Honeybee End?

ENN, March 11, 2011

The mysterious collapse of honey-bee colonies is becoming a global phenomenon. Declines in managed bee colonies, seen increasingly in Europe and the US in the past decade, are also now being observed in China and Japan and there are the first signs of African collapses from Egypt, according to the report from the United Nations. Beekeepers in Western countries have been reporting slow declines of stocks for many years, apparently due to impaired protein production, changes in agricultural practice, or unpredictable weather. Read more...

Eco-farming can double food output by poor: U.N.

Reuters, March 8, 2011

Many farmers in developing nations can double food production within a decade by shifting to ecological agriculture from use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, a U.N. report says.
Insect-trapping plants in Kenya and Bangladesh's use of ducks to eat weeds in rice paddies are among examples of steps taken to increase food for a world population that the United Nations says will be 7 billion this year and 9 billion by 2050. "Agriculture is at a crossroads," according to the study by Olivier de Schutter, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the right to food, in a drive to depress record food prices and avoid the costly oil-dependent model of industrial farming. Read more...

Costco, Sodexo Make Sustainable Seafood Pledges

Environmental Leader, February 28, 2011


Food giants Sodexo and Costco have both committed to improve the sustainability of their seafood.Sodexo, the $21 billion food service company, has announced a goal for all its contracted seafood to be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) by 2015. Under the plan, Sodexo will review all wild caught and farm raised seafood purchases and set short, medium and long-term goals with its contracted seafood vendors. Read more...

Sea turtles' migration mystery is 'solved'

BBC News, February 25, 2011

Until now, how species such as loggerhead sea turtles manage to migrate thousands of miles across oceans with no visual landmarks has been a mystery.
Now researchers from the University of North Carolina believe they have found the answer. Loggerhead sea turtles appear to be able to determine their longitude using two sets of magnetic cues. It is the first time this ability has been shown in any migratory animal. This research is published in the journal Current Biology. Read more...

.Σκοτώνουν τους αργυροπελεκάνους

ΤΑ ΝΕΑ, 22 Φεβρουαρίου, 2011

Δύο ισχυρά πλήγµατα δέχτηκαν µέσα σε µία εβδοµάδα οι αποικίες του αργυροπελεκάνου σε δύο από τα µεγαλύτερα εθνικά πάρκα της Ελλάδας. Στη λίµνη Βιστωνίδα βρέθηκαν 28 νεκρά πουλιά χτυπηµένα από λαθροθήρες, ενώ στον Αµβρακικό Κόλπο άγνωστοι τα έδιωξαν και στη συνέχεια κατέστρεψαν τις φωλιές και τα αυγά τους. Οιεπιστήµονες τονίζουν την ανάγκη να ενταθούν τα µέτρα προστασίας του παγκόσµια απειλούµενου είδους πουλιού, την ώρα µάλιστα που το 10% του πληθυσµού του ζει στην Ελλάδα. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Serengeti World Heritage Site in Grave Danger as Tanzanian Government Moves Forward With Highway

Justmeans, February 13, 2011

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete directly contradicted his own government's study by claiming that a planned highway in the Serengeti National Park will not be the environmental disaster conservationists and scientists are claiming it to be. Speaking to the World Bank, President Kikwete gave the green light to the controversial highway project, saying that the "road to the south would not solve transport challenges of communities living on the northern side of the park." He once again claimed that "no tarmac road will be built through the Serengeti"-- an oft-cited statement designed to distract from the real issue at hand. Read more...

Climate science vs. climate economics

Grist, February 09, 2011

As I see it, there are two incommensurate stories being told about climate change. I'm not talking about the largely fake debate between those who say climate change is happening and human-driven (scientists) and those who say it isn't (the GOP). I'm talking about two different ways of envisioning what we can expect in a climate-changed future, both of which exist among people who take climate change seriously. Sometimes they take up residence in the same head! Like, er, mine. But they don't fit together very well. One comes to us from science, the other from economics. Read more...

Arctic Roamers: The Move of Southern Species into Far North

Yale 360, February 14, 2011

Grizzly bears mating with polar bears. Red foxes out-competing Arctic foxes. Exotic diseases making their way into once-isolated polar realms. These are just some of the worrisome phenomena now occurring as Arctic temperatures soar and the Arctic Ocean, a once-impermeable barrier, melts. Read more...

Ecuadorian Judge Hits Chevron with $8.6bn Ruling

Environmental Leader, February 15, 2011

Chevron has been slapped with an $8.6 billion penalty, in what is suspected to be the largest environmental fine in history – and the amount could double.
An Ecuadorian judge yesterday ordered Chevron to pay $8.6 billion to clean up oil pollution in the country’s rain forest, the Wall Street Journal reports. This includes $5.4 billion to restore polluted soil and $1.4 billion to create a community health system, plus $860 million to plaintiff coalition the Amazon Defense Front. Read more...

Read also: Chevron's Ecuador Fine `Unenforceable,' Analysts Say

H&M Unveils Recycled and Organic Fashion

Environmental Leader, February 11, 2011

H&M will debut a range of environmentally friendly fashion this spring, the retailer has announced.
The Conscious Collection, for men, women and children, is made from sustainable materials including organic and recycled fibers, H&M said. The collection will be on sale in all H&M stores from April 14.
Items in the collection will include blouses, tunics, T-shirts, dresses, skirts, blazers and trousers. These will be made from organic linen, polyester recycled from PET bottles and textile waste, and Tencel – which H&M describes as a “silky, renewable material produced with minimal environmental impact”. Read more...

Metal Toxins in LED Products

ENN, February 11, 2010


LED lighting is the newest, most efficient form of lighting to hit the markets. It blows away even the most efficient compact fluorescent bulb, and is therefore, a much more expensive option. However, the benefits to the environment from LED's efficiency come with another environmental cost. A new study from the University of California (UC) Irvine shows that LED bulbs contain lead, arsenic, and a dozen more potentially hazardous substances. Read more...

New Zealand scientists record 'biodiversity breakdown'

BBC News, February 4, 2011


Scientists in New Zealand say they have linked the modern-day decline of a common forest shrub with the local extinction of two pollinating birds over a century ago. They say the disappearance of two birds - the bellbird and stitchbird - from the upper North Island of the country has lead to a slow decline in common plants, including the forest shrub New Zealand gloxinia.
Ship rats and stoats imported into the country around the year 1870 are blamed for the birds' demise.
The researchers claim the study, published in the journal Science, offers rare experimental proof of a breakdown in a local ecosystem. Read more...

Nepal climate loan hit by opposition storm

BBC News, February 3, 2011

A loan to be provided by multilateral banks to help Nepal fight the impacts of climate change has kicked off a controversy after it invited criticism from civil societies and non-government organisations. They say it is not fair to burden an already climatically vulnerable country like Nepal with loans in the name of dealing with climatic changes. There are also some supporters of the loan, mainly from few government ministries who argue that the money is good for the country in the long run. But even within the government's administration, there are conflicting positions. Read more...

Brazil Approves Construction of the Belo Monte Dam Project

ENN, February 2, 2011


The proposed Belo Monte Dam in northern Brazil would be the third largest hydro-electric dam in the world in terms of electrical output. The dam would be 3.75 miles long and generate over 11,000 megawatts, which could power up to 23 million homes. Government officials say that the dam is an essential step in supplying energy to the nation's growing population. However, the project is rife with environmental conflicts. The project requires the clearing of 588 acres of Amazon jungle, the displacement of over 20,000 indigenous people, flooding a 193 square mile area, and drying up a 62 mile stretch of the Xingu River. Read more...

Sea Census Locates 1200 New Marine Species in World's Oceans

ENN, January 26, 2010

A newly concluded Census of Marine Life, covering most of the world's seas and oceans, has discovered over 1,200 new species of sea creatures. The ten year study, completed in October, 2010, was composed of 3,000 scientists from 80 countries, including a few from Israel, and cost $370 million USD. The study was the first of its kind to make a thorough census and categorization of sea creatures, ranging from the smallest micro-biological specimens to the largest fish and mammals. Read more...

EU Carbon Market Suspended After ‘Theft’

Environmental Leader, January 20, 2011

The European Union suspended most of its 72 billion euro carbon market yesterday after the suspected theft of 7 million euros of emissions permits from the Czech Republic’s carbon registry.
The EU halted most carbon market operations at all 30 member countries following the attack. It did not give a date for trade to resume, but said it would open the emissions trading scheme as each member state proved the security of its system, Reuters reported. Read more...

Εξοντώνουν και τα τελευταία ελάφια

ΤΑ ΝΕΑ, 19 Ιανουαρίου 2011

Λαθροθήρες απειλούν µε αφανισµό τον τελευταίο φυσικό πληθυσµό ελαφιών στην Ελλάδα, ο οποίος βρίσκεται στη Ροδόπη και αριθµεί το πολύ 30 ζώα. Το άλλοτε διαδεδοµένοστη χώρα µας κόκκινο ελάφι βρίσκεται πλέον στη λίστα µε τα απειλούµενα είδη. Το παράνοµο κυνήγι αποτελεί τη σηµαντικότερη απειλή για την επιβίωσή του. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

The impact of climate change on Europe's electricity demand

Science for Environmental Policy, December 2010

The impact of climate change on electricity consumption is important to both adaptation and mitigation policies. New research has estimated that over the next 100 years climate change could cause up to a 20 per cent decrease in demand for electricity for heating in Northern Europe and up to a 20 per cent increase in demand for electricity for cooling in Southern Europe. Read more...

2010: The environment year in review

The Guardian, December 27, 2010

From the 'greenest government ever' to Deepwater Horizon to the individuals of the year, John Vidal sums up the highs and lows of 2010. Read more...

Σούπα με ψιλοκομμένα πλαστικά ολόκληρη η Μεσόγειος

In.gr, 30 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

Μικροσκοπικά σωματίδια πλαστικού, συνολικά γύρω στα 250 δισεκατομμύρια κομμάτια, επιπλέουν στα νερά της Μεσογείου, απειλώντας τα ζώα που τρέφονται με πλαγκτόν και γενικά όλο το τροφικό πλέγμα, προειδοποιούν θαλάσσιοι βιολόγοι που πραγματοποίησαν δειγματοληψίες. Τον περασμένο Ιούλιο, ερευνητική ομάδα από τη Γαλλία και το Βέλγιο συνέλεξε δείγματα νερού έξω από τις ακτές της Γαλλίας, της βόρειας Ιταλίας και της Ισπανίας, σε βάθος από 10 έως 15 εκατοστά. «Η χονδρική εκτίμηση είναι ότι υπάρχουν περίπου 250 δισ. μικροσωματίδια πλαστικού σε όλη τη Μεσόγειο» δήλωσε στο Γαλλικό Πρακτορείο ο Φρανσουά Γκαλγκανί, ερευνητής του Ifremer (Γαλλικό Ινστιτούτο για την Εξερεύνηση της Θάλασσας). Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Freshwater wildlife thrives in cleanest rivers since Industrial Revolution

The Guardian, December 31, 2010

Otters, water voles and species of freshwater fish which had all but vanished from waterways have made a dramatic recovery following the healthiest decade for rivers since the industrial revolution. The toxic effects of pesticides nearly wiped out the wild otter in the 1970s, but steady improvements in water quality mean their numbers are expected to make a full recovery. Otters may already have reached their maximum capacity in parts of the south-west of England, Cumbria and Northumbria. In the past 30 years, positive sightings have risen 10-fold, says a report by the Environment Agency. Read more...

Fiji Water Targeted in ‘Greenwashing’ Class Action Suit

Environmental Leader, December 29, 2010

Fiji Water Company has been named in a class action lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Calif. that alleges the company has profited by greenwashing claims that it’s water products are carbon negative—which means that the production, packaging and shipment of the water removes more carbon pollution from the atmosphere than it releases into it. The lawsuit was brought by the Newport Beach, Calif.-based Newport Trial Group on behalf of Desiree Worthington and other similarly situated individuals to seek restitution for “the false claims from which [Fiji Water Company has] richly profited.”. Read more...

EU signs off on carbon permits bonanza

EurActiv.com, December 23, 2010

A new regulatory regime for dispensing around 100 billion euros of carbon permits has been approved by EU regulators, granting steelmakers and oil refineries free emission allowances in an effort to shield them from international competition after 2012. Fears that tighter controls on CO2 emissions in Europe will drive factories to relocate abroad has led the EU to grant sweeping exemptions for industries deemed to be at risk. Read more...

Ξεκίνησε η προσπάθεια για αναδημιουργία της λίμνης Κάρλας στη Θεσσαλία

In.gr, 23 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

Άρχισε την Πέμπτη η άντληση νερού από τον Πηνειό στην πολύπαθη λίμνη Κάρλα, η οποία είχε αποξηρανθεί το 1962 αλλά επανέρχεται τώρα στο θεσσαλικό τοπίο. Η λειτουργία των αντλιοστασίων θα συνεχιστεί για περίπου έξι μήνες, οδηγώντας στην Κάρλα τις χειμερινές και εαρινές απορροές του Πηνειού. Εφόσον οι βροχές είναι καλές, ο ταμιευτήρας της λίμνης θα έχει την άνοιξη 120.000 κυβικά μέτρα καθαρού νερού, όγκος που αντιστοιχεί στο 75% της χωρητικότητας. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Και δυο καλές ειδήσεις για τους πάγους της Αρκτικής και τις πολικές αρκούδες

In.gr, 16 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

Σε αντίθεση με ό,τι πιστεύουν πολλοί κλιματολόγοι, η υποχώρηση των πάγων της Αρκτικής δεν είναι μη αναστρέψιμη, υποδεικνύει νέα μελέτη στο περιοδικό Nature, ενώ μια δεύτερη έρευνα προβλέπει ότι οι πολικές αρκούδες θα συνεχίσουν να έχουν πάγο να σταθούν και να επιβιώσουν. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

The European environment – state and outlook 2010

SOER 2010 provides a set of assessments of the current state of Europe's environment, its likely future state, what is being done and what could be done to improve it, how global megatrends might affect future trends… and more. Read more....

UN climate change talks in Cancun agree a deal

BBC News, December 11, 2010

UN talks in Cancun have reached a deal to curb climate change, including a fund to help developing countries. Nations endorsed compromise texts drawn up by the Mexican hosts, despite objections from Bolivia. The draft documents say deeper cuts in carbon emissions are needed, but do not establish a mechanism for achieving the pledges countries have made. Read more...

Mountain gorilla population up by 100 individuals

ENN, December 08, 2010

Conservation appears to be working for the Critically Endangered mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) in the Virunga massif region, as a new census shows an additional 100 individuals from the last census in 2003, an increase of over a quarter. The Virunga massif is a region in three nations—Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda—and covering three protected area.Read more...

EU countries launch North Sea electricity grid

Euractiv, December 06, 2010

Ten European countries, including Norway, have agreed to develop an offshore electricity grid at the North Sea, in a bold move that promoters say will give Europe the possibility of tapping into an even bigger source of energy than the Middle East's oil capacity. Ministers from all the ten 'North Seas Countries' signed of a 'Memorandum of Understanding' on December 3 to develop an offshore electricity grid seen as a major step forward for a single European market for electricity. Read more...

NASA images reveal disappearing mangroves worldwide

ENN, December 02, 2010

In August NASA and the US Geological Survey released the first-ever satellite analysis of the world's mangrove ecosystems. What they found was dire: mangroves covered 12.3% less area than previously estimated.  Now, NASA has released images of the world's mangrove ecosystems, which currently cover 137,760 square kilometers. Yet this number keeps shrinking: mangroves are vanishing rapidly due to rising sea levels, deforestation for coastal developments, agriculture and aquaculture. Read more...

Η ρύπανση με υδράργυρο «οδηγεί σε ομοφυλοφιλία τα υδρόβια πτηνά»

In.g, 02 Δεκεμβρίου 2010

Αρσενικά υδρόβια πτηνά που εκτίθενται σε ρύπανση από υδράργυρο αποκτούν ομοφυλοφιλικές τάσεις οι οποίες μειώνουν την αναπαραγωγική τους επιτυχία και τις προοπτικές του είδους, υποδεικνύουν πειράματα στο εργαστήριο, τα οποία προσομοίωσαν τις συνθήκες που επικρατούν στο φυσικό περιβάλλον. Οι ερευνητές του Πανεπιστημίου της Φλόριντα στο Γκέινσβιλ θεωρούν αναμενόμενα τα αποτελέσματα της μελέτης, δεδομένου ότι ο υδράργυρος είναι γνωστό ότι επηρεάζει το ενδοκρινές σύστημα πολλών ζώων. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Summit agrees tiger recovery plan

BBC News, November 24, 2010

Governments of 13 countries where tigers still live have endorsed a plan to save the big cats from extinction.

Delegates at a summit in St Petersburg, Russia, agreed to double tiger numbers by 2022.
The countries will focus on protecting tiger habitats, addressing poaching, illegal trade and providing the financial resources for the plan. In the last 100 years, tiger numbers have dropped from about 100,000 to less than 3,500 tigers in the wild today. Read more...

Italy Goes Solar With First Sun-Powered Road

ENN, November 11, 2010


Most people will be surprised, but Italy was the first country in the world to build motorways. In fact, the A8 "Milano-Laghi" motorway ("Milan-Lakes", as it connects the city of Milan to Lake Como and Maggiore) was completed in 1926. Time has passed and all developed nations now boast wide motorway networks, a strategic infrastructure that helps interconnecting people, places and is ultimately essential to economic growth. But Italy will soon be able to claim a new "first": the A18 Catania-Siracusa motorway, a 30km addition to Sicily's 600km motorway network, will be a fully solar-powered motorway, the first in its kind. Read more...

Environmental Sustainability Index 2010

The 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks 163 countries on 25 performance indicators tracked across ten policy categories covering both environmental public health and ecosystem vitality. These indicators provide a gauge at a national government scale of how close countries are to established environmental policy goals.Visit the site...

Black magic behind illegal owl trade in India

ENN, November 07, 2010

Use of owls in black magic and sorcery driven by superstition, totems and taboos is one of the prime drivers of the covert owl trade, finds a TRAFFIC India investigation into the illegal trade, trapping and utilization of owls in India. TRAFFIC India’s report entitled "Imperilled Custodians of the Night" was launched today by Shri Jairam Ramesh, Hon. Minister of Environment and Forests at his office in New Delhi. Read more...

Organic farms better at potato beetle control

ENN, November 03, 2010

A study suggesting that organic agriculture gives better pest control and larger plants than conventional farming is sure to reignite longstanding debates about the merits of organic versus conventional agriculture. It also highlights an often-neglected aspect of biodiversity. "Organic agriculture promotes more balanced communities of predators," says David Crowder, author of the new study published today in Nature. Read more...

When the Water Ends: Africa’s Climate Conflicts

Yale 360, November 04, 2010

Watch the Yale Environment 360 video report on the conflicts now arising in parts of East Africa as temperatures climb and water supplies dwindle. This powerful 16-minute video, “When the Water Ends,” shows the plight of four tribes of nomadic herdsmen in Kenya and Ethiopia who now must range more widely in search of water and grazing land, bringing them increasingly into conflict with each other. Watch the video

Πρωτεύουσα της οικολογίας

ΤΑ ΝΕΑ, 04 Νοεμβρίου 2010

Η Βιτόρια-Γκαστέις, µια πόλη στην ισπανική Χώρα των Βάσκων, κέρδισε το Μάλµε, το Ρέικιαβικ και τη Νυρεµβέργη στη «µάχη» για τον τίτλο της Πράσινης Ευρωπαϊκής Πρωτεύουσας 2012. Στην πόλη αυτή, επτά στα δέκα κτίρια έχουν ηλιακούς συλλέκτες, ενώ οι κάτοικοι αυξάνονται, αλλά η κατανάλωση νερού µειώνεται. Διαβαστε περισσότερα...

Power lines 'invisible' to birds

BBC News, November 02, 2010


Birds fly into power lines because they have "blind spots" in their field of vision, according to new research. Vision experts found that cranes, bustards and storks were unable to see obstacles straight ahead when they tilted their heads downwards in flight.Birds often look down during flight to find fellow birds as well as nesting and feeding areas, say the researchers.
The new evidence suggests that the problem cannot be prevented by altering the appearance of power lines.Read more...

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)

October 20, 2010

 

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) study is a major international initiative to draw attention to the global economic benefits of biodiversity, to highlight the growing costs of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, and to draw together expertise from the fields of science, economics and policy to enable practical actions moving forward.  Read more...

Are accountants the last hope for the world's ecosystems?

The Guardian, October 28, 2010

So it has come to this. The global biodiversity crisis is so severe that brilliant scientists, political leaders, eco-warriors, and religious gurus can no longer save us from ourselves. The military are powerless. But there may be one last hope for life on earth: accountants. Ecological bean counting may not seem to hold much power in slowing the massive loss of the world's species, but it appears to be moving up the agenda of the UN biodiversity conference in Nagoya as the economic implications of losing ecosystems becomes more apparent. Read more...

There’s safety in numbers for cyclists

Grist, October 11, 2010

In U.S. cities, there are a lot more people out bicycling than just a few years ago. You might reasonably think that the bicycle crash rate would skyrocket as more people, from wobbly new riders to the outright safety-averse, take to the streets on two wheels.
It's a fine, common-sense assumption -- that happens to be wrong.
Research has been steadily showing, actually, that the more people are out there riding bicycles, the safer bicycling becomes. As ridership goes up, crash rates stay flat. It's happening in Portland (see page 11 of this report [PDF]). It's happening in New York City. Read more...

95% of Consumer Products Mislead Buyers with ‘Green’ Claims

Environmental Leader, October 26, 2010

More than 95 percent of consumer products claiming to be “green” commit at least one greenwashing offense, according to a report released by TerraChoice, a North American environmental marketing company and part of Underwriters Laboratories’ global network. The worst offenders are toys and baby care products, with 100 percent and 99.2 percent, respectively, guilty of some form of greenwashing. Read more...

Tiger Among US

WWF International, October 2010


Did you know that there are more tigers in American backyards than there are in the wild around the world? The United States has one of the largest populations of captive tigers in the world − estimated at perhaps 5,000 tigers, compared to as few as 3,200 in the wild. They are found in backyards, urban apartments, sideshows, truck stops and private breeding facilities.In many jurisdictions, people can legally keep a tiger on their property without reporting it to local officials or neighbors. In some states, it is easier to buy a tiger than to adopt a dog from a local animal shelter. Rarely can officials determine how many tigers there are in captivity within state borders − or where they are, who owns them, or what happens to their body parts (highly prized on the black market) when they die. Read more...

China overtakes U.S. as biggest energy consumer

ENN, October 12, 2010

IEA calculations based on preliminary data show that China has now overtaken the United States to become the world's largest energy user. China's rise to the top ranking was faster than expected as it was much less affected by the global financial crisis than the United States. Read more...

Bring on Enviropig?: Can Genetic Engineering Make Meat a More Sustainable Food?

ENN, October 12, 2010

Food safety advocates may shudder at the thought, but a team of scientists in Canada have come up with a new breed of pig that is intended to make meat a greener, more sustainable food. The Enviropig is engineered to have the same meat quality as your typically breeded Yorkshire pig, with all the ideal protein and fat content developed for the market. But in addition, it is also engineered to produce less toxic manure that releases fewer pollutants into the atmosphere, thereby making it a more environmentally sustainable option for large scale pig farmers. Read more...

Sewage from passenger ships and ferries banned from the Baltic Sea

ENN, October 10, 2011


Ship sewage will no longer be allowed to foul the Baltic Sea. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Friday agreed to ban the discharge of sewage from passenger ships and ferries in the Baltic Sea. The decision comes after a three year WWF campaign to stop the dumping of waste water in the Baltic Sea. The decision will make the dumping of waste water illegal starting in 2013 for all new ships, and from 2018 for all ships, when sufficient port reception facilities are available. A special IMO working group will develop criteria for "adequate port reception facilities". Read more...

Wind turbines wrong colour for wildlife

BBC News, October 15, 2010


A study has revealed that a wind turbine's colour affects how many insects it attracts, shedding more light on why the turbines occasionally kill bats and birds. Scientists say that turbines, most commonly painted white or grey, draw in insects. These then lure bats and birds - as they pursue their prey - into the path of the turbine blades.Support for the idea comes from another study showing that bats are most often killed by turbines at night and in summer, when insects are most abundant.Read more...

Ο εφιάλτης νέας διαρροής

Καθημερινή, 17 Οκτωβρίου 2010

Τα καλά νέα είναι ότι έπειτα από μέρες έκτακτης εργασίας, τα τοιχώματα της δεξαμενής του εργοστασίου της δυτικής Ουγγαρίας από το οποίο διέρρευσε ένα εκατομμύριο κυβικά μέτρα τοξικής λάσπης, στέκονται ακόμη όρθια. Τα κακά νέα είναι ότι η κυβέρνηση πιστεύει πως η δεξαμενή έχει καταστραφεί τόσο, που μια νέα ολέθρια διαρροή είναι πιθανόν να συμβεί ανά πάσα στιγμή. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Water map shows billions at risk of 'water insecurity'

BBC News, September 29, 2010

About 80% of the world's population lives in areas where the fresh water supply is not secure, according to a new global analysis. Researchers compiled a composite index of "water threats" that includes issues such as scarcity and pollution. The most severe threat category encompasses 3.4 billion people. Writing in the journal Nature, they say that in western countries, conserving water for people through reservoirs and dams works for people, but not nature. Read more...

Innovation of the Week: Using Dirt to Make Water Clean

Worldwatch Institute, September 23, 2010


In 2004 Peter Njodzeka founded the Life and Water Development Group Cameroon (LWDGC) with a rather simple goal. “ I wanted to see the people in my area have clean water,” he said. “And we kept expanding. That’s how it started.”. While Peter was growing up in Nkuv, the small village in Cameroon where he was born, no one had clean water.  The water available for drinking was also used by livestock and wildlife, as well as for the whole village’s washing. Every year at least one child would die from illness caused by the dirty water and most households reported having at least one sick family member in the past six months at any given time.Read more...

NYC Reveals ‘Green’ Infrastructure Plans

Environmental Leader, October 01, 2010

New York City wants to curb water runoff that sends sewage into city waterways through the use of “blue” roofs that have a series of drainage pools and “green” or grass- or ivy-covered roofs, reports Reuters.
The new plan, called “NYC Green Infrastructure” (PDF), would replace the existing approach for sewer overflow control with a mix of green and traditional infrastructure measures that are expected to reduce sewer overflows into waterways, reports Sustainable Business. Read more...