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21 Issues for the 21st Century - Result of the UNEP Foresight Process on Emerging Environmental Issues

Fri, 2012-02-24 18:12 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Jerome C. Glenn

The process, which was led by the UNEP Chief Scientists with support from UNEP Division of Early Warning and Assessment, involved the identification of emerging issues by UNEP colleagues and a Foresight Panel comprising of 22 distinguished members of the scientific community cutting across a wide spectrum of environmental related disciplines and world regions; the debating and prioritization of the identified issues by the Foresight Panel; the scoring of prioritized issues via an electronic consultation (survey) involving more than 400 scientists worldwide; and a further debating and ranking of the final list of issues by the Foresight Panel, putting into consideration the outcome of the electronic consultation.

The process resulted in a list of 21 emerging environmental issues tagged “21 Issues for the 21st Century” covering the major themes of the global environment including food, land, freshwater, marine, biodiversity, climate change, energy, waste, and technology; as well important cross-cutting issues ranging from the need for better environmental governance, to the need for human behavioral change towards the environment.

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Climate
Energy
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Food
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2010 Russian Heat Wave Caused by Both Manmade, Natural Causes

Thu, 2012-02-23 17:04 — Kathy Gilbeaux

submitted by Samuel Bendett

Homeland Security News Wire - February 23, 2012

The heat wave that struck western Russia in summer 2010 killed 55,000 people and caused $15 billion in damage; a new study concludes that soaring temperatures were within the natural range for a Russian summer, but that due to human-induced climate change, the chance of such an extreme heat wave has tripled over the past several decades

The heat wave that struck western Russia in summer 2010, killing 55,000 people, broke July temperatures records and caused $15 billion in damage. Searching for a culprit for the soaring temperatures, research teams have identified either natural or manmade causes. A new study concludes, however, that the devastating heat wave had both. Soaring temperatures were within the natural range for a Russian summer, the researchers found, but due to human-induced climate change, the chance of such an extreme heat wave has tripled over the past several decades.

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Ecodesk

Tue, 2012-01-31 21:32 — Kathy Gilbeaux

What is Ecodesk?

Ecodesk is the world's largest free, search optimised publication of sustainability information for businesses, including data on carbon, energy, waste, and water. For the first time, Ecodesk is researching the world’s top companies who make sustainability data available in the public domain. Our profile layout provides our users with a clear snapshot of how companies are performing in isolation, and against others in their sector or territory.

(GO TO THE ECODESK WEBSITE)

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Global
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Education
Environment
Visualization
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Resilience Alliance

Sat, 2012-01-28 13:29 — mdmcdonald

There are many definitions of resilience from simple deterministic views of resilience anchored in Newtonian mechanics to far more dynamic views of resilience from a systems perspective, including insights from quantum mechanics and the sciences of complexity.  One baseline perspective of resilience sees it in terms of the viability of socio-ecological systems as the foundation for sustainability.  For those that are ready to look beyond resilience as the ability to return to the "normal state" before a disaster, take a look at:

http://www.resalliance.org/

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Global
US - West
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Adaptation
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Collapse
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Environment
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Oceans
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Mesh Cities

Sat, 2012-01-28 12:54 — mdmcdonald

 

What does it take to become a smart city?  Why are mesh cities important to sustainability?

 

For more information:

<http://www.meshcities.com/>

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US - West
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Capacity
Cities
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NASA: Warming Will Transform Natural World

Tue, 2011-12-20 22:58 — Kathy Gilbeaux

By PAT BRENNAN - The Orange County Register - miamiherald.com - December 19, 2011

       

21st Century Ecological Sensitivity - Changes in Plant Species

Predicted percentage of ecological landscape being driven toward changes in plant species as a result of projected human-induced climate change by 2100.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Global warming could bring a major transformation for Earth's plants and animals over the next century, a NASA study says, driving nearly half the planet's forests, grasslands and other vegetation toward conversion into radically different ecosystems.

The ecological stress could give a boost to invasive species, but at the expense of natives, reducing the diversity of plants and animals overall.

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Global
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Climate
Ecosystems
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Mystery Kidney Disease in Central America

Mon, 2011-12-12 20:56 — Kathy Gilbeaux

by Kate Sheehy - PRI's The World - BBC News - December 12, 2011

      

A mysterious epidemic is sweeping Central America - it's the second biggest cause of death among men in El Salvador, and in Nicaragua it's a bigger killer of men than HIV and diabetes combined. It's unexplained but the latest theory is that the victims are literally working themselves to death.

In the western lowlands of Nicaragua, in a region of vast sugar cane fields, sits the tiny community of La Isla.

The small houses are a patchwork of concrete and wood. Pieces of cloth serve as doors.

Maudiel Martinez emerges from his house to greet me. He's pale, and his cheekbones protrude from his face. He hunches over like an old man - but he is only 19 years old.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

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Global
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Agriculture
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Health
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History Is Made in Australia

Sat, 2011-11-12 16:04 — Kathy Gilbeaux

by Al Gore - huffingtonpost.com - November 8, 2011

      

Former Vice President Al Gore in his home office in Nashville, TN. (Time magazine)

This is a historic moment. Australia's Parliament has put the nation's first carbon price into law. With this vote, the world has turned a pivotal corner in the collective effort to solve the climate crisis. This success is the result of the tireless work of an unprecedented coalition that came together to support the legislation, the leadership of Prime Minister Gillard, and the courage of legislators to take a vote that helps to safeguard the future of all Australians.

I have spent enough time in Australia to know that their spirit of independence as a people cannot be underestimated. As the world's leading coal exporter, there's no doubt that opposition to this legislation was fierce. But through determination and commitment, the voice of the people of Australia has rung out loud and clear.

Today, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we do everything we can to ensure that this legislation is successful.

Cross-posted from Al's Journal.

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Solutions

Xenon Means Recent Fission in Reactor 2

Wed, 2011-11-02 21:55 — Kathy Gilbeaux

               

Graphic by The Asahi Shimbun

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

By KAZUAKI NAGATA and MIZUHO AOKI - The Japan Times - November 3, 2011

Tepco claims level in gas too small to affect shutdown effort

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday that some of the melted fuel in reactor 2 at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant may have triggered a brief criticality event.

Although the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said there have been no drastic changes in the reactor's temperature and pressure level, and the reactor itself is stable overall, the discovery may mean the goal of Tepco and the government to achieve cold shutdown of all three crippled reactors by the end of the year may not be possible.

Suggesting that criticality, or a sustained nuclear chain reaction, may have occurred temporarily, or partially, Tepco said one hundred thousandth of a becquerel per cubic centimeter of xenon-133 and xenon-135 was detected in gas samples.

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Radiation
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