Disease Proof

• New York City might sink. Some parts of lower Manhattan are already only 5 feet above sea level and an increase of just 8 inches would threaten the region. Warmer temperatures and melting sea ice are to blame. Other cities like San Francisco, Boston and Miami will also see sea level rise; via National Geographic News.

• So not surprisingly, sea level increases may surpass current estimates. Scientists claim areas like Greenland and Antarctica are losing ice quickly, adding to annual sea level rise. This could lead to more incidences of major flooding in continents like Australia; from NewScientist.

• California is already getting slammed with flood conditions pinned to rising tides. Now the problem is flash flooding. In times of drought, parched land doesn’t absorb rainfall quickly and downpours, due to climate change, have increased heavy rains, leading to flash foods that destroy bridges and roadways; Red Green and Blue explains.

• Mickey Mouse is going green. Disney has planned to cut to solid waste to landfills by half and reduce electricity usage by 10% by 2013 and goals beyond that include slashing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing water consumption and going zero waste; SustainableBusiness.com News reports.

• Microsoft is also joining the eco party. Microsoft aims to cut emissions by 30% by 2012 and their new data center features environmentally amenities, such as lights that turn on and off when someone walks in and out of a room and under-floor cooling systems, efficiently cooling the building as cold air warms up and rises; via TreeHugger.

• Renewable energy sounds good, but it’s not cheap and some experts wonder if ambitious goals, like 40% of global power from green energy by 2050, are really possible. Funding may come from state programs and government subsidies, which could cut the end goal to 15%; from Green Inc.

Image credit: hammernet