Issues & Trends

	Millennium development goals: Two down, six to go The United Nations has met two of its eight development goals, well ahead of the 2015 deadline. Six goals are left.
	World’s nations achieve UN goal to improve access to safe drinking water UNITED NATIONS — The world’s nations achieved a U.N. goal of cutting in half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water five years ahead of the 2015 target, the United Nations announced Tuesday.
	Spike in Food Prices Projected by 2013 In 2008 and in 2011, the world was rocked by riots and by revolutions coinciding with spikes in food prices. Now researchers are projecting that by 2013, food prices will soar to unparalleled heights, causing widespread hunger in the most vulnerable populations and social unrest, with an enormous potential for loss of human life.
	Soil erosion increasing global warming threat-UNEP LONDON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Global warming will get worse as agricultural methods accelerate the rate of soil erosion, which depletes the amount of carbon the soil is able to store, a United Nations' Environment Programme report said on Monday.
	Tribal Districts Show Heavy Forest Degradation India’s forest cover decreased by 367 square kilometers between 2007 and 2009, and it was primarily tribal and hilly regions that were to blame, according to the biennial forest survey released last week by the Ministry of Environment and Forest.
	U.S. will lead new effort to cut global warming from methane, soot With global efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions stalled, the United States and five other countries are starting a new program to cut other pollutants — including methane, soot and hydrofluorocarbons — that contribute to global warming.
	Tracking How the World Guzzles Water
	Lost property: The world’s fisheries are in an even worse state than feared OFF Chile’s Pacific coastline, between December and February, divers take to the chilly waters in search of a predatory sea-snail, the loco (Concholepas concholepas). Boiled and daubed in mayonnaise, it is a local favourite. Asian gourmets prefer it stir-fried or as sashimi.
	UN urges Africa to facilitate private investment in clean energy production
	Pace of Ocean Acidification Has No Parallel in 300 Million Years, Paper Says A new scientific paper suggests that the ocean is acidifying at a rate that is many times faster than at any time in the last 300 million years.