The Human Imprint

Giant iceberg breaks off from Antarctic glacier

Scientific American reports that an iceberg the size of Luxembourg has broken off from a glacier in Antarctica after being rammed by another giant iceberg. This could even affect ocean circulation patterns.

"The 2,500 sq km (965 sq mile) iceberg broke off earlier this month from the Mertz Glacier's 160 km (100 miles) floating tongue of ice that sticks out into the Southern Ocean. The collision has since halved the size of the tongue that drains ice from the vast East Antarctic ice sheet". Follow the link to read the full article.

World temperature database to be re-analysed

The Independent reports that the world's instrumental temperature record dating back more than 150 years is to be re-analysed. 

"The proposal was put to the World Meteorological Organisation by the Met Office at a meeting in Antalya, Turkey, earlier this week, and accepted by 150 delegates from around the world. Its detailed terms will be agreed at a conference to be held in Britain later this year.

The plan is for the entire global record of land-based air temperatures from 5,000 weather stations, which began before 1860, to be made freely available to anyone. It will then be reanalysed by at least three and possibly five groups of experts, whose different methods will be made transparent and open to scrutiny, and whose conclusions will be peer-reviewed.

The task is expected to take three years, and it is likely that its findings will form a core part of the next IPCC report, provisionally due in 2013 or 2014".

Italy's longest river at risk after 'sabotage' at oil depot

The Independent reports that Italian officialshave warned of an ecological disaster as they try to contain an oil spill that reached the the Po river.  "The WWF wildlife charity said several water and bird species were at risk from the spill, with fish, wild ducks and herons – that were beginning to nest along the Po – the most at risk. Several oil-covered ducks have already been plucked from the river and taken for treatment at a regional animal shelter. But even after the spill is cleaned up the impact will last, the WWF said, as the Po river valley is the most important agricultural region in Italy, and the Po is used extensively for irrigation".Follow the link to read the full article.

UK Farmers must be prepared for changes to the climate

The Environment Agency Chairman Lord Smith has been speaking at the annual UK National Farmers’ Union (NFU) conference. His speech focused on water issues including the following key comments:

• Demand for irrigation water alone is predicted to rise by a quarter over the next decade as parts of central, southern and eastern England and eastern parts of Wales receive increasingly less rainfall.
• On-farm reservoirs and harvesting rainwater from building roofs are just two key ways farmers can gather water for use in drier times.

“In adapting to climate change, farming can also help us to manage water supply – this will be essential as we predict demand for irrigation will increase by 25% over the next 10 years ... We will need to get better at storing water in winter to use in the summer. I am pleased to say that we have already been able to work with some groups of farmers, in East Anglia in particular, to help them form co-operative Abstractor Groups and to support the use of Regional Development Agency funding to provide more water storage for irrigation.

”Where it is the most effective way, we will always try to work with the farming community to identify solutions through advice and voluntary means. We both have the same aim: safe and profitable production to meet society’s needs from land that is in good heart, whilst enhancing the environment.”

Landslides in Indonesia

Over the last few weeks many areas of the world seem to be hit by heavy rain and landslides. My last blog post was about Madeira - now this problem has hit Indonesia. BBC News reports that up to 70 people are feared dead after being trapped under piles of mud when a landslide hit a village near the Indonesian city of Bandung. Heavy monsoon rains are hampering rescue efforts. Follow the linkt o find more.  

Landslide in Italy

Check out this terrifying video on the recent landslide in Italy.

Floods and mudslides in Madeira leave 32 dead

The Independent reports that floods and mudslides have killed at least 32 people and left hundreds of others homeless on the Portuguese holiday island of Madeira. The violent rainstorm, which battered the island for several hours triggered flash flooding. Follow the link to read the full article.

Bangladesh launches smart cards for farmers

BBC News reports that Bangladesh has developed a new smart card scheme for farmers designed to increase productivity and reduce fraud.

"Almost 20 million small or medium-sized farms in Bangladesh will eventually get the card, which will allow them to open bank accounts with just a few cents. It will allow the government to pay subsidies directly to them, cutting out middlemen and embezzlers. They currently siphon off a large proportion of the government's help. The first use of the card will be to distribute a $100m fuel subsidy. The cards will also contain information on the land the farmers have under cultivation, the crops they produce and the fertilisers they will need. "An interactive database of farmers has been prepared to run in conjunction with the scheme," said Agriculture Secretary Mustaq Ahmed, "which will help the government make detailed analysis of the inputs that farmers need. "We can then make efficient planning for agriculture, while farmers who have never been linked to the banks will become more money-literate once they start going to them. "They will then begin to take loans from banks - instead of rural moneylenders who charge high interest rates for farmers. It will also make farmers more aware of modern agriculture technologies."

A fascinating development

EU biofuels target could starve millions of people

Euractive.com have suggested that millions of people could starve if member states deliver on the EU’s target of sourcing 10% of its transport fuel from biofuels according to a new report from ActionAid.

"In December 2008, EU leaders reached agreement on a new Renewable Energy Directive, which requires each member state to satisfy 10% of its transport fuel needs from renewable sources, including biofuels, hydrogen and green electricity, by 2020.

 However, concerns have been raised that increased biofuel production would result in massive deforestation and have severe implications for food security, as energy crops replace other land uses ...   Currently made from maize, wheat, sugar cane and oil seeds such as palm oil, soy and rapeseed, industrial biofuels compete with crops grown for food, "driving food prices higher and affecting what and how much people eat in developing countries," notes the ActionAid report on the impact of industrial biofuels on global hunger.

"For every 1% rise in the price of food, 16 million more poor people are made hungry," it estimates.

According to ActionAid's evaluation, EU biofuel consumption will "jump nearly fourfold" by 2020, and two thirds of these biofuels will be imported mainly from the developing world, diverting food away from millions more people who need it most". Follow the link to read more. This article shows the huge contradictions with land use for food and fuel production.

India to rule on future of aubergine as country's first genetically modified food

Check out this article in The Guardian about the first GM food which could be introduced into India