Harvested News

Kuala Lumpur — The world’s largest collection of rice varieties has secured indefinite funding in what officials say will be crucial for the development of seeds resilient to the effects of climate change. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will sign an agreement with Bonn-based non-profit the Crop Trust on Tuesday in Singapore to secure $1.4m a year to fund IRRI’s rice gene bank…

Keeping up with climate change in Vietnam Trin’s business is vital for driving greater public and political support for climate change mitigation in Viet Nam. With 3,444 km of coastline, the country is highly vulnerable to climate-related calamities. In June 2018, heavy rains, flash floodsandlandslides devastated the northern highlands, claiming the lives of 14, destroying over 736 hectares of crops and causing economic losses of…

She pointed out that climate-related disasters account for more than 80 percent of all major internationally reported disasters. Climate variability and extremes are already negatively undermining the production of major crops in tropical regions. “So climate variability and extremes, are not only events that will happen in the future; they are occurring now and are contributing to a rise in global hunger,” she warned. Holleman…

Ompong made landfall in Baggao, Cagayan at 1:40 AM (PHT), bringing with it high winds and nonstop torrential rains. It is currently heading towards Apayao and Ilocos Norte in northern Luzon. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) estimates that at least 5 million people who live in the projected path of the storm will be affected. Oxfam responder, April Abello-Bulanadi, sent…

Nutrition in Pacific countries is very sensitive to climate extremes. Worldwide, five of the 15 countries considered the most vulnerable to natural hazards are Pacific small island developing states. Vanuatu is ranked as the world’s most vulnerable. Recurring climate shocks such as drought, delayed monsoons, tropical cyclones and floods – and with insufficient recovery time between disasters – have undermined food security across…

A new international study headed by researchers at Florida State University and Duke University, reveals the outlook may not be as bleak. It finds that these swamps and marshes have a natural biochemical defense mechanism that helps them resist or retard decay -- even in warming temperatures and more severe droughts. "This is good news, because it indicates that scenarios where all this stored carbon…

An environmental activist wearing a face mask depicting US President Donald Trump takes part in a demonstration in front of the United Nations building in Bangkok. Photograph: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images Espinosa said there was “limited progress” on the issue of contributions from developed nations to developing countries, adding that she is “hopeful” that future discussions will be productive because of the importance of the…

The damage was part of a series of landslides and flash floods in June and July that killed nearly 70 people and submerged thousands of homes in Vietnam’s northern provinces, including Lai Chau, where Ky’s family lives. Vietnam is already intensely exposed to disasters, but environment experts say climate change is making extreme weather increasingly frequent, unpredictable, and more severe. Climate negotiators are meeting…

‘Venice of the East’ Currently, the capital “is sinking one to two centimeters a year and there is a risk of massive flooding in the near future,” said Tara Buakamsri of Greenpeace. Seas in the nearby Gulf of Thailand are rising by four millimeters a year, above the global average. The city “is already largely under sea level”, said Buakamsri. In 2011, when the monsoon…

Here’s a look at key plans: The Backup City Besides the significantly higher elevation than Manila, New Clark City is sited away from earthquake fault lines. Should an earthquake still affect the area, the developers are using concrete mixed with a local organic building material called lahar for construction. Lahar consists of volcanic debris from Mount Pinatubo trapped in mud. Darker concrete made from it…

As we pump more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and the Earth traps more heat, scientists predict that the severity and frequency of heat waves will continue to increase. Which might lead one to wonder: Is there a way to turn down the planet’s thermostat? One concept gaining momentum is geoengineering: deliberately manipulating the Earth’s climate. Though currently only being tested in very small experiments…

As one of its highlights, WOFEX 2018 will hold Philippine Sustainable Gastronomy (PSG) on August 2-3, 2018 during the World Food Expo (WOFEX) 2018 at the SMX Convention Hall, Pasay City, which will focus on the influence and necessity of food sustainability. It aims to play a major role in achieving sustainable development goals by promoting agricultural development, food security, nutrition, sustainable food production, and…

They are all well known, they are grave and in need of our urgent attention. And they make us feel helpless. What can we possibly do, as individuals facing such a magnitude of adversity? And mind you, I haven’t even mentioned ocean acidification, general deforestation, genetic engineering, overfishing, acid rain and our very Malaysian phenomenon of the annual haze. Climate change seems to be a…

After ambition comes action. With Pope Francis' moral leadership and the faith community worldwide, the Catholic Church is uniquely positioned to lead a global movement for climate action. Here are three things the Vatican can do to inspire the world and demonstrate its own leadership on climate action. 1) Push for Greater Ambition to Limit Warming To keep global temperature rise well below 2 degrees…

A little more than a year later, with the speedy publication of the 50 Reefs team’s scientific results in June, the project has wrapped and those involved are considering how to proceed. After scientific meetings in Hawaii and Australia featured heated debates, it turned out Kennedy was both right and wrong about the impossibility of the task. In the end, there is no simple straightforward…

The CBCP NASSA official lamented how the renewable energy law remains only in paper. “Renewable energy law was passed in 2018 yet it remains only in paper and coal remains to have the biggest share in power mix,” said Gariguez. He said this following the statement made by President Duterte that he wants only one representative to international climate change conferences saying the country can…

Former Malay town council member Rowen Aguirre, Executive Assistant for Boracay Affairs, said the move aims not only to improve the convenience and reliability of the island's main mode of transportation but also to curb the effects of climate change. (WATCH: Why it's time to act on climate change) According to Aguirre, motorized tricycles were initially introduced to the island as a temporary mode of…