Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Egyptian people react furiously to brutality and degradation

Egyptian women protest in Cairo against brutal treatment | World news | The Guardian: "Hundreds of women have taken to the streets of Cairo to protest against military rule and the brutal treatment of female protesters by Egypt's security services." (video)

Saturday, December 17, 2011

People of Egypt show incredible courage

Eight killed in unrelenting Cairo clashes | Reuters: "(Reuters) - Eight people have been killed as clashes between troops and protesters in central Cairo spilled over into a second day, Egyptian state television said on Saturday."

'via Blog this'

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Climate change could push staple food prices up 130% – study | Environment | The Guardian

Zambian farmer Amelia Nyundo in a field of maize which failed to grow due to drought: Maize shortages in sub-Saharan Africa could push prices up. Photograph: Martin Godwin
Climate change could push staple food prices up 130% – study | Environment | The Guardian: "Climate change could lead to shortages and punishing 130% price rises in staple foods within our lifetime, raising the spectre of riots and civil unrest, a new study warned today."

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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The Endless Oil Spill | EcoGyrl

The Endless Oil Spill | EcoGyrl: "The full Gulf incident lasted about 1 and 1/2 years, whereas, in the Niger Delta there has been an oil spill for 50 years! To them, the constant spills has morphed into one big one, that has already cost the Nigerian government 10 MILLION dollars a DAY.
The delicate balance that supports the ecosystem around the Niger Delta has been attacked, year after year, day after day. Primates, birds, and mangroves have been killed off, and violence and conflict has been growing. Shell, the company causing the spill, has been told to “clear out” by inhabitants, and people have died while others try to get there point across. Welcome to living life with the endless spill.
"

'via Blog this'

Enfin - Algiers' New Metro

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Auto traffic choking South Africa

Lift club portal opens | News Update: "CONGESTION on Joburg’s roads is a daily frustration for many residents, but commuters should bear in mind that transport should not only be restricted to cars. This is according to the member of the mayoral committee for transport, Rehana Moosajee, who also encourages the use of public transport, cycling and lift clubs."

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

At Least 75 Kenyans Dead After Pipeline Explosion | TheLedger.com

Joseph Mwangi, 34, sits in a state of shock after discovering the charred remains of two of his children, one aged 6 the other of unknown age, at the scene of a fuel explosion in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Sept. 12, 2011. A leaking gasoline pipeline in Kenya's capital exploded on Monday, turning part of a slum into an inferno in which scores of people were killed and more than 100 hurt. (AP Photo | Ben Curtis)
At Least 75 Kenyans Dead After Pipeline Explosion | TheLedger.com: "Mwangi had been feeding his cow when the call went out around 9 a.m. — a section of pipe had burst near the river that cuts through the slum and gasoline was pouring out. Men, women and children grabbed pails, jerry cans, anything they could find to collect the flowing fuel.

Mwangi had planned to get a bucket and join them — he'd done so before with earlier diesel leaks without any problem, he said, and a bucket of fuel could pay a month's rent. "Everybody knows that fuel is gold," the 34-year-old said."

'via Blog this'

Thursday, August 25, 2011

We have 1 billion cars - but can't feed ourselves

Video: Climate change is cause of Ethiopian drought - Telegraph: "During a tour of the Somali Regional State, Valerie Amos said: “Everything I've heard has said that we used to have drought every ten years, then it became every five years and now it's every two years. And it you don't have the rains at the beginning of the year or towards the end of one year then you are going to have a problem into the next year.""

'via Blog this'

Friday, August 19, 2011

Freeways are not free: Ndebele - Times LIVE

Freeways are not free: Ndebele - Times LIVE: Ndebele said that after years of underspending, the government was making "steady progress" towards ensuring that rail was the backbone of South Africa's public transport system.

"As of 1 April 2011, government is spending R30.2bn over the next three years for rail upgrades across the country, with R19.5bn earmarked for capital spending to upgrade existing infrastructure, signalling systems and rolling stock," Ndebele said.

The Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) was embarking on "a bold programme" to invest in new rail rolling stock worth an estimated R100bn over 18 years.

This would significantly improve the country's commuter rail transport, Ndebele said.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Niger delta oil spills clean-up will take 30 years, says UN | Environment | The Guardian

An oil spill near Oloibiri Town, Bayelsa, Nigeria. Photograph: Ed Kashi/Corbis
Niger delta oil spills clean-up will take 30 years, says UN | Environment | The Guardian: "Devastating oil spills in the Niger delta over the past five decades will cost $1bn to rectify and take up to 30 years to clean up, according to a UN report."

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

New sleek, fast, train in USA

BusinessDay - Gautrain’s glitch-free opening: "This morning saw the opening of the much-anticipated Gautrain route linking the capital city of Pretoria with the economic hub of Johannesburg.

Dr Barbara Jensen, Gautrain’s head of communication, said by midday the company had transported more than 11 000 people across the newly-linked stations. The average journey time on the new route between Hatfield and Rosebank stations is just under forty minutes.

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele who boarded the Gautrain at Hatfield station this morning, said the opening marked a new era for South African public transport.

'The train travels at 160km per hour, and I didn't even have my seat belt on,' he said from the platform at Sandton station."

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Drought and flood, flood and drought

Nigeria News ->Articles, Commentary, Personalities: "Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has declared Monday, July 11, as a public holiday after heavy rains on Sunday caused massive flooding of homes and roads across the state. Movement and commercial activities were paralysed, and some vehicles broke down in the heavy rains and passengers were stranded at bus stops."

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Millions hit by East Africa drought - The Irish Times - Thu, Jul 07, 2011

Millions hit by East Africa drought - The Irish Times - Thu, Jul 07, 2011: "Some 10 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance as East Africa struggles with the worst drought in decades.

Large areas of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia are affected by the drought conditions."

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Une journée sans fumée le 8 juin (Antsirabe) - actualités Madagascar avec l'Express de Madagascar

Une journée sans fumée le 8 juin (Antsirabe) - actualités Madagascar avec l'Express de Madagascar: "La ville d’Antsirabe célébrera la Journée mondiale de l’environnement d'une nouvelle façon, cette année. Prévue pour le mercredi 8 juin, la commune urbaine l'a choisi comme « Journée municipale de l’air pur ». Sa célébration sera ouverte par une grande marche autour de la ville."

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Ugandans walk to work to protest high fuel prices


Ugandan police have again arrested three opposition leaders as they tried to continue the Walk to Work protest campaign. The campaign was started by a group called Activists for Change protesting the high fuel prices. They called for protests every Monday and Thursday for a month, in which Ugandans would peacefully protest while walking to work.
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Saturday, February 26, 2011

True Friend of Gadaffi - Berlusconi

Colonel Gaddafi, with his ever-present female guards, meets Silvio Berlusconi. Photo: REUTERS

Monday, February 14, 2011

If, one day, a people desires to live, then fate must answer their call » Blog Archive » Enough!Khalas

If, one day, a people desires to live, then fate must answer their call » Blog Archive » Enough!Khalas: "Rulers can only govern with the consent of the ruled—whether tacit or explicit—and this they often achieve through coercion and violence, through the instillation of fear and apathy, and through the creation of illusions: illusions of strength, illusions of indestructibility, and above all, illusions of futility and hopelessness. The latter is the deadliest weapon at a tyrant’s disposal, and represents the most effective way of consolidating and maintaining power over the longterm."

Saturday, January 29, 2011

An Under-Reported War Over Water

© EVAN ABRAMSON
A young man from the Nyangtatom tribe patrols a water access point on the border between Ethiopia and Kenya. 

An Under-Reported War Over Water: "Almost unnoticed by the mainstream media, the political consequences of global climate change are now playing out in East Africa. Tribes that have co-existed peacefully for centuries along the border between Kenya and Ethiopia are going to war over diminishing water resources as their livestock dies, their crops fail, and they starve."

Monday, January 24, 2011

South Africa floods kill more than 100 - AlertNet

South Africa floods kill more than 100 - AlertNet
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Flooding in South Africa has killed more than 100 people, saturated farms in the major food producer for the continent and led the government to declare 33 municipalities disaster areas.

Ninety-five percent of Lake Chad gone in 50 years

Nigeria | Flickr - Photo Sharing!: "Once serving as part of the floor for a much larger Lake Chad, the area now known as the Bodele Depression, located at the southern edge of the Sahara Desert in north central Africa, is slowly being transformed into a desert landscape. In the mid-1960s, Lake Chad was about the size of Lake Erie. But persistent drought conditions coupled with increased demand for freshwater for irrigation have reduced Lake Chad to about 5 percent of its former size. As the waters receded, the silts and sediments resting on the lakebed were left to dry in the scorching African sun. The small grains of the silty sand are easily swept up by the strong wind gusts that occasionally blow over the region. Once heaved aloft, the Bodele dust can be carried for hundreds or even thousands of kilometers." Photo - NASA

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Flood here, drought there. Climate change everywhere.

An emaciated cow forages for pasture in Daaba in Isiolo on January 12, 2011. Herders are losing their cattle as drought continues to bite in most parts of the country. The government has now moved to tackle the famine crisis in the country. Photo/JENNIFER MUIRURI 
By GATONYE GATHURA gathura@kenationmedia.comPosted Thursday, January 13 2011 at 22:00

Daily Nation: - News |Sh236bn needed to tackle Kenya drought crisis: "The first comprehensive Action Plan ever prepared by the government on climate change says the evidence of a warming Kenya is unmistakable and will have serious effects on all sectors of the economy."

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Burning up biodiversity: forest fires increase in Madagascar

Burning up biodiversity: forest fires increase in Madagascar: "The number of fires burning in and around forests in the northeastern part of Madagascar increased during the 2010 burning season relative the the year before, according to analysis of NASA data by WildMadagascar.org / Mongabay.com. The rise in burning corresponds to an especially dry year and continued illegal logging of the region's biologically-rich rainforests."