In The News

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...

South Asia Journal: India-China Water Sharing Data

Chandan Kumar Duarah September 29, 2018
Dams, volatile weather patterns, pollution complicate the water supply from cross-border rivers, increase environmental hazards and even brings ruin to some communities in China and India. The two countries have shared hydrological data since 2006 with some disruptions, such as damaged equipment due to flooding. But improved technologies, including satellite imagery, and increased cooperation...

The Economist: Road Makers Turn to Recycled Plastic

September 19, 2018
Plastic, sourced from petrochemicals, does not break down easily and offers limited options for recycling. Developers have begun experimenting with melted plastic as an ingredient for road construction to partially replace traditional bitumen and asphalt. In the Netherlands, a 30-meter bicycle path is made of 70 percent plastic. “PlasticRoad is prefabricated in a factory as modular sections,”...

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...

ReliefWeb: Building Climate Resilience for Food Security

September 12, 2018
One out of every nine of the world’s people is going hungry, one out of every eight adults is obese, and the health of hundreds of millions is at risk. “Hunger has been on the rise over the past three years, returning to levels from a decade ago,” reports the 2018 report on Food Security and Nutrition in the World. “This reversal in progress sends a clear warning that more must be done and...

News & Observer: Sea-Level Rise Is Here

Orrin H. Pilkey September 12, 2018
Climate change and sea-level rise are underway, yet the US government led by conservatives and supporters of fossil-fuel energies have chosen to ignore the growing body evidence. As a candidate, Donald Trump called global climate change is a hoax. As president, he “followed up on his non-belief in a warming planet by not supporting the Paris Climate Accords, thus forfeiting our global...

Orlando Sentinel: Florida Farming vs Coastal Communities

Andy Reid September 9, 2018
The US Army Corps of Engineers drains Florida’s largest freshwater lake to nearby rivers to prevent flooding of South Florida communities. Lake Okeechobee’s waters, polluted by chemicals from the agriculture industry, eventually wind their way to the coast, reported to be causing toxic algae blooms and red tides that harm plants and wildlife, resulting in massive fish kills and also causing...