City gardens provide food and income

Today we are talking about cities and countrysides. Or, to say it another way, urban and rural areas. The World Bank recently reported that people who live in urban areas are more likely to be a little richer and a little healthier than people in rural areas. We will talk about why that is later.

Right now, Karen Leggett tells us about something people in African cities sometimes do not have – fresh fruits and vegetables. But urban gardening is changing that.

City gardens are beginning to provide income and healthy food for people in several African countries. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization reported last year that...

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Reading this story got me interested in growing my own vegetables. I think I will start with tomatoes.

California seeks China's help in going green

California Governor Jerry Brown wants to increase partnerships between his state and China. The governor traveled to China last week to seek Chinese investment in things like high-speed rail, renewable energy and electric vehicles.

The California governor spoke at China’s Tsinghua University. He called for a partnership between the United States and China to develop technologies to reduce greenhouse gases.

“China has been instrumental in driving down the costs, and making available that technology. So there is a real connection.”

Mr. Brown met with Prime Minister Li Keqiang and China’s minister of environmental protection, Zhou Shengxian. Mr. Brown and Mr. Zhou signed a nonbinding agreement to share information about...

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The state of California is looking for ways to be more environmental-friendly. The governor recently visited China in the hopes of establishing a partnership.

Asia overtaking Europe in clean power

A new report says the low-carbon market has shifted from Europe and is now being dominated by the emerging economies of Asia.

The Climate Institute's global climate leadership review analyses 20 indicators to measure a country's carbon competitiveness, with the main focus on investments in clean energy.

It says Australia has slipped in its ranking among G20 countries since the last review from 16th to 17th.

France, Japan, South Korea and the UK were in the top five, with China climbing to...

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As economies become more global, markets are becoming more competitive. Many nations are investing in the development of environmentally-friendly energies and some countries in Asia are leading the way.

Dutch put electric cars to the test

When Patrick Langevoort’s company issued him an electric vehicle two years ago, the first months were filled with misadventure: he found himself far from Amsterdam, with only a 25 percent charge remaining, unable to find the charging point listed on a map. Though the car was supposed to travel 100 miles on a full battery, he discovered that cold weather and fast driving decreased that range.

But electric vehicles have improved, the network of charging stations in the Netherlands has expanded and drivers like Mr. Langevoort are getting used to the particularities of electric driving. “I used to be a real petrol head,” said Mr. Langevoort, who works for...

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Electric cars are becoming more and more popular in The Netherlands (Holland). About 7,500 electric cars were bought last year and charging posts are a common site. In just two years, big changes have been made.

Building a better future

This discussion paper says the antidote to fears about resources is what's known as material efficiency; that's making the things we want, but with less material.

The researchers say we could use half as much cement in buildings, for instance, if we designed and built them with more time and care. We don't do it now because labour's dear and materials are cheap. We could drastically reduce steel in cars, if governments deterred the trend towards bigger, more powerful vehicles.

The researchers say material efficiency is vital for tackling climate change, too. For the UK, for instance, to generate clean energy so materials are produced in current quantities, would need the equivalent of a four-fold increase in nuclear power or a...

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A recent research report suggests that we should be more efficient and economical in how we use materials for building. We could do more with less if we took the time to think projects through and to consider the environmental consequences....a good lesson for many things in life.

Indonesia tries to control rainfall

Indonesian authorities will try to control rainfall over Jakarta to avoid further flooding.

Authorities in Indonesia will use generators and cloud-seeding measures to defuse and push away rain-laden clouds to avoid more flooding that has paralysed Jakarta.

Last week, heavy rain over the city caused 32 deaths and at its peak forced nearly 46,000 people to flee their inundated homes, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, told AFP.

The weather agency has forecast heavy rain for this weekend, raising concerns that Jakarta - which combined with...

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A new plan in Indonesia will attempt to decrease the amount of rainfall the city of Jakarta receives.  Do you think humans should try to control the weather?

Listing all species on earth 'a possibility'

We've already found more than a million species, but unearthing the rest was thought to be an impossible task.

But now it seems an army of amateur scientists have taken up the cause. A new study concludes that, thanks to them, we're in a golden age of discovery, with 20,000 new finds charted each year.

There could also be far fewer plants and animals left for them to find. The researchers say rather than tens of millions of species living on Earth, there could be between two and eight million.

If the appetite for discovery continues to grow, they say a full ecological audit could be a possibility within the next 100 years.

The scientists also looked at...

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Scientists are trying to count the number of species on Earth. Thousands of new species are discovered every year. And, the number of species disappearing may be lower than expected.

Scorching heat stops outback trains

Trains have been halted in western Queensland amid fears tracks may buckle in the scorching heat.

The state is enduring heatwave conditions, with the mercury climbing into the 40s in many inland centres.

Queensland Rail (QR) says passengers travelling on board its Spirit of the Outback train were put onto buses at Emerald this morning to travel west to Longreach.

Similar arrangements have been made for passengers travelling from...

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As we are getting used to colder temperatures here in Japan, the people in Queensland, AUS are suffering from a heat wave. The extremely high temperatures are effecting people, land, and animals.

Prayers for nature at 'Surf City' beach

A special ceremony held on a beach on the west coast of the US attracts people of different beliefs and religions. They all come together to celebrate nature. As different as people may be, we can always find some things we share... if we look for them.

Solar-powered islands

We often hear about the desire to find ways to make more use of renewable energy sources. These South Pacific islands in between New Zealand and Hawaii have managed to go completely solar. I wonder what we can learn from this case....

Seeking ways to reduce overfishing

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is trying to monitor the fishing trade in Asia. In some places, there is a danger of fishing which can have a negative impact on both the environment and economy.

Environmentalists call for action on rivers

Environmental groups are calling for stronger action to improve the health of rivers as part of World Rivers Day today.

The not-for-profit International RiverFoundation says pollution and poor land use practices have hurt all of the nation's urban rivers and about a third of its rural rivers.

Chief executive Matthew Reddy says it makes economic sense to take better care of the waterways.

"If you have unhealthy poor quality water you can limit the types of uses that you can have for that water, so you can't...

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Have you heard of World Rivers Day? In Australia, this holiday is a time for people to think about environmental issues, in particular 'the health' of the rivers around the country. What do you think, are the rivers in Japan healthy?

Study shows electric vehicles more harmful than petrol

Researchers have found that overall pollution associated with electric vehicles in China is more harmful that that of petrol-based vehicles.

The study was done by researchers form the University of Tennessee and published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Its findings challenge assumptions that electric vehicles are cleaner than petrol vehicles and it's of vital importance in China, where e-bikes and e-cars are extremely popular.

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Malaysians step up protests against Lynas rare earths plant

Opponents of the Australian Lynas rare earths processing plant in Malaysia's Pahang state, are threatening to spread their protests, to stop the 230-million dollar project.

Five thousand supporters of the Himpunan Hijau or Green Assembly of environmentalists and NGOs, on Sunday protested in the state capital of Kuantan, on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia.

The group is also seeking a High Court order to stop the plant.

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Australia urged to act as South Pacific goes solar

The Kingdom of Tonga and the New Zealand territory of Tokelau are going solar - reducing not only their carbon footprints, but also their multi-million dollar diesel bills.

Their switch to solar is part of a global trend, which Australian industry leaders say offers lucrative opportunities for those quick enough - and smart enough - to act.

With $7 million in New Zealand aid money - together with Kiwi and Australian expertise - Tokelauans are building a solar power plant on each of their three coral atolls.

Fakaofo atoll has just flicked the switch on its solar plant, and the other two are scheduled to be up and running by year's end.

"Probably by the end of the year we will...

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Nanjing announces cleanup program ahead of games

Tourists in Nanjing, a city with a history of 2,500 years, will enjoy better scenery by next year when the government plans to meet its newly announced environmental goals.

The capital of Jiangsu province has presented a massive plan to deal with the city's current environmental problems, such as waste classification, dilapidated buildings and illegal construction.

Yang Weize, Nanjing's Party chief, said at a meeting last week that some squalid areas and buildings that were constructed without permission have turned the ancient city into "a beggar with dirt all over his face".

"Some unlicensed buildings have existed for years, even though local residents complain from time to time. Ignoring the problem and doing nothing would bring shame to the government," Yang said.

Yang promised that the government will...

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Night sky to turn bluer?

The night sky may glow bluer as yellow-orange streetlights are gradually replaced by whiter, energy-saving lights, a new study says.

Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, cast a bluish glow in the sky and are about 20 percent more efficient than industry-standard streetlamps, which generate red-colored light pollution.

With LED efficiency expected to double to 40 percent in a few years, it's inevitable that governments worldwide will opt to save energy by switching to LEDs, which also last longer and require less maintenance, experts say.

Yet it's uncertain how much the color of light pollution will change as LEDs take over, experts say. Also unknown are effects of...

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Experts warn of future Asia-Pacific food vulnerability

Drought in the United States and India is leading to higher food prices and has some experts warning Asia Pacific countries to step up investment in agriculture. Asia’s shifting dietary habits require greater imports and are raising fears over future food vulnerability.

Across the globe there is an increased focus on the challenge of producing enough food as the global population is predicted to reach nine billion by 2050. Scientists said food output must rise by 70 percent to meet demand.

While drought in the United States and India has increased prices on some commodities, overall the United Nations Food and...

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An ice treat for animals

Code red heat warnings have been issued by Italy's health ministry, as a heatwave nicknamed 'Lucifer' scorches the Mediterranean region. But at the zoo in Rome, keepers are ensuring the lions and tigers stay cool by freezing their food in large blocks of ice. The animals have to lick through icy layers before getting to the joints of meat contained inside, like a giant lollipop.

Klaus Friedrich, the zoo's veterinarian, says making these meat-flavoured treats is part of their strategy to cool the animals down: "The animals get bored, like children, so...

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Study predicts slowdown, halt in Greenland ice melting

Despite warnings by climate scientists that the massive Greenland ice sheet is melting rapidly into the sea, researchers in Denmark say that scenario is far from certain. Their new study of Greenland’s glacial ice sheet reports that twice in the past 30 years, major melting events have been followed by periods when melting stopped and the ice sheet stabilized.

The authors say the rapid melting that has made headlines in recent weeks also is likely to slow or stop. Their conclusion also contradicts widely-reported predictions that the accelerating ice melt will trigger a significant rise in global sea levels.

The Danish study, published this week in the journal Science, documents changes in the Greenland ice sheet before the year 2000 by combining contemporary satellite data with old aerial photographs. Co-author Shfaqat Abbas Khan, an earth scientist at Denmark Technical University, said his team is the first to show recent periods of ice sheet loss that slowed and then stopped, rather than continuing or speeding up.

The researchers say a longer and...

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