Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics, at considerable environmental cost. There will no doubt be many surprises during the Games, but we already know there will be a substantial environmental toll to relocating in Beijing. Where will the snow come from for a winter event in a city and region that has little snow? Events needing altitude, such as skiing and … [Read more...]
David Barnard beats Last Desert Race for solar energy
Thumbs up to David Barnard who completed the Last Desert Race 2014 on Antarctica today in good shape, determined to keep running for a good cause. "We returned to Deception Island (venue of stage 1), although in a different location for the 5th and final stage, due to extreme weather conditions in the Antarctic. We had to run a 2.8 km course for just over 4 hours and I was … [Read more...]
Collapsible refugee shelters powered by the sun
More than 40 million people worldwide have been displaced from their homes and left to find shelter in strange lands. Maybe they find a tarp, or a tent, but their quality of life almost always remains dismal. To close this gap in need, Jordanian-Canadian architect and designer Abeer Seikaly designed a new kind of shelter. One that allows refugees to rebuild their lives with … [Read more...]
Eco speed week 2013
So, you’ve probably heard of Speed Week where you can scream your vehicle down a 5 km dirt track at Hakskeen Pan in the South African Kalahari desert? What you may not have heard of is “eco speed week,” where you can do the same but with your alternative fueled vehicle. Neither had I until late last year. Bob Bond, of Tshwane University of Technology, had been trying to … [Read more...]
Underground forests bring deserts to life
Young Australians encouraging 'weeds’ to grow in desert areas are helping prevent land degradation and allowing crops to thrive. They call it the “underground forest”, and it has proved, literally, to be an answer to prayer, both for one young Australian and for countless people living in one of the hungriest corners of the planet. For it has enabled millions of hectares of … [Read more...]
Namibia & Angola: appeals for worst drought in 30 years
Desert-hardy Namibians, overwhelmed by the worst drought to hit their country in 30 years, are surviving off wild fruits with no harvest in sight until March 2014, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said as it launched an appeal on Monday. The government of Namibia, the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa, declared a national … [Read more...]
New science centre for climate research
Five Southern African countries are establishing a regional science centre that will support cross-border research into climate change and land management. Ministers from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Germany met in Windhoek on Wednesday, 18 April, 2012 to sign a Joint Declaration that effectively inaugurates the Southern Africa Science Service Centre … [Read more...]
