World Resource Simulation Center - Recent Trends http://www.wrsc.org http://www.wrsc.org/story/electronic-atlas-maps-us-renewable-energy-resources A new geospatial application developed by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) allows users to easily and accurately map potential renewable energy... http://www.wrsc.org/story/electronic-atlas-maps-us-renewable-energy-resources Mon Jan 16 http://www.wrsc.org/story/fish-production-falls-due-ocean-surface-heating A report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) indicates that ocean surface water warming limits the upward movement of nutrients and this can cause a decrease in fish production.The... http://www.wrsc.org/story/fish-production-falls-due-ocean-surface-heating Mon Jan 16 http://www.wrsc.org/story/environment-world-review-year-2011-rewrote-record-books The ecologically tumultuous year saw record greenhouse gas emissions, melting Arctic sea ice, natural disasters and extreme weather – and the world's second worst nuclear disasterThe year... http://www.wrsc.org/story/environment-world-review-year-2011-rewrote-record-books Thu Jan 12 http://www.wrsc.org/story/can-bolivia-become-green-energy-superpower Bolivia has vast reserves of lithium, seen as the green energy fuel of the future, which it wants to exploit on its own. But the lithium is locked underneath a 10,000 sq km salt flatBolivia has more... http://www.wrsc.org/story/can-bolivia-become-green-energy-superpower Thu Jan 12 http://www.wrsc.org/story/could-asia-have-its-own-supergrid By 2050, Asia could be connected by a massive energy and information architecture, believes Stewart Taggart.A ‘Pan-Asian Energy Infrastructure’ could be inspired by – and... http://www.wrsc.org/story/could-asia-have-its-own-supergrid Thu Jan 12 http://www.wrsc.org/story/disappearing-cerrado-brazils-great-untold-environmental-disaster-audio-slideshow Photographer Peter Caton talks about his visit to the Cerrado – the world's largest savannah. It contains 5% of the world's biodiversity, but is being destroyed at an incredible rate to... http://www.wrsc.org/story/disappearing-cerrado-brazils-great-untold-environmental-disaster-audio-slideshow Mon Jan 2 http://www.wrsc.org/story/global-carbon-emissions-reach-record-10-billion-tons-threatening-2-degree-target Global carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels have increased by 49 per cent in the last two decades, according to the latest figures by an international team, including researchers at the... http://www.wrsc.org/story/global-carbon-emissions-reach-record-10-billion-tons-threatening-2-degree-target Mon Jan 2 http://www.wrsc.org/story/state-world-un-poverty-reduction-goals-track Eleven years ago, at the Millennium Summit at United Nations headquarters in New York, the leaders of the world agreed to a plan meant to spur efforts to help the globe's poorest.This blueprint... http://www.wrsc.org/story/state-world-un-poverty-reduction-goals-track Mon Jan 2 http://www.wrsc.org/story/fears-rise-food-shortages-west-africa Millions of people in up to five West African countries will face a food crisis in early 2012 if early warning systems are ignored, the United Nations and aid officials say.The UN's Food and... http://www.wrsc.org/story/fears-rise-food-shortages-west-africa Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/eu-study-clean-energy-costs-no-more-long-run BRUSSELS (AP) — A report issued Thursday says the European Union can cut its emissions of greenhouse gases dramatically by 2050 without spending any more money — and even, perhaps, saving... http://www.wrsc.org/story/eu-study-clean-energy-costs-no-more-long-run Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/shock-retreat-arctic-sea-ice-releases-deadly-greenhouse-gas Dramatic and unprecedented plumes of methane – a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide – have been seen bubbling to the surface of the Arctic Ocean by scientists... http://www.wrsc.org/story/shock-retreat-arctic-sea-ice-releases-deadly-greenhouse-gas Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/could-desert-sun-power-world Green electricity generated by Sahara solar panels is being hailed as a solution to the climate change crisisDuring the summer of 1913, in a field just south of Cairo on the eastern bank of the Nile... http://www.wrsc.org/story/could-desert-sun-power-world Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/un-global-access-drinking-water-grows-poorest-falling-behind The proportion of the world’s population with access to improved drinking water sources grew by 10 percent over a period roughly covering the past two decades, according to a United Nations... http://www.wrsc.org/story/un-global-access-drinking-water-grows-poorest-falling-behind Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/gorillas-tigers-risk-due-climate-change-report * Animals most at risk on islands, mountains and coasts* Global warming threatens 20-30 pct of plant, animal species Climate change hotspots in AfricaSeveral animal species including gorillas in... http://www.wrsc.org/story/gorillas-tigers-risk-due-climate-change-report Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/cairo-cape-climate-change-begins-take-hold-africa We are right on the equator, and Speke, Moebius, Elena, Savoia and Moore, the five great glaciers of the the Rwenzori, the Mountains of the Moon, glint in the bright Ugandan sun. Usually lost in the... http://www.wrsc.org/story/cairo-cape-climate-change-begins-take-hold-africa Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/how-police-geoengineering U.S. sets record with a dozen billion-dollar weather disasters in one yearWhen people consider using engineering techniques to counter the effects of climate change, they usually think first about... http://www.wrsc.org/story/how-police-geoengineering Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/iea-says-solar-may-provide-third-global-energy-2060 Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Solar technologies such as photovoltaic panels, water heaters and power stations built with mirrors could provide a third of the world’s energy by 2060 if politicians... http://www.wrsc.org/story/iea-says-solar-may-provide-third-global-energy-2060 Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/noaa-autumn-and-november-both-warmer-average-united-states U.S. sets record with a dozen billion-dollar weather disasters in one yearNovember and the September-November autumn season were warmer than average across the contiguous U.S., according to... http://www.wrsc.org/story/noaa-autumn-and-november-both-warmer-average-united-states Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/saudi-arabia-exploit-solar-energy-desalination-plants JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia intends to depend heavily on solar energy to operate desalination plants instead of oil and gas as part of its efforts to make use of alternative and renewable energy sources.... http://www.wrsc.org/story/saudi-arabia-exploit-solar-energy-desalination-plants Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/un-farmers-must-produce-70-more-food-2050-feed-population A quarter of farmland is highly degraded, according to the first report into the state of the world's land resourcesThe United Nations has completed the first global assessment of the state of... http://www.wrsc.org/story/un-farmers-must-produce-70-more-food-2050-feed-population Mon Dec 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/water-shortages-dead-sea-could-increase-tensions-middle-east Scientists studying ancient mud samples taken from the bed of the Dead Sea separating Israel and Jordan have warned that the fragile political situation in the Middle East will be made worse by the... http://www.wrsc.org/story/water-shortages-dead-sea-could-increase-tensions-middle-east Fri Dec 9 http://www.wrsc.org/story/charitable-face-data-use A new group of innovative non-governmental organisations are springing up in the wake of disasters around the world, driven by complex data analysis and backed by telecom brandsSigning up refugees... http://www.wrsc.org/story/charitable-face-data-use Fri Dec 9 http://www.wrsc.org/story/map-study-finds-vivax-malaria-has-firm-grip-asia (Reuters) - Progress is being made in the fight against the most common form of malaria in Africa, but a long-lasting type of the mosquito-borne parasitic disease has a tight grip on swathes of South... http://www.wrsc.org/story/map-study-finds-vivax-malaria-has-firm-grip-asia Fri Dec 9 http://www.wrsc.org/story/south-asian-power-transmission-link-works Islamabad(SANA)Electricity trading with Pakistan is part of a larger plan of a South Asian transmission link, which will help countries in the sub-continent harness energy potential of the region.... http://www.wrsc.org/story/south-asian-power-transmission-link-works Wed Dec 7 http://www.wrsc.org/story/africa-sub-saharan-sanitation-targets-%E2%80%9Ctwo-centuries-away%E2%80%9D LONDON, 18 November 2011 (IRIN) - It will take two centuries for sub-Saharan Africa to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access... http://www.wrsc.org/story/africa-sub-saharan-sanitation-targets-%E2%80%9Ctwo-centuries-away%E2%80%9D Wed Dec 7 http://www.wrsc.org/story/after-25-years-sustainability-growing-science-thats-here-stay Sustainability has not only become a science in the past 25 years, but it is one that continues to be fast-growing with widespread international collaboration, broad disciplinary composition and wide... http://www.wrsc.org/story/after-25-years-sustainability-growing-science-thats-here-stay Wed Dec 7 http://www.wrsc.org/story/human-development-index-2011-warnings-future The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) published its annual Human Development Index on Wednesday, painting a grim picture of the prospects for millions of people in some of the world's... http://www.wrsc.org/story/human-development-index-2011-warnings-future Wed Nov 23 http://www.wrsc.org/story/greenhouse-gases-rise-record-amount The global output of heat-trapping carbon dioxide has jumped by a record amount, according to the US department of energy, a sign of how feeble the world's efforts are at slowing man-made global... http://www.wrsc.org/story/greenhouse-gases-rise-record-amount Wed Nov 23 http://www.wrsc.org/story/world-headed-irreversible-climate-change-five-years-iea-warns If fossil fuel infrastructure is not rapidly changed, the world will 'lose for ever' the chance to avoid dangerous climate changehe world is likely to build so many fossil-fuelled power... http://www.wrsc.org/story/world-headed-irreversible-climate-change-five-years-iea-warns Wed Nov 23 http://www.wrsc.org/story/plant-pests-biggest-threats-food-security The threat posed to crop production by plant pests and diseases is one the key factors that could lead to "a perfect storm" that threatens to destabilise global food security.Already, the... http://www.wrsc.org/story/plant-pests-biggest-threats-food-security Tue Nov 22 http://www.wrsc.org/story/agriculture-needs-massive-investment-avoid-hunger-scientists-warn Group of leading scientists urge investment in sustainable agriculture to solve hunger crisis and reduce global warmingBillions more investment is needed in agriculture and food distribution systems... http://www.wrsc.org/story/agriculture-needs-massive-investment-avoid-hunger-scientists-warn Tue Nov 22 http://www.wrsc.org/story/climate-concerns-%E2%80%98ozone-friendly%E2%80%99-hfcs-use-grows A rise in the use of "ozone-friendly" HFCs has prompted experts to voice concerns that the potent greenhouse gases could be a problem in the future.A UN report says that HFCs, many more... http://www.wrsc.org/story/climate-concerns-%E2%80%98ozone-friendly%E2%80%99-hfcs-use-grows Tue Nov 22 http://www.wrsc.org/story/climate-change-how-rivers-will-behave PRETORIA, 14 November 2011 (IRIN) - Soaring temperatures and erratic rains brought on by a changing climate may radically alter water flows in the world’s major river basins, including the... http://www.wrsc.org/story/climate-change-how-rivers-will-behave Wed Nov 16 http://www.wrsc.org/story/uk-urged-prevent-vulture-funds-preying-worlds-poorest-countries Campaigners demand Jersey legal loophole be closed as financiers seek $100m from the DRCBritain is being urged to help close down a legal loophole that lets financiers known as "vulture funds... http://www.wrsc.org/story/uk-urged-prevent-vulture-funds-preying-worlds-poorest-countries Wed Nov 16 http://www.wrsc.org/story/urban-planning-failures-putting-lives-risk-expert Failures of urban planning are putting lives, infrastructure and businesses at risk as weather shocks – like the floods now surging through Bangkok – become more frequent as a result of... http://www.wrsc.org/story/urban-planning-failures-putting-lives-risk-expert Wed Nov 16 http://www.wrsc.org/story/un-failure-reduce-environmental-risks-will-set-back-human-development Droughts and rising sea levels could reverse efforts to improve living conditions of world's poorest people, report warnsUnchecked environmental destruction will halt – or even reverse... http://www.wrsc.org/story/un-failure-reduce-environmental-risks-will-set-back-human-development Mon Nov 14 http://www.wrsc.org/story/why-world-burning-more-coal The inconvenient truth is that coal remains a cheap and dirty fuel — and the idea of 'clean' coal remains a distant dreamThis year's UN climate negotiations are in Durban, South... http://www.wrsc.org/story/why-world-burning-more-coal Mon Nov 14 http://www.wrsc.org/story/qa-un-secretary-general-ban-ki-moon  It's the hard-working demographers of the U.N. who have counted the global population and have selected Oct. 31 as the date of the 7 billionth person. That makes sense because population is... http://www.wrsc.org/story/qa-un-secretary-general-ban-ki-moon Mon Nov 14 http://www.wrsc.org/story/countries-must-plan-climate-refugees-report  WASHINGTON, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The world's governments and relief agencies need to plan now to resettle millions of people expected to be displaced by climate change, an international panel... http://www.wrsc.org/story/countries-must-plan-climate-refugees-report Mon Nov 14 http://www.wrsc.org/story/asia-africa-megacities-top-climate-change-risk-survey * World's fastest growing populations increasingly at risk* Africa and Asia most vulnerable to more extreme weather* Survey can help city planners, investors adapt to wilder weatherSINGAPORE, Oct... http://www.wrsc.org/story/asia-africa-megacities-top-climate-change-risk-survey Fri Oct 28 http://www.wrsc.org/story/world-population-hit-10-bln-15-bln-possible-un LONDON — The world's population of seven billion is set to rise to at least 10 billion by 2100, but could top 15 billion if birth rates are just slightly higher than expected, the United... http://www.wrsc.org/story/world-population-hit-10-bln-15-bln-possible-un Fri Oct 28 http://www.wrsc.org/story/global-push-7-billion-people The world is becoming a hungrier place - consuming more food, fuel and material resources - as its population bulges. But the increase in consumption is not even and not driven by the same factors.... http://www.wrsc.org/story/global-push-7-billion-people Wed Oct 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/new-research-casts-doubt-doomsday-water-shortage-predictions From the Andes to the Himalayas, scientists are starting to question exactly how much glaciers contribute to river water used downstream for drinking and irrigation. The answers could turn the... http://www.wrsc.org/story/new-research-casts-doubt-doomsday-water-shortage-predictions Wed Oct 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/warming-could-exceed-safe-levels-lifetime Global temperature rise could exceed "safe" levels of two degrees Celsius in some parts of the world in many of our lifetimes if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, two research... http://www.wrsc.org/story/warming-could-exceed-safe-levels-lifetime Wed Oct 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/climate-change-could-trap-hundreds-millions-disaster-areas-report-claims Report says refugees forced to leave homes by weather caused by global warming may end up in even worse afflicted areasHundreds of millions of people may be trapped in inhospitable environments as... http://www.wrsc.org/story/climate-change-could-trap-hundreds-millions-disaster-areas-report-claims Wed Oct 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/scarce-resources-climate-biggest-threats-world-health LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - The Earth's natural resources like food, water and forests are being depleted at an alarming speed, causing hunger, conflict, social unrest and species extinction,... http://www.wrsc.org/story/scarce-resources-climate-biggest-threats-world-health Wed Oct 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/bangladesh-selling-toilet-idea BANGKOK, 14 October 2011 (IRIN) - By some measures, Bangladesh is modernizing rapidly - one in two residents now owns a cell phone. However, when it comes to basic sanitation, progress is clogged.... http://www.wrsc.org/story/bangladesh-selling-toilet-idea Wed Oct 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/world-can-feed-itself-without-ruining-planet-study-says Author Jon Foley says feeding a growing world presents a huge challenge. But employing many strategies simultaneously can meet the problem.Recent global population growth estimates (10 billion by... http://www.wrsc.org/story/world-can-feed-itself-without-ruining-planet-study-says Wed Oct 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/we-must-make-ground-fight-against-desertification A global partnership is needed to tackle the desertification that degrades more than 12m hectares of arable land every year, affecting some of the poorest and most food-insecure peopleThe 193 nations... http://www.wrsc.org/story/we-must-make-ground-fight-against-desertification Wed Oct 26 http://www.wrsc.org/story/cpv-world-map-2011 CPV industry evolution: Your roadmap to sure-fi re market shareThe 3rd Concentrated Photovoltaic Summit USA is the number one networkingand knowledge centre for the industry. Following our... http://www.wrsc.org/story/cpv-world-map-2011 Wed Oct 26