Facebook Posts

Experts roll out malaria map, urge mosquito study

Submitted by ward on Wed, 08/03/2011 - 10:40am

Author:

Tan Ee Lyn

Show

(Reuters) - Nearly 3 billion people, or two-fifths of the world's population, were at risk of contracting malaria in 2009 and closer study of the mosquito's life cycle is needed to combat the disease, researchers said in two reports.

In the first study, scientists mapped out the geographical spread of the Plasmodium vivax -- the most common parasite that causes malaria -- using reported cases of malaria and details on temperature and aridity.

Link:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/08/03/us-malaria-global-risk-idUSTRE6725LM20100803

Year:

2011

Story category:

Uncategorized

Level:

National

Geographic Area:

Hong Kong

A view of Horn of Africa's drought from space

Submitted by ward on Wed, 08/03/2011 - 10:34am

Show

The worst drought in 60 years has hit the Horn of Africa region, an area in east Africa that includes Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

A recent satellite-derived animation from the European Space Agency illustrates the crisis as it worsened over the summer. The images above show soil moisture in the region from April to mid-July of this year. Green and blue depict higher levels of soil moisture while the increasing spread of orange and yellow illustrates areas with little to no moisture.

Link:

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/26/a-view-of-horn-of-africas-drought-from-space/?hpt=hp_bn2

Geographic Area:

Somalia

Level:

National

Story category:

Environment

Small fish said vital to seas; lower catches urged

Submitted by ward on Wed, 08/03/2011 - 10:30am

Author:

Reuters // Reuters

Show

OSLO, July 21 (Reuters) - Small fish play a big role in the oceans and catches should be cut sharply to safeguard marine food chains from plankton to blue whales, an international team of experts said on Thursday.

Rising human exploitation of little fish -- including anchovy, sardine, herring, mackerel and capelin -- had had far less attention in marine research compared to big commercial species such as cod, tuna, swordfish or salmon, they said.

Link:

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/small-fish-said-vital-to-seas-lower-catches-urged/

Year:

2011

Story category:

Sustainable Development

Level:

Global

Geographic Area:

Norway

Melting Arctic ice releasing banned toxins, warn scientists -- Unknown amount of trapped persistent organic pollutants poses threat to marine life and humans as temperatures rise

Submitted by ward on Wed, 08/03/2011 - 10:26am

Author:

Damian Carrington

Show

The warming of the Arctic is releasing a new wave of banned toxic chemicals that had been trapped in the ice and cold water, scientists have discovered.

The researchers warn that the amount of the poisons stockpiled in the polar region is unknown and their release could "undermine global efforts to reduce environmental and human exposure to them."

Link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/24/melting-arctic-ice-banned-toxins-pops

Level:

Global

Year:

2011

Story category:

UN official warns climate change could lead to conflicts over resources -- 'There can be little doubt today that climate change has potentially far-reaching implications for global stability and security,' he says

Submitted by ward on Wed, 08/03/2011 - 10:22am

Show

Climate change could result in "sudden and abrupt" shocks to countries around the world and have "far-reaching implications for global stability and security," a senior United Nations' official has warned.

Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, told the U.N. Security Council Wednesday that natural resources would be "at increasing risk from climate change and its impacts."