Hurricane Katrina: A NASA Satellite Video Retrospective

08.24.10 -By the time the hurricane subsided, Katrina had claimed more than 1,800 human lives and caused roughly $125 billion in damages
On Aug. 29, 2005, after passing over the Caribbean and Florida, Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast as a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. As hurricanes go, Katrina was actually only moderate in size when it reached the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts, having weakened from a category 5 the day before. However, Katrina had a very wide footprint, which caused a broad area of large ocean swells to develop within the Gulf of Mexico. As the hurricane made its final landfall, the resulting storm surge was massive and unrelenting. Ultimately, this storm surge was responsible for much of the damage as it flooded coastal communities, overwhelmed levees, and left at least 80 percent of New Orleans underwater.

More than just a model for recovery, New Orleans and the Gulf Coast give the people of Haiti the hope that in just 5 years, great progress can be made

Statement by President Bill Clinton on the Fifth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
August 28, 2010 | Bill Clinton | Statements

"Tomorrow, five years will have passed since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Mississippi and Louisiana shorelines, taking the lives of over 1,800 people and causing more than $81 billion of damage. Although new challenges — from a tragic oil spill to a nationwide economic recession — have captured the headlines in the region, we have not forgotten those who lost their loved ones, their livelihoods, and their homes in the storm.

In five years, great progress has been made: metro New Orleans has recovered more than 90 percent of its population and 85 percent of its jobs. Musicians and artists are returning in droves. Infrastructure has been built stronger than ever before. Children are learning more in their schools. But there is still work to be done. People still need jobs, education and training, and the assurance that what happened five years ago will never happen again.

I’ve tried to do what I can to help. After the storm, I teamed up with President George H.W. Bush to raise money for relief efforts. Our Bush Clinton Katrina Fund (BCKF) raised over $130 million, which we awarded to projects that have rebuilt schools and libraries, rehabilitated housing, created jobs, provided health services, put kids back in school, and protected the region’s rich culture.

In addition, my Foundation has been involved in a number of post-disaster efforts, including helping local residents access the earned income tax credits they deserved; advising the City of New Orleans on incorporating clean energy into their plans; and holding our first Clinton Global Initiative meeting for university students at Tulane University in 2008. Members of our Clinton Global Initiative, including Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, have made incredible commitments that are improving lives, homes, and communities in the Gulf region.

In five years, the Gulf Coast has come back in a way that inspires great confidence and optimism in me as I work with the people of Haiti after the earthquake. We are employing many of the lessons we’ve learned from Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami, including forging strong coordination among NGOs, governments, the private sector and private citizens, which was key to the success in New Orleans.

But more than just a model for recovery, New Orleans and the Gulf Coast give the people of Haiti the hope that in just five years, great progress can be made. And if we work together, just as we did after Katrina, we can not only build Haiti back — we can build it back better."

ODU: Idea Fusion

A video highlighting Old Dominion University's innovative research and researchers who are working to solve real-world problems.




Old Dominion University is Virginia's forward-focused, public doctoral research university for high-performing students from around the world who want a rigorous academic experience in a fast-paced and profoundly multi-cultural community.

COP 10 Promotion Committee > COP 10 "AICHI-NAGOYA PLAN"

In March 2009, the Aichi-Nagoya COP 10 CBD Promotion Committee formulated the COP 10 "AICHI-NAGOYA PLAN," which includes details on supporting the operation of COP 10, activities to be implemented by the Aichi-Nagoya COP 10 CBD Promotion Committee to create sustainable communities, and methods to encourage various organizations to participate in COP 10 and engage in reciprocal cooperation.



* Aichi is ensuring creative growth through Human Resource Development: Guidelines of new policies (summary) (PDF:7,861KB)


* Making Aichi a Place Where Human Rights Are Respected : Aichi Prefecture Action Plan for Human Rights Education and Enlightenment Environmental Policy (PDF:4,980KB)



* 21 Activities for Local and Global Environmental Conservation towards the twenty-first century : Aichi Agenda 21 (PDF:2,930KB)

* The Aichi Environmental Conservation Strategy: Making a Comprehensive Effort Through Cooperation on Many Fronts

China biodiversity strategy and action plan

"Climate change and biodiversity conservation cannot be separated
since they are complementary to each other - biodiversity adaption to climate change is a necessary measure to protect biodiversity and an important approach to combat climate change."
Wu Xiaoqing, Vice-Minister, China
Ministry of Environmental Protection


Montreal, 26 August 2010 – China, which in 1994 became the first country to prepare a national biodiversity strategy and action plan (NBSAP), is now among a select group of countries that have initiated a new strategy and action plan in advance of the Nagoya Biodiversity Summit.

Sponsored by the EU-China Biodiversity Programme, an international forum on the new biodiversity strategy was held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, on 25-26 August with the
participation of more than 300 experts, including international non-governmental organizations and other Chinese partners. The meeting was opened by Vice-Minister Li Ganjie of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, who reiterated the importance China attaches to international cooperation.

“This international forum, with the participation of our distinguished foreign guests, is a demonstration of China’s commitment to promote international cooperation to address the biodiversity challenges at the national and international level,” said Vice-Minister Li.

The new biodiversity strategy and action plan for the period 2010-2030, now submitted for State Council approval, comprises eight strategic tasks, 29 actions and 11 safeguarding measures. It aims to increase by 2020 the area of biodiversity conservation in China from 15 to 18 per cent of the area of the country. The strategy was prepared with the full participation of all stakeholders, including representatives of civil society.

Sichuan Province is the first Chinese province to prepare a subnational biodiversity strategy and action plan.
“In spirit, in letter, and in content, the approach of China’s new twenty-year biodiversity strategy is remarkable and an example to be emulated by others,” said Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

During his visit to Chengdu, Mr. Djoghlaf had a bilateral meeting with Vice Minister Li, and also met with the Vice Governor of Sichuan Province on the preparation of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to be held in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, from 18 to 29 October this year.

Read More :

COP 10 : AICHI-NOGAYA CITY BIODIVERSITY SUMMIT 2010


* EU-China Biodiversity Programme : UNDP Projects Summary,Challenge and achievement
* EU-China Biodiversity Programme (ECBP) 2006-2010:Strengthen biodiversity management for the conservation of specific ecosystems in China

* EU-China Biodiversity Programme (ECBP)Benefits :improvement of rangelands, water supplies become more dependent and the risks of downstream floods and droughts are diminished for the distant populations in the Yellow River basin.



Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity World Trade Center
413 St. Jacques Str. Office 800
Montreal, QC H2Y 1N9
Canada
Tel.: +1 514 288 2220
Fax: +1 514 288 6588
E-mail: secretariat@cbd.int
Website: http://www.cbd.int/

President Bill Clinton prepares to celebrate his 64th birthday on Thursday, August 19

Since 2001 the Clinton Foundation has worked to strengthen the capacity of governments and individuals to alleviate poverty, improve global health, strengthen economies, and protect the environment. Each year, we build on our success to find new ways to help more people through new partnerships, programs, and approaches. Hear about some of our recent accomplishments.



As President Bill Clinton prepares to celebrate his 64th birthday on Thursday, I'm hoping you'll help me give him something truly special this year -- a gift in keeping with the spirit of his work and his dedication to improving lives around the world.

We've put together a birthday wish list for him with projects that we know he's hoping to take on this year -- and already hundreds of supporters have pitched in.

Touching lives from Malawi to Colombia, these are projects that will create sustainable solutions to poverty, disease, global warming, and inequality.

In honor of his birthday this week, help President Clinton make these projects a reality. Then send him a personalized e-card letting him know what you picked out.

His wish list is an ambitious set of goals for the progress of his Foundation -- composed of specific needs he identified when he visited many of these locations over the last year. Before his 65th birthday, he wants to reduce malnutrition of Colombian schoolchildren by 10 percent, give more than 20,000 farmers in Malawi the tools to improve their lives, and much more.

WERI, President Clinton and his Foundation rely on the support of individuals like you to accomplish such ambitious projects. Don't miss out on this opportunity to help celebrate his birthday and become a crucial part of our work around the world for the coming year.

Will you make a gift toward an item on President Clinton's wish list?

Afterward, you'll be able to send him a personalized e-card letting him know what you've picked out.


P.S. You can also contribute toward President Clinton's birthday wish list using Causes on Facebook.



Donate toward President Clinton's Wish List
In honor of President Clinton's 64th birthday on August 19, make a gift that will help the Clinton Foundation implement sustainable, long-term solutions to the world's most urgent problems.

After you make your contribution, you'll have the opportunity to personalize a card that will go straight to President Clinton on his birthday.






Thank you for your support of our work.

Sincerely,

Bruce Lindsey
Chief Executive Officer
Clinton Foundation

"The Lullaby" - August 8, 1988 was the day a peaceful demonstration turned into a bloody massacre in BURMA

Major political parties in the country are the National League for Democracy and the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, although their activities are heavily regulated and suppressed by the military government. Many other parties, often representing ethnic minorities, exist. The military government allows little room for political organisations and has outlawed many political parties and underground student organisations. The military supported the National Unity Party in the 1990 elections and, more recently, an organisation named the Union Solidarity and Development Association.


Government propaganda poster states: "Tatmadaw and the people, cooperate and crush all those harming the union."In 1988, the army violently repressed protests against economic mismanagement and political oppression. On 8 August 1988, the military opened fire on demonstrators in what is known as 8888 Uprising and imposed martial law. However, the 1988 protests paved way for the 1990 People's Assembly elections. The election results were subsequently annulled by Senior General Saw Maung's government. The National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won over 60% of the vote and over 80% of parliamentary seats in the 1990 election, the first held in 30 years. The military-backed National Unity Party won less than 2% of the seats.





August 8, 1988 was the day a peaceful demonstration turned into a bloody massacre in BURMA.

Please help us commemorate! 7 minutes of silence today Midnight.
Reign of Terror in Burma Requires Genuine U.N. Action - Not Just Official Visits