being more than 1000ft above sea level (the Post office, in the village centre, is at 1110ft).
The area contains within its borders some 24 Munros, or mountains of over 3,000ft, with three over 4,000ft. It is also the only parish in the country to border with four of the old counties (Banffshire, Inverness-shire, Perthshire and Angus). It has the highest 18-hole golf course in the country, and shares with Perthshire the Cairnwell Pass, at 2,100ft the highest through road in the country, which on the Braemar side passes through the Glenshee Ski Centre.
![Cairngorms Chamber of Commerce home page [Alt+1]](http://www.cairngormschamber.com/images/ccc_homelogo.jpg "Cairngorms Chamber of Commerce home page [Alt+1]")
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Nevis Range Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland
Aonach Mor is a 4006ft mountain that is best described as "the next but one along" from Ben Nevis when seen from the north or north west. When combined with its slightly higher southern neighbour Aonach Beag it makes an excellent hillwalking expedition.
Since its construction in 1989 the northern slopes of Aonach Mor have become much better known as the home to Nevis Range. A mountain gondola whisks visitors from a base station just off the A82 midway between Fort William and Spean Bridge. The gondola's top station lies at a height of 655m or 2150ft, where you find a range of facilities including the Snowgoose Restaurant.
Saturday, 2 May 2009
Glenshee Ski Centre
Glenshee Ski Centre offers the UK's most extensive skiing and snowboarding facilities - we hope you will enjoy our mountains of adventure.Glenshee's impressive 20 lifts and 36 runs offer an amazing diversity of natural terrain for all standards of skiers and snowboarders.
There are lots of options to choose from - you can join a class, go private, hire an instructor for your group, get into race training or simply take advantage of one of our great value package deals.
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