Three dead and more missing after east coast storms – rolling report | Australia news NSW police and the State Emergency Service are at a loss as to what more can be said and done to get the message across about the dangers of entering flood waters. Police and emergency services this morning recovered the bodies of two men from waterways at Leppington and Mittagong. The acting assistant commissioner, Kyle Stewart, said despite the constant warnings about the dangers of entering flood areas we now have two men who have died. “It is a tragedy these two lives have been lost. “What do we have to say to get the message across? “Flood waters are deadly – we can’t put it any other way.” Emergency service personnel are frustrated at the number of flood rescues conducted over the weekend, which tied up valuable resources because of warnings about entering flood affected areas being ignored. Some of the flood rescues since Friday include four teenagers from the surf at Stockton and two tourists from the water at Foster yesterday.
Green LECRDS Guidance Manuals and Toolkits Photo: Frances Lim UNDP has been producing a series of manuals, guidebooks and toolkits that draw upon the experience and information generated by UNDP’s support for climate change adaptation and mitigation projects and National Communications to the UNFCCC in some 140 countries over the past decade. They are intended to enable project managers, UNDP Country Offices, and developing country government decision-makers to acquaint themselves with a variety of methodologies most appropriate to their development contexts in support of the preparation of LECRDS. In a flexible and non-prescriptive manner, they offer detailed step-by-step guidance for the identification of key stakeholders and establishment of participatory planning and coordination frameworks; generation of climate change profiles and vulnerability scenarios; and identification and prioritization of mitigation and adaptation options. Step 3: Identify Strategic Options Leading to Low-Emission Climate-Resilient Development
ZOOM: Home Review of Human-to-Human Transmission of Ebola Virus | Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever This document is a summary of the current published science about human-to-human transmission of Ebola virus. It was developed for use by healthcare personnel and public health professionals. It complements other CDC guidance documents issued on CDC’s Ebola website. Introduction Ebola virus infection causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever with a high case fatality. Evidence Summary Evidence and understanding of Ebola virus transmission is based on epidemiologic and laboratory data, summarized below, including investigations of >20 African outbreaks since 1976.5 Epidemiologic Data The risk of Ebola virus transmission from direct skin contact with an Ebola patient is lower than the risk from exposure to blood or body fluids but may be more likely in severe illness (when the Ebola virus RNA levels are highest). Laboratory Data The maximum recorded persistence of Ebola virus RNA in the blood and other body fluids of convalescent Ebola patients varies by fluid type, but data are limited. Summary
Briefing Paper - Fighting climate change: A structural shift towards renewable energies requires concerted policy action - The Finnish institute of International Affairs Published 21.3.2012 Patrick Matschoss The Finnish Institute of International Affairs Download PDF (2.71 Mb) Renewable energies will be the major contributor to any future low carbon energy system and the share may be as high as nearly 80% of the world’s energy supply by 2050. Renewable energies have vast potential but require a set of coherent policies to reach necessary deployment rates, because the market place neither accounts sufficiently for their climate change-related and wider benefits nor for the benefits of technological learning, making them appear less competitive than they really are. Renewable energies can be integrated in all supply systems and end-use sectors but at some point they will require investment and change. Energy security would be enhanced by greater efficiency and a broader and less import-dependent energy portfolio with less vulnerability to energy price volatility.
Climate Centre - Training Welcome to our Climate Training Kit! Climate change is one of the main global issues of the 21st century and severely affects the lives of millions of people. Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world need to address these rising risks. This kit is designed to help trainers within the Red Cross Red Crescent design their trainings or workshops on climate risk management. Please read the user guide before using the Climate Training Kit Products for more information on what this kit can offer you. We are grateful for the (financial) support of the Canadian Red Cross, which enabled the development of the Climate Training Kit.
Emergency Portal The National Security Hotline is the single point of contact for the public to report possible signs of terrorism. It also provides information to callers on a wide range of national security matters. Visit nationalsecurity.gov.au or call the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400 For information regarding state security and terrorism in Victoria, please click here For emergencies where immediate police, fire or ambulance assistance is required, call Triple Zero (000) Contact your local police station via phone or in person to report non-emergency crime incidents. Details for your local police station can be found at police.vic.gov.au If you have any information regarding a crime, or criminal activity, you can confidentially report what you know by calling Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or by visiting crimestoppersvic.com.au VicEmergency is Victoria's primary website for incident information and warnings. Visit emergency.vic.gov.au
Greening the economy: Nordic experiences and challenges After the recent financial and economic crisis, greening the economy has become a major focus for international and national discussions: How to combine forceful and effective action to meet climate change and other environmental challenges with stronger and more sustainable economic development, in both developed and developing countries. This synthesis report on the Nordic countries' environmental policy experiences, focuses on the use of economic instruments and how this policy has contributed to the integration of environmental concerns into economic growth and development policies. The report demonstrates that the Nordic countries have been successful in achieving substantial reductions in several major pollutants and clear improvements in local and regional environmental quality, while maintaining an internationally respectable rate of economic growth. The study was carried out by Vista Analyse AS and commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers for the Environment.
Facilitating multi-stakeholder collaboration – a new handbook - SWEDESD - Swedish International Centre of Education for Sustainable Development SWEDESD and partners have published a handbook based on recent experiences and insights from collaborative learning initiatives in 18 cities on three continents. The handbook describes the Inquiry-based Approach as a way to overcome constraints for collaboration and collaborative learning when addressing sustainability challenges. Such constraints include conflicting interests, unequal power relationships and lack of competence and resources among stakeholders. -Our experience of working in Europe, Africa and Southern Asia shows that this approach enables learning and collaboration on complex and contested sustainability issues, says Martin Westin, Project Coordinator at SWEDESD. The Inquiry-Based Approach (IBA) makes it possible for stakeholders from civil society, public authorities, business and academia to come together as a team and jointly engage in a purposeful process to tackle sustainability challenges with concrete actions at the local level.