The NGO Refugees International interviews citizens of South Sudan who accuse the army of attacks and looting that have driven them to seek safety in the bush. [The World] Extreme weather continues to cause huge health risks for Syrian refugees who lack shelter, water, and sanitation in temperatures of 104ºF (40˚C). [Oxfam] Leading climate scientist [...]
Tag Archives: environment
Happy green living
At times, living green can have the simplest meaning and tremendous effects. You don’t necessarily need to have photovoltaic or wind turbines installed in order to enjoy the power of nature. Sometimes just living around green makes your life happier. This common knowledge is now supported by scientific evidence. A new study carried out over [...]
Armed Resistance in the Niger Delta: SHELL CLEAN UP YOUR MESS!
“I fish every day to feed my children. I fished all weekend but there are no fish, so I can’t raise my children… So I’ll drop this net and pick up the knife… so that they remember us in this bush where we live and where they drill our oil” These were the words of [...]
Earth to Earth: making furniture from the ground beneath your feet
‘Rammed Earth’ is usually a technique used for building homes, but Israeli designer Adital Ela has extended its use to create something else. These Terra Stools are made from earth and natural fibers in a unique compression process that was re-developed as part of a longterm study of materials and ancient building methods. Ela is the [...]
Building a New European City
We’ve already positively reviewed a project by the innovative Danish architecture firm BIG. This week the company has won an international design competition for a new green-roofed-metropolis, currently under construction in the suburbs of Paris. Europa City is a massive sustainable project topped off with a huge park that will combine the urban density of Paris with the settings of the [...]
Green Algae: Can it Really Fuel Your House?
If you are visiting the IBA Hamburg next week, you don’t want to miss the world’s first algae-powered building, dubbed the BIQ House. International design firm Arup partnered with both Germany’s Strategic Science Consultants and Austria-based Splitterwerk Architects to develop the BIQ House, which will launch at the International Building Exhibition (IBA). The facade of the building features a series of [...]
Will this kill the hybrid-electric car?
For the past 5 years, in a secretive laboratory, car manufacturer Peugeot has been developing its next line of cars – well more like its new main line of engines. Finally, last month the French manufacturer unveiled its secrets to the world – the first ever hybrid gasoline/compressed-air vehicle. The new engine is a combined, [...]
Shell Nigeria case verdict & the war against oil pollution
“So just try to put yourself into somebody else’s gills/ You’re killing my ecosystem with fishing and oil spills/ Thank you BP/ Thank you BP/ The British are spilling, oil is killing/ Now I can’t see [...] Oceans are browning/ I think I’m drowning/ Thanks to BP” Whether you have children, or know the Disney [...]
Nigerian farmers bringing Shell to justice
Nigerian farmers take on oil giant This court case could go down in history as one of the first rulings to hold a giant multinational accountable for its actions overseas. Imagine this: behemoth oil company Shell on one side and a handful of Nigerian farmers, backed by the non-profit environmental organization Friends of the [...]
Signs of the NY Times: UN Intervention in Mali? Not only American Women would suffer under Romney. David Brooks V. The Environment.
Griots in Mali call for UN intervention. Reminder: The “Global Gag Rule” would come on day one of the Romney administration. The Taliban V. Education in Pakistan. NY Times columnist David Brooks writes likes he’s on the board at Exxon.
Green Apple
A while has passed since the much covered launch of the new iPhone 5. While on the technology and innovation of the device, debate is still raging, there is one aspect of the new phone that did not get the proper attention: the improvements made on its environmental effects. It appears Apple is delivering on [...]
Organic farming in East Africa
Organic farming has become much more important in East Africa in recent years. Environmentally friendly agricultural methods are a prerequisite for sustainable rural development. In order that organic farming represents a viable option for small farmers, it must also be economical for them. During the conversion from conventional to organic agriculture they are thus dependent [...]
