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More than 150 dead in one of India’s worst heatwaves
Posted by Blue and Green: Ilaria Bertini on June 16th, 2014
Blue and Green: Parts of India are experiencing one of the worst heatwaves to ever hit central and northern regions, due to the late summer monsoon. Temperatures peaked at 44C in some areas, causing the death of many people due to sunstroke.
Temperatures in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan states started to surge last week to 42-43C, with 45 sunstroke deaths registered in Vizianagaram district, an eastern state of Andhra Pradesh.
In East Godavari, another district, it is said that 31 people have died. District...
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United Kingdom: Govt launches consultation allow freedom frack private land
Posted by Blue and Green: Ilaria Bertini on May 26th, 2014
Blue and Green: The government has launched an official consultation to change and simplify the rules on access to land for energy companies, which would allow drilling below 300m from the surface and would offer compensation to communities.
Under the new rules, companies will have to pay £20,000 per well to those living above the land and will have to clearly notify local people. In exchange, they would have the right of access for oil, shale gas and deep geothermal operations below 300m.
Energy minister...
El Niño threatens food crop yields – but scientists can predict ‘bad years’
Posted by Blue and Green: Ilaria Bertini on May 16th, 2014
Blue and Green: Warming and cooling trends caused by the climatic phenomena El Niño and La Niña could significantly reduce maize, rice and wheat yields by up to 4%, according to a new study.
El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate variation pattern that periodically occurs in South America. It triggers a stream of warm waters that cause extreme weather events, such as extreme rainfall and droughts. La Niña is its cooling equivalent.
A team of researchers has investigated the way in which these patterns...
The IPCC’s stark warning: no nation will be untouched by climate change
Posted by Blue and Green: Ilaria Bertini on March 31st, 2014
Blue and Green: The UN`s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned of the effects global warming will have on food prices, national security and the environment in its latest sobering report.
The second part of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report, released on Monday, states that the scientific evidence is “overwhelming”. It adds that climate change’s impacts have almost doubled since 2007.
Speaking in Yokohama, Japan, IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri said “Nobody on this planet is going to...
Wetter winters may pollute UK rivers, scientists warn
Posted by Blue and Green: Ilaria Bertini on March 24th, 2014
Blue and Green: Intense winter rainfalls might cause more agricultural chemicals to be washed away into waterways, polluting rivers and encouraging the growth of algae, according to UK academics.
Researchers from English and Welsh universities have suggested that if British winters continue to be mild and wet, much like the winter that has just ended, fertilisers and other soil chemicals from agricultural land will end up in waterways, with serious consequences.
Professor Phil Haygarth, the coordinator of...
World Water Day: increased energy usage puts ‘pressure’ on water, says UN
Posted by Blue and Green: Ilaria Bertini on March 22nd, 2014
Blue and Green: Climate change and the continued use of polluting fossil fuels will “exacerbate water stress and scarcity” in many places, according to the UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon. Speaking in a video message to a Tokyo event ahead of World Water Day, Ban added that water and electricity must be used fairly. Michel Jarraud, chair of UN Water, echoed the secretary-general’s sentiments as the UN launched its World Water Development Report. He said, “The report shows that there will be a significant increase...
Invisible cities and flammable rivers: China’s pollution problem
Posted by Blue and Green: Ilaria Bertini on March 21st, 2014
Blue and Green: Disregard for pollution law from China, the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, is having destructive effects on the country’s rivers and land – not to mention its citizens and its long-term prosperity.
China relies heavily on coal-fired power plants to provide energy to its cities and businesses. This, combined with heavy traffic, has led to alarming levels of air pollution in major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Xingtai, Harbin and Shanghai.
The concentration of smog...
Natural capital committee calls for economic value on nature
Posted by Blue and Green: Ilaria Bertini on March 12th, 2014
Blue and Green: The independent natural capital committee has said that too often the environment is taken for granted, and called for a 25-year-long natural capital plan so that Britain can enjoy the “economic and wellbeing benefits”.
Its latest State of Natural Capital report says the environment should be taken into account in long-term decision-making. It highlights natural capital as an important player in the UK’s economy and society.
Chair of the committee, the economist Dieter Helm, wrote in the report,...
Met Office: UK has had its wettest winter on record
Posted by Blue and Green: Ilaria Bertini on February 21st, 2014
Blue and Green: Prolonged storms and heavy rainfall have led to the wettest winter in Britain since records began in 1910, the Met Office has said.
Provisional figures said that 486.8mm of rain fell between December 1 and February 19 – beating the previous record of 485.1mm of rain back in 1995. Wales, East Scotland and Southern England all have new regional records.
The milestone comes despite the winter not being over yet. The Met Office warned that more rain might still fall over the coming weeks, as 61...