Climate of Our Future

Climate Change Will Impact Global River Flow, Scientists Warn

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071012105820.htm

Science Daily — A global analysis of the potential effect of climate change on river basins indicates that many rivers impacted by dams or extensive development will require significant management interventions to protect ecosystems and people, according to an article published in the online version of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

The water level on the Potomac River at Great Falls, Maryland, was low on October 10, 2007. By the 2050’s, researchers predict that mean annual river discharge is expected to increase by about 20 percent in the Potomac. In contrast California’s Sacramento River is expected to decrease by 20 percent. (Credit: Dan Hogan)

“As a result of damming and development, major rivers worldwide have experienced dramatic changes in flow, reducing their natural ability to adjust to and absorb disturbances,” said lead author Dr. Margaret Palmer, Director of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. “Given expected changes in global climate and water needs, this could lead to serious problems for both ecosystems and people.” Keep reading.

Human Cost Of Colombian Coal Revealed

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071012100630.htm

Science Daily — A case study of the world’s largest open-pit coal mine reveals the hidden costs of coal from Colombia, in particular the effects on indigenous and Afro-Colombian villages.

Houses in La Guajira state, Colombia, near the Cerrejon mine. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Arkansas, Fayetteville)

In The People Behind Colombian Coal: Mining, Multinationals and Human Rights, University of Arkansas anthropologist Steve Striffler and colleagues Aviva Chomsky and Garry Leech have assembled a comprehensive collection of reports on the impact of the Cerrejon mine, located in La Guajira state in northern Colombia.

Opened in 1983, the continual expansion of the Cerrejon mine - at the rate of about 1,482 acres a year - has led to the forced displacement of indigenous Wayuu and Afro-Colombian communities. Some assessments have been made of the environmental effects on ground water, marine life and air quality - all of which affect the rural and fishing communities. Keep reading.