REN21 (Renewable Energy for the 21st Century), Paris Record installations for wind and solar PV in 2014; renewable energy targets created in 20 more countries, new total: 164 Renewable energy targets and other support policies now in place in 164 countries powered the growth of solar, wind and other green technologies to record-breaking energy generation […]
Grand Challenges Canada, Toronto 25 May 2015 Innovative ‘flocked swab’ improves diagnosis, treatment of deadly childhood diarrheal diseases; results could prompt rethink of how to manage second leading cause of death among children under 5 With Canadian government funding, medical scientists have created and demonstrated a new tool that could dramatically lower the tragic annual […]
The Gordon Foundation, Toronto 22 April, 2015 10,000 people in 8 nations with Arctic territory surveyed; Results released on eve of Arctic Council meeting in Nunavut; Secretary of State John Kerry scheduled to participate as US succeeds Canada into Arctic Council chair Differing levels of trust, geopolitical tension, and a general lack of public awareness […]
United Nations University, Bonn 19 April 2015 End-of-life electronic, electrical equipment totals 41.8 million metric tonnes in 2014 E-waste last year contained $52 billion in resources, large volumes of toxic material; most is not collected for recovery or treatment New report details e-waste generation by region Bonn — In 2014, people worldwide discarded all but a small […]
UN Environment Programme, Paris, Nairobi 31-Mar-2015 Driven by Solar and Wind, World Investments Reverse 2-year Dip, Brush Aside Challenge from Sharply Lower Oil Price; 103gw Capacity Added in 2014 is Roughly that of all US Nuclear Plants Frankfurt / New York, 31 March, 2015 — Global investments in renewable energy rebounded strongly last year, registering […]
World Register of Marine Species, Belgium 12-Mar-15 World registry, nearing completion, confirms 228,450 known marine species; consolidation relegates 190,400 other “species” as duplicate identities Champion of taxonomic redundancy: “Rough Periwinkle” sea snail had 113 scientific names Over 1,000 new-to-science marine fish species have been described since 2008 – an average of more than 10 per month […]
United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton CANADA 22-FEB-2015 Corruption, siphoning 30 percent of water sector funding, must end for world development and security A new UN report warns that without large new water-related investments many societies worldwide will soon confront rising desperation and conflicts over life’s most essential resource. Presenting their […]
UN University INWEH (Institute for Water, Environment & Health ), Hamilton CANADA 23-DEC-2014 Large Parts Of Europe, South America Face Rising Vulnerability The first-ever maps of global vulnerability to dengue, a mosquito-borne tropical virus that produces a painful condition of body joints sometimes referred to as “breakbone fever,” were published today by UN University’s Canadian-based Institute […]
Grand Challenges Canada, Toronto 19-Dec-2014 Canada Funds 23 Bold New Ideas for Global Health Ultra high-speed gaming laptops and a sensor that lets computer gamers battle foes in the virtual world proved early stepping stones on the path to a quick, inexpensive way to create fittings for artificial legs needed by child amputees in the […]
United Nations University – International Human Dimensions Programme, Bonn; UN Environment Programme, Nairobi; UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development 9-DEC-2014 New perspective on growth of world wealth, 1992-2010: GDP up 50 percent; ‘Inclusive Wealth’ 6 percent; Looking beyond GDP, new index measures progress toward sustainability; combines changes in human capital, natural […]
United Nations University UNU International Institute for Global Health, Kuala Lumpur 9 Dec. 2014 ‘Science of Systems’ comes of age in pioneering interdisciplinary programme; Secretariat opens in China In brief: In China, international experts in health, environmental, behavioural and social sciences launch a pioneering programme to address rising health problems in cities through better urban […]
UN Water (Geneva / New York) One billion people don’t use toilets: 1 in 6 people in developing regions; New UN-Water GLAAS findings underscore critical gaps in monitoring, particularly for sanitation in rural areas The UN today called on religious, education and opinion leaders in developing regions to join government officials and champion a halt to open […]
United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, Hamilton CANADA 28-Oct-2014 Salt-spoiled soils worldwide: 20 percent of all irrigated lands — an area equal to France; Extensive costs include $27 billion+ in lost crop value per year Every day for more than 20 years, an average of 2,000 hectares of irrigated land in arid and […]
United Nations University, Hamilton Canada, and InterAction Council, Toronto 9-Oct-2014 Experts’ address universal concerns identified by former world leaders: World water crisis, sectarianism, energy, denuclearization of Korea A massive 180 km pipeline-canal megaproject to bring water from the Red Sea could prevent the Dead Sea from disappearing while improving the region’s environmental, energy and peace […]
European Marine Board, Oostende, Belgium 9-Oct-2014 Some 340 European scientists, policy-makers and other experts representing 143 organizations from 31 countries spoke with one voice today, publishing a common vision of today’s most pressing marine-related health and economic threats and opportunities. In a declaration concluding a three day meeting in Rome, EurOcean 2014 participants also released an […]
Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology 2-Oct-2014 Proposed urban edition of Malaysia’s ‘smart’ eco-villages debuts Building on the poverty relief success achieved through self-sustaining high-tech “smart villages,” Malaysian innovators have created blueprints for an urban counterpart that combines affordable homes, food security and sustainable jobs, aiming to solve the growing global problem of squalid city […]
Malaysian Industry‑Government Group for High Technology 22-Sep-2014 Malaysia a founding nation in new global sciences education alliance New York — Malaysia today became a founding partner in the Global STEM Alliance, a new high-tech multi-million dollar initiative dedicated to promoting young talent in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) around the world. Led by the […]
Grand Challenges Canada, Toronto 22-Sep-2014 On the eve of United Nations General Assembly events focussed on ways to save and improve the lives of mothers, newborns and children, Grand Challenges Canada, funded by the Government of Canada, today announced $2.4 million in grants for 22 bold ideas to address this challenge. The novel approaches include: […]
Malaysian Industry‑Government Group for High Technology 17-Sep-2014 As nations zero in on the UN’s post-2015 global Sustainable Development Goals, innovations being successfully pioneered and demonstrated in Malaysia offer several proven tactical ideas for improving the world, says an influential international sustainable development networking organization. The UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), through its Malaysian chapter, […]
United Nations University – Institute for Water, Environment and Health 2-Jul-2014 Business-as-usual management policies risks well-being of 2 billion+ people Leading international environmental and marine scientists today published a joint call for societies to introduce and enforce use zoning of Earth’s coastal ocean waters, mirroring approaches commonly used to manage and protect land resources. Writing […]
University of Toronto 20-Jun-2014 Calling global mental health problems “acute and urgent,” 37 leading medical authorities from 11 countries have published a joint declaration calling for basic mental health care in Africa. The experts also call for global mental health objectives to be included among the United Nations’ post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, for a special UN […]
United Nations University – International Institute for Global Health, Malaysia 15-Jun-2014 Study in Uganda shows under-18s most vulnerable to cholera, typhoid, acute diarrhea, other water-related health risks rising with climate change United Nations University will help pioneer a fresh trail in global health research, exploring links between the planet’s health and human health at an […]