Water scarcity needs “urgent and massive response” in North Africa and Near East

Food and Agriculture Organization                

Sustainable water use for agriculture requires transforming food systems and diets. 

Story here.

Please also read: New Evidence Confirms Risk That Mideast May Become Uninhabitable

and watch my video, "Planet in Peril," here.

A young man poses before a parched crop in Ethiopia. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons.

White House Budget Cuts UN Funding.

Larry – Today, the White House released a budget proposal that calls for crippling funding cuts that would undermine the United Nations’ ability to address the current refugee and humanitarian crises, help stabilize troubled regions through peacekeeping, and provide other forms of vital assistance. If passed by the U.S. Congress, the UN and its lifesaving agencies could see massive cuts that would put lives at risk. The proposed budget would jeopardize the UN’s most vital work to protect the world’s vulnerable during the worst refugee crisis in history and the worst humanitarian emergency in decades. Such reductions run counter to the views of the majority of Americans, undermine universal values, and make the world less stable and secure. Members of Congress will consider the President’s request over the next few weeks and release their own proposal. It’s ultimately up to Congress to determine how much they will allocate to the UN. Your voice is more important than ever before. Take a stand: share this graphic and tell the world that the UN matters to you. Thank you, Kathy Calvin President & CEO  United Nations Foundation P.S. You can learn more about the budget and how you can help here.

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Aerial photography of northern Ontario's Ring of Fire

     Canadian

Geographic

Photo credit - Garth Lenz, Canadian Geographic.

The James Bay Lowlands contain both environmentally crucial peatlands and one of the largest potential mineral reserves in Canada. Story here.

How Protecting Native Forests Cost a Southeast Asian Activist His Life

YaleEnvironment360

Logging in Malaysia. Photo credit: Stephen Codrigtonn

Malaysian activist Bill Kayong fought to save native forest lands from logging and oil palm development. Like a troubling number of environmental campaigners around the world, he paid for it with his life. Second in a series.

Millions of single-use plastic soft drink bottles sold every year, report shows

theguardian

A survey of five of the six biggest soft drinks firms found just 7% of throwaway plastic bottles are made from recycled materials. Story here. Story here.

A mute swan makes the best of a polluted world. 

Photo Credit - Wikimedia Commons.

Humans face a shocking, chemical-induced reproductive crisis

treehugger

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in our environment have damaged male sperm, most of which are now misshapen and unable to swim properly. Story here.

Plastics like this contribute to the problem. 

Alberta Wildfires Dubbed "Steve's Inferno," After Former Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.