Food and Other Products Recall

May 5---Nutro Products pulls Greenies Pet DENTAL CHEWS from Stores
May 5---Alex & George Wholesale recall GROUND BEEF Products
May 5---AZ Hydroponic Farming recalls 4oz Alfalfa SPROUT CUPS
May 5---CFIA recalls NANAK Products w/Pistachios---Canada
May 5---Protouch recalls Pro-Choice HAIR STRAIGHTENERS---Canada
May 5---Ambler Mountain Works recalls Erwin Beanie/Poseidon Beanie Knitted HATS
May 5---Wagner Spray Tech recalls Paint SPRAYERS
May 5---Tesco recalls Steps/Fun to Learn PLAY CENTERS---U.K.
May 5---Lloytron recalls Carbon Monoxide ALARMS---U.K.
May 5---Terex Telelect recalls 2008 Utility TRUCKS
Map 5---FDA updates Labeling on Antiepileptic DRUGS

Stay safe, friends!

Food and Other Products Recall

Imitation swine flu vaccine is a cause for concern for Canadians:

May 4---The Wisconsin Cheeseman recalls "Treats for a Week" Product w/PISTACHIOS
May 4---Sheridan Fruit Company recalls Bulk/Packaged RAW PISTACHIOS
May 4---Mary’s Pasta recalls Several PASTA PRODUCTS---Australia
May 4---Mountain Creek Meats recalls Silverside/Boneless HAMS---Australia
May 4---Burmax Co. recalls Gift Set CURLING IRONS
May 4---Brivis recalls AD/Carrier Evaporative COOLERS---Australia
May 4---Wagner recalls Fine SPRAY SYSTEMS---Australia
Apr 4---Consumers advised against Counterfeit H1N1 FLU VIRUS PRODUCTS---Canada

Stay safe, friends!

More on the Asian Elephants of the Kerala Rainforest

A little while ago, I wrote about the Asian elephants in the Kerala Rainforest who are in danger of losing a precious forested corridor that leads them back and forth between winter and summer pastures.

John Seed wrote the following article and has graciously allowed me to reprint here.

The Asian Elephants of the Kerala Rainforest
The largest population of Asian Elephants remaining in the wild is in danger and an Australian organization, the Rainforest Information Centre, is spearheading the campaign to persuade Indian governments to reconsider their decisions to situate developments where elephant habitat will be disrupted. If you read no further than this, please go to http://bit.ly/india_elephants where, with just a few clicks of the mouse, you can email the responsible authorities and join tens of thousands of concerned people around the world appealing to them to reconsider their hasty decisions regarding the two issues which I will outline below.

Elephants once ranged throughout most of Asia, but their habitat is today reduced to isolated fragments. Now they are unable to range as they once did, and this restricts their ability to migrate to follow the food, and to breed with other groups to maintain their gene pool. This implosion of their habitats has lead to increased human-elephant conflicts ranging from poaching to crop-raiding and road-kills. This conflict, and the restriction of their ranges, is taking a heavy toll on their numbers.

Recent estimates of the number of Asian elephants (Elephus maximus) remaining in the wild range from 35,000 to 50,000. The distribution of Asian elephant populations in India is well known but population estimates, ranging from 26,000 to 31,000 are up to 14 years out of date and many are based on nothing more than wishful thinking. So effective population sizes are much lower.

This is partly due to selective poaching of males for ivory. Unlike the African elephant, only males have tusks in India and poaching has resulted in some populations where females outnumber males by up to 30 to 1. The elephant is the most sacred animal in the Indian ethos but current official protection measures are grossly inadequate to safeguard the remaining wild population.

The largest remaining population of wild Asian elephants inhabit the Nilgiris biosphere reserve. There are more elephants in the Nilgiris alone than in any other country in Asia. So this is their last major stronghold in Asia, Nelly’s last stand if you like. Of a total population of about 2000 elephants surviving in Peninsular India in various fragmented habitat islands, the largest single population, somewhat more than 1000 elephants, survive in a near contiguous habitat extending over this tract.

They range through the three south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka following a seasonal food supply along well-trodden paths that they have travelled since the Monsoon cycle stabilised in its current pattern thousands of years ago. Elephants need lots water and forage in the summer, so they have to migrate from the eastern to the western parts of this area according to the rhythm of the climate. However some of these corridors are being disrupted by human encroachment threatening the very survival of these ancient pathways, and their traditional travelers.

Increasing population in the plains and modern development moving up the hills necessitating roads, rail tracks and power lines has resulted in the fragmentation of the once extensive forests so that today only about 4500sq km of habitat remains accessible for elephants.

There are two main threats to the wellbeing and survival of this particular elephant population, one in Kerala and the other in Tamil Nadu.

Due to habitat fragmentation, elephants moving from Karnataka to Kerala have to pass through a corridor which is only about 2.5 km wide. The major inter-state highway linking Bangalore with Calicut passes through this narrow corridor. It is used by hundreds of vehicles round the clock. There are also four different government departmental check-posts located close to the Kerala side. These are all currently located on the western edge of the narrow corridor, outside the forest. Recently a decision was made to relocate all these check-posts within one campus and the location selected is exactly within the centre of this narrow corridor. The checkpoint clearance takes hours, so this would mean hundreds of lorries parked along the road throughout the night on either side of the checkpoints, effectively cutting off this vital lifeline.

There are better locations for the check-post that would protect the elephant habitat. The best solution would be the relocation of the checking stations to outside the forest on the Kerala side of the corridor where suitable land for this is available. It is also necessary to prohibit vehicle movement during certain night-time hours, say between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.

The Wayanad Nature Protection Group (Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshana Samati)has appealed to the world community to help prevent the severance of this critical corridor. They are asking all those concerned with the survival of the wild Asian Elephant to send letters to the Government of Kerala requesting the relocation of the checking stations to outside the forest corridor and to take additional measures to ensure the continued flourishing of these magnificent animals.

The second threat to these particular elephants lies in Tamil Nadu, in the eastern part of their range, where the best wet season forage is found. Here a vast physics experiment is planned, the US $167 million India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO), due to be completed in 2012. This is proposed as India’s most expensive science facility ever. During the summer, as food and water becomes scarce, elephants need to migrate from the drier forests of Tamil Nadu to the evergreen forests of Kerala. In order to do so the elephants must pass through a corridor at Singara, exactly where the India Based Neutrino observatory is to be located. The proposal would tunnel more than two kilometers under the ground and build a 100,000 ton neutrino detector underground in the middle of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Drilling and construction would require over 150,000 truckloads of material to pass through 35 kilometers of forest - and two tiger reserves.

Every indication is that this project has not been carefully thought through. Despite the huge sums of money involved, there has been no systematic attempt to determine the best site for the project within India. There are plenty of options: the Neutrino Observatory is not site specific, since it could be built at any site with one kilometer of rock cover on all sides. Therefore it can be constructed in numerous other places in Tamil Nadu or India with similar conditions. In 1964, Indian scientists were the first in the world to detect neutrinos created in the atmosphere. The facility where this was accomplished was shuttered in 1992 when Kolar Gold Fields closed. Reopening the existing tunnels at Kolar will be cheaper than digging new ones and far less destructive of the environment. None of this has been properly taken into account when selecting the site.

In addition the clearance for the INO project was based on a completely inadequate and superficial Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA) with the data being mostly 'guesstimates' and from 'secondary sources, therefore termed a 'Rapid EIA'. The EIA considered only a 15 km radius around the site, man-power projections were underestimated and the disposal of waste, noise and vibrations caused by tunneling, potential increase in human-wildlife conflict and degradation of forests not measured at all. The EIA has still not been placed in the public domain and had to be obtained via the Right to Information Act, despite the project having been cleared by the Ministry of Forests and Environment. So this process was rushed through and then hushed up, not really signs of a well-planned project.

Indeed, they could hardly have picked a site in India more likely to damage wildlife. As well as being home to the largest single population of Asian elephants in the world the Nilgiris is also one of the most important tiger habitats in the country. 676 species of plants, 173 species of vertebrates, 12 species of amphibians, 38 species of fish, 46 species of reptile, 87 species of birds and 28 species of mammals (including tiger, leopard, gaur, wild dog, bear, deer and elephant) live around the proposed site for these projects. The conservation of this critical elephant habitat would not only serve to protect the largest Asian elephant population, but would also benefit the entire ecosystem, including other rare species. Which is why the Nilgiris was declared as a UNESCO Bio-sphere reserve in the first place.

If you havent already done so, please go to http://bit.ly/india_elephants where in less than a minute you can send emails to over 20 officials in the 2 states who could, if they wished, protect these elephants. For more information, photos, artwork and poetry, go to http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/e/appeal.htm.

Would You Live in a House Made of This Material?

All photos courtesy of EcoFaeBrick.



Fast Company asks the question “Would you live in a house made of shit?” They are referring to the newest building material on the market – EcoFaeBrick. The brick is 20% lighter and 20% stronger than clay brick; it prevents environmental damage caused by clay mining; reduces carbon emissions; there's no expensive start-up costs; the raw materials are plentiful (as indicated by the piles of bricks above) and increases the income of local farmers.

Did I mention the brick is made from cow dung?



While, cow dung isn't usually thought of as a house-building material, a team of students from Prasetiya Mulya Business School in Indonesia took materials that were at hand, applied great ingenuity and creativity to came up with the brick. The bricks are both high-quality and low-cost. In fact, the students’ invention won $25,000 top prize at the University of California, Berkeley's Global Social Venture Competition.

The Global Social Venture Competition website says this about the bricks:

EcoFaeBrick, in conjunction with Faerumnesia, produces high quality and low price bricks by utilizing the abundant cow dung in Godean and Sayegan, Jogjakarta. The utilization of the cow dung will not only solve the hygiene problem but also reduce the exploitation of the un-renewable clay. The replacement of firewood with the cow dung methane biogas in the combustion process brings a lower production cost with a more environmental friendly process. EcoFaeBrick also empowers rural people through close partnership with local communities.

Using business model which involves the housing developers, NGOs, and local communities, EcoFaeBrick builds a sustainable market demand to ensure an interesting financial return to the investors. The EcoFaeBrick’s expansion plan focuses on areas with rapid development and high concentration of cattle farm. EcoFaeBrick offers a feasible solution for rapidly developing areas not only in Indonesia but also in other emerging countries.

The students also recommend using fires fueled by cow dung as opposed to firewood. Firewood is incredibly scarce and is also reasonably unrenewable in this area of the world. However, cow dung is a cheap, environmentally-friendly, plentiful source of fuel. It is estimated that by using cow dung instead of firewood 1,692 tons of CO2 are saved. Another huge plus for replacing clay bricks with the EcoFaeBrick is the prevention of the massive damage to the land that comes with clay excavation as pictured above.

A Mammoth's Tale

The woolly mammoth was a month old when she died. Photograph: Francis Latreille/National Geographic.

Lyuba was barely a month old when she fell into a muddy river and drowned some 40,000 years ago during the last ice age. The deep freeze that is Siberia has left her almost perfectly preserved.

Lyuba was named after the wife of the reindeer herder who discovered her in 2007 on the Yamal penisula in Siberia. She is missing only her hair and toenails making her the best preserved example of a woolly mammoth yet.

Woolly mammoths hit the world’s stage approximately 400,000 years ago and died out approximately 100,000 years ago. There are many theories as to what caused their demise ranging from climate change to a natural upswing in temperature that altered vegetation to early human hunters.

After her discovery, Lyuba was originally traded for two snowmobiles and a year’s supply of food; and, somehow ended up leaning against a wall being gnawed on by stray dogs.

Since her recovery by scientists, she has been scraped, drilled, sliced and had a CT scan.

Unfortunately for scientists, while her looks are very well preserved, her cells and DNA have been affected by 40,000 years of continued damage. With the lack of intact nuclei in the cells, cloning is impossible.

Goats for Google

Photo via The Official Google Blog.

Google, Inc. is striving to increase it’s Scryve rating. What is a Scryve rating? The explanation from Treehugger says this:

Using a 1 to 10 scale Scryve rates companies on combined environmental and social records. Ratings reflect the averages of several trailing indicators: providing a high-level "snapshot" of past performance rather than of recent actions and future intent.

One of the inventive ways Google is reducing their carbon footprint and becoming more eco-friendly is by trading in their lawn mowers for goats.

This from Google, Inc.:

This spring we decided to take a low-carbon approach: Instead of using noisy mowers that run on gasoline and pollute the air, we've rented some goats from California Grazing to do the job for us (we're not "kidding"). A herder brings about 200 goats and they spend roughly a week with us at Google, eating the grass and fertilizing at the same time. The goats are herded with the help of Jen, a border collie. It costs us about the same as mowing, and goats are a lot cuter to watch than lawn mowers.

Previously, the Mesa, AZ Utilities Department decided to try this natural alternative to landscaping.

From Mesa Arizona's government website:

The Utilities Department has approved a contract with Arizona Herdsman Eco Goats to clear the slopes of the water retention ponds for the next six months. On Jan. 5, the first ten of 80 goats were brought to their new grazing sight.

An environmental thumbs up to Google, Inc. and the Utilities Department of Mesa, AZ.

Global Warming Will Hit Southeast Asia Hardest

Slash-and-burn agriculture in Indonesia. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.

A new study from the Asian Development Bank has issued a dire warning for the nations of Southeast Asia. By the end of the century, Indonesia, Philippines Thailand; and, mainly Vietnam will face debilitating economic loss due to global warming. It is estimated that they could suffer an annual loss of 6.7% ($230 billion) in combined gross domestic product by 2100. This is more than double (nearly triple) the global average of an estimated 2.6%.

These countries are especially vulnerable with their large coastal populations facing rising sea levels, extreme weather, higher temperatures and rampant large-scale deforestation. The populations of these countries rely heavily on rice and other agriculture products which could be compromised by either water shortages or floods. The study paints a bleak scenario of this region predicting a 50% decline in the rice yields by 2100 with the Philippines seeing the majority of the decline with a 75% loss in its rice fields.

Annual mean temperatures are expected to rise an average of 4.8°C (8.6°F) from the 1990 level in the region by century’s end if greenhouse gas emissions are not regulated immediately. They would also likely suffer drops in rainfall, more destructive tropical storms and flooding from rising seas that could displace millions of people and lead to the destruction of 965 sq mi (2,500 sq km) of mangroves.

Assistant chief economist at ADB (Asian Development Bank), Juzhong Zhuang told Reuters that these nations “need regional-level activity and it is needed now. If the action is delayed then south-east Asia will suffer much more than most other regions of the world. What's needed is better government policy, better co-ordination between agencies and between central and local government, and better research by all countries."

Most of Southeast Asia’s carbon emissions are due to deforestation instead of the burning of fossil fuels. Approximately, 80% of Indonesia’s emissions are due to deforestation and the conversion of peat lands. This is occurring largely to make way for palm oil plantations. Worldwide deforestation accounts for nearly 20% of emissions.

Currently, governments are working to lay the groundwork ahead of a UN conference this December in Copenhagen. The intention is to draft a new agreement on regulating carbon emissions to replace the 1998 Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012.

Since most problems are very seldom comprised of just one component, an environmental advisor to the Indonesian government had this to say: "Most politicians are only looking at this from an environment view; but, this is wrong," said Emil Salim who also contributed to the report. "You would be forgetting that we have unemployment and poverty."

The study found that the key for Southeast Asia would be protecting its remaining tropical forests. This have fallen victim in recent years to widespread illegal logging and the expansion of palm oil plantations. Deforestation represents as much as 75% of the four country's emissions.

Among the recommendations were: investing in tree-planting programs; better forest management; programs that pay the governments for NOT deforesting; irrigation networks, flood-control systems, early warning systems and protection of the coastal mangroves.

The report also found that 40% of energy-related carbon emissions could be reduced by 2020 if the countries invested in more energy efficient buildings, fuel efficient cars and public transport. Another 40% could be reduced by switching from coal to natural gas and renewable energy like solar and wind for power generation.

Food and Other Products Recall

Enough recalls for several days:

May 1---Klein's Naturals recalls Several PISTACHIO Products
May 1---TV Food recalls 3.5oz. CURRY SPICE
May 1---CFIA updates Piller Sausages and Delicatessens Smoked PRODUCTS recall---Canada
May 1---Asda/Co-op/Tesco/Waitrose recalls SESAME SEEDS---U.K.
May 1---Muji's issues safety warning on Notebook BARBEQUE/ GRILL---U.K.
May 1---Tesco/Highlights Imports Ltd. recall Supertraveller Worldwide TRAVEL ADAPTORS---U.K.
May 1---Lollipop Lane recalls Fold-away Moses BASKET STANDS---U.K.
May 1---Get Agencies recalls Glass-Topped DINING TABLES---U.K.
May 1---Amazonas recalls 2 Swinging BABY HAMMOCKS---U.K.
May 1---Amazonas recalls Children's MINI SWING---U.K.
May 1---Zero-Mark recalls Natural Fairness BEAUTY CREAMS---U.K.
May 1---Fluke recalls 33X CLAMP METERS---Australia
May 1---Burberry recalls Baby's Long Sleeve BODYSUITS---Italy
May 1---Burberry recalls 2 Children's CARDIGANS---Italy
May 1---Zheng Da recalls 100 LED LIGHTING CHAINS---Slovakia
May 1---Virage/Mararia/Vanelli recall Ladie's ANKLE BOOTS/ SHOES---Spain
May 1---Casa Seleccion recalls Blue THERMOS FLASK---Spain
May 1---Sarah Zanka recalls Black/Grey BACKLESS SHOES---France
May 1---Wonpro recalls TRAVEL ADAPTERS---Czech Republic
May 1---Brio recalls Pull Along TOY BUNNIES---Sweden
May 1---Brio recalls Stacking PENGUINS TOY---Sweden
May 1---Billy Bob recalls Baby's PACIFIER/ SOOTHER---Sweden
May 1---Soft Toy STRETCH CENTIPEDE recalled---Cyprus
May 1---Eva Puzzle Mats recalls FLOOR PUZZLES---Cyprus
May 1---Jumbo recalls Children’s Tasselled PULLOVERS---Greece
May 1---Jumbo recalls Children’s Sleeveless SWEATERS---Greece
May 1---Lelukulma recalls Plastic Toy BOW/KNIFE Set---Finland
May 1---Texas/Houston/Dover/Washington RECLINER CHAIRS recalled---Finland
May 1---Jem Light recalls Refillable LIGHTERS---Poland
May 1---Toys recalls Zabawka/Lalka TOY DOLL---Poland
May 1---Wild Animal recalls Soft Plastic TOY DINOSAURS---Poland
May 1---Toy Sound-Emitting STEERING WHEELS recalled---Poland
May 1---Best Pets recalls Plastic Toy DINOSAURS---Poland
May 1---Baby Phone recalls Children's Toy MOBILE PHONES---Poland
May 1---Kris recalls Cooking Deluxe Toy KITCHEN SET---Poland
May 1---Eurodezigns recalls Several Aftermarket HID CONVERSION KITS
May 1---Pierce Mfg. recalls Several 2008 Emergency VEHICLES w/Trimark Latches
May 1---Ducati recalls 2009 Monster 696 MOTORCYCLES
May 1---Caterpillar recalls C15 6 Cylinder DIESEL ENGINES
May 1---BMW recalls 2009 Mini Cooper Convertible VEHICLES
May 1---Jaguar recalls 2004 XJ VEHICLES
May 1---Subaru recalls SA 098/Rola ROOF BARS---Australia
May 1---Kymco recalls 2005 People 50S SCOOTERS---Greece
May 1---Peugeot recalls 2007-2008 4007 VEHICLES---Greece
May 1---KTM recalls Several 2009 MOTORCYCLES---Greece
May 1---FDA Warns Consumers to Stop Using HYDROXYCUT Dietary Supplement Products

Stay safe, friends!

Food and Other Products Recall

Food, nuts, clothing and vehicles:

Apr 30---Kleen-Pak recalls Curly-Leaf Fresh SPINACH
Apr 30---Piller Sausages and Delicatessens recalls "Taste Better than Bacon" SMOKED HAM/ "Lean & Tasty" BACON SLICES---Canada
Apr 30---Pasta & Co recalls Chinese Vermicelli/Pot Sticker SALADS
Apr 30---Torn & Glasser recall Several PISTACHIO Containing Products
Apr 30---Premier Nutrition recalls Odyssey NUTRITION BARS
Apr 30---Loaded Boards Inc. recalls Orangatang In Heat Skateboard WHEELS
Apr 30---DTX International recalls Pasadena/Princeton/Paducah POPCORN MACHINES
Apr 30---Update---BabyGap recalls Children's COATS
Apr 30---Pumpkin Patch recalls Hooded Girls’ RAINCOATS
Apr 30---Jardine adds 7 models to expanded BABY CRIB recall
Apr 30---Goshen Coach recalls 2008-2009 GC II BUSES
Apr 30---Paccar recalls 2008-2009 T270/T370 4x2 Kenworth TRUCKS
Apr 30---Gulf Stream recalls 2006-2007 Crescendo/Tourmaster/Friendship MOTORHOMES
Apr 30---Volvo recalls 2007-2008 V70/XC70/ S80 VEHICLES---Australia/U.S.
Apr 30---Disetronic Medical Systems/Roche recall Accu-Chek Spirit INSULIN PUMPS
Apr 30---Manufacturers of Licensed Botulinum Toxin PRODUCTS must strengthen warnings

Stay safe, friends!

Returning to Newtok, Alaska

Floodwaters rip through the village of Newtok, Alaska, destroying its infrastructure.

In October 2008, I did a two-part blog on the world's first climate refugees. Those climate refugees were the indigenous persons of Newtok, Alaska. Their village was literally being sucked into the ocean. At the time I did the blogs, the main problem to their relocation seemed to the US government's reluctance to pay for the move. Click here for the first part - then here for the second part.

Here is the latest update regarding the villagers of Newtok, AK.

The tiny coastal village of Newtok, AK has been under siege by the Arctic Ocean for many years now. The ocean has been advancing on this tiny settlement at the rate of 90’ per year. Due to global warming, the permafrost and coastal ice shelves are melting. These natural barriers prevented the ocean from reclaiming the land and helped to protect the villages against summer deluges.

The original plan was to relocate the approximately 340 residents to Nelson Island (by 2012) where the villagers have already built three homes themselves with the aid of government grants in anticipation of the relocation.

When we last visited Newtok, the biggest barrier to the relocation was the government's and other stakeholders’ infighting about who would eventually end up paying the bill.

The community has voted to relocate its residents to new homes 9 miles away – up the Ninglick River. I’m not sure why they are not moving to Nelson Island; although, I suspect the reason has to do with money and the costs involved in moving 9 miles as compared to Nelson Island.

"We are seeing the erosion, flooding and sinking of our village right now," said Stanley Tom, a Yup'ik Eskimo and tribal administrator for the Newtok Traditional Council.

The crisis they are facing is unique and insidious because its devastating effects creep up on communities by eating away at their infrastructure while leaving no apparent impact until the danger becomes imminent. It is unlike sudden natural disasters such as wildfires, earthquakes or hurricanes which leave a discernable path of destruction immediately following the event.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that situations such as Newtok are part of a growing climate change crisis that will displace 150 million people by 2050.

Tom's and many of the other residents’ ancestors have been living in the region for centuries, Tom said. He expressed a fear of the relocating Yup’ik Eskimos: "Our land is our resource, our source of food; it's our country. We live off of it. If we go to another village or city, we will not be able to survive," Tom said.

Meanwhile 500 miles (800 km) in Anchorage, AK, the first Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on climate change is being attended by more than 400 indigenous peoples from 80 different nations.

The conference attempted to address the global issues effecting indigenous persons, such as the Yup’ik Eskimos of Newtok. They also explored ways to raise global awareness regarding the crisis facing these indigenous communities worldwide and to help them “speak with a more unified voice”. The five-day summit was hosted by the Inuit Circumpolar Council.

Summit delegates will work on a declaration outlining the climate change-related issues facing indigenous people. The declaration will be presented at the Conference of Parties United Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark at the end of this year.

"On the international level, the meeting in Copenhagen at the end of the year is incredibly important, it will lay down the road map on how we tackle climate change and who gets to be involved," said Sam Johnston of Tokyo, Japan-based United Nations University, a co-sponsor of the summit.

"Climate change poses threats and dangers to the survival of indigenous communities worldwide, even though they contribute least to greenhouse emissions," United Nations General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto said at the summit.

Indigenous populations in Alaska are not the only threatened native persons globally. Papua, New Guinea has experienced an increase in population coupled with rising sea levels that is decreasing the amount of farmland available to feed the increasing population.

In the African nation of Kenya, the Samburu tribe is on the verge of a food and economic crisis as lengthy droughts kill livestock that provides income and sustenance for the community.

In Mexico, highland Mayan farmers are battling decreasing rainfall, unseasonal frosts and unprecedented changes in daytime temperatures. These conditions will not support their traditional crops forcing the farmers to plant alternative crops. They also have to search for other sources of irrigation.

"We are the ones that are the most effected" by climate change, said Saul Vicente-Vasquez, a Mexican economist and longtime human rights activist for indigenous peoples.

This phenomenon is becoming so widespread that a new word has been coined just for this type of relocation: climigration. The term was coined by Alaskan human rights lawyer, Robin Bronen, to describe the forced and permanent migration of communities due to severe climate changes and their effects on essential infrastructure. This does not include migration caused by natural catastrophes such as hurricanes, earthquakes and the like.

"There needs to be a new institutional framework that is created, that's based in human rights doctrines ... that facilitates relocations," Bronen said.

"We have a new village, but we don't have all the funding that the village needs to move right now," said Sally Russell Cox planner with the Alaska division of Community and Regional Affairs.

Meanwhile, village leaders continue to work with the various federal and state representatives, in good faith, while they plan to relocate. As for Tom, he said he's looking forward to getting it over with. "We hope to move to the new village site and be able to get on with regular life.”

We know what we are losing on the ice surface; but, take a look under the ice. This, too, will be lost.