The Stream, June 8: A Tipping Point for World Climate and Resources

A study by European scientists warns that large geoengineering projects, which have been contemplated as a solution to global warming, could create a 20 percent reduction in rainfall over the Amazon and a 15 percent reduction over large areas of North America and northern Eurasia, AlertNet reported.

Reports: Unsustainable Resource Use
A new study published in the journal Nature warns that ecosystems around the globe could be close to collapse as climate change, human population growth and resource utilization push natural boundaries to their limits, The New York Times reported.

The average use of material resources in Europe is 15 tonnes per person each year, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency that explores Europe’s resource consumption and its effect on ecosystems.

Only four of 90 global environment goals have seen significant progress, while much of the earth’s environment has continued to deteriorate over the past two decades, according to the Global Environment Outlook released by the United Nations, Reuters reported.

Africa and Asia
The U.N. Global Environment Outlook urges African nations to tackle sustainable development by recognizing citizens’ rights to clean water and land for food production, Bloomberg News reported.

The humanitarian situation in Abyan, Yemen is continuing to deteriorate due to fighting, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross, Xinhua reported. The region has been without electricity for more than a week, which has disrupted water supply.

Nearly 4,500 cases of dengue fever have been reported in Cambodia this year, a 340 percent increase over the same period last year, Xinhua reported.

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.

Codi Kozacek

A news correspondent for Circle of Blue based out of Hawaii. She writes The Stream, Circle of Blue’s daily digest of international water news trends. Her interests include food security, ecology and the Great Lakes.
Contact Codi Kozacek