AIDemocracy.org | Climate Change

The Ice Caps Are Melting…Melting!

October 4, 2012 by Matt L Leave a Comment

Recently, an article was published in the New York Times regarding the new wealth of “rare earth metals” now attainable in Greenland. Due to a massive recession in the Greenland ice caps, one of the world’s largest stores of rare earth metals is now within reach. Now that that pesky ice has melted (much like the Wicked Witch of the West), Greenland’s government seems overjoyed with this new development and is poised to capitalize on this recent tragedy, claiming that this opportunity will create jobs, boost the country’s economy, increase … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less Tagged With: climate change, global warming

Trouble In Paradise

September 28, 2012 by Caleb Fritz Leave a Comment

The village of Vunidogoloa lies on a small tropical island half the world away in the tiny island nation of Fiji. This week, locals continue their work on relocating the village from its current beachside location to a new mountainside region a kilometer inland. The former village is an idyllic locale along the ocean with small huts, home gardens, coconut trees, and pristine views – all the quintessential elements you’d expect from a small Polynesian village. It might seem rather strange that a people would suddenly decide to uproot themselves … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less

Join our new Activista Team – working on global hunger, biofuels, land grabs

September 7, 2012 by AIDemocracy 1 Comment

We're looking for dynamic young leaders to help launch the US presence of a global youth campaign - Activista. Activista is a global network taking action around hunger and climate change, with members in dozens of countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. The Activista-US campaign is a new joint project of Americans for Informed Democracy and Action Aid USA. This is a virtual, volunteer position open to youth in the US. A quick snapshot of the problem: A few years ago, biofuels were touted as the miraculous answer to our energy … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less, Network, Opportunities Closed

Rio 2012, Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship PART III: Some are more equal than Others Scenario

July 10, 2012 by Ana Ila Leave a Comment

According to Wendt’s “Why the world state is inevitable,” in the long run we should have a truly global society. However, developments in the short run have so far proved otherwise. Warfare has been internationalized, as has education. However, what has arisen out of these developments is a more unequal and disunited world: one where the political and economic elites dominate, and ordinary citizens obey. There are dangers lurking on the roadside. Arms races and a new Cold War may be fostered. Countries may vie for recognition in power or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Security Tagged With: 1992 Rio Conference, Cold War, globalization, international elites, Iraq, UN, world state

Rio 2012, Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship PART II: The Solutions

July 10, 2012 by Ana Ila 1 Comment

The Rio + 20 Conference is not expected to have a strong impact on the environment. The agents of change – our global leaders, scientists, and those in attendance at the conference – have so far not produced needed changes to the environmental degradation. Indifference to change, however, can be combated through a better sense of interconnectedness provided by global citizenship. Different approaches to global citizenship also deal with environment. McGill summarized and categorized them according to the philosophy they subscribe to: 1. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Security Tagged With: Alexander Wendt, global citizenship, globalization, security, Waltz Kenneth

Rio 2012, Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship PART I: The Puzzle

July 10, 2012 by Ana Ila Leave a Comment

This June, the Rio + 20 Conference held amongst world leaders tackled the issues arising from climate change and unsustainable development. However, while little change is expected from these world leaders, mutual cooperation and genuine concern are urgently needed. Little has been achieved since the 1992 Rio Conference and the signing of the resulting Declaration on Environment and Development, to which all participating world leaders committed. At present, subsidies for fossil fuel consumption ($470 bn) outweigh the subsidies for renewable energy … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Security Tagged With: 1992 Rio Conference, climate change, Dough McGill, global citizenship, Rio 20+Conference, subsidies

Where climate change will hit the US: Are you in danger?

May 31, 2012 by emma 1 Comment

In the first blog in our series on climate change and agriculture, we’re going to start our discussion on these issues by looking at North America, and how this continent will be affected. North America produces huge amounts of corn, soy, and fruit, and if temperatures continue to rise, and weather becomes more unpredictable, it could have a dangerous effect on the future of farming in The United States, Mexico, and Canada. Admittedly, some of these effects could be positive for some farmers. Crops that are limited by the growing season, like … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less, Hunger Tagged With: agriculture, Canada, Mexico, north america

The Key to Long Term Food Security: Small Scale Farmers

April 20, 2012 by Madelyn Swift Leave a Comment

Although it is imperative that people in dire need of food get immediate relief and assistance, there needs to be long term solutions put in place to avert future crises. One cannot predict a huge drought, but the rainfall in in East Africa has been low for the past two years, partially as a result of human induced climate change. By the time five regions of Somalia were officially declared to be experiencing famines in July 2011, 3.7 million people were already in need of emergency aid and 10 million were affected. Yet, in August 2010, USAID … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less, Hunger

Opposed to Kyoto Protocol, United by Energy Profits

April 3, 2012 by Krystle Corpuz Leave a Comment

On April 2, United States, Canada, and Mexico pledged to develop a "Continental Energy Grid" that will allow for electricity generation and interconnection in North America. This energy cooperation will be given political support, which intends to reduce overall business costs. The cooperation believes such a venture falls in line with the objectives of the Durban climate conference to tackle climate change and reduce emissions. However, the announcement of such a trilateral cooperation to address climate change comes at a very controversial time. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less Tagged With: climate change, Energy

Biofuels: The Rowdy Fuel-source and Possible Solutions to the Clamor

March 27, 2012 by Leila Leave a Comment

Most people, throughout history, have been motivated by the simple idea of making resources affordable and hence accessible. Almost seven and half decades ago, Henry Ford envisaged cars powered by biofuels: “The fuel of the future is going to come from fruit like that sumac out by the roast, or from apples, weeds, sawdust – almost anything. There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter that can be fermented. There’s enough alcohol in one year’s yield of an acre of potatoes to drive the machinery necessary to cultivate the fields for a hundred … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Climate Change, Featured Less Tagged With: access to water, art, war