An op-ed by Bill McKibben, author and founder of 350.org, narrated and illustrated by Stephen Thomson of Plomomedia.com Caution: It is vitally important not to make connections. When you see pictures of rubble like this week’s shots from Joplin, Mo., you should not wonder: Is this somehow related to the tornado outbreak three weeks ago […]
By Johan van Slooten3 June 2011 Thousands of people in India’s northern state of Orissa are facing serious health risks as a reservoir at the state’s biggest aluminum refinery is reported to be leaking. Amnesty International and local human rights organisations warn that the reservoir at Vedanta Aluminum could overflow during the upcoming monsoon season. […]
By JUSTIN GILLIS4 June 2011 CIUDAD OBREGÓN, Mexico — The dun wheat field spreading out at Ravi P. Singh’s feet offered a possible clue to human destiny. Baked by a desert sun and deliberately starved of water, the plants were parched and nearly dead. Dr. Singh, a wheat breeder, grabbed seed heads that should have […]
GRAND COULEE DAM, Washington, June 2 (Associated Press) — The giant concrete dams of the Pacific Northwest are overflowing with water. Wyoming has deployed National Guard troops to pile up sandbags. A federal official compares the impending situation to a bucking bull ready to storm out of his chute. States across the West are bracing […]
Reporting by Leonardo Goy, Raymond Colitt; Editing by Reese Ewing and Eric Beech1 June 2011 (Reuters) – Brazil’s environment agency gave its definitive approval on Wednesday for construction of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam, a controversial $17 billion project in the Amazon that has drawn criticism from native Indians and conservationists. The regulator, Ibama, issued […]
London, May 10, IRNA – An all-party committee of MPs Tuesday expressed concern that only $700 million of a $2 billion appeal has been delivered on the ground to help millions of victims caught up in Pakistan’s worst-ever floods last year. “Two thirds of the funding called for had still not been delivered by the […]
ISLAMABAD, May 29 (PakTribune) – Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said Pakistan suffered a loss of Rs855 billion ($10 billion USD) to the economy due to the worst floods last year. “The worst affected sector was agriculture that suffered loss of around Rs429 billion, followed by housing (Rs135 billion), Transport and Communications […]
Contact: Javeria Malik (0300 8325911) javeria.malik@actionaid.org Zakaria Nutkani (0300 5193304) Zakaria.nutkani@actionaid.org May 25 (ActionAid) – “Women and girls have been the worst victims of 2010 floods due to their pre-existing vulnerabilities. After almost a year of the devastating floods, millions of women are still desperately striving to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. “Therefore it is […]
By Bill McKibben23 May 2011 Caution: It is vitally important not to make connections. When you see pictures of rubble like this week’s shots from Joplin, Mo., you should not wonder: Is this somehow related to the tornado outbreak three weeks ago in Tuscaloosa, Ala., or the enormous outbreak a couple of weeks before that […]
Over the past year, persistent and unprecedented rains have resulted in massive flooding in Colombia that has affected close to 3 million people. In March 2011, Refugees International sent a team to assess the situation. This report describes significant shortcomings in the Colombian government’s and international agencies’ response to the disaster. While Colombia has spent […]