· May, 2009

Stories about Environment from May, 2009

Go Farm, Young Man! – How Farming in Japan is Changing

  31 May 2009

For a country that identifies strongly as being historically agricultural people, the landscape of Japan's agricultural sector is bleak, and has been for some time. Simply put, the workforce is rapidly aging and there aren't nearly enough successors. The price of rice has gone down, and structural reform is unlikely...

UAE and Saudi Arabia: “It's Gonna Be a Scorcher!”

The Hollywood film Ishtar, about lounge singers in Morocco who get caught up in an international plot between the CIA and the "Emir of Ishtar" is memorable but for one line: "It's gonna be a scorcher!" This past week, Gulf residents have found themselves saying just that, as temperatures in the region rose well into the 40s (Celsius). The Saudi and UAE Twitterspheres have their say.

Jamaica, U.S. Virgin Islands: Cruise Control

  29 May 2009

The popularity of cruises to Caribbean destinations gets Jamaican diaspora blogger Labrish thinking about “the overwhelm of the environment, marine and land, that these mega-cities-on-the-sea bring with them.”

Belize: Earthquake

  29 May 2009

Belize-based blogger As The Coconuts Drop recounts his experience of yesterday's strong earthquake.

Bahamas: Flooding

  28 May 2009

Weblog Bahamas republishes an article which addresses the serious impact of flooding on the island.

Bangladesh, India: No To Tipaimukh Dam

  27 May 2009

The Tipaimukh Hydroelectric Project is being constructed near the confluence of Barak and Tuivai rivers, in Manipur, India and within 100km of Bangladesh border. The project will submerge a huge portion of land, thereby making thousands of people homeless and threatening the habitats of Indigenous population in India. The downstream neighbor Bangladesh will also face severe environmental and economic consequences.

Haiti: Flooding Claims Lives

  25 May 2009

Repeating Islands reports that “at least 11 people died…in Haiti after torrential rains triggered floods throughout the nation.”

Jamaica: And now for the Bad News

  25 May 2009

“Former PM Edward Seaga was never accused of being a ray of sunshine when he was an active politician”: Jamaica and the World reports that Seaga's analysis of the island's economic situation leaves the current administration with “no soft options. No easy answers. No exit.”

Japan: A brief review of the eco-technologies

  25 May 2009

In mid May the Japanese Government has launched a stimulus package to boost the demand for energy efficient household appliances with a new eco-points system, details of which will be made clear in the next month after the Diet's approval of the supplementary budget for this fiscal year. The aim...

Brazil: Petroleum, elections and poverty matters

  24 May 2009

Discussions of an investigation into the nation's biggest state-owned company and its possible political motivation fill the Brazilian blogosphere. This debate takes place in a Brazilian society which sees 'black gold' as a solution to the country's economic and energy problems.

Bangladesh: Tipaimukh Dam Threatens Lives

  24 May 2009

Despite protests from within India and Bangladesh, India is going ahead with the construction of the massive Tipaimukh barrage on the Barack river near the border, which will reduce the water flow in Surma and Kushiara rivers in Bangladesh. Onnesha.tk brings up this concern that by depriving Bangladesh of life-giving...

Trinidad & Tobago: Sulphur Story

  22 May 2009

As news breaks about the presence of excessive sulfur in the aviation fuel being used to refuel aircrafts in Trinidad and Tobago, This Beach Called Life criticizes the government's downplaying of the situation, saying: “If a company is making something as important as aviation fuel and does not have a...

Philippines: Storytelling for Hunger Awareness

  21 May 2009

A few years ago, a short film won the public's approval at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival, and to this day, it is still making its rounds through internet, raising awareness on poverty and hunger. Chicken Ala Carte by Ferdinand Dimadura is one of the videos we bring you today about hunger past, present and future.

Fiji: EU cancels 2009 sugar subsidy

  21 May 2009

The European Union announced that it was suspending 2009 payment of 24 million Euro in subsidies to help prop up Fiji’s sugar industry. European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, admitted Fiji would have received the payment if it would have had a “legitimate government” in place. He...