Chernobyl: Enviornmental dead zone or eco-haven?

CNN recently took a look at the nuclear site at Chernobyl in the Ukraine, and what they found was rather surprising. What they discovered is that life is, in fact, starting to sprout forth from the desecrated ground in that some plants have adapted to the radioactive conditions. Animals, however, are still extremely affected by the adverse effects; the animals located near Chernobyl are slowly on the decline, even after 25 years. They have also discovered that cesium is still the most common element around the area.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/01/14/chernobyl.nature.radiation.debate/index.html

by Jim Michalik

World leaders seek to save the tiger

The tiger, and endangered species continues to inch closer to extinction due to poachers limiting their range. 13 states were part of an international summit in Russia to discuss how to double the tiger population by 2022, the next year of the tiger. The main problems against saving the species is the trade of tiger parts, such as bone and paws, that are used for traditional medicines in China. This supplies the market, and to further complicate matters, the tigers are processed in a different country, and are from tigers in a third. The trade is international, and therefore so must be the response and conservation initiatives.

Obama to launch clean energy initiative in India

Khaleej Times

The US and India will announce a joint effort to form a center for the development of clean energy. The announcement is expected to occur during Obama's visit to India. Both governments and private organizations are anticipated to provide funding for this project.

This comes amidst difficulties surrounding settling on an agreement for the Kyoto Protocol, aimed at reducing pollution internationally. Obama has attempted to push China and India into forms of energy cleaner than the coal most widely used; however, the US congress has been unwilling to impose restrictions on carbon on a nation-wide scale.

Water Insecuriity

Reported by BBC News, research on fresh water availability and quality shows that there is a problem. The article advised that developing countries, despite concerns of cost, invest in methods other than dams. While the current infrastructures work for some, it is environmentally damaging and not economically possible for some areas nor cost-effective. Agricultural pollution is one of the major threats to clean water where large agriculture exists without regulations on chemical herbicides and pesticides. The article also presents some possible alternatives.