Sunday, 27 September 2009

10:10 | What is 10:10?

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10:10 is an ambitious project to unite every sector of British society behind one simple idea: that by working together we can achieve a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010.

Why bother jumping out of the way of a speeding car? Why bother removing a burst appendix?

Cutting 10% in one year is a bold target, but for most of us it’s an achievable one, and is in line with what scientists say we need over the next 18 months. We now know for certain that unless we act quickly to reduce our use of dirty fossil fuels, humanity will face terrible problems in the years to come. Politicians have so far failed to do what needs to be done, so it’s time for ordinary people to step in and show that we’re ready to defend our children’s futures. It’s now or never for the climate.

10:10 | What is 10:10?

Saturday, 26 September 2009

Kenya's slums attract poverty tourism

Tourists snapping up £20 guided walks around Nairobi's open-sewer streets

kibera nairobi

The streets of Kibera, Nairobi, are attracting the interest of tour operators - but critics say the residents are on parade like animals. Photograph: Stephen Morrison/EPA

The Dutch tourists came well prepared for the walking safari: strong shoes and sunscreen, backpacks and bottled water. Ahead lay an afternoon visiting one of Kenya's most recognisable sights – but one that rarely features in tourist brochures.

"It might seem a bit strange to come here," said Eric Schlangen, as the guide led him towards the sea of tin-roofed shacks that constitute Kibera, often described as one of the world's largest slums. "But I wanted to see how people live in this country, not just the animals."

Slum tourism is taking off in Kenya. Several local organisations have started selling guided trips through Kibera, a short drive from the luxury hotels that serve most foreign visitors in Nairobi.

For about £20, tourists are promised a glimpse into the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people crammed into tiny rooms along dirt paths littered with excrement-filled plastic bags known as "flying toilets", as one tour agency explains on its website.

Kenya's slums attract poverty tourism | World news | The Guardian

Very young children among migrants heading for UK, warns UN refugee agency

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The UN's refugee agency warned today that children as young as three are among the migrants attempting to reach Britain and that the number of unaccompanied refugee children is on the increase.There is evidence that ever younger children are attempting dangerous journeys around the world, said William Spindler, spokesman for the UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR).

Very young children among migrants heading for UK, warns UN refugee agency | World news | guardian.co.uk

New surfers' reef fails to make waves

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In the parlance of the surfing community it was supposed to attract, Bournemouth's new £3m underwater reef was meant to be Gnarlatious, creating giant Honkers from Atlantic swells and so bringing in legions of Dudes and Dudettes who flock to resorts in Cornwall and Devon each year to ride Bamboras.Instead it has turned out to be Bogus, and is making waves for all the wrong reasons.As work on the reef at Boscombe comes to a close, surfers say there is still no sign of the promised "world-class" waves it was meant to create. Residents are furious that the project, which is more than a year behind schedule and has cost three times the original budget, is failing to deliver.

New surfers' reef fails to make waves - This Britain, UK - The Independent

Friday, 25 September 2009

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world

Ozone Hole Appears On the Mend

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Satellite instruments monitor the ozone layer, then the data are used to create images that depict the amount of stratospheric ozone. The blue and purple colors are where there is the least ozone, and the greens, yellows, and reds are where there is more ozone.The size of the hole in stratospheric ozone that develops over Antarctica at this time each year appears to have stabilized, according to satellite observations analyzed by various agencies around the world. Matthew Tulley from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology says the hole has begun to show signs of healing because of the international agreement to phase out the production of ozone-depleting chemicals in the 1987 Montreal Protocol. Recent observations indicate that the level of ozone-depleting substances has decreased by 4 percent since 2001.

Ozone Hole Appears On the Mend

Thursday, 24 September 2009

Artic Survey education

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Arctic Survey Education is an initiative to promote climate change awareness by inspiring and engaging young people and their families with new facts and knowledge. The Arctic Ocean sea ice cover may melt in just four years or in fifty years. Scientists need data so that they can forecast more precisely. The Catlin Arctic Survey team has provided ice and snow thickness data from their expedition to the Arctic Ocean during March, April and May 2009.

http://www.arcticsurveyeducation.com/

The Solucar solar power plant in Sanlucar la Mayor near Seville, Spain - Telegraph

The new PS20 solar tower at the Solucar Platform in Sanlucar la Mayor, southern Spain

The new PS20 solar tower gathers sunlight at the Solucar Platform in Sanlucar la Mayor, southern Spain

NASA Satellite Image

The Solucar solar power plant in Sanlucar la Mayor near Seville, Spain - Telegraph

Rash of Water Main Breaks Points To Vulnerability of Systems

 

Major water main breaks in recent days highlight challenges to the U.S. water infrastructure system.

Recent water main breaks highlight challenges to water infrastructure.Major water main breaks in Los Angeles and Baltimore in recent days highlight challenges to the U.S. water infrastructure system.

A rash of water main breaks in the Los Angeles water system this month have flooded streets, forced residents to evacuate, and damaged homes and businesses, the Los Angeles Times reported. One break created a sinkhole that nearly swallowed a firetruck responding to the scene, while another sent a surge of mud and water 10 feet into the air.

Since the start of September, L.A.’s Department of Water and Power has recorded 34 “major blowouts” in the city’s water system, the Los Angeles Times reported Sept. 19. By contrast, the city had only 21 such ruptures through all of September 2008, 17 in September 2007 and 13 in September 2006.

Rash of Water Main Breaks Points To Vulnerability of Systems | Circle of Blue | WaterNews

Soil Erosion Africa

BBC NEWS | World | Getting ready for the storm surge

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Millions of people who live in low-lying coastal areas of the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Belgium and the UK are at risk from a severe storm surge.A major exercise is under way in the Netherlands in which British specialist rescue teams, as well as those from other European countries, are simulating what might happen in the event of a major North Sea flood.

VIDEO

BBC NEWS | World | Getting ready for the storm surge

Saturday, 19 September 2009

Wednesday, 16 September 2009

Oxfam - Climate Change

Magazine / Geographical

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Build flood defences, examine glaciers, advance renewable energy technologies, monitor water quality and more with a degree in geography. Read the FREE I am a Geographer careers supplement to find out more

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Magazine / Geographical

Shift happens update

Monday, 14 September 2009

Storm chaser

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The extreme weather photographer and storm chaser Jim Reed has spent the past 20 years as close as possible – perhaps closer than is advisable – to the most extreme meteorological events. Covering disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ike, Reed's book, Storm Chaser: A Photographer's Journey, documents his time in the field.
Surviving the direct strike of 17 hurricanes in the US, 2010 marks Reed's 19th consecutive year of extreme weather photography. Reed currently has images being shown at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington

In pictures: Storm chaser Jim Reed | Environment | guardian.co.uk

How drought is destroying Kenya's nomad

In the isolated border lands between Kenya and Somalia, families have always clung to a precarious existence. Now a decade of droughts has tested their endurance

VIDEO

How drought is destroying Kenya's nomads | Environment | The Observer

Coast

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BBC/OU Open2.net - Coast

Cooking in the Danger Zone

Possible food resources

Mud pies in Haiti

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Cooking in the Danger Zone