Iran government crackdown on activists over imperiled Lake Orumieh

[Update: Replaced “Azerbaijan” with “Iran” in the headline, thanks to reader Steve Bloom’s correction of Desdemona’s faulty geography.] By MUHAMMAD SAHIMI4 September 2011 Demonstrations were held Saturday in Tabriz and Orumieh — the capitals of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan provinces, respectively — and in several other towns in the two provinces to protest the […]

In polluted Nigeria region, an oil spill disaster long in the making

Bodo, Nigeria, August 16 (AFP)  – The air smells like poison, the creek water carpeted with crude, and the boat operator covers his nose as he steps on a jetty in a region hit by what may be the world’s worst oil contamination. “We have been living with this mess for years,” says 31-year-old Friday […]

Persistent drought plagues southwest China

GUIYANG, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) – A persistent drought in southwest China’s Guizhou Province has created a water shortage for 5.5 million people and 2.8 million livestock, local authorities said. Nearly 70 of the province’s counties and cities have been plagued by the drought, according to a meteorological monitoring report released on Monday. There will be […]

No relief in Dadaab, the world’s largest refugee camp

August 30 (Al Jazeera) – As Muslims around the world mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and celebrate Eid Al-Fitr, many Somali Muslims will not be able to participate due to the ongoing famine in the Horn of Africa. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis, threatened by drought and civil war, have wound […]

Kenya: Hunt for water turns desperate

August 30 (ReliefWeb) – Drought-hit Kenyans are resorting to desperate measures to find water which are putting their lives at risk, according to a Tearfund partner. The Turkana region is one of the worst affected by the lack of rain in Kenya, leaving many thousands of people who rely on livestock for their livelihoods battling […]

Climate change concern tumbles in U.S. and China

By Damian Carrington 30 August 2011 If, like me, you think urgent global action is needed to avert the worst impacts of global warming, then you will also agree that global opinion is crucial: political will is created directly out of public pressure. So a new global survey suggests the glass is two-thirds full. Sixty […]

Amid government denials, Eritreans flee harsh drought

Shire, Ethiopia, August 30 (AFP) — In Ethiopia’s Endabaguna refugee camp, rows of gaunt Eritreans clad in rubber sandals give vent to their exasperation after days of trekking and dodging soldiers in an attempt to escape failed crops, hunger and an autocratic government. Over 12 million people across the Horn of Africa are struggling from […]

Utilities and climate scientists team up to prepare for bleak water future

By Lisa Song, SolveClimate News19 August 2011 Ten of the nation’s largest water utilities have teamed up to connect climate scientists and water providers so utilities will have the information they need to prepare for the harmful effects of global warming. Climate change will create a host of challenges that affect water supply, water quality, […]

Global warming behind East Africa drought

By Julio Godoy26 August 2011 Paris (IPS) — The severe drought in the Horn of Africa, which has caused the death of at least 30,000 children and is affecting some 12 million people, especially in Somalia, is a direct consequence of weather phenomena associated with climate change and global warming, environmental scientists say. “The present […]

‘Exceptional drought’ record for United States set in July 2011

Writer: Steve Smith, University Communications, (402) 472-4226 Contact: Brian Fuchs, National Drought Mitigation Center climatologist, (402) 472-6775 The percent of contiguous U.S. land area experiencing exceptional drought in July reached the highest levels in the history of the U.S. Drought Monitor, said an official at the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. […]

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial