[cf. Climate mass migration fears ‘unfounded’] Singapore (AFP) Feb 6, 2011 – Asia must prepare for millions of people to flee their homes to safer havens within countries and across borders as weather patterns become more extreme, the Asian Development Bank warns. A draft of an ADB report obtained by AFP over the weekend and […]
3 February 2011, Rome – World food prices surged to a new historic peak in January, for the seventh consecutive month, according to the updated FAO Food Price Index, a commodity basket that regularly tracks monthly changes in global food prices. The Index averaged 231 points in January and was up 3.4 percent from December […]
By Amanda Drury, CNBC News AnchorPublished: Friday, 4 Feb 2011 | 11:27 AM ET El Niño and La Niña have a lot to answer for. And we’re not talking about two naughty kids. Weather pattern El Niño brought Australia a crippling drought for nearly decade. La Niña has taken its place with decidedly strong and […]
By Staff WritersFeb 3, 2011 Nairobi (AFP) Feb 3, 2011 – Drought in Somalia is threatening two million people, the vast majority living in zones controlled by radical Islamist insurgents where it is impossible to send aid, a UN official said Thursday. “Somalia hosts one of the largest populations of displaced people in the world,” […]
By Staff WritersFeb 2, 2011 Beijing (AFP) – Wide swathes of northern China are suffering through their worst drought in 60 years — a dry spell that could have a serious economic impact worldwide if it continues much longer, experts say. Some areas have gone 120 days without any significant rainfall, leaving more than five […]
By Jeremy Hance, www.mongabay.comFebruary 02, 2011 Growing populations, expanding agriculture, commodities such as palm oil and paper, logging, urban sprawl, mining, and other human impacts have pushed many of the world’s great forests to the brink. Yet scientists, environmentalists, and even some policymakers increasingly warn that forests are worth more standing than felled. They argue […]
By Leon GettlerFebruary 1, 2011 Urbanisation, climate change and globalisation are leading to more and bigger catastrophes. THE floods that ravaged Queensland and Victoria are a warning for businesses to overhaul their risk-management strategies. They are events that tell us we are now in a very different world. How different? Erwann Michel-Kerjan, managing director of […]
By Peter GleickJanuary 27, 2011 Peak water is coming. In some places, peak water is here. We’re never going to run out of water — water is a renewable natural resource (mostly). But increasingly, around the world, in the U.S., and locally, we are running up against peak water limits. The concept is so important […]
By Paul Colgan, Owen Vaughan and Helen Davidson, news.com.auFebruary 03, 2011 11.26am Reports are coming in that all banana crops have been lost and over $505 million worth of sugar cane is also gone. More pictures can be found in this gallery, continually updating. Live coverage: Cyclone Yasi crosses North Queensland coast Technorati Tags: Australia,agriculture,hurricane,global […]
31 Jan 2011 (South African Government News Service) – Roosters cluck, dogs dig through heaps of mud and garbage, music blasts from a distance, children’s cries and laughter can be heard from miles away and raw sewage trickles past the doorsteps of many dishevelled houses. This is the flood-hit Themba Khoza informal settlement, near Ivory […]
