World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk |
- World water day: are filters the future?
- Independent South Australian MP reportedly on sick leave
- Why water could decide the Indian elections | Matt Birkinshaw
- Five dead as plane crashes in front of passengers' families
- MH370 search enters third week with still no trace of missing plane
- Tony Abbott: most Manus asylum seekers won't be declared genuine
- Manus Island: judge launches new inquiry after PNG accuses him of bias
- Car crashes into wall at prime minister's official residence
- Obama meets tech giants to discuss concerns over NSA surveillance
- NDIS delay would need the states and territories to agree, says Mitch Fifield
- WA Senate poll offers an improbably colourful cast and bewildering plot
- Beale and Folau star as Waratahs overrun Rebels
- Pope Francis warns mafiosi to repent or 'end up in hell'
- Jose Manuel Barroso by Nicola Jennings
- Liverpool and West Ham line up post-season friendly in Mauritius
- Did Nasa fund 'civilisation collapse' study, or not? | Nafeez Ahmed
- North Carolina to withdraw Duke Energy settlement over coal ash spill
- Malaysia asks US for undersea surveillance in search for flight MH370
- Michigan's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional, says judge
- Martin Rowson on Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine – cartoon
- Country diary: Sandy, Bedfordshire: Golden plovers in a flight dilemma
- The changing face of gay travel: 'No we don't want twin beds'
- Top 10 gay honeymoon hideaways
- New Jersey fire kills four at motel housing Hurricane Sandy victims
- Obama will meet Xi Jinping of China in attempt to isolate Russia over Ukraine
| World water day: are filters the future? Posted: 22 Mar 2014 01:00 AM PDT  780 million people still lack access to clean drinking water. A new breed of filter could change that but must be made more affordable alongside wider sanitation efforts Since 1990 more than 2 billion people have gained access to improved water sources. It's a huge achievement that has saved thousands of lives, but the biggest challenge will be getting water to the remaining 780 million, many of whom live in the most remote and underdeveloped places on earth. Another considerable but necessary task is to provide clean water to those hit by humanitarian disasters. According to the UK government, diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation account for 80% of deaths in children under two during humanitarian emergencies. One easy to deliver solution that NGOs are now using is the Sawyer water filter. The simple system, which comprises a bucket with a thin hose attached to a nozzle, can clean a million gallons of water. Given that a child needs only 14,600 gallons in a lifetime, the system can offer clean water for life. The filters are based on the technology used in kidney dialysis machines. Each filter is made up of tiny micro tubes with pores hundreds of times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. These pores remove deadly bacteria and allow only clean water to pass through for drinking. The filter effectively eliminates cholera, typhoid, E coli, amoebic dysentery, and many other bacterial contaminants. Water from rivers, ponds, puddles and rainwater can be filtered through the system and safely drunk. An immediate use of the filters would be in disaster zones. When typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines many water sources were destroyed or contaminated. Water bottles were dropped from the air and water trucks sent in, but these solutions reached just a small percentage of the population. A number of charities including WaterCharity and Water 2 Wine chose to use the water filters as a means to help families. The charities worked together to distribute the water filters through community leaders, or 'barangay captains', in Tacloban City. The filters are also helping communities where division, unrest and a lack of infrastructure means that long-term clean water systems are a long way off. Liberia's capital, Monrovia, is the only capital city in the world that does not have electricity or running water. Charity Hope 2 Liberia, have been installing the filters in schools and distributing smaller filters to families in their homes. Remote communities are benefiting from the filters too. When sickness strikes in indigenous Amazonian communities, visits to a clinic are costly both in terms of time and money. Map International has been distributing the water filters to the Tsa'chilla, a community in the Ecuadorian Amazon for several years. "We are seeing a 75% decrease in sickness especially water-borne disease such as parasite infections," says Geovanny Santamaria, from global health group Map Ecuador. Map report that families are saving $30-$40 per month in treatments and visits to the doctor. Charities who don't have expertise in water provision are using the system to improve other areas of their programmes. Compassion focuses on child development, but saw the education of children in their sponsorship programme suffering due to days missed as a result of sickness. The financial security of families was also being hindered as high percentages of their income were spent purchasing clean water. Since the charity has distributed more than 100,000 filters to families, they have seen attendance of children improve alongside an improvement in the financial situations of families they work with. The filters are cheaper, lighter and easier to maintain than bio-sand or ceramic filters, and can ensure that families have clean water in their home. They can also be used by organisations that don't have direct knowledge or expertise in water development. At roughly £50 each they are relatively cheap, but to provide every family in a community with a system would soon add up. Most organisations have to be selective in their distribution, and that can lead to friction within a community. The filters don't solve all water-related issues either, as even families using the filters still suffer from water borne diseases if their sanitation and general hygiene are not improved. Socially, girls and women continue to bear the brunt of collecting the water, which takes them out of school and places them at risk of abuse and violence. If the filters are made more affordable, supported by private sector investors and complemented by wider efforts from the global development community to address sanitation and hygiene, they can be part of a global drive to make universal access to clean water a reality. Join the community of global development professionals and experts. Become a GDPN member to get more stories like this direct to your inbox theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds       |
| Independent South Australian MP reportedly on sick leave Posted: 22 Mar 2014 12:00 AM PDT Formation of new state government may be affected by reported illness of independent MP who shares balance of power       |
| Why water could decide the Indian elections | Matt Birkinshaw Posted: 22 Mar 2014 12:00 AM PDT  The country's newest political party, Aam Aadmi, has found a deep well of support for highlighting corruption of basic services India is the world's second largest country by population (1.2 billion) and tenth largest by GDP ($1,842bn), yet the national election next month could be decided by a simple issue – water. Mechanically pumped groundwater now provides 85% of India's drinking water, and is the main water source for all uses. North India's groundwater is declining at one of the fastest rates in the world, and many areas may have already passed "peak water". The World Bank predicted earlier this year that a majority of India's underground water resources will reach a critical state within 20 years. Groundwater use still falls under an 1882 colonial law, but the reasons behind its dramatic decline are more to do with the local and international politics of water management. New Delhi has an average water supply – 273 litres per person per day – which is higher than London and Paris, but simply accessing water is a daily challenge for about 50% of residents. As the city water board struggles, Delhi's thirsty population depends on the "water mafia", said to control a trade worth billions of dollars that is essential for ordinary people, wealthy residents and elected politicians alike. Just as onion prices rise before an election, tensions over water run high, increasing general anti-incumbency bias and voter loyalty towards those able to deliver on promises of good supply. The brokerage chains used in Indian cities to arrange water access can both support existing political regimes and lead to resentment against them. Until now, the 2014 elections have been shaping up to be a head-to-head battle between leaders of the two main parties: Narendra Modi's hi-tech hindutva for the BJP, against Rahul Gandhi, scion of the Nehru dynasty, for the somewhat tarnished Congress. The dark horse in the national campaigning, though, is India's newest political party the Aam Aadmi (AAP) led by an unlikely frontman, former civil servant and water activist Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP won a surprise victory in the recent Delhi elections on the back of a campaign centred on corruption and basic services. Their manifesto describing water as "the biggest concern of the aam aadmi [common man] in Delhi" made it a key campaign issue. Their posters read: "A warning to power: no water, so no vote". Despite accusations of being a middle-class party, AAP in fact attracted a lot of votes from Delhi's poorer neighbourhoods. For areas without good water access, water may be "arranged" by local leaders, usually aligned to the two main parties, in return for local support. Perceived withdrawal of loyalty may be met with threats, harassment or violence. By framing corruption around these issues of access to basic services, AAP has seemingly found a deep well of support. However, the day after AAP came into government, neighbourhoods in south Delhi found their water cut off, apparently a water mafia response to AAP's policy of free basic water. Kejriwal refused extra security and the AAP's efforts against illicit water continue. Lack of adequate water and sanitation are significant impediments to social and economic development in India. Sickness from polluted water is frequent. Girls in unserviced areas often skip school waiting in line on "water day", or don't sleep as they wait for the water to come on in the night. Indian bathrooms, for those lucky enough to have them, are commonly fitted with two sets of taps. One is for municipal water that runs at very low pressure at sporadic intervals (perhaps a couple of hours twice a day in Delhi's better areas), if at all. The other set is for alternative water, supplied from groundwater pumped from below the building, or sumps filled by delivery tankers, also often using untreated groundwater. As groundwater declines, and climate change kicks in, control over water is a source of power. In the land of khaadi kurta-clad politicians, Kejriwal has become famous for his signature combination of "old uncle" sweater, "borrowed watchman's" muffler and the Nehru hat that has become the party's symbol. But the AAP is not all spin. As a political party it grew out of the India Against Corruption movement, the country's Arab Spring, and is bringing an activist mentality into electoral politics. While this has sometimes spilled over into the ugly side of populism, the AAP has shown a shrewd ability to draw support from the urban middle class and poor alike. After Kejriwal recently stepped down as Delhi chief minister, citing obstruction from the mainstream parties, the AAP started preparing for a national campaign. Fielding candidates from an impressive coalition of campaigners and social activists, including veteran environmentalist Medha Patkar, AAP has the potential to play spoiler or kingmaker in the upcoming elections. If AAP is to succeed they need more than grassroots campaigning and popular discontent. Policies and schemes for water resource development in India have not recognised the political, social and economic roles of water outside of the official system. As a result, they have been bound to fail. The expensive, technology-heavy model of water supply that is often promoted mainly benefits international companies, consultants and local elites, destroying traditional, sustainable water practices in the process. AAP has made a promising start in tackling these problems in Delhi. They will need to continue to address these issues if they are to balance electoral populism with their promises of social justice. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds       This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Five dead as plane crashes in front of passengers' families Posted: 21 Mar 2014 11:36 PM PDT Light aircraft carrying skydivers burns after crashing on take-off at Caboolture airfield near Brisbane       |
| MH370 search enters third week with still no trace of missing plane Posted: 21 Mar 2014 10:51 PM PDT Aircraft and ships from around the world scour Indian Ocean off Australia's west coast for Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777       |
| Tony Abbott: most Manus asylum seekers won't be declared genuine Posted: 21 Mar 2014 10:26 PM PDT PNG and Australian prime ministers hint that most detainees will be found to be economic refugees and not fleeing persecution       |
| Manus Island: judge launches new inquiry after PNG accuses him of bias Posted: 21 Mar 2014 07:20 PM PDT The PNG government is trying to shut down an inquiry into the treatment of asylum seekers on Manus Island       |
| Car crashes into wall at prime minister's official residence Posted: 21 Mar 2014 06:50 PM PDT A car hit a wall at the prime ministerial home in Canberra shortly after 8am on Saturday.       |
| Obama meets tech giants to discuss concerns over NSA surveillance Posted: 21 Mar 2014 06:26 PM PDT  Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Eric Schmidt invited to Oval Office amid frustration over lack of action Executives of several large US internet companies, including Facebook Inc and Google, met President Barack Obama on Friday to discuss their concerns over government surveillance programs. Obama and senior aides met six tech executives to discuss issues surrounding intelligence, technology and privacy, the White House said in a statement following the meeting. Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, the world's largest Internet search engine; Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Facebook, the world's biggest social network; and Reed Hastings, chief executive officer of Netflix Inc, an online video streaming service, were among those attending the meeting, the White House said. Other attendees are Aaron Levie and Drew Houston, chief executive officers of two online storage and file-sharing companies Box and Dropbox; and Alex Karp, chief executive officer of Palantir Technologies, a data-mining company which is partly backed by the CIA and whose clients include the National Security Agency. The president sought to provide reassurances that the administration is putting in place reforms to intelligence collection after revelations of widespread collection of data stirred outrage. "The president reiterated his administration's commitment to taking steps that can give people greater confidence that their rights are being protected while preserving important tools that keep us safe," the White House said. But Facebook's Zuckerberg, a public critic of government data gathering practices, said that more needed to be done. "While the U.S. government has taken helpful steps to reform its surveillance practices, these are simply not enough," he said through a spokesperson. "People around the globe deserve to know that their information is secure and Facebook will keep urging the U.S. government to be more transparent about its practices and more protective of civil liberties," he said. Obama in January outlined a series of limited reforms to NSA data gathering, banning eavesdropping on the leaders of friendly or allied nations and proposing some changes to how NSA treats Americans' phone data. The most sweeping program, collection of telephone "metadata," comes up for reauthorization next week, on March 28. Obama has asked Attorney General Eric Holder and the US intelligence community to report back to him before that deadline on how to preserve the necessary capabilities of the program, without the government holding the metadata. An industry source said invitations to Friday's meeting with Obama were received on 15 March, two days after Zuckerberg blasted US electronic surveillance practices in a widely read public post on Facebook. "I've called President Obama to express my frustration over the damage the government is creating for all of our future. Unfortunately, it seems like it will take a very long time for true full reform," Zuckerberg wrote. Some of the largest US technology companies, including Google, its rival Yahoo Inc, social networking site Twitter Inc and others, have been pushing for more transparency, oversight and restrictions to US government's gathering of intelligence. Facing criticism for their own collection practices involving users' data, the companies have also sought to clarify their relationships with U.S. law enforcement and spying agencies since June, when leaks to the news media by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden began to show the extent of US spying capabilities. Media reports based on secret documents disclosed by Snowden have detailed how the US government may have tapped into communications cables that link data centers owned by Google and Yahoo, and intercepted user data. The NSA has pushed back against the media reports that rely on Snowden leaks, calling many of them inaccurate and saying the spying programs are critical to US national security. Snowden is wanted in the United States on espionage charges and is living in asylum in Russia. Friday's meeting is not the first on the matter for Obama and the tech industry leaders. In December, a larger group of tech executives, including also Microsoft Corp, AT&T Inc and Apple Inc, urged the administration to rein in the government's electronic spying. Executives from several other companies, including Yahoo and LinkedIn Corp, were said to be unable to attend Friday's meeting because of scheduling conflicts. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds       |
| NDIS delay would need the states and territories to agree, says Mitch Fifield Posted: 21 Mar 2014 06:21 PM PDT There is speculation about a possible change to the timetables for fully implementing the national disability insurance scheme.       |
| WA Senate poll offers an improbably colourful cast and bewildering plot Posted: 21 Mar 2014 06:05 PM PDT The rerun election may have implications – above all for climate policy – far beyond the simple choice of six senators       |
| Beale and Folau star as Waratahs overrun Rebels Posted: 21 Mar 2014 05:27 PM PDT Kurtley Beale sparked the Waratahs to a third bonus-point triumph in four starts this campaign.       |
| Pope Francis warns mafiosi to repent or 'end up in hell' Posted: 21 Mar 2014 05:09 PM PDT  Francis's stance on organised crime in contrast with church's perceived former reluctance to criticise mafia bosses Pope Francis has made his strongest attack to date on the mafia, telling organised crime bosses they will end up in hell if they do not "convert" and give up their lives of "bloodstained money [and] blood-stained power". In an echo of John Paul II's appeal to mafia dons to renounce their "culture of death", the Argentinian urged mafiosi to "stop doing evil" as he held an unprecedented meeting with hundreds of victims' relatives in Rome. "I feel that I cannot conclude without saying a word to the protagonists who are absent today – the men and women mafiosi," he said, quietly but forcefully. "Please change your lives. Convert yourselves. Stop doing evil." The meeting in a church near Vatican City was the first time a pontiff had taken part in events tied to a day of commemoration held annually by the anti-mafia organisation, Libera. During a prayer vigil, the names of 842 victims were read aloud. In his address, Francis made special reference to an attack on Monday in the southern Italian province around the city of Taranto, in which three people – two adults and a toddler – were shot dead in an apparent mafia hit. In January, he spoke out after a three-year-old boy was killed in an apparent attack by the 'Ndrangheta, the powerful Calabrian mafia. Then, too, Francis urged those involved to "repent and convert to the Lord". He has previously condemned organised crime for "exploiting and enslaving people". On Friday, before a packed church, the pope said it was in the criminals' own interests to change their ways. "There is still time to avoid ending up in hell. That is what is waiting for you if you continue on this path," he said. "You have had a father and a mother. Think of them. Cry a little and convert." Expressing the hope that a "sense of responsibility" would eventually win out over corruption globally, he added: "This life that you live now will not give you happiness. The power and money that you have now from many dirty dealings, from many mafia crimes, is bloodstained money, is bloodstained power – you cannot bring them with you to the next life." Francis's stance on organised crime is in contrast with that of some of his 20th century predecessors, who were perceived as presiding over a church reluctant to criticise mafia bosses. Victims had to wait until 1993 to hear an explicit papal condemnation, when John Paul II urged the guilty to "convert" and warned them that judgment day was coming. That was in May. In July, two Roman churches – San Giovanni in Laterano and San Giorgio in Velabro – were damaged in bomb attacks amid a wave of violence. Organised crime controls almost all economic and criminal activity in Calabria, Sicily and parts of Campania and Apulia, and it has greatly extended its influence in Rome and Milan in the past two decades. Italy's main crime groups – Sicily's Cosa Nostra, Calabria's 'Ndrangheta, and the Camorra from around the southern city of Naples – have a joint annual turnover of €116bn (£97bn), according to a United Nations estimate. The mob continues to use violence and threats to keep its grip on its territory. Threats again st local government officials have risen 66% since 2010, when the figures were first collected, according to a report published on Friday. theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds       |
| Jose Manuel Barroso by Nicola Jennings Posted: 21 Mar 2014 05:02 PM PDT President of the European Commission       |
| Liverpool and West Ham line up post-season friendly in Mauritius Posted: 21 Mar 2014 04:52 PM PDT  • Teams could meet in Mauritius on 18 May Liverpool's players are poised to kick-start their summer with a beach holiday with a difference, in the shape of a post-season friendly against West Ham in Mauritius. The club's director of sales, Olly Dale, was in Mauritius this week to examine the facilities at Anjalay Stadium, the nation's 30,000-capacity showpiece sports venue. Mark Gibbon, widely described in local media as an "agent of West Ham" but whose precise relationship with the club is unclear, was also present, with the match pencilled in for Sunday 18 May, a week after the curtain comes down on the Premier League season. They were accompanied on their tour by the Minister of Youth and Sport, Devanand Ritoo, his chief of staff, Dev Phokeer, and a representative of Health and Sport, a local company involved in the deal to stage the game. "I'm very impressed with everything in Mauritius, it's a great country," Dale told reporters. "We've had a very warm welcome extended to us here, so thank you for that. We look forward to any prospective game with the knowledge that this is a fantastic country." While L'Express reported that the game had been confirmed, Le Mauricien insisted that the deal remains to be completed but that the project has the full backing of the government and local authorities. The teams would not be the first major footballing figures to visit Mauritius, which hosted Sepp Blatter during Fifa's annual congress in Pailles last year. "It's a fantastic country. It's a fantastic welcome. The people are beautiful," said Gibbon. "I'm very surprised how professional the facilities are, good enough to host any international event here. I'm very impressed indeed." theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds       |
| Did Nasa fund 'civilisation collapse' study, or not? | Nafeez Ahmed Posted: 21 Mar 2014 04:44 PM PDT  Journalistic standards won't be upheld by attempting to discredit science we don't like Environmental journalism's watchdog strikesBlogger Keith Kloor, who writes for Discover magazine, claims that my article on a Nasa-funded study modelling civilisational collapse scenarios is so inaccurate that it constitutes "a sad commentary on journalism today." The actual study, he claims, had no connection to Nasa whatsoever. Rather, I "disingenously hyped" the paper "as being 'Nasa-sponsored'", when in fact, it simply wasn't. Thus, the story which I "thought of as a big scoop", scoffs Kloor, "wouldn't pass Journalism 101." Kloor then goes on to take, essentially, the entire "herd-like media coverage" of the story to task for repeating the story in a "similarly sensationalist" fashion. The upshot is that Keith Kloor is the man to trust when it comes to environmental journalism, the veritable watchdog of the industry. Sadly, Kloor's sloppiness - driven by his hostility toward what he calls 'misguided eco-doomers' (which apparently includes anyone who says that business-as-usual could have disastrous consequences for the environment) - causes him to produce a highly skewed response. The Nasa deception that wasn'tAt first glance, Kloor's evidence for insinuating that the study led by applied mathematician Safa Motesharrei had no connection to Nasa seems clear-cut. He cites an official statement put out earlier today by the space agency saying that the study "was not solicited, directed or reviewed by Nasa. It is an independent study by the university researchers utilizing research tools developed for a separate Nasa activity. As is the case with all independent research, the views and conclusions in the paper are those of the authors alone. Nasa does not endorse the paper or its conclusions." Clear-cut? Perhaps not. Nasa's funding for the very research behind the study is explicitly acknowledged in the paper, which is now available online here (p. 23):
And the US National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (Sesync) where the lead author carried out his research for the project issued an official clarification about the study yesterday as follows, confirming the same:
Indeed, the authors of the paper fully agreed with the accuracy of my characterisation of the study as being "Nasa-funded" or "sponsored." It comes down to a simple question really. Was the HANDY model funded by NASA? The answer is yes, even if the conclusions of the study do not represent the views of the space agency. So who is being "deceptive" here, to use Kloor's word? To be fair, much of the media reporting following my story blurred simple nuances even further. "Nasa-funded study" became "Nasa study"; a mathematical model exploring a range of hypothetical scenarios was depicted as stating unequivocally that "society is doomed", "the end is nigh", and "western civilisation is heading for collapse." But pretending that the Human and Nature DYnamical (HANDY) model was not funded by a Nasa grant to the lead author is hardly honest. The 'collapse' that wasn't?Kloor then follows up with a further post attempting to dissect the actual study. Now this section I don't have a particular problem with as such - nothing wrong with disagreeing with a study on the basis of reasonable contrary evidence. The problem is that after making a big hullabaloo about my presentation of the arguments and findings of the study 'as is', Kloor proceeds to harness as many experts as he can to rubbish the study. Curiously, he can find not a single scientist or scholar who found the study useful, worthwhile, or bearing some validity worth further research. He quotes, for instance, leading collapse anthropologist Prof Joseph Tainter, who critiques the HANDY model for a "flawed" understanding of the rise and fall of civilisations due to unsustainable levels of complexity. Some of Tainter's criticisms may well be correct - but Tainter is not always right. Tainter's model of the collapse process of past civilisations in his landmark book, The Collapse of Complex Societies, is contradicted by the historical record on many of his own examples (a matter I've discussed more extensively elsewhere). The process of collapse, he says, occurs on a timescale of "no more than a few decades," when the complex structures created to deal with increasing problems generated by growing complexity begin to crumble under their own weight (p. 4). But this is incorrect. The collapse of the Western Roman empire, for instance - one of Tainter's prime examples - did not occur over decades through a single protracted collapse-process, but rather consisted of a series of crises over a period of centuries. Each crisis led to loss of social complexity and the establishment of temporary stability at a less complex level. Each such level then proved to be unsustainable in turn, and was followed by a further crisis and loss of complexity. The first major breakdown in the Roman imperial system came in 166 CE, and further crises followed until the Western empire ceased to exist in 476 CE. Collapse processes simply aren't as fast as Tainter thinks, and do not occur simply due to the dynamics of the resource issues surrounding his concept of 'complexity.' This doesn't mean Tainter is entirely wrong, just that his theorisation of what makes collapses take place, whether over shorter of longer periods of time, is open to question. For instance, another anthropologist and complex society expert, Prof Adam T. Smith of Cornell University, said that the HANDY model's central thesis - that a collapse of industrial civilisation due to unsustainable resource exploitation and increasing economic inequality - is perfectly plausible:
Number gamesWhat about the HANDY model itself? Is it too simplistic? Kloor's modelling expert turns out to be an obscure student in Mathematical Ecology specialising in the modelling of Plankton, who pooh-poohs the study as oversimplistic as it has only four equations. But neither Kloor nor the student understand what they're talking about. An academic conference paper on the HANDY model by a cross-disciplinary team of natural and social scientists led by Dr Rodrigo Castro of the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, delivered earlier this month, explains in detail why the HANDY model is so useful:
The HANDY model's utility, in other words, is precisely its ability to reproduce complex behaviour despite a simple model structure. Its most unique feature is described as follows:
But, of course, a biased observer who has never really understood these other modelling efforts would never be capable of grasping this. It is precisely this unique feature which enabled the HANDY model to depart from the work of Tainter to explore the potential instabilities of the rampant inequality in today's global economy. It's not particularly surprising that Kloor seeks to misrepresent the Nasa-funded study in this way. In 2011, Kloor said that the following comment from a climate denier "concisely expressed" his thinking on climate change:
CO2 "must have an effect", but "exactly what" I can't say. Closet climate denial? You decide. The Kloor effectKloor has also had curious run-ins with other journalists. Joe Romm, the physicist and founding editor of the renowned Climate Progress blog, didn't have much great to say about Kloor's brand of journalism - which Romm, rightly or wrongly, characterised as "trash." Harsh? For one thing, Kloor is a leading cheerleader for genetically modified (GM) foods, and routinely argues that the science on GM is firmly settled in its favour (while systematically ignoring credible scientists who disagree). Kloor's concerns, it would seem, are less motivated by upholding journalistic standards, than muddying them to promote his happy vision of a world without 'eco-doom.' Hence his reasons for characterising me as a "doomsday prophet" in a post last year. Sadly, Kloor's journalistic rigour somehow failed to involve bothering to read either my book or my numerous observations over the years on the grounds for long-term optimism. Unfortunately for Kloor, a world without his dreaded 'eco doom' is unlikely to transpire without the sort of change of course that he finds so unpalatable. I close with the conclusions of Dr Rodrigo Castro's paper on the HANDY model:
Dr Nafeez Ahmed is executive director of the Institute for Policy Research & Development and author of A User's Guide to the Crisis of Civilisation: And How to Save It among other books. Follow him on Twitter @nafeezahmed theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds       This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| North Carolina to withdraw Duke Energy settlement over coal ash spill Posted: 21 Mar 2014 02:55 PM PDT Settlement over February spill at coal ash dump that polluted the Dan River would have imposed a $99,000 fine on $50bn company       |
| Malaysia asks US for undersea surveillance in search for flight MH370 Posted: 21 Mar 2014 02:37 PM PDT Pentagon spokesman says US will 'assess the availabity' of technology after Malaysian defence minister calls Chuck Hagel       |
| Michigan's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional, says judge Posted: 21 Mar 2014 02:31 PM PDT Unclear if same-sex marriages can begin immediately but federal judge gives no indication of allowing state to appeal       |
| Martin Rowson on Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine – cartoon Posted: 21 Mar 2014 02:07 PM PDT Vladimir Putin laughs off western sanctions against Russia as he completes the annexation of Crimea       |
| Country diary: Sandy, Bedfordshire: Golden plovers in a flight dilemma Posted: 21 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT  Sandy, Bedfordshire: I looked up to see light bellies and black-tipped tails that reminded me of narrow paintbrushes The grass margin of a newly ploughed field spat out a skylark. It broke cover from almost under my feet and darted away over bare earth with a spluttering twitter of alarm. No lark within hearing had, as yet, mounted the sky with song. I looked up into the too-bright sun, where a cloud was passing across. When the cloud went into the blue yonder, it became a flock of birds, bunching and spreading – about 200 golden plovers with narrow pointed wings beating very fast. A few mournful bleats dropped out of the air. For 20 minutes or so, the plovers were tugged this way and that by conflicting opinions. The leading edge of the flock pulled it down into the furrows. After a shimmer of wings, it disappeared altogether. A string of birds rose from the earth, drawing the whole flock up with it. They veered in front of a screen of poplar trees, flashing white fronts, and then a touch of acid yellow when they flipped, backs to the wind. The plovers rose, dipped and flew immediately overhead, making a terrific whooshing noise, as if someone was blowing hard into the embers of a dying fire. I looked up to see light bellies and black-tipped tails that reminded me of narrow paintbrushes. Swirling round and round the fields, at first elastic and amorphous, the flock eventually began to line up in formations. The birds were starting to make V-shaped skeins, striking out with purpose, and then closing up and doubling back to the safety of their ploughed landing pad. Do we stay or do we go? On one tentative foray, the flock was split: an offshoot peeled off west into invisibility, then came in sight again and fused with the main group. Such an enthralling sight could only hold me in thrall for so long: I had little time to spare for a limitless cycle of indecision. I turned away and walked on a little way south. And then turned back. The flock had gone, heading north towards spring on the upland moors. Twitter @DerekNiemann theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds       |
| The changing face of gay travel: 'No we don't want twin beds' Posted: 21 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT  Gay marriage is becoming legal, but outside the UK the world is splitting into places where gay people are welcomed, and places where they are shunned or persecuted. Actor Sophie Ward looks at the challenges and options for same sex couples The first time I went on holiday with my wife and children was in 2005, when we booked, with much excitement, a stay on a Caribbean island. We had travelled together before – to see family in the US and on road trips where all we packed was a tent and some firewood – but this was our first proper family holiday. We'd arranged it the old-fashioned way, in person at a travel agent, and everything about the resort seemed ideal for the four of us. When we reached the hotel, we stood admiring our surroundings while waiting to check in. We handed over our passports and waited. "But you have booked a double room and a twin room." The receptionist looked at me with corrugated brow. "That's for the four of you?" We all stood in a row at the desk. The youngest was 11. His eyes were level with the mauve bougainvillea draped over the countertop. "That's right," I said. The receptionist stared at her screen and typed. "We do not have another twin room available." I stood a bit closer to my wife and smiled: "We don't need another room. Our boys are in the twin room." The receptionist didn't look up from her screen. "I'm afraid that will not be possible. Your children will share the double room. You will have the twin." It was not a good start to what was otherwise an excellent holiday. We all trooped to our assigned rooms, and then changed around as soon as the porters had left. No one said another word to us about our sleeping arrangements, but we knew that even if the hotel was happy to take our booking, the community and local custom did not accept us as a family, and we felt foolish for having thought it might be otherwise. Due diligence would have told us that Antigua, for that was the island, does not recognise same-sex relationships and that gay people can face up to 15 years in prison. Perhaps we'd been lulled into a false sense of security by booking through a well-known company, but we would never make the same mistake again. When planning a holiday, we all have checklists in our head. Beach or mountain, family or romantic, retreat or adventure. Safety might be an issue, especially if you are a woman travelling alone or are heading to the scene of recent war. There are foreign office guidelines on whether a country is safe for tourists, but few of us have to consider whether we will even be welcome in a holiday destination. Specialist LGBT holiday guides have been around for years. When I bought my first gay travel guide in 1996, it seemed impressive that the authors could find enough gay-tolerant places in the world to fill a whole volume. The book listed the oases, mostly cities, where gay people could hold hands without fear, celebrate anniversaries as sentimentally as straight couples or go to a bar and dance with whomever they liked. Lesbian travel companies such as Olivia or Walking Women offered cruises and walking holidays; gay men were catered for by companies such as Damron, with the promise of a different sort of cruising. Until as recently as this century, that was as much as we expected. Of course, gay people travelled and lived everywhere, but we were not always out. Now, though, times have changed, and on 29 March the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act becomes law in England and Wales (and by the end of the year in Scotland). Equal marriage is transforming lives from New Zealand to Uruguay. But the backlash against reform is as powerful for gays and lesbians as it has been for any civil rights movement. Russia has recently criminalised the "promotion" (mention/information/existence?) of homosexuality to people under 18, and Lithuania is considering similar legislation. Nigeria and Uganda have passed laws that make it illegal to even know a gay person without reporting them to the police. The world is sharply dividing into the countries where gay people are welcome (equal marriage is legal in 16 countries, civil unions in at least seven more) and those where we are not (there are 82 countries where being gay is a criminal offence and at least eight where the penalty on conviction is death). Now specialist providers such as La Grande Maison – a boutique hotel for lesbian (and all) wine lovers in France's Loire Valley – and The Out NYC – a hotel for gay people in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen – have been joined by a multitude of websites offering the sort of choices all holidaymakers desire. One of these is Further Afield whose owners have personally chosen more than 250 gay-friendly destinations, from houses to hotels, farmhouse wedding venues to treetop honeymoons. You can even bring your dog (or children). There are plenty of places in the world where gay men are tolerated, many where lesbians are accepted, and a few that have yet to make up their mind. But vote with your passport when it comes to spending your holiday money, go to a country that actually wants you, that has taken the trouble to consider your legal standing and your human rights – and you'll never have to push the beds together again. • Sophie Ward's ebook, A Marriage Proposal, is published by guardianshorts, price £1.99. A Marriage Proposal: The importance of equal marriage and what it means for all of us is out now from Guardian Shorts (ebook, £1.99). Read an extract here theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds       |
| Top 10 gay honeymoon hideaways Posted: 21 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT  As gay marriage becomes legal next weekend, the co-founder of Further Afield selects romantic stays for gay honeymooners, from city hotels to island getaways and a Scottish boathouse Vouni Hideaways, CyprusThe interior designer owners have worked their magic on this stone village house for two with private pool. Vouni is a quiet village in the hills at the heart of the wine region, but the coast is just 20 minutes away by car. If you need to turn up the volume, the city of Limassol, brimming with stylish cafes in the Old City and exuberant nightlife in the tourist area, is just 30 minutes' drive away. Above Blue Suites, Santorini The Greek island of Santorini is fast becoming known as the new gay-friendly destination for couples. At these top-notch suites scattered across a steep, rocky slope on the highest point of the world's largest caldera, old-fashioned romantics can soak up the iconic sunsets, gaze out over the Aegean sea and feast on fine dinners served on their private terrace. Rue Quincampoix Paris Owner JJ has an eye for design classics, and many are on show in this stylish apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows near the heart of gay Paris: the Marais district. Flick through art and fashion magazines while luxuriating on Fendi cushions, Ralph Lauren bedlinen and cashmere wraps, then follow JJ's tips for places to eat. La Grande Maison, Loire Valley There is not much that the owners of this guesthouse don't know about wine. Their bespoke wine tours and tastings are fun, informal and informative, and kick off at their beautiful 17th-century manor. Couples who prefer to take off alone can grab a picnic and walk along the riverbanks and in the vineyards. There are also bikes available. The Secret Garden, Amalfi CoastThis architect-designed villa for two, with a glass-brick roof, is perched 450m above sea level in the hamlet of Nocelle. Artists, poets, musicians and film stars have been coming here for 100 years, and it's easy to see why. Apart from the amazing view, there are Michelin-starred restaurants, designer shops, galleries and bars in Positano, reached by 1,800 steps or a 5km drive. Duane Street Hotel, New YorkCool urban design and loft-inspired bedrooms reflect the industrial warehouse history of this hotel in Tribeca, just a short hop from some great eateries on Greenwich Street's Restaurant Row. For a honeymoon to remember, stroll to Little Italy, Chinatown, SoHo or Wall Street and take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Although it's in the thick of the action, this hotel is also wonderfully quiet. Modern Houseboat, Berlin You can't get much cooler than this floating, minimalist-design dream moored on Lake Rummelsburg in central Berlin. It's surrounded by nature but with spectacular views of – and access to – the city. The houseboat rocks gently from time to time but it's a lovely way to fall asleep. For active romantics, there are two Bella Ciao bikes on which to explore the city. Mindfulness Retreat Valencia Yoga and meditation could be just the thing to get married life off to a calm start. This B&B with yoga studio is a haven of calm in the heart of a vibrant city. Or you can just bolster your wellbeing by opting for the special honeymoon pampering package, which includes a glass of cava at breakfast followed by a 45-minute massage, then simply soaking up the relaxing ambience. Boathouses, Perthshire After all the excitement of your Big Day, you may just want to head for the hills and seek peace in nature. At these two wooden one-bedroom cottages on the shores of Loch Tay, you can listen to the gently lapping water as the sun goes down or snuggle up with a dram in front of the woodburning stove. The interiors are a smart mix of antique and contemporary, and outside you can spot rare red squirrels. Rival Hotel, StockholmFrequently voted the most gay-friendly and stylish city in the world, Stockholm also has a strong cinematic back story. Gay icon Greta Garbo was one of Sweden's most famous movie exports. And who better than Abba's Benny Andersson to restore a 1930s cinematic landmark into a glamorous hotel? All properties are available through furtherafield.com, a collection of 250 places to stay in Europe and beyond that genuinely welcome gay and lesbian travellers – and are straight-friendly too theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds       |
| New Jersey fire kills four at motel housing Hurricane Sandy victims Posted: 21 Mar 2014 01:58 PM PDT All remaining residents accounted for in fire at Jersey shore motel that was home to Hurricane Sandy victims nearly 18 months after storm       |
| Obama will meet Xi Jinping of China in attempt to isolate Russia over Ukraine Posted: 21 Mar 2014 01:55 PM PDT White House extends president's overseas schedule as adviser Rice says 'US is leading … in supporting government of Ukraine'       |
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