Wildland fires, a double impact on the planet

Wildland fires annually burn an area half the size of Australia and generate nearly 40% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxyde (CO2). Their impact in terms of deforestation, climate change and loss of biodiversity is significant. The year 2003 was one of the worst in history in terms of loss of human life and damage to the environment and infrastructure. Although fires are a natural part of many ecosystems, 90% are caused by human activities

Overfishing, a major threat to the global marine ecology

In 2002, 72% of the world's marine fish stocks were being harvested faster than they could reproduce. Fishing activities have various negative impacts on marine ecosystems. The greatest concern is the rapid depletion of fish population due to extensive commercial fishing. A full one-fourth of the total catch (27 million tonnes in 2003) is not those targeted, and most often are lost

Tourism Expansion : increasing threats or conservation opportunities?

Tourism generates 11% of global GDP, employs 200 million people but pro- duces 4.8 million tonnes of waste yearly and consumes as much energy as a country the size and development level of Japan. The number of tourists is expected, at least, to double to 1.6 billion by the year 2020. Sustainable man- agement of natural resources and wastes is essential for the well-being of this economic sector and natural ecosystems

Caulerpa taxifolia, a growing menace for the temperate marine environment

For the first time in history, a genetically altered seaweed is colonising very large areas of the marine environment in an uncontrollable way. The green alga, mutated by exposure to chemicals and ultraviolet light, has shown dan- gerous capabilities allowing it to adapt, colonise, and threaten multiple bio- topes

Gold Prices On The Rise, Environment Under Pressure

Although the gold industry is often presented as a “first foreign direct investment” leading to positive outcomes in many developing countries and securing the wealth of many nations, it is also clear that some of its practices have negative environmental impacts. The use of hazardous chemicals and the generation of large amounts of mining waste(1) often result in lasting pollution for the environment. Are such current extraction processes sustainable and, if they are, at what costs

Nuclear waste : Is everthing under control ?

50 years after the opening of the world's first civil nuclear power station, very little radioac- tive waste produced has been permanently disposed of. Moreover, the average age of today's reactors is approximately 22 years, meaning most of them will be decommissioned over the next decades. All of these wastes will have to be disposed of even if no more nuclear reactors are built. But is it wise to take further advantage of the “nuclear path”, without proven and widely-utilized solutions to the problem of nuclear waste

Impacts of Summer 2003 Heat Wave in Europe

The extreme drought and heat wave that hit Europe in the summer of 2003 had enormous adverse social, economic and environmental effects, such as the death of thousands of vulnerable elderly people, the destruction of large areas of forests by fire, and effects on water ecosystems and glaciers. It caused power cuts and transport restrictions and a decreased agricultural production. The losses are estimated to exceed 13 billion euros

Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2013: From shared risk to shared value - The business case for disaster risk reduction

As the ongoing global economic crisis has put a spotlight on hidden risks in the global economic sys- tem, landmark disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and the East Japan Earthquake and Chao Phraya river floods in Thailand in 2011, may have contributed to a turning point in business aware- ness of disaster risks. Businesses and governments are beginning to recognise a new category of toxic assets as an unfore- seen consequence of economic globalisation. While these toxic assets do not currently appear on their balance sheets, embedding disaster risk management in business processes is increasingly seen as a key to resilience, competitiveness and sustainability: a business survival kit in an increas- ingly unpredictable, complex and fast-changing world. But this change is recent, and there are few blueprints or well-worn paths to follow. In the coming years, as more businesses innovate and gain experience in this area, new paradigms will emerge that in turn will help to redefine the future of disaster risk reduction

GIS-based assessment of photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) generation potential in West Africa

This paper presents estimates of the geographical and technical potentials for solar electricity generation in rural areas of West Africa (ECOWAS region). The study is performed by application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods. We study both opportunities for large- scale grid-connected solar systems (photovoltaic, and concentrated solar power technologies), and for off-grid solar systems (photovoltaic). Locations are evaluated according to their suitability for solar systems' deployment according to topographical, legal, and social constraints, as well as factors that could facilitate or impede solar generation development. The study is conducted on a regional scale. The results can be used for identification of potential areas of interest for solar generation deployment, and as a support for integration between electricity grid expansion and off-grid electrification policies