Will Plate Tectonics Create New Land In The Canary Islands?

Eruptions in 2011 seemed to herald the arrival of a new island in the Canary Islands archipelago. Whislt this could create dangerous and disruptive ash clouds, it reminds us that there are many undersea eruptions on active margins around the world and that these could develop into new land.

Who was Wangari Maathai?

Wangari Maathai was a leading light in African conservation and social enterprise, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. She was critical in showing people around the world how positive actions could change the environment and people.

More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15056502

And here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2011/sep/26/wangari-maathai-kenya?CMP=twt_fd

How will the UK change when its people live to 100?

Recent reports suggest that half the children born in the UK today can expect to live to 100.

This will place different demands on our healthcare, social care and pension systems. But the full extent of the changes are unknown.

Will the UK remain a place where older people are valued or might they come to be viewed as a burden on society? Whatever the outcome, the socail fabric of the UK will change significantly in the coming decades as our population ages.

 

 

What is Cuckmere Haven like and how is it managed?

Cuckmere Haven is a well-loved beauty spot on the South coast of England.

The Cuckmere Estuary Partnership seeks a sustainable long-term future for the area.

What were the impacts of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami?

The Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami (11th of March 2001) was one of the largest ever recorded and caused serious damage and loss of life in Japan.

You can see a quake map here.

The BBC have a good over view of events here

Wikipedia has a fact-filled page here

One of the most striking aspects of this incident was the way in which the Japanese people reacted. There was little in the way of looting and disorder, which can characterise the aftermath of disasters.

Out at sea ships passed over the huge waves before they reached the coast. You can see how earthquakes trigger tsunamis here.

How is rubber tapping done?

Natural rubber is commonly acquired from large plantations across Southeast Asia. This clip shows how it is done:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB5wdmbcI3o&feature=related

How does climate change cause migration?

Climate change, whether anthropogenic (man made), natural or both can accelerate processes such as desertification, coastal erosion and flooding. Here are some pictoral examples of where this is happening around the world:

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/enviro-migration-gallery?source=email_photo_20090917

Who was Norman Borlaug?

Norman Borlaug, who died in 2009, was known as the father of the Green Revolution, a revolution in agricultural technology which enabled much higher crop yields in many parts of the developing world in the decades following World War II (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Revolution). The revolution largely revolved around developing higher yielding strains of common crops such as rice and wheat and this is what Borlaug was a specialist in.

There is more about Norman Borlaug here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug

His obituary can be found here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/science-obituaries/6183951/Norman-Borlaug.html and here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8253005.stm

How do Bangladesh’s cyclone shelters work?

Bangladesh has a long history of suffering from the effects of cyclones, such as this one in 1991: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Bangladesh_cyclone. This article discusses Bangladesh’s vulnerability to cyclones and attempts to lessen that vulnerability: http://www.climate.org/PDF/Bangladesh.pdf.

Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable because so much of its land is low lying and as a nation, it has a relatively low level of economic development, meaning less money is available to spend on defences and recovery. 

To try to help limit the loss of life, thereby promoting faster recovery from cyclones and other flooding events, shelters have been built on stilts, allowing the population to take refuge from the rising water.

In 2008 Bangladesh had a network of around 1500 shelters, capable of holding thousands of people each, and this due to be increased substantially following the devastation of Cyclone Nargis in 2008, which killed around 3300 people in Bangladesh: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKDHA105884._CH_.242020080108 & http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76490.

The shelters are built on pillars to keep them above the water and usually perform a dual role as community centres. You can find lots of images of cyclone shelters here: http://www.archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=6452

Many cyclone shelters are built with aid donated from MEDCs and NGOs, such as these ones being built by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC):

 http://www.swiss-cooperation.admin.ch/bangladesh/en/Home/Humanitarian_Aid_and_Disaster_Risk_Reduction_DRR/Community_Based_DRR_Programme_Cyclone_Shelter_Construction_Component

What effect has drought had on people and the environment in Kenya?

Kenya’s ongoing drought is having a severe effect on the environment, causing a number of changes as lakes dry up and plants and trees suffer. The drought combines with other man made pressures on the ecosystems and has a knock on effect on the people who rely on those environments to sustain them:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8267165.stm

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/world/africa/08kenya.html?_r=1

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8057316.stm

There are concerns that problems caused by the drought may ignite tribal violence:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/21/2692148.htm

One of the main ecosystems under threat is the Mau Forest. This report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) explains some of the treats facing the Mau forest; a list to which drought can be added:

http://www.unep.org/dewa/assessments/EcoSystems/land/mountain/MauCrisis/index.asp

Kenya Forests works to find a sustainable future for Kenya’s forest resources:

http://www.kenyaforests.org/