The immense socio-economic impact under one of the world’s most extreme lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in South Africans uniting for their voices to be heard under a grassroots movement called Move One Million. The movement, launched in July 2020, has garnered interest from half a million South Africans to date and organisers are using a combination of … [Read more...]
Central banks are waking up to climate change dangers
The impact of climate change on the stability of individual financial institutions and the financial system in general is growing. It influences the types of activities that financial institutions will fund and the cost of finance. For example, the increased frequency and intensity of floods, storms and droughts is complicating the insurance industry’s ability to assess … [Read more...]
Mexico death toll reaches 361 after massive earthquake
The death toll from Mexico's magnitude 7.1 earthquake rose to 361 on Sunday after another casualty was confirmed in the capital, where a search continued at a collapsed seven-story office building in a central neighborhood. National Civil Defense chief Luis Felipe Puente reported on Twitter that the dead include 220 people killed in Mexico City by the Sept. 19 quake. The … [Read more...]
Can human urine replace chemical fertilizers?
The Rich Earth Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont, is likely the only organization measuring success in gallons of urine. In 2012, Kim Nace, Rich Earth’s administrative director and partner Abe Noe-Hays collected 600 gallons of urine from friends and neighbors. The next year, the organization brought in about 3,000 gallons from 170 human volunteers. Rebecca Rueter, a board … [Read more...]
Hurricane Patricia a sign of things to come
Last week, Hurricane Patricia made landfall here in Mexico. It was the strongest hurricane ever recorded. At one point, Patricia would have been a “Category 7” hurricane, except that the measurement scale only goes up to Category 5. By the time you read this, the worst part of the storm will have passed us. Thankfully, early reports indicate that the damage has been … [Read more...]
Banks for bean counters
In the early 1970s Asia’s rice farmers faced ruin. The brown planthopper, an insect up till then found mostly in Japan, began to appear across the region. It fed on young plants and transmitted grassy stunt virus, causing crops to shrivel and brown. As it swept through Asia’s paddy fields, yields crashed. By the end of the decade it had caused damage costing over $300m—more … [Read more...]
Chill out, but don’t forget the bottles
Relax. Unwind. Chill out. But don’t forget the bottles. Taking time out in our glorious South African summer is thirsty work. And the most convenient way to quench that thirst is with the water or soft drinks bottled and chilled in store fridges everywhere. But after cracking open the top and drinking the contents, please remember that the bottle your water or soft drink … [Read more...]
A Prayer for the Gulf of Mexico
Dr. Masaru Emoto is a scientist from Japan who has done alot of research and publications about the characteristics of water. Among other things, his research has revealed that water physically responds to emotions. Many people have the predominantly angry emotion when we consider what is happening in the Gulf. And while justified in that emotion, we may be of greater … [Read more...]
A River Runs Through Us
International Rivers is proud to announce our new 22-minute movie on the movement to protect rivers and rights. It was made by an independent filmmaker from Mexico, and filmed mostly at the "Rivers for Life" meeting of activists that took place in Mexico in October. 'Rivers are life' is the unifying theme motivating activists in the global movement to protect rivers from … [Read more...]
