Ralphy Geogers

The UK government unveils a new climate change map

briggsy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:38:52 +0000

Foreign secretary David Miliband, his brother, the energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband, and the government’s chief scientific advisor John Beddington describe what the world would be like after a 4C rise in temperature.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2009/oct/22/climate-change-map-miliband

Cumbria prepares for more flooding

briggsy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:34:41 +0000

Environment Agency warns of further heavy rainfall as locals begin to pick their way back into sodden houses. Film of some of the impacts with interviews with local people.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/24/cumbria-floods-cockermouth-rain-weather

Water resource

briggsy — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:06:32 +0000

Great interactive resource is here http://www.drinking-water.org/flash/en/water.html?_2_00_00

Are we running out of oil? The world in energy statistics

briggsy — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:35:51 +0000

The amount of proven oil reserves awaiting to be exploited fell last year for the first time in a decade, according to new figures released today. The amount of crude left in the ground was 1.258trn barrels – 3bn less than this time last year. http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2009/jun/10/oil

China moves 330,000 in water plan

briggsy — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:33:16 +0000

China has begun to resettle 330,000 people to make way for a project to divert water from the south of the country to the north, state media say. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8314447.stm

Nine billion people by 2050?

briggsy — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:19:26 +0000

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2009/mar/09/population-unitednations

Malawi windmill boy with big fans

briggsy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:27:05 +0000

The extraordinary true story of a Malawian teenager who transformed his village by building electric windmills out of junk is the subject of a new book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

Self-taught William Kamkwamba has been feted by climate change campaigners like Al Gore and business leaders the world over.

His against-all-odds achievements are all the more remarkable considering he was forced to quit school aged 14 because his family could no longer afford the $80-a-year (£50) fees.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8257153.stm

Delays block China’s giant water scheme

briggsy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:24:08 +0000

A multi-billion-dollar project to divert water from southern China to the arid north is already four years behind schedule.

The news comes as parts of northern and central China struggle to cope with severe drought.

Officials recently admitted that water would not flow along the project’s central route – a total of three are planned – until 2014

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7864390.stm

Maps chart UK’s ageing population

briggsy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:12:46 +0000

West Somerset has the highest average age in the UK at 52, with almost three in 10 people there aged over 65, a population survey has revealed. The figure could reach 56 by 2018 as people continue to retire to the coast. North Norfolk comes next at almost 51, followed by Rother, Christchurch and East Dorset on the south coast, the Office for National Statistics says.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8283259.stm

Dozens dead in Indonesian quake

briggsy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:22:46 +0000

At least 75 people are dead and thousands are trapped under rubble after a strong earthquake shook western Indonesia, officials say.

Buildings, including at least two hospitals, were brought down by the 7.6 magnitude quake, centred about 50km (30 miles) off the coast of Sumatra.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8282670.stm