"Changing planet revealed" - World Environment Day June 5th

[bloom]

An atlas of environmental change compiled by the United Nations reveals some of the dramatic transformations that are occurring to our planet.

It compares and contrasts satellite images taken over the past few decades with contemporary ones.

These highlight in vivid detail the striking make-over wrought in some corners of the Earth by deforestation, urbanisation and climate change.

The atlas has been released to mark World Environment Day.

The United Nations Environmental Programme (Unep) produced One Planet Many People: Atlas of our Changing Environment in collaboration with other agencies such as the US Geological Survey and the US space agency (Nasa). <more>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4607053.stm

Also see:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/sci_nat_how_the_world_is_changing/html/1.stm

[ramapo]

1. All in the name of growth and "progress"

The irony is that thirty-some years ago the world first caught on to environmental concerns in a serious way. For the most part, this awakening has done little good except to allow us to track the widespread environmental degradation that can be found across virtually every ecosystem worldwide.

The changes are astounding in both speed and area. The effects have yet to become obvious to the general public. I don't think that will be the case for much longer.

[Up2Late]

2. If you REALLY want a shocker, get out a map of the Former Soviet...

...Union. Now find the Caspian Sea. Now look to the Right, you will see the Aral Sea. Once the 8th largest Fresh Water Lake, and home to the Former Soviet Union stock pile of Anthrax (on the big island in the Aral Sea).



Now, with that image in mind, click the link below:

Aral Sea Now

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/678898.stm>

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3107915.stm>

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/monitoring/media_reports/1311114.stm>