Oceanwell’s pods mine for fresh water in the deep sea. Raises $11M USD
OceanWell secures $11M in series A to build deep-sea water farms as a new approach to desalination
Drought
How rainwater pools help farmers in the driest land on earth
If Yemenis learn to build water collection pools they can farm year round and change the consequences of drought.
How nations can avoid climate refugees
Millions of people were displaced during the Syrian civil war, a conflict created by drought. Hundreds of thousands died. In the best scenario the world won't move to Europe or America. People around the world will be able to adapt in place.
The Fight for Water in Yemen’s Drying Land
Families on Yemen's West Coast often rely on unsafe water sources, increasing the risk of disease as clean water remains difficult to access.
Turkey’s deadly sinkholes threaten agriculture and peoples’ lives
Turkey's overuse of aquifers is causing a strain on the land and deadly sinkholes threaten farms and lives.
Rain and floods kill dozens in Afghanistan
Afghanistan farm uses solar panels to pump water to the farm. Water management, climate change mitigation is needed to stop unrest, violence and conflict in the Middle East. The Taliban currently controls Afghanistan.
Drought and then wildfires favor invaders
As wildfires increasingly impact communities, comprehending the factors influencing their severity becomes paramount.
Iranian women “selfies” without headscarves causing rivers to dry up
Today on the streets of Jaffa, where I live, I saw for the first time in my life a woman in hijab (helmet on top) driving her motorbike in full throttle along Jerusalem Boulevard. She was too quick for me (on my peddle bike!) to take a photo. I was pretty proud of her, because […]
NASA calls Middle East drought “worst in 900 years”!
A recent study released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) concludes that the current drought that began in 1998 in the eastern Mediterranean Levant – which includes Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey – is the region’s worst dry spell since 1100 C.E.
UAE to build a man-made mountain to increase rainfall
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) upped the wackiness factor of its portfolio of national mega-projects, announcing plans to build an artificial alp so the country can control its weather. Scientists will investigate if a man-made mountain will increase precipitation in cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi in this nation where rain falls just five days […]
“Drop-a-brick” in your toilet to defer regional drought
Drop-A-Brick is a clever PR campaign to cut water waste in severely parched California, a state with dwindling aquifers that is experiencing its worst drought in 500 years. It’s a project that can be implemented everywhere there is indoor plumbing, and the concept is sound – displace some tank water and over time, save buckets of the […]
Daring Moroccan university recycles urine as drinking water
You might not want to tell your Moroccan grandmother, but technology first developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) that recycles urine and waste water is being implemented to provide clean drinking water for 1,200 university students.
Japanese artist Hikaru Cho shows mutant food formed by climate change
Artist Hikaru Cho transforms ordinary foods into completely different foods, not by culinary skill, but with acrylic paint. She painstakingly camouflages veggies, fruits and even eggs into similarly-shaped but totally different foods. Viewers report they can experience the “surprise” in their mouths!
Direct Seeding Helps Moroccan Farmers Adapt to Climate Change
Farming is risky business in Morocco, where a 30 percent drop in precipitation since 1970 makes steady, predictable annual crop yields virtually impossible. So the World Bank was called in to help implement Plan Maroc Vert – an ambitious initiative designed to boost the country’s cereal production and create a more sustainable agricultural sector by 2020. […]
Climate Change (Officially) Contributed to Somalia Famine
Up to 100,000 people died in Somalia during the 2011 famine that devastated the Horn of Africa, and British scientists have reported that climate change is partly responsible. The short rains at the end of 2010 failed as a result of natural variations in weather caused by La Nina, Peter Stott of Britain’s Met Office […]