Going, going, gone.

Here’s a longer term perspective…
Gone
40% of forests lost in past 300 years
50% of wetlands lost in past 50 years
60% of ecosystem degraded in past 50 years
33% of mangroves lost in past 20 years
Going
11% of forests will be lost in next 20 years
60% of coral reefs will be lost in next 20 years
7% of land based [...]

What’s running out this week?

Wild crop variants needed to ensure crop resistance are ‘dangerously vulnerable’ says the WWF.
Many bird species are threatened by climate change according to BirdLife International.
English wildlife is under threat from climate change and intensive land use, says Natural England.
While only 4% of the world’s oceans are unaffected by human activities.  The seas are becoming acidic.
Most [...]

Migration at home and abroad

The IPPR think tank is claiming that the East European influx of economic migrants is declining and that most have returned home due to homesickness and other reasons.
Others criticise official statistics. A senior police officer thinks immigrants are being underestimated by two-thirds and worries about a backlash as the economy slows. And the [...]

Is ageing a bad thing?

Well, it’s better than the alternative, as the old joke goes. Populations age when people live longer, when young people emigrate or when the birth rate declines. And of course, the reverse holds true. Some welcome a growing population, as in so many developing countries. The theory is that a country [...]

Sex, drugs and alcohol (that got your attention)

Young adults in Europe use drink and drugs to boost their chances of getting laid. Hard to believe, but there you go.
So long term and emergency contraception might be a good idea. Long term contraception is still little used in the UK.
An FPA survey has found that most emergency contraception is now purchased from pharmacies, [...]

How the climate has changed this week

Scientists issue more warnings… 
Carbon dioxide is at a record high according to NOAA - Guardian and Reuters
so is methane
and nitrogen
Climate change is  hitting wildlife, environment hard
It’s definitely us  - Nature and NASA (separate studies)
but leading emitting countries are sluggish in response
UK government is failing to hit enviromental targets
and their climate change plans are “lazy, shortsighted and [...]

Resources are running low…

Biodiversity - For the imminent UN biodiversity summit, reporting on WWF and German government warnings that the recent and current rapid rate of species extinction reduces our insurance against crop diseases. Plus more WWF report coverage from New Scientist and BBC.
Fish - why governments failed to act
Land - desertification, degradation and drought (the three [...]

Can food supply meet soaring demand?

While some causes of the current food crisis are temporary, many seem likely to worsen.

Australia’s severe drought may presage future climate change led instability
The spiralling cost of fertiliser reflects rising oil prices as supply peaks
Soil degradation and land competition from biofuels seem likely to intensify.

While world leaders are recognising the seriousness of the issue, they [...]

Population concerns increase, funding doesn’t keep pace

Unless the transition towards lower levels of fertility starts in earnest in sub-Saharan Africa, rapid population growth will jeopardise Africa’s development efforts and its prospects for full integration into the world economy, warn two African based geographers, writing in the FT.
FT article
CIA chief Gen. Michael V. Hayden is concerned about the impact of this on [...]

Climate change warnings intensify

Rich countries must commit to cutting carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 and developing nations must agree that by 2020 they too will set their own targets, leading economist Nicholas Stern said recently.
He said the only way the world could defeat the climate crisis was by ensuring that global carbon emissions peaked within 15 [...]

UK kids, under pressure to have sex, seek advice

Advice on emotions and relationships should be made a compulsory part of sex education in schools, the children’s charity NSPCC says.
It said nearly 50 children a day were calling its Childline helpline because they felt under pressure to have sex.
They also lacked basic knowledge about relationships, pregnancy and puberty, according to the charity.

As the [...]

Mangrove loss ‘left Burma exposed’

Destruction of mangrove forests in Burma left coastal areas exposed to the devastating force of the weekend’s cyclone, ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said. At least 22,000 people have died in the disaster.
A recent global assessment found that 3.6 million hectares of mangrove forests had disappeared since 1980. It found that large-scale conversion [...]

Immigration controls increase in UK/ EU

Increasing control is being imposed by the UK and Europe on immigration from developing countries.  More detail on the new UK points based controls is being revealed.  The UK has also dramatically increased the number of prosecutions of employers who have hired illegal immigrants.  And the EU has agreed common standards for the detention and [...]

Birth rate helps keep Philippines in poverty

The Philippines has one of the highest birth rates in Asia. Though the rate is declining, the population is still growing at 2% each year. The government doesn’t fund modern family planning techniques, under the influence of the Catholic church. As a result, poverty is extensive and food security is an increasing [...]

Rising sea levels threaten millions of Bangladeshis

Bangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated countries.  With a population currently rising by 2% pa, Bangladesh is facing a challenge in feeding its population as the benefits of the ‘Green Revolution’ level off.  Rising sea levels can only increase the challenge.
Reuters report

Call for precautionary access to emergency contraception

If you need the emergency contraception pill, what are your circumstances? Probably some or all of: stressed, late for work, hungover, embarassed, self-reproaching and uncertain, especially if you’re a teenager. So it would be good to have some in the bathroom cabinet, just in case. Though the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is [...]

Groundwater depletion threatens agricultural sustainability

A vast swathe of central and western Asia and parts of Africa is running out of water, says a report commissioned by the World Bank and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation. About half of the region’s internal renewable water resources are already below the minimum threshold for development. And some countries have [...]

Climate change could trigger migration warns UNHCR chief

As many as one billion people could lose their homes by 2050 because of the devastating impact of global warming, scientists and political leaders will be warned today.
They will hear that the steady rise in temperatures across the planet could trigger mass migration on unprecedented levels.
Hundreds of millions could be forced to go on [...]