Archive for January 31, 2013

Erkin | January 31, 2013
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“Hydro-diplomacy” needed to avert Arab water wars

agua-africaThe United Nations should promote “hydro-diplomacy” to defuse any tensions over water in regions like the Middle East and North Africa where scarce supplies have the potential to spark future conflicts.

They said the U.N. Security Council should work out ways to bolster cooperation over water in shared lakes or rivers, from the Mekong to the Nile, that are likely to come under pressure from a rising world population and climate change. The Middle East and North Africa are the regions most at risk of conflict over scarce water supplies, they said, but history shows “water wars” are very rare.

“We think that water is an issue that would be a appropriate for the U.N. Security Council,” Zafar Adeel, chair of UN-Water, told Reuters ahead of a meeting of experts in Canada this week to discuss water and security. Read more

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Erkin | January 30, 2013
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Andean and Patagonian Glaciers Melting in a Hurry

pastoruriIce fields in Andean South America are rapidly losing volume and in most cases thinning at even the highest elevations, contributing to sea-level rise at “substantially higher” rates than observed from the 1970s through the 1990s, according to a study published recently. The findings spell trouble for other glaciers worldwide.

The rapid melting, based on satellite observations, suggests the ice field’s contribution to global sea-level rise has increased by half since the end of the 20th century, jumping from 0.04 millimeters per year to about .07 mm, and accounting for 2 percent of annual sea-level rise since 1998.

The southern and northern Patagonian ice fields are the largest mass of ice in the southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica. The findings spell trouble for other glaciers worldwide, according to the study’s lead author, Cornell University researcher Michael Willis. Read more

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Erkin | January 25, 2013
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As Sea Level Rises, Everglades Become More Vital to South Florida’s Survival

Climate change threatens every part of the U.S. in one-way or another, but in South Florida, it’s not just a threat: it’s a looming catastrophe. Much of the area lies just a few feet above sea level, and thanks to warming temperatures and melting polar ice, the sea is on the rise. A few decades from now, significant parts of the region could literally be underwater. Not only that: while hurricanes could be fewer as time goes on, the ones that do sweep in are likely to be more powerful, with higher winds and more devastating storm surges that will drive the high water much deeper inland.

dorminey_evergladespanorama

But that’s not what keeps people like Earl King up at night.

King is the Deputy Director of Public Works, Utilities and Engineering in Hallandale Beach, just south of Ft. Lauderdale. Among other things, he’s in charge of making sure his town has access to fresh drinking water. But the sea is pushing in from underground to contaminate the community’s wells — and as sea level rises, the problem is only going to get worse. Read more

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Erkin | January 24, 2013
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Aquaovo’s Ovopur Water Filtration

A tribute to water. Designed in Montreal, Aquaovo’s Ovopur uses age-old principals to clean and restore tap water to crystal clear quality in the greenest possible way…

ovopur1

Read here about how Ovopur’s shape helps it put gravity and circulation to use, imitating nature’s filtration of water. Everything about the system is aesthetically pleasing: from the egg-shaped ceramic reservoir to the reuseable glass filter. This water filter could definitely find a place in our homes, as it’s much greener than bottled water or other filtration systems, it’s cost-effective over time ($0.07 per liter), and it is just plain beautiful. Read more

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Erkin | January 22, 2013
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A car that runs on water?

In recent days, talk show hosts who really should know better have been touting a peculiar invention known as the water kit. An engineer has claimed to have found a way to use water as a fuel that can run cars.

Japan had already invented water generators in 2008 and we're claiming to have invented them in 2012. PHOTO: REUTERS

Japan had already invented water generators in 2008 and we’re claiming to have invented them in 2012. PHOTO: REUTERS

He claims to have done this by splitting the oxygen and hydrogen molecules in water, a feat which, if real, would represent one of the greatest breakthroughs in the history of science. However, we must not forget that water is not a fuel and the fact that the matter is being debated and hyped up without proper scientific investigation, displays our profound scientific illiteracy and the media’s irresponsible response to this claim.  Read more

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