Desdemona Despair

Blogging the End of the World™

Graph of the Day: Melbourne Water Shortages, 1990-2009

Changes in storage levels in the mid-1990s and the 2000s. Dam levels dropped from almost full in 1996 to a quarter full by 2009 along with a steep decline in the amount of water flowing into Australia’s major reservoirs. Decade in dam levels Technorati Tags: drought,freshwater depletion,Australia,global warming,climate change,agriculture

'Carbon starvation' killing trees globally

By GAYATHRI VAIDYANATHAN of ClimateWirePublished: January 15, 2010 Tree death rates could increase globally because of rising temperatures and prolonged droughts linked to climate change, according to multiple studies. The reasons for tree mortality in a warmer, drier world have been narrowed down to three main scenarios — greater prevalence of insects and diseases in […]

Poachers kill rare white rhino

The head of Kenya’s wildlife conservation agency says poachers have killed a rare southern white rhino. Julius Kipng’etich said poachers killed the white rhino in central Kenya on December 28. Rangers tracked down the suspected poachers and suspected buyers on Sunday and arrested them. Kipng’etich says all 12 suspects are Kenyans. The attack occurred about […]

'Super snake' fears on the rise in Florida

5 African rock pythons, which in their homeland are known to eat goats, are seen during a 3-day search in Miami-Dade County. Officials worry that the rock python could breed with the Burmese python. By Andy Reid, January 15, 2010 Reporting from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – Fears of a new “super snake” emerging in the […]

Sugarloaf Reservoir: Then and Now

The long dry is sapping Melbourne’s dams and raising questions about the viability of the city’s water supply. … Since the network of dams was built several decades ago, Melbourne has never had less drinking water. The record low-water mark was broken in mid-April, when storages reached 28.3 per cent of capacity. With consumption outstripping […]

Video: Mau tree planting drive — ‘The effects of climate change are with us’

The much anticipated tree planting launch in Mau forest took place on Friday after days of uncertainty and political bickering. Prime minister Raila Odinga led government officials and other invited dignitaries in launching the campaign aimed at restoring forest cover on 10, 000 acres in the Mau complex. NTVs Brenda Mulinya reports.  http://www.ntv.co.ke Mau tree […]

Rising ocean acidity may deplete vital phytoplankton

Iron-poor oceans may cause populations of phytoplankton — a critical base of the marine food chain — to decline.  By Jessica Marshall | Thu Jan 14, 2010 09:55 AM ET Rising acid levels in the world’s oceans appear to be robbing the tiny animals that form the bedrock of the marine food web of a […]

Harare faces serious water shortages

By GETRUDE GUMEDE, Published: Wednesday January 13, 2010 ZIMBABWE – HARARE – WATER supplies for Harare and surrounding satellite towns could be cut by 15 percent following the imminent temporary shutdown of Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant until the Manyame River starts flowing. Harare City Council might be forced to close Prince Edward Water Treatment […]

The ecological ruin of Kalimantan’s peat forests

By TOM ALLARD, KALIMANTANDecember 14, 2009 A BOAT trip down the wide brown waters of the Kapuas River and the canals that flow off it, crisscrossing the hinterland of Central Kalimantan, makes for a depressing tour. What was once one of the world’s great swamp peat forests is a tangle of weeds and burnt trees. […]

Poachers set to cash in on Year of the Tiger

By MATT WADE HERALD CORRESPONDENTDecember 18, 2009 RANTHAMBORE, Rajasthan: India’s wild tigers already compete for survival with nearly 1.2 billion people. But conservationists warn that a new threat looms – the Chinese New Year. February 14 marks the start of the Year of the Tiger and there are fears this will fuel the illicit trade […]

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