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Archive for April 19th, 2010
Canada: VIDEO: why tar sands activists took on BP
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Ecologist: A report from BP's recent AGM where activists fought to raise awareness of the oil giant's investment in tar sands - includes an interview with George Poitras, member of Mikisew Cree indigenous First Nation At BP's AGM last week, a coalition of ethical investors forced a vote on whether the oil company should review its tar sands operations. This followed BP's decision to acquire a 50 per cent stake in the Sunrise Project, a tar sands extraction project near Alberta and has ...
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United Kingdom: Scientists develop sensor to predict freak weather, from flash flooding to landslides
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Guardian: When the town of Cockermouth, Cumbria, was hit by floods late last year, the freak weather led to deaths and serious injuries, and caused huge damage to thousands of homes and businesses. People from all around the UK watched the disaster and called for greater prioritisation of flood defences. Now, a team of scientists from Southampton University has stepped up to the challenge. Led by Dr Kirk Martinez, a senior lecturer at the university's school of electronics and computer science, ...
United Kingdom: World water crisis warning to UK
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Scotsman: A POTENTIAL global water crisis in coming decades could cause UK food prices to "skyrocket" and damage the economy, experts warned today. A report from three engineering groups predicts that a rising world population, growing demand for water and the impact of climate change will make water more scarce in future. This could push up food prices, affect economic growth and even spark conflicts, posing a "serious threat to the UK", the study warns. Water is one of the most ...
United Kingdom: Frogs threatened by climate change
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Telegraph: Scientists looked at records of frogspawn over the last decade recorded by thousands of people in Britain, including viewers of BBC's Springwatch. The record of 50,000 sightings of frogspawn showed that the amphibians lay their eggs earlier as the temperature warms. Frogs in the south often spawn more than a week earlier to make sure their young have the best chance. But this sensitivity to the local environment makes frogs particularly vulnerable to climate change. Even modest ...
Report urges UK to tackle “virtual water” risk
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Business Green: The UK economy could be badly affected by droughts and water shortages in other parts of the world unless urgent action is taken to address the growing water risks faced by many firms' supply chains. That is the stark warning contained in a report released today by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Engineering the Future working group, which argues that the government and leading businesses are failing to adequately address water insecurity. The report, ...
Revival of Filthy River Flows from Changed Habits
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Inter Press Service: While more developed countries consider waterfronts prime property, most Filipinos have regarded rivers and creeks as their "backyard" and sewage system. Over 60 percent of the pollution of an historic and major waterway, the Pasig River, comes from untreated direct discharge of domestic waste, says the Philippine environmental department's Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC). As a result, the Pasig, which connects two bays in this South-east Asian country, was ...
UK relies on ‘virtual’ water from drought-prone countries, says report
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Guardian: Britain and other rich countries depend heavily on importing hidden "virtual" water from places that regularly experience droughts and shortages, according a report published today by the Royal Society of Engineers. Although the UK is notoriously wet, it is estimated that two-thirds of all the water that its population of 60 million people needs comes embedded in imported food, clothes and industrial goods. The result is that when people buy flowers from Kenya, beef from Botswana, or ...