Stories about Environment from May, 2010
Brazil: Ants Protest Insecticide
Ants protest is an artistic video made and posted by attaspp in Vimeo and features a group of ants carrying placards reading “Stop the killing” and crossed out Baygon logos, the brand name for an insecticide. Wish to know how it was done? The Brazilian director has also posted a...
Malawi: Barefoot Solar Engineers Win Best African Electrification Award
Japan-based Malawian blogger Clement Nthambazale writes about a Solar Engineers Project, run by barefoot engineers, which has won Africa’s biggest Rural Electrification Award. The solar project, which has electrified Chimonjo village in the central Malawi district of Salima has brought a new dimension to the rural villagers' lives.
Russia: Pictures of Forest Fire
Photoblogger Igor Podgorny posts convincing pictures of the aftermath of the forest fire that is denied by Russian authorities.
Bermuda: Approaching Hurricane Season
21 Square is bracing for “a very active hurricane season, potentially one of the most active on record.”
Global: The Green Wave 2010
Esse tal Meio Ambiente blogs [pt] on The Green Wave Campaign 2010, to take place on May 21-22 in parallel with the International Day for Biodiversity. The multi-year global campaign promotes the discussion of biodiversity by children and youth and the planting of trees.
Sri Lanka: Drainage Problem In Colombo
Kanishka Ratnapriya at GroundViews posts some pictures showing the inundations in different parts of Colombo after two hours of rain, and questions the faulty drainage system of the capital of Sri Lanka.
Qatar: NYT's article draws fire from locals and residents alike
Shabina Khatri reports on rising tensions between locals and expats as Doha residents extol, protest New York Times depiction of Qataris as coddled, self-indulgent creatures, hated by the foreigners who live amongst them.
Lebanon: Support the Water Taxi Project
The Beirut Water Taxi Project is a new idea to help reduce congestion on Beirut's busy roads. It is currently being studied by the Lebanese government. Show your support for the idea by joining the Facebook group.
Mexico: High Temperatures in the Capital
Mexico City has been experiencing high temperatures, writes Daniel Hernández of Intersections, with some reports of 50 C temperatures inside some Metro stations.
Ukraine: Village Life
The Pickle Project posts a photo report from a village not far from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
Russia: Coalmine Disaster
Vadim Nikitin writes about the May 9 coalmine disaster in Russia's Kemerovo region.
Russia: Re-Orientation of Foreign Policy?
RFE/RL's The Power Vertical writes about Russia's plans “to reorient its foreign policy in a more pragmatic and pro-Western direction.” Robert Amsterdam writes about the cooperation between Russia and Turkey.
Jamaica, U.S.A.: When Will It End?
Jamaican diaspora blogger Labrish is trying to reconcile the recent Gulf oil spill, but maintains: “In this latest Big-Oil-Screw-Up, we have no idea how long this hemorrhaging is going to last.”
Jamaica: 10 Things about Calabash
Tallawah blogs about “10 random things about the Calabash [International Literary Festival] experience” that he looks forward to each year.
Barbados: Dogs & the Environment
Dogs in Barbados links to an organization that claims dogs’ hair can be helpful in cleaning up environmental disasters.
Ghana: What happens when lights go off in Accra?
What happens when lights go off in Accra?: “Even when you have alternative arrangements to obtaining power, the point is not lost on you on the astronomical amounts you expend to get your fridge and other electrical gadgets working through a generator.”
Bahrain/Saudi Arabia: Rain Rain Go Away!
Yesterday afternoon brought with it some rain, gusts and dust to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Bahrain, spurring a buzz on Twitter and other social networking platforms.
Uganda: Mapping water sources
Tom Loughran blogs about mapping water sources in Uganda: “Each of the points on the map contains the results of a proof-of-concept water quality test, and a hyperlink to images and additional information about the water source…The location and water quality data are entered into a Google form embedded in...
Africa: Freelance African reporters wanted
Africa Interactive is searching for freelance African reporters with expertise on African Oil & Mining.
Cambodia: Environment Performance Index
Cambodia fared poorly among Southeast Asian nations in the 2010 Environment Performance Index.
Russia, Ukraine: Proposed Gazprom-Naftogaz Merger
Kyiv Scoop and Jamestown Foundation Blog (here and here) discuss the implications of PM Vladimir Putin's proposal to merge Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz.
