Green News Round-Up | Tuesday, June 10

BBC News reports that the UN's Atlas shows Africa's rate of deforestation is twice world rate and that the continent's few glaciers are rapidly shrinking. Moreover, the atlas claimed that ,according to a series of satellite pictures take over the last 30 years, the combination of such deforestation with rapidly expanding cities, heavy pollution, and wider climate change problems were damaging the African environment significantly and worryingly.

Reuters reports that a study released today suggests that inland warming could occur as a byproduct of the increased melting of arctic ice. If the ice in the Arctic Sea melts fast enough, it could make for warmer temperatures hundreds of miles inland. Moreover, if the permafrost melts at a high rate ecosystems could be severely effected; even oilrigs, pipelines and other parts of our infrastructure could be distressed. And another record melt is forecast for this year, following on last year’s reduction of ice to 30% below average.

Reuters also writes that a new report from environmentalists claims that China is using up its natural resources at an alarming rate. In its effort to develop rapidly, China is depleting its stores of things like timber and water twice as fast as they can be renewed. This is clearly not a sustainable rate, the report says; and the next 20 years will be a critical time for China to correct this practice and put its exploding economy and rapidly growing population on a stable foundation.

The Associated Press reports that scientists are almost certain that drilling caused a mud volcano that has displaced tens of thousands of villagers in central Indonesia. The company that performed the drilling had claimed that an earthquake was responsible; but scientists now think the torrent of hot, black sludge that started oozing on May 29, 2006 from a large hole near the city of Surabaya was caused by faulty drilling.

US News and World Report’s Katy Marquardt writes about the coming of much ‘Greener’ 401(k) investment options. Despite a rise in socially conscious investing, only about one fifth of employees have access to funds that engage in such investing – i.e., according to a philosophy based on environmental and social responsibility. Its seems, however, that 60% of plan sponsors, however, are anticipating that they’ll add such funds over the next two years.