Vietnam’s south central coast risks becoming deserts

Âu Lạc’s   (Vietnam) south central coast is threatened by desertification. Reports from the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology as well as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UNESCO state that over half of the 3 million hectares comprising the provinces of Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận on Âu Lạc’s south central coast are now classified as “wasteland.” The land is turning to desert because of severe droughts as well as deforestation and over-use of natural resources. Three other regions in similar jeopardy were identified last year. Âu Lạc is working to prevent further desertification, with approximately US$620 million budgeted annually for actions such as tree planting and resource management, to halt the desertification process. May reports such as these awaken our consciousness to the fact that global warming is rapidly changing our Earth. We pray that mitigating efforts are successful in preserving and restoring precious lands in Âu Lạc’s and other nations.

Warm winds comfort climate change models

New technique confirms troposphere warming. Previous attempts to study climate change effects on the troposphere, which is 12 to 16 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, had not yielded reliable temperature results. Recently, climate scientists Robert Allen and Steven Sherwood of Yale University in the USA applied an alternative method called radiosonde tracking, which uses wind measurements to infer temperature. Their results are consistent with current climate change models, meaning that the troposphere layer does appear to reflect similar warming to that of our Earth. We thank you Drs. Allen and Sherwood for your persistent efforts to reliably document the true course of climate change. May this confirming evidence of global warming’s far reaching effects compel us ever more quickly toward actions to preserve our planetary home.

Australia gives $4.5m for foreign forests

Australia to help preserve neighbor's forests. Australian Climate Change Minister Penny Wong has announced that the government's International Forest Carbon Initiative will be donating up to US$4.3 million to organizations that are active in reducing deforestation. The majority of the funds are slated for the Centre for International Forestry Research in Indonesia, which focuses on forest resource management. The rest will go to other NGOs involved with demonstration projects on reducing deforestation in developing countries. Many thanks, Australia, and God bless your loving care for the world's forests and support to developing nations in preserving the planet's trees. May noble measures such as these abound the world over.

WWF urges Brazil biofuel projects

WWF Brazil advises biodiversity preservation for Brazil’s biofuel projects. Although Brazilian ethanol production from sugar cane does not displace food crops or cause deforestation, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Brazil states that measures must be taken to safeguard regional biodiversity and water resources. The WWF recommends the preservation of lands nearby existing sugar cane production areas, in the Brazilian savannah, which is known to contain some of the world’s most diverse species. A big thank you, WWF Brazil, for your recommendations that promote a balance of green activities. May Brazil’s eco-friendly fuel options prosper amidst flourishing natural flora and fauna.