More than 1,500 Indian farmers committed suicide after being pushed into debt through crop failures. The reason for the crop failures have been blamed on falling water irrigation levels, climate change and the increasing globalization of water rights. “The water level has gone down below 250 feet here. It used to be at 40 feet a few years ago,” Shatrughan Sahu, a villager in one of the districts, told Down To Earth magazine.

Water resources are diminishing in Chattisgarh which has been referred to as ‘The Rice Bowl of India’, is an area of India where 80% of the population live in rural areas and many farmers own 2-acre farming plots. In this region there have been increasing numbers of suicides as farmers have been borrowing from banks, relatives and moneylenders, often to lease more land to grow more food but as the crops have failed and they cannot repay their debts.

The loans are a few hundred US dollars but are a source of shame when they cannot be repaid and often the interest rates are high at 5% per month. Crop failures are a disaster for farmers and their families.

Bharatendu Prakash, from the Organic Farming Association of India, told the Press Association: “Farmers’ suicides are increasing due to a vicious circle created by money lenders. They lure farmers to take money but when the crops fail, they are left with no option other than death.”

The BBC News reports that more than 200,000 farmers have committed suicide in India since 1997. The lack of irrigation water and crop failures is probably a complex issue but certainly is not helped by global climate change which is expected to raise the Indian Sub-continent temperatures by up to 4°C by 2100 according to a report in The Hindu. This is expected to cause major problems with the monsoon season that is so critical to crop growth and ground water replenishment.

The recent farmers’ suicide is example of how global climate change will affect the poorest in society first. Perhaps some of the shame of these farmers debts and their subsequent suicides should be borne by those of us who over-consume and grossly contribute to greenhouse gases, for which others, who can ill afford it, actually pay the price.

via: The Hindu Newspaper

When Napoleon was sent to St. Helena by the British, they annexed the closest chain of islands to prevent the French from attempting to rescue him. After all, who wouldn’t travel a mere 2430 km over rough and hostile seas in order to rescue the Emperor himself? Yes, that’s right, the islands of Tristan Da Cunha closest neighboring land mass, the island of St. Helena, is 2430 km away.

Tristan Da Cunha is home to a population of 270 very isolated people, with an economy based in the fishing industry. The climate is sub-tropical, with very little variation in temperature from season to season, and it would probably be a pleasant place to stay… if there were more arable land: the only sort-of level bit of land is located at the northwestern edge of the island, and the rest is moutainous and rocky.

The group of islands is a huge volcanic formations which rose out of the South Atlantic about a million years ago. They are located on the edge of the caldera of the very active volcano! In 1961 a cone near the town, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, began to erupt and the whole community was evacuated to England. After 2 years, an investigation was conducted and it was found that damage was minimal and the residents were allowed to return.