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The report, “Investment in Climate Change Adaptation Can Help Promote Livelihoods of 65% of Africans,” provides a snapshot of current and predicted future impacts of climate change on livelihoods, agriculture, and human and ecosystem health in Africa.

Rehabilitated small dam in Togo: Local communities are increasingly aware of the role of plants and forests in conserving water and soil and of the need to manage landscapes to reduce evaporation and encourage biodiversity renewal. Text and photograph from the Report.Rehabilitated small dam in Togo: Local communities are increasingly aware of the role of plants and forests in conserving water and soil and of the need to manage landscapes to reduce evaporation and encourage biodiversity renewal. Text and photograph from the Report.

 

Professor John Briscoe, a native of South Africa, is named the 2014 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate “for his unparalleled contributions to global and local water management, inspired by an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of people on the ground.”

 

 

Professor John Briscoe, a native of South Africa, is named the 2014 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate “for his unparalleled contributions to global and local water management, inspired by an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of people on the ground.”

This multisite longitudinal analysis highlights the utility of sentinel surveillance of travelers for contributing information on disease activity trends and an evidence base for travel medicine recommendations.

Figure 1 Map GeoSentinel RegionsFigure 1 Map GeoSentinel Regions
 

Authors:

Karin Leder, Joseph Torresi, John S. Brownstein, Mary E. Wilson, Jay S. Keystone,

Expanded protections near the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument in the south-central Pacific Ocean will add to the Pacific Marine Protected Areas, Marine National Monuments, designated by President George W. Bush, and the declaration of the Phoenix Islands a protected area to ensure its biological diversity and sustainability by small Pacific Island nation of Kiribati.

 Humpback whale tail is displayed as animal dives in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.: In the Pacific, humpbacks migrate seasonally from Alaska to Hawaii--they can complete the 3,000 mile (4,830 km) trip in as few as 36 days! Text and Photograph courtesy of NOAAHumpback whale tail is displayed as animal dives in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.: In the Pacific, humpbacks migrate seasonally from Alaska to Hawaii--they can complete the 3,000 mile (4,830 km) trip in as few as 36 days! Text and Photograph courtesy of NOAA

 

Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean, roll!

Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain:

Commitment Unites Donors from China, India, the United Arab Emirates and the United States to Collectively Provide $80 Million in Cornerstone Funding for Panthera's $200 Million Initiative for Wild Cats

Lion (Panthera leo) lying down in Namibia. “The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera: and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger.”  Text and Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia. Photograph by Kevin Pluck.Lion (Panthera leo) lying down in Namibia. “The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera: and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger.” Text and Photograph courtesy of Wikipedia. Photograph by Kevin Pluck.

eThekwini Water & Sanitation, a part of Durban Municipality in South Africa, has been named the 2014 winner of the Stockholm Industry Water Award, for its transformative and inclusive approach to providing water and sanitation services. 

Water Education in schools: Photograph courtesy of eThekwini Water and SanitationWater Education in schools: Photograph courtesy of eThekwini Water and Sanitation

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 6 May 2014 released EnviroAtlas, a web-based interactive tool that integrates over 300 separate data layers, helps decision makers understand the implications of planning and policy decisions on our fragile ecosystems and the communities who depend on goods and services from these ecosystems. EnviroAtlas is available to the public and houses a wealth of data and research.

 

EnviroAtlas is designed for people from all levels of government, professionals, researchers,: educators, non-governmental organizations, and anyone interested in considering the benefits or impacts of a decision, such as siting a new road or city park. Image courtesy of the US EPA.EnviroAtlas is designed for people from all levels of government, professionals, researchers,: educators, non-governmental organizations, and anyone interested in considering the benefits or impacts of a decision, such as siting a new road or city park. Image courtesy of the US EPA.

 

“Integrating the Environment in Urban Planning and Management: Key Principles and Approaches for Cities in the 21st Century,” a report launched on 8 April 2014 jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Cities Alliance at the 2014 World Urban Forum in Medellin, Colombia, says that as consumers of over 75% of natural resources, cities can be major contributors to efficiency and sustainability.

Kolkata, India: Credit: RadiokaftaKolkata, India: Credit: Radiokafta

 

Going where larger, human-piloted planes cannot, a new unmanned aircraft system promises to close a key gap in knowledge for climate modelers seeking to measure and eventually predict exactly what's going on underneath Antarctic Ice Sheets.

The UAS lands in Antarctica. The small but agile UAS has a takeoff weight: of about 38.5 kilograms (85 pounds) and a range of approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles). The compact radar system weighs only two kilograms, and the antenna is structurally integrated into the wing of the aircraft. Photograph by the University of Kansas and courtesy of NSFThe UAS lands in Antarctica. The small but agile UAS has a takeoff weight: of about 38.5 kilograms (85 pounds) and a range of approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles). The compact radar system weighs only two kilograms, and the antenna is structurally integrated into the wing of the aircraft. Photograph by the University of Kansas and courtesy of NSF

This article compares quantitative estimates for groundwater loss and glacier recession and considers the significance of their relative magnitudes. It concludes that the effect of food and agriculture, hence of population, may be significantly greater than that attributable to the global warming caused by industrial production and transport.

 [img_assist|nid=1328|title=NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission will track Earth's water into one of its last hiding places: the soil.|desc=Soil moisture data from SMAP will aid in predictions of agricultural productivity, weather and climate. High-resolution global maps of soil moisture produced from SMAP data will inform water resource management decisions on water availability around our planet. SMAP is scheduled to launch in November 2014 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on a Delta II rocket.

With the launch of five Earth-observing missions in 2014 -- more Earth-focused launches in a single year in more than a decade -- NASA will be able to deliver even more crucial data to scientists trying to understand our changing planet.


. In July 2014, NASA will launch the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) to study the fate of carbon dioxide worldwide. Natural processes are working hard to keep the carbon cycle in balance by absorbing about half of our carbon emissions, limiting the extent of climate change. There's a lot we don't know about these processes, including where they are occurring and how they might change as the climate warms. To understand and prepare for the carbon cycle of the future, we have an urgent need to find out.

 

 

 

 

Simply by breathing, humans have played a small part in the planet-wide balancing act called the carbon cycle throughout our existence. However, in the last few hundred years, we have taken a larger role. Our activities, such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation, are pushing the cycle out of its natural balance, adding more and more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, titled Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability, from Working Group II of the IPCC, details the impacts of climate change to date, the future risks from a changing climate, and the opportunities for effective action to reduce risks. 

Responses will face challenges with high warming of the climate

 

AR5 Working Group II: Fifth Assessment Report

Outcomes of this research are contributing to the system-level understanding of human-machine interactions, and motor learning and control in real world environments for humans, and are leading to the development of a new generation of wireless brain and body activity sensors and adaptive prosthetics devices.

Engineers think 'out of the box' to help solve motor control issues for Parkinson's patients and others

This is the third article of a series on “Realizing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All.” It features the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council's (WSSCC) progress in meeting sanitation and hygiene needs with the help of the communities themselves and assistance from the WSSCC managed Global Sanitation Fund.

This is the third article of a series on

 “Realizing Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All” 

The first focuses on the background of the problem, what it means for nearly half the people of the developing world who lack adequate water, sanitation and hygiene. 

NEWater’s comprehensive public communications and education program was recognized by UN-Water for building public confidence and acceptance in NEWater, Singapore’s own brand of recycled water which comes from collected and cleaned wastewater.

 Singapore Home of NEWater: Photograph by Erwin Soo from Singapore courtesy of WikipediaSingapore Home of NEWater: Photograph by Erwin Soo from Singapore courtesy of Wikipedia

 

NEWater’s comprehensive public communications and education program was recognized by UN-Water for building public confidence and acceptance in NEWater, Singapore’s own brand of recycled water which comes from collected and cleaned wastewater.

A trilateral agreement pledges collaborative implementation of science-based conservation initiatives that secure and connect jaguars and their habitats in Belize and beyond its borders, facilitate land development that is both ecologically sustainable and economically profitable, and mitigate human-jaguar conflict throughout the country.

Panthera is leading an ambitious effort to establish a safe jaguar corridor from Mexico to Argentina.: Photograph by Steve Winter courtesy of Panthera.Panthera is leading an ambitious effort to establish a safe jaguar corridor from Mexico to Argentina.: Photograph by Steve Winter courtesy of Panthera.

 

CVS Caremark announced today that it will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products at its more than 7,600 CVS/pharmacy stores across the U.S. by October 1, 2014, making CVS/pharmacy the first national pharmacy chain to take this step in support of the health and well-being of its patients and customers.

Smoke Free: Photograph courtesy of the CDCSmoke Free: Photograph courtesy of the CDCCVS Caremark announced today that it will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products at its more than 7,600 CVS/pharmacy stores across the U.S. by October 1, 2014, making CVS/pharmacy the first national pharmacy chain to take this step in support of the health and well-being of its patients and customers.

This article focuses on the background of the problem, what it means for nearly half the people of the developing world who lack adequate sanitation and hygiene. Today, an estimated 2.4 to 2.6 billion individuals lack access to any type of improved sanitation facility according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) half of the developing world, more than 35 % of the world’s population lack access to adequate sanitation. And, poor sanitation and hygiene are inextricably linked to water quality.

 

 

 

 

This is Part One of a Series of Articles. The first focuses on the background of the problem, what it means for nearly half the people of the developing world who lack adequate sanitation and hygiene.

 Happy children: Photograph by Jay GrahamHappy children: Photograph by Jay Graham

Martha Isabel Ruiz Corzo, credited with securing the future of one of Mexico's most critical ecosystems, Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, and supporting the livelihoods of disadvantaged rural communities, received a UN 2013 Champions of the Earth award. The Reserve is home to more than 110 species of mammals 334 bird species, and 2,308 plant species. 

Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi), one of various species of wild cat in danger of extinction in the Sierra Gorda.: Photo by Roberto Pedraza Ruiz.Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi), one of various species of wild cat in danger of extinction in the Sierra Gorda.: Photo by Roberto Pedraza Ruiz.The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, Mexico's most ecologically diverse protected area, described as a "green jewel" in the heart of the country, is home to jaguarondi, wild cats in danger of extinction.

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