Imagine an entire county run out of water…
That’s exactly what happened to Pacific island countries of Tuvalu and it’s neighbor Tokelau. Saltwater intrusions have rendered their groundwater undrinkable and the strong La Niña has reduced the amount of precipitation to these countries. Rising sea levels and climate change are at least partially to blame.
Filed under environment, global warming, sustainability, water resources | Tags: climate change, groundwater, sustainability, water resources | Comment (1)Greenland is losing ice – at an alarming rate!
Guest post by Darshane Hines
A dramatic event has shocked the Arctic… and the scientists who study the area! A block of ice four times the size of Manhattan has split off from a Greenland glacier and they worry that another, even larger, is preparing to break off. A recent article in the NY Times drew such immediate interest that a hearing in Congress was held to address the issue – global warming and rising ocean temperatures. 
Top: An aerial view of the Petermann Glacier front taken on Aug. 5, 2009 Bottom: Another taken two years later on July 24, 2011
Scale is always hard to judge in the treeless landscape of Greenland. The cliff walls visible in the photograph are roughly 3,000 feet high, or about three times as high as the Eiffel Tower.
Filed under environment, global warming, marine life | Tags: Arctic, climate change, glaciers, global warming | Comment (1)Deader then ever…
Interesting story in Time today about the Dead Sea. Apparently, it is losing 3 vertical feet of water each year, exposing 65 ft of seabed along the shore! The usual culprit? Less than 2% of freshwater from the Jordan River makes it into the Dead Sea compared to the amount just a few decades ago.
Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: agriculture, biodiversity, chemicals, climate change, environmental management, geology, groundwater, oceans, sustainability, water, water resources | Comment (0)Lessons from Easter Island ignored?
Marcus Stephen wrote an Op-Ed piece in today’s NYTimes that his tiny Pacific Island nation, Nauru, may not exist in another century.
Filed under environment, global warming, health, marine life, sustainability | Tags: agriculture, biodiversity, climate change, earth, environment, environmental management, geology, marine life, resources, water resources | Comment (1)Drought situation in the US
Some parts of US (Texas, Arizona, etc.) have been under severe drought for quite some time. See the latest drought monitor. Researchers are now saying that the Southwest is currently undergoing aridification – modification to a desert landscape. This has long-term repercussions to world’s economy.
Filed under crops, energy, environment, global warming, sustainability, water resources | Tags: climate change, drought, environmental management, groundwater, sustainability, water, water resources | Comment (0)