Ecology and Environment

Tullow Oil plc announced that it has completed the farm-down of two thirds of its Ugandan licences to China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) Limited and French oil major Total for $2.9 billion earlier today. The news that British firm Tullow has finally brought in partners to develop its oil fields in Uganda paves the way for commercial oil production to begin in the country.

Bad news, very bad news, for the survival of planet earth. On the one hand, politicians attempt to gain votes by claiming a kind to and iron-and-steel, unwavering commitment commitment to save humankind, reduce destructive greenhouse gas emissions and produce “green energy”. On the other, governments spend 1.4 billion dollars… per day… to destabilize climate.

Criminal gangs are becoming a threat to the world’s glaciers, which are already receding as a result of climate change, the UN reported, citing a case in Chile where police are investigating the theft of some 5,000 kilograms of millennia-old ice from the Jorge Montt glacier.

At the dawn of the 21st century a new political regime has transformed Canada from global hero – once standing up for peace, people, and nature – to global criminal, plunging into war, eroding civil rights, and destroying environments, says journalist, ecologist and historian Rex Weyler.

Delhi Alliance for Safe Food represents a wide cross-section of people, including consumers, farmers, traders, civil society, trade union activists, scientists and academics, all from Delhi. This group held a press conference on GM foods at Gandhi Peace Foundation to address concerns on the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill 2011.

By simply disgorging the information received from the Tokyo the local Japanese Consulate is playing a role is this disinformation exercise and leading the people and the world to believe all is on the mend but the reality is that the calamity is escalating everyday. In this connection, a protest group chanted that the Consul-General should not disinform Hong Kong people.

Durban, South Africa – In another 40 years, many parts of the world will have run out of water for farming, says a new authoritative analysis of the state of the world’s land and water resources.

Geneva – At least 43 villages in Nigeria continue to present cases of lead poisoning, 18 months ago after cases were first discovered in the region, the United Nations reported, calling for an increase in preventive measures in the African country.

The World Bank has launched a new partnership with global corporations including Nestlé, Coca-Cola and Veolia. Housed at the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), the new venture aspires to “transform the water sector” by inserting the corporate sector into what has historically been a public service.

In news from Japan, the operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant revealed today it had found radioactive particles in a reactor which could be a result of recent nuclear fission. Utility officials said gas from inside the Fukushima plant’s No. 2 reactor indicated the presence of radioactive xenon.