Before we dive into the deep conundrums we prepped within, we'd first like to give full credit to QJ.NET reader refractionpcsx2 - one who managed to tie down one of most plausible theories we've sifted since the Diablo 3 rumors started rolling in like earth from a landslide. Remember the pieces of the "purple walrus" puzzle? Remember their numbers? A new piece popped up while we were away, and it's numbered 16. So now we have 4, 15, 16, and 23. Google the numbers - they're four of six Valenzetti numbers.

We have several weeks left before we finally get our hands on Konami Digital Entertainment's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and the home stretch of the waiting period is killing us. To keep you preoccupied, we decided to feature some of the key characters of the game on a weekly basis to freshen our memories on their roles in the series. This week, we've got the decorated soldier who's worked with Big Boss and served as Solid Snake's long-time commanding officer: It's Colonel Roy Campbell!

Charles Perrings, a professor of environmental economics at Arizona State University, has proposed that people can help soften the impacts of global warming or global climate change by starting with their own backyard. More information in the full article.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai put forward a concept last November 8, 2006 about the deterioration of the environment and proposed a campaign entitled the Billion Tree Campaign with the goal of planting one billion trees by the end of 2007.

A little more than a year after, the results have been tallied and put forward during a meeting that the Billion Tree Campaign has already reached its goal of planting a billion trees.

Environmentalists have encountered another obstacle in their efforts to combat global warming: the developing world's so-called addiction to coal. With the rising costs of oil and natural gases, countries have turned to this abundant and inexpensive fuel source to power their economies. In response to this, the United Nations has proposed a course of action, much to the dislike of coal-using countries.

Find out what it is after the jump!

Nothing like visual aids to get the point across. NASA has recently released a video simulating the Arctic's sea ice cover - the semi-permanent frozen seawater that surrounds the region. The video will illustrate the region's perennial ice cover for the end of the summer of the year 2005, before comparing it to 2007 and 1979's perennial ice covers.

In case the video's a little hard to figure out, here's NASA's explanation on the visuals:

The 2007 Arctic summer sea ice reached the lowest extent of perennial ice cover on record - nearly 25% less than the previous low set in 2005. The area of the perennial ice has been steadily decreasing since the satellite record began in 1979, at a rate of about 10% per decade. But the 2007 minimum, reached on September 14, is far below the previous record made in 2005 and is about 38% lower than the climatological average.

As you guys may recall, the United Nations came out with its own Global Environment Outlook regarding this topic. If these apparently linked reports from the UN and NASA are accurate, we may be looking at some very grim prospects for the years to come.

  

The latest Global Environment Outlook report from the United Nations, to be quite frank, is looking grim for the human race. While it is true that economy and trade is increasing and the living standards for many people are getting better, the UN maintains that there are a lot of problems we need to face sooner rather than later.

Some of these problems include climate change, pollution, access to clean water, and the threat of mass extinctions. The part of UN that came up with the report even remarked that these problems are being met with a "remarkable lack of urgency". Here are other points raised by UN:

• Over the last 20 years, the human population has increased by a third, global trade has tripled, and per capita income has gone up by 40%. Annual emissions of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, have also increased by one third.
• As the human population grows, it has reached the point where the amount of resources needed to sustain it exceeds what is available.
• Sixteen thousand species are threatened with extinction. Habitat loss is a major factor as many forests are cleared for agriculture. The UN estimates the global annual loss of primary forest is 50,000 km2.
• The availability of fresh water will decline. By 2025 1.8bn people will be affected by water scarcity.
  
• Sanitation is also a major issue, as contaminated water is the greatest single cause of human disease and death.
  
• Many fish stocks are over-exploited, while the demand for fish is expected to rise alongside growing populations.
• By the end of 2007 it is estimated that more people will live in cities than rural areas for the first time in history. his rapid growth can put pressure on water resources and infrastructure.

The Kyoto Protocol, the United Nations' efforts on climate change, were focused on stabilizing greenhouse gases to a level where it won't be dangerous for the environment. However, the treaty is soon to expire in 2012. For a worldwide effort, from now till then isn't that far away at all. Industries have to know the rules that will be applied to them before they start anything like building a factory.

The next climate plan will be held in Vienna on August 27, and delegates from more than 150 countries are expected to attend. That's about 1,000 participants in total.

The talks are expected to present some key points for discussion for the UN climate summit in December. One of the main points in the agenda is whether or not the involved countries are willing to take the next step from the Kyoto Protocol.

The meeting will address certain climate concerns for the next 25 years. Among other things that will be discussed is the participation of developing countries in the program and the droughts and floods that plague Africa.

A fast changing climate attributed to human activities will also be addressed. The changes are believed to cause heat waves and droughts in the future. By 2030, costs for just maintaining the current level of greenhouse gasses are estimated to reach US$ 200 billion.

After much hullabaloo and criticism for the One Laptop Per Child Project, production has finally started and the earliest batch should be ready by this October.

 

For those unfamiliar with the OLPC, it's a non-profit organization set out to revolutionize the standards and methods of education for children the world over. It particularly targets regions that can't afford the luxuries of a decent education. The project is just about what it's named after: to provide a laptop for each child. The laptop, dubbed XO, currently costs US$ 176 but is aimed to be sold for the initial goal of US $100.

Let's look at what it actually offers for the US$ 100:

• It's tough, set to survive in harsh conditions. It's case is waterproof and guess how they test it? They put the laptops in ovens at 50 degrees.
• It can be manually powered. That's right, it can be powered through solar energy, by a foot-pump or even by pull-string. You don't have a lot of sockets available in Nigeria.
  
• It has 1GB of memory using open-source software. You can't use it to make your office presentations, but think how many books you can fit in there.
• It has WiFi and a camera.

That's pretty good, and kids would certainly benefit from it greatly. The idea has been widely criticized, much for the goal that seems like an idealist's dream and for the seeming impossibility of such an undertaking. However, the dream has been realized and even Kofi Annan, ex-secretary general of the United Nations, commends the laptop as an "expression of global solidarity."

Australia, and the rest of the world for that matter, has to wake up soon or suffer grim consequences.

The Land Down Under is currently on the brink of an epic drought - probably the first disaster in history caused by climate change to hit a developed nation. The changing weather patterns is attributed to global warming.

If a significant amount of rain fall will not be experienced within the next six to eight weeks, Prime Minister John Howard will be forced to implement a ban on irrigation for one year to focus the remaining water supply for drinking purposes.

Murray-Darling basin will be affected the most with 40% of the country's agriculture produce coming from the area. John Howard lamented:

An irrigation ban would have a potentially devastating impact. But this is very much in the lap of the gods. It is a grim situation, and there is no point in pretending to Australia otherwise. We must all hope and pray there is rain.

The prime minister used to not believe the science behind climate change. Before the situation became this devastating, it should be mentioned that the United Nations (UN) tried to warn Australia as well as New Zealand. Locally, Howard is receiving a lot of criticisms from opposition Labour Party leader Kevin Rudd and National Farmers' Federation head Ben Fargher.

Global Warming's knocking, it's about time we answer the door and face up to our shortcomings.