May 2011
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Young Citizens Lawsuit Seeks to Compel US Action on Climate Change
A lawsuit filed in April on behalf of citizens too young to vote takes a novel approach in seeking to force the United States government to mitigate the most serious impacts of human-induced climate change. The petitioners argue that, in failing to address climate change, the federal government has abandoned its fiduciary responsibility to affirmatively…
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New Resource Center for Preservation of Geospatial Data
Geospatial data–including digital maps, imagery, and a variety of other digital files–are valuable resources for many different types of research, applications, and administrative functions. But unlike physical maps and documents, digital data can be difficult to reuse and preserve in the long run, because of changing software and formats, inadequate documentation, loss of media, and…
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Tree Rings Open Door on 1,100 Years of El Niño
Scientists have used tree-ring data from the American Southwest to reconstruct a 1,100-year history of the El Niño cycle that shows that, when the earth warms, the climate acts up. The research may improve scientists’ ability to predict future climate and the effects of global warming.
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Why We Must Reconnect With Nature
In recent years both children and adults have only gotten more hooked on digital gadgets and technology. Is our connection with nature growing weaker, and if so, what might that mean for our planet?
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Hitting the Green in Cuba–Again
In a somewhat distressing development, the New York Times reports that the Cuban golf industry will soon be back in business after a 50-year hiatus that started when Fidel Castro first came to power.
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ISDRC 17: Recap of Sustainable Development Conference, Where Do We Go From Here
This post was written by Pablo Villoch On May 7-10 the Earth Institute, Columbia University, hosted the 17th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference, in partnership with the United Nations Division of Sustainable Development (UNDSD) and the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Following are some notes from the conference. More than 400 researchers from over…
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Empowering Girls through Literacy: Kisumu Girls’ Club Leader Honored at LitWorld Gala
In Kenya, as in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, girls have lower primary and secondary school completion rates than boys. Yet learning can empower girls, providing them with critical skills that enable them to become higher wage earners and community leaders. Ms. Lois Owiti, a teacher at Kisumu Day Senior High School in Kisumu, Kenya,…
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R.I.P. La Niña
La Niña, we hardly knew ye. This year’s iteration of the climate phenomenon nearly set records for strength and riled up world weather for nine months. Now it’s dead. What’s next?
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Rising Seas Pushing Island Nations to the Brink
Rising sea levels caused by global warming could displace millions of people worldwide who are living on low-lying coastlines, and it may prove fatal to some small island nations. At a conference at Columbia Law School, legal experts explored the implications for the people whose homelands could become uninhabitable within a matter of decades.
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