Burmese residents endure nationwide drought.
Record-high temperatures this year of up to 47 degrees Celsius have resulted in hundreds of heat-related deaths as well as ongoing drought across Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Widespread water shortages have consequently impacted several parts of the country such as Shan state, where Lake Inle, which serves as the nation’s second largest freshwater reserve, dropped to half its normal level this summer. Not only were the 70,000 people affected who live around the lake, but also many rare species that inhabit its waters.

The Mekong River, flowing through Myanmar as well as several other Southeast Asian countries and essential to the livelihood of some 60 million people, is also at a 50-year record low.

We are saddened to hear of the serious situation in Myanmar, and we pray for the blessing of gentle rain for the Burmese people. May the natural balance of our environment soon be restored through our wiser, planet-cooling choices.

As part of her frequent endeavors to ensure humanity’s welfare, Supreme Master Ching Hai addressed the increasing global warming-related water crises and how to most quickly minimize them during an interview published in the December 16, 2009 edition of The Irish Dog Journal.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/KHII-88F8N8?OpenDocument

California sets building goals of zero net energy by 2030.
In the US state of California, which has been leading the nation in emissions reduction since 1967, the Public Utilities Commission has unveiled the “Zero Net Energy (ZNE) Action Plan for Buildings.”
It includes a transformation of the 5 billion square feet of existing commercial property, which currently consumes 38% of California’s energy, to become an overall net zero energy consumer through a combination of sustainable energy generation and energy-efficiency measures.

All new residential buildings will also be net zero energy consumers by 2030, and low-income families will be given the ability to participate in affordable energy efficiency programs by 2020. 

Bravo California for your noble green leadership! Blessed be such exemplary efforts in motivating many others toward eco-friendly homes, businesses and lifestyles.
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/09/02/california-rolls-out-zero-net-energy-plan-for-buildings/
http://technorati.com/lifestyle/green/article/all-new-california-commercial-buildings-to/

Extra News
Uruguayan officials report that thousands of fish have perished in the country’s rivers this winter due to unseasonably low water temperatures.
http://www.laprensasa.com/2.0/3/309/822501/America-in-English/Cold-blamed-for-massive-Uruguay-
fish-mortality.html

Rescued by Bolivian biologists and environmentalists from entrapment in the River Paila caused by debris from deforestation, 19 rare pink freshwater dolphins are successfully released in the safe waters of the River Grande.
http://en.mercopress.com/2010/08/30/rare-freshwater-pink-dolphins-rescued-in-several-days-operation
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=364681&CategoryId=14919

Aulacese (Vietnamese) forestry and wildlife officials partner to arrest dozens of restaurant owners in Lâm Đồng province, confiscating hundreds of pounds of meat from illegally killed animals in an effort to protect the nation’s biodiversity.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/vietnam-raids-restaurants-selling-illegal-exotic-
meats/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Christina Figueres calls for governments to act rapidly to reverse global warming, saying that the world cannot afford worsening disasters similar to the recent Pakistan floods and Russian fires.  
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1009/S00061/world-cannot-afford-worsening-disasters.htm
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35807&Cr=climate+change&Cr1=