Food security at high alert: Climate change

Now with Copenhagen over and emission targets set high, melting glaciers in the Himalayas have given people all over that region to worry. Now with every one degree rise in temperature farmers can expect a 10% decrease in wheat, rice and corn yields. An interview of Lester R. Brown, an environmentalist and President of Earth Policy Institure and DNA states why we have to worry.

Himalayan Glaciers: Running away

The Himalayan Glaciers, the largest water source compared to the polar ice caps, and the seven great Asian rivers, is melting fast. What makes it different from the polar ice caps, its a major source of drinking water within the regions surrounding the Himalayan. As a result, lack of fresh drinking water will pose a major health risk in the near future, and not only that, with the glaciers melting fast, raising sea levels will be some of the issues that will be faced in the near future.

As the water level declines (of course after decades), chances of drought happening is for sure, which will have a large affect to the agricultural sectors. Countries surrounding the Himalayan, China, India, Nepal as well as the people far away from this region depend on agricultural, so you get the picture as too why this is serious.

Guess how much ice was lost during the last 5 years?

In a recent article published states that some 2 trillion tons of ice has melted since 2003 across Greenland, Antarctica and Alaska. The culprit behind this is stated to be global warming and this should be an eye-opener for those who don't believe in global warming, a illusion created by scientists. Anyways read the article here.

Canada looses a large chunk of its ice shelf

A large chunk of ice shelf has broken away forming a floating ice sheet. Researchers are saying that warming temperatures and the lack of the Artic to cool itself such that ice freezes have played a major part to the ice shelf to melt and break away from its home.

To know more visit the source.

South Asia feeling effects of global warming and climate change

In the past two weeks, the monsoon has spread over Asia this year but this time the monsoon is not welcoming. Heavy rains in most countries like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal have left many as thousands of people stranded on water. In Bangladesh three-fourths of the country is under water. People in villages are left stranded, some of their houses damaged, main crops destroyed. Basically things are not good in Bangladesh. Water is entering the capital city Dhaka, but not like the rural areas.

Even if the rain had stopped, the Sun for some reason seems so concentrated, thats how I feel when I step outside the house. It seems like the Sun is burning my skin. Normally I felt this type of effect during the winter but never in summer. Other than Bangladesh, India and Nepal are heavily affected. In the mist of all these floods, fear of water-borne diseases is on everyone's mind. International organizations like WHO,Unicef ,are helping in the relief process. In Bangladesh, corporate companies like GrameenPhone, Banglalink, Warid Telecom, are helping in the relief programs. There are many more companies participating in the programs.

As most of you can guess, scientists are saying that global warming and the melting of ice in the Himalayia mountains have caused the flooding.

To know more visit these BBC sites
Health woes
Worst-hit areas
Flood Leasons
Pictures taken

A video posted by StefanSchmiederer on Youtube commented this year's flood as "South Asian floods 'worst in living memory'"



PS: I was saying in the previous posts that I will go for green hosting, unfortunately I would not be able to pay for it but in the mean time I will buy a domain and host it on a regular hosting company till I find it cost-effective to run on green hosting.

India plans to make climate change decision

Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh and several environmentalist experts are making a decision to bring a solution to control climate change. Since the Himalaya glaciers are melting India has to take action. To know more visit the BBC article.

A New Year

I have not posted this month cause my exams started and yes i have been busy. I got a small break before my next exam so i decided to post. The change in climate has shifted the Doomsday Clock two minutes closer to midnight. Frankly speaking i never knew there was a Doomsday Clock. Now all of you got to know. Dont have time for details but you can catch here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6270871.stm .

In other news a large amount of ice broke free from Canada's Artic. The scientists have mentioned it is almost the size of 11,000 football fields. However this thing happened 16 months ago and since no 1 was present it was not known. Satellite imagery later showed that it formed a new ice island and it left a path of icy rocks. Scientists say that it is the largest event in Canada in 30 years and they blame climate change.

P.s. Happy New Year

Some news

Sorry in the delay in posts. My Alevel exams are in January so i have been kind of busy studying and not updating. I just wanted to say that from our country a man has been awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. The people who received it are Professor Muhammad Yunus and his fellow workers in Grameen Bank. Its kind of a great achievement for our country so great news. I have read few articles about ice melting way faster in the Greenland that predicted, Asia's carbon dioxide levels will treble by 2025( i think, dont remember the exact year). So yeah thats it for today. In the mean time you can visit

www.flickr.com/photos/fhmtech
www.flickr.com/photos/mubeen491
www.flickr.com/photos/bdgamer

The 1st link is my pictures, the remaining 2 are my friends. Check there pictures out. If you want to know abt my country and its culture be sure to check my friends' links.

Artic ice melting even during winter

Scientists warn that polar melting threatens wildlife and it also indicates evidence of global warming in the artic region. Scientists from NASA claim that massive ice floating in the Artic Sea are melting even in winter as well in summer. The reason they claim to be global warming. If this is to continue well lets just say they won't be any solid land left for polar bears to walk on. Sea ice also provides oxygen for the growth of phytoplankton. A decline in the number of this plants could also affect the food supply for seals and other marine mammals.

Last year scientists found that polar ice has melted twice the size of Texas since NASA started colllecting satellite data 27 years ago. They predict that there will be no ice left in the Artic by the end of this century. The melting period is growing by 15 days each decade meaning less time for it to grow back.

Ice in Greenland melting fast

Satellite images from NASA show that the melting rate has accelerated since 2004. If the ice caps were to melt completely the sea level would rise to about 6.5m or 21 feet. Data has revealed that most of the ice has been lost from eastern Greenland.

Estimated monthly changes in rate of decrease in mass of ice sheets is about 239 km or 57.3 cubic miles per year.

Glaciers are melting fastest in 5000 years

Firstly I want to say is that this month, I received more than 400 visitors and counting. So thank you all of you out there I really appreciate it. I also want to apologize because i put the video section however i cud not provide any links to my videos. My connection is nothing great but i will try my level best to upload the videos and provide a link.

Now back to the current problem.

Mountain glaciers are melting faster now than at any time in the past 5000 years. Sample of ice cores taken from mountians as far apart from the Andes in South America to the Himalayas in Asia. The cores revealed the extent of climate change and how must of the world's glacier's retreated .

Scientists have warned that human activities has nudged the global climate over the past 100 years. Why? Well the on going melting not only is going to effect the rise in water-level but also the supply of fresh drinking waterin many of the world's populated areas.