Wednesday, 25 November 2009
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
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Oxfam presents interactive documentary on impact of climate change in Bangladesh
Oxfam launches landmark online interactive documentary that captures the shocking moment when cyclone Aila swept over Bangladesh in May, killing hundreds and causing chaos and devastation for the community. Featuring extraordinary footage of the cyclone's trail of destruction, the e-documentary allows the audience to chose its own journey through lives of the Gabura villagers, illustrating the harsh reality of climate change on some of the world's poorest people. Just click on the Take action button at the end of the introductory film
Read Barbara Stocking's blog about the Gabura interactive
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
How did Greggs conquer the High Street?
While others have floundered in the recession, Greggs the baker has seen its fortunes rise and rise. Now it's planning to open another 600 stores.
BBC NEWS | Magazine | How did Greggs conquer the High Street?
Saturday, 7 November 2009
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
BBC NEWS | Special Reports | copenhagen
WHAT IS THE COPENHAGEN SUMMIT?
The UN Climate Change Conference known as COP15 takes place from 7 to 18 December.
More than 15,000 officials will attend from 192 countries, including some heads of
state.It is hoped countries will agree on:the main points of a deal to follow the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012;new targets for industrialised nations to reduce carbon emissions;
new targets for poorer nations to limit greenhouse gases;funding for developing countries to reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate
Why Africa welcomes the Chinese
There is a debate among geopolitical and economic commentators about the merits of Chinese versus western involvement with Africa. One argument is that Chinese investment is exploitative and undermines the development of democracy and human rights on the continent. Others view the matter in terms of competition, arguing that China is encroaching on the decades-long monopoly of the west over Africa's natural resources.Neither of these viewpoints addresses the core issues. First, major players in global investment and development are discussing Africa without engaging its people as equal partners. Second, Africans are not seen to be proactive in setting their own priorities and terms of engagement.Development aid, fashioned on this skewed relationship, has long been a key source of income for the continent. While helpful, aid has not delivered sustainable development. It is clear that trade and investment bring greater opportunity for wealth creation. Africa welcomes investment, from the east and west, north and south, and Rwanda is no exception. We want investment that offers skills and jobs, encourages entrepreneurship, and provides the opportunity to improve millions of lives.
This call for investment and trade rather than traditional aid does not mean the latter's contribution to addressing poverty is not recognised. However, the fundamental problem with the current development aid practice is the danger countries face as they become perpetually reliant on handouts.So what should those who give aid, and those who receive it, focus on? The primary purpose of aid should ultimately be to work itself out, leaving a positive legacy behind. Aid should also be used to create opportunities for trade, enhance self-sufficiency and assist with the development of a robust private sector to attract investment. In many countries, for example, aid offers resources such as fertilisers for free. The intention is good but this often prevents local businesses from being able to provide these goods competitively. Given the choice, people would prefer to work and provide for themselves, rather than receive charity. Africans want self-determination and dignity.
Our continent, like others, requires investment to further its development. Efforts to pursue this need not be seen as a threat to the strengthening of democracy. Of course, African leaders should take good governance and human rights seriously – and most do. This is not – and should not be – because anybody else tells us to, or in return for investment, but because it is the right thing to do. The presence of Chinese investment in Africa does not discharge governments of their responsibilities any more than its presence in the EU or US should erode human rights there.
In Rwanda, we have worked hard to tackle the root causes of corruption and ensure there is a strong case for attracting investment. This programme of reform is yielding results and has been recognised by the World Bank's 2010 Doing Business Index, which saw Rwanda jump from 143rd to 67th position in one year, making it the world's leading reformer. In 2008, Rwanda's GDP grew at 11.2%, and despite the global financial crisis our 2009 projections give us cause for optimism. Wages in key export sectors have grown more than 20% annually over the last eight years, and all these developments have occurred while the percentage of our national budget funded by aid has been reduced by half since 2001.Ultimately, Africa's relationship with its international counterparts should be red
Defined. For too long, we have not been able to trade fairly with Europe and the US; trade barriers and subsidies, particularly in agriculture, have protected external markets from African products, hindering our ability to trade as equals. Investment and trade with willing countries, including intra-African trade, helps the continent to build a much-needed culture of entrepreneurship and development.
All would benefit if the world focused on increasing investment in Africa, and if Rwanda and the rest of the continent worked to establish more equitable international partnerships. A trade relationship built on this new approach would be more helpful in reaching what should be our common goal: sustainable development, mutual prosperity and respect.
Why Africa welcomes the Chinese | Paul Kagame | Comment is free | The Guardian
A people's history of the internet: from Arpanet in 1969 to today | Technology | guardian.co.uk
To ma rk the 40th anniversary of the first stirrings of the internet we asked you to tell us your experiences of life online. Hundreds of you responded, and here we present an interactive documentary of your stories and videos, alongside our own research and interviews with key figures (About this project)
A people's history of the internet: from Arpanet in 1969 to today | Technology | guardian.co.uk
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Red List 2009: Endangered species for every country in the world
International conservation projects help to preserve the habitats of species like the red-eyed tree frog. Photograph: Rick Sammon/AP
Although animal extinction is part of the natural cycle, humankind's presence on the earth has accelerated the rate at which species are disappearing.
The list of endangered species around the world is growing due to a range of causes from overhunting to a loss of habitat.
The best source of data on this is the Red List, compiled by the IUCN species programme. It's an amazing source of data, from the summary below through to huge geospatial files.
Efforts to sustain pressured populations through captive breeding programmes are showing some signs of success but man continues to exert a pressure on the environment which continues to endanger many species across the globe.
Just over 6% of the total species are in Brazil, reflecting the pressure that widespread deforestation is causing in the highly biodiverse region.
Red List 2009: Endangered species for every country in the world | Environment | guardian.co.uk
Hot Cities
Hot Cities — Documentaries
Every week the latest episode in this groundbreaking series is available to steam straight to your computer. You can also get a behind the scenes look at each film by reading the directors comments.
The world’s biggest cities are already victims of climate change. There are real economic and social impacts as climate refugees swell urban populations, food and water supplies are threatened and sea levels rise. “Hot Cities” travels the world from Lagos to Los Angeles, from Shanghai to Surat, from Dhaka to Durban to see if our cites can adapt and survive.
Species' extinction threat grows
More than a third of species assessed in a major international biodiversity study are threatened with extinction, scientists have warned.
Out of the 47,677 species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 17,291 were deemed to be at serious risk.
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Species' extinction threat grows
National Geographic Magazine
Deforestation desertification Food production
Thanks to Mr Harrison for this
Monday, 2 November 2009
Two years on, Katine offers much to celebrate – and much to feel frustrated about
Every time I visit Katine, in north-east Uganda, an image remains in the mind for months afterwards. In May, it was a long queue of girls laughing and chatting as they waited at a dirty water pump for hours to fill their jerrycans. In September, it was the eager face of an 18-year-old boy who proudly showed me his school report and told me how it took him three and a half hours to walk to school – and three and a half hours back. I looked with incredulity at the teachers' praise for his schoolwork. When could he find time to do his homework?
Qatar Food Company Signs $1 billion Deal to Use Sudan Farmland
Qatar furthers the trend of Gulf Arab Countries off-shoring their agricultural production to secure food supplies for its citizens and other populations in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Qatar’s Hassad Foods signed a deal last week, worth potentially $1 billion, to develop 20,000 acres of land in northern Sudan, Reuters reports. Cultivation could expand to 250,000 acres.Hassad foods was established a year ago by the Qatari Investment Authority (QIA) to establish the country’s current and future means of maintaining food security. The food company is hoping to develop six other deals in Latin America and Africa.
Qatar Food Company Signs $1 billion Deal to Use Sudan Farmland | Circle of Blue | WaterNews
Is surf reef good for Boscombe?
Boscombe is on a big mission to improve its rundown image and attract a new crowd of visitors all year round. The Dorset town's centrepiece is the multimillion-pound artificial surf reef, the first of its kind in Europe which, it is hoped, is set to enhance the quality of waves and improve surfing conditions.
BBC NEWS | England | Dorset | Is surf reef good for Boscombe?
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Climate change glossary: C-D
How does adaptation differ from mitigation? And what is REDD? The jargon of climate change can be hard to grasp. Use this glossary to decode it.
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Climate change glossary: C-D
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
China Resettles 300,000 for Plans to Redirect Water North to Combat Drought
The operators of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River have pushed back filling the reservoir for winter storage for a week to discharge more water for drought-stricken areas downstream, Xinhua reports.Nearly 1.5 million people in the Hunan, Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces have reported drinking water shortages over the last month.The reservoir is filled in the autumn to prepare for the dry season, which runs from December to March. Winter releases then drop the water level by 30 meters, providing space to regulate the spring and summer flood season.
Monday, 26 October 2009
What - About April Salome - April Salome Rainforest
Sunday, 25 October 2009
How the recession has changed your High Street
A year after we first visited Shirley High Street, the Magazine returns to witness how it has fared in the recession. Further down, we look at five ways the typical High Street has changed in the downturn.
BBC NEWS | Magazine | How the recession has changed your High Street
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Geocube - The world of Geography at your fingertips
Geocube…… re-inventing the way to explore Geography
The world of Geography at your fingertips and just a mouse click away!Geocube is an attractive online resource about Geography. Geocube is based on the principle of the Rubik Cube with six faces and 54 topics. It is a virtual and easily accessible website which is available online for free. Move the Geocube around with your mouse and explore the faces and topics.Geocube provides an accessible way to read, see and watch what Geography is and geographers do. This is a European initiative developed by HERODOT, the European Network for Geography in Higher Education and is available to anyone who is interested in Geography.
Interactive: Climate map shows world after 4C rise | Environment | guardian.co.uk
A map launched at the Science Museum in London has been developed using the latest peer-reviewed science from the Met Office Hadley Centre and other leading impact scientists. It shows that the land will heat up more quickly than the sea, and high latitudes, particularly the Arctic, will have larger temperature increases
Interactive: Climate map shows world after 4C rise | Environment | guardian.co.uk
BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Ethiopia asks for urgent food aid
The Ethiopian government has asked the international community for emergency food aid for 6.2 million people.The request came at a meeting of donors to discuss the impact of a prolonged drought affecting parts of East Africa. The UN's World Food Programme says $285m (£173m) will be needed in the next six months. Some aid officials say the numbers of hungry could rise. Aid agency Oxfam has called for a new approach to tackling the risk of disaster in the country.
BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Ethiopia asks for urgent food aid
Tropical Rainforests Project
Rainforests: The Burning Issue – new online interactive booklet
The PRP has just released a new online, interactive booklet that describes how rainforests are in the front line in the fight against climate change and explains how a new form of international collaboration could help to reduce tropical deforestation, with many benefits for developed and developing countries.
ShelterBox - Disaster Relief
We instantly respond to earthquake, volcano, flood, hurricane, cyclone, tsunami or conflict by delivering boxes of aid.Each box supplies an extended family of up to 10 people with a tent and lifesaving equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless. The contents are tailored depending on the nature and location of the disaster, with great care taken sourcing every item to ensure it is robust enough to be of lasting value.The cost of a box is £490, including delivery direct to those who need it. Each box bears its own unique number so as a donor you can track your box all the way to its recipient country via the website
Adapting to climate change
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Environmental Treaties - TIMELINE
During the past half century, we learned we share a fragile biosphere. Our view of life on Earth, whether through a microscope or from a space station, is colored by the knowledge that everyday human activities can threaten our future.
This list of key environmental treaties shows how nations are working together, politically and scientifically, to safeguard our planet and respond to a global threat. The United States, whose pollution control laws serve as models for other nations, remains a leader in identifying, mitigating and remediating environmental hazards.
Crime mapping for English and Welsh police forces - CrimeMapper
Welcome to CrimeMapper. This website provides you with information on crime and antisocial behaviour in your neighbourhood, wherever you live in England or Wales.It also enables you to access and compare the latest information on a range of crime types with other neighbourhoods.You will also be able to access the details of your local neighbourhood policing team, policing priorities and information on the policing pledge.
Crime mapping for English and Welsh police forces - CrimeMapper
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