Retreating Himalayan icefields threatening drought in Bangladesh | By Justin Huggler, Asia Correspondent | Published: 29 March 2007
Notorious for its annual floods, Bangladesh may seem the last place in the world to worry about a drying up of the rivers that flow from the Himalayas. But the country is as much at risk from drought as it is from flooding. Already farmers who used to grow rice have turned to farming prawns because the water in their fields has turned so salty nothing will grow there.
Bangladesh is the front line of global warming, with rivers drying up, and increasingly common freak weather conditions that include out-of-season tornadoes and tides that have stopped changing. The entire country is one huge delta, formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. Flooding may seem to be Bangladesh's greatest enemy, but in fact the rivers are its lifeline. They are the main source of fresh water for a country where agriculture represents 21 per cent of the economy. And environmentalists fear that if the Himalayan glaciers melt, the rivers' flow will reduce drastically. ...
...
Bangladesh has good reason to feel aggrieved at global warming. Its annual carbon emissions only 0.172 tons per capita, compared to 21 tons in the US.
If the rivers dry up, it would leave Bangladesh completely at the mercy of the rains.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Coastal Mega-Cities in for a Bumpy Ride: 10 percent of the world's population
CLIMATE CHANGE: | Coastal Mega-Cities in for a Bumpy Ride | Srabani Roy
NEW YORK, Mar 28 (IPS) - About 643 million people, or one-tenth of the world's population, who live in low lying coastal areas are at great risk of oceans-related impacts of climate change, according to a global research study to be released next month.
The study, by researchers at Columbia University's Centre for International Earth Sciences Information Network and the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development, is the first of its kind. The researchers identified populations, particularly urban populations, at greatest risk from rising sea levels and more intense storms due to climate change.
"Of the more than 180 countries with populations in the low-elevation coastal zone, 130 of them -- about 70 percent -- have their largest urban area extending into that zone," said Bridget Andersen, a research associate at CIESIN, in a statement.
"Furthermore, the world's largest cities -- those with more than five million residents -- have on average one-fifth of their population and one-sixth of their land area within this coastal zone."
The study, which will be published in the peer-reviewed journal Environment and Urbanisation, assesses the risks to populations and urban settlements along coastal areas that are less than 10 metres above sea level, referred to as the low-elevation coastal zone, or LECZ. Although globally this zone accounts for only two percent of the world's land area, it contains 10 percent of the world's population and 13 percent of the world's urban population, the study found.
The 10 countries with the largest number of people living in this vulnerable, low-elevation zone, include in descending order: China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Egypt, the United States, Thailand and the Philippines. ...
NEW YORK, Mar 28 (IPS) - About 643 million people, or one-tenth of the world's population, who live in low lying coastal areas are at great risk of oceans-related impacts of climate change, according to a global research study to be released next month.
The study, by researchers at Columbia University's Centre for International Earth Sciences Information Network and the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development, is the first of its kind. The researchers identified populations, particularly urban populations, at greatest risk from rising sea levels and more intense storms due to climate change.
"Of the more than 180 countries with populations in the low-elevation coastal zone, 130 of them -- about 70 percent -- have their largest urban area extending into that zone," said Bridget Andersen, a research associate at CIESIN, in a statement.
"Furthermore, the world's largest cities -- those with more than five million residents -- have on average one-fifth of their population and one-sixth of their land area within this coastal zone."
The study, which will be published in the peer-reviewed journal Environment and Urbanisation, assesses the risks to populations and urban settlements along coastal areas that are less than 10 metres above sea level, referred to as the low-elevation coastal zone, or LECZ. Although globally this zone accounts for only two percent of the world's land area, it contains 10 percent of the world's population and 13 percent of the world's urban population, the study found.
The 10 countries with the largest number of people living in this vulnerable, low-elevation zone, include in descending order: China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Egypt, the United States, Thailand and the Philippines. ...
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
European Union accused the United States and Australia on Monday of hampering international efforts to tackle climate change
EU Slams United States, Australia on Climate Change | BELGIUM: April 3, 2007
BRUSSELS - The European Union accused the United States and Australia on Monday of hampering international efforts to tackle climate change.
"We expect ... the United States to cooperate closer and not to continue having a negative attitude in international negotiations," Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas told delegates at a United Nations-sponsored meeting to review a report on the regional effects of rising global temperatures.
"It is absolutely necessary that they move because otherwise other countries, especially the developing countries, do not have any reason to move," he said.
Efforts to launch negotiations to extend the UN Kyoto Protocol on climate change beyond 2012 have floundered as nations resist committing to targets for cutting greenhouse gases.
The 27-nation EU agreed last month to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels, challenging industrialised and developing countries to go further with a 30 percent cut which the EU would then match.
But so far other nations have not responded to that call, a fact which Dimas blamed largely on US reluctance to cap its own emissions.
President George W. Bush pulled Washington out of Kyoto in 2001, saying it would harm the US economy and unfairly excluded developing nations from emissions targets. ...
BRUSSELS - The European Union accused the United States and Australia on Monday of hampering international efforts to tackle climate change.
"We expect ... the United States to cooperate closer and not to continue having a negative attitude in international negotiations," Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas told delegates at a United Nations-sponsored meeting to review a report on the regional effects of rising global temperatures.
"It is absolutely necessary that they move because otherwise other countries, especially the developing countries, do not have any reason to move," he said.
Efforts to launch negotiations to extend the UN Kyoto Protocol on climate change beyond 2012 have floundered as nations resist committing to targets for cutting greenhouse gases.
The 27-nation EU agreed last month to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020 compared to 1990 levels, challenging industrialised and developing countries to go further with a 30 percent cut which the EU would then match.
But so far other nations have not responded to that call, a fact which Dimas blamed largely on US reluctance to cap its own emissions.
President George W. Bush pulled Washington out of Kyoto in 2001, saying it would harm the US economy and unfairly excluded developing nations from emissions targets. ...
[US] once again become a deeply unequal society: Republican response: combination of distraction and disenfranchisement
Sunday, April 01, 2007 | PAUL KRUGMAN: Distract and Disenfranchise
I have a theory about the Bush administration abuses of power that are now, finally, coming to light. Ultimately, I believe, they were driven by rising income inequality.
Let me explain.
In 1980, when Ronald Reagan won the White House, conservative ideas appealed to many, even most, Americans. At the time, we were truly a middle-class nation. To white voters, at least, the vast inequalities and social injustices of the past, which were what originally gave liberalism its appeal, seemed like ancient history. It was easy, in that nation, to convince many voters that Big Government was their enemy, that they were being taxed to provide social programs for other people.
Since then, however, we have once again become a deeply unequal society. Median income has risen only 17 percent since 1980, while the income of the richest 0.1 percent of the population has quadrupled. The gap between the rich and the middle class is as wide now as it was in the 1920s, when the political coalition that would eventually become the New Deal was taking shape.
And voters realize that society has changed. ...
...
The Republican Party’s adherence to an outdated ideology leaves it with big problems. It can’t offer domestic policies that respond to the public’s real needs. So how can it win elections?
The answer, for a while, was a combination of distraction and disenfranchisement.
...
But distraction can only go so far. So the other tool was disenfranchisement: finding ways to keep poor people, who tend to vote for the party that might actually do something about inequality, out of the voting booth.
Remember that disenfranchisement in the form of the 2000 Florida “felon purge,” which struck many legitimate voters from the rolls, put Mr. Bush in the White House in the first place. And disenfranchisement seems to be what much of the politicization of the Justice Department was about.
Several of the fired U.S. attorneys were under pressure to pursue allegations of voter fraud — a phrase that has become almost synonymous with “voting while black.” Former staff members of the Justice Department’s civil rights division say that they were repeatedly overruled when they objected to Republican actions, ranging from Georgia’s voter ID law to Tom DeLay’s Texas redistricting, that they believed would effectively disenfranchise African-American voters. ...
I have a theory about the Bush administration abuses of power that are now, finally, coming to light. Ultimately, I believe, they were driven by rising income inequality.
Let me explain.
In 1980, when Ronald Reagan won the White House, conservative ideas appealed to many, even most, Americans. At the time, we were truly a middle-class nation. To white voters, at least, the vast inequalities and social injustices of the past, which were what originally gave liberalism its appeal, seemed like ancient history. It was easy, in that nation, to convince many voters that Big Government was their enemy, that they were being taxed to provide social programs for other people.
Since then, however, we have once again become a deeply unequal society. Median income has risen only 17 percent since 1980, while the income of the richest 0.1 percent of the population has quadrupled. The gap between the rich and the middle class is as wide now as it was in the 1920s, when the political coalition that would eventually become the New Deal was taking shape.
And voters realize that society has changed. ...
...
The Republican Party’s adherence to an outdated ideology leaves it with big problems. It can’t offer domestic policies that respond to the public’s real needs. So how can it win elections?
The answer, for a while, was a combination of distraction and disenfranchisement.
...
But distraction can only go so far. So the other tool was disenfranchisement: finding ways to keep poor people, who tend to vote for the party that might actually do something about inequality, out of the voting booth.
Remember that disenfranchisement in the form of the 2000 Florida “felon purge,” which struck many legitimate voters from the rolls, put Mr. Bush in the White House in the first place. And disenfranchisement seems to be what much of the politicization of the Justice Department was about.
Several of the fired U.S. attorneys were under pressure to pursue allegations of voter fraud — a phrase that has become almost synonymous with “voting while black.” Former staff members of the Justice Department’s civil rights division say that they were repeatedly overruled when they objected to Republican actions, ranging from Georgia’s voter ID law to Tom DeLay’s Texas redistricting, that they believed would effectively disenfranchise African-American voters. ...
It allows Americans to enjoy ever-rising living standards over their lives and helps them pay some big expenses, like their children’s college tuition
One Safety Net Is Disappearing. What Will Follow? | By DAVID LEONHARDT | Published: April 4, 2007
Over the years, American companies have built a pretty extensive social safety net for their workers. The clearest examples of it are pensions and health insurance, which became popular during the wage freeze of World War II, when employers were looking for creative ways to give raises. Today, the United States is the only major country in the world where the private sector plays such a big role in caring for the old and the sick.
But the corporate version of the welfare state is not just about retirement and health care. Another, much less obvious, piece of it is the steadily increasing pay that most workers receive over the course of their careers. All else equal, a typical worker in his early 60s makes about 50 percent more than a worker in his early 30s.
This arrangement produces some enormous benefits for society. It allows Americans to enjoy ever-rising living standards over their lives and helps them pay some big expenses, like their children’s college tuition and their parents’ elder care, that start to hit in middle age.
In strictly economic terms, however, paying people based on their age is a bit skewed. Sixty-year-olds are indeed more productive than 30-year-olds, studies have shown, but not 50 percent more productive. Experience isn’t quite as valuable as we might like to believe. In effect, most companies are underpaying their younger workers and overpaying their older ones. ...
Over the years, American companies have built a pretty extensive social safety net for their workers. The clearest examples of it are pensions and health insurance, which became popular during the wage freeze of World War II, when employers were looking for creative ways to give raises. Today, the United States is the only major country in the world where the private sector plays such a big role in caring for the old and the sick.
But the corporate version of the welfare state is not just about retirement and health care. Another, much less obvious, piece of it is the steadily increasing pay that most workers receive over the course of their careers. All else equal, a typical worker in his early 60s makes about 50 percent more than a worker in his early 30s.
This arrangement produces some enormous benefits for society. It allows Americans to enjoy ever-rising living standards over their lives and helps them pay some big expenses, like their children’s college tuition and their parents’ elder care, that start to hit in middle age.
In strictly economic terms, however, paying people based on their age is a bit skewed. Sixty-year-olds are indeed more productive than 30-year-olds, studies have shown, but not 50 percent more productive. Experience isn’t quite as valuable as we might like to believe. In effect, most companies are underpaying their younger workers and overpaying their older ones. ...
fight against AIDS is being undermined by the requirement that most US funding to address sexual transmission of the HIV virus go to abstinence ...
New Legislation Answers Institute Of Medicine's Concerns About President Bush's HIV Prevention Strategy | Main Category: HIV / AIDS News | Article Date: 01 Apr 2007 - 0:00 PDT
A new report released today by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), shows that the fight against AIDS is being undermined by the requirement that most US funding to address sexual transmission of the HIV virus go to abstinence-until-marriage programs. The report states that the requirement greatly limits the ability of countries to respond to local needs.
To fix this dangerous flaw in the US approach to global AIDS, a bill was introduced this week in Congress that would lift the funding restriction. The PATHWAY Act, introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Rep. Chris Shays (R- CT), would eliminate the abstinence-until-marriage funding requirement, fulfilling a primary recommendation of the IOM report. The bill would also require a comprehensive strategy for responding to the particular vulnerabilities to HIV of women and girls. This vulnerability was also highlighted in the IOM report, which stated that the US global AIDS program must increase its emphasis on interventions that address this population.
"This is a must-pass bill for the new Congress," said Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance. "We have to ensure that US AIDS policy is grounded in scientific evidence, and is doing what we know works. The Institute of Medicine's report showed that this funding requirement is undermining the success of the whole AIDS program. That's why this bill is so critically important."
The HIV virus is primarily spread through sexual activity. The US approach in this area is thus crucial to success in the fight against the pandemic. While most US funding to address AIDS is financing treatment, a significant portion is going towards sexual prevention programs. The funding requirement results in two-thirds of the budget for sexual prevention going towards abstinence-until-marriage programs, even though these programs have not been shown to be effective.
In addition, the funding requirement does not reflect the reality that women and girls are increasingly infected with HIV, and yet frequently do not have full control of their sexual choices. The IOM report demonstrates that, if the US government is to meet its HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment targets, women and girls must be given more support in AIDS programs and countries must have greater flexibility in designing programs to meet their needs. ...
A new report released today by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), shows that the fight against AIDS is being undermined by the requirement that most US funding to address sexual transmission of the HIV virus go to abstinence-until-marriage programs. The report states that the requirement greatly limits the ability of countries to respond to local needs.
To fix this dangerous flaw in the US approach to global AIDS, a bill was introduced this week in Congress that would lift the funding restriction. The PATHWAY Act, introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Rep. Chris Shays (R- CT), would eliminate the abstinence-until-marriage funding requirement, fulfilling a primary recommendation of the IOM report. The bill would also require a comprehensive strategy for responding to the particular vulnerabilities to HIV of women and girls. This vulnerability was also highlighted in the IOM report, which stated that the US global AIDS program must increase its emphasis on interventions that address this population.
"This is a must-pass bill for the new Congress," said Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance. "We have to ensure that US AIDS policy is grounded in scientific evidence, and is doing what we know works. The Institute of Medicine's report showed that this funding requirement is undermining the success of the whole AIDS program. That's why this bill is so critically important."
The HIV virus is primarily spread through sexual activity. The US approach in this area is thus crucial to success in the fight against the pandemic. While most US funding to address AIDS is financing treatment, a significant portion is going towards sexual prevention programs. The funding requirement results in two-thirds of the budget for sexual prevention going towards abstinence-until-marriage programs, even though these programs have not been shown to be effective.
In addition, the funding requirement does not reflect the reality that women and girls are increasingly infected with HIV, and yet frequently do not have full control of their sexual choices. The IOM report demonstrates that, if the US government is to meet its HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment targets, women and girls must be given more support in AIDS programs and countries must have greater flexibility in designing programs to meet their needs. ...
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Los Angeles suffers longest dry spell in 130 years ... 2.47 inches of rain vs. 13.94 normal
Los Angeles suffers longest dry spell in 130 years | Sun Apr 1, 6:45 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Los Angeles is going through its longest dry spell in at least 130 years, the National Weather Service said Sunday, fueling fears of rampant wildfires which have plagued the US west coast in recent years.
"The rain season is currently the driest to date in downtown Los Angeles since records began in 1877," the weather service said in a statement.
It said the southern California city had received just 2.47 inches (6.27 centimeters) of rain since July 1, 2006, far from the normal precipitation of 13.94 inches (35.4 centimeters) in the same period.
"If downtown Los Angeles receives less than 1.95 inches of rain from now through June 30th this will become the driest rain season ever," it said.
The record-holder is the 2001-2002 season which saw just 4.42 inches (11.22 centimeters) of rain. ...
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Los Angeles is going through its longest dry spell in at least 130 years, the National Weather Service said Sunday, fueling fears of rampant wildfires which have plagued the US west coast in recent years.
"The rain season is currently the driest to date in downtown Los Angeles since records began in 1877," the weather service said in a statement.
It said the southern California city had received just 2.47 inches (6.27 centimeters) of rain since July 1, 2006, far from the normal precipitation of 13.94 inches (35.4 centimeters) in the same period.
"If downtown Los Angeles receives less than 1.95 inches of rain from now through June 30th this will become the driest rain season ever," it said.
The record-holder is the 2001-2002 season which saw just 4.42 inches (11.22 centimeters) of rain. ...
Global Warming: Some scientists are calling this degree-by-degree projection a "highway to extinction."
Climate draft charts extinctions | By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer Sat Mar 31, 5:59 PM ET
WASHINGTON - A key element of the second major report on climate change being released Friday in Belgium is a chart that maps out the effects of global warming, most of them bad, with every degree of temperature rise.
There's one bright spot: A minimal heat rise means more food production in northern regions of the world.
However, the number of species going extinct rises with the heat, as does the number of people who may starve, or face water shortages, or floods, according to the projections in the draft report obtained by The Associated Press
Some scientists are calling this degree-by-degree projection a "highway to extinction." ...
WASHINGTON - A key element of the second major report on climate change being released Friday in Belgium is a chart that maps out the effects of global warming, most of them bad, with every degree of temperature rise.
There's one bright spot: A minimal heat rise means more food production in northern regions of the world.
However, the number of species going extinct rises with the heat, as does the number of people who may starve, or face water shortages, or floods, according to the projections in the draft report obtained by The Associated Press
Some scientists are calling this degree-by-degree projection a "highway to extinction." ...
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