Wasted food is a serious problem around the world as to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, ” Each year, 30 percent of global food production is lost after harvest or wasted in shops, households and catering services.”
Scarcity
Don’t say climate change, prefer ” climate crises “
To a recent study, global warming could cause a 50 percent increase in violent conflict. Given that it has already sparked the matches of war in Darfur and Syria, one can be scared. As the Guardian noted :
” A group of researchers have trawled the scientific literature and concluded from 60 studies, from Somalia and China to Colombia and the Middle East, that unusually warm weather generates more aggression and conflict. “
” In parts of equatorial Africa, they suggest, every added degree of heat increases the chance of conflict between groups by 11 to 14%. “
Here come the toilets of the future
Here is a smelly question : why are we putting together what Nature separates ? This is the question asked by a Swedish researcher about toilets. Putting urine and feces together is not a good idea as it is simply a waste of resources.
Moreover, flushing with liters and liters of perfectly drinkable water is a bad idea as water scarcity is already striking around the world and will spread as climate gets warmer.
Now here come scientists from Singapore with an idea that could revolutionize the way we dispose from our bodily waste.
Towards sustainability, reloaded : water
For the third installment of the series – see the previous articles on heating and electricity – I would like to propose you a selection of the best tips to help you to decrease your water consumption. Water scarcity is a major problem today as many countries and regions of the globe (South Asia, China, … Read more
Sustainable architecture : Earthship Biotecture
While browsing the Internet I discovered something that is completely in adequation with the topics tackled here, such as sustainability, energy and water use and scarcity and so on. Earthship Biotecture is about : “ radically sustainable buildings made with recycled materials. Earthships can be built in any part of the world, in any climate … Read more
Seven billion souls on Planet Earth
To Echo Sierra : ” According to the UN Population Fund, the global population will reach 7 billion souls on the 31st of October 2011, giving concerns about the natural resources scarcity and inequalities a renewed and actual acuity.”
” According to UN estimates, world population could grow to 15 billion by the end of the century, while global economy is based on limited – and thus craved – resources. Conditions are met for an escalation of tensions and conflictuality.”
I personally believe that it will prove difficult to reach even nine billion people as climate gets warmer and weirder. Olivier is absolutely right in saying that we will face an escalation of tensions…
A great idea for tiny apartments
In the age of scarcity, space can be a very expensive commodity. Hong Kong architect Gary Chang had an awesome idea to solve this : he transformed his 32 square meters appartment into a much bigger one with sliding walls.
This very simple yet ingenious idea allows him to have in a relatively secluded place many different rooms such as a library, a full kitchen, a bathroom with a tub and a spare bedroom. He even has a laundry room !
As you can imagine such a creative idea has travelled all around the world and Mr. Chang’s appartment was featured in the New York Times, the AFP and TreeHugger.
The fifth World Water Forum
This week in Istanbul, Turkey, around 15,000 water specialists are meeting for the fifth World Water Forum. This occurs as water scarcity is increasing and is due to keep on doing so around the world.
With the goal of bridging divides over water, this forum will tackle international issues as water scarcity is at the center of many international problems as two thirds of Mankind are due to suffer of water shortages by 2025.
Climate change isn’t the only problem that will reinforce water scarcity as demographic growth, energy production and pollution are also important issues.
Worsening water scarcity crises in China
I was reporting last week that many countries in South Asia are facing water scarcity. And to recent articles I read, it seems that the phenomenon is also witnessed in China as well, but an even more worrying way.
An article from the Green Leap Forward brings us great information on that worsening trend. This coupled to the economic turmoil creates a potentially explosive situation in rural China, as 20 million people are going back.
The situation was already critical last year when I first wrote about that topic, but what I read really makes me believe that Jared Diamond was right on China.