June Special Edition 2015
WAR AGAINST CLIMATE
SUSTAINABLE
BUILDING
THE
W W W . Z I W I R A . C O M
FUTURE
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CONTENTS
BUILDING THE FUTURE
CONTENTS JUNE SPECIAL EDITION 2015
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AFRICA 60 Civil War Leaks into South Sudan’s Environment 64 Forest Fires
AUSTRALIA 76 The Australia-Pacific Plate Boundary 78 2013 The Year of Cyclones
ASIA
OCEANIA
38 China’s Overpopulation Crisis
82 2011 The year that shook the Earth
16 Effects of Hiroshima & Nagasaki – Never Forgotten
84 When Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu
26 Nepal’s worst disaster since 1934 22 The Aral Sea Crisis 12 Could Climate Change Fuel Wars?
SOUTH AMERICA 116 The Amazon Rainforest is in our hands
34 Radiation from Fukushima detected in Canada 48 UAE Coastlines Threatened by Global Warming 46 The Snowfall Season That Was Totally Uncharacteristic
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NORTH AMERICA 100 California Faces Extreme Heat Waves and Rising Sea, Report Finds 94 Cracked Earth: California in Its Fourth Year of Drought 106 Kivalina, Alaska 108 Haiti: 5 Years On
EUROPE 122 1986, Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
ANTARCTICA 103 Arctic Ice is Thinning at Alarming Rate, Says Study
18 WORLD 124 Agriculture bears major brunt of disaster impacts, new report says 134 9 Limits of our Planet 114 Asteroid Impact 70 Climate Change & Marine Life 58 Coral Bleaching & Ocean AcidiďŹ cation 88 Insects & Climate Change 08 Climate Change: A look at the Past 142 The Vicious Cycle of Northern Fires Contributing to Climate Change 48 Worst Oil Spills in History
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118 Relationship between Climate Change and Super-Storms www.ziwira.com
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EDITORIAL
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BUILDING THE FUTURE
Publisher Ziwira CEO and Founder Adam Merza adam@ziwira.com Editorial Saba Khan saba.khan@ziwira.com Nasreen Rasool nasreen.rasool@ziwira.com Zane Small zane.small@ziwira.com Marketing Nadir Khan nadir.khan@ziwira.com +971 56 7481747 Design Asif Habib asif.habib@ziwira.com Head Office Techno Hub Building, Office No. 161-162, PO Box No. 341171,
JUNE SPECIAL EDITION 2015
EDITORIAL In recent years there has been a surge in natural disasters globally, due to the dramatic changes in the weather. Random and extensive changes taking place in the atmospheric processes will deeply affect the health, lives and surroundings of millions of people in the coming years.
In the recent past we have witnessed some terrible natural disasters like the tsunamis in Southeast Asia and Japan, the earthquakes in Pakistan, Haiti and China, as well as hurricane Katrina and others in North and Central America. This climatic, unprecedented
destruction and wreckage has resulted in great loss of life and resources and left a deep impact on the human mind due to their immense magnitude.
This magazine on world disasters and climate change is a compilation of all such natural
disasters that have taken place in the past few years. This magazine is dedicated to all those who have lost their lives and livelihood in such atrocities.
The aim of this edition is to create awareness about this grim issue of climate change so that people can come forward and take the first step toward saving the environment.
Dubai Silicon Oasis, UAE. USA Office Ziwira Inc. 445 Park Avenue 9th Floor New York City New York 10022 United States of America Canada Office Ziwira Inc. Toronto, Canada
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Each year, 2.6 million children die as a result of hunger-related causes.
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WORLD
C
limate Change is a very real situation that affects us all. In fact, it has effected humans and animals alike, for as long as life has existed. At the present, we are faced with the reality that our world is warming up. However, there was a time when the world was doing the complete opposite, and we call this the ‘Ice Age’. What we need to understand is what causes the earth to go through such dramatic changes in temperature, to better understand the crisis we are faced with today. The climate we have on earth is determined by three contributing factors. The first being the changing of incoming solar radiation when there is a change in the earth’s orbit around the sun. Another contributing factor is changing of the fraction of solar
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radiation that is reflected, which is called ‘albedo’. This can be caused by changes in cloud cover, small particles called aerosols, or land cover. The last factor is when the longwave energy radiating back to space is altered, for example by changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. Furthermore, climate change can also be determined by how heat is distributed by winds, oceans, and currents. If we focus on the past ice ages in particular, these changes in the earth’s climate have strong evidence that points towards variations in the earth’s orbit around the sun. A small change in the earth’s cycle can change the amount of solar radiation received at each latitude in each season.
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CLIMATE CHANGE A LOOK AT THE PAST Climate change is one of those freakishly intimidating realities that can be hard to face up to. Before you make up your mind about climate change, you need to understand it. In order to better understand climate change, let’s examine how previous changes to the planet occurred…
A slight drop in the overall temperature of a season can be crucial and set off an Ice Age on a slow path. In the northern hemisphere, if the temperature drops very low one year, the ice will not have time to melt before winter returns. If this keeps happening, it means that each year the ice will get thicker and thicker until it covers most of the land – and voila, we have an Ice Age. The next large reduction in northern hemisphere summers is due to begin in 30,000 years.
where we have Antarctica and Greenland which are completely ice covered continents. A possible way that the earth’s climate has changed could be down to variations in the energy output of the sun. Measurements over recent decades show that the solar output varies slightly. Data correlation and model simulations indicate that solar variability and volcanic activity are likely to be leading reasons for climate variations during the past millennium, before the start of the industrial era.
The earth however, has not only gone through frosty patches. Throughout its history, the earth has also warmed up considerably. By examining marks ice leaves on rocks, scientists have been able to determine that during most of the past 500 million years, the earth was completely ice free, as opposed to now
The impact that humans have had on our current climate is a topic to be covered at another time. This article should open your eyes to how the earth works, and help you to grasp how fragile our world is, with so many slight contributing factors, that can cause gargantuan outcomes.
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World hunger is getting out of control. There is more fruit in a rich man’s shampoo than on a poor man’s plate.
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ASIA
COULD
CLIMATE CHANGE
FUEL WARS?
In desperate times people can become beasts, ďŹ ghting to preserve their own lives. Could it be possible that climate change is partly responsible for world wars?
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ASIA
More than 11,000 children killed in Syrian Civil War
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War Against Climate
A recent article published in The Science Times suggests that the current war in Syria was actually brought about by climate change. According to the theory, it was harsh changes in the weather combined with the country’s inability to cope that spurred civil conflict. Skeptics say the notion has no basis, but it does present an interesting perspective. Truth be unknown, it’s definitely something to ponder. “Melting ice sheets, extreme drought and even heavy rain and snowfall can all be attributed to climate change. But one of the most terrifying results of climate change is the increased threat of war,” claims the article. It makes reference to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, which explores how drought can be a cause of war. Syria suffered a major drought from 2006 to 2010, during which the groundwater supplies dried up. As a result, many farmers then fled to the cities, which were already overcrowded with Iraqi refugees. The government was unable to manage the situation and violent protests soon broke out. The crisis has since worsened and erupted into the civil war, which is still ongoing in Syria today. David Titley, a professor of meteorology at Penn State University in the US agrees with the idea that the drought, combined with poor water management policies fuelled the crisis that faces Syria now.
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“It’s not to say you could predict ISIS out of that, but you just set everything up for something really bad to happen,” he said. Critics of this theory have accused it of being far-fetched and based on ‘poor science’. However, the authors of the study make it quite clear that the link between climate change and war is not a direct one, as social and political issues still play a major role in how events unfold. According to Thomas R. Karl, Director of the National Climatic Data Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it’s a tricky situation and scientists have to be very careful about attributing one particular cause to an extreme event such as drought. He said scientists have to fully understand extreme events in order to understand the human role in them. “Extreme events are very complex and are often caused by multiple factors,” he said. Perhaps what we should take from this theory is not a ‘whodunnit’ scandal to be indulged or tossed to the curb, but a warning sign. It should make at least one ear perk in the realization that our actions have consequences on the environment, and whether big or small, they could ultimately lead to a domino effect that ends in catastrophe. If the Syrian war, which has already killed 76,000 people since last year, was sparked by human-induced global warming, imagine the scale of a war that sees no nationalities, no ideological, racial or political discrimination, just that last bit of water or arable land. Would that not be the ultimate Armageddon?
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hat drives people to war? In some cases, political, religious or ideological reasons. But what lies at the very core of this antagonistic behavior is often pure survival. It is the fear that a foreign other poses an immediate or potential threat to our existence as we know it on the earth. So what happens when the basic natural resources we depend on to survive eventually deplete?
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Melting ice sheets, extreme drought and even heavy rain and snowfall can all be attributed to climate change. But one of the most terrifying results of climate change is the increased threat of war.
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ASIA
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HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI World War II
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Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
EFFECTS OF HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI – NEVER FORGOTTEN
BRIEF HISTORY
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he Second World War began in September 1939. It comprised of the Axis nations who were grouped together to form alliances against the other. One axis was led by Nazi Germany, along with Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan. The other Axis was led by Great Britain and its Commonwealth Nations, along with the United States of America and the Soviet Union. In the end, the latter axis, or the ‘Allies’ won the war which ended in 1945. However, the effects of the war were almost incomprehensible. World War II was no less brutal than World War I. In fact, the war proved to be one of the deadliest wars the world has ever wit-
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nessed taking into account Hitler’s appalling Nazi regime or the ‘holocaust’. It was a war dedicated to bombs, a terrifying form of technology. Between 1939 and 1945, the Allies dropped 3.4 million tons of bombs, on average about 27,700 tons of bombs each month. The United States had remained neutral during the war. But that all changed in December 1941, when Japanese carrier-based bombs struck the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This dragged the US into the war. With one final blow to end it all, the US dropped two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
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THE BOMBS
It has been said that the bombs dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not all bad, because ultimately it ended the war. However, the destruction caused by the bombs was undeniably catastrophic. The first bomb dropped over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 was a uranium bomb with an explosive yield equal to 15,000 tons of TNT. It razed and burnt around 70 percent of all buildings and caused an estimated 140,000 deaths by the end of 1945, along with increased rates of cancer and chronic disease among the survivors. A slightly larger plutonium bomb exploded over Nagasaki three days later. It levelled 6.7 km2 of the city and killed 74,000 people by the end of 1945. Ground temperatures reached 4,000°C and radioactive rain poured down.
THE EFFECTS
When the bombs were dropped, they looked like giant mushrooms protruding in the sky. The bombs caused immediate shockwaves causing blast damage. Fireballs and thermal radiation caused scorching and burning of all organic material, leaving the area bare, hot and dry. Hiroshima and Nagasaki also experienced nuclear fallout, where radioactive particles fell to earth as a result of a nuclear explosion, also known as black rain. The effect that a nuclear blast can have on wildlife is pretty grim. Animals experience similar effects as humans do, including genetic disorders, reproductive implications, cancer, and complications for crustaceans and shellfish. Sea salt is also effectively contaminated, which creates radioactive fish. In japan, fish have often been tested and classified as too radioactive for human consumption. The fireball created after the Hiroshima blast, was 1,200ft in diameter, and 7,200 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature. The Nagasaki fireball was 2 kilometers in diameter, and 7000 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything within the fireball range was
obliterated. All flora, fauna, and anything flammable was destroyed immediately. All mammals smaller than dogs within the radius of the blast were significantly harmed or killed from the pressure. Even for animals that did not die, danger remained. Animals suffered damage to the lungs, heart, eardrums, and eyes. The long term effects of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs are not to be heard by the faint of heart. Some of the effects caused genetic defects in reproduction, causing generations of suffering. Women exposed to the bombings while they were pregnant experienced very high rates of miscarriage and deaths among their infants. Children exposed to radiation in their mother’s womb were more likely to have intellectual disabilities and impaired growth, as well as increased risk of developing cancer. Leukemia (cancer of the blood) increased substantially among survivors five to six years after the bombings. About a decade later, survivors began to suffer from thyroid, breast, lung, and other cancers at higher than normal rates. Even decades after, the added risks related to radiation exposure contin-
ued to increase throughout the lifespan of survivors. It has been estimated that in Hiroshima, 90 percent of physicians and nurses were killed or injured, with 42 of 45 hospitals rendered non-functional, and 70 percent of victims had combined injuries including, in most cases, severe burns. It has also been estimated that all of the dedicated burn beds around the world would be insufficient to care for the survivors of a single nuclear bomb on any city. As sad as it is to say, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, most of the victims, humans and animals alike, died without any care to ease their suffering. Many people who came to the cities afterwards to provide aid later died from radiation. On a lighter note, since 1945, both the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been rebuilt. Ironically, one quarter of Hiroshima’s electricity comes from nuclear power, and half of that for Nagasaki. Isn’t it incredible that mankind can create something so devastating to people and the environment? Let us hope that nuclear bombs remain a ghost of the past.
GENERAL EFFECTS OF A NUCLEAR BLAST •
Intense heat
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Pressure changes
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Impact of debris
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Impact of body into other objects
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Radiation
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Exposure to dust
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Blast induced fires
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Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, is a much greater hunger and a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.
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ASIA
THE ARAL SEA CRISIS Once the world’s fourth-largest inland body of water, the Aral Sea has fallen into a state of turmoil. From the 1970’s to today, the sea has been dramatically disappearing before our eyes. Now, all that is left is desert, and a small area of water, too salty to support life.
So what went wrong? It was in the 1960’s when the Soviet government decided to makes some changes to the Aral Sea area, in order to promote the production of cotton and wheat. The Soviet Union had ambitions to become the world’s leading exporter of cotton in a growing market. Water to the Aral Sea was once supplied by two rivers; the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya.
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It was decided by the Soviet government to divert those rivers so that they could irrigate the desert region surrounding the sea in order to favor agriculture rather than supply the Aral Sea basin. Deprived of a substantially less amount of water, it was inevitable that the Uzbek people were soon to lose one of their most important sources of life. Canals were dug to change the course of the water coming from the rivers. The water was then supposed to be used to feed cotton fields. Unfortunately, 25 to 75 percent of the water going through the canals was soaked up by the desert and blatantly wasted. It was from the 1960’s onwards that the Aral Sea began to noticeably deplete. The Aral Sea gets about one fifth of its water supply through rainfall, while the rest is delivered to it by the two rivers. Evaporation causes the water level to decrease by the same amount that flows into the sea, making it sustainable as long as inflow is equal to evaporation on average. Therefore, it is safe to say that the diversion of the two rivers is without a doubt the reason that caused the sea to slowly desiccate over the last four decades.
It is clearly one of the worst environmental disasters of the world. I was shocked. – BAN KI-MOON United Nations Secretary General
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zbekistan, once part of the Soviet Union, was once home to a lush, fresh water inland sea, half the size of England. The Aral Sea provided a life source for the people who lived around it. It is located between the southern part of Kazakhstan and Northern Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan alone had a population increase of 8.1 to 19.9 million from 1950 to 1988. With such an increase of people, the Aral Sea provided an important life source. Approximately 10,000 tons of fish were caught annually, feeding the surrounding population, and providing the Soviet Union a sixth of its fish catch. The sea was once 26,000 square miles (67,300 square kilometers). The Aral Sea was plentiful, and should have been able to provide Uzbekistan and its neighboring countries for years to come.
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DESICCATION OF THE ARAL SEA
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August 12, 2003
he most obvious effect of the Aral Sea desiccation (state of extreme dryness), has been the huge loss of water. The water level has dropped by approximately 23 meters since the water from the rivers was diverted. The sea did have a history of fluctuation up to a few meters, but by 1970, the water loss exceeded the limit of natural water level variation that has occurred in the past. At first, the water level dropped by
August16, 2009 about 21cm per year. During the next decade, the water level decreased by 57cm per year, and from there, the water level just kept dropping annually. The incoming solar radiation for a given square area then had to heat up a smaller volume of water, thus the water temperature at the surface increased faster. This lowered the specific humidity at the surface, which further increased the rate of evaporation, resulting in a lot less water.
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ASIA Salinity of the water was another major contributing factor to the loss of the Aral Sea. As the sea level dropped because of water loss, the inflow of salts to the sea exceeded the salt discharge, and as a result, salinity levels of the sea rose. The resulting salty sea was too much for most fish. In the first decade after redirecting the rivers, the salinity of the sea increased by 14 percent. As a result, commercial fishing catches dropped from 43,430 tons in 1960, to zero in 1980. Today, what is left of the Aral Sea, is three times saltier than any ocean. In certain areas, as the water dissolved, a crust of salt was left on the surface
of the ground in its place. With a significant loss of plants and trees in the area, the strong north-easterly wind swept through the area, spreading the salt far and wide, affecting the health of humans and animals alike. It was estimated that the average amount of salt removed from the entire dried seabed was about 43 million metric tons between 1960 and 1984. The steep rise in salinity is one of the curses that hit the Aral Sea region when the sea started shrinking, and is, with the visible water loss, the element which alters the landscape most.
CLIMATE CHANGE Two studies conducted by Small and Molosnova, arrived to the same conclusion that the shrinking of the Aral Sea directly accounts for 50 to 66 percent of the warming trend in the area. In the period from 1960 to 2000, the average monthly air temperature has increased by 2 degrees C to 6 degrees C in the summer above and around the sea. The air temperature has also decreased during the winter. Before the desiccation period, the Aral Sea was able to regulate the climate in the region by softening strong Siberian winds in the winter, and cooling off the area in the summer. With an increase in temperature in the region, dry air, carbon dioxide, and water deficiency will all lead to crop losses of agricultural plants. The high temperatures will also reduce the amount of grass on the plain territories which in turn will lead to a decrease in natural fauna and cattle breeding. The increase in temperature will essentially increase the demand for water, as farmers will have to use more water to grow anything compared to previous decades. This has increased dust and sand storms in the area. Satellite images have revealed that there are up to ten major dust storms occurring annually in the region, most of them between April and July. Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon has said that the desiccation of the Aral Sea, “is clearly one of the worst environmental disasters of the world.” The dramatic reduction of the Aral Sea has proven that mankind is capable of making big mistakes. What is unacceptable about a mistake such as this, is that it is having such a horrible effect on the region where the Aral Sea used to be. Not only do the people of Uzbekistan now have to deal with the loss of a significant amount of fresh water, they also have to deal with a hotter climate, and the health risks associated with strong, salt-contaminated winds. If there is a lesson to be learnt from the desiccation of the Aral Sea, it is that even the slightest adjustment of natural patterns can determine huge outcomes of our surroundings. It is a terrible scar on the former Soviet Union.
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Decreasing Aral Sea(m)
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THE ARAL SEA’S DISAPPEARING ACT
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WE MUST HELP EVERYONE WE CAN IN WHATEVER WAY WE CAN... BECAUSE AT SOME POINT, WE ALL NEEDED HELP; AND AT SOME POINT WE WILL NEED IT AGAIN.
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NEPAL EARTHQUAKE
VICTIMS
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ASIA
NEPAL’S WORST
DISASTER SINCE 1934 Nepal is a beautiful, peaceful country sandwiched between the huge continents of China and India. On Sunday, April 25, Nepal suffered from the worst natural disaster since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar Earthquake. Unfortunately, it was another earthquake that hit Nepal – an absolutely devastating 7.8 earthquake that has killed more than 8,000 people and injured more than 18,000.
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There are things we should have done that would have lessened the damage. –Madan P. Pariyar Nepalese Planning expert
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NEPAL EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS TURN TO REBUILDING HOMES AND LIVES
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EARTHQUAKE The epicenter of the earthquake that struck Nepal was the village of Barpak, Gorkha District, and its hypocenter was at a depth of approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 miles). The earthquake was so strong, that casualties were even reported in the adjoining areas of India, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Because of Nepal’s unique position amongst the Himalayas, the massive earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 19 people. It then triggered another avalanche in Langtang Valley, where 250 people were reported missing. Aftershocks continued to shock the nation within 15-20 minute intervals. One aftershock reached a magnitude of 6.7 on April 26. Aside from the huge loss of life, Nepal has also suffered the loss of beloved buildings at UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley, including some at the Kathmandu Square, the Patan Durbur Square, and the Bhaktapur Durbur Square. Because of its positioning, Nepal has been warned by geophysicists for decades about its vulnerability to earthquakes because of its geology.
AFTERMATH Following the destruction of the earthquake, understandably people began to raise questions related to the preparedness of the Nepalese. While an area’s susceptibility to an earthquake can be identified in advance, seismologists are not able to predict exactly when an earthquake will strike. Nepal resides in an area that is known to be at risk from earthquakes, yet it has been suggested that the country did not act sufficiently on this knowledge to prepare for a likely event. Nepalese planning expert Madan P. Pariyar spoke to RTCC (Responding to Climate Change), on the sidelines of a climate adaptation conference organized by the IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development). He said that in the decades following the previous 1934 earthquake, people in Nepal were conscious of earthquake risk and factored it into decisions about housing. “People did not build multi-story buildwww.ziwira.com
ings because they were the generation that has seen the earthquake.” However, he said that more recently, the attitude clearly changed, with the development of high-rise buildings increasing during the past ten years. According to Sujan Piya, a worker for Practical Action in Nepal, he links the buildings’ vulnerability to the earthquake with the weakness of the government in the country. “The preparation was very poor, because the political management was poor and the local government systems were nonexistent.” Whereas in Japan, public authorities ensure buildings are built strictly to earthquake-resistant standards. “The problem is not about capital, it is about the lack of rules and regulations”, Piya said. “A building code is necessary, especially for public infrastructure like schools and hospitals”, he added. Nepal faces another potential threat, as
monsoon season nears. Two weeks after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck, emergency responders were racing against time to reach affected populations in the mountainous country’s most remote regions. “We have a short window to reach people in need,” said Jamie McGoldrick, the UN’s top relief official in Nepal. “With the monsoon season just around the corner, our imperative is to provide communities with roofs over their heads and meet their basic needs.” According to OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), relief efforts were tackling Nepal’s challenging topography by combining standard aid delivery with competencies and traditional methods of the local communities, in order to speed up the flow of humanitarian aid ahead of the monsoon season anticipated to begin in the next four to six weeks following the quake.
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CHANGING LANDSCAPE Apparently earthquakes do more than just destroy buildings and infrastructure. According to scientists at the German Aerospace Center who looked through data collected by the Sentinel-1a satellite, they found that part of the Himalayas dropped close to 5 feet. It is a particularly interesting discovery, because it is commonly known that the tectonic plate containing India is pushing into Eurasia, and the collision is slowly pushing the Hima-
layas higher. So it begs the question: Why did the Himalayas sink? According to Tim Wright, a professor of satellite geodesy (science of measuring the earth), part of the Indian plate containing Kathmandu is being pulled underneath the Eurasian plate, while the Himalayas are getting “squashed” upwards between the two. “Now, during the earthquake itself, what happens is the opposite,” Wright said. When the pressure between
the plates gets to be too much, there is dramatic movement along cracks in the Earth’s crust called fault lines. That movement creates an earthquake. When all that energy is released, the portion of land getting dragged down springs back up, and the part getting squashed upwards relaxes, kind of like a rubber band snapping after being pulled too taut.
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It’s easy for people in an air-conditioned room to continue with the policies of destruction of Mother Earth. We need instead to put ourselves in the shoes of families in Bolivia and worldwide that lack water and food and suffer misery and hunger.
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ASIA
RADIATION FROM FUKUSHIMA DETECTED IN CANADA The far reaching effects of Japan’s 2011 nuclear disaster are still being felt, several miles away, four years later.
One such study conducted by the Woods Hold Oceanographic Institution recently discovered traces of Cesium-134 and Cesium-137 along the coast of Vancouver
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Island, Canada, which is approximately 7,000 km away from Japan. Even though the levels detected were extremely low and pose no real threat, it illustrates the vast impact disasters of this scale can have. Shortly after the Fukushima disaster, tests off the coast of Japan measured radiation at 50 million BecquerelsBecquerels (unit of radioation) per cubic meter. The Canadian water sample contained 1.4 BecquerelsBecquerels per cubic meter of Cesium-134 and 5.8 BecquerelsBecquerels per cubic meter of Cesium-137. But experts still believe caution is necessary.
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he events in Japan, 2011 went down in history as one of the worst disasters ever. A 9.0 magnitude earthquake, hit the city of Fukushima, followed by a 14 meter tsunami, which destroyed the city’s Fukushima nuclear power plant, and caused major radioactive contamination of natural resources. So enormous were the consequences of the tragedy, that to this day, waters are still being tested for radioactive content that could potentially harm marine life and humans.
Radioactivity can be dangerous, and we should be carefully monitoring the oceans after what is certainly the largest accidental release of radioactive contaminants to the oceans in history.
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– KEN BUESSELER Scientist
War War Against Against Climate Climate
Scientist Ken Buesseler said he expects similar levels of the nuclear contaminants to gradually drift across to other North American shores, possibly extending from Washington to California. Nearly 16,000 people were killed in the 2011 incident and a further 3,00, 000 displaced. The Tsunami that destroyed the power plant caused major radioactive contamination of the Pacific Ocean, as well as contamination of the air, food and water. It was the world’s worst nuclear disaster since 1986. It was unclear at the time just how much radiation escaped from the plant and how it would affect the people and nature it came into contact with. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, Tokyo Electric Power, estimated that 18,000 terabecquerels of radioactive materials flowed into the Pacific after the accident. One terabecquerel is equivalent to 1 trillion becquerelsBecquerels. Subsequent studies revealed more and more of the after effects. In May 2011, ten children tested positive for internal radiation poisoning near the nuclear plant. Most food produce was contaminated, but if the levels were considered to be ‘acceptable’ by the government, it went on sale anyway. Radioactive Caesium and Iodine
Special Special Edition Edition
were found in the urine of 15 residents from two towns located near the Fukushima plant. A study published in the Nature Journal found that the pale grass blue butterfly near the site had developed some uncommon physical abnormalities. Fukushima butterflies showed some abnormally-developed legs, dented eyes, deformed wing shapes, and changes in the color and patterns of their wings, according to the study. Fukushima butterflies were also being exposed internally by eating leaves affected by radiation. When scientists fed normal butterfly larvae radiated plants, they witnessed the occurrence of similar mutations. Researchers then concluded that the mutations observed in the Fukushima butterflies were due both to external and internal contact with radiation. In another instance, US scientists discovered Bluefin tuna contaminated with radiation off the California coast five months after the accident. They were believed to be from Fukushima Daiichi. In a 2008 study of fish in the same area, there was no evidence of caesium-134, which is produced only by nuclear power plants and weapons. Caesium-137 was present only at levels that naturally occur in the environment.
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When the ood tides of human advertsity...heat about the mortal soul, you may rest in the assurance that there is one inner bastion, the citadel of the spirit, which is absolutely unassaible... -The Urantia Book, Page 1096 (100:2:7)
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TSUNAMI JAPAN 2011
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ASIA
CHINA’S
OVER POPULATION CRISIS
China is the most populated country in the world. With a rapidly increasing population, China has gone to extreme measures to ensure it has a future. However, some believe these methods are too extreme, and should never have been put in place. You can decide for yourself‌ www.ziwira.com
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he People’s Republic of China has a current estimated population of 1,400,140,655 (1.4 billion). This is closely followed by India with a population of 1,279,273,550 (1.2 billion). To put this in perspective, the United States, the third most populated country in the world, has about a quarter of the population of China, with an estimated 324,545,378 people (324 million). The world has never before expe-
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rienced such a high population of people in a single area before, as China. Since 1800, the population of the world has increased by a significant amount, from 1 billion, which had doubled to 2 billion by 1930, to 4 billion in 1974, to our current 7 billion today. If our current population is 7 billion, and China’s population alone is 1.4 billion, it shows how massive their population really is.
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ASIA
HOW DID CHINA GET SO BIG? China’s rapid growth can be traced to the end of World War II. Chairman Mao, founding father of the People’s Republic of China, encouraged Chinese families in 1949 to have as many children as possible. It was initially thought by the government that the population increase would bring wealth to the country, to help China produce more food, build a more effective army, develop water control, and establish communication systems. From the 1950’s, the population of China increased in millions every year. In 1949 the population was around 118 million, which then increased to 540 million in 1960. In 1970 the population increased to 818 million, and then made a massive increase to 1.2 billion by 2000. Surprisingly, China is not considered overpopulated because of its population. In fact, overpopulation in a country occurs when the number of people in an area is far greater than the country’s available resources. During Chairman Mao’s rule, China’s birthrate was as high as four children per family, which inevitably caused food shortages, which led to famine. The Chinese are an intel-
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ligent people, and caught on to the fact that their population was increasing too rapidly. So, in the 1980’s the Communist Party decided to restrict China’s population growth in order to stabilize food and water supplies. In September 1980, the Communist Party announced that families were only to have one child per couple, in order to keep the population below 1.2 billion at the end of the 20th century. This strict, and very unnatural way of living, has led to some seriously disturbing statistics. According to the Chinese Health Ministry, doctors have performed 336 million abortions and 196 million sterilizations since 1971, and have also inserted 403 million intrauterine devices. To put this in perspective, in the United States, there have only been 50 million abortions since 1973. The policy was exempt from China’s ethnic minorities including the Uighurs and the Tibetans. Families who live in the country are allowed to have a second child if their first child is a girl. In 2013, couples that were only children themselves, were allowed to apply to have more children.
To ensure the continued reduction of the population policy, women in China are regularly inspected to check if they are pregnant. Those women who are found to be in breach of the policy can suffer forced abortions and even sterilizations. Many people in China have successfully hidden new children from the authorities. The 1990 census recorded 23 million births, but the 2000 census recorded the number of 10-year-olds at 26 million, which suggests 3 million babies had escaped the notice of family planning officials. The Chinese government has been criticized for taking action at such a late point. From 1950 to 1978, no action was taken to reduce the rapidly increasing population. If China had taken a stance earlier, it could be growing at a normal rate today. Now the country is left with an increasing problem of imbalance between males and females. It is predicted that by 2025, there will be four males for every female. This is because Chinese families favor the birth of a boy, in order to carry on the family name and tradition.
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HONG KONG Crowd of people in a tunnel of the Central subway station on May 13 2013. 6 p.m. is the peak of rush hour in central Hong Kong because people have finished work.
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WHAT ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT? Particularly in China, harmful methods of resource management and consumption have reached a level at which the environment will suffer exponentially. Nevertheless, it is these destructive modes of resource management on which China depends for food supplies, and it is through these same modes that China has starved itself in the past, and may starve itself again in the future. Quite often, overpopulation is seen as the cause of China’s environmental problems, in-
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cluding its heavy CO2 emissions. Those who support the theory, argue that China cannot cope with the recent rapid growth in distributing resources to its population. This, combined with recent estimates about the continued growth of the nation, create alarming forecasts for the resilience and sustainability of China’s environment.
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At the rate human population is growing, on average, an increase of 1 billion people is happening every twelve years. With so many people in the world, the most obvious problem that we face is the age old question of how we can feed ourselves with limited food and water resources. With our current overpopulation boom, 1 billion people, out of every seven people alive, go to bed hungry. 25,000 people die of malnutrition and hunger-related diseases.
Punish, with an iron hand, any violators who destroy the ecology or environment, with no exceptions. – XI JINPING General Secretary of the Communist Party of China
However, China, being the immensely resourceful and influential country that it is, is making changes in relation to the well-being of the environment. In March, at China’s annual legislative meeting, environmental problems and government pledges to fix them, dominated the show. Leaders tried to ease public concerns about air, water, and soil contamination that threaten to derail the country’s economic rise and cast doubts on the ruling Communist Party. At the National People’s Congress in Beijing, which is constantly smothered in smog, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping pledged to, “Punish, with an iron hand, any violators who destroy the ecology or environment, with no exceptions.” The government has sworn to cut back major pollutants and improve energy efficiency. Hopefully, with the backing of a supportive government, China will be able to pull itself out of this tricky dilemma. No doubt, China, one of the most ancient, and now most populated countries in the world, will find a way to prosper.
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Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed and those who are cold and are not clothed.
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ASIA
THE SNOWFALL SEASON THAT WAS TOTALLY UNCHARACTERISTIC A seeming contradiction: How could global warming be linked to icy cold weather?
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nusual snowfall has recently hit parts of the US and the Middle East, bringing with it a mix of wonder and tragedy. While snow is not uncommon in North America during winter, the drop in temperatures and severity of the snowstorms hit record breaking levels. It was even stranger in the Middle East, as it is known for its hot, dry conditions and lack of precipitation of any sort.
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Missouri temperatures hit an all-time low of 19 degrees below zero, while Boston had the highest levels of snow, almost reaching its 1995 record of 107 inches. One study showed that it was colder in North Carolina than in Alaska. In Cortland County, 5 cows were killed when a barn roof covered in snow collapsed.
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The snowstorms have had a disruptive impact not only on life, commuting and convenience, but on business too, with major real estate deals being postponed due to the snow. An estimated 1.4 percent could be knocked off the GDP growth for the first quarter. For over a month, Americans have been snowed under with hardly a break between the storms, not quite the white winter wonderland they are accustomed to. In the Middle East, landmarks such as the Al Aqsa mosque in Jordan were uncharacteristically draped in snow. Lebanese schools were forced to close and thousands of displaced Syrians living in camps were also affected by the snowstorms which led to the highest levels of snow for the year. Makeshift homes in one camp that houses 83,000 refugees
was completely buried in snow. The difference here is that while the US faces a minor economic setback, the poorest Middle Easterns who are already battling the winter without energy supplies, have really been plunged deeper into despair. Jerusalem’s winter temperatures usually average on 46 degrees Farenheit, but dropped to 31 overnight. According to Climate Central, there hasn’t been a record cold year set since 1911, while during the same period there have been 19 record-warm years. So, how is it that unusually snowy weather would occur during these record warm years? Scientists say the phenomenon can be explained by an imbalance in the planetary system due to increased human
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emitted carbon dioxide. The system has been “bothered”, so to speak, and as it tries to find equilibrium, energy is distributed unequally and converted into heat that is released into the atmosphere, changing how air and water flows. This will ultimately cause a major upset in weather conditions, leading to some of the bizarre occurrences we have seen of late. Even increased precipitation in the desert is not entirely good news. With overall warmer temperatures, this water will just be evaporated, and in the meantime, the melting snow is causing water havoc in places it was not meant to be. In short, we have gone and caused a downright mess. And unless carbon emissions are not taken seriously enough, this could just be the tip of the iceberg.
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ASIA
UAE COASTLINE
BY GLOBAL
Abu Dhabi’s diverse coastline and the plan to protect it
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ES THREATENED
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Report highlights challenges posed by climate change for UAE coastal ecosystems.
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he natural eco-systems of UAE coastlines are likely to come under increasing threat as greenhouse gases continue to trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Mangroves, marshes and coral reefs will be among the worst affected, according to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change 2014.
placed under tremendous stress as air and water temperatures rise. If the properties of the water change too dramatically, all known living species in those waters may not be able to survive. Experts attending the panel agreed that more research is needed to determine that exact effects of climate change on biodiversity and rainfall patterns.
“Mangroves, salt marshes and sea grass beds may decline unless they can move inland, while coastal freshwater swamps and marshes will be vulnerable to saltwater intrusion with rising sea-levels,” said the report.
The Environmental Agency in Abu Dhabi (EAD) has prioritized climate change in a five-year plan and says it is prepared to deal with the possible harms it could bring to the coastline. In 2013, it established a greenhouse gas inventory specifically for the Emirate. Studies are also underway to determine how local ecosystems can adapt to harsh changes in the climate.
“Widespread damage to coral reefs correlated with episodes of high seasurface temperature has been reported in recent decades and there is high confidence that damage to reefs will increase during the 21st century as a result of both warming and ocean acidification.” Indigenous plant and animal life are accustomed to living under certain conditions such as temperature and water levels. Scientific studies have shown that not only is global warming a direct cause of rising sea levels, but the pace at which it is rising is also accelerating. The report suggests that both coastal and marine ecosystems will be
“Climate change mitigation requires broad cross-sector coordination instead of isolated interventions of individual organizations. As the leading public agency for protecting and conserving the environment in Abu Dhabi, EAD has a key role to play in managing a concerted response to mitigate climate change at the local level through a combination of supply and demand side management initiatives,” said Dr. Thabit Al Abdessalaam, a senior adviser on biodiversity at the organization.
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They that die by famine die by inches.
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WORLD
WORST OIL SPILLS IN HISTORY Oil spills have been seeping toxins into nature for half a century. The scary part is that there are a millions of gallons that go quietly into the oceans from ship maintenance, drains and smaller spills, that the world never actually hears about. Below are just a few of the worst incidents to have been documented.
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n Wednesday 1 April, 2015, 4 people were killed in a fire at the Pemex oil rig in Campeche Mexico. No significant oil spill was reported, as the situation was quickly contained. But oil most certainly did flow into the sea, adding to the billions of gallons of that black poisonous liquid that has spilled over the years, intoxicating natural life. It should simply not be there. The incident is a stark reminder of some of the worst oil spills in history, and a worrying sign that there will be more to come.
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THE TORREY CANYON OIL SPILL Dating back to 1967, the Torrey Canyon was one of the world’s first super tankers, and hence one of the earliest major oil spills. The ship was carrying 120,000 tons of oil when it hit a reef off the coast of Cornwall in the UK. Based on quantity alone, the 36 gallons of oil spilt was not large compared to later slicks. But the after effects of the accident were disastrous. Environmental contamination spanned over 180 miles of coastland and more than 15,000 sea birds and other marine animals were killed. Royal Navy vessels then attempted to clean up the mess using toxic dispersants which caused even further ecological damage. Finally, they decided to get rid of the oil by dropping bombs and setting fire to the ocean.
BP OIL SPILL Wildlife is still struggling to rebound five years after the BP oil spill on the Gulf coast, not far from Campeche. In April 2010, there was an explosion at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in Louisiana, which killed 11 people and caused the entire structure to sink. It went down as the worst spill in US history. The well was located 5000 feet below the water’s surface and the burst pipe was leaking oil and gas onto the ocean floor for three months before a solution was found. This amounted to an estimated 3.19 million barrels of spilled oil. Animals affected included pelicans, dolphins, sea turtles and fish. Even pelicans who were not directly affected by the oil, but who fed on contaminated resources, were found to lay eggs containing chemical compounds. The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) released a report in the run up to the five-year anniversary of the spill, stating that 20 species were still affected and that the effects of the blow-out would be long-term. Residents in areas surrounding the Gulf of Mexico have reported that oil is still being found on the beaches and in the water. Not only did the oil itself cause much damage, but in the cleanup process, many harmful chemicals were used to disperse the oil, presenting new problems to the environment. The true magnitude of the damage has still not been fully understood, yet BP has released several PR statements saying that the situation was improving. The company has been criticized for obscuring facts and underplaying the impact of the disaster.
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ARABIAN GULF OIL SPILL Ironically, the worst spill to have ever occurred, was not an accident at all, it was an intentional act of war. In January 1991, during the Gulf War, Iraqi forces deliberately opened valves at the Sea Island oil terminal and released millions of gallons of oil from the tankers into the Persian Gulf in an attempt to deter American soldiers from landing. As a result, 4 inches of oil spread across the Indian Ocean. Tankers, oil fields and refineries were torched on a daily basis in addition to the spill. Needless to say, the natural environment took a severe beating, as did human health in the surrounding areas. An estimated 30,000 water birds were killed along with fish eggs and larvae. Even though large amounts of the oil were evaporated due to high temperatures in the area, heavier fractions sank into the coastal sediments and marshes. In some cases, if these habitats are sensitive, clean-up activities can be more damaging than leaving them alone. But experts feared that the oil trapped in beach sands and marshes could be released over time by coastal currents and natural erosion. Greenpeace declared certain areas “beyond repair”.
IXTOC OIL SPILL In 1979, a blowout at the Ixtoc oil well in Campeche, Mexico, led to one of the worst oil spills in history. The site was located 80km (50 miles) off Mexico’s Gulf Coast. It took Pemex, Mexico’s state-owned oil company, more than nine months to stop the leak, during which time the oil travelled as far as the Texas shoreline. Almost 3.3 million barrels of oil had gushed into the sea after the blowout preventer failed to function. Ixtoc was drilling at a depth of 150ft (45m) when the incident occurred. Some studies suggested that high sea temperatures helped some of the oil to evaporate. One Swedish study in 1981 said the leak had “acutely affected the species and ecosystems in the Campeche Bay area through its chemical toxicity (in the vicinity of the well) and through its physical properties in a larger area offshore and along the coast.” Black, rocklike formations of solidified oil can be seen along the coast, which, according to locals, were not there before the oil spill. Mexico has had a burgeoning oil industry and a very polluting one, which has boosted the country to becoming one of the top ten oil producers.
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EXXOM VALDEZ OIL SPIL March 24, 1989, was the day of the Exxom Valdez oil spill in Alaska. The tanker, traveling outside of normal shipping lanes to avoid ice, struck a reef, sending 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska waters. The size of the spill was small compared to others, and it could have been much worse, since the total onboard was 53 million gallons. But due to the remote location and flush wilderness, it was one of the most damaging in history. Ten million birds, whales, otters and other animals were immediately at risk and thousands died. Owning company, Exxon Mobil Corp was ordered in 2009 to pay $500 million in interest for the damages. Attempts were made to disperse the oil, which spread across 1300 miles of the Alaskan coastline. To this day, the remains of the oil spill can be seen just below the surface of some of the local beaches. More than 35,000 carcasses of birds and 1000 carcasses of sea otters were found. This was only a fraction of the complete death toll, as most of them had sunk to the seabed. Among those affected were seals, bald eagles, killer whales, salmon and herrings. The repaired Exxon Valdez tanker was banned from Alaskan waters, but still carries oil around the world.
POLAR PIONEER: DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN Arctic drilling by Shell was given the go ahead by the Obama administration in April 2015, sparking several fervent protests among environmentalists. Greenpeace activists boarded the Polar Pioneer drilling vessel and called for public support through social media using the Twitter handle, #PeopleVsShell. The last time Shell drilled in the Arctic was in 2012, when the company admitted to eight counts of felony against the environment. But somehow the powers that be felt it fitting to approve the recent oil exploration and drilling despite acknowledging that there was 75 per cent probability of accidental spilling in the Arctic Ocean, home to vulnerable wildlife species. “There is no such thing as safe Arctic drilling,” said Greenpeace in a statement. “If a spill occurs towards the end of Shell’s drilling window, the sea ice won’t wait for the company to drill a relief well.” Environmental impact of an oil spill.
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Could this be the next big oil spill?
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BP oil spill points to faulty blowout preventer procedures.
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Luck is a very thin wire between survival and disaster, and not many people can keep their balance on it.
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AFRICA
CIVIL WAR LEAKS INTO SOUTH SUDAN’S ENVIRONMENT
Abandoned oilfield a toxic wasteland in South Sudan
Abandoned oilfield is poisoning the surrounding environment and threatening the health of the population.
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midst the bullets and bloodshed of South Sudan’s horrific civil war, lies its most helpless victim. The environment. The land is fixed. It cannot uproot itself and seek refuge elsewhere as most of the population have had to do. It supports and feeds the same people who are actively destroying it. The latest atrocity to come to light, is an abandoned oil field that is leaking poisonous chemicals into its surrounding natural environment. The Thar Jath oilfield in South Sudan’s Unity State is the property of Malaysian owned Sudd Petroleum Operating Company. The only way to get there is by a dirt road that connects two enemy-controlled territories. One is controlled by the rebels, and the other by the government. It is currently held by Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) forces. Rebel soldiers have been deployed to monitor the area. It now lies unattended, seeping toxic oil into the surrounding vegetation contaminating the drinking water. The very same oil field was producing 25,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2008, with its estimated capacity being 60,000bpd. South Sudan as a whole was capable of exporting 350,000 bpd before war ravaged the country. It is unlikely to recover to those levels. As war was brewing in August 2013, international employees who were running the oil field fled, as war was brewing. Four months later, full blown civil war broke out in the capital, Juba and soon spread across the country. At least 50, 000 people have been killed since then and a further 2 million displaced. The situation has been labelled an “environmental catastrophe”.
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Unity state is historically an oilrich one, but since the war broke out, most of its oil fields have been non-operational. Studies showed not only the presence of heavy metals in the nearby water supply, but also that the contamination of groundwater below the surface can be attributed solely to oil production and exploration. Researchers also estimate that hundreds of thousands will be affected by this oil-contaminated drinking water in the area. According to an investigative report by Al Jazeera, there was “no sign of necessary plastic linings to prevent ground absorption”, showing negligence on the part of the company. Thick black grass around the pond is evidence that the oil has seeped into the soil. “A large tank erected by the oil company to store clean water for the village stands broken and empty,” states the report. Locals have nothing but undrinkable pump water, as the salinity is at dangerously high levels. They are forced to use swamp or river water, putting themselves at further risk of water-borne diseases. The ongoing fighting has wreaked havoc on a land that would otherwise have potential to flourish. With violence and the threat of violence in most areas, livestock and agriculture has also been neglected, leaving the country in a massive food crisis as well. Destroyed roads and infrastructure make it difficult for aid organizations to reach the communities in need. Such are the widespread effects of mindless wars. As lust for power and bitter hatred fuel the war, those that lead it are blind to its toxic spill-over into the vulnerable land and its innocent people.
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Never look down upon someone unless you’re helping them up.
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AFRICA
FOREST FIRES Could climate change lead to more forest fires and can there be a good side to nature’s inferno?
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COST OF THE FIRE
6 BABOONS
R6 MILLION 13 HOMES
5,500 HECTARES
500 EVACUEES
2 MILLION LITERS OF WATER
1 HELICOPTER PILOT
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T
he weeklong wildfire that recently gutted South Africa’s Cape Peninsula may have been caused by human error, or a thunderstorm, the truth may never be known. But it was definitely nature that caused it to spread so rapidly, leading to the question: Did global warming play a part in this natural disaster? Strong gale force winds blew the fire out of control within a short space of time, destroying over 5,500 hectares of land, including natural vegetation, homes
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Lightning plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry and the initiation of wildfires. But the impact of global warming on lightning rates is poorly constrained.
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– DAVID ROMPS
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and other buildings. Two hundred firefighters were deployed and several hundred residents were evacuated from their homes. One pilot was killed when his helicopter crashed during the flare. The City of Cape Town’s Biodiversity Management Team, tasked with assessing damage done to the flora and fauna of the area, reported that four baboons died in the fire and a few more had to be euthanized due to the extent of their injuries.
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Despite the trail of destruction left behind, there is one good thing about forest fires, and that’s their ability to renew certain species of vegetation. Table Mountain National Parks’ regional ecologist, Carly Cowell, said that without fire, many species of fynbos on the Cape Peninsula could become extinct. The ideal time for wild fires is 12-15 years and since it had been 15 years since the last big fire the seeds had been set and the fynbos was mature.
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SURPRISINGLY GOOD FOR VEGETATION
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In a week’s time in Silvermine we will see flame lilies and all the bulbs coming up that we haven’t seen since 2002 and 2003.
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT One study in the US suggests that in the next century lightning strikes could increase 12%, for every one strike of lightning making the temperature rise by a degree. rising degree in the Earth’s average temperature. Hence, warmer temperatures can result in more lightning strikes and in a chain reaction, more wildfires too. “Lightning plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry and the initiation of wildfires. But the impact of global warming on lightning rates is poorly constrained,” said David Romps, who lead the study. He added that lightening triggered nearly half of the wildfires in continental US and an increase in the frequency of these events was definitely a looming threat. CO2 is fuel for fire, and is thus another catalyst for wildfires. The more CO2 in the air, the more plants and trees absorb and store. So when a fire does occur, the trapped CO2 acts as fuel and can cause the flames to rage just as aggressively as the Cape Town fire did. It makes sense that since fires are driven by hot dry conditions, hotter parts of the world like Africa, would be prone to wildfires as weather conditions worsen. Whether or not the South Peninsula fire was actually caused by climate change, its effects would undoubtedly have been less severe if not for the contributing factors in the current climate of global warming.
Wildfires have consumed more than 6.25 million acres of forest in Alaska - EPA www.ziwira.com
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God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools.
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CLIMATE CHANGE & MARINE LIFE
With the world slowly warming up, there are of course going to be a significant amount of animals effected by climate change, including us. However, for the time being, let’s just focus on a few animals that call the sea/seaside home: Polar Bears, Right Whales and Sea Turtles.
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THE POLAR BEAR The Polar Bear – one of the most beautiful creatures in the Arctic region of the world, and also one of the deadliest, as the Arctic’s top predator. Unfortunately, the US Fish & Wildlife Service named the Polar Bear an endangered species. Polar Bears are completely reliant upon ice to survive, as they use ice as a platform for hunting their prey, and for resting. With an absence of all-year-round ice, it means that Polar Bears have to swim vast distances to cross regions to look for food, which means less time for them to mate, and an eventual decrease in numbers. A 2007 report from the US Geological Service estimated that as a result of sea-ice decline, today’s population of 22,000 Polar Bears could decrease by two thirds by the year 2050.
THE SEA TURTLE Currently, six sea turtles are on the endangered species list, including green turtles, hawksbills, loggerheads, Kemp’s Ridley’s, Olive Ridley’s, and leatherbacks. Rising sea levels and stronger storms can result in dangers to nesting beaches for sea turtles. Also, the rising temperature in sand could exceed the upper limit for egg incubation, which is 34 degrees C. Furthermore, rising temperatures bias the sex ratio toward females, because temperature during incubation determines the sex of the egg. An example of this is Loggerhead turtle nests in Florida which are already producing 90 percent females due to high temperatures. If warming increases by an additional 1 degree C, no males will be produced.
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THE RIGHT WHALE We may not have the privilege of seeing them very often, if not at all in our lifetime, but whales are still undeniably fascinating and a species we don’t want to lose. One particularly rare type of whale, is the North Atlantic right whale. These whales can grow to more than 55 feet long and weigh 70 tons, ranging from Nova Scotia, to the southern eastern United States, and migrating the length of the East Coast. Right whales have been brought very close to extinction because of whaling and commercial ďŹ shing. However, there is further evidence that climate change is affecting them also. Tiny crustacean are a staple food source for right whales. Without dense populations of zooplankton, females cannot eat bulk amounts of food to prepare for pregnancy. Changes of seawater temperature, winds, and water currents can affect patch formation of zooplankton. Over 50 years of observation, scientists have determined that zooplankton are abundant when the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index (charts variations in atmospheric pressure centers over the North Atlantic) is predominantly positive. When it becomes negative, the numbers decline. This atmospheric phenomenon has a very dramatic effect on the great ocean conveyor belt, which is the mixing of salty waters that move north with the Gulf Stream and the cold less-salty water moving south from the Labrador Sea. Zooplankton ecology is determined by resulting changes in the water in the Northwest Atlantic.
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The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.
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AUSTRALIA
THE AUSTRALIA-PACIFIC PLATE BOUNDARY
Earthquakes are a lot more common than we might think. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the earth’s crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes commonly occur in areas where tectonic plates meet beneath the surface of the earth, as they jostle around for space. The archipelago off the Southeast coast of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific is situated on the Australia-Pacific plate boundary, and as such, suffers from major seismic activity.
Tsunami Warning Issued After Earthquake Off Papua New Guinea
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TREMOR ZONE Because of where it is situated, Papua New Guinea and the surrounding area is constantly being hit by earthquakes. However, most of these earthquakes go unheard of, as they are not deadly and cause very little damage. During a week, Papua New Guinea experiences about 30-40 earthquakes measuring 4-5.5 magnitude. These tremors occur all over the Solomon Sea archipelago, but are not a threat unless they reach up to 6 or 7 magnitude, and anything above that is a real threat. The Australia-Pacific plate boundary is over 4,000 kilometers long on the northern margin, from the Sunda (Java) trench in the west to the Solomon Islands in the east. The eastern section is over 2,300 www.ziwira.com
kilometers long, extending west from northeast of the Australian continent and the Coral Sea until it intersects the east coast of Papua New Guinea. The boundary is dominated by the general northward subduction of the Australia plate. According to USGS (Earthquake Hazards Program), along the South Solomon trench, the Australia plate converges with the pacific plate at a rate of approximately 95 mm per year towards the eastnortheast. Seismicity along the trench is dominantly related to subduction tectonics and large earthquakes are common. On April 1, 2007, a Magnitude 8.1 megathrust earthquake occurred at the western end of the trench, generating a tsunami and killing at least 40 people.
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RECENT ACTIVITY
What was interesting about this earthquake was how it was very
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strong, yet caused very little damage. According to Chris McKee, Assistant Director of the Geophysical Observatory in Port Moresby, the minor damage caused was because the epicenter was so far offshore, so the chance of serious damage was less likely. The earthquake was located in a different area of Papua New Guinea than the previous three tremors that rattled the region during that week, and was therefore an unrelated event. However, the area was still unusually active.
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On May 7, Papua New Guinea was struck by a powerful earthquake, which was the fourth strongest earthquake to hit the South Pacific island nation in a week. The 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck about 150 kilometers southwest of Panguna on Bougainville Island, at a depth of 22 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey. A local tsunami warning was issued, but was lifted shortly afterward with reports of no damage.
We think it’s probably something along the lines of just regional readjustment movements in one area allow stress to be redistributed and that allows other areas to rupture – CHRIS MCKEE Assistant Director of the Geophysical Observatory, Port Moresby.
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AUSTRALIA
2013
THE YEAR OF CYCLONES 2013 was a year that the winds were strong. The power of the wind is stronger than we can imagine – strength enough to lift boulders. Typhoon Haiyan & Cyclone Oswald were specific events in 2013 related to the power of storms. A cyclone is described as a system of winds that rotate inwards to an area of low barometric pressure, with an anticlockwise (northern hemisphere) or clockwise (southern hemisphere) circulation. A typhoon on the other hand, is very similar - it is a mature cyclone that specifically develops in the western part of the North Pacific Ocean between 180° and 100°E. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth. Although the weather of our world can be tracked so that we are able to prepare for it, we still have no choice but to face it, whether the forecast is for a glorious sunny day, or a catastrophic storm.
Queensland
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TYPHOON HAIYAN In November, that same year, the Philippine islands were hit by an even more disastrous storm that caused widespread damage and misery for the population. It was the strongest typhoon ever recorded in terms of oneminute sustained wind and speed. In the end, the storm claimed the lives of 6,300 people, with bodies still being found a year later. The typhoon caused winds of 190mph. To offer a perspective of how powerful the winds were during the typhoon, they were so strong that a boulder weighing more than 26 adult male elephants, was rolled up a beach 150 feet. A further boulder was found, weighing 77 tons, which was also thrown 150 feet by the storm surge. Dr. Engel from the American Geophysical Union, said that it appeared the typhoon had created tsunami-like waves that pushed the gargantuan rocks up the beach. In the end, the typhoon caused US$2.6 billion, with particular devastation in areas such as Samar and Leyte, Cebu, Capiz, Negros, and Northern Iloilo. The typhoon even reached Vietnam and Micronesia. UN officials announced that 11 million people had been effected by the typhoon, and many more were left homeless.
CYCLONE OSWALD
Once again, the world was shown that humanity is no match for the destructive power of nature. However, in these disastrous situations, it is a chance for people to show the power we do have of community, and communication. After Typhoon Haiyan, UNICEF alone helped provide clean water to nearly a million people, deliver emergency health kits to depleted clinics, reunite lost children with their families, and open child-friendly spaces and temporary schools for thousands of Filipino students. Without the help of organizations like UNICEF or the assistance of government, disasters like cyclones and typhoons could cause permanent destruction. Thankfully, we are able to rebuild, and hope is rekindled.
During the summer month of January 2013, a massive cyclone passed over Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. The areas that were hit worst by the storm were Mundubbera, Eidsvold, Gayndah and Bundaberg in Queensland. High winds and miniature tornados swept across the landscape. In Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, the Burnett River flooded, which in turn caused an immediate evacuation of citizens to prevent drowning’s. The heavy flow of the water moving at 70km/h, made it virtually impossible for rescue by boat, so helicopters were the only option for rescuers. Bundaberg was undoubtedly hit the worst. 7,500 patients were evacuated from the Bundaberg Hospital. Campbell Newman, the Queensland State Premier, warned that the flooding was so great, homes might be swept away (similar to the 1893 floods in Brisbane). Overall, the entire cost of the damage inflicted upon north east Australia was at least US$2.5 billion. In the end, 3 people died and thousands were evacuated from their homes. According to Australia’s Climate Commission, global warming is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as this. www.ziwira.com
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Bad things do happen in the world, like war, natural disasters, disease. But out of those situations always arise stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
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2011
THE YEAR THAT SHOOK THE EARTH The earth has experienced an extraordinary amount of catastrophic events when the tectonic plates have shifted. The Christchurch Earthquake & Tōhoku Tsunami were prime recent examples of this. CHRISTCHURCH EARTHQUAKE
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umanity has experienced more than its fair share of disastrous natural occurrences. One of the worst types of natural disasters that mankind has faced is the highly unpredictable, and catastrophic effects of earthquakes, and Tsunamis, an after effect of earthquakes. This particular article will focus on the effects of two events on very different scales, which took place in the Pacific region in 2011, in Japan and New Zealand. New Zealand is a small country, with a small population. The country is home to a tenacious, humble population who proved themselves to be a people who come to one another’s aid at a time of great need. It was a Tuesday at 12:51pm on 22nd February when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook the city of Christchurch, located at the bottom of the South Island of New Zealand. The earthquake caused significant damage because the epicenter of the quake was in Lyttelton, 10km from Christchurch’s central business district. Christchurch had in fact been shook by a less significant earthquake in September 2010, however, the 2011 quake caused more damage to the city because it occurred on a fault line that was shallow and close to the city which caused the shaking to be particularly destructive. In the city center, ground accelerations were three to four times greater than those produced by the September 2010 earthquake. Liquefaction was one of the disastrous effects of the earthquake.
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Because some eastern suburb properties in Christchurch were built on an area that used to be swamp, the shaking of the earthquake turned water-saturated layers of sand and silt beneath the surface into sludge that squirted upwards through cracks. House foundations cracked, and properties and streets were filled with thick layers of silt, water and sewage from broken piping. In total, 185 people were killed during the 2011 earthquake, a chilling number for such a small population of approximately 376,000. Over 110 of the fatalities were people caught in the collapse of two multi-story office buildings - the Canterbury Television and Pyne Gould Corporation buildings. A month after the deadly earthquake in Christchurch took place, in Japan, a much more catastrophic event happened which was in fact the aftermath of another earthquake. Since modern record-keeping began in 1900, on Friday 11th March 2011, Japan was hit with a megathrust tsunami caused by the fourth most powerful earthquake ever recorded
which measured 9.0. The earthquake triggered extremely powerful tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 40.5 meters which, in the Sendai area, travelled up to 10 km inland. The epicenter of the earthquake was approximately 70 kilometers east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tōhoku and the hypocenter at an underwater depth of approximately 30 km. Devastating effects of the tsunami hitting eastern Japan included major nuclear accidents, mass power outage, and 127,000 buildings collapsing. In particular seven meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex, and the associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of thousands of residents. The aftermath of the tsunami was said to be the most costly natural disaster event in history. The World Bank estimated the cost of the tsunami to be US$235 billion. In 2014, the Japanese National Police Agency released a statement that 15,889 people perished in the destruction of the tsunami, the population of Japan being approximately 127 million. The Japanese have earned themselves a reputa-
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tion around the world for having handled the catastrophic situation very well. The earthquake that occurred off the coast of Japan, was so powerful, that it hit the Earth’s axle, causing it to spin in a slightly different way. Although very different in scale, both the Christchurch earthquake and the Tōhoku tsunami will go down in history as two very significant events for the countries that had to bear them. Events such as these can teach us that we cannot compete with the power of Mother Nature – nature will always have the final say. We as inhabitants of this earth, should respect it, and remember that it is the only home that we have.
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OCEANIA
WHEN CYCLONE PAM HIT VANUATU In early March, a gargantuan cyclone made its way down over the South Pacific, to the archipelago of Vanuatu. There, it unleashed its full power, blasting the nation with incredibly strong winds, destroying all in its path.
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I am speaking to you today with a heart that is so heavy. I stand to appeal on behalf of the government and the people to give a helping hand in this disaster.
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–Baldwin Lonsdale President of Vanuatu
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n incredibly powerful cyclone pummeled Vanuatu, a tiny archipelago in the South Pacific, south of the Solomon Islands. Vanuatu is an area spread over 65 islands, with a total population of 252,763 (2013 estimate). On March 13 2015, Vanuatu was hit by Cyclone Pam, with winds of up to 270 km/h (170 mph). Two days after the cyclone hit, there were reports of 44 people dead, however, the death toll was expected to increase, as 90 percent of housing in the Port Vila area, with a population of 47,000, was said to have been seriously damaged, according to Oxfam Australia. New Zealand reporter Frances Cook, who was in Vanuatu, said the hotel next door to her was completely demolished, with massive trees uprooted, iron roofing everywhere, “even supposedly cyclone proof apartments… they’ve had roofs ripped off them as well.” Cyclone Pam had not been forecast to hit Vanuatu directly, but a westward change of course put the islands in its path early
on Saturday. However, not only Vanuatu was hit by the cyclone. Kiribati and the Solomon Islands were also hit, with significant damage including flattened trees, and damage to infrastructure, but no loss of life. After the devastation of the cyclone, Vanuatu was left with fallen power lines, trees blocking roadways, and lack of communications. In some areas, entire villages were swept away. Baldwin Lonsdale, President of Vanuatu, told the BBC that most of his people were left homeless. Most of the buildings in the capital Port Vila were destroyed after the impact. The president spoke out from Japan, at the World Conference on Disaster Risk and Reduction: “I am speaking to you today with a heart that is so heavy. I stand to appeal on behalf of the government and the people to give a helping hand in this disaster.” Vanuatu’s two biggest neighbors were quick to respond to the disaster. The first delivery of aid arrived from a New
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Zealand Hercules. Australia promised immediate assistance, as well as the United Kingdom, and the United Nations. New Zealand has pledged NZ$2.5 million to assist with disaster relief, while the United Kingdom has offered its support in the form of £2 million. Luckily, the cyclone weakened as it moved down the Pacific passing between Fiji and New Caledonia, before reaching the North Island of New Zealand. According to a United Nations report, Vanuatu is considered to be one of the most likely countries to be at risk of natural disaster, ahead of Tonga, the Philippines, Japan, and Costa Rica. The report also says that the economic losses due to natural disasters in the Pacific area, totals $1.15tn in the past 45 years, with a loss of over 2 million lives. Vanuatu is also at risk of earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods. Hopefully the funds that have been given to Vanuatu will help to restore buildings that will be able to withstand the impact of future super-storms.
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The boat of starving rohingya refugees that no country will take in.
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INSECTS CLIMATE CHANGE
Although quite often forgotten about, insects are just as much at risk of the eects of climate change as any other creature. We may not like to admit it, but insects are vital to the survival of our ecosystems, and to our existence.
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J
essica Hellman is a biologist at the University of Notre Dame. She believes that insects have been significantly forgotten about when it comes to the effects caused by climate change. When we think of climate change, we undeniably focus on animals such as the polar bear, or tigers, or dolphins – majestic creatures that define how we think about our relationship with the natural world. Not to say that these animals aren’t important, but there are other creatures out there that will be equally as impacted by the changing climate of our world, such as insects. According to Hellman, insects are extremely important to the functioning of our ecosystem. They account for most of the living organisms on earth. Not only are there more insects than people, insects outnumber us by a couple hundred million to one. Hellman has been particularly interested in raising awareness about how insects are affected by climate change be-
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cause they, “carry diseases, they pollinate, and they have economic impacts on crops and timber.” She also adds that almost 80 percent of the world’s crop plants require pollination, and the annual value of insect pollinated crops in the US is about $20 billion. The issue that insects face with a warming climate, is that as invertebrates, some cannot regulate their own body temperatures. Insects maintain body temperatures within certain boundaries. Some insects are classified as ‘ectotherms’ (animals in which their heat source is primarily from the environment), while others are ‘endotherms’ (animals which can produce heat internally by biochemical processes). In endothermic insects, when heat is being produced, different temperatures are maintained in different parts of their bodies, for example, moths generate heat in their thorax prior to flight but the abdomen remains relatively cool.
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HOW WILL INSECTS REACT WHEN THEIR HABITATS BECOME TOO HOT OR TOO DRY? Clearly because of the estimated 950,000 species of insects on the planet, there is no definite answer that can cater to all insects. Global warming will affect different species of insect in different ways. However, research by Hellman suggests that some insects may become trapped in habitats that can no longer support them. Therefore, the species will either go extinct, or lose genetically important segments of their populations. But there could be other cases where some species of insects could re-establish themselves in a cooler climate by migrating north or south depending on where they are in the world. The question that Hellman and her research partner Shannon Pelini have raised is, would insects that migrate be able to survive on unfamiliar plants in their new habitats? Also, should endangered species whose habitats are harmed by climate change be manually moved to more accommodating habitats? To answer these questions, Hellmann warns that this idea, called “managed relocation” or “assisted migration,” remains
highly controversial. She indicates that the danger of relocating some species, could result in overpopulation, which could cause the extinction of local species. However, some could thrive successfully. To gain more knowledge about the possibility of relocating insects, Hellman has led a working group partially funded by the national Science Foundation to develop new analytical tools to help make decisions about particular plants, animals or insects, based on multi-disciplinary considerations. These considerations include the possibility of success of the relocation, its potential for causing ecological harm, relevant regulations and the cultural importance of impacted species. The cumulative effects that insects have on our world, from their importance in food chains to their role as pollinators, make them some of the most important animals on the planet. This is why it is very important to know how climate change is affecting the millions of species we not-so-lovingly refer to as bugs.
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Most wars are not fought over shortages of resources such as food and water, but rather over conquest, revenge, and ideology.
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NORTH AMERICA
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CRACKED EARTH CALIFORNIA IN ITS FOURTH YEAR OF DROUGHT
Humans are now paying the price of unsustainable living. New study shows how rising temperature drives drought toward unprecedented severity.
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new study has linked California’s worrying drought to rising temperatures caused by climate change. It projects that if this behavior continues, some parts of the West could face increasing risk of drought that lasts for decades long. The region has been riddled with a history of drought episodes, but this is one of the worst yet, and worse is still to come, according to the research. December brought with it a bit of rain but this was short lived, as the dry conditions prevailed again in 2015. In March temperatures rose to as high as 100 degrees in some areas. “The story is pretty straightforward: The cause is increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere,” said Jason Smerdon, co-author of the study and climate scientist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. The study was published Thursday in the inaugural issue of Science Advances, an openaccess journal from AAAS (The American Association for the Advancement of Science). According to Smerdon, the last half of the 21 century will see an ‘unprecedented’ upsurge in dryness. The study shows an 80 percent risk of mega drought after 2050. The cause of drought is usually a mix between evaporation rates due to high temperatures and lack of precipitation. This leads to an imbalance of supply and demand from plants and people therefore can affect agriculture and food supply too.
A range of soil moisture indicators along with 17 different climate models were used by researchers to calibrate future patterns of drought induced by global warming. Scientists said the results were surprisingly consistent in each region, no matter what method or model was used. California has for the past few years been characterized by parched landscapes and dead trees. The Sierra Nevada snowpack is at its second lowest level ever. Government is unable to supply farmers with water from its central and largest reservoir system, which is now at just 58 percent capacity. Restaurants were even ordered not to serve water to customers unless asked. Some states are turning to desalination of ocean water for drinking and some are digging new wells to search for groundwater. Even if there is slight precipitation it will be overwhelmed by evaporation rates. The state experienced its hottest winter in 2014. According to the New York Times, Californians are not ignorant of the problem, which may be considered as a good thing, because if people can acknowledge their wrongs and are willing to change, there may just be hope. In a field poll conducted between and January and February this year, 94. One-third of voters said they were in favor of water rationing.
UNSUSTAINABLE LIVING But perhaps such extremes could have been avoided if sustainability was implemented in public policies much earlier. It appears Californians suffered from the same misconception as many others did: that water was an unending resource. During the 1920s, the capital city of Sacramento, known for its lush green lawns, had in place a policy declaring that there would be no water meters residential areas - ever. So for decades, all residents had to pay was a once-off connection fee and thereafter faced no limits to their water consumption. It was only in 2005 that meters were installed, as government found themselves plunged into a bleak water crisis.
California in 2013 (left) versus 2014 (right). Source: NASA.
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Noted, Californians have been doing their utmost to conserve water, as many activists have outspokenly labelled this a “man-made drought”. Many outside countries could learn a lesson from their keen attitude for change. It’s unfortunate that water-wasters had no idea things could change so drastically, but as new information comes to light, the only thing left to do is to act.
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It’s estimated that there may be two hundred and fifty million children in the world engaged in some form of exploitative child labour.
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NORTH AMERICA
CALIFORNIA FACES EXTREME HEAT WAVES AND RISING SEA, REPORT FINDS
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day after California imposed mandatory water restrictions to battle a four-year drought, a new study on global warming suggests the worst is yet to come. The average number of days with temperatures higher than 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) may double or even triple by the end of the century, threatening one of the world’s richest agricultural regions. At the same time, $19 billion in coastal property will likely disappear as sea levels rise, the study found.
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While state action alone will not be sufficient to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, California can be a model of climate leadership for the nation and the world. –The Report
The report is the third from the Risky Business Project, a nonprofit partnership of Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Paulson Institute and TomKat Charitable Trust. It suggests California can reduce these risks if policy makers and business leaders cooperate to reduce emissions driving global warming and adapt to climate change. California Governor Jerry Brown issued an executive order on Wednesday imposing a mandatory 25 percent reduction in water consumption. According to the Risky Business report, rising temperatures will mean more frequent wildfires, increased respiratory problems due to worsening air pollution and higher heatrelated mortality. California likely will have almost 7,700 annual deaths linked to heat by late century. The research was conducted by the Rhodium Group, a New York-based research company.
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NORTH AMERICA
RISING SEAS Rising sea levels affecting the 840-mile (1,350-kilometer) California coast may also cause billions of dollars of losses to waterfront property and infrastructure. Melting ice sheets and glaciers in the Polar Regions and Greenland are helping increase the volume of liquid water in the oceans. Sea levels have increased by 49 millimeters (1.9 inches) this century, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. As warming weather shifts more precipitation from snow to rain, California’s snowpack -- already at just 6 percent of normal -- will shrink further, according to the Risky Business report. Melting snow provides a significant portion of the state’s water throughout the year. About 80 percent of California’s water goes to its $48 billion agriculture industry, which supplied almost two-thirds of U.S. fruits and nuts in 2012 and more than one-third of the country’s vegetables. The report predicts “a dramatic increase in extreme heat,” especially in the San Joaquin Valley that’s home to much of the state’s farming, and the Inland South area.
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HOTTER SUMMERS
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By the end of this century, summers in California will likely be hotter than summers in Texas and Louisiana today.
“California faces a new set of challenges and opportunities” with $8 billion to $10 billion of existing property in the state likely “underwater by 2050, with an additional $20 billion at risk during high tide,” it said in an executive summary. “By 2100, $19 billion in coastal property
– The Report
will likely be below sea level” and there’s a 1 percent chance that more than $26 billion will be at risk. The Risky Business Project was founded in 2013 to focus on quantifying economic risks from a changing climate.
Bloomberg
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GLOBAL WARMING This is how our world will look if we don’t address Global Warming; Hot, vast, and barren.
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According to the United Nations, more than 2.7 billion people will face severe water shortages by 2025. Many social scientists predict that the next big wars will be over water. Nevertheless, the average American family blissfully consumes 300 gallons a day, when you add in watering the lawn and washing dishes, clothes, and cars. www.ziwira.com
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KIVALINA ALASKA Kivalina, a very small town in Alaska, is about to make history. It will become the first town of climate change refugees, in response to its rapidly declining land. A sad reality of how climate change can have a direct effect on our homes.
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limate change affects people from all corners of the earth, in places that you have probably never heard of. Take Kivalina for example – a very small township located on a narrow spit of sand on the edge of the Bering Sea, northern Alaska. There are currently 400 indigenous Inuit living in the area, a people dependent on hunting and fishing to stay alive. Recently, a heavy storm hit Kivalina and forced the town into an emergency evacuation. Because of increased artic ice melting due to a warmer climate, Kivalina has become desperately vulnerable to coastal erosion. The spit of sand that Kivalina sits upon has been dramatically narrowed. The area no longer has the protection of thick ice to fend off autumn and winter storms. Sadly, engineers predict that Kivalina will be uninhabitable by 2025. Although Alaska, the USA’s arctic territory, is going through dramatic changes heating up, it still remains to be a vital source of the carbon-based fossil fuels seen by most scientists as a key driver of climate change. For this reason, some see Alaska’s position in the climate change agenda as both cause and effect. Alaska’s North Slope is the USA’s biggest oil field, and the Trans-Alaska pipeline is a key feature of America’s drive for energy security. In Alaska, the state owes much of its existence to oil, an industry that makes up to 90% of the state budget. The money from oil means that there is no income tax, and also an annual handout to every Alaskan resident. Ed Fogels, the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, offers an interesting perspective of where Alaska stands in relation to climate change: “When everyone pounces on Alaska and says ‘oh, the climate is changing, the Arctic is changing, things are out of control’, we say wait a minute. We’ve been developing our natural resources for 50 years now. Things are going quite well thank you.” It is sad that the Kivalina community is paying the price for a problem they did nothing to create. However, some Alaskans see the bright side of climate change being that their state will become a much more attractive place to live, increasing more settlement, and more shipping access with less ice. Those who care for the environment and the earth’s wellbeing do not see this as a positive feedback effect. Kivalina Council Leader Colleen Swan believes that the US government imposed their western lifestyle on the people of Kivalina, passing on all of their burdens, and now expect them to pack up and leave. It is an uncomfortable situation for all involved.
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NORTH AMERICA
HAITI 5 YEARS ON In the wake of disaster, the earth becomes a frightening force beyond our control. Five years and $13bn later, Haiti has still not recovered.
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n January 12, 2010 an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 shook the tiny island of Haiti. Its effects were so devastating that it left the entire world shaken with horror and disbelief. A quarter of a million people were killed and over 300,000 injured. Even before the earthquake, the Republic was one of the poorest countries in the world, with poor infrastructure. The little that they had was completely destroyed by the quake and more than 2 million people were left homeless. Less than a year later, the country plummeted deeper into an immense humanitarian crisis with tropical storms and a cholera outbreak, leaving thousands more dead. Haiti is a small Caribbean island just under 28,000 km
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squared. It is mostly mountainous with beautiful vegetation and a tropical climate, but has a history ridden with political and economic unrest along with natural disasters such as hurricanes, storms and earthquakes. So immense was the global impact of this cataclysmic event that the world donated $13 billion in aid, one of the biggest contributions to victims of a natural disaster in history, yet it was not enough to rebuild and sustain the ravaged island. Given the size of Haiti and the amount of support it received, critics have said there should have been stark results. However, the country remains bleak. Refugee camps have merely been replaced by shacks in the suburbs, the kind of housing that would be washed away at the touch of another natural disaster.
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HAITI FACTS 5 YEARS ON • • • •
On the bright side, there has been a shimmer of hope in the past five years, thanks to organizations such as Oxfam and The Red Cross. Cholera cases still exist, but have been drastically reduced, and the community is being educated about sanitation and drinking treated water. In a video taken by The Red Cross, one local describes how embarrassed he was when a relief worker asked to use his toilet. All he could offer his guest was a hole in the ground. These practices and attitudes are only just beginning to change, with proper toilets being built, and on-going health awareness campaigns.
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91,000 households have increased availability of water. 39,000 households have improved sanitation facilities. 85,432 people still live in camps for the displaced. One third of people living in camps do not have toilets. Around 37,000 houses are known to have been repaired, rebuilt or built. However, less than 20% of these are sustainable. Cholera killed 9,000 people since 2010. Lack of funding led to 91 out of 250 cholera clinics being closed last year. 44% of Haitian workers live on less than $1.25 per day. UNDP has planted 5.5 million seedlings on 5,000 hectares of land between 2010 and 2014.
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DID CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSE THE HAITI QUAKE? Scientists believe the earthquake was caused by sliding of the Earth’s plates along the Caribbean and North American plate boundaries, which runs right through Haiti. It was a combination of the magnitude, the shallowness of the tremor (only 10km below the Earth’s surface) and an already impoverished nation that contributed to the devastating effects of this particular earthquake.
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While magnitude is a measurement of how much energy is released by an earthquake, intensity is “simply an estimate or a measure of how strongly that earthquake was felt.
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– Don Blakeman Earthquake analyst with the United States Geological Survey
Another expert, namely Bill McGuire, a professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College, London, is in full support of the notion that climate change has role in all of this. McGuire is the author of a book called Waking the Giant: How a Changing Climate Triggers Earthquakes, Tsunamis and Volcanoes. www.ziwira.com
He admits that drawing a connection between gases in the air and movement deep under the ground may seem absurd, but in fact, the Earth’s crust is “extraordinarily sensitive to change”. “Between about 20,000 and 5,000 years ago, our planet underwent an astonishing climatic transformation. Over the course of this period, it flipped from the frigid wasteland of deepest and darkest ice age to the – broadly speaking – balmy, temperate world upon which our civilization has developed and thrived. During this extraordinarily dynamic episode, as the immense ice sheets melted and colossal volumes of water were decanted back into the oceans, the pressures acting on the solid Earth also underwent massive change. In response, the crust bounced and bent, rocking our planet with a resurgence in volcanic activity, a proliferation of seismic shocks and burgeoning giant landslides,” he explains. According to this theory, the increasing number of earthquakes in recent decades may be explained by melting glaciers that lead to less pressure on the Earth’s surface, allowing seismic faults to move more easily. So with continued greenhouse gas emissions and rising temperatures, we could very well be in for even more tremors by the end of the century.
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EARTHQUAKES EXPLAINED
The red line indicates the seismic fault plate that caused the Haiti earthquake.
Earthquakes typically occur along the jigsaw-puzzle pieces of the Earth’s crust, called plates, which move relative to one another, most of the time at an imperceptibly slow pace. In the case of the Haiti quake, the Caribbean and North American plates slide past one another in an eastwest direction. This is known as a strike-slip boundary. Stress builds up in points along the boundary and along its faults where parts of the crust stick; eventually that stress is released in a sudden, strong movement
that causes the two sides of the fault to move and generate an earthquake. The fault system that ruptured to cause this quake is called the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system. Major earthquakes are rare in this part of the world in part because the Caribbean is a minor plate, with a fault system that isn’t as long as, say, the San Andreas, which is at the boundary between two of the world’s largest plates – the Pacific and North American plates.
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Life isn’t worth living for, unless you have somethng worth dying for.
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ASTEROID IMPACT Have you ever watched the movie Armageddon, and wondered what it would be like if earth really was pummeled by an enormous asteroid? It’s a terrifying thought. We have only to look to previous collisions to determine what the reality would be…
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irst of all, it is important to distinguish the difference between an asteroid, a meteor, and a comet. Asteroids are large rocks in orbit around the sun, part of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Comets are chunks of rock and ice that have come from another solar system. Meteoroids on the other hand, are much smaller particles bigger than a dust grain, but smaller than an asteroid. When a meteoroid makes contact with the earth’s atmosphere, it is called a meteor (falling star) – if it manages to hit the ground without being burnt up,
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it is then called a meteorite. These are more or less harmless. Asteroids on the other hand, are not. Because of their size, asteroids can cause serious damage if they make contact with earth. Often the orbit of an asteroid can get altered somehow, causing it to drift closer to the suns gravity, which means closer to earth, being sucked in by our gravitational pull.
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To understand what effect an asteroid could have on earth today, we must look to previous collisions. 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into earth with gargantuan impact. The devastating effects of the collision caused the extinction of the most successful species to walk the earth – the Dinosaur. After studying and comparing different layers of the earth’s crust, scientists have been able to determine that the asteroid which hit the Yucatan peninsula, left a crater now known as the Chicxulub, in modern Mexico, which measures 12 miles deep by 124 miles wide. The collision wiped out 80% of life on earth at the time. The earth would have experienced powerful earthquakes, megathrust tsunamis, and materials thrown into the air, descending as acid rain. A thick blanket of dust would have encircled the globe, causing a temperature drop of at least 10 degrees C. All that survived were small mammals (our descendants), small reptiles, insects, some plant life, and avian dinosaurs (the ancestors of birds). In 2014, scientists made a breakthrough discovery, concluding evidence of an absolutely cataclysmic asteroid that hit earth about 3.26 billion years ago, dwarfing the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. The impact is thought to have created geological features found in a South African region known as the Barberton greenstone belt. The collision would have punched a hole into the earth’s crust that was 300 miles across, greater than the distance from Washington, D.C. to New York City, and up
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to two and a half times larger in diameter than the hole formed by the dinosaur-killing asteroid. The colossal asteroid would have measured between 37 to 58 kilometers wide. The new research models for the first time how big the asteroid was and the effect it had on the planet, including the possible initiation of a more modern plate tectonic system that is seen in the region. What we can determine from these previous asteroid impacts, is that the bigger the asteroid, the bigger the damage. It is hard for us to comprehend the scale of things in space. The asteroid that hit earth 3.26 billion years ago is estimated to have been travelling 20 kilometers per second – a speed that is difficult to imagine. The Discovery Channel wanted people to experience the scale of impact that an asteroid can have on the earth. They created a simulation video, depicting the effects of an asteroid hitting earth today, with a 500 km diameter, slamming into the Pacific Ocean. After impact, the video depicts the crust of the earth peeling off like a plaster, then shockwaves travelling at hypersonic speed. Debris then blasts off the earth into low orbit and falls back down to the earth destroying all in its path. Fire encircles the earth, snow and oceans evaporate, and the earth is left looking like a hellish fire ball. To view the video, search for “Discovery Channel Large Asteroid Impact Simulation” on YouTube.
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SOUTH AMERICA
THE AMAZON
RAINFOREST IS IN OUR HANDS
Climate change is a looming threat to the Amazon Rainforest – can it survive one of the many increasing threats that it continuously faces?
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limate change is one of those elusive truths that mankind tends to shy away from. We all know it is happening, and we all know we should be doing something to prevent it, but somehow things keep going from bad to worse. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has defined climate change as change in climate that is attributable directly or indirectly to human activity, and that occurs in addition to natural processes of climate variability observed over comparable periods of time. Since 2005, deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has decreased significantly, but not enough to eliminate concern. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other human practices causes greenhouse gases like methane to absorb infrared radiation from the sun. This process traps heat inside the earth’s atmosphere, altering the overall global atmosphere. Impacts of such climate change include increased flooding, storms, drought, and food insecurity.
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There is a reason why loss of the Amazon rainforest is so often associated with panic. The Amazon basin contains the largest tropical rainforest on the planet, and is critical to the earth’s stability. The Amazon rainforest serves as one of the earth’s largest reservoirs of carbon dioxide. It helps to regulate global climate patterns through the sequestration and storage of carbon dioxide in above-ground biomass and soil. If the Amazon continues to absorb about 20 percent of the atmospheric carbon emitted by the burning of fossil fuels, it will end up substantially contributing to climate change. The danger facing the Amazon rainforest, is that it could reach what is known as ‘tipping point’. Scientists predict that humaninduced climate change could have the potential to cause the Amazon to emit more carbon into the atmosphere than it absorbs. Trees could die more rapidly due to climate warming slowing down plant growth. There was evidence of this in 2005 when a prolonged drought in the Amazon released close to one billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
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If temperatures continue to rise rapidly, the Amazon could be caught in a vicious cycle, a “potentially calamitous feedback loop” according to Amazon Watch. During this cycle, the warm oceans will continuously dry out the basin, which will then release more carbon into the atmosphere. A warmer forest also has the potential of more fires which would also cause the release of more carbon emissions. According to a report released by the Word Bank in 2010, approximately 20 percent deforestation is about all that the Amazon rainforest could take before hitting ‘tipping point’. Currently, the Amazon has already had a loss of 17-18 percent, which only adds fuel to the theory that the Amazon might not have as much time as we would like to think, and could soon reach an ecological collapse. In the report released by the World Bank, there are four major, non-linear, positive-feedback responses to global warming with the potential to create major disruptions in global climate. These
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responses include slowing of the North Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation, slowing of the West Atlantic Ice Sheet, slowing methane emissions from melting permafrost, and lastly slowing the Amazon forest dieback. The Amazon forest dieback is the only one out of the four that can to some extent be mitigated by deliberate intervention at a global scale, through the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions combined with efforts to avoid further deforestation. Deforestation is obviously proving to be immensely difficult to control. More and more evidence is pointing to cattle farming being the number one reason for clearing of the Amazon rainforest. A healthy climate combined with decreased deforestation could give the Amazon the chance that it so desperately needs. Consider purchasing an electric car to reduce your carbon emissions, recycle your unwanted product, try not to waste paper, and perhaps eat vegetarian as much as possible. In the big picture, it is the little things that make a difference.
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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUPER-STORMS Increasing CO2 levels means increasing temperatures. Increasing temperatures could mean more ferocious storms. Will mankind be able to withstand an onslaught of super-storms if our world heats up significantly?
More and more, scientists are discovering a link between climate change, and the affect it has on an increase in super-storms. Thanks to climate models, scientists are able to glimpse the probable future. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, land surface area temperatures are likely to increase due to more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Increased global temperatures could be linked to increased drought and a higher intensity of storms, including tropical cyclones and hurricanes, and possibly more intense mid-latitude storms (synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth). A hotter climate means more water vapor entering the atmosphere. With increased water vapor in the air, it means an increase in the speed and impact of storms. Global warming could affect the temperature difference between the equator and the poles. The temperature change is what will fuel mid-latitude storms. According to George Tselioudis, a research scientist at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) and Columbia University, global warming may cause the temperature difference between the poles and the equator to decrease, and as the difference decreases, so should the number of storms. However, even with a decrease in the number of storms, it could also mean an increase in the ferocity of the storms that do occur. As temperatures continue to rise, more and more water vapor would evaporate into the atmosphere, and water vapor is the fuel for big storms. With warmer temperatures increasing the heat of the oceans in the Polar Regions, it means that tropical storms would be able to reach further than ever before. A warmer climate in the future is also thought to produce more intense hurricanes. Increased temperature and humidity is said to possibly increase intense cycles of droughts and floods, as more of a region’s precipitation falls in a single
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large storm rather than a series of small ones. Since 1980, there has been evidence of increased temperatures. Sea surface temperature has increased by 0.3 degrees Celsius. This is thought to increase the maximum potential wind speed of hurricanes by 1 knot, according to hurricane intensity models. More heat and water in the atmosphere and warmer sea surface temperatures could provide more fuel to increase the wind speeds of tropical storms. Even if we don’t see a change in tropical storms as a result of global warming, there are other ways in which climate change could affect us, which could also possibly increase the intensity of storms. In their 2001 report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that global warming should cause sea levels to rise 0.11 to 0.77 meters (0.36 to 2.5 feet) by 2100. Melting glaciers and ice caps will likely cause sea levels to rise, which would make coastal flooding more severe when a storm comes ashore. According to Steven Pelberg from the Washington University Political Review, with the increased burning of fossil fuels, there has been a significant increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Since the industrial revolution, the temperature on earth has increased by 0.8 degrees Celsius. Extreme weather events now have enough moisture in the air to thrive at unprecedented levels. Higher sea levels magnified Hurricane Sandy’s concentrated damage along the coastline, the 2012 hurricane that caused $60 billion damage along the East Coast of the United States. Whether or not you believe in this alleged direct link between climate change and super-storms, you cannot deny the relationship there seems to be between increased temperature, and increased ferocity of storms.
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Hunger and malnutrition have devastating consequences for children and have been linked to low birth weight and birth defects, obesity, mental and physical health problems, and poorer educational outcomes.
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EUROPE
1986
CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER O The explosion of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, was the ďŹ rst signiďŹ cant nuclear accident that the world has witnessed. It was a major wake-up call for all mankind, to understand the devastating risks to humans and nature, when harvesting nuclear power.
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n April 26, 1986, the world stopped in shock when it was reported that a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, had exploded. The incident occurred when during a reactor systems test, a sudden surge of power destroyed Unit 4 of the nuclear power station in Chernobyl. Situated in northern Kiev Oblast, near the border of Belarus, today, Chernobyl is a ghost town. The city was the administrative center of the Chernobyl Raion (district) from 1923, until it was liquidated in 1988. Today the population is a mere 625.
War Against Climate When Unit 4 exploded, it created a massive fire and released huge amounts of radioactive material into the environment. Emergency crews made an attempt to stop the fire and release of radioactive substances by pouring sand and boron on the reactor debris to prevent additional nuclear reactions. Then Unit 4 was completely covered by a temporary concrete structure called the ‘sarcophagus’ which limited further release of radioactive material. Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union at the time, so the Soviet government decided it was necessary to cut down about a square mile of pine forest near the plant to reduce radioactive contamination at and near the site. The explosion area was then cut off within 30 kilometers, with the exception only of people with official business at the plant, and those people evaluating and dealing with the consequences of the accident. The government evacuated 115,000 people from the most heavily contaminated areas in 1986, and a further 220,000 people in subsequent years.
HUMAN EFFECTS
(Woman scanned for radioactivity) The effects of radiation on humans are ominous. Some of the symptoms can take effect immediately, while other symptoms can occur over time, often making it difficult to trace. In total, the Chernobyl accident’s severe radiation effects killed 28 of the 600 workers on site in the first four months after the event. A further 106 workers received high enough doses to cause acute radiation sickness. A couple of workers died within hours of the reactor explosion from non-radiological causes. The explosion contaminated vast areas of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine, which added up to a total of millions.
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ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS One of the worst affected wildlife areas after the Chernobyl disaster was what is now called the Red Forest. Radioactive particles settled on trees, killing approximately 400 hectares of pine forest. Today, the Red Forest is one of the most contaminated terrestrial habitats on earth. Fortunately, in the 20 years since the nuclear accident, the sum effect for the flora and fauna in the highly radioactive, restricted zone has been surprisingly positive in favor of biodiversity. For example, there have been sightings of elk, roe deer, Russian wild boar, foxes, otters, and hares within the 10 kilometer exclusion zone, however, none of them were observed outside the 30 kilometer zone. The relocation of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens, while painful and unfortunate, has allowed ecosystems to flourish in the absence of human activity that is harmful to biodiversity. Groundwater is another issue of contamination. Initial contamination of the groundwater could have been introduced by method of disposal for the Red Forest. Much of the Red Forest was bulldozed and buried in trenches. The trenches were then covered to form long berms. As the trees decayed, radiation leached into the groundwater. There has been talk of efforts to remediate the radioactivity in the Chernobyl environment, however, this would have a negative impact on the region’s currently thriving natural systems. One proposal was circulated that would burn trees and vegetation from contaminated areas to collect the radionuclides to create energy, but this process would cost US$30 million and would likely increase the mandose when compared to no remediation action. The impact of the Chernobyl disaster has definitely had an effect on the surrounding environment, but what has flourished may surprise you. Because of the absence of humans, and despite popular knowledge of Chernobyl existing in a state of ecological disrepair, there has been a boom in biodiversity, within the exclusion zone. The extent of the damage inflicted by the nuclear disaster initially led scientists to believe that the exclusion zone had been subjected to enough radioactive fallout to severely alter the ecological balance of the region for decades. However, today it appears that a lot of wildlife flourishes in even the most affected areas, proving that nature will always find a way.
Thyroid cancer is the most common condition associated with those who were exposed to radiation. A lot of children and adolescents in the area drank milk contaminated with radioactive iodine, which delivered substantial doses to their thyroid glands. 6,000 thyroid cancer cases have been detected among these children. 99 percent of these children were successfully treated, while 15 children and adolescents in the three countries died from thyroid cancer by 2005. Experts conclude some cancer deaths may eventually be attributed to Chernobyl over the lifetime of the emergency workers, evacuees, and residents living in the most contaminated areas. On a lighter note, these health effects are far lower than initial speculations of tens of thousands of radiation-related deaths. (Roe Deer) www.ziwira.com
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AGRICULTURE BEARS MAJOR BRUNT OF DISASTER IMPACTS, NEW REPORT SAYS
$70 billion worth of damages to crops and livestock in a ten year period attributed to disasters.
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War Against Climate
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also announced the launch of a special facility aimed at helping countries better equip their food production sectors to reduce risk exposure, limit impacts, and be better prepared to cope with disasters. FAO’s analysis of 78 post-disaster needs assessments in 48 developing countries spanning the 2003-2013 period shows, twenty-two percent of all damages inflicted by natural hazards such as drought, floods storms or tsunamis are registered within the agriculture sector. These damages and losses are often incurred by poor rural and semi-rural communities without insurance and lacking the
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financial resources needed to regain lost livelihoods. Yet only 4.5 percent of post-disaster humanitarian aid in the 2003-2013 period targeted agriculture. FAO’s 22 percent figure represents only damages reported via post-disaster risk assessments, so while indicative of scale, the actual impact is likely to be even higher. To arrive at a closer estimate of the true financial cost of disasters to developing world agriculture, FAO compared decreases in yields during and after disasters with yield trends in 67 countries affected by (at least one) medium-to-larger-scale events between 2003 and 2013. The final tally: $70 billion in damages to crops and livestock over that 10 year period. Asia was the most affected region, with estimated losses adding up to $28 billion, followed by Africa at $26 billion.
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early a quarter of damages wrought by natural disasters in the developing world are borne by the agricultural sector according to initial results from a new FAO study released at the UN World Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Agriculture and all that it encompasses is not only critical for our food supply, it also remains a main source of livelihoods across the planet. While it is a sector at risk, agriculture also can be the foundation upon which we build societies that are more resilient and better equipped to deal with disasters. – José Graziano da Silva FAO Director-General
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NEW FACILITY FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IN AGRICULTURE In order to help countries better prepare for and respond to disasters affecting agriculture, FAO had launched a new facility aimed at channeling technical support to where it is most needed. The facility will work to mainstream disaster risk reduction in agriculture at all levels through diverse activities.
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With this new effort, we are aiming to limit peoples’ exposure to risks, avoid or reduce impacts where possible, and enhance preparedness to respond quickly when disasters occur. – Graziano da Silva
Studies have shown that for every one dollar spent on disaster risk reduction, as much as four dollars are returned in terms of avoided or diminished impacts, he noted. The work of the new facility will be guided by FAO’s Framework Program on Disaster Risk Reduction for Food and Nutrition Security.
AGRICULTURE REMAINS A KEY SECTOR
Worldwide, the livelihoods of 2.5 billion people depend on agriculture. These small-scale farmers, herders, fishers and forest-dependent communities generate more than half of global agricultural production and are particularly at risk from disasters that destroy or damage harvests, equipment, supplies, livestock, seeds, crops and stored food.
Beyond the obvious consequences on peoples’ food security, the economies and development trajectories of entire regions and nations can be altered when disasters hit agriculture. The sector accounts for as much as 30 percent of national GDP in countries like Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, the Niger, among others.
There are also spill-over losses in agriculture-dependent subsectors, and significant consequences for trade flows. Countries surveyed experienced an increase in agriculture imports to the tune of $18.9 billion and a decrease in agriculture exports of $14.9 billion following natural disasters, between 2003 and 2013.
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KEY FACTS
From FAO’s analysis of damages reported via needs assessments •
Based only on damages reported in 78 post-disaster risk assessments in 48 countries covering the 2003-2013 period, losses of $140 billion were registered by all economic sectors - $30 billion of these were to agriculture (crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries).
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When droughts occur, agriculture absorbs up to 84 percent of all economic impacts.
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Within the agricultural sector, 42 percent of assessed losses were to crops ($13 billion) - with floods the main culprit responsible for 60 percent of crop damages followed by storms (23 percent of crop damages).
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Livestock is the second most affected subsector after crops, accounting for 36 percent of all damage and losses, for a total of $11 billion during the 20032013 period.
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Out of the 78 disasters assessed, 45 involved impacts to the fisheries subsector ($1.7 billion, or 6 percent of all damages born by the agricultural sector). The lion’s share - 70 percent - was caused by tsunamis, typically infrequent events. Storms such as hurricanes and typhoons account for roughly 16 percent of the economic impact on fisheries, followed by floods (10 percent).
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The forestry sector incurred $737 million in damages and losses, representing 2.4 percent of the total for the agricultural sector.
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82% of production losses were caused by drought (44 percent) and floods (39 percent).
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Asia was the most affected region, with estimated losses adding up to $28 billion, followed by Africa at $26 billion.
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In Africa, between 2003 and 2013 there were 61 drought years in Sub-Saharan Africa affecting 27 countries and 150 million people. FAO estimates that 77 percent of all agricultural production losses suffered worldwide due to drought occurred in those 27 Sub-Saharan countries, with losses adding up to $23.5 billion.
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Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.
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ANTARCTICA
New study reveals that Arctic sea ice is thinning at a faster rate than scientists predicted.
ARCTIC ICE IS THINNING AT AN ALARMING RATE
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he layer of ice that covers the Arctic Ocean appears to be melting at a faster rate than what scientists had initially thought. This is according to a study published in the science journal The Cryosphere. Researchers combined data from different sources to examine the changes in thickness of the ice over the past few decades and found that it had been reduced by 65% between 1975 and 2012. That’s a difference of 7.6 feet in 37 years. During the summer of 2012, sea-ice levels dropped to a record low. Scientists say they knew the ice was thinning, but earlier estimates were quite slow. This study now confirms the frightening pace at which it is happening. The evidence also proves that the melting is definitely not slowing down. Most of the information up until the 90’s came from under-ice submarine readings that used sonar detection devices to determine the thickness of the ice. Post 2000, most of the readings were based on satellite measurements.
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DANGEROUS PARADOX As if things could not get any worse, the melting of the Arctic due to human-induced global warming could now give rise to the burning of even more fossil fuels, as the disappearance of ice paves new pathways for commercial ventures. It is estimated that the Arctic holds a quarter of the world’s remaining untapped oil and gas reserves. Major companies such as Shell have already expressed intentions to exploit these, but heated debates are arising as to just how much commercial development should be allowed in order to preserve the natural ecosystems. The thinning of the Arctic ice carries several repercussions. Namely, the endangerment of indigenous marine and wildlife species, threats to the human inhabitants who depend on the environment for subsistence living, sinking of houses, and increased risks of natural disasters due to change in geological structure. But perhaps the scariest of all is that the opening up of the waters will make manmade endeavors easier. More ships can pass through and as result, the risk of harmful spills goes up enormously. There are currently no international rules for shipping in the Arctic region. The number of vessels passing through, in the next decade is expected to increase by over 200 percent and simultaneously, emissions are expected to rise by 150-600 percent. To this date, Canada has been leading the Arctic Council, a body of eight member countries who serve as guardians and can set policies for the region. Later this year, the United States will take over leadership of the council. Given the United States’ superpower status, the country definitely has persuasive and fiscal power, but also a somewhat tainted reputation for abusing this power. There will definitely be a shift in priorities, and it will be interesting to see how the fate of the Arctic plays out in their hands.
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If you can’t feed a hundred people then feed just one.
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WORLD
9
LIMITS OF OUR
PLANET According to Johan Rockstrรถm, the earth has already rocketed past 4 of the 9 planetary boundaries that keep our world hospitable.
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J
ohan Rockstrรถm is the Executive Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre (sustainability science for biosphere stewardship) in Sweden. He believes that the earth is potentially dancing with death, with a climate that is changing too quickly, and species going extinct too rapidly, as well as the fact that too many nutrients such as nitrogen are being released into our ecosystems. However, Johan does not present his information as a doomsday message, but more of a warning, that it is time to make some changes to the way we approach day-today life, and how we perceive our fragile world. Johan believes that the human race has been remarkably lucky with our climate. We are currently living in the Holocene Epoch, which began 11,000 years ago when glaciers began to retreat after the Ice Age. Despite cutting down huge amounts of forests to make way for crops, creating mass pollution, and driving plants and animals to extinction, the earth has continued to provide us with a reasonably steady home. Scientists have proposed that all we need to do to keep the earth ticking along, is keep within 9 planetary boundaries.
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As a result of having such a stable climate, our early ancestors were able to emerge from their Paleolithic caves to cultivate wheat, domesticate animals, and launch industrial and communication revolution. As a result of this, we now have a whopping population of 7.2 billion people in the world. But the earth’s current state will not last, because it is reaching a point of no return. We have clearly already gone past our safe greenhouse gas emissions limit of 360 parts per million, with a level of 400 at the present. We are also at serious risk of dangerously high temperatures and sea levels, and crippling droughts and floods. Also evident is our rapid loss of biodiversity. The world has already suffered a loss of 16 percent in many regions of the planet, which is much more than the safe level of 10 percent. With all of this somber information, Johan insists that his report is not intended to make people feel guilty and accept a terrible fate. His report acts as a positive message, to encourage people to initiate change. For example, he believes that it is possible for nations around the world www.ziwira.com
to significantly reduce their carbon emissions to almost nothing which would then pull the earth back across the planetary boundary. He also strongly believes that in Africa, it would be very possible to quadruple agriculture with no-till watersaving methods, which would in turn keep us from the brink of forest and biodiversity loss. Johan’s theory of the 9 planetary boundaries has received a lot of attention, and has raised further questions related to whether one boundary could influence another boundary. For instance, if a combination of nutrient pollution and ocean acidification killed most of the seas’ plankton, dramatically reducing the oceans’ ability to pull carbon from the atmosphere, it could accelerate global warming. It would then require carbon emissions to be cut below today’s calculated boundary level. However, all theories will create counter theories. The sole purpose of Johan’s theory was to initiate thought process related to the well-being of our planet, and encourage people to involve themselves in world issues.
With such a bold theory, comes counter-arguments. Some of the critics of Johan’s 9 planetary boundary theory have seen it as the intellectual stepchild of the now discredited 1970’s “Limits to Growth” and “Population Bomb” notions that the Earth will inevitably run out of room and resources. The theory is also unfavorable to countries that are planning on experiencing future substantial growth. The theory suggests that all of the planet’s available space has been taken up, so they are unable to follow the path the West has taken to development and prosperity. At this stage, Johan’s 9 planetary boundary theory is that - just a theory. But it does have very valid points and raises important questions that we should all consider about the well-being of our environment. The fact that humans have significantly crossed 4 of the boundaries that Johan has suggested, whether you believe his theory or not, still puts in perspective the speed at which we are changing the state of our world.
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THE 9 PLANETARY BOUNDARIES To keep Earth hospitable, we need to live within 9 specific limits. Here’s how we’re doing in 2015:
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Poverty is a noose that strangles humility and breeds disrespect for God and man. www.ziwira.com
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WORLD
CORAL BLEACHING & OCEAN ACIDIFICATION Our oceans are vital to our existence. If we upset the balance of our ocean, it will evolve without us. We must protect it at all costs. Signs of the ocean changing include coral bleaching, and ocean acidiďŹ cation.
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CORAL BLEACHING Stressed coral – it seems strange to personify the elusive plant life that lives in our oceans. The personification however, is very precise, because corals do experience stress. The process is called coral bleaching, which is a direct effect of a warmer ocean. Corals owe their beautiful color schemes to a tiny marine algae called zooxanthallae. The algae lives inside the coral tissue, and provides up to 90% of their energy and food source. Coral bleaching occurs when the oceans become abnormally warm, causing stress for the coral. The stress of the coral then triggers a strain in the relationship between the coral and the algae. Without the zooxanthallae algae, the coral appears white or transparent. Without the algae, most corals will starve, unless they are somehow able to feed themselves, which some are. If conditions return, corals can regain some more algae, but without the algae they are very susceptible to disease, and often perish. Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii has suffered some serious coral bleaching, and unfortunately is home to 15% of all coral under USA jurisdiction. 25% of the dominant coral species in the area lost their color or appeared to be ‘bleached’. Anne Rosinski, a marine resource specialist with the state Division of Aquatic Resources, said 12% of the 25% died during that heated period. Also in Hawaii, on the island of Lisianski, the ocean area was subject to months of warmer-than-usual temperatures. It is a very remote area which cannot be visited often, and scientists expect they will find a lot of dead coral when they do investigate.
OCEAN ACIDIFICATION Ocean Acidification is another issue our oceans have to face, with the increasing reality of a hotter climate. This particular process is caused by accumulative carbon dioxide greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The way this manages to affect the oceans, is because the increased CO2 does not only exist in the air. It also dissolves in the top layer of the ocean and combines with water to create carbonic acid. Carbonic acid dissociates into protons and bicarbonate, and it is due to this process that the seawater acidifies. Examples of the effect that ocean acidification has on marine life can vary. One example is mussels, whose shells consist of aragonite, to accumulate and sequester the calcium carbonate required for shell formation. They are not able to compensate for the CO2 induced disturbance of acid-base status. The loss of calcification is the major issue caused by acidic waters, which combined with heated water that creates bleached corals, only makes things even more difficult for coral life to survive. Sea urchins and sea cucumbers will also suffer from loss of calcification in an acidic ocean. 25% of marine life on earth live in coral reefs. Without them, fish number would decrease and our oceans would become much barer. It is important to keep our oceans as healthy as we can, by not adding more stress to the situation. Keep the oceans clean and respect our diverse marine life.
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WORLD
THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF
NORTHERN FIRES
CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE The world lost 18m hectares of forest in 2013, says report.
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R
ecent satellite data has revealed that a quarter of the forests lost across the globe between 2011 and 2013 were in Canada and Russia alone. Overall, the world lost 18m hectares of forest in 2013, according to scientists at Global Forest Watch, a global forest monitoring network that uses the latest science and technology. The study involved a collation of 400 000 images of the earth’s surface, mapping its forests. Even though logging and pests also contribute to loss of forests, the majority of loss in the north was due to fires, says the report. Scientists predict that with climate change persisting, these forest fires will burn more often and with even greater intensity. The problem, however, is more complex than it appears. When entire forests burn down, the carbon stored in the wood and soil is released, and sent into the atmosphere. And as we all know, CO2 in the atmosphere is the very culprit that is spurring climate change. So it is a catch 22 situation, a vicious cycle. Commenting on the problems revealed in the study, its co-author and director of the forests program for the World Resources Institute (WRI), Dr Nigel Sizer, said, “Global warming is leading to more fires in boreal forests, which in turn leads to more emissions from those forests, which in turn leads to more climate change. This is one of those positive feedback loops that should be of great concern to policy makers.” Boreal forests refer to those in the northern regions, usually characterized by coniferous trees. According to officials in Russia, 90-95% of fires are ignited by human interventions. The rise of forestry for business, coupled with oil and gas exploration have led to more roads being built in the previously inaccessible forest areas. This has brought increased risk of fires. Given the ever looming threat of climate change, this should be a wakeup call, not only for Russia, but for the world over, for better understanding of what causes forest fires, and better management and monitoring thereof.
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WAR AGAINST CLIMATE Climate change is a global problem. The planet is warming because of the growing level of greenhouse gas emissions from human activity. If this trend continues, truly catastrophic consequences are likely to ensue from rising sea levels, to reduced water availability, to more heat waves and fires.