In The News

Putin’s Moves in Venezuela: Bloomberg

Eli Lake March 27, 2019
Venezuela is in crisis with corruption, food shortages and power outages. The international community remains divided over a remedy. The United States supports new leadership, represented by Juan Guaido, president of the National Assembly, after a disputed election. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov describes such support as a US-led coup and supports the Nicolas Maduro regime, in power...

Cyclone Idai and Mozambique: BBC

March 19, 2019
Mozambique ranks among the world’s poorest nations and recovery from Cyclone Idai will be a challenge. Also hit hard: Zimbabwe and Mali. The storm made landfall in Beira on March 14 and aid teams arrived to find the fourth largest city, population 500,000, mostly destroyed with no power or telecommunications. People escaped by climbing to roofs and trees, and severely damaged roads and...

Warning on Mining Dam Disasters: BBC

David Shukman February 7, 2019
Companies mining for coal, copper and iron ore remove tons of material during the excavation process – only a small amount is valuable ore and the rest is rock and material contaminated with chemicals and other mining waste. “And the cheapest way to dispose of these remains is to create what's called a ‘tailings pond’ – a rather genteel term for a dumping-ground sealed with a dam,” explains...

New York Times: “Like a Terror Movie”

John Schwartz November 20, 2018
Societies delayed reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and must now prepare to handle multiple disasters related to climate change – hurricanes, wildfires, flooding that kill and destroy property. A paper for Nature Climate Change projects future trends. “In a scientific world marked by specialization and siloed research, this multidisciplinary effort by 23 authors reviewed more than 3,000 papers...

DW: The UN Migration Pact

November 2, 2018
Displaced peoples and global migration are at historic highs with climate change, conflicts, natural disasters and an oversupply of jobs in some countries and undersupply in others. “The United Nations' Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration marks the first time the world body has ever agreed on a list of global measures to tackle the risks and challenges involved in...

USA Today: Tsunami in Indonesia

Susan Miller October 2, 2018
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia followed by a tsunami that struck Palu, a city of more than 300,000. The disaster killed more than 1300 and displaced tens of thousands more with survivors desperate for food, water and supplies. The numbers are expected to rise. “Relief workers are mobilizing to help devastated areas and rescue teams are desperately hunting for survivors in the aftermath...

The Nation: Four Years Is All We Have

Pratch Rujivanarom September 18, 2018
Weather events like Typhoon Mangkhut and Hurricane Florence that deliver loss of life and unprecedented damage should prompt community leaders to prepare for climate change. Some regions, especially coastal communities, face greater risk. “The United Nations and environmentalists are urging governments to show greater determination,” explains Pratch Rujivanarom for the Nation. “They want to see...