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UN Agency Calls for Global Transformation of Agriculture in the Face of a Changing Climate
›November 15, 2016 // By Sreya PanugantiA recent report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that over the next 15 years, climate change will add to the number of people living in poverty via its effects on the agriculture and food sectors. By 2030, climate-related effects on food-related livelihoods could lead to an additional 35 to 122 million impoverished people, according to the 2016 State of Food and Agriculture Report.
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“You Are Asking About Pollution?”: One Journalist’s Perspective on the Mid East’s Environmental Crisis
›It was some point in May last year, shortly after ISIS surged into the city of Ramadi, and I was working on a story about Iraq’s fast-disappearing Mesopotamian Marshes. Keen to fact-check a few statistics with the Ministry of Water Resources and to hear the government line on the wetlands’ struggles, I dialed its Baghdad offices. After being passed from official to official like a hot potato, a young employee, Hussein, finally gave it to me straight. “No, no, we don’t have this sort of information,” he said, clearly impatient to get off the phone. “There are much more important things in Iraq right now.”
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5 Insights and Recommendations for Loss and Damage at COP-22 and Beyond
›November 10, 2016 // By Roger-Mark De SouzaOver the past four years, I have been a member of the Resilience Academy, an initiative of the United Nations University, International Center for Climate Change and Development, and Munich Re Foundation bringing together thinkers from 29 countries to gather insight on climate change resilience and “loss and damage.” Loss and damage has many definitions, but broadly refers to the impacts of climate change that cannot be addressed via adaptation (adjusting to the effects) or mitigation (preventing them from happening at all).
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How Climate Change May Speed Democratic Turnover, and Beyond a “Naïve” Understanding of Drought and Conflict
›In a recent paper published by Climatic Change, Nick Obradovich conducts the “first-ever” investigation into the relationship between rising global temperatures, electoral returns, and climate change. Using data from more than 1.5 billion votes cast across electoral contests held in 19 countries, he found that when the annual average temperature for a country rose above 70°F, there was a “marked” decrease in the number of votes received by incumbent officeholders.
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Strategic Ambiguity: How Loss and Damage Became a Part of Global Climate Policy
›As the international community meets in Marrakesh for the climate change negotiations at COP-22, one of the most delicate issues on the table is the review of what’s called the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage, or WIM.
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Chris Mooney, The Washington Post
Mosul Battle Shows Link Between War and Environmental Degradation, Says UN Agency
›November 4, 2016 // By Wilson Center StaffThe United Nations Environment Program is highlighting the battle by Iraqi forces to reclaim Mosul from the Islamic State as the latest instance in the complex but very real linkage between military conflicts around the world and extreme environmental degradation.
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5 Focal Points for U.S. Global Water Strategy (And Submit Your Own Too)
›November 3, 2016 // By Ken ConcaHave something to say about the U.S. government’s approach to water around the world? Here’s your chance. The Department of State has issued a public call for comment on its global water strategy. An open session was held in Washington last Friday, but written comments can be submitted until November 12.
For inspiration, here are points made by our own (and American University’s own) Ken Conca, edited for space:
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Could Climate Change Keep Kids Out of School? Q&A With Environmental Sociologist Heather Randell
›Education is seen as a key tool for building resilience to climate change in the developing world. But new research shows that climate change could also make it harder to keep kids in school and ensure they get the best out of their time in the classroom.
Showing posts from category environment.