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AFRICA SUFFERS SPREAD OF FAMINE, HUNGER
1 August 2005

As the world begins to focus on the nearly 3 million facing hunger in Niger and the catastrophic refugee crisis in Darfur, in western Sudan, an estimated 31.1 million people across the continent face food shortages.

Arable land, foodstocks and agriculture in general are suffering dangerous setbacks, making it increasingly difficult to feed African populations, some of which are growing rapidly. [Full Story]

EVOLUTION BEING PUSHED OUT OF US CLASSROOMS
3 February 2005

The New York Times is reporting that evolution is an increasingly persecuted field of scientific knowledge in US schools. According to the story, teachers in an around Birmingham, Alabama are being openly and/or indirectly discouraged from discussing the existence of the theory of evolution, the validity of which is not in doubt among scientists in any relevant field.

Teachers are reported to cite fear of raising the issue, due to the opposition of fundamentalist groups in many communities. [Full Story]

The US Coast Guard has announced that the recent oil spill into the waters of the Delaware River, near Philadelphia, may exceed initial projections by a massive quantity. 473,000 gallons of petroleum are reportedly "unaccounted for". The Coast Guard says the worst case scenario is that the oil was part of the spill, and so would constitute the worst oil spill in the river's history. Long term damage to the local environment and to the river's ecology could be serious and in some cases irreversible. [For more: LCV.org]

PHILIPPINES SUSPENDS LOGGING AFTER 4 MAJOR TYPHOONS COMBINE WITH UNSTABLE LAND TO KILL HUNDREDS
4 December 2004

Philippines pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has suspended logging, due to studies showing that legal and illegal overcutting of the nation's forests has worsened the impact of major storms. In the last 2 weeks, heavy rains, flooding and landslides have killed over 1,000 people. The Red Cross estimates that at least 800,000 people are in need of aid or shelter.

The president's action is a response to an environmental crisis which is rapidly worsening in a country where the stability of land and of mountainside terrain is dependent upon the stability of ancient rainforests. 8 ministers have already been removed for failing to halt illegal logging, but some experts say without a sustained effort to combat poverty, curbing deforestation will be difficult. The nation's forest cover is 1/3 of what it was in the 1920s. Earlier this year, hundreds of deaths from flooding and mudslides in Haiti were also blamed on uncontrolled denuding of forestland. [For more: BBC]

ELEVEN STATES OPPOSE EPA PROPOSAL FOR LAX ENFORCEMENT OF COAL PLANT EMISSIONS
28 June 2004

Eleven states today formally protested the Environmental Protection Agency's new proposal for rules relaxation regarding coal-fired power plants, permitting them to emit more mercury into the environment, and essentially circumvent the Clean Air Act. The states clearly outlined their belief that the lifting of regulations is actually "illegal under the Clean Air Act and unsupported by scientific evidence."

The press statement goes on to specify that the proposed special privileges "would fail to address hot spots of local and regional mercury deposition around power plants" no longer subject to the Clean Air Act provisions. The resulting pollution would reduce air quality and could then seep into rainwater and drinking water, and so pose an increased threat to public health. [Read the Multi-State Press Release]

The new book by Carl Pope and Paul Rauber, Strategic Ignorance, details a complex maze of government actions, which the authors say are designed not only to gut regulatory protections of our natural environment, but to overturn all aspects of the historical role of government in stewardship of the nation's natural heritage. They note the many rulings and rule changes put forward by the Bush cabinet that directly impact the safeguards that prevent big corporate interests from plundering the last wild places.

One of the more insidious facts put forth in this book is that the Bush administration has so far removed protection from 235 million acres of American wilderness, opening public lands to logging and mining interests. In fact, a lawsuit is now pending to obtain the release of documents which are alleged to hatch a so-called "no more wilderness" deal in which protections against logging and development are lifted. [For more: CommonDreams]

Rep. Maurice Hinchey today told the House of Representatives that residents and observers have complained that the Parks Service has been deliberately directing American Bison out of Yellowstone National Park, into the surrounding territory, where they are then captured and slaughtered. It has been alleged that the Parks Service has been "hazing" the bison, even shooting at them from helicopters, to drive them into unprotected lands where they can be legally hunted. Some 277 have been slaughtered this spring alone, more than 3,500 since 1985.

American Bison were hunted almost to extinction, and the current Yellowstone herd was bred from only 23 animals. According to the Human Society, "As the last continuously free-roaming herd of genetically pure wild bison, many consider them to be a national treasure." [Full Story]

HEAD OF SHELL OIL SAYS WORLD ENDANGERED BY CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS
17 June 2004

Ron Oxburgh, chairman of Shell, says he is "really very worried for the planet", due to the effects of climate change as brought on by excessive emissions of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide. He specifically suggested there is an urgent need to begin the complex process of sequestration, which effectively contains CO2 emissions, thus reducing their release into the atmosphere. The Guardian newspaper noted a 3,000m deep ice core from Antarctica shows carbon dioxide levels "are the highest for at least 440,000 years". [Full Story]

The government of Jordan has issued a plea to the international community to organize an effort to save the Dead Sea from extinction. As experts predict the world's saltiest sea and the point of its lowest altitude will disappear within 50 years if action is not taken, the Jordanian government has requested international action to plan for feeding water into the sea, to save it. Irrigation systems in neighboring Syria and Israel have contributed to the Dead Sea's losing 1 meter of depth per year for 20 years.

Calling it "a unique international treasure", the Water and Irrigation Minister requested help in explaining the crisis to foreign governments, to facilitate an international solution to the looming environmental crisis. Israel has reportedly offered a draft plan to divert Red Sea water into the Dead Sea, in order to alleviate its growing fragility. [For more: ENN]

ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE MOVE TO PASS ANTI-GLOBAL-WARMING LEGISLATION
1 June 2004

The organization Environmental Defense is campaigning to pressure the Senate to pass the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act. The bill would require more stringent emissions standards for greenhouse gases. The environmental organization has used an online publicity campaign to gather hundreds of thousands of signatures to be delivered to senators who have not yet decided what their final vote will be. At least 273,000 supporters have signed the petition so far, with brand-name companies signing on to help spread the word. The bill itself (S. 139) is considered to be friendly to businesses in its provisions for reaching new emissions benchmarks, and a responsible way to begin the process of abating and reversing climate change. [For more: Pew Center]

The Renewables 2004 global conference in Bonn, Germany, has resulted in recommendations for more aggressive research and development of renewable energy resources. Citing persistent unrest in oil rich countries, the negative environmental impact of fossil fuels, along with soaring prices and the economic problems associated with any finite resource, the conference noted the benefits to economic and political security of using resources that are local, clean and renewable.

Renewable resources were also put forth as a solution to poverty and marginalization: rural communities have historically been deprived of the resources of urban centers, and as many as 2 billion people worldwide still have no access to electricity. Developing countries are beginning to see the economic and political benefits of renewable resources. [Full Story]

The President of the Nuclear Policy Research Institute has called for a comprehensive cleanup initiative in Iraq, aimed at reducing the danger posed by Depleted Uranium, left over from artillery shells launched against Basra, Baghdad and other Iraqi cities.

According to Dr. Helen Caldicott, founder of the NPRI, Uranium 238, the radioactive isotope present in Depleted Uranium, has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. That means that the level of radioactivity of the molecules in a mass of Depleted Uranium will be halved only after 4.5 billion years. This means that land contaminated with DU spilled from exploding artillery shells, used by the US military against enemy tanks, artillery depots and fortifications, will still be radioactive and uninhabitable 4.5 billion years from now. [Full Story]

Bank of America has committed itself to an effort to maintain healthy ecosystems and to promote environmental standards for business practice. Noting that the health of local economies is tied to the health of regional ecosystems, the bank's CEO, Ken Lewis, went on to say: "In meeting this responsibility, we are committing to a higher standard of environmental awareness in our business and financing practices and will encourage others in corporate America to do the same."

The announcement specifies a timetable for environmental efficiency goals, specifically in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, across Bank of America's investment spectrum. The starting target for reduction is 7 percent by 2008, derived from recommendations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [For more: GreenBiz.com]

Pharmaceutical residue from human waste returns to the natural water systems, and despite chemical treatments, is often found in the supply of drinking water. "In Kansas City alone, more than 40 percent of stream samples analyzed recently by the U.S. Geological Survey had detectable amounts of over-the-counter-drugs like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, antibiotics, and prescription medications for high blood pressure."

At present, evidence suggests that levels of drug residues in the water supply do not pose a serious threat to human health, there is evidence that aquatic species are negatively impacted. Certain components commonly found in pharmaceutical waste can affect the immune, endocrine and reproductive function of aquatic species, even lulling them to an extent that distorts natural predation patterns. [For more: E Magazine]

The Earth Policy Institute is reporting new strains on global food stocks and current and coming harvests. According to the non-profit research organization, global food security is now imperiled by the fourth consecutive year of increasing grain harvest shortfalls. In 2003, the shortfall was "easily the largest on record", reducing reserve stocks to 30 year lows, pushing wheat and corn prices to their highest level in 7 years and rice to a 5-year high.

During the current year, the momentum of falling grain stocks may be compounded by other evolving crises, such as "falling water tables and rising temperatures". If this year's harvest shows another vast shortfall, grain prices will continue to rise, affecting economies around the world. [For more: EPI at EcoVaria.com]

Romania's Siret River, a tributary of the Danube, is now reported to be contaminated by cyanide. The chemicals involved in the spill leaked from a deactivated chemical processing plant, where storage conditions may not have been up to international standards. Estimates are that "10 tons of toxic substances leaked into the river", according to Ioan Jelev, of Romania's Environment Ministry. [For more: Reuters]

A new study by British scientists indicates that massive numbers of insect species (among the most time-tested and resilient life forms) are dying off. The findings are another piece of evidence that the Earth may be experiencing the largest mass extinction of plant and animal species since the disappearance of the dinosaurs.

There have been 5 great extinctions, according to current scientific knowledge, during which 65% to 90% of all species went extinct. The current rate of extinction is not that high, but ecologists are alarmed at the rapid acceleration of extinctions. [For more: Nature.com]

New Mexico's governor, Bill Richardson, has signed into law a bill requiring energy utilities to invest in renewable resources. The new law requires that at least 10 percent of energy sales in New Mexico stem from renewable resources by 2006. The governor cited the benefits of a transition to renewable fuel sources, saying "We can build a prosperous economy. We can have sensible development. We can protect the environment." The new law is also offset with tax breaks for consumers who spend to purchase renewable energy, thus facilitating cost adjustments and industry investment. [For more: BW]

The birthplace of the American Revolution, an historic site frequented by tourists, and a quiet Massachusetts suburb, Concord has a big problem. It's one of the most complicated superfund cleanup jobs in the country. The historic town is host to a plant where depleted uranium munitions were manufactured for the Pentagon. There is a nuclear waste dump nearby, and the soil as far as a mile away from the dump is radioactive.

According to Ed Ericson, "A 1993 epidemiological study found the town's residents suffered higher rates of cancer than the state average." The state has had to sue the company responsible for the dumping, and the EPA has quickly ruled that the bankrupt company should not pay for its waste cleanup. [For more: E Magazine]

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY MEASURES PERIPHERAL EFFECTS OF GM CROPS
5 March 2004

A new study on the environmental impact of genetically modified (GM) crops, showed at least two crops to have a more negative impact on wild plants and animals than their natural counterparts. Environmental activists are calling for a ban on growing the harmful crops in the UK, for commercial distribution. According to Tony Juniper, executive director of Friends of the Earth, "Britain's wildlife has been in full retreat for more than half a century as more and more intensive farming has assaulted every corner of these small islands."

The movement to prevent the implementation of GM crops stems from fears that the artificial varieties will interact with their environment in ways nature would not permit, disrupting the sensitive balance of ecosystems, even diminishing the fertility of arable land used by or surrounding the crops. Industry scientists argue that the crops are versatile and can be prepared and implemented in ways that benefit the environment, but little statistical support for that position exists to date. [For more: BBC]

Almost 440 million years ago, some 85 percent of marine animal species were wiped out in the earth's first known mass extinction. Roughly 367 million years ago, once again many species of fish and 70 percent of marine invertebrates perished in a major extinction event. Then about 245 million years ago, up to 95 percent of all animals—nearly the entire animal kingdom—were lost in what is thought to be the worst extinction in history.

... After each extinction, it took upwards of 10 million years for biological richness to recover. Yet once a species is gone, it is gone forever.

The consensus among biologists is that we now are moving toward another mass extinction that could rival the past big five. This potential sixth great extinction is unique in that it is caused largely by the activities of a single species. It is the first mass extinction that humans will witness firsthand—and not just as innocent bystanders. [More EPI at EcoVaria.com]

A tanker transporting industrial ethanol is reported to have exploded off the coast of Virginia. 27 were aboard (24 Filipinos, 3 Greeks). 3 were killed, the ship sank, and rescue crews are reportedly searching for 19 missing persons. Ethanol that spilled from the tanker is reported to have evaporated, but highly viscous fuel oil for the ship is of concern to environmental officials. [For more: Toronto Star]

According to Sonja Barisic, of the Associated Press, the ship "was carrying 48,000 gallons of stored diesel fuel and 193,000 gallons of fuel oil" and that "fuel from the ship's storage tanks has formed a 9-square-mile oil slick in the Atlantic". Officials do not know of much of the fuel has spilled, but are watching for impending environmental fallout from a massive leak. The Coast Guard was organizing cleanup efforts and envisions using inflatable booms to contain the spill and direct it to nearby pumps for removal. [For more: Firehouse.com]

PENTAGON STUDY CITES GLOBAL CLIMATE-RELATED SECURITY CONCERNS
27 February 2004

A new Pentagon-sponsored report cites global security fallout which "worst-case scenario" involving global warming could create. The report cites the possible breakdown of global deep ocean currents, which regulate climate zones and keep temperatures within a reliable spectrum which has facilitated the development of human civilization as we know it. The study projects the possibility that a slight warming of average global temperatures could cause massive polar ice-melt, cooling the northern seas and disrupting the currents which currently traverse the entire globe through the major oceans.

Such an alteration of global ocean currents and atmospheric conditions would push these climate engines southward, severely dropping temperatures in northern regions, causing massive coastal flooding, and generating meterological havoc in tropical latitudes. The climate disturbances could lead to food scarcity, lack of safe drinking water, inundation of coastal cities, and massive political instability across the world. The study indicates the need to plan for, and to work to lessen, the effects of sudden climate change, which might result from global warming. [For more: TidePool]

Stockholm is planning to keep its future green. The city government describes the green area as " huge green belt, a mighty life-giving lung arching over 10 km, starting at Fjäderholmarna (a small group of islands just south-east of the city) and ending at Ulriksdal (one of the royal parks in the area) to the north."

The Djurgården preserve is protected against development, through an agreement which designates it as the first National City Park. [For more: Stockholm.se]

SCIENTISTS UNCOVER EVIDENCE THAT ANCIENT POLLUTION PERSISTS
10 February 2004

Scientists working in the peat bog beneath a French mining town near Dijon have discovered traces of pollution related to ancient mining activities. The findings suggest that lead-pollution released into the soil and the waterways of today will remain a factor thousands of years into the future. [For more: Nature.com]

Centralia, Pennsylvania, is the heart of a once-productive anthracite mining region. Now, some report, it can no longer be found on some maps. The current Harpers magazine includes an exposé on the 43-year-old coal-fueled fires, burning underneath Centralia's increasingly deserted soil. In 1998, Penweb.org estimated that as many as "450 acres might be burning" underground. According to the same report:

Some property owners wanted to stay, saying the fires had never hurt anyone, but the courts ruled against them and properties throughout the town were condemned as being too unsafe to inhabit. As of last May, roughly 20 citizens still remained, but the fires were still spreading. Science News reports that these fires are not in fact uncommon in coal mining regions and that "There are dozens of coal fires burning out of control in Pennsylvania alone; worldwide, there could be hundreds of thousands."

A project in the works between the Belize government and a Canadian corporation to dam the Macal River. The dam would flood 22 miles of the valley's pristine habitat, considered indispensable for various endangered species, "including Morelet's crocodiles, tapirs, jaguars, and the last 200 birds remaining in a local subspecies of scarlet macaw." (BioGems) The government of Belize sidestepped public hearings (required by law) and conducted no critical review of the project's environmental assessment, which experts say is suspect in its findings.

The London-based assessment company has reportedly been contracted to participate in the construction of the dam, which suggests improper dealings and undermines public confidence in the project itself. Observers also speculate that the project as planned would not significantly improve the energy market in Belize and would therefore not decrease costs to consumers, considered the only long-term governmental justification for damming. [For more: BioGems]

Environmental groups have been warning against controversial plans to trade in pollution credits, which allow companies, or countries, to buy and sell leftover maximum pollution quota credits, on the grounds that they undermine the effectiveness of regulation by permitting contaminated "hotspots" to emerge in places where a given polluter has purchased a large number of credits. Environmental Defense reports that 10 US states are already emerging mercury hotspots and that current federal policy will not protect against such contamination.

In November, the Center for Science and Environment published a report indicating that India is on the brink of an environmental disaster, due to mercury-contaminated hotspots. The report says according to UNEP "chlor-alkali industries located on river basins in eastern India have released 60-320 times more mercury than the permissible limit into the rivers". Mercury is a contaminant of particular concern for opponents of pollution credits, because it accumulates, is highly toxic in all its forms, and penetrates into the food web through fish, water and plantlife. [For more: CSE Press Release]

A large spill of oil, laced with banned carcinogenic PCB's, was released into the Columbia River, from the transformer of a major Dam. A "rainbow-hued streak" stretched for 23 miles, according to observers along the river's banks. After several days flowing downstream, the slick had reached the Bonneville dam, 40 miles away, but was no longer in full view at the surface. The extent of damage to wildlife, including fish and waterfowl, is as yet undetermined.

Environmentalists have accused the Army Corps of Engineers of not doing enough to contain the spill. According to the Oregonian:

185 shad were found dead near the point of discharge. A joint team from the Audubon Society and the Columbia Riverkeepers have converged on the river to attempt to minimize environmental fallout. [For more: Oregonian]

COURT OVERTURNS LOWER EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR AIR CONDITIONERS
14 January 2004

Citing a "no-rollback" provision in Federal appliance-standard laws, a Federal Appeals Court has blocked the Bush Department of Energy from lowering energy-efficiency standards for air conditioners. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who sued to stop the rules change, said the decision was a declaration that the Executive branch cannot unilaterally rewrite laws, since it is the constitutional province of Congress to write or approve, or alter all legislation. The Clinton administration had called for a 30% improvement in efficiency by 2006, which the Bush administration rolled back to 20%. The 10% difference may have cost consumers as much as $20 billion and could have required the construction of as many as 200 new power plants by 2030.

Since air-conditioning can draw as much as one-third of all electricity usage on the hottest summer days, increased efficiency is considered a major step toward improved energy security for the US. It may also help prevent grid failures in major cities, like the one that swept the northeast last summer, which is thought to be likely to save dozens if not hundreds of lives among the urban-dwelling elderly. An industry lobby group is contemplating a challenge to the ruling. [For more: Reuters]

According to Albaeco's editor, Dr. Fredrik Moberg, "Biodiversity will matter even more in the future". The World Conservation Union (IUCN) says island plant and animal species, which represent natural selection's most diverse and unique progeny, are the most endangered in the world. According to Moberg, "On Hawaii, 85 plant species that are found nowhere else are in danger of extinction." Many contend that such insular ecosystems are irrelevant to the health of the world as a whole. But scientists estimate that 100 to 1,000 times as many species are falling into extinction than would without human influence.

The poorest among us "use dozens or even hundreds of species of wild and semi-domesticated plants and animals for food, medicine, fodder, energy, clean water, cash incomes, and insurance", but ecosystem integrity is essential for the wellbeing of all people. Global and local ecosystems support and maintain our economic and cultural life, and indeed their existence permits the formation of the natural world we know as the human habitat, capable of supporting and sustaining human life, in all its complexities. [Read Albaeco's SDU]

Toyota has introduced its first full-sized hydrogen fuel-cell powered SUV to New Mexico. Governor Bill Richardson, who organized the visit, says he wants his state to become the hydrogen fuel-cell research capital of the nation. The vehicle runs entirely on hydrogen and emits only water vapor as exhaust. The Los Alamos laboratories are conducting some of the vital research required to produce safe, efficient, reliable fuel-cell vehicles. Skeptics say the technology will take decades to perfect, but Toyota appears to have demonstrated that it has the will to follow through and is achieving big goals. One Los Alamos researcher, Piotr Zelenay, said "It runs just like a regular car, with one difference: It's quiet." [For more: AP]

This morning, Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resources Institute, presented a list of 6 major environmental issues to watch in 2004. As current trends in economics, industry and international politics show environmental degradation ongoing, with no clear established governing authority to scale back pollution, pressures on the environment are likely to bring these issues to the fore in the coming year.

Lash warned that the US withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol has already had significant negative impact on the worldwide effort to regulate waste products that contribute to the greenhouse effect, global warming and ecological degradation. [Full Story]

Landslides caused by widespread flooding have killed 200 people in the central and southern Philippines. Massive deforestation is blamed for the floods. In 1991, over 8,000 people were killed by landslides and flooding in the same area. According to an American University case study, "Forest cover in the Philippines has decreased by 56 percent in the postwar period". Some estimate the Philippines will be the first country in the world to lose all of its native rainforest ecosystem.

The AU case study links the deforestation crisis to a regional economic trend in which "Approximately 70 percent of all tropical wood products on the global market after World War II originated in Southeast Asia; this proportion had risen to 83 percent by the mid 1980s". When forests are depleted, the absorption capacity of the soil is diminished, leading to an increased incidence of flooding. The runoff then contributes to land erosion, further imperiling local communities and agriculture. [Full Story]

The United Nations Environment Programme has issued a press release stating that the world community urgently needs to devote $25 million to rescue "the world’s remaining gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans" from extinction. The report specifies that $25 million is "the bare minimum" required to pursue this campaign of preservation of those species most closely related to human beings (homo sapiens sapiens). UNEP adds that "Every one of the great ape species is at high risk of extinction" and urges a devotion of moral and financial initiatives to preserving this link to our own evolutionary past, and by doing so to preserve and enhance our own humanity. [Full press release]

Salon.com is reporting that a coal slurry spill in Inez, Kentucky, on October 11, 2000, has been hidden from public view by the government's investigative process. According to Salon's reporting:

An investigator who has attempted to learn why the spill happened and how to prevent it has reportedly been obstructed by his superiors, and is now facing dismissal, for exercising his intellectual initiative as superintendent of the National Mine Safety and Health Academy.

The New York Times today featured a front page account of new rules changes at the Environmental Protection Agency. The rules changes, in line with current administration energy policies, will effectively end investigations into Clean Air Act violations at 50 power plants across the United States. The reported rules change would allow energy producers and refineries to upgrade their plants, even where it increases harmful emissions, without installing any pollution controls at all. The Times also reports that a "career E.P.A. enforcement lawyer" said the move was unprecedented and characterized the process as a decision "not… to enforce the law at all." [Full Story]

The Municipal government of Shanghai has formed a partnership with the World Resources Institute and Shell Oil to develop a sustainable transportation system. The new system would use mass transit to ease congestion and curb pollution in the densely populated city. WRI's EMBARQ project will oversee the feasibility study and the planning for initial development of the project. EMBARQ offers an explanation for why unsustainable transport development can be undesirable, even in the world's fastest growing market, where many feel it only spurs economic growth:

Among the goals of the project is providing sustainable and widespread access to the economic boom to the widest possible population. Without such access, the poor would be left out of much of the opportunity inherent in China's rapid expansion, which could slow or even reverse social reforms that would accompany a shift to more open markets and rising prosperity. [Full Press Release]

On Monday, November 24, the U.S. Congress abandoned all hope for this year of passing an energy bill laden with subsidies for fossil fuels, including coal. While the White House strongly supports heavy subsidies to expand coal burning, other industrial countries are turning away from this climate-disruptive fuel, including our northern neighbor, Canada. [Keep Reading]

For the first time, the grain harvest has fallen short of consumption four years in a row. In 2000, the shortfall was a modest 16 million tons; in 2001 it was 27 million tons; and in 2002 a record-smashing 96 million tons. In its September 11 crop report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that this year's shrunken harvest of only 1,818 million tons is falling short of estimated consumption of 1,911 million tons by a near-record 93 million tons. (See data) [Keep Reading]

On March 16, 2003, some 10,000 participants will meet in Japan for the third World Water Forum to discuss the world water prospect. Although they will be officially focusing on water scarcity, they will indirectly be focusing on food scarcity because 70 percent of the water we divert from rivers or pump from underground is used for irrigation...

As water use climbs, the world is incurring a vast water deficit... [Keep Reading]