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Earth…State

John-Skinner

Dr. John Skinner
CEO, SWANA

Date: 9th April, 2012 GA Guest: Dr. John Skinner,Executive Director and CEO, Solid Waste Association of North America  In conversation with:  Vineet Singh, Founder and MD of GreenArth (www.greenarth.com)  and founder of CopperBridge Media (ww...
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More Guest Interviews

Carrots & Sticks for Urban waste management in India…

India, with its increasing appetite for consumption, has become the darling of global marketers in the last couple of years. Some of the best brains in the global retail and lifestyle segment have been working overtime to capture the sentiments and purchasing pattern of the Indian consumers. It seems like a win-win situation with the [...]

Nature, while being the incubator of the human species, has been forsaken and pulverized – every inch of it. Every visible benediction of mother nature has been exploited and abused. The shocks and aftershocks are just starting to make themselves visible. The plundering of natural resources have continued for too long to be ignored any [...]

In conversation with Dr. John Skinner, CEO SWANA

Date: 9th April, 2012 GA Guest: Dr. John Skinner,Executive Director and CEO, Solid Waste Association of North America  In conversation with:  Vineet Singh, Founder and MD of GreenArth (www.greenarth.com)  and founder of CopperBridge Media (www.copperbridgemedia.com) Guest profile:  John H. Skinner, Ph.D. has been the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Solid Waste Association of North [...]

As an affirmation of our last post, :”Is wind energy generation a major goof up?” , the news of Suzlon selling its stake in the wind energy for Rs. 200 crore has more than corroborated the market insight that we presented on 29th March. According to reliable market resources, Suzlon Energy has sold a part [...]

The hall of shame for sanitation!

Our planet’s inequitable ways are nowhere more palpable as in the potable water availability and sanitation standards between the developed and the developing world. A universal political and humanitarian will was very much the need of the hour – “The recognition by the UN General Assembly, in 2010, of water and sanitation as a human [...]


GRID No.91...DATA

Climate…Spotlight

GLOBAL WARMING - A THREAT TO CORAL REEFS IN GULF OF MANNAR: The coral reef wealth of the Gulf of Mannar, which is being conserved through joint efforts of various governmental, non-governmental and research agencies, is now facing a different kind of threat global warming and consequent climate change.
Coral reefs, known as rain forests of the sea, are a source of food security and livelihood options for hundreds of millions people, coastal defence and tourist hotspots. The Gulf of Mannar (GoM) is one of the four important coral reefs in India and thousands of artisanal fisher folk are dependant on fishery resources from this reef area.
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CLIMATE CHANGE MAY CAUSE KIDNEY STONES: Climate change, it turns out, has a few side effects. High temperatures make it harder for the body to cool itself, which can cause heat cramps, exhaustion, and stroke--a particular concern for people with heart conditions. Heat also affects air quality, as stagnant air leads to higher smog concentrations, which in turn places stress on those with respiratory conditions like asthma. Higher levels of carbon dioxide will likely cause pollens to proliferate, while increased humidity will nurture fungal growth--two major aggravators of asthma and allergies. Hotter weather will also lead to the spread of disease. Mosquitoes carrying diseases like malaria, West Nile virus, and dengue fever will migrate into new areas of the US. So will ticks bearing Lyme disease. Water- and food-borne pathogens also thrive in balmier climes.
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HARSH WINTER DOESN'T MEAN LESS WARMING: German climate experts say the past harsh winter in Europe and North America does not indicate a slowing of global warming.
The German Meteorological Service said Tuesday while the history of climate change shows ups and downs, the overall rise in temperatures is evident.
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FIXING THE OIL SPILL - DUMP INTO GULF OF MEXICO: BP and the U.S. Coast Guard are dumping large amounts of "dispersants" both on the surface and underwater, in a desperate attempt to control the ongoing spill. Dispersants are surfactants, not unlike what you use on your dishes, that break oil down into small droplets that sink into the water.
How much are they dumping? Lots. According to ProPublica, "BP has already bought up more than a third of the world's supply" of dispersants. On Thursday alone, ProPublica reports, emergency workers dropped 100,000 gallons of the stuff into the Gulf.
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BURNING OIL SENDS TOXIC SMOKE TOWARDS GULF OF MEXICO: The EPA is warning that Gulf Coast residents are at risk of headaches, nausea, and other ill health effects; the culprit is air pollution from the oil burns that response teams are conducting to try to keep the big slick away from coastlines.
"The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf could cause an odor similar to that of a gas station for communities along the affected coast," warns the site the EPA set up on the disaster
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NOW GOOGLE INVESTS IN 2 WIND FARMS: Google Inc. has invested $38.8 million in two North Dakota wind farms, the Internet giant's first direct investment in utility-scale renewable energy generation.
The Mountain View, Calif., company said in a Monday blog post that it invested in wind farms built by NextEra Energy Resources, a unit of FPL Group Inc. The wind turbines, made by General Electric Co., generate 169.5 megawatts of power, enough to serve more than 55,000 homes.