Population and everything after

Everything you need to know about world population -- simple demographics, migration rates, birth and death rates -- is offered at this great data base, sponsored by the United Nations Population Division.

It is here. Check out Panel Two: Detailed Data for heavier numbers.

Is that a GMO in your pocket? Tracking biotechnology and GMOs in developing countries

FAO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, tracks the use of different biotechnologies and GMOs in developing countries across many sectors: crop, animal, forestry and fisheries.

Here is the FAO search engine, which can query by country, sectors, region and different traits.

Sodomy laws worldwide

A look at different laws throughout the world (and U.S.), with updates on different legal issues affecting the gay community.

Here is the link.

Remittances and development

150 million migrants worldwide sent more than US$300 billion to their families in developing countries during 2006, says the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

IFAD has become a leading knowledge base in the field of immigrants and the amount of remmitances they send home to their home countries. For example, an IFAD report found that the 30 million strong African Diaspora sent home more than $40 billion back to the continent in 2006. This money has become a significant form of development. In some countries, like Gambia and Mali, remittances make up more than 10 percent of the country’s GDP.

The report is called Sending Money Home and can be found here.

IFAD also organized what is called the Remittance Forum, which talks about the issues surrounding remitting money.

Notes on energy

A paper on the state of electrical integration in West Africa. (Good footnotes with hot links.)
Some useful background information on the West African Power Pool group. Info from the U.S. government.

Here is a series of discussion papers from the World Bank. This one, Reforming Power Markets in Developing Countries: What have we learned?, provides a good overview on the lack of state reforms in the energy sector. It's long.

Here is the main link to a workshop that took place in Kenya titled "Electricity Access and Development Challenge in Africa." A few outtakes: The role of Energy in Achieving MDGs; A perspective from the African Energy Industry; Energy reform and the poor.

A magazine article on importance of energy to development.

Rising sea levels and the effect on land use, population and economies

A study investigating the implications of rising world sea levels. By taking into account sea level increases of one meter, five meters and ten meters, researchers gauge the effect on land use, population and economics. These predictions are broken down by regions within continents.

Using GIS technology, they also create pretty cool maps.

Here is the link. (PDF)

Daily environmental news

World environmental news from Reuters. Search on such issues as acid rain, toxins, fur and genetic research.

Here's the link.