Monday, 24 November 2008

Bristol URBAN Programme - Introduction

The Bristol URBAN Programme is a community-led initiative to encourage and support local residents to regenerate the area where they live.

The URBAN area covers a population of over 17,000 residents in the wards of Ashley, parts of Easton and Lawrence Hill as shown on the area map. It includes St Pauls, St Werburghs, St Agnes, Barton Hill, Redcliffe, Old Market and parts of Easton.

The Programme's focus has been to improve the training and employment prospects of the local community, by increasing empowerment, participation and wealth and enhance the impact of existing regeneration programmes.

Bristol URBAN Programme - Introduction

London Profiler

London Profiler

Welcome to the NEW London Profiler website!
Here you can visualise your neighbourhood's profile using different area classifications through the Google Map interface.

London Profiler

Where a baby girl is a mother's awful shame

Munni (left of picture) and Rekha in Bawana on the outskirts of Delhi

Over the past 20 years in India, 10 million female babies have been aborted. The pressure to have sons is terrifying - mothers who bear daughters are beaten or cast aside by husbands and in-laws desperate to escape the financial burden of a girl's dowry. Now mothers are being urged to 'save the girl child' as the country tries to end decades of tragic abuse

Where a baby girl is a mother's awful shame World news The Observer

Saturday, 22 November 2008

Store is the Core | Helping Village Shops Thrive

Store is the Core

STORE IS THE CORE is an advisory and grant programme designed to help sustain existing village shops and to encourage the development of community owned shops in the South West of England

Home Store is the Core Helping Village Shops Thrive

Rural Shops Alliance

The RSA is an alliance of key suppliers, authorities
and other organisations, working for and on behalf of independent
village shops across the country

home

Rich countries launch great land grab to safeguard food supply

Rich governments and corporations are triggering alarm for the poor as they buy up the rights to millions of hectares of agricultural land in developing countries in an effort to secure their own long-term food supplies.

The head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, Jacques Diouf, has warned that the controversial rise in land deals could create a form of "neo-colonialism", with poor states producing food for the rich at the expense of their own hungry people

Rich countries launch great land grab to safeguard food supply Environment The Guardian

Wednesday, 19 November 2008

UK net immigration up to 237,000

Shoppers in London

Net immigration to the UK increased to 237,000 in 2007, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That is 46,000 more than in 2006 - as a result of emigration falling faster than immigration.

BBC NEWS Politics UK net immigration up to 237,000

Deforestation in Mato Grosso, Brazil

1992 Deforestation in Mato Grosso, Brazil

2006

Deforestation in Mato Grosso, Brazil

Deforestation in Mato Grosso, Brazil : Image of the Day

Community First

Community First Logo

Community First is a charity that works at the forefront of community development to help improve the quality of life and economic well being of people and local communities throughout Wiltshire and Swindon.
We work in close partnership with local grass roots communities, voluntary organisations, statutory agencies and funders to help develop and deliver wide ranging community programmes that bring social, economic and environmental benefits to local people in Wiltshire and Swindon.

Village Shops

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

actnow broadband Cornwall

actnow broadband Cornwall - Broadband Cornwall

Led by Cornwall Enterprise, actnow is a not-for-profit partnership project dedicated to accelerating economic growth and social inclusion in Cornwall through the use of the Internet and ICT.

Home - actnow broadband Cornwall - ensuring that wherever businesses are in Cornwall, they have access to broadband

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)

Logo : Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd ś nan Eilean

HIE is the Scottish Government's economic development agency for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. We work with private businesses and enterprising public and third sector organisations to build sustainable economic growth across a diverse and beautiful region, from Shetland to Argyll and from the Outer Hebrides to Moray. We are committed to developing the Highlands and Islands as a competitive region which is home to strong communities, successful, high growth businesses and excellent quality of life.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)

UNDP | H2O Knowledge Fair

H2OLogo

About the fair
Sound water governance is one of the key challenges facing our world in the 21st century. UNDP has organized this virtual exhibition to enable experts and practitioners to share best practices and solutions.

NDP H2O Knowledge Fair

WaterAid UK site

WaterAid

WaterAid UK site

Regeneration and Renewal

This page describes regeneration and renewal activities by the various agencies in West Cornwall

Regeneration and Renewal

Saturday, 15 November 2008

Loading up Amazon.com this Christmas

Amazon's conveyor belt at its Swansea warehouse

Ten years ago, Amazon started selling books. Today, in the UK alone, it is receiving nearly 1m orders a day, having transformed itself into a giant online shopping mall. It is now challenging all the major high street chains for the title of Britain's biggest retailer, shipping millions of items at rock-bottom prices.

Earlier this year it opened one of Europe's largest warehouses in Swansea, 60% bigger than its existing monster-sized distribution centre in Milton Keynes. But already the firm is seeking a site for another huge warehouse as it anticipates sales growth of at least 15%. Other retailers are mired in gloom as consumer spending is hit by the credit crunch. But not Amazon - it is already tooling up for its next big move, with the launch early next year of a low-cost, music download service that could rival Apple iTunes

Loading up Amazon.com this Christmas Money The Guardian

The climate system

image

INTERACTIVE animation of CLIMATE

Good Global Circulation Model

The climate system

Atlas of hidden water

The atlas showing the aquifers of the world may help to provide a legal framework for nations to manage water resources (Image: UNESCO)

What the UNESCO map reveals is just how many aquifers cross international borders. So far, the organisation has identified 273 trans-boundary aquifers: 68 in the Americas, 38 in Africa, 155 in Eastern and Western Europe and 12 in Asia.

Each trans-boundary aquifer holds the potential for international conflict - if two countries share an aquifer, pumping in one country will affect its neighbour's water supply.

Atlas of hidden water may avert future conflict - environment - 24 October 2008 - New Scientist

GLOBALISATION is good

Sunday, 9 November 2008

Games Monitor | debunking Olympics myths

London 2012 on Flickr

Games Monitor is a network of people raising awareness about issues within the 2012 London Olympic development processes.

This site provides information from the press and local sources. Support us by contributing articles and comments, and join our discussion forum.

Games Monitor debunking Olympics myths

Friday, 7 November 2008

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Mud eruption 'caused by drilling'

Lusi

The eruption of the Lusi mud volcano in Indonesia was caused by drilling for oil and gas, a meeting of 74 leading geologists has concluded.

Lusi erupted in May 2006 and continues to spew out boiling mud, displacing around 30,000 people in East Java.

Drilling firm Lapindo Brantas denies a nearby well was the trigger, blaming an earthquake 280km (174 miles) away.

Around 10,000 families who have lost their homes are awaiting compensation, which could run as high as $70m (£43m).

BBC NEWS Science & Environment Mud eruption 'caused by drilling'

Zerofootprint: Footprint Calculator

Zerofootprint: Footprint Calculator

Thursday, 6 November 2008

The Great Southern California ShakeOut

The Great Southern California ShakeOut

The Great Southern California ShakeOut

At 10 a.m. on November 13, join millions of people throughout Southern California in the ShakeOut Drill, the largest earthquake preparedness activity in U.S. history! Please register today.

The Great Southern California ShakeOut

Wednesday, 5 November 2008

Prince of Wales hosts rural revival seminar at Highgrove – 28 March 2003

Shropshire Hills AONB.  © Natural England/David Woodfall

Three Rural Revival projects in Yorkshire, Cumbria and Cornwall, aimed at tackling the real but often hidden areas of disadvantage facing rural communities, are the focus of a Seminar hosted by The Prince of Wales at Highgrove House today: 28 March.

Prince of Wales hosts rural revival seminar at Highgrove – 28 March 2003

Tuesday, 4 November 2008

UK: without a bank account - The Poverty Site

The Poverty Site

This site monitors what is happening to poverty and social exclusion in the UK and complements our annual monitoring reports. The material is organised around 50 statistical indicators covering all aspects of the subject, from income and work to health and education.

The indicators and graphs can be viewed by age group or by subject using the menu on the left.

UK: without a bank account - The Poverty Site

Rural Communities Database

 Commission for Rural Communities

1. Click on the south west region

Search by region

2. Choose Wiltshire

3. Choose a project

Rural Communities Database

Sustainable Communities Wheel

 Sustainable Communities Wheel

egan wheel

Play Your Part : Section 1 : Sustainable Communities Wheel

The English Indices of Deprivation 2007

 The English Indices of Deprivation 2007

FREE download

The English Indices of Deprivation 2007 - Communities and neighbourhoods - Communities and Local Government

Monday, 3 November 2008

Inside a DR Congo refugee camp

The UN says it has credible reports that some camps sheltering 50,000 displaced people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have been destroyed.

Aid groups say they are struggling to reach an estimated 250,000 people in the region fleeing fierce fighting between government and rebel forces.

These images show displaced people in a camp in Kibati, in the east of the country.

BBC NEWS World Africa Inside a DR Congo refugee camp

Agroforestry

Agroforestry is the deliberate incorporation of trees and other woody species of plants into other types of agricultural activities. By definition the use of woody species must result in the enhancement of either the biological productivity or the economic return of the system, or both. There are many types of agroforestry, which are usually defined by what type of agricultural activity is involved, but this can be a very broad definition and includes what we normally think of as agriculture (agroforestry), but also other combinations such as livestock production (sylvo-pastoral agroforestry) and even aquaculture (sylvo-aqua agroforestry). Even more complicated versions are possible such as agricultural systems that incorporate livestock, trees and aquaculture (sylvo-pastoral-aqua agroforestry).

eif week 78

EarthPortal » Archive » EIF Week 78 - Agroforestry

Our plans: ParkCams - London 2012

Stadium close

These are the latest webcam images taken of the Olympic Park site by our six ParkCams. The ParkCams will be showing progress taking place on the Park and will record images throughout the day and night

Our plans: ParkCams - London 2012

Homeward Bound - East European Migrants

We've all heard of the Lithuanian cleaners, Polish builders and Portuguese fruit pickers who came over to fill vacancies when the economy was booming.

Now that it looks like we're heading into a recession, some of them are packing up and heading home.

BBC Radio Five Live - 5 live Breakfast

The Games thrilled. Now it's 'whatever'

Plans to scale back spending on the 2012 London Olympics is already losing the support of locals

Nick Mathiason: The Games thrilled. Now it's 'whatever' Comment is free The Observer

Friday, 24 October 2008

BGR Global groundwater maps

Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (Link to homepage)

During the past decades the interest in groundwater increased considerably due to water shortage problems on local, regional and even global levels. The use of groundwater is considered as an appropriate way out of regional water crises caused by population growth and economic development but the knowledge of this hidden resource is still weak in many places and investments in groundwater management and protection are insufficient.

In order to contribute to the world-wide efforts to better study, manage and protect freshwater resources the World-wide Hydrogeological Mapping and Assessment Programme (WHYMAP) was launched in 1999.

BGR Global groundwater maps

The world in virtual reality, VR city maps. 360 Cities

View the world in interactive, high resolution panoramic photography

The world in virtual reality, VR city maps. 360 Cities. Prague, Moscow, Vancouver, Venice, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Vienna, Taipei, Seoul, L.A., Egypt, and many more....

SHOW®/WORLD - A New Way To Look At The World

Interactive maps

People

Planet

Business

Politics

Living

SHOW®/WORLD - A New Way To Look At The World

Wealth gap creating a social time bomb | World news | The Guardian

megacities

Growing inequality in US cities could lead to widespread social unrest and increased mortality, says a new United Nations report on the urban environment.

In a survey of 120 major cities, New York was found to be the ninth most unequal in the world and Atlanta, New Orleans, Washington, and Miami had similar inequality levels to those of Nairobi, Kenya Abidjan and Ivory Coast. Many were above an internationally recognised acceptable "alert" line used to warn governments.

Wealth gap creating a social time bomb World news The Guardian

Wednesday, 22 October 2008

BBC NEWS | England | Manchester | Manchester 'setting an example'

No. 1 Deansgate - (c) Freefoto.com

The regeneration of Manchester is an example to the rest of the country, the head of the Urban Task Force Lord Rogers has said.

BBC NEWS England Manchester Manchester 'setting an example'

BBC NEWS | Politics | 'Gated' community warning

Newcastle Quayside

The growth of US-style "gated" communities threatens to divide Britain's cities into rich and poor ghettos, a report has warned.

BBC NEWS Politics 'Gated' community warning

BBC News | UK | Report attacks 'polarised' Bradford

BMW car showroom in Manningham

A report by the former head of the Commission for Racial Equality will attack the polarisation of communities along racial and religious lines in Bradford, the BBC has learned.

BBC News UK Report attacks 'polarised' Bradford

Find NHS Services

Go the NHS Choices homepage

Find Services
This area allows you to find telephone numbers and details for all the health services in your area. It brings together everything from GPs to gyms.

Find NHS Services – Find your local GP / Doctor, Dentist, Pharmacy, Optician, Hospital, PCT, NHS Trust, NHS Walk in Centre, Stop Smoking Service

Active Places

This website allows you to search for sports facilities any where in England by a number of different ways. You can browse an interactive map of the country, search for facilities in your local area, use the name and address of a specific facility to find out more information. Please be aware that this is the first stage in an ambitious project - we have collected information on over 50,000 facilities already. Currently we hold the locations and details for eleven different facility types, and this information is being constantly checked. If the facility type you require isn’t part of the site yet please bear with us. We will introduce other facility types at later date but can only collect so much information at once.

Active Places

Tuesday, 21 October 2008

BBC NEWS | UK | Rich and poor gap 'narrows' in UK

A man and a woman walking with a child

The gap between rich and poor in the UK has decreased since 2000, an international survey has concluded.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) says the decline in inequality in Britain has been "remarkable".

BBC NEWS UK Rich and poor gap 'narrows' in UK

Sunday, 19 October 2008

geography map games : home

Geo quizz : geography map : find the countries

geography map games : home

Wednesday, 15 October 2008

Thursday, 9 October 2008

Tuesday, 7 October 2008

chris jordan photography

IMAGES

chris jordan photography

Travel Pod nowledge of world cities

GAME to test world map knowledge

http://www.minijuegosgratis.com/juegos/hwdykyworld/hwdykyworld.html?fdef=85b4

Saturday, 4 October 2008

Educational Software from Owl & Mouse

INTERACTIVE games using world maps

world-map

Educational Software from Owl & Mouse

Monday, 29 September 2008

Through My Eyes

Through My Eyes

Read about the impact of being uprooted from home and family, of encountering the violence of conflict, of the desire to help, and the fight to build a new life.

Through My Eyes

Thursday, 25 September 2008

National Trust Names

search for a surname

Do you know where your surname comes from, or how many people you share it with? To find out more about your history, click on 'Search for a Surname'.

Welcome to the National Trust Names. website which presents the findings of a project based at University College London (UCL) that is investigating the distribution of surnames in Great Britain, both current and historic. It allows users to search the databases that we have created, and to trace the geography and history of their family names

National Trust Names

Sunday, 21 September 2008

Wednesday, 17 September 2008

A2 Climate Animations

Hadley cell profile, ITCZ, Pressure, Precipitation on a world map

slider allows different months to be chosen

http://daphne.palomar.edu/pdeen/Animations/23_WeatherPat.swf

http://www.wereldorientatie.net/SWF/Het%20klimaat.swf

Globe based on North and South America

Idealized Hadley cell, Tropical and midtropical components, High Latitude components, Upper atmosphere flow

Tuesday, 16 September 2008

How our villages are fighting to stay alive | UK news | The Observer

Rural communities across the UK are suffering as schools, banks, post offices, pubs and GP surgeries close. New research by The Observer reveals that more and more villages are at risk as rural life is eroded. Radical action is needed to reverse the terminal decline

95 per cent of village halls are struggling to stay open

27 village pubs are closing a week

800 village shops are shutting each year

400 garages and filling stations are closing each year

100+ churches of all denominations are closing each year

7 rural schools are shutting annually

90 cottage hospitals are under threat

How our villages are fighting to stay alive UK news The Observer