In The News

East Africa Locust Outbreak: Al Jazeera

January 29, 2020
Clouds of locusts are ruining crops and livelihoods in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. “The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated one swarm in Kenya at around 2,400 square kilometres (about 930 square miles) - an area almost the size of Moscow - meaning it could contain up to 200 billion locusts,” reports Al Jazeera, adding that experts worry about food security in a region...

The West’s Stake in Hong Kong: Diplomat

Brian C.H. Fong January 23, 2020
Hong Kong protests continue after seven months, bringing scrutiny to the territory’s relationship with China and the promises for semi-autonomy through 2047. Disagreement between protesters and the Hong Kong government is not a local issue, but a “complicated geopolitical issue involving great power competition,” explains Brian C.H. Fong for the Diplomat and HongKong Brief. He describes the...

Taal Volcano Magma Still Rising: Rappler

January 19, 2020
Taal Volcano began exploding on January 12, the 12th time since the year 1900. “State volcanologists maintained Alert Level 4 for Taal Volcano in the province of Batangas on Saturday, January 18, which means a hazardous eruption could still occur ‘within hours to days,’” reports Rappler. “The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said magma is still rising within Taal, as...

Hot Water Blob and Seabird Deaths: EcoWatch

Sam Nickerson January 18, 2020
As the planet warms, oceans absorb far more heat than the air. Researchers report patches of warm water in the Pacific, from New Zealand to Alaska. The University of Washington reported on one that killed more than 1 million seabirds. One patch stretched for 1000 miles, increasing temperatures by more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit and killing more than 1 million seabirds, report University of...

Australia Must Prepare for Climate Change: CFR

Alice C. Hill January 11, 2020
Australia endures horrific fires and one of the worst fire seasons in history, with more than 25 people killed, thousands of homes destroyed, a billion animals killed by some estimates, and more than 12 million acres burned. Climate change, high temperatures and drought exacerbate and lengthen the fire seasons. Average temperatures have increased by more than 2 degrees since the 1950s. Alice Hill...

Massive Floods: Jakarta Post

Kharishar Kahfi January 3, 2020
Jakarta, home for more than 9 million people, is prone to flooding with two-fifths of the city under sea level. The city with 13 rivers is increasingly swampy and rapidly sinking. Extreme rainfall with the start of 2020 is described as the worst in a decade, causing severe flooding. Indonesia’s weather agency, BMKG, suggested more than 370 millimeters, or about 15 inches, of rain fell in a...

Young Urge Climate Action: Sydney Morning Herald

Alexandra Smith January 2, 2020
Fire conditions in Australia are horrific, and the rest of the world questions a strategy that relies on a largely volunteer firefighting force and poor examples of leadership, allowing a massive fireworks display to welcome the New Year. More than 12 million acres have burned. Tens of thousands have evacuated, hundreds of homes destroyed, and roads are closed with infrastructure under threat....