Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Monday, 28 December 2009
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Why Britain faces a bleak future of food shortages
Britain faces a 'perfect storm' of water shortage and lack of food, says the government's chief scientist, and climate change and crop and animal diseases will add to future woes. Science is now striving to find solutions
Why Britain faces a bleak future of food shortages | Science | The Observer
Monday, 14 December 2009
Weather satellite images
Sat24.com provides realtime satellite images. The images provide an excellent view on the clouds in the sky and an indication of the meteo weather over the European continent.
The website provides for a specific zoom for countries and regions like France , Germany , Netherlands , Spain , Sweden and Scandinavia, the UK , Italia , Greece , etc.
Sunday, 13 December 2009
1st World Ranking of Clean Energy Technology (CET) Sales — CET to Become 3rd Largest Global Sales Sector by 2020 : CleanTechnica
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) just released a comprehensive global report, and the first country by country ranking, of clean energy technology sales.
The clean energy sector is on the verge of becoming the third largest sector in the world now. The report — Clean Economy, Living Planet - Building Strong Clean Energy Technology Industries — finds that Denmark is currently the leading country in clean energy sales (relative to GDP), Brazil is second and Germany is third (the top three in absolute terms are Germany, the US and Japan).
Interactive: Voices from the edge of climate change
Thousands of negotiators, politicians and activists are discussing the climate change deal in Copenhagen this week - but what about those already at the sharp end? Click on the individuals to read their stories with stunning images
Interactive: Voices from the edge of climate change | Environment | guardian.co.uk
China struggles to treat youth net addicts
After Li Congcong’s parents stopped him going to an internet café, the 17-year-old poured pesticide into some cabbage soup. His mother and father were dead within hours after lunch. Mr Li will be more than 30 when he is released from prison.
His story is just one of 30 chilling tales told in Who Took Our Children?, a documentary that recently started showing in Jiyuan, Mr Li’s hometown in the central Chinese province of Henan.
FT.com / China / Society & People - China struggles to treat youth net addicts
Why Britain faces a bleak future of food shortages | Science | The Observer
Britain faces a 'perfect storm' of water shortage and lack of food, says the government's chief scientist, and climate change and crop and animal diseases will add to future woes. Science is now striving to find solutions
Why Britain faces a bleak future of food shortages | Science | The Observer
Thursday, 10 December 2009
'Rare earth'
Could a shortage of mud and minerals, essential to low carbon technologies, curtail the world's plans for a green future?The key to a low carbon future is not negotiations in Copenhagen but mud and minerals in China. All low carbon technologies, from wind turbines to electric cars and low energy lightbulbs, use elements known as 'rare earths'. And 95 per cent of these are found in China. Earlier this year the Chinese decided to restrict export of these essential metals and minerals and now a shortage is predicted which could effect the development of green technologies.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/paulmason/2009/11/rare_earth_the_new_great_game.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8097845.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/8097931.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8366694.stm
'Rare earth' shortage threatens green revolution - Channel 4 News
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Met Office figures confirm noughties as warmest decade in recorded history | Environment | guardian.co.uk
The past 10 years have been the warmest in recorded history, according to the UK Met Office.
Figures released today at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen show that despite 1998 being the warmest year on record, the noughties has been the warmest decade recorded in 160 years.
The Met Office also released the raw data from around 1,500 global monitoring stations in an effort to satisfy critics who have demanded that researchers be more transparent with their data in the wake of the email hacking row at the University of East Anglia.
Met Office figures confirm noughties as warmest decade in recorded history | Environment | guardian.co.uk
Monday, 7 December 2009
Big break for Fairtrade as Kit Kat receives certification | Environment | The Guardian
The UK's best-selling chocolate biscuit bar, Kit Kat, is to receive ethical certification through the Fairtrade quality mark, it will be announced today.
After lengthy talks between the UK arm of the Swiss food giant Nestlé and the Fairtrade Foundation, the familiar blue and green logo will appear on the wrappers of Kit Kats in the UK and Ireland from January. Initially the certification will only apply to the larger four-finger Kit Kats but it will be extended to the smaller bars.
Big break for Fairtrade as Kit Kat receives certification | Environment | The Guardian
The arguments made by climate change sceptics
A
But some commentators are unconvinced that rising greenhouse gas emissions are the cause of modern-day warming. Or they say the world is not actually getting warmer - or that a new treaty would hurt economic growth and well-being.
So what are their arguments, and how are they countered by scientists who assert that greenhouse gases, produced by human activity, are the cause of modern-day climate change?
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
In response to the urgent and pressing global call for sustainably produced palm oil, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was formed in 2004 with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders.
The seat of the association is in Zurich, Switzerland, while the secretariat is currently based in Kuala Lumpur with a satellite office in Jakarta.
RSPO is a not-for-profit association that unites stakeholders from seven sectors of the palm oil industry - oil palm producers, palm oil processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation NGOs and social or developmental NGOs - to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil.
Copenhagen summit: How climate change will shape these lives | Environment | The Observer
These five babies, all born in the last month, will face different challenges on different continents as they grow up, but they have one thing in common, writes Robin McKie. Their fate as adults will be dominated by the shifting weather patterns their parents are starting to confront
Copenhagen summit: How climate change will shape these lives | Environment | The Observer
Copenhagen
Key Players
IPCC
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was established by the UN in 1988 to provide authoritative assessments of the latest climate change science. Its reports, which are compiled and reviewed by thousands of leading scientists, have provided the basis for international efforts to combat global warming by reducing carbon emissions. The IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore, but critics claim that the panel's structure and origins predispose it to blame global warming on man's actions.
UNFCCC
More than 190 counties have now signed up to the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change, a treaty drawn up at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The agreement, which laid the ground for legally-binding targets adopted in Kyoto five years later, has also given rise to a permanent UN body of the same name, which coordinates countries' efforts to reduce emissions.
G77
An alliance of 130 developing nations including China and India. The G77 lobbies for the developed world to accept a greater share of the burden for fighting climate change, arguing that strict emission restrictions will hamper the economic growth of poorer nations. It has threatened to scupper any deal at Copenhagen unless the US agrees to meet tough CO2 targets.
LDCF
The Least Developed Countries Fund provides financial support for countries – mainly in Africa – that are deemed most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. It funds projects to help communities to adapt to threats such as flooding
MEF
Britain is one of 17 members of the Major Economies Forum, a group of the world's largest polluters established by President Barack Obama earlier this year. Intended to foster discussions rather than produce firm agreements, its first communiqué in July offered little policy detail.
IPCC
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was established by the UN in 1988 to provide authoritative assessments of the latest climate change science. Its reports, which are compiled and reviewed by thousands of leading scientists, have provided the basis for international efforts to combat global warming by reducing carbon emissions. The IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore, but critics claim that the panel's structure and origins predispose it to blame global warming on man's actions.
UNFCCC
More than 190 counties have now signed up to the UN's Framework Convention on Climate Change, a treaty drawn up at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The agreement, which laid the ground for legally-binding targets adopted in Kyoto five years later, has also given rise to a permanent UN body of the same name, which coordinates countries' efforts to reduce emissions.
G77
An alliance of 130 developing nations including China and India. The G77 lobbies for the developed world to accept a greater share of the burden for fighting climate change, arguing that strict emission restrictions will hamper the economic growth of poorer nations. It has threatened to scupper any deal at Copenhagen unless the US agrees to meet tough CO2 targets.
LDCF
The Least Developed Countries Fund provides financial support for countries – mainly in Africa – that are deemed most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. It funds projects to help communities to adapt to threats such as flooding
MEF
Britain is one of 17 members of the Major Economies Forum, a group of the world's largest polluters established by President Barack Obama earlier this year. Intended to foster discussions rather than produce firm agreements, its first communiqué in July offered little policy detail.
Global Flood Map
Use the interactive map by entering in any number of inches – the map will show what areas would be flooded or at risk and the left side bar will display the number of people displaced. Click on individual points for current elevation, elevation after sea level rise, and the number and percentage of people losing homes. Global Flood Map uses NASA satellite data to show the areas of the world under water and at risk for flooding if ocean levels rise. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), sea levels have been rising about 3 mm per year since 1993 – totaling a 200 mm increase (7.87 inches) in global averaged sea level since 1870.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Sunday, 29 November 2009
World Cup 2010 Football to footprints: World Cup's carbon impact
Africa's first football World Cup will generate 2.75m tonnes of carbon emissions, one of the biggest environmental impacts of any sporting event in history, a study has found.
The finals in South Africa next year are expected to have a carbon footprint eight times that of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, even before long-haul international travel is taken into account.
The main reasons for the discrepancy are the vast distances between South Africa's host cities and the lack of a green transport infrastructure.
The estimated output from South Africa is 896,661 tonnes of carbon dioxide, according to the optimistically entitled Feasibility Study for a Carbon Neutral 2010 Fifa World Cup, commissioned jointly by the South African and Norwegian governments. Another 1,856,589 tonnes will result from fans travelling from around the world, making the World Cup's footprint the biggest of any major event aiming to be "climate neutral", the report said.
Football to footprints: World Cup's carbon impact | Environment | The Guardian
Watch your waste during the season of overindulgence | Money | The Observer
Christmas contributes a hefty whack to that sum. Families spend £182m on Christmas lunch or dinner, and increase their grocery spend by about 20% in the Christmas period, according to market researchers Nielson. Households (including families) spend £63m on turkey, £31m on stilton and cheddar, £15m on Christmas pudding, £14m on Christmas cake and £124m on bacon and sausages.
Watch your waste during the season of overindulgence | Money | The Observer
'I want an education. I want to change my life' | Katine | The Observer
Looking back, Simon identifies two catastrophic moments that conspired to ruin his academic prospects. The first was in 2002 when his father abandoned the family home, never to return, leaving a pregnant wife and eight children.
The second was when his uncle, who sponsored him through school after his father's disappearance, unexpectedly announced that he could no longer afford to pay the fees, forcing Simon to give up his education. Since that day two years ago he has stayed at home (a huddle of four thatched mud-brick huts), helping to tend the family's fields. He is educated enough to feel frustrated by his fate, but not sufficiently qualified to have many other options for the future.
Christmas appeal 2009: 'I want an education. I want to change my life' | Katine | The Observer
CumbriaFloods Nov 2009 « GeogBlog@IoE
Emergency rescue workers wade through a flooded street in Cockermouth, in north-west England. Photo source: AFP
Thanks to Dave Rayner for this set of very useful links
http://geogblogatioe.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/lake-district-floods-nov-2009/
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Cumbria Floods 2009- How the heaviest rainfall happened
In the hours before floods swept through Cumbria, the heaviest rain ever recorded in Britain fell on a hamlet in the county. Philip Eden unpicks the unique combination of factors which made this happen.
1. A 'conveyor' of warm, very moist sub-tropical air was carried towards Britain from south of the Azores
2. When this mass of warm air - which holds more moisture than cold air - was blown by high winds over Cumbria's mountains it cooled, allowing the moisture to condense as heavy rain
3. What made matters worse was that the weather system, which extended south-west from Britain for thousands of miles into the Atlantic, got stuck over the hills of Cumbria and southern Scotland
4. The falling heavy rain entered the region's rivers, which were forced to carry exceptionally high water loads
5. This led to significant flooding, especially at their confluences, such as in Cockermouth
Rising sea levels hit Maputo, Rotterdam
When people talk about the impact of rising sea levels, they often think of small island states that risk being submerged if global warming continues unchecked.
But it's not only those on low-lying islands who are in danger. Millions of people live by the sea - and are dependent on it for their livelihoods - and many of the world's largest cities are on the coast.
By 2050 the number of people living in delta cities is set to increase by as much as 70%, experts suggest, vastly increasing the number of those at risk.
To shed light the impact of rising sea levels, we are taking a close look at two very different cities, Rotterdam and Maputo , and their varying responses to the problem.
BBC News - Climate change: Rising sea levels hit Maputo, Rotterdam
The Olympic Park View Tube
Map http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgeezer/4110866504/
In Pictures: The Olympic Park View Tube - Londonist
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Hurricane Katrina: It was not an act of God - Americas, World - The Independent
The Corps – which is responsible for the design and upkeep of the levees surrounding New Orleans – had argued that Katrina was a once in a 100-year storm, an act of God, that had overwhelmed its hi-tech flood protection system. However, Judge Stanwood Duval Jr brought the debate back down to earth, blaming authorities for "negligence" in a strongly worded ruling that accused the Corps of "insouciance, myopia and short-sightedness".
Hurricane Katrina: It was not an act of God - Americas, World - The Independent
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Top 100 Tools for Learning 2009
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Japan's hi-tech bid to boost food
Japan is only growing 40% of its food needs, leaving it dependent on imports. In an effort to combat the problem, a Japanese company is experimenting with a "hi-tech" approach to farming.
BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Japan's hi-tech bid to boost food
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Brazil celebrates 45% reduction in Amazon deforestation | Environment | The Guardian
The Brazilian government yesterday announced a "historic" drop in the deforestation of the Amazon, weeks before world leaders meet in Copenhagen for climate change talks.
Brazilian authorities said that between August 2008 and July this year, deforestation in the world's largest tropical rainforest fell by the largest amount in more than 20 years, dropping by 45% from nearly 13,000 square kilometres to around 7,000 square kilometres (5,000 square miles to 2,700 square miles).
Brazil celebrates 45% reduction in Amazon deforestation | Environment | The Guardian
Green belt threat to 27 towns and cities revealed - Telegraph
An analysis by The Sunday Telegraph has identified twenty-seven towns and cities which have been chosen by Whitehall planners as locations where parts of the Green Belt should be reviewed or sacrificed to make way for a massive programme of house building.
Green belt threat to 27 towns and cities revealed - Telegraph
Safe Drinking Water Is Essential
The Global Health and Education Foundation strives to advance the health and well-being of the world by improving access to clean water, public health and primary care, basic education, and economic development opportunities. The Global Health and Education Foundation’s inaugural operating foundation, WaterLeaders, is dedicated to alleviating the safe drinking water crisis. For more information, please visit www.waterleaders.org.
BBC NEWS | World | Africa | China's chequebook draws African nations
China sees vast opportunity in Africa. Since 2001 total trade has grown tenfold - last year it stood at $107bn (£63.7bn).Add to that the significant sums of financial aid and direct investment that are on offer and you can see why the representatives of the 50 African states who have travelled to the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh are extremely keen to hear what China has to say.
BBC NEWS | World | Africa | China's chequebook draws African nations
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