Kingdown Geography Blog

Saturday, 25 August 2007

WHO warns of global epidemic risk

New killer diseases are emerging faster than ever across the world, says the World Health Organization. In its report, "A Safer Future", experts highlighted several major threats to our health in the 21st century. But what are they?

Link to BBC NEWS | Health | WHO warns of global epidemic risk

Record number of people leave UK

More people left the UK last year than in any year since current records began in 1991, statistics show.Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate that some 385,000 people left the UK for the long term in the year to mid-2006.

Link to BBC NEWS | UK | Record number of people leave UK

UK Population Grows

n mid-2006 the resident population of the UK was 60,587,000, of which 50,763,000 lived in England. The average age was 39.0 years, an increase on 1971 when it was 34.1 years. In mid-2006 approximately one in five people in the UK were aged under 16 and one in six people were aged 65 or over.
The UK has a growing population. It grew by 349,000 people in the year to mid-2006 (0.6 per cent). The UK population has increased by 8 per cent since 1971, from 55,928,000. Growth has been faster in more recent years. Between mid-1991 and mid-2006 the population grew by an average annual rate of 0.4 per cent and the average growth per year since mid-2001 has been 0.5 per cent.

Link to National Statistics Online

Thursday, 23 August 2007

Flooding in Asia

Millions hit by South Asia Floods (03/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6922484.stm
• South Asia considers flood lessons (03/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6929734.stm
• Devastating Floods hit South Asia (03/08/07)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6927389.stm
• Monsoon Floods displace 19 million (Guardian) (03/08/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/india/story/0,,2141060,00.html
Desperate bid to save Asian Flood Victims (05/08/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/india/story/0,,2141938,00.html
• Fears of epidemics follow lethal floods in Southern Asia (06/08/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/india/story/0,,2142266,00.html
• Agencies struggling to get Aid to flood victims (7/08/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,,2143280,00.html
• South Asia Flood Toll Rises (7/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6932636.stm
• Aid struggles to reach marooned millions after South Asia Floods (8/08/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,,2143744,00.html
• UK plea for South Asia Flood Cash (08/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6936154.stm
• South Asia Victims face health crisis (08/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6935847.stm
• South Asia Floods – Worst hit Areas (09.08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6929004.stm
• Surviving on snails and rats in Bihar (09/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6937267.stm
• Flood Rains hit New India Regions (09/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6938350.stm
• Infections spread as toll from Asian monsoon reaches 2000 (11/08/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,,2146672,00.html

Floods in South Asia Pictures
• In Pictures: Floods in South Asia (03/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6927778.stm
• In Pictures: Bangladesh Floods (06/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6933033.stm
• In Pictures: South Asia Flood Relief (07/08/07)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6935745.stm
• Flooding in Asia (Guardian Gallery) http://travel.guardian.co.uk/Guardian/environment/gallery/2007/aug/03/flooding.internationalnews

General Info about Monsoon
• The Asian Monsoon (BBC Weather) http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/monsoon.shtml
• What is the South Asian Monsoon http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6929988.stm

Magnitude 8.0 Earthquake off the Coast of Peru

Powerful Earthquake Rocks Peru (16/08/07) (Newsround) http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6940000/newsid_6948900/6948983.stm
• Scores Killed in Peru Earthquake (16/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6948888.stm
• Hundreds Dead in Powerful Peru Earthquake (16/08/07) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/16/wquake316.xml
• Peru Earthquake Kills 500 (16/08/07) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/16/wquake416.xml
• 450 killed in Peru Quake (16/08/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,,2149760,00.html
• Background: Peru Earthquakes (16/08/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,,2150290,00.html
• “The Earth was like Jelly” – hundreds die in Peru quake, but Lima escapes (The Guardian) (17/08/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,,2150628,00.html
• Peru coast hit by powerful aftershock (17/08/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,,2150891,00.html
• Fresh earthquake strikes Peru (17/08/07) – Newsround
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6950000/newsid_6950700/6950770.stm
• Peru rattled by fresh earthquake (17/08/07)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6951836.stm
• Dawn shines light on Pisco’s sorrow (17/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6951443.stm
• Peru Quake – Eyewitness Accounts (17/08/07)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/6949537.stm
• Peru sends soldiers to quell quake looting (The Guardian) (19/08/07) http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,,2151928,00.html
• Hopes fade for Peru quake victims (20/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6955295.stm

Map of Earthquake Area - Where the earthquake happened (Good graphic from the Guardian) http://www.guardian.co.uk/graphic/0,,2149958,00.html

Pictures - Peru Earthquake:

• In Pictures: Lima Earthquake (The Guardian) http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/gallery/2007/aug/16/internationalnews?picture=330581318
• In Pictures – Peru Earthquake (16/08/07)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6949478.stm

Monday, 20 August 2007

Hurricane Dean's path of destruction

The first big hurricane of the season has battered its way through the Caribbean en route for Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Video links:
• Hurricane Dean strikes Mexico http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6950000/newsid_6956100?redirect=6956151.stm&news=1&nbram=1&bbwm=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&asb=1
• Prediction for Dean’s Path http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6950000/newsid_6956400?redirect=6956461.stm&news=1&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&asb=1

Hurricane Information
• Hurricane Dean – including tracking information http://www.moreweather.com/tropics/moreweather.php3#DEAN
• Map of Hurricane Dean’s Path http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/024526.shtml?hwind120#contents
• Interactive Guide – Hurricanes Explained (The Guardian) http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,,773980,00.html
• Hurricane Dean – are you affected? Have your say http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=7144&&edition=1&ttl=20070821145150
• Hurricane Dean hits the Caribbean http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/17082007news.shtml

Hurricane Dean - Pictures:
• In Pictures – In Dean’s Path (The Guardian) http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2007/aug/20/1?picture=330600770
• In Pictures: Hurricane Dean (20/8/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6952788.stm
• In Pictures: Dean rushes for Mexico 21/08/07 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6956117.stm
• In Pictures: Hurricane Dean 20/08/07 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6955296.stm
• In pictures - Hurricane blasts Caribbean (20/08/07) http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6950000/newsid_6953900/6953956.stm

Link to BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Hurricane Dean's path of destruction

Saturday, 18 August 2007

Tropical Storm: Tracking Map HURRICANE DEAN

This is www.wunderground.com. There are some excellent amps here showing the development and progress of Hurricane Dean. Maps include:

Tracking, 5 Day forecast, Winds, Alerts, Storm History,

Try out FLASH TRACKER excellent images and data.

Link to Tropical Storm: Tracking Map : Weather Underground

Friday, 17 August 2007

Migration Information Source

The Migration Information Source provides fresh thought, authoritative data from numerous global organizations and governments, and global analysis of international migration and refugee trends. A unique, online resource, the Source offers useful tools, vital data, and essential facts on the movement of people worldwide.

Working with a team of international correspondents, we chronicle global migration movements, provide perspectives on current migration debates, and offer the tools and data from numerous global organizations and governments needed to understand migration. We do this in a way that is accessible to researchers, policy makers, journalists, and other opinion shapers.

Our advisory board and other prominent migration scholars who contribute to The Source include some of the most respected voices in the migration and refugee fields. The Source also relies on the good will of several global organizations and governments who make their data and research publicly available on our site.

Link to Migration Information Source

Thursday, 16 August 2007

London's drowning

With this summer's torrential downpours still fresh in the memory a new £25m disaster movie, The Flood, charts the devastation of central London. It's a dramatic vision, but could it really happen?

Animations of how the Thames Flood Barrier works and maps of areas affected

Link to BBC NEWS | Magazine | London's drowning

Wednesday, 15 August 2007

England's green belt

Think tank the Social Market Foundation has warned that two million homes will have to be built on green belt sites to meet government plans to tackle the housing shortage.

But what is the English green belt and why does it exist?

What is the green belt?

Link to BBC NEWS | UK | Q&A: England's green belt

Tuesday, 14 August 2007

Africat Foundation NAMIBIA

The AfriCat Foundation was founded in 1991 and officially registered as a non-profit organisation in August 1993. AfriCat has grown significantly since then and what started out primarily as an animal welfare organisation has over the years, identified the need to include a focus on education and research as being essential to our mission – the long-term conservation of large carnivores in Namibia.
The AfriCat Foundation concentrates on four objectives in working towards its mission:

• To create awareness and promote the tolerance of large carnivores among the farming community by assisting farmers in effective farm management techniques, including targeting problem predators as opposed to indiscriminate removal.

• To educate youth about large carnivores and environmental awareness.

• To research large carnivores, particularly cheetahs and leopards, on farmland and in captivity.

• To provide humane housing, treatment and care for orphaned and injured animals.

The website has links to

Animal Welfare , RESEARCH , EDUCATION , Newsletter, Adoption Programme ,

ACHIEVEMENTS

ECO-TOURISM PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BAOBAB EXPEDITIONS AND THE AFRICAT FOUNDATION

AfriCat is pleased to announce its latest eco-tourism/wildlife conservation partnership with Baobab Expeditions – specialists in luxury travel adventures.

Baobab Expeditions has pledged to donate £110 to AfriCat for each of its travellers that stay in one of the four lodges at Okonjima – the home of the AfriCat Foundation. The travellers will choose whether this gift is spent adopting one of the large carnivores in AfriCat's welfare programme or providing general support for the foundation's work to resolve the conflict between predators and farmers. During their stay at Okonjima they will have the opportunity to witness some of AfriCat's work and see some of the big cats in the welfare and rehabilitation programmes. The Baobab Expedition travellers will also become members of AfriCat UK for one year, free of charge.

Baobab Expeditions promotes tourism as an economic engine, enabling individuals to experience a wild and free Africa. Support through travel is a direct channel for lending a hand and raising the public's awareness of the conflict between predators and the farming community and the vulnerability of the future populations of these cats.

The Baobab Expeditions' philosophy encapsulates the three principles at the heart of AfriCat's work: care of the wildlife, care of the people and care of the land. For more information please see www.baobabexpeditions.com

Link to Africat - Cheetah, Leopard, Lion Rescue

EarthPortal

The Earth Portal is a comprehensive resource for timely, objective, science-based information about the environment. It is a means for the global scientific community to come together to produce the first free, expert-driven, massively scaleable information resource on the environment, and to engage civil society in a public dialogue on the role of environmental issues in human affairs. It contains no commercial advertising and reaches a large global audience.

The Earth Portal has three components:

The Encyclopedia of Earth, with over 2,000 articles, is produced and reviewed by 700 scholars from 46 countries.
The EarthForum provides commentary from scholars and discussions with the general public.
The EarthNews offers news stories on environmental issues drawn from many sources.

Link to EarthPortal » Home

UCAS Information

This information will assist you in completing your personal statement

Careers advice from Lancaster University

New Swindon

About us

The New Swindon Company was formed in 2002 to stimulate investment and co-ordinate plans for revitalisation of the town centre as a key component to achieving sustainable economic growth. The urban regeneration area is around 220 hectares and the major projects cover about 25% of the total.

Jointly funded by English Partnerships, the South West of England Regional Development Agency and Swindon Borough Council, The New Swindon Company is one of a limited number of Urban Regeneration Companies formed as a result of a Government initiative to breathe new life into key areas.

About us

The Regeneration Framework sets out the strategies for the seven major project areas. It is the result of detailed economic and performance analyses as well as public feedback. For more information on a specific project area, click on the project name above.

Link to New Swindon - About us

Sunday, 12 August 2007

Walk Score

What is Walk Score? We help homebuyers, renters, and real estate agents find houses and apartments in great neighborhoods. Walk Score shows you a map of what's nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. Buying a house in a walkable neighborhood is good for your health and good for the environment.

Link to Walk Score - Helping homebuyers, renters, and real estate agents find houses and apartments in great neighborhoods.

Devastating floods hit South Asia

Almost 20 million people have been displaced as some of the worst floods for years have hit a wide swathe of northern India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Link to BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Devastating floods hit South Asia

Thursday, 26 July 2007

Where has all the water gone?

England and Wales may be experiencing one of their wettest summers on record, but some of the UK's reservoirs and underground reserves are still not full.

Link to BBC NEWS | UK | Where has all the water gone?

Tuesday, 24 July 2007

23.07.07. UK FLOODS

LINK Interactive explanation of why the floods occurred

LINK Gallery of images from the Guardian

LINK The worst flood ever

LINK map of flood areas

Link to 23.07.07. Interactive. UK floods | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

LINK what to do if your house is flooded

LINK BBC Flood crisis operation launched

Monday, 23 July 2007

Tanker beached in Australia

The Pasha Bulker wound up in this condition near Newcastle, Aus, for almost the entire month of June. Their mistake: ignoring warnings to head out to sea in advance of a major storm.
By the time they were grounded, they had to actually further ground it in advance off yet another storm. They pushed it parallel to the beach, so that it wouldn't sink entirely and release 700,000 tons of fuel oil into the water.

Worlds tallest man

The world's tallest man, Bao Xishun, who stands 2.36 metres (7 feet 8 inches) tall.

Weblinks

SLN weblinks

Link to 7-11 Weblinks

'$100 laptop' production begins

Five years after the concept was first proposed, the so-called $100 laptop is poised to go into mass production.Hardware suppliers have been given the green light to ramp-up production of all of the components needed to build millions of the low-cost machines. Previously, the organisation behind the scheme said that it required orders for 3m laptops to make production viable. The first machines should be ready to put into the hands of children in developing countries in October 2007.

Link to BBC NEWS | Technology | '$100 laptop' production begins

FLOODS July 2007

Link to BBC NEWS | Special Reports | 629 | 629 | Floods: At-a-glance

Flood crisis grows as rivers rise LINK

The Severn: Severe warnings for Gloucester, Tewkesbury and Worcester

The Thames: Severe warnings affecting Eynsham to Sandford Lock and also Little Wittenham

The Ock: Severe warnings from Charney Bassett to Abingdon

The Great Ouse: Severe warnings from Turvey to Sharnbrook

The Avon: Severe warnings at Evesham

LINK Floods bring chaos across county

Gloucestershire FLOODS LINK

Flood in pictures LINK

How Green is My Region?

Is England moving toward or away from environmental sustainability?How do England’s nine regions compare in the sustainability stakes?

Our research (PDF†) found that there are some good green policies in each of England’s nine regions. But overall each region is being held back by having to comply with central Government requirements to adopt environmentally damaging policies and trends.

Link to Friends of the Earth: England: News: How Green is My Region?

Wednesday, 18 July 2007

Gapminder - Dollar Street, 2002

ds1

All people of the world live on Dollar Street, the poorest to the left and the richest to the right. Everybody else live inbetween. Dollar Street contains complete photo-panoramas from households at different income levels. Current version includes 13 household and 3 school documentations from Mozambique, South Africa and Uganda. Scroll the street to left and right to move up and down the street. Click on the houses to get inside and explore different household functions.

Link to Gapminder - Dollar Street, 2002

State of the Countryside 2007

This year's State of the Countryside report shows there are now nearly 400,000 fewer young people aged 15-29 in rural areas than just twenty years ago. This trend is set against a rising rural population overall and has contributed significantly to a rural demographic which is both older and ageing faster than urban areas. The report also shows:

that rural areas experienced over 200% growth in the number of migrant workers in the last three years;
the average rural household spent nearly £480 per week in 2005, £60 per week higher than was paid by the average urban household;
that just 44% of households in sparse isolated rural areas are within easy reach of a GP;
a near doubling of energy crops in the last year; and
that due to the changing climate there are now nearly 400 vineyards in England and Wales.

Link to CRC Publications CRC 46 - State of the Countryside 2007

New Forest: Coastal Management

NFDC Logo

New Forest District Council has 60 km of coastline, extending from Chewton Bunny, Christchurch Bay in the west to Redbridge, Southampton Water in the east; this also includes approximately 9km of the lower reaches of the Beaulieu and Lymington Rivers within the Western Solent. This stretch of coastline has a wide range of geologically and geomorphologically important features that include soft cliffs, spits and barrier beaches, saltmarshes and mudflats. These dynamically evolving environments are also of international importance for nature conservation.

Link to New Forest: Coastal Management

Sunday, 15 July 2007

Malaria Lesson Teaching Resources

Malaria is an important disease for students to be aware of – the following teaching resources have been used for use among A’ Level learners but can be adapted for younger students.

(1) Malaria Multiple choice quiz (PDF format - 28kb)
(2) Malaria PowerPoint (PPT format - 274kb)
(3) Malaria Tasks – can be used to assess learning (PDF format - 18kb)
(4) Teaching Lesson Plan (PDF format - 21kb)

Link to Malaria Lesson Teaching Resources

Search for the world in one city

When they were boys, Alex Horne and Owen Powell obsessively collected Panini football stickers. Now the two friends have embarked on a more daunting task: instead of hunting down that elusive Portuguese striker, they are trying to find a person from every country in the world who lives in London.

Their quest for the 'World in One City' was launched on 24 October last year, United Nations Day. More than seven months later, they have ticked off more than half of the UN's 192 official nationalities, starting with the Philippines and leading in the last week alone to Albania, Finland, Uganda, Vietnam and Senegal, the 112th profile added to their blog,

BLOG

Link to Search for the world in one city | UK News | The Observer

Wednesday, 11 July 2007

Logging in Northern Republic of Congo

This very high resolution image of northern Republic of Congo was captured on June 27, 2002, by the commercial satellite Ikonos. The wider-area view at top shows dirt logging roads (orange lines) and different types of forest in the area around the border of the Sangha and Likouala regions. The lower view is a close-up image that shows not only part of a logging road, but also felling sites (clearings where trees are cut down) and skid trails (paths where trees are dragged toward the road.) Individual trees or sections of trees stacked on the road at left look like matchsticks.

Two types of forest are shown in the top image. At bottom left is a tropical evergreen forest with an extremely dense canopy, a forest type known locally as limbali forest. Most of the rest of the scene is occupied by a more open forest in which stands of trees (dark green patches) are separated from each other by a sea of lower-growing plants (light green)

Link to EO Newsroom: New Images - Logging in Northern Republic of Congo

Monday, 9 July 2007

Country Information

Maps and information available

Link to Countries of the World : geography, tourism, politics, economy, culture

Sunday, 8 July 2007

New Seven Wonders of the World

LINK to seven wonders site

Link to BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: New Seven Wonders of the World

Thursday, 5 July 2007

BBC NEWS | UK | Q&A: June floods

Flooding has been so extreme in some parts of the UK that the Army has been called in to lend assistance. Meteorologist Nina Ridge from the BBC weather centre explains how and why heavy rainfall has created so much chaos.

What has caused the extreme weather?

How long will it last?

Is climate change to blame?

Was the flooding unexpected?

What role has 'run-off' rain played?

Is this weather normal for this time of year?

Link to BBC NEWS | UK | Q&A: June floods

Brazil launches slum reform drive

The Brazilian government has pledged $1.7bn (£850m) to improve conditions in Rio de Janeiro's shantytowns and counter the grip of the drugs gangs.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that investing in running water and other basic services was the best way to beat organised crime.

Link to BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Brazil launches slum reform drive

Moving Here Schools

Why have people moved to the UK? What are their experiences?

Link to Moving Here Schools

Wednesday, 4 July 2007

SCOPAC HOME PAGE

SCOPAC works to promote sustainable shoreline management, and to facilitate the duties and responsibilities of local authorities and other organisations managing the coastal zone of central southern England.

Link to SCOPAC HOME PAGE

Geography University guide

Geography has transformed as a university subject over the last decade. It is now a truly multidisciplinary subject tackling issues from urban regeneration to climate change and globalisation. As a result, almost all universities and colleges offer degree courses on some aspects of these areas. Courses listed here can vary enormously in their content. University College London emerges as the best ranked teaching course, leading a group of old universities at the head of the table, including Nottingham, Cambridge, Leeds and Oxford.

Link to Univ 2002 Geography | University guide | EducationGuardian.co.uk

Source of the Amazon River

Geographers long agreed that, while the Amazon might be the world’s largest river by volume, the longest was likely the Nile. In 2007, however, the BBC reported that a team of Brazilian researchers challenged that long-held belief. After an expedition to Peru to locate the Amazon’s precise source, the team described a different starting point. The team claimed that the river originated not in northern Peru, where it had been thought to begin, but in southern Peru, somewhere on snowcapped Mount Mismi (or Nevado Mismi). The team narrowed down the starting point to one of two places, but concluded that either one would nudge the Amazon’s length past that of the Nile

Link to EO Newsroom: New Images - Source of the Amazon River

Do a good turn to 30°C

Thanks for Val Vannet for this find. Excellent site with good practical advice.

Link to Do a good turn to 30°C

Sunday, 1 July 2007

Flood Response

If you are unlucky enough to live in one of ththere are a number of steps you can take to minimise damage before the waters invade your property and to speed up repairs once they start to recede. Several insurers have issued advice for those affected; here is a summary of their suggestions.

If you expect to be flooded

Check what kind of damage your buildings and home contents insurance policies will cover and whether you need to update them, particularly if you have new possessions and haven't increased your cover limit recently. Buildings insurance will cover the damage to the structure of your property and home contents insurance will cover your possessions.

Turn off gas, electricity and water at the mains supply.

Disconnect cookers, washing machines, dishwashers and other appliances connected by rigid pipes to gas and water supplies. This will prevent damage to the pipes if the appliance floats or moves during the flooding. Unplug all electrical items and store them upstairs.

Flood water can enter through drains. The easiest way of preventing this is by putting in plugs and weighing them down with sandbags. Disconnect the outflows of washing machines and dishwashers and block them with a cloth or plug to prevent backflow; place a sandbag in the toilet bowl.

Reduce the amount of water entering your property by using sandbags, plywood or metal or plastic sheeting placed on the outside of doors, windows and airbricks. Use silicone sealant to make doors and windows more resistant. Put sealant around the door/window then close and lock. You do not have to seal your home completely. After flooding, remove covers over airbricks as ventilation will aid the drying of your property.

Move furniture and electrical items upstairs and roll up rugs, carpets and curtains for suitable storage (if you are short of time, raise curtains by hanging them over the curtain poles). If furniture is too heavy to move, empty it and move contents upstairs. Raise it on bricks to minimise damage and move it away from walls; this can assist in drying the property later. Your insurer will expect you to minimise any claim in ways such as these.

Floodwater can contaminate foodstuffs and chemicals such as paint, pesticides, cleaning products and garage oils. These materials can also spill or leak into the floodwaters, causing additional clean-up problems. Keep such products upstairs or high up in your garage or shed.

During the flood

Do not touch the electrics.

Leave internal ground floor doors open (they may swell and jam if left closed).
Avoid contact with floodwaters; they may be contaminated with sewage.

Do not wade through deep floodwaters; manhole covers may have lifted, leaving dangerous unseen holes.

Do as instructed by the emergency services - you may have to be evacuated.

Although drivers can claim for damage caused by bad weather, this typically applies to parked vehicles. "Self-inflicted" damage caused by driving through water, thereby flooding the engine or interior, may not be covered. Drivers who chance their arm by driving through floods could face an expensive repair bill.

Coping with the aftermath

Commission immediate emergency pumping/repair work if necessary to protect your property from further damage. This can be undertaken without approval from your insurer. Remember to get receipts and let your insurer know, as it may wish to inspect the damage before permanent repairs are carried out.

Call your insurer as soon as possible and give full details of the damage.

Don't move back into a property that contains standing water - have it pumped out first. Clean and disinfect everything that may have come into contact with the floodwater.

If you haven't already done so, switch off the mains power supply. Don't go into rooms with standing water if the power is still on, and don't use electrical appliances affected by, or in contact with, moisture. Your electrical, gas and water systems should be checked and confirmed safe before they are turned back on. Wash taps and run them for a few minutes before use.

Move anything that is not too badly damaged upstairs or away from flood water where possible.

Fridges and freezers should be cleaned out as soon as possible and any food thrown away. If you have the relevant insurance cover, remember to keep a list of the food items for your claim and, if possible, take photographs.

Once the flood water has begun to recede and if weather permits, open all doors and windows during the day (but take care to ensure your house and valuables are secure).

When you've salvaged as much furniture as possible, start the drying out process by removing a couple of floorboards at each end of affected ground-floor rooms. You may want to borrow or hire dehumidifiers; use one for every two affected rooms and close the windows.

Help plaster to dry by removing wall coverings and skirting boards.

Clear out any mud or silt that has collected in airbricks. This will aid ventilation under floorboards and prevent rot.

Kitchen units are likely to have absorbed water, but may be salvageable. Try to dry them out, and wait for an adjuster to assess the damage.

Do not attempt to redecorate straight away.

Generally, masonry (brickwork or block work) should be largely unaffected by the water if it is allowed to dry out properly. The drying out process may take some time if the masonry has been saturated. As a guide, allow one month for every inch of wall thickness. Check with a decorator or other expert to ensure that the walls and other surfaces are fully dried out and, if necessary, treated to prevent mould.

Preparing for next time

Damage caused by the current floods will inevitably put upward pressure on insurance premiums. But not all insurers will be equally affected, so it will pay homeowners to shop around when it comes to renewing their home insurance.

Individual property owners can do much to increase the resistance of their properties to flood damage. Steps include replacing timber floors with concrete covered with tiles; replacing chipboard or MDF kitchen and bathroom units with plastic equivalents; replacing gypsum plaster with more water-resistant materials such as lime plaster or cement render; moving meters, boilers and electrical points well above likely flood level; and installing one-way valves into drainage pipes to prevent sewage backing up into the house. There are now some good options to fund any balance. For example, the Council of Mortgage Lenders has confirmed that lenders would normally be willing to consider extending loans to cover the additional costs of flood-resilient repairs, provided that the homeowner has sufficient equity and can afford to meet any additional repayments.

Source: How to cope with the floods | Yahoo! Finance

Time Zones

Interactive map showing timezones

Link to TimeTicker and the time tickers...

Monday, 25 June 2007

World Facts

Link to Highest lowest biggest smallest tallest deepest oldest youngest Continents Countries Cities Dependencies Deserts Islands Lakes Mountains Oceans Provinces Rivers Seas and more list by World Atlas

Tate Modern | Current Exhibitions | Global Cities

Information on current exhbition

SIZE: Cities are increasingly at the centre of global flows of people, capital, culture and information. Over the last 30 years their role as financial command centres has expanded, creating a new type of sprawling, often multi-centred, urban agglomeration.

SPEED: The speed with which many of the world's cities are growing affects their social and physical structure dramatically. The five cities featured in this section - Cairo, Istanbul, London, Los Angeles and Shanghai - are experiencing growth at a different pace, and absorbing it in different manners: some are growing upwards, others are growing outwards.

FORM: This section provides an overview of the distinctly different urban forms of five cities: Istanbul, Johannesburg, London, Mumbai, and Tokyo. Satellite photographs illustrate the diversity and complexity of human impact on these cities, as physically manifest in street widths, block and plot sizes and distribution of open green spaces.

DENSITY: Density – the number of people living in a given area, usually expressed as people per square kilometre – is at the centre of public debate on the future growth of cities. Used as a planning tool, awareness of density can help to curtail over-development and overcrowding, or ensure that scarce urban land is not under-used, especially in areas with good public transport and social amenities. High density does not mean high-rise; large numbers of people can be accommodated in five- or six-storey buildings arranged in a compact and efficient manner, creating congenial places for living.

DIVERSITY n an urban context, diversity - the level of variety within a city - is usually interpreted as its ethnic and racial composition. But diversity has a much broader range of indicators: the spread of ages and incomes, education levels, the range of employment sectors, and people born in the city versus newcomers.

Link to Tate Modern | Current Exhibitions | Global Cities

Floods 25th June 2007

Link to BBC NEWS | UK | Trapped man dies amid flood chaos

Friday, 22 June 2007

Save the planet: Ten ways to cut your carbon footprint at home

According to the Energy Saving Trust, the average British household emits around six tonnes of CO2 and spends around £870 on power and fuel a year, but both figures can be massively cut with a few simple steps.

1 Change your light bulbs to eco ones replace your home’s conventional light bulbs with energy-saving ones. The latter used to be really expensive but prices have dropped dramatically and they come in all shapes and sizes, as well as different wattages and hues. Low-energy light bulbs last up to 12 times longer than conventional ones, and just one bulb will save you around £9 and 40kg of CO2 emissions a year. Incredibly, if every household in the UK had just three of these eco bulbs, we’d save the equivalent of the annual output of a power station.

2 Insulate Insulate your loft, walls and hot water cylinder. British homes lose enough heat through their walls and roofs to heat approximately 3,000,000 homes every year. Almost a quarter of heat loss is through the roof, but adequate loft insulation will save you around £180-£220 and one tonne of CO2 a year. Similarly, cavity wall insulation will cut your heat loss by approximately 60 per cent, saving you around £130-£160 and one tonne of CO2 a year.

3 Change your boiler All new boilers (with a few exceptions) have to be energy-efficient condensing ones, which retain heat from the gasses usually expelled down the flue. Have one of these fitted (by a CORGI installer) and you’ll cut your heating bills by around a third and emit one tonne less of CO2 a year.

4 Recycle Shockingly, Britain’s recycling record is one of the worst in Europe, according to the most recent comparable figures, with only Greece and Portugal recycling less. Of the 600kg of waste generated by each of us in Briton a year, 74 per cent goes to landfill, 8 per cent is incinerated and just 18 per cent is recycled or composted, compared to 65 per cent in the Netherlands and 58 per cent in Germany. Buying recycled goods (something many of us forget but also vitally important) and increasing your home recycling by just 10 per cent will save around 90kg of CO2 a year.

5 Draught proof and/or double glaze your windows Single-glazed windows and poorly insulated frames can result in a fifth of all heat loss. Double glazing can reduce this loss by 50 per cent and save you around £80-£100 and 570kg of CO2 a year. If you can’t afford double glazing (or secondary double glazing), invest in draught excluders for your windows and doors (both internal and external) instead. Draught proofing your doors and windows will save you around £20 and 140kg of CO2 a year.

6 Compost While the UK is only, of course, recycling and composting about 18 per cent of its waste, a third or more of household waste can actually be composted. As well as green and food waste, you can compost all kinds of things you might not consider suitable, including kitchen roll, shredded paper, cardboard and vacuum cleaner bags. If you don’t have outside space, you can get compact compost bins and sprinkle on a Japanese substance called Bokashi, which breaks the matter down quickly and should take care of any unpleasant odours. You could even have a communal compost bin if you live in a block of flats. Other benefits of composting include fewer bin bags to contend with when putting out the rubbish, knowing you’re contributing less to landfill and having an end product that will enrich your garden and house plants.

7 Full loads only Never put a washing machine or dishwasher on without it being full, unless you have an economy or half-load programme, because you’re wasting water as well as energy. Wash your clothes at 30Þ and you’ll save around 40 per cent of the energy your washing machine uses. Energy-sapping tumble drying should also be ditched in favour of drying clothes outside, on radiators and clotheshorses or in the airing cupboard. Tumble driers are one of the worst offenders in the home for CO2 emissions: a year of not using yours will save you around £75 and 635kg of CO2.

8 Only boil enough water for your needs It’s all too easy to turn the tap on and fill the kettle up without considering how much water you actually need, but again you’re wasting both water and electricity. Only boil enough water for your needs – at home and work – and you’ll make big savings. It’s estimated that if all of us stopped “filling” the kettle, enough energy would be saved to power between 50 and 75 per cent of the UK’s street lights.

9 Conserve energy when cooking Chop food into small pieces when cooking, as it will cook quicker and use less energy. It’s also important to boil water for cooking in the kettle and then transfer it to the hob, to only boil enough to just cover the food, to put the saucepan lid on and to ensure the pan’s the right size for the burner or ring you’re using, otherwise energy will be lost around the sides.

10 Don’t leave appliances on standby That little coloured standby light uses 10-60 per cent of the energy needed to power the appliance when in use, so always switch it off at the socket. Alternatively, invest in a Bye Bye Standby kit, which cuts power to appliances left on standby so you don’t even need to think about it. Eight per cent of UK households’ energy, or four million tonnes of CO2 annually, is wasted by appliances left on standby. Stamp out standby and unplug chargers and you could save as much as £130 and 560kg of CO2 a year. Another useful gadget is the Electrisave, which shows how much electricity you’re using so you can identify the most power-hungry appliances in your home.

Link to Ten ways to cut your carbon footprint at home - Independent Online Edition > Climate Change

Climate change and the fight for resources 'will set world aflame'

Climate change has become a major security issue that could lead to "a world going up in flames", the United Nations' top environment official has warned. From rising sea levels in the Indian Ocean to the increasing spread of desert in Africa's Sahel region, global warming will cause new wars across the world, said Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

"People are being pushed into other people's terrain by the changing climate and it is leading to conflict," he said. "Societies are not prepared for the scale and the speed with which they will have to decide what they will do with people."

The world was already experiencing its first war partly caused by climate change, he said. Dramatic changes to the environment in the Darfur region of Sudan helped lay the ground for today's conflict which has displaced more than 2.5 million people and killed at least 200,000.

A report to be published by UNEP tomorrow will make a direct link between climate change and the Darfur conflict. "It will be one of the most significant documents in terms of linking environment change and conflict," Mr Steiner said. "It will say that climate change is now a key dimension that must be considered in conflict issues."

The roots of the four-year conflict can be found in the devastating drought that swept Sudan and the Horn of Africa in the 1980s, the report will say. Since then, rainfall in Sudan has fallen by 40 per cent, a result, claim scientists, of global warming. Farmers began to fence off land to which nomads once had access. Clashes over shrinking resources between nomads, who tend to be Arab, and the mainly African farmers became widespread.

The current crisis was sparked by a rebellion launched by three Darfuri tribes, and a ferocious counter-insurgency unleashed by Khartoum, but the dramatic changes to Darfur's ecology appear to have been a contributing factor. "What we see in Darfur is an environmental change phenomenon unfolding that puts pressure on local communities," Mr Steiner said. "Combine that with potential tensions and you very quickly get a potent mix within which increased pressure can result in conflict. The situation that emerged in Darfur will emerge in other parts of the world." He warned of a "world going up in flames" if countries did not "wake up", adding: "It is a major security issue that affects the whole geopolitical dynamics that we have today."

Earlier this year Britain used its presidency of the UN Security Council to lead its first debate on climate change and conflict. "What makes wars start?" asked the Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett. "Fights over water. Changing patterns of rainfall. Fights over food production, land use. There are few greater potential threats... to peace and security itself."

The two major areas of potential conflict, Mr Steiner said, are the Sahel region and east Asia. "In the next 35 years most of the glaciers in the Himalayas will... disappear. You are talking of 500 million people being affected directly and another 250 million people affected downstream." Rising sea levels off the coast of Bangladesh are another potential area for conflict, he said: "India has already started building a wall to stop Bangladeshis coming across. The predicted half-a-metre sea level rise means 34 million people not being able to stay where they are now. Where will they go? They will break through the boundaries."

But Africa is likely to suffer most. Rising sea levels could destroy up to 30 per cent of the continent's coastline, while between 25 and 40 per cent of Africa's natural habitats could be lost by 2085. Conflicts caused by a scarcity of resources are already brewing across Africa. In Ghana clashes between farmers and Fulani herders have become more widespread as resources have become increasingly scarce. In the Mount Elgon region of Kenya more than 40,000 people have been displaced as different tribes fought over access to land.

Climate change will also cause problems post-conflict. According to the UNEP report on Darfur, the majority of those displaced by the conflict will never be able to return to their homes. "We have have moved beyond a point of return," Mr Steiner said.

Link to Climate change and the fight for resources 'will set world aflame' - Independent Online Edition > Climate Change

Wednesday, 20 June 2007

Migrant workers 'help UK economy'

Polish plumber

Migrant workers have boosted the UK economy, with their influx not having a negative effect on employment or wage levels, the TUC has argued.Foreign workers made a positive net economic contribution, it said, with their share of tax paid exceeding the cost of supplying public services.

Link to BBC NEWS | Business | Migrant workers 'help UK economy'

Role-Playing Scenarios

Resources for role playing exercises

Link to Role-Playing Scenarios

The Vertical Farm Project - Agriculture for the 21st Century and Beyond...

The Problem By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the earth's population will reside in urban centers. Applying the most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by about 3 billion people during the interim. An estimated 10⁹ hectares of new land (about 20% more land than is represented by the country of Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming practices continue as they are practiced today. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use (sources: FAO and NASA). Historically, some 15% of that has been laid waste by poor management practices. What can be done to avoid this impending disaster?

A Potential Solution: farm vertically The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes, a wide variety of herbs, and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another 3 billion people. An entirely new approach to indoor farming must be invented, employing cutting edge technologies. The Vertical Farm must be efficient (cheap to construct and safe to operate). Vertical farms, many stories high, will be situated in the heart of the world's urban centers. If successfully implemented, they offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (year-round crop production), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.

Link to The Vertical Farm Project - Agriculture for the 21st Century and Beyond...

Your Earth galleries | Earth | Telegraph

Reader Photographs illustrating climate change in action.

Link to Your Earth galleries | Earth | Telegraph

Your CO2 Calculater..... from DEFRA

The Act on CO2 calculator is currently seeing an overwhelming response and we're working to fix the problems you may be experiencing. Please bear with us and visit again later today. Thank you for your interest and patience.

Use the Act on CO2 calculator to find out what your carbon footprint is. You'll also get a personalised action plan with recommendations about how you can help tackle climate change - including links to further information on Directgov and the Energy Saving Trust website.