Currently the confirmed death toll stands at 1,596 people according to Japanese broadcaster NHK, however that figure is likely to increase substantially over the coming days, with police warning that the death toll in the Miyagi region alone will exceed 10,000.

Large numbers of survivors are gathered in emergency shelters, and many are without fresh running water, heat and power.

The situation at the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant remained grave, a day after an explosion at the nuclear power plant. The cooling systems of two of the nuclear reactors at the power plant have failed following the earthquake, and there are serious fears that both are in danger of melting down, which could have potentially serious consequences for the environment.

On Saturday, a hydrogen explosion blew apart the building housing reactor 1, where technicians had been releasing radioactive steam as part of their attempts to cool the reactor.

The Japanese government says it is likely that the two reactors have already suffered at least a partial meltdown, but since the explosion took place on Saturday there has been no confirmation over the extent of the damage, largely because the plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power has been unable to view the state of the reactors.

Sea water is being injected into reactors 1 and 3 in an attempt to cool them a last-ditch move that will render the reactors unusable.

The authorities say that radiation levels around the damaged plant have exceeded legal safety limits and tens of thousands of people are being evacuated from within a 20km (12.4-mile) radius. “The current situation of the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear plants is in a way the most severe crisis in the past 65 years since World War II. Whether we Japanese can overcome this crisis depends on each of us. I strongly believe that we can get over this great earthquake and tsunami by joining together.” Mr. Kan said.

The earthquake has been both heart breaking and devastating for the Japanese people, and the world has responded with the The United States, the United Kingdom, China, and South Korea among 69 governments that have offered to provide assistance. A number of rescue teams from around the world arrived Sunday in Japan and are helping lead a broad international effort to bring relief to areas ravaged by Friday’s earthquake and tsunami.

Aid groups such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have sent teams to some of the worst-hit areas, including Sendai, Narita, Asahi and Tokyo. Mercy Corps International teamed with Peace Winds Japan to rush aid to affected regions.
The UK has sent a search and rescue team made up of 63 fire service search and rescue specialists. The team also includes medical support staff and two dogs, all of whom are already in Japan, the UK foreign office has said.

Despite the devastation there have been some remarkable tales of survival with the Kyodo News Agency reporting of a dramatic rescue of a 60 year old man that had been swept 15 kilometers out to sea off Fukushima prefecture.

The man, identified as Hiromitsu Shinkawa of Minami Soma, was swept away with his house. Mr. Shinkawa was later spotted floating in the sea, waving a self-made red flag while standing on a piece of his house’s roof.

After being rescued Mr. Shinkaqwa said that he and his wife had been swept away by the tsunami whilst returning home to gather some possessions following the earthquake, with his wife unlikely to have survived.

“I was saved by holding onto the roof,” he said, “but my wife was swept away. No helicopters or boats that came nearby noticed me, I thought today was the last day of my life.”

When a member of Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force handed him something to drink on the rescue boat, Shinkawa drank it and burst into tears, Kyodo reported.

How You Can Help Those in Need In Japan

If you would like to help with the disaster relief effort in Japan there are a number of charities you can support with a charity donation. The terrible natural disaster will have a long lasting affect on the country of Japan so please donate whatever you can.

• British Red Cross The Japanese Red Cross has been working on the ground since the disaster began, mobilising 86 teams, made up of around 600 doctors, nurses and support staff, to provide first aid and healthcare and assess the damage and needs of the communities affected.
• Global Giving This fund will support organizations providing relief and aid to victims.
• Save the Children have launched a £1 million appeal to help families affected by the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami. They have a team in Japan and are responding to the needs of children affected by the disaster.
• World Vision is bringing immediate relief supplies to those left homeless. They are also sending teams to provide help for children who have been traumatised by the double disaster.

The earthquake has left an official death toll of 75, with many more expected and at least 300 individuals still unaccounted for. According to the mayor of Christchurch, some 120 people have been rescued since the earthquake struck on Tuesday, and he remains optimistic over the prospects of the 300 still unaccounted.

There have been heartwarming tales of people being saved such as Ms Ann Bodkin, who was pulled from rubble nearly 24 hours after she was trapped in a painstaking rescue effort. Ms. Bodkinwas re-united with her husband just as the sunlight began to stream through the grey darkness that had enveloped Christchurch.

The world and in particular the UK has responded to New Zealand’s hour of need with charity donations, plus rescuers from Britain equipped with cutting edge technology and sniffer dogs joining local rescue teams to sift through the rubble.

The New Zealand Red Cross has so far opened one evacuation centre which has a 2000 person capacity and expects that more temporary accommodation is likely to become necessary. The organisation has started efforts to help people locate missing family and loved ones, through its restoring family links service, having deployed a telecommunications team to Christchurch with the service being operational tomorrow morning.

How You Can Help from the UK

• British Red Cross
• Save the Children

If your charity is running an appeal please comment below and we will add you to the list.

The average person in Swindon uses 164 litres per person per day, which is approximately 16 litres more per person than the national average. The Government’s target is for people to use 130 litres per day, which is made worse in Swindon as the area has a high population density and water is scarcer than anywhere else in England and Wales.  The Save Water Swindon campaign estimates that by saving 20 litres of water a day, the average home can reduce not only their energy bills by £100 a year, but also their greenhouse gas emissions.

WWF Ambassador and presenter of Grand Designs, Kevin McCloud said -

Save Water Swindon is an ambitious campaign that will set a precedent for how large-scale water efficiency in existing homes can be achieved – with benefits for homeowners and the environment. As we continue moving towards a more holistic sustainable lifestyle, both in our homes and the way we live, water efficiency will play a significant role. Not only will reducing demand for water help reduce the amount we need to take from the environment it can also reduce greenhouse gases and as a result our home energy and water bills.

With up to 6% of the UK’s greenhouse gases resulting from water prep and distribution alone, now is a great time to make a change. To help Swindon reduce its water use, house owners can register online below for a free water saving makeover or have a trained fitter visit their home. Once inside he can give a house a free water audit and then advise on the best water saving products and install them – all for free!

> > Sign up for free water saving makeover

Freshwater Policy and Programme Officer at WWF-UK, Rose Timlett, said -

All the water we use at home comes from the natural environment. People tend not to realise that when they turn on the tap or flush the loo the water could be coming from the local river and when we use too much it’s bad news for the animals and plants that live there. With water use on the up, a growing population and the threat of climate change it’s vital that we all take steps now to reduce the amount of water that’s wasted and help protect some of our most special native species, like the otter, water vole and brown trout. Reducing the amount of water we use is something we can all achieve with minimal effort. We hope that other villages, towns, and cities will follow Swindon’s lead.

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

Executive conservation director for WWF-International, Lasse Gustavsson, said -

The melting of the Arctic ice is opening a new ocean, bringing new possibilities for commercial activities in a part of the world that has previously been inaccessible. What happens in the Arctic has a global environmental and economic impact. For instance, more than a quarter of the fish eaten in Europe comes from the region, and yet we do not have effective rules for fishing in newly accessible areas.

With the Arctic possibly becoming ice free within decades, commercial ships will be looking to sail the Northern Sea Route above Siberia. This in turn will see more oil and gas exploration where once there was none, with the major possibility of spills in this highly susceptible environment. Due to a lack of clean up rules and infrastructure, this could have a devastating effect not just on the region, but also cause repercussions across the world.

WWF officials will be looking into the legal side of how the possible rapid change could allow irreparable damage to the marine environment. If resource extraction is to take place it needs to be within sustainable limits, as currently it is unclear what these boundaries are. This in turn will help to prevent overfishing and stop pollution accidents and shipping disasters. A new, legally binding Arctic framework will need to be put into place to help ensure the future protection of this delicately balanced region.

Director of Campaigns at WWF-UK, David Norman, said -

It’s time to recognise that the current international rules just can’t cope with the complex challenges of the Arctic region. The ice has protected the Arctic Ocean for hundreds of years; we have collectively removed that protection though our contributions to climate change, and now we must work together to manage the new risks we have created.

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

The website is free to use and has a wide variety of articles, photos and videos highlighting their work in raising awareness for marine conservation across the globe. There really is something for everyone, whether you’re a recreational diver, a pro, or someone who takes an interest in the seas and its inhabitants. The Magic Snorkel also brings together some of the world’s best dive centres, offering its members a reputable places & people to train with at discounted rates. With affiliates across Europe, Asia, Australia and the Caribbean, The Magic Snorkel site is a great way to receive diving discounts across the world whilst also helping to care for the environment that is so precious to the sea creatures that call our place of play home.

> > Click here to visit The Magic Snorkel website

CEO of WWF UK, David Nussbaum, said -

The largest ever number of countries, people and landmarks joined forces for Earth Hour this year. It was a visible demonstration of the enormous level of support there is around the world, for a united effort to tackle climate change,” “WWF now asks that World Leaders listen to the millions of people who took part, and finish the job they started in Copenhagen last year by creating a fair and ambitious global climate deal.

In the UK alone, landmarks that were plunged into darkness for Earth Hour included Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Number 10 Downing Street, Edinburgh Castle, Belfast City Hall and Wales Millennium Stadium. Other interesting global Earth Hour facts include -

• Google registered 56.1 million mentions of Earth Hour in the lead up 24 hours
• The island government of Tuvali asked that no vehicles should be on the road during Earth Hour
• 31 US State Governors supported Earth Hour
• Major icons in Paris went dark including the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and the Louvre
• The Prime Minister and President of Pakistan turned off their lights for Earth Hour

Praising the event, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, said -

Earth Hour is both a warning and a beacon of hope. By switching off non-essential lights for an hour, people will join a symbolic display that can inspire the change we so urgently need. As we watch the lights go out from continent to continent, let us reflect on the fragility and importance of our natural heritage and pledge to protect it for a sustainable future for all.

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

WWF UK has shortlisted their final 3 short films for their fantastic Earth Hour, and your vote can help decide the top prize-winner. That’s right, decision time is finally here for the 3 aspiring film makers whose one minute Earth Hour videos have made it this far. Simply click on the link below to check out the finalists and vote, it will only take you a couple of minutes and all 3 shorts a pretty cool. After you’ve chosen your favourite why not tell a few of your friends to vote too!

> > Click here to watch the 3 Earth Hour finalists and videos

The films are fun and inspiring, and your vote could be the deciding factor in who wins the whole competition. Earth Hour commences across the globe on Saturday 27th March 2010 at 8.30pm, when millions of people across the globe will be turning their lights off for one hour in a show of global unity in the call for action against climate change.

So why not get involved by checking out and voting for the videos and turn your lights off at 8.30pm this Saturday, and join millions of other people across the world who want the climate change issues to be resolved as quickly as possible.

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

These studies will hopefully lead to an immediate net reduction in CO2 emissions from the power sector if it goes ahead. The E.On project would involve the building of a new coal plant at Kingsnorth in Kent if it succeeded, risking the possibility of a new lease of life to this already controversial proposal. The Government is putting through a legislation in the Energy Bill that would enable around £9.5 billion to be raised over a period of 20 years for 4 carbon capture demonstrations, with the money being raised via a levy on consumer electricity bills. The Energy Bill will have its Second Reading in the House of Lords on Tuesday 23rd March 2010.

Dr Keith Allott, head of climate change at WWF-UK said

Moves to demonstrate carbon capture and storage are welcome but it is essential that this technology is tested in a way that benefits the climate from the outset and does not lock the UK into new indefinitely polluting coal plants. Opting now for Longannet would enable the UK to gain experience on the ground relatively quickly and will actually reduce emissions from day one. It is therefore concerning that the Government continues to flirt with a new plant at Kingsnorth that wouldn’t be up and running until 2016 or later and even then, would have 80% of its emissions going to the atmosphere.

It will be a sorely missed opportunity if the Government doesn’t use the Energy Bill to put in place a CO2 emission performance standard that would set robust limits on emissions from power plant. The Government is planning to spend billions of pounds of consumer’s money on demonstrating CCS, an as yet commercially ‘unproven’ technology so it is only reasonable to expect guarantees that the climate will benefit.

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

World famous landmarks across 25 time zones will be switching off their lights for one hour, including in the UK -

• Big Ben
• Piccadilly Circus
• London Eye
• Royal Albert Hall
• Manchester’s Trafford Centre
• Inverness Castle
• Wales Millennium Stadium

Supported by companies like M&S, Coca-Cola and Ikea, this worldwide phenomenon will show the world’s leader that the people of the planet are serious about stopping climate change. First time participants include Kosovo, Madagascar, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Paraquay, Ecuador and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Head of Campaigns at WWF-UK, Colin Butfield, said -

This years Earth Hour hopes to attract some one billion people. By signing up to switch off their lights, individuals, businesses, towns and cities can join a global phenomenon and show world leaders that we care about climate change.

> > Click here to sign up for Earth Hour

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

You may be wondering what links tigers, the general election and your future, and the answer is climate change. Rising temperatures are putting up to 30% of the world’s species at risk. Tackling climate change not only offers the opportunity to safeguard the wildlife at risk from a warming world, but also to help create a green economy right here in the UK. This could also open up the door for thousands of new green jobs during a time of high unemployment.

This years general election is the perfect opportunity to let your local politicians know that there is public support for action on a greener Britain. WWF UK has teamed up with CAFOD, Christian Aid, Tearfund, Greenpeace, Oxfam UK, RSPB and many other charities to encourage all of their supporters to ‘Ask the Climate Question’. This can be done by

1. Every time a member of a political party asks whatís important to you, list climate change in your top three issues.
2. Attend a candidates political meeting with family and friends to quiz them on climate change.
3. Get involved locally help with this campaign by writing letters to candidates

Marginal constituencies will be closely fought in the country, with political parties taking far greater interest in the views of voters in your area. With the ear of the politicians, now is a great time for you, your family, friends and neighbours to tell them that you are concerned about the future of not just humans, but also the countries wildlife and their habitats due to climate change.

> > Click here to visit the WWF campaign site

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts