Links
Linkography
There are numerous blogs, NGOs (Non -Governmental Organizations), NPOs (NonProfit organizations) and newspaper websites that issue information and a wide range of points of view about the green crisis and what can be done. We will direct you exclusively towards basic factual websites where you can pick up useful facts, indicators and concise explanations that will help you forge your own point of view. Note that things change rapidly and that data does not always have the precision of a Swiss clock. But, these tremendous efforts and extensive research help us to understand the global trend.
Water
An introduction to the basics : water at a glance (Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations) :
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/art/2007/glance/index.html
Facts and global figures can be found on Unesco - World Water Assessment Program global report (june 2009) :
http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/
Databases about water (countries, resources, agricultural water use...) : Aquastat : http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/irrigationmap/index20.stm
"AQUASTAT is FAO's global information system on water and agriculture developed by the Land and Water Division. It collects, analyses and disseminates data and information by country and by region. Its aim is to provide users interested in global, regional and national analyses with comprehensive information related to water resources and agricultural water management across the world, with emphasis on countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean."
Global interactive maps and tables :
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/globalmaps/index.stm
On deforestation, check the NASA website :
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Deforestation/deforestation_update.php
(Tropical Deforestation, Introduction & Impacts of Deforestation, Climate Impacts, Causes of Deforestation...)
On Food
For maps and informative data, check the FAO website :
http://www.fao.org/nr/water/infores_maps.html
about Climate Change and food :
http://www.fao.org/climatechange/49357/en/
On urbanisation : summary of figures on Unesco website :
http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/facts_figures/water_cities.shtml
On oceans and dead zones check the NASA - Goddard Earth Sciences Data and information Services Center :
Action against overfishing : download a guide to find ocean-friendly alternatives when you buy fish
in Europe (in French, Italian and German) :
In the US :
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx
Climate Change
For a general overview on Climate Change check :
IPPC is a group of international experts and scientists awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for their work.
"The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change is the leading body for the assessment of climate change, established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences."
Synthesis report (2007) :
Check the chart page 10 of the report (pdf page 20) on effects of global warming on food, coasts, ocean....
Check also the Annual report (2008) of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme :
http://www.igbp.net/page.php?pid=100
Climate Change, peace and refugees
On the implications of climate change regarding peace and climate migrations, read the report of the Global Humanitarian Forum (NGO founded by Kofi Annan) :
http://ghfgeneva.org/TheIssues/tabid/170/Default.aspx
"The vision of IGBP is to provide scientific knowledge to improve the sustainability of the living Earth. IGBP studies the interactions between biological, chemical and physical processes and interactions with human systems and collaborates with other programmes to develop and impart the understanding necessary to respond to global change."
The report estimates that around 300,000 people die each year because of climate change; some 350 million people are severely affected either temporarily or permanently due to climate change; that over 20 million people have been forcibly displaced; and over 100 billion dollars damage is caused annually. Climate change is one of today’s most significant emerging humanitarian concerns. It is a direct and all-encompassing threat to health and safety, agriculture and the economy, and social and political stability. All regions of the world are affected.
watch the videos : http://www.ghfgeneva.org/TheIssues/ClimateImpactHotspots/tabid/402/Default.aspx
To be continued....
Please do not hesitate to point out any additional website you may find accurate (solutions@solutionsforabetterplanet.org).
