What I read this week

Here are some reports, investigations, and other long form pieces that I encountered this week, which I'm sharing here just in case you missed them:

The International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO), in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), released a preliminary report summarizing the conclusions and recommendations from an interdisciplinary workshop of leading marine scientists held earlier this year. Their assessment of the state of the oceans and marine life is a grave one with increasing chances of extinctions as a result of overexploitation, habitat loss, and climate change. Their proposed solutions emphasize urgent action to realize CO2 emission cuts, improved fishery management, and development of marine reserves. Look for the full report later this year. (http://www.stateoftheocean.org/index.cfm)

A yearlong investigation by the Associated Press (AP) on federal oversight and the nuclear power industry finds that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has repeatedly weakened or not enforced existing standards in order to keep aging reactors in operation - “Failed cables. Busted seals. Broken nozzles, clogged screens, cracked concrete, dented containers, corroded metals and rusty underground pipes — all of these and thousands of other problems linked to aging were uncovered in the AP's yearlong investigation. And all of them could escalate dangers in the event of an accident.” (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110620/ap_on_re_us/us_aging_nukes_part1)

Meanwhile, a report from Ernst & Young commissioned by the Solar Trade Association predicts that prices of solar panels by 2013 will fall to half of what they cost in 2009, suggesting that large-scale installations could by cost-competitive with fossil fuels earlier than had been assumed. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jun/20/solar-panel-price-drop)

Not surprisingly, an internal investigation by Transocean finds that BP is largely responsible for the Deepwater Horizon disaster last year. (http://www.deepwater.com/fw/main/Public-Report-1076.html)

In food systems, a new report from Oxfam International, Living on a Spike, examines the impact of the rise in global food prices through 2010 and 2011 on the people most directly affected by them. Speaking to people in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Zambia, the research shows how these prices rises have worked to perpetuate inequality and how people respond not simply by consuming less but also through political activity. (http://www.oxfam.org/en/grow/policy/living-spike)

Another report on food systems, Appetite for Change, published by the think tank SustainAbility, is critical of the food industry for its lack of vision and failures to meet its own goals on the sustainability front. It calls for drastic changes in the way the industry, as well as consumers and governments, mange the world's food supply. (http://www.sustainability.com/library/appetite-for-change)

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released the The State of World's Midwifery 2011: Delivering Health, Saving Lives. Based on data from 58 countries in all regions of the world, its analysis finds that the world lacks some 350,000 skilled midwives -- 112,000 in the neediest 38 countries surveyed -- to fully meet the needs of women around the world. The report explores a range of issues related to building up this key health workforce, and the website presents additional information including detailed country profiles. (http://www.unfpa.org/sowmy/report/home.html)

Closer to home, the Foundation Center released Key Facts on Bay Area Foundations, showing that grantmakers in the nine-county Bay Area awarded $3.1 billion in 2009, a 77% increase over 2000, with priority going to education and the environment. The assets of these foundations rose 34% during the same ten years, despite a steep decline in 2008. (http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/pdf/keyfacts_bayarea_2011.pdf)

And here at the Thoreau Center:

The International Forum on Globalization published Nuclear Roulette: The Case Against a “Nuclear Revolution” - “a rigorously researched and compelling rebuttal to every single misleading claim the nuclear industry and government boosters have made about its viability, sustainability, and safety.” (http://www.ifg.org/news.htm#nuke)

The Social Venture Network announced the 2011 SVN Innovation Award finalists, recognizing the most promising social ventures and innovative entrepreneurs working to create a more sustainable world. Lots of interesting ideas there. (http://www.svn.org/index.cfm?pageId=1130)

And Tides launched their 35th Anniversary Poster Design Contest and reports on their first Tides Learning Community event, Harvest of Empire: Community Briefing on Immigration, held at Demos in New York City in May. Also available as a podcast. (http://blog.tides.org/2011/06/20/listen-harvest-of-empire/)