· February, 2009

Stories about Environment from February, 2009

India: Environmental Scholars On a Very Cool Mission

  27 February 2009

About two weeks ago, I read in Tom Friedman's column in the New York Times about two young scholars from the U.S who were on a very impressive mission in India. Alexis Ringwald and Caroline Howe are touring the country in an electric/solar powered car to raise awareness about the...

Nepal: Load Shedding Woes

  27 February 2009

For a country where there is an average daily power cut of 14 hours it is hard to carry on with normal life. Bibek Paudel discusses the challenges Nepal is facing and who are responsible for this.

Brunei: Fund drive for flood victims

  25 February 2009

As part of the efforts to collect donations for flood victims, charity drives have been organized in recent weeks in Brunei. The heavy downpour last month caused heavy floods and landslides in the country, affecting homes of more than 200 families, and destroying milllions of dollars in properties and crops.

D.R. Congo: Chimps are Not Pets

  24 February 2009

The mainstream media is abuzz with news of a 15-year old 200 pound (90kg) chimpanzee that attacked a woman in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. The Ape, which had starred in TV commercials and films had attacked and left the woman, a friend of his owner, in a ‘very serious’ state. Biologists...

Palestine: Attacks On Gaza Continue

  23 February 2009

Despite the announcement of unilateral ceasefires by both Israel and Hamas, attacks by the Israeli military on Gaza continue while Palestinian factions have been launching rockets into Israel. In this post we hear the latest from Gaza's blogs.

Japan: Agriculture the latest trend among celebrities

  22 February 2009

The Japanese economy is facing one of the worse slowdowns in its modern history, with a GDP that has declined at a rate of 12,7%. Nonetheless, TV programs and lifestyle magazines are doing their best to inspire hope among their viewers and readers that not everything is lost. Recently, a new trend has been spreading among Japanese celebrities: farm work.

Philippines: Ebola-Reston virus

  21 February 2009

The Philippines’ Department of Health has added an information page on its website about the dreaded Ebola-Reston virus. It has instructed the public on proper meat handling and preparation to avoid infections from pigs.

China: Expectations of Xinjiang people

  20 February 2009

An article now popular in Chinese cyberspace depicts the sufferings and expectations of the people in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The post suggests that “all the friends across the country” owe an apology and a big “Thank you” to the Xinjiang people [zh].

Kenya: Much Ado About an Atlas?

  19 February 2009

Kenyan bloggers are talking about UNEP. First, regarding news of an Atlas that shows Kenya's changing environment, and secondly, the hypocrisy of driving into a UNEP meeting in a gas guzzler. Global Voices environment has covered the reaction of bloggers to UN's use of SUV's, please see this post on...

Pakistan: Water Pollution

  19 February 2009

Owais Mughal at All Things Pakistan writes about the water pollution in Phuleli canal in Hyderabad and wants to “raise awareness about pollution in canals taken out from lower Indus i.e. Kotri Barrage.”

Aruba: Putting on the Ritz-Carlton?

  19 February 2009

The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain is apparently in Aruba to stay, causing Lost in Smallness to exclaim: “Does the government realize that this will put extra pressure on our infrastructure? Oh wait. It's an election year. This is just a campaign stunt, not necessarily something to improve the island.”

Brunei: Global Expeditions

  19 February 2009

Like other citizens around the globe, Brunei is never short of people willing to take the challenge to put the country on the world map. Two sets of expeditions are being carried out.

Jamaica, Spain: Considering the Environment

  18 February 2009

As the King and Queen of Spain visit Jamaica, Snailwriter is concerned about what an alliance between the two countries could mean for the environment: “‘Spanish hotels have become part of the geography of Jamaica and they are here to stay.’ And that is the tragedy. When the economic downturn...