The U.N has predicted that the population could rise to 1.5 billion in the next 40 years, and has warned that serious investment into drainage, irrigation and agricultural systems is a necessity, if nations want to curb starvation and a serious food crisis.

With some putting the increasing difficulty of the cultivation of land in Asia down to climate change, it is being argued that the potential crisis is not just the result of a lack of technology.

That said, history gives the world a particularly pertinent case study; Pakistan, India and China, the world’s emerging superpowers, have survived food crises in the past because they invested massively in irrigation systems 30 years ago.

The U.N, then, are arguing that the same is needed now across the continent. The Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colin Chartres, highlighted the risks and the solutions, in no uncertain terms, stating that,

“There is no new land or water to develop so we have to make more use of what we have. Existing irrigation systems are often 50 to 70 years old. They are leaking and water is evaporating. We urgently need a new generation of irrigation. That is the only way we are going to feed everyone…if we don’t we will see food crises like the one in 2007 repeated over and again. That was an early warning. If nothing is done, you are going to get an increase in social unrest, migration and a fertile ground for terrorism”

Asia represents an outstandingly high proportion of the world’s total population, so a food crisis there, and the human effects of such a crisis, would truly represent a global catastrophe.

The possibilities do not look promising, and as Chartes further stated,

“The agriculture of tomorrow will need a lot more water. Given that one litre of water is used to produce one calorie of food, the world will need up to 6,000 cubic kilometres of additional water every year to feed another 2.5 billion people 2,500 calories per day”

Such a massive task will require the commitments of a truly global community, and the UN target set for a 70% increase on food production in developed countries will have to go alongside a culture of co-operation, if it is to benefit those in the most need.

Source: The Guardian

Posted under Articles, Environmental News

There is no escape from paying bills. The continuous rise in gas and electricity prices does not ease the situation either. But fortunately, you can change your lifestyle habits which will not only cause a drastic reduction in your bills, but will also save energy and the planet too.

Save Energy and Start Paying your Bills With A Smile:

1. Switch off every light when you leave the room

2. For background sound, favour the radio over the TV

3. Unplug your devices after the battery is charged. For example, mobiles

4. Use a washing line or drying racks, rather than an electric drier

5. Avoid keeping your room thermostat more than 21C

6. Keep the water thermostat less than 60C

7. Boil your kettle with only the amount of water needed

8. Use the water once the kettle is boiled to avoid reheating

9.      Remove washed clothes from washing machine within 2 hours to avoid rewashing

10. Hang your clothes after ironing to avoid another ironing session due to creasing

11. Utilise the eco setting on your washing machine and/or dishwasher

12.    Keep your fridge running properly by defrosting it regularly

13. Turn off the dishwasher prematurely to allow the heat inside complete the job

14. If you have a heater, programme it to drop by half or off after an hour

15. During the day draw the curtains to allow free light to penetrate

16. At dusk close your curtains to retain the heat

17. Keep the back of your fridge clean to boost its efficiency

18.    Switch to a green energy provider such as Good Energy or EcoTricity

Save Water As It Saves Life:

1. Use baths sparingly

2.      Utilise a (non power) shower

3. Use a bucket of water for car washing rather than a hose

4.      Use a watering jug for plants

5.      Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth

6. When washing by hand, use a bowl to soap dishes and avoid running water

7.      When rinsing, use warm water to speed up washing.

8. Use hot water from the kettle to degrease the sink rather than bleach

9. Favour the plunger over the toxic unblocking solution

10. Make sure that you turn off all taps properly after use

11. Check that there are no leaks in the water pipe system

Be Green and Wise in the Kitchen:

1. Use a toaster to make toast instead of a grill as the toaster is more energy efficient

2. Boil water in a kettle to use for cooking

3. Remove contents from the fridge to cool to room temperature before cooking

4. Maximise the efficiency of your fridge by keeping it full

5. Use a pan matching the amount of food to be cooked

6. Use the smallest pan as far as you can

7. Use a pan that matches the size of the burner, not smaller, to avoid 30% of heat loss

8. Cover the pan with a lid to avoid the loss of heat

9. Keep the oven window clean to avoid opening the oven during cooking time

10. Use the right lid for the right pan to avoid loss of heat through the peeps

11.    Turn off the heater prematurely to allow the steam to complete the cooking

12. Use less fat and liquid to cook at a quicker pace

13. Plan your cooking and make extra to freeze and reuse

14. Leftovers take less time to be reheated. Use them as quick ‘fast food’

15. Pressure cooker and microwave are more energy efficient compared to the oven

Waste can be Recycled

1. Turn your wasted vegetable and fruit peelings into compost

2. Use the compost to plant your own vegetables, fruits, herbs or flowers

3. Do not buy excessively to avoid wastage

4. Reuse aluminium foil for packing food

5.      Where possible, buy loose fruit and vegetables without the wasteful packaging

6. Donate your clothes which you do not use anymore

7. Reuse plastic objects for other purposes

8. Use plastic food containers to plant herbs

9. Use shoe boxes to store items

10. Use food before they expire to avoid wastage. If expired, convert them into compost

11. Recycle cans, paper, plastic, etc…

12. Reuse newspaper for cleaning windows, for instance

13. Think twice before buying

14. Take your Recyclable bag or Bag for life to the shop

15. Reuse old T-shirts to sleep in or when doing messy work such as painting

Good Luck!

Posted under Gas & Electricity, House & Home, How To's & Guides, Lifestyle & Fashion, Money & Finance

Our ever lovable Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has warned that climate change could threaten our cosy way of life and our capitals status as a leading world city thus he wishes to implement a strategy to cope with it, including measures such as urban greening, flood risk management and cooler buildings. Johnson’s’ strategy, – apparently the first of its kind – details the ways in which to deal with global warming. Implementing ‘urban greening’ of the city – using green spaces, green roofs and tree planting to absorb and retain rainwater – and reducing water usage is necessary to adapt London to the increased risks of flooding, droughts and heat waves which are expected to be brought about by global warming.

Some other measures of the strategy include; Improving flood risk management on the Thames tributaries where properties are at significant risk of flooding. Reducing the leakage from water mains, introducing compulsory water metering in developments where it is practical. Designing new buildings and adapting old ones to minimise the need for cooling facilities.

“We need to concentrate efforts to slash carbon emissions and become more energy efficient in order to prevent dangerous climate change. But we also need to prepare for how our climate is expected to change in the future”, said Johnson.

The strategy also covered the problems London will have to deal with when facing Global warming, preparing to cope with the more frequent and extreme weather conditions and changes in the seasons, including warmer, wetter winters and hotter drier summers. Currently people can barely cope with a few days over 25C in July without it becoming a ‘heat wave’, or a couple of frosty mornings in January without general meltdown of the train service and declaration of a ‘cold snap’, however it seems we can ditch our exaggerated buzz terms and over reactions because things are going to get tougher weather wise.

“The strategy I am launching today outlines in detail the range of weather conditions facing London, which could both seriously threaten our quality of life – particularly that of the most vulnerable people – and endanger our pre-eminence as one of the world’s leading cities”, Johnson said.

It is not just London, but all major cities that are at risk, and this strategy – a legal requirement under the Greater London Authority Act – is putting London at the head of an unavoidable movement. The mayor feels that London is in a good position to take this stance on dealing with climate change, and is hopeful that it may open up ‘green’ jobs in the city.

The strategy outlines the main threats towards the city as flooding, drought and heat waves. Aprox 1.25 million people are at risk of flooding, along with almost half a million properties, 441 schools, 75 underground and DLR stations and 10 hospitals. The Thames region has lower water availability per person than Morocco, but there is larger consumption than the national average, and about 600m litres a day are lost through leaks. Alongside the water shortage, the summer’s hottest temperatures have been rising over the years.

Posted under Articles, Climate, Environmental News, Lifestyle & Fashion

One you glance over the numbers, you realise that it doesn’t take a mathematician to work out that the Dead Sea is under a severe amount stress at the moment. The River Jordan, the sea’s main tributary, has had 90% of its flow diverted for the sake of agriculture and other domestic uses. Mining, specifically for potash and magnesium chloride, is also removing water to the tune of about 150 million cubic meters every year. In addition, worldwide water withdrawals have increased six fold, which is approximately double the rate of worldwide population growth, and the struggle between population growth and the availability of water is expected to be most desperate in generally arid areas, like areas of Israel and Jordan, the countries that border the Dead Sea.

The water in the Dead Sea is disappearing as combinations of all these pressures exert themselves upon the water mass. Year on year the overall water level drops by one meter and in the last thirty years the sea has shrunk to about two-thirds its 1970’s size. This poses a serious threat to both human activity in the area, and also to the flora and fauna of the oases that comprise the Dead Sea’s matchless ecosystem. The rate of water depletion is pushing the shoreline away from established population centres and creating sink holes. Sink holes destroy land, as deep freshwater effectively undercuts the layers of subsurface salt above causing them to collapse and posing threats to infrastructure and agriculture in the areas.

In an effort to halt the sea’s fading away there is a planned project to engineer a pipeline that stretches from the Red Sea in the south up to the Dead Sea in the north. The World Bank is expected to help financially on this project, which is expected to cost between $800 million and $15 billion, depending on your sources, and the organisation is currently conducting a $14 million study into the feasibility of the source.

In a part of the world hardly characterised by multilateral accord the project is being proposed by Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The pipeline will stretch 320 kilometres from the Gulf of Aqaba in the south in order to help replenish the water levels of the Dead Sea, in addition to providing desalinated water for arid Jordan. There are also plans to utilise hydroelectric power into the scheme, which will take the form of either a canal or a pipeline.

There has been intense criticism of the scheme so far, as environmentalists and water experts warn that the mixing of water from the Red Sea – which is rich in sulphate – with water from the calcium rich Dead Sea will cause new algae growth in the sea. There are also fears that the World Bank’s reports on the scheme’s feasibility and environmental impact might be tainted by the fact that the pipeline would be such an unusual instance of mutual cooperation in the region, and therefore allow it to go ahead under the guise of some sort of peace project rather than because it is the best thing for all parties involved.

Posted under Articles, Environmental News, Gas & Electricity, Wildlife