News

The Newspaper

Archives

Press Releases

Subscribe

Advertise

Mailing list

Links

About us

What's on and where

Messages for
The Muslim News

Contact The Muslim News

The Muslim News on your PDA

Back to index

Issue 255, Friday 30 July 2010 - 18 Sha'ban 1431

Environment

By Siraj Datoo

Google Earth offers a forecast of the future

The Government has released an interactive map, using Google Earth technology, showing the impact of a 4C increase in global temperature. Using information from the Met Office Hadley Centre and other scientists, a map has been created and imposed on a Google Earth layer, available from the website of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The interface itself is extremely accessible – essentially, it works as Google Earth does, allowing the user to play around, finding out more information by dragging the mouse around the map. Rings appear around countries and continents showing the change in temperature in various regions (the poles show a much larger change of about 8C whilst Europe shows a more moderate change of 2C).

The layer also gives more information about the major problems that are likely to affect each region. For example, a water droplet signifies a shortage of water. If you click on this droplet, a box appears, which includes a video of a scientist explaining why this will happen and underneath that, there are links to find out more scientific information. You can also see what the FCO is doing in other countries.

In December, the Copenhagen Accord renewed a commitment to keep only a 2C rise, and Sir John Beddington, the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor, made note that if the Copenhagen Accord was delivered, it should allow for a peaking of emissions by 2020, as long as countries maintain the effort against climate change.

The Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker, said that this was “the decade of delivery”, whilst declaring that the public must participate, and using such technology they will be encouraged to do so. Ed Parsons, Google’s Geospatial technician echoed these sentiments, arguing that this new layer would “promote better understanding of the potential impacts of climate change”.

However, after The Muslim News asked why would any member of the public download the package, Parsons conceded that only those interested would download it; the Government may show an external layer of concern for the climate and increasing public participation but the reality is that only those who already show concern for the climate will make use of this new package.

Curry spices for grazing animals could cut methane emissions
Curry spices could reduce the huge greenhouse gas emissions produced by grazing animals scientists have claimed.

Research carried out at Newcastle University has found that coriander and turmeric, spices used to flavour curries, can reduce by up to 40% the amount of methane that is produced by bacteria in the stomach and then emitted into the atmosphere. Working rather like an anti-biotic, the spices were found to kill the methane-producing bad bacteria in the animal’s gut while allowing the good bacteria to flourish. The findings are part of an ongoing study led by Dr Abdul Shakoor Chaudhry at Newcastle University.

There are 30m sheep, each producing 20 litres of methane a day in the UK.