Graph of the Day: Global killings of land and environmental defenders, 2002-2014

By Melissa Cronin4 March 2016 (Grist) – The death of Honduran environmental and human rights activist Berta Cáceres this week is an unspeakable tragedy — but it’s not unique. In fact, environmentalists have historically been targeted for their actions, and for speaking out about environmental injustice. Last April, a report found that in 2014, at […]

Four billion people face severe water scarcity, new research finds – ‘The results imply the global water situation is much worse than suggested by previous studies’

By Damian Carrington  12 February 2016 (Guardian) – At least two-thirds of the global population, over 4 billion people, live with severe water scarcity for at least one month every year, according to a major new analysis. The revelation shows water shortages, one of the most dangerous challenges the world faces, is far worse previously […]

Demand for fish bladder may wipe out world’s rarest porpoise – ‘The vaquita’s only hope for survival is that gill nets are permanently removed from its entire range in the Gulf of California’

By Rachael Bale10 January 2016 (National Geographic) – Just last week, a friend at the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) emailed me to ask if I’ve ever written about the trafficking of totoaba swim bladders, adding that she’s been working on vaquita conservation in the Gulf of California. Totoaba? Vaquitas? These were […]

Earth had nine Category Five storms in 2015, 2nd most on record

By Jeff Masters1 January 2016 (Weather Underground) – Category Five: the phase evokes an almost reverential awe in novice and seasoned hurricane watchers alike, as one considers the incredible power and majesty of these most perfect but terrifyingly destructive storms on the planet. As we look back on the year in weather, a striking feature […]

Photo gallery: Worst natural disasters of 2015

22 December 2015 (MSN) – 2015 saw some extreme weather stories — from drought in California to floods in Chennai. Let’s take a look at some of the worst weather disasters from 2015. [more] Worst natural disasters of 2015 Technorati Tags: global warming,climate change,flood,drought,hurricane,wildfire,forest fire,California,India,heatwave,pollution,Mexico

Paris global warming conference: Public support for tough climate deal ‘declines’

By Matt McGrath 27 November 2015 (BBC News) – Public support for a strong global deal on climate change has declined, according to a poll carried out in 20 countries. Only four now have majorities in favour of their governments setting ambitious targets at a global conference in Paris. In a similar poll before the […]

UNHCR warns of ‘looming refugee crisis’ in the Americas

28 October 2015 (UNHCR) – In late 2014, four members of a brutal street gang abducted Norma and took her to a cemetery nearby her home in El Salvador. Three of the four then raped her. She believes she was targeted because she was married to a police officer. “They took their turns … they […]

Why did Hurricane Patricia become a monster so quickly?

By Seth Borenstein24 October 2015 WASHINGTON (AP) – Hurricane Patricia zoomed from tropical storm to record-beater in 30 hours flat like a jet-fueled sports car. Why? The Pacific storm had just the right ingredients. Plenty of warm water provided the energy what meteorologists call explosive intensification. The air was much moister than usual, adding yet […]

Mexico braces for Hurricane Patricia, the strongest storm ever recorded in the Western hemisphere – ‘This is the only hurricane that’s ever been this powerful’

By Christopher Sherman, with additional reporting by Peter Orsi, and E. Eduardo Castillo23 October 2015 MANZANILLO, Mexico (AP) – Hurricane Patricia headed toward southwestern Mexico Friday as a monster Category 5 storm, the strongest ever in the Western Hemisphere that forecasters said could make a “potentially catastrophic landfall” later in the day. Residents of a […]

Colonial church resurfaces in Mexico as water levels drop in Nezahualcoyotl Reservoir

By Natalie Roterman18 October 2015 (Latin Times) – The colonial Temple of Quechula has once again resurfaced for a second time in the Nezahualcoyotl reservoir due to a drought. Thanks to a drastic drought in the Grijalva River in Chiapas, Mexico, a mid-16th century church has resurfaced for a second time in the Nezahualcoyotl reservoir. […]

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