Category: our earth

The news is abuzz today with a story the size of Manhattan--literally.  An enormous, 55-square-kilometer ice shelf in Canada's northern Arctic broke away in recent weeks, and the remaining shelves are apparently shrinking at a "massive and disturbing" rate according to scientists at the Center for North Studies at Laval University in Quebec.  It's inarguably a sign of our warming globe.

New Scientist reports that, "the Markham Ice Shelf, one of just five remaining ice shelves in the Canadian Arctic, split away from Ellesmere Island in early August.  They [scientists] also said two large chunks totally 120 square km had broken off the nearby Serson Ice Shelf, reducing it in size by 60%"

The news is especially alarming as Derek Mueller, an Arctic ice shelf specialist at Trent University in Ontario, reported to the Associated Press just last month that, "seven square miles of the 170-square mile and 130-feet-thick Ward Hunt shelf had broken off."

Scientists are unanimous in their beliefs that further cracks are to only accumulate and that present climates, according to Mueller, leave "no hope for regrowth."  In past times, thick sea ice would eventually replace shelf cracks when they occurred, but at the present time such changes are irreversible under the global climate.

A survey was recently conducted in Bangalore, India that hints at some potentially disturbing fuel usage trends among car owners. According to the findings of Biodiversity Conservation [India] Limited (BCIL) Bangaloreans still haven't made the battle against carbon emissions a top priority.

While global attention has shifted towards more renewable energy sources and zero-emissions technology, it appears that it hasn't weighed on too many minds in one of India's largest metropolitan areas. The survey inspired by the increasing number of car owners in the region, interviewed 315 auto-owning respondents. 100% of those surveyed drove a car regularly to an office, and 51% travel more than 30 kilometers per day. 85% used their cars for shopping and errands, while 75% also owned a motorcycle along with a car.

Now, 315 people isn't much to go on for an entire city-wide survey, but BCIL is concerned that it reflects a common pattern among the city's most productive citizens. 86% of the group were college Graduates or post-Graduates and 88% were with household incomes of more than 20,000 rupees per month.

It would appear fuel conservation just simply isn't on the minds of those who travel. Only 22% of those polled have practiced car pooling. More than 50% never even thought of using Public Transportation services, believing them to be crowded and of poor quality. It almost seems as if Bangalore has reached a point most American cities hit in the 1950's. A booming economy is leading to more excitement for the automobile and it's promises of unrestrained, personal mobility.

But it isn't the 1950's anymore, and the global consciousness needs to expand when it comes to realizing the dangers of CO2 emissions. Mr. Chandrashekar Hariharan, CEO of BCIL said, "Consumption of oil and oil products is responsible for 57% of the CO2 emissions in the country today. And among all oil-consuming sectors, CO2 emissions from transport are increasing at the fastest rate – at more than 6 per cent per annum. The need of the hour therefore is to think of methods to conserve fuel. It is sad that even a seemingly evolved city like Bangalore is not willing to take the lead in fuel conservation.”

This was the second of a series of quarterly surveys BCIL plans to conduct in order to find greener solutions for urban living.

 After Thai protestors camped outside of the Prime Minister’s office last week, no harm has been done to them. Thai soldiers say there will not use force to “evict” protestors, army chief Anupong Paochinda assured the public on Tuesday, despite “a state of emergency giving him the right to do so.” (Nopporn Wong-Anon, Reuters)

“If we thought we could use police and soldiers to get them out with a peaceful conclusion, we would do it. But we think that that would create more problems,” Paochinda told reporters after a man died and 45 people were injured because of the current politic unrest.

Because of the protesting, government buildings have become off limits, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej banned public meetings and media reports are kept under strict control of the government, restricting stories about the conflict. However, no one is prepared to put the state of emergency plans into action, so there will most likely be a game of cat and mouse for quite some time. A couple schools and shops were shut, but there was no curfew in effect for the 10 million people who inhabit the city of Bangkok. The Thai economy is also suffering, as it’s at an all time low at the moment, mainly because of the lack of tourism coming in.

Some believe the lack of force has to do with the lack of jail room. Leaders of the current protest movement have coaxed others to join them at Government House because, “there are not enough jails to put us all into,” Chamlong Srimuang said. Srimuang is the leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and announces his speeches on a PAD radio and satellite television, “despite the emergency degree.” (Reuters) But others are worried the 400 soldiers, who were earlier armed with batons and shields, will come back at night and try to demand order. “I did this to douse the fire, not to cause a fire,” Prime Minister Samak told a news conference at military headquarters. 

A new reality TV show has begun airing in Afghanistan for the purpose of encouraging its citizens to start their own enterprises. The show, “Fikr wa Talash” (translated as “Dream and Achieve”) is based on the British “Dragon’s Den” series where contestants pitch their business ideas to a panel of loaded tycoons looking to invest their money in a fresh entrepreneurial thought.

The program is merely the latest in a line of reality television shows that have become quite popular in the Middle Eastern country. This particular show is aimed to be “more than entertainment,” however. It is suspected to help the country’s economy become more self-reliant. After decades of war have thrashed the country’s infrastructure, Afghanistan has become one of the world’s poorest countries, despite billions of dollars in aid money since 2001. At present, the country relies 90 percent on aid for its total budget. Unemployment is around 40 percent, and 80 percent of Afghanistan’s labor force is employed in agriculture.

“Small and medium-sized businesses, which are by far the largest employer, be it small self-employed farmers selling a surplus or a shop-keeper, trader…are the key to achieving such self-reliance,” said David Elliot, a development consultant for the program.

The show combines business savvy, financial planning, marketing, and competitive strategy--all of which a successful candidate must have to make a deal with the judges. It’s first season ended last month with the final contestant, Faizulhaq Moshkani, winning 20,000 dollars to use towards his plastic recycling business.

Moshkani shut down his factory due to the high cost of fuel to power generators. The prize money will allow him to “move the business to Kabul where he plans to build a mini hydroelectric plant to power the new recycling factory.” (Reuters) The program airs on Tolo TV, the most popular channel in Afghanistan, which also airs Afghan Star. (National version of American Idol)

In the past, Afghan broadcasting has been partially banned by the Taliban, and women have had little to no rights for over 30 years. The show’s five contestants included an ex-warlord who had “laid down his guns to start up a diary.” When the contestant walked in, three women sat in front of cameras asking him questions. Mariam Al Ahmadi, a 25-year old mother of five, won the runner up money of 10,000 dollars. She can now make her fresh produce business bigger. Women who appear on the program still wear their veil in regards to their Muslim religion. “Every Afghan woman can work under Islamic law,” Mariam says, so they are not looked down upon for appearing on such a show.

Because of the show’s balance between modern and traditional worlds, the show’s producers believe it could quite possibly change the Afghan community’s outlook. Tolo is working on a second season and also plans to track the winners of this season’s progress. 

 An emergency summit in Brussels was called by the European Union on Monday as they tried to examine how to handle split feelings about Russia’s invasion of Georgia. Certain diplomats expect the EU to condemn Russia’s military campaign “and subsequent recognition of two Georgian rebel regions as Independent states under its protection.” (Reuters) The meeting was held as a half-day this afternoon for members of the union.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has insisted that the campaign has set a precedent for how Moscow intends to protect its interests in the future, and shrugs off any disciplinary action from the EU. Britain has called on the 27-nation EU to “suspend talks on a wide-ranging new partnership agreement with Russia in protest,” but countries France, Germany and Italy have said such action may be premature.

The EU is worried about causing confrontation with Russia mainly due to the fact that it’s the union’s largest energy supplier. Russia also holds much of its oil and gas resources. The decision also comes difficult for the West’s wishes to come to a diplomatic agreement about Iran’s nuclear program.

“In light of Russia’s actions we should suspend negotiations on a successor to the partnership and cooperation agreement,” a spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Monday. But Brown doesn’t speak for the EU and is miles away from current EU president, French President Nicholas Sarkozy--whom wants to “embark on new mediation between Georgia and Russia,” as well as seeking to “pursue dialogue” with Russia. “Either we want to relaunch the Cold War, point our finger at Russia, isolate it and stamp on it as was the case for a decade—that is not the choice of France or Europe—we chose the option of dialogue,” Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on French radio.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi believes Russia is still a power to be reckoned with and doesn’t want to tempt the Kremlin. “It still has a nuclear potential able to destroy 10 times the population of the world. It’s a country growing at a rate of 7-8 percent a year. It’s a country which has oil and gas,” Berlusconi told Canale 5 TV Monday. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkal told reporters she also believes “the German position is that we should not break off dialogue with Russia.”

Sources expect the EU to at least warn Moscow that ties between the two unions will be put “under observation.” The union is also expected to cut new free trade deals with Georgia, as well as looking to send civilian monitors to the South Ossetia territory.

Separately from the EU, NATO member Turkey has decided to react to Russia’s decision in attacking Georgia by delaying Turkish goods at the Russian border since “Ankara allowed two U.S. ships to transit the Bosphorus Strait to provide aid to Georgia.” Though Moscow has ceased fire in South Ossetia, troops remain along the territory.

A second round of negotiations will occur on September 15, which will cover everything from energy to trade ties “to dialogue on human rights.” 

 The worst imaginable fear for could now become a reality as Hurricane Gustav heads for the US border near New Orleans, between Texas and Florida. The storm, which went from a Category 3 to a Category 4, is causing a major evacuation in the southern city. Orders were issued by the New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin on Saturday calling it “the mother of all storms” and later “the storm of the century.” The evacuation started at 8 am Sunday morning on the city’s low-lying West Bank, followed by the East Bank at noon.

Gustav crashed across the Cuban mainline earlier and has already killed 80 people in the Caribbean. The hurricane is expected to hit within 24 hours. Evacuations are also in effect in Alabama, Mississippi and Texas.

Nagin urgently pleaded for citizens of New Orleans to leave, reminding them the harrowing scenarios of 2005 . “This is the real deal, not a test. You need to be concerned and you need to get your butts moving and out of New Orleans right now,” Nagin announced at the City Hall meeting. Staying, he said, could be “one of the biggest mistakes that you could make in your life.” Many evacuees have been given wristbands with bar codes, allowing city officials to track them.

Traffic has apparently been stop-and-go on the Interstate 10 going towards Houston, and bumper-to-bumper traffic has been reported in nearly every direction as thousands of residents jumped the gun on Saturday, envisioning possible disaster. Around 10,000 people left the city by bus or train. 20,000 more requested evacuation assistance, and plan to leave on Sunday.  An estimated 1 million people have fled the Gulf Coast in total. Despite these numbers, 2,000 National Guard troops have been ordered onto the scene, as officials expect some residents to stay behind.

But many who experienced the 2005 Hurricane Katrina travesty are leaving with no questions asked, and refuse to rely on public transportation provided by the city government. “I’m not staying for ‘em any more,” Lester Harris, a 53-year-old electrician said about waiting for the bus pickup point near the Lower 9^th Ward. He was rescued during Katrina from his roof.

President Bush has put his plans to speak on hold at the Republican National Convention on Monday due to the unpredictability of the storm. The hurricane, depending on its significance, could cause a possible riff in the convention, reminding citizens of the way Katrina was handled by the federal government back in 2005. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff plans to travel to Louisiana today to “observe preparations.” (Associated Press) The storm, which is projected to make landfall as early as tomorrow, could bring a storm surge of up to 20 feet on the coast and up to 15 inches of rainfall. 

 A horrific flood hit Northern India, leaving millions homeless and over 1,000 people dead. The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called it a “national calamity”. (RIA Novosti) He also said he will allocate $240 million for rescue and relief operations. The flood occurred when the Kosi river “breached its banks, changing course.” (BBC News)

Heavy monsoon rains caused the flooding in the Indian state of Bihar, (Uttar Pradesh region) which spread throughout 15 districts. 2.5 million people were forced to flee their homes as a result. Bihar state chief secretary AK Chowdhury said the flooding is “the worst in 3 decades.” (ABC News) Deaths were also reported in West Bengal and Assam. Floods washed away roads and railway tracks, as well as damaged means of communication--mainly electrical lines.

India’s monsoon season, which usually happens between early July to September, “is vital for agriculture but regularly inflicts major destruction.” Singh claims the catastrophe is now under control “after the deployment of 1,650 paramilitary and army personnel along with civilian rescue teams to help the 1.4 million flood-hit people.” He flew over the event by helicopter, accompanied by president of the governing Congress Party Sonia Gandhi. 

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But the rescue mission is proving difficult. Due to the landscaping of the region, it simply isn’t possible to reach everyone by boat. “The only alternative is airdropping relief material,” chief minister Nitish Kumar said. But officials and solders are working hard to set up relief camps from Nepal down to the Ganges. Food supply is scarce, and people affected by the tragedy are reportedly fighting over bags of rice. Unicef released a warning report claiming relief camps could easily spread infectious disease since hundreds of thousands of malnourished survivors are likely to flock them with little medical attention.

To watch a video of the flooding taken by BBC News, follow this link. 

 The Bahamas Government environment agency, the BEST Commission, has concerns about the potential negative effects a soon-to-be-built Tiger Woods Albany marina and golf course could have on Adelaide beach and the surrounding coastal and marine environment.

Although the BEST Commission has refused to make their recommendations available to the public yet, they say the project would place new million dollar homes, a marina, and at least one, 18-hole golf course on Nassau, Bahamas' "most plentiful fresh water repository."  The project would also, obvious to anyone's observations, cut the extraordinarily large, historic beach in half permanently.

Since making the announcement, members of the public have requested the government to put a stop to the construction that would dredge the beach, but so far officials html_removed have failed to act.  Many locals have written personal appeals to the professional golfer himself, but none of which he has replied to as far as sources know.  But according to a press release available through reEarth.org, the Tiger Woods Albany Environment issued a report on the project stating, "BEST cannot recommend approval for the marina component of this project."

There's no doubt that Tiger Woods' development is likely to draw big money into the Bahamas, as it's targeted to attract a great number of wealthy vacationers and tourists (even more so).  But many locals are questioning the sacrifices it could deliver to their community, even though few know exactly what those sacrifices are yet.  

"This is the type of information The Bahamas Government doesn't want the public to know about," said one Bahamian.  "There has been so much secrecy surrounding this project. Earl Deveaux, the Minister of the Environment, the Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, and the Minister of Tourism, Vincent Vanderpool Wallace are allowing the Tiger Woods developers to cut through our beach for mega yachts and block Bahamians from enjoying their own beaches.”

The climate of paranoia, while mostly fed by the vague details of the BEST Commission, isn't exactly unfounded either.  The Young Bahamian Marine Scientists (YBMS) organization has been gathering public attention for their protests against the construction project.  Bahamas and US water and hazardous chemical specialist Samuel Sage has also voiced concerns to the public in an outline that shows how consistent and affordable water supply could be threatened.  

At the time of this publishing, developers have already started cutting into the beach.

 

Lawrence Makili, City Councilor of the Solomon Islands, Honiara, is current recuperating after fending himself off from eight unknown assailants.  Makili is an outspoken dolphin activist who has tried to stop illegal trafficking of the creatures for several years now.

He was abducted from his home at about 8:30 PM this past Tuesday.  The thugs arrived in two cars and drove him a few kilometers out of town where he was beaten with the aim to kill.  Makili fought back and escaped, but not unscatched, receiving a broken right arm, fractured ribs, fractured facial bone, and several other injuries.  

The identities and motivations of the attackers are still unknown, but most likely pertain to Maliki's work with dolphins.  Last year Maliki hit a nerve with non-supporters by tying dolphin protection with economic issues in the Solomon Islands.   The Solomon Times quoted him: "There are huge implications if these dolphins are allowed to leave the country...In fact, the ban on the export of dolphins has not been lifted, so it would also be illegal."  He also warned, "that if we allow these dolphins to be exported, traditional trading partners such as the EU may ban the importation of our tuna."  

Along with carefully monitoring the tuna industry on behalf of Earth Island Institute, he is also an active campaigner to protect forests.  Despite growing hostility by his opponents, he plans to continue his work once his injuries are healed.