Rising Tide of Global Warming
Threatens Pacific Island States |
While rich nations tinker with policies that may shave their carbon dioxide emissions, low-lying South Pacific nations such as Kiribati are sinking beneath the waves. Kiribati, an archipelago of 33 coral atolls barely 6ft above sea level, is vanishing as global warming sees the oceans rise. Yesterday, its president, Anote Tong, warned Australia and New Zealand - the two developed countries in the region - to prepare for a mass exodus within the next decade full story |
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Cracking up: Ice Turning to Water,
Glaciers on The Move - And A Planet in Peril |
Nothing else quite like it has happened at any time in the past 10,000 years. In just over a month an entire Antarctic ice shelf, bigger than a small country, disintegrated and disappeared, altering world atlases for ever. A new study shows that the catastrophic collapse of the Larsen B shelf, 4 1/2 years ago, was man-made, not an "act of God". It is thought to have been the first time that a major disaster has been proved to have been caused by global warming. full story |
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Military Commissions Act Does Affect US Citizens |
Neo-Con government mouthpieces and others are claiming that the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which heralded the official end of the "great experiment" of the American democratic republic, does not affect U.S. citizens, only illegal aliens and foreign terrorists. Recent history of how terror legislation was used to target American citizens clearly indicates the legislation will be used domestically. full story |
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Greenpeace Demand New European Fishing
Vessels Are Banned from The Pacific |
European fishing vessels, amongst some of the most destructive in the world, should be banned from the Pacific Ocean, say Greenpeace. Despite two key Pacific tuna stocks already being in serious trouble, the European Union (EU) has licensed 96 new boats to fish in the Western Pacific. full story |
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U.S. West Vulnerable to Warming |
The American West is on the front line of global warming and faces severe impacts if rising temperatures continue at expected rates, the National Wildlife Federation warned in a new report. Changes to the climate largely driven by human emissions of greenhouse gases are dramatically altering the western landscape, the report said, leaving the region more vulnerable to severe drought and wildfires. The 11 states of the Western U.S. are already painfully familiar with both drought and wildfire. full story |
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Water for Millions at Risk as Glaciers Melt Away |
The world's glaciers and ice caps are now in terminal decline because of global warming, scientists have discovered. A survey has revealed that the rate of melting across the world has sharply accelerated in recent years, placing even previously stable glaciers in jeopardy. The loss of glaciers in South America and Asia will threaten the water supplies of millions of people within a few decades, the experts warn. full story |
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Global Warming Could Spread Extreme Drought |
Drought could double by century's end because of global warming, threatening the survival of millions of people around the world, according to new research by British climate scientists. The researchers warn that this estimate may actually be too conservative, as it does not take into account the potential for carbon feedbacks in the climate system that are likely to accelerate warming across the planet. Climate records for the 2nd half of the 20th century found a global drought increase of 25% in the '90s. full story |
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Marine Environment Plagued by Pollution |
The world's marine environment is increasingly polluted with sewage and agricultural waste and littered with trash, according to a new report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). The report, released today, finds that this rising pollution is having serious adverse health, economic and environmental impacts and warns that reversing course will not be easy. "An estimated 80% of marine pollution originates from the land and this could rise significantly by 2050." full story |
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Ivory Coast Toxic Tanker Impounded by Estonia |
Estonian officials have detained the oil tanker at the heart of the Ivory Coast toxic waste scandal that has killed eight people and caused more than 75,000 to seek medical treatment. EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, who traveled to the Estonian port of Paldiski on Thursday, condemned the actions of the Dutch-chartered tanker and urged EU members to strictly enforce laws banning the export of hazardous waste. full story |
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