· June, 2007

Stories about Environment from June, 2007

Iran: Protestors Torch Gas Stations

Enraged Iranian protesters torched several gas stations in Tehran and other cities on Wednesday, after the Iranian government announced fuel rationing for private vehicles. There is news item in Ilna [Fa], Iranian Labour news agency, reporting that people were killed in Yasouj, in southwestern Iran, during the protest. Iran is...

Bahrain: The Tale of a ‘Legal Slave’

No longer a tax haven, people in Bahrain are fuming at the introduction of a one per cent tax to benefit an Unemployment Fund. Bloggers caught on the bug and are ranting and fuming on their blogs in this report by Ayesha Saldanha. In other related matters, bloggers talk about a new law which bans workers from working between noon and 4pm in the summer heat, lavish weddings and the forgotten 'martyrs' of the civil unrest which rocked Bahrain in the 90s.

Guyana: Carbon Credits

  29 June 2007

“The tee vee does keep me company while I embroider, but if I switch it off and listen to them voices in me head instead, I can get credits for that?” Guyana-Gyal wants to find out more about how the Carbon Credits system works.

Bahamas: Planning for New Providence

  29 June 2007

Population growth, limited road capacity and potential hurricane threats make it critical for the Bahamas to think about urban planning. Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit explains.

China: New Governmental Organization

  29 June 2007

Lianyue criticized the local non-governmental organization in Xiamen for speaking against conscience and praising the PX project (a huge chemical factory campus) in an interview with foreign reporter (zh). He renamed the NGO into new governmental organization.

Japan should work with China to tackle photochemical smog problem

  29 June 2007

Some scientists have been arguing that air pollution in China is responsible for increased incidents of photochemical smog in Japan. Kaz points out Japan's responsibility as a nation which suffered its own pollution in the past and says that Japan should build a good working relation with China in order...

Russia, Belarus: Blaming Putin and Lukashenko

Adam Goodman of Being Had admits that life is tough in Belarus and Russia, but disagrees with La Russophobe‘s perspective: “[…] I refuse to believe, just as I have since I started writing about Belarus, that it is appropriate to place the blame solely on Lukashenka or Putin.”

Hong Kong: Migrant workers support pier preservation

  26 June 2007

Hoidick from inmediahk.net reported on a survey on migrant workers’ opinion towards public space at Central, especially near the city hall and Queen's pier: Given that Queen’s Pier (and also City Hall and Star Ferry) is so important to the Filipino/as’ community as an irreplaceable ‘home away from home’, it...

Japan: Chlorophyll cleansing at Osaka

  26 June 2007

Osaka is listed number 1 City with the least amount of greenery. Englishman has a post on the situation: Parks are banned, as are grass tennis courts. People nurture plants in their homes at their own risk. All this just to ensure that Osaka maintains its top spot as the...

If Bloggers attended the Conference on the Caribbean…

  25 June 2007

This past week (June 18-21) leaders of CARICOM met with President George W. Bush and other top U.S. government officials in Washington as part of the Conference on the Caribbean. Official word from the U.S. Press Secretary is that: “The Conference on the Caribbean continues an important dialogue between the...

Africa: the US Farm Bill and African farmers

  25 June 2007

African Viewpoint writes about the US Farm Bill, African farmers, and Koffi Annan: “While the corporate food supply basks in the shadow of the poverty of poor Africans farmer to continue its degradation of America, many Americans are in lala land pertaining to subsidies. They think their cry for saving...

Lebanon: Almost Non-Political Questions

What are we eating? Why are our banks flourishing? Who are those clearing cluster bombs? How will Brazil help in recycling Lebanese wastes? Where are some of the children who were caught in the crossfire? What about some music? These are some of the questions answered in this week’s selections from the Lebanese blogosphere.

China: Pollution in Shanxi

  25 June 2007

Among the 10 most polluted cities within China, the top three were at Shanxi province. As Zuo Ai Chong pointed out, pollution in China is always related with politics, Shanxi's pollution is somehow related to its illegal mining of coal and recent slave workers scandal (zh).

China: Flood and Drought

  25 June 2007

Kenneth T from Shanghaiist reports on the extreme weather in China: worst drought in 30 years in North East China, floods in Central China and super hot in North West.