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Climate Change, Green living, Sep 8th, 2010,
Environmental writer and Guardian columnist George Monbiot knows a lot more about environmental issues than I do. But his latest article, ‘I was wrong about veganism. Let them eat meat – but farm it properly’, seems too much of a flip-flop: from advocating one ‘extreme’ lifestyle to going a bit close to absolving meat eating’s environmental damage, because theoretically, the livestock industry could be a lot more sustainable. It is admirable for a public intellectual to admit he was wrong and Monbiot’s article makes good points, gleaned from Simon Fairlie’s book Meat: A Benign Extravagance. But the issue was never…
Tags: environmental, farm, George, industry, livestock, meat, Monbiot, vegan, veganism
Climate Change, Pollution, Videos & Documentaries, Sep 7th, 2010,
How much can we “safely” pollute our environment? How many fossil fuels can we burn? How much of a poisonous substance does not threaten our health? That our knowledge has limitations does not mean we shouldn’t exaggerate the ecological threat. On the contrary, we should be even more careful about it, given that the situation is extremely unpredictable. The recent uncertainties about global warming signal not that things are not too serious, but that they are even more chaotic than we thought, and that natural and social factors are inextricably linked. The above quote is by Lacanian philosopher and Slovenian…
Tags: ecological, ecology, environmentalist, Slavoj, trash, Zizek
Politics, Pollution, Uncategorized, ,
The European Union (EU) established the REACH system (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) and the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) an integrated system for Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals and establishing a European agency for these products. This system requires companies that manufacture and import chemicals to assess the risks arising from their use and take the necessary measures to manage any risk to be identified. The burden of proof with regard to the safety of chemicals manufactured or sold is on the industry. The regulation aims to ensure a high level of protection of human health…
Tags: alogen, bfr, environment, Europe, government, Pollution, research, TOXIC
Climate Change, Politics, ,
In the African nation of Mozambique, rising bread prices have sparked food riots in the capital of Maputo. The increasing cost of grain has added to an already-stressed economic atmosphere caused by price hikes of other necessities such as water, fuel and electricity. According to an AFP report, the death toll due to the riots has reached 13. In an opinion piece for the Observer, author, activist and academic Raj Patel points to the recent crisis in Mozambique as a sign of things to come when extreme weather events increasingly collide with an unjust global economic system. Patel does not…
Tags: African, Climate change, food, heat wave, Maputo, Mozambique, Patel, Raj, riots, Russia
Climate Change, Science & Technology, Sep 6th, 2010,
This week leading climate scientists will meet in the UK to make plans for a project with the aim of creating an international weather databank and revolutionizing the way meteorological disasters are predicted. The project will entail the creation of a global network of weather stations that give daily readings, digitizing old sea logs, gathering weather information from all countries of the world, as well as forging co-operational relationships with web companies such as Google and Galaxy Zoo. We need to answer key questions such as whether the onset of the monsoon in India will be delayed, how the frequency…
Tags: climate, extreme, project, scientists, UK, weather
Climate Change, Natural disasters, ,
El Niño, one of the most impressive natural phenomena affecting our planet, is also changing appearance
Tags: climate, El Nino, environment, global warming
Climate Change, Green living, ,
When I see old, but apparently perfectly functional refrigerators and other household appliances thrown away, left on the street or stacked in dumpsites, my gut reaction is to say ‘what a waste’. This may be a naïve or simplistic response to the issues of waste and efficiency, however. Sure, most people are probably replacing their white goods due to fashion, keeping up with the Joneses, or other less than environmentally conscious concerns, but older models of refrigerators or other appliances may also be far more energy inefficient than the modern versions they are being replaced with. Chalk one up for…
Tags: consumers, eco-friendly, environmental, fridge, German, Germany, refrigerators, replace
Health, Nature, Science & Technology, ,
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit New Zealand on Saturday. The quake was centered near Christchurch, one of the largest cities on the island nation. At least 500 buildings were damaged or destroyed, roads were cracked, and surprisingly only 2 serious injuries were reported. Oh, and there’s one other thing. It’s possible the earthquake created a new fault line. Geology professor of Canterbury University, Mark Quiqley, explained: “One side of the earth has lurched to the right … up to 11 feet (3.5 m) and in some places been thrust up.” … “The long, linear fracture on the Earth’s surface does…
Tags: 7.1 earthquake, Christchurch, damage, new fault line, New Zealand, quake
Climate Change, Sep 5th, 2010,
Can a tiny filter feeder give scientists clues into the mechanism of de-glaciation? The truth is, the science behind climate change is dense, a layered chocolate cake full of elusive clues. Getting to the sweet spot of such science in order to understand what we are currently experiencing – rising temperatures, rising sea levels, more frequent and ferocious storms, flooding, drought, loss of biodiversity – often involves studying parts of the earth that have endured similar change before.
Tags: Antartica, global warming, ice age
Videos & Documentaries, Weird Stuff, ,
From the sublime to the ridiculous, but mostly somewhere in between, France24 reports on ‘extreme greens’, i.e. those who go that extra mile for the environment. Sometimes its silly, like throwing seed bombs so that illegal vegetation grows in Europe’s concrete-covered cities, at other times it’s couples making a serious lifetime commitment to not have children – but it’s all for the sake of the planet. Check out the following video report from France24: Extreme Green
Tags: extreme, France24, Green, guerilla gardening, london
Climate Change, Pollution, ,
The circulation of groundwater in Rome is being threatened by great transformations in natural physiographic systems completely upset by great peripheral urban settlements. Rome is supplied by springs located several hundred km’s from the city. Local sources contribute marginally to the supply, such as the Acqua Vergine Spring and some other mineral water springs. The groundwater quality is consistently damaged by extensive urban development, characterised by large new districts developed without respect to regulations (average dimension of thousands of inhabitants), and by the excessive quantity of wells connecting upper water tables that are often polluted with the deep water tables,…
Tags: Climate change, environment, Pollution, river, Rome, tiber, water
Climate Change, Videos & Documentaries, ,
High winds have fueled a new spate of wildfires in Russia, resulting in several deaths and the destruction of hundreds of buildings. 20 villages in the Volgograd and Saratov provinces have lost around 500 buildings to the blazes. From an Al Jazeera English report: Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, has ordered authorities to mobilise all means to fight the new blazes, as the emergencies ministry warned there was a risk of the fires spreading to other southern regions. These new fires come on the tail of a tragic summer for Russia, in which over 50 people died and a quarter of…
Tags: blazes, Russia, Saratov, Volgograd, wildfires
Climate Change, Politics, Sep 4th, 2010,
The UK’s chief environmental scientist has stated that Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions have actually increased in the last 20 years due to ‘hidden’ emissions in imported goods. Since last year, China has been labeled the number one emitter of greenhouse gases, though it is the West that fuels much of China’s emissions by importing so much from the rapidly developing Asian super power. From a report in the Guardian: Speaking in a documentary to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 next week, Professor Bob Watson said there was a need to be more open about the rises in emissions generated…
Tags: biofuels, carbon, China, emissions, gasses, greenhouse, shipping, UK
Health, Science & Technology, ,
A large number of genes can give plants a competitive advantage, providing more in-built defences against disease.
Tags: Apple, Consumer Product Safety Commission, genetic code, genome, golden delicious, labeling, safety, transgenic food
Climate Change, Nature, Videos & Documentaries, ,
Celebrities are raising their voices to aid in the fight to help the people of flood-ravaged Pakistan. Pakistanis adding their star status to the cause include politician and former cricketer Imran Khan, film actress Meera and pop star Abrar-ul-Haq. Hollywood actress and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie has donated $100,000 (€78,000) to the aid effort and is lending her voice in order to urge others to help. Read more on celebs joining the cause for Pakistan food victims in this BBC News report. Check out Angelina Jolie’s video message below. Jolie: Pakistan needs our help Almost 5 million are estimated…
Tags: aid, Angelina, celebrities, flood, help, Jolie, Pakistan, star, victims
Conservation, Nature, Politics, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, ,
This week marked the beginning of the annual Dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan. Taiji is where the award-winning documentary, The Cove, was filmed. Approximately 20,000 Dolphins are brutally slaughtered in a tiny cove there every year. This year, the Dolphins were herded inside the cove, as usual. A number of them were selected for captivity/training purposes. Then, the bloodbath would begin, but not this time. This time, all of the remaining Dolphins were set free! Could this mean a turn for the better, or are the hunters simply biding their time until the protesters leave? Yes, in case you haven’t…
Tags: activists, Blood Dolphins, Conservation, documentary, dolphin hunt, dolphin slaughter, dolphins, dolphins set free, japan, petition, protest, Taiji, The Cove
Science & Technology, Weird Stuff, Wildlife & Flora, Sep 3rd, 2010,
Charles Darwin, English naturalist, champion of evolution and author of the groundbreaking ‘On the Origin of Species’ (1859) had a pet project that involved very little ‘natural selection’. Darwin, with the help of and Kew Gardens the British Royal Navy, transformed a barren volcanic island into a rich and varied ecosystem, replete with a tropical cloud forest. Tiny Ascension Island lies in the Atlantic Ocean, roughly half way between Africa and South America. In 1836, while exploring, Darwin came across Ascension and was inspired. He decided to create a green oasis, or ‘little England’ on the treeless volcanic island. The…
Tags: Ascension, cloud forest, darwin, ecosystem, evolution, island, Kew Gardens, Royal Navy, volcanic
Green living, Health, Science & Technology, ,
Lately genetically-modified foods (GM foods) have made a big splash in the news. European environmental organizations and public interest groups have been protesting actively against GM foods. What are genetically-modified foods? The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, can create plants with the exact desired trait, very rapidly and with…
Tags: Europe, food, GM, Nature, safety
Conservation, Politics, Pollution, ,
The massive leak in the Gulf of Mexico may have been stopped, but oil still continues to spread and flow. Scientists, local communities and businesses wait for the true toll of damage to be revealed as the rest of the world turns its attentions elsewhere. Environmentalists desperately try to prevent the fossil fuel industry from destroying another pristine environment in the icy Arctic, but the thirst for oil is strong and the geopolitics surrounding it complex. Yet there is another place where a devastating spill is continually taking place, poisoning lush ecosystems while destroying livelihoods and lives. In Nigeria’s Niger…
Tags: criminal, delta, Niger, Nigeria, Nigerian, Ogoniland, oil, Pollution, Shell, spills, UNEP
