News Archive - July 2008

July 15, 2008

UK government lambasted over own carbon emissions
The British government's record in cutting its own emissions of planet-warming gases was "extremely poor", a cross-party panel of politicians said on Monday.

Bombardier launches 'green' aircraft programme
Canadian planemaker Bombardier announced here Sunday the launch of a series of environmentally friendly single-aisle jets, scheduled to enter service in 2013. German carrier Lufthansa had signed a letter saying it was interested in buying 30 of the CSeries jets and possibly as many as 60, Bombardier said in a statement.

ClimatePULSE: Who owns these greenhouse gas emissions?
Protocols for corporate greenhouse gas accounting that are based on the ISO 14064 standards, such as the WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol, use the term "scope" to distinguish between different greenhouse gas emissions sources. There are three categories; Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3. For most registry’s or reporting agencies Scopes 1 and 2 are considered mandatory while Scope 3 is considered optional.

Indonesia, Brazil say to cooperate on biofuel
The leaders of Indonesia and Brazil agreed on Saturday that their developing nations, home to much of the world's remaining tropical forest, would cooperate on biofuels after talks covering climate change and food.

PVC Packaging Under Fire in California
A bill phasing out polyvinyl chloride (PVC) packaging by 2015 is being circulated in the California Legislature, reports the Ventura County Star.

Greens Nominate Cynthia McKinney for President
The Green Party has made a good deal of history this weekend.

Bush lifts offshore drilling ban in symbolic move
President George W. Bush on Monday lifted a White House ban on offshore drilling to try to drive down soaring energy prices, a largely symbolic bid unlikely to have any short-term impact on high gasoline costs. With prices at the pump over $4 a gallon, Bush pushed the Democratic-controlled Congress to expand offshore oil and natural gas drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf and give oil companies access to the Arctic Wildlife National Refuge. High gasoline prices and soaring food prices have irked American consumers in a presidential election year, when Bush's Republicans are trying to keep the White House and wrest control of Congress back from Democrats.

Global warming may raise kidney stone cases: study
One more unwanted consequence of global warming may be an increase in cases of kidney stones in areas with rising temperatures, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

It's a long road to a H5N1 vaccine stockpile
Several measures must be put in place to ensure an adequate vaccine stockpile in the event of a H5N1 avian influenza pandemic, write Tadataka Yamada, Alice Dautry and Mark Walport in Nature. H5N1 could kill up to 80 million people, according to recent data models — with 95 per cent of deaths in the developing world.

EU executive to tackle eco impact of consumerism
The European Commission will launch a raft of proposals on Wednesday to curb the environmental impact of consumerism in the 27-nation EU by supporting eco-friendly products and technology. The plan comes as the European Union moves to cut energy consumption amid soaring fuel and power prices and as part of its ambitious mid-term goal of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by one fifth by 2020, compared to 1990 levels. "This will mainly be targeted at products that use a lot of energy, such as computers, televisions, water heaters and industrial fans," a source at the Commission, the bloc's executive arm, said on Monday.

Environmentalists block Australia coal port
Environmental protesters in Australia brought the world's biggest coal terminal to a standstill on Sunday by blocking railway lines and chaining themselves to rail cars. Police said they arrested about 37 people who chained themselves to a train and rail tracks at the port in Newcastle, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Sydney to protest over the impact of burning coal on climate change. "This caused three trains scheduled for Sunday to stop before getting to the terminal, meaning about 20,000 tonnes of coal could not be unloaded," a spokesman for the port, Matthew Watson told Reuters.

Inside the Life of a Scrapped Auto
Many people do not know that automobiles are one of today’s most recycled commodities. Steel and iron make up about 65 percent of the average vehicle, and are extremely valuable. Each year, the steel industry recycles more than 14 million tons of steel from end-of-life vehicles. Several other metals and materials from cars may also be recycled.

July 14, 2008

A US appeals court struck down landmark air-pollution regulations on Friday, shocking both environmental and industry groups with a decision that could severely hamper efforts to curb smog and acid rain.

Beijing discards recyclers
Tens of thousands of migrant workers won't be recycling any trash this August as they are being pushed out of town as Beijing gears up to present a sanitized modern city to millions of Olympic visitors.

Population boom will pressure forests: reports
Booming demand for food, fuel and wood as the world's population surges from six to nine billion will put unprecedented and unsustainable demand on the world's remaining forests, two new reports said on Monday.

Natural Disasters Becoming More Frequent
The trend of more frequent global natural disasters continues, due to an onslaught of weather-related crises in the first half of 2008. The total number of disasters as of June 30, 2008 already exceeds the average number of disasters recorded at mid-year over the past decade. Although 2008 is not on pace to eclipse 2007 as registering the most natural disasters ever, an especially active Atlantic hurricane season is expected.

Fresh Generation of Volunteers Takes Road to Organic Farms
Twenty-somethings across the country are fleeing the cities and suburbs to volunteer on organic farms.

Bush climate action now? "Bogus": Schwarzenegger
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Sunday the Bush administration did not believe it should do anything about global warming and that any last-minute action before leaving office would be "bogus." July 11, 2008

Antarctic ice shelf 'hanging by thread': European scientists
New evidence has emerged that a large plate of floating ice shelf attached to Antarctica is breaking up, in a troubling sign of global warming, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Thursday.

Environmental Working Group Names Safest Sunscreens
Looking for a safer sunscreen? It's not easy to find.The Environmental Working Group looked at almost 1,000 brand-name sunscreen products and found that the majority contain chemicals that either potentially pose health hazards or inadequately protect skin from damaging sun rays. Here's their list of the top safe sunscreens.

China to urgently boost GM crop development
China has said it must urgently step up the development of genetically modified crops as it faces mounting challenges to feed its 1.3 billion people due to shrinking arable land and climate change.

Invest in water for farming, or the world will go hungry
Super crops won't be enough — the planet will run short of food by 2030 unless we invest to avoid an imminent world water crisis, says Colin Chartres.

Intel’s Grove Calls for Dual-Fuel Vehicles, Used Vehicle Retrofits
It's hard not to notice, generally speaking, the stark differences in cultures, personalities and characters of leading lights in the energy and IT industries, particularly when it comes to strategic planning, organizational management and R&D, and especially when it comes to public relations and thinking “outside the box”?. The apparent contrasts stand out when it comes to developing renewable energy and clean technology for power generation and transportation.

Coal Industry Hands Out Pink Slips While Green Collar Jobs Take Off
A transition to renewable energy sources promises significant global job gains at a time when the coal industry has been hemorrhaging jobs for years.

Japan charges Greenpeace members over whale theft
Environmental group Greenpeace said on Friday two of its activists had been charged with stealing a box of whale meat while conducting a covert operation into suspected cases of embezzlement.

Acidifying oceans pose danger to coral reefs
The carbon dioxide spewed into the atmosphere by factories, cars and power plants is not just raising temperatures. It is also causing what scientists call "ocean acidification" as around 25 percent of the excess CO2 is absorbed by the seas.

Conservation areas 'attracting human settlement'
Protected conservation areas, previously thought to negatively impact marginalised rural communities, actually attract human settlement — a situation that could risk the very biodiversity that protected areas seek to protect. Researchers assessed population growth within ten kilometre 'buffers' at the edges of 306 protected areas in 45 African and Latin American countries, and compared them with background rural rates in the same countries. Average human population growth rates on protected areas' edges were nearly double the average growth rate in rural areas with similar ecological conditions.

Researchers develop efficient solar power devices
Using sheets of glass covered with organic dyes, scientists have devised an efficient and practical solar power device that they believe can help make this clean, renewable energy source more affordable.

July 10, 2008

G8 patches up climate deal, others want more
The world's biggest polluters agreed on Wednesday on the need for "deep cuts" in greenhouse gas emissions, but differences between developed and emerging economies kept them from setting specific targets. Climate change has been the most contentious topic at this year's Group of Eight summit in Japan, which the heads of big emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil were invited to join on the third and final day.

World Wildlife Fund Confirms Attack On WWF Vehicle In Congo
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials said today they have received confirmation that two people were killed and three injured in an attack on a WWF vehicle in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo on July 7.

LCD Chemical Found to Have 17,000 Times the Climate Impact of CO2.
Dubbed the "missing greenhouse gas," nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) was found by a recent study to have a global climate impact 17,000 times greater than carbon dioxide. The chemical is found in the LCD panels of cell phones, televisions, and computer monitors, as well as in semiconductors and synthetic diamonds.

Solar industry gets jitters as Spain plans retreat
A Spanish bonanza of solar power subsidies may hit a serious brake in September as Madrid prepares to curb support, risking squeezed margins for the global industry, say investors and analysts.

Carbon Sciences: Turning Carbon Emissions into "GreenCarbon"
A small startup based in Santa Barbara, California is testing an alternative to carbon sequestration that, in a sense (perhaps more poetic than scientific), turns the second law of thermodynamics — entropy — on its head by taking waste CO2 and tailings from mining operations and turning the mix into materials of a “higher order”? for use in a variety of industrial, agricultural, and environmental applications.

World ports tackle greenhouse gas emissions
Ports authorities from around the world gathered in Rotterdam Wednesday to adopt a plan to cut CO2 emissions from the activities of some 100,000 large ships sailing global waters.

River damming leads to dramatic decline in native fish numbers
Damming of the Colorado River over the last century, alongside introduction of game fish species, has led to an extensive decline in numbers of native fish whilst introduced species have flourished. Scientists have found that physical changes which occur to a river when it is dammed have had an adverse effect only on native fish, due to differences in their life histories.

South China tigers teeter on brink of extinction
Dragging on a cigarette between his wrinkled lips, Hou Fengqi fingered a dusty bamboo bow and rusty iron-tipped arrows, before recounting his days as a "tiger hunting hero" in the rugged hills of southern China. "The first tiger was the largest, around 150kg, and when we carried it back to the village, everyone ran out and cheered," said Hou with a gap-toothed grin, casting his mind back to 1959.

What If China's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Are 25% Made By The Export Sector?
So the next climate deal is another watered down soapy substance now that China and India pulled the plug at the G8 meeting held in Japan. The stalemate that’s visible was exactly what was feared by everybody; diametrically opposed parties over the emissions by the world’s largest energy consuming countries. Time for a change in approach? Perhaps it's time for a change in accounting methods. Take China for instance. At least 23% of this country’s carbon emissions are from goods that are exported to industrialized countries. So is it fair that the country is held responsible for all of its emissions in the new climate deal?

Suburbs feeling the pinch as fuel prices soar
Ever since the rise of the automobile in the 1950s, the American Dream has featured a home in the suburbs and two cars in the garage. Now the iconic white picket fence comes with a hefty price tag in the form of the cost of the gasoline needed to drive to work and to the supermarket, and the suburban idyll is under review.

July 9, 2008

Seattle Council Discussing Styrofoam Ban, Plastic and Paper Bag Fee
The Seattle City Council will hold a public hearing today on Mayor Greg Nickels’ proposal to ban foam containers and impose a plastic/paper bag fee at local stores.

What's the difference between Carbon Offsets and Renewable Energy Credits, Anyway?
One difference between Renewable Energy Credits and Carbon Offsets is the way they are measured.

New Coral Reefs Teeming With Marine Life Discovered In Brazil
Scientists have announced the discovery of reef structures they believe doubles the size of the Southern Atlantic Ocean's largest and richest reef system, the Abrolhos Bank, off the southern coast of Brazil's Bahia state. The newly discovered area is also far more abundant in marine life than the previously known Abrolhos reef system, one of the world's most unique and important reefs.

Some Plants Can Adapt To Widespread Climate Change
While many plant species move to a new location or go extinct as a result of climate change, grasslands clinging to a steep, rocky dale-side in Northern England seem to defy the odds and adapt to long-term changes in temperature and rainfall, according to a new study by scientists from Syracuse University and the University of Sheffield (United Kingdom) published online in the July 7 issue of the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Cow burps help Argentines study climate change
Argentine scientists are taking a novel approach to studying global warming -- strapping plastic tanks to the backs of cows to collect their burps. Researchers say the slow digestive system of cows makes them a producer of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that gets far less public attention than carbon dioxide in efforts to fight global warming.

Land Degradation Worse Than Previously Reported
Land degradation is becoming worse in severity and extent across many regions of the world, with croplands, in particular, declining in function and productivity, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said in a new report.

Cheney wanted cuts in climate testimony
Vice President Dick Cheney's office pushed for major deletions in congressional testimony on the public health consequences of climate change, fearing the presentation by a leading health official might make it harder to avoid regulating greenhouse gases, a former EPA official maintains.

Suit seeks ban on oil companies disturbing wildlife
Two environmental groups on Tuesday filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn new federal regulations that grants permission to oil companies working in the Chukchi Sea to disturb the polar bears and walrus that live there. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Anchorage, challenges regulations issued last month by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that allow "incidental takes" of the animals, meaning permission to disturb or accidentally harass them as long as such actions do not result in physical injury or death.

Toward the Ultimate Eco-car: Toyota
Early in the 1990s, Toyota sought to answer two important questions: “What are the requirements of motor vehicles for the 21 st century?”? and “What sort of vision must Toyota have to meet the challenges of the new era?”? To answer these questions, the company assembled staff members from various departments to develop a totally new type of vehicle.

Rare California condors threatened by huge fires
Naturalists feared on Tuesday for endangered California condors caught up in a massive two week-old blaze still sweeping through the scenic Big Sur area. The fate of three condor chicks born in the wild in April -- key to the reintroduction in California of the threatened species -- was unknown. One nest was in the path of the fire and flames damaged an aviary where captive chicks are trained before being released into the wild.

Major Economies Meeting turns into Major Embarrassment Meeting for G8
The deadlock paralyzing today’s Major Economies Meeting (MEM) at the G8 summit in Japan is a result of missing G8 leadership on emission reductions. According to WWF, strong actions by emerging economies — which MEM host George W. Bush demands — can only be made on the basis of stronger commitments by industrialized nations. But G8 climate talks yesterday failed to signal bold action by rich nations.

July 8, 2008

African 'wall of trees' gets underway
Three years after it was first proposed, preparations for an African 'wall of trees' to slow down the southwards spread of the Sahara desert are finally getting underway. The 'Great Green Wall' will involve several stretches of trees from Mauritania in the west to Djibouti in the east, to protect the semi-arid savannah region of the Sahel — and its agricultural land — from desertification.

Australia activists to block world's top coal port
Environmentalists plan to block one of two rail lines into the world's biggest coal export port in Australia at the weekend, amid wrangling by rich nations over efforts to combat climate change, they said on Tuesday. Any disruption to coal shipments from the Newcastle port could give another boost to benchmark coal prices that are already near record highs at nearly $195 a tonne, having more than trebled in a year.

Global warming will push Russia to destruction
Global warming will sow destruction across Russia and ex-Soviet states, a report said on Tuesday after the world's richest countries issued targets on harmful emissions that environmentalists criticized as too soft. The 52-page report -- written by green group WWF and British charity Oxfam -- described a grim picture of social, ecological and economic collapse in the world's biggest country and its former empire unless the world took urgent action.

G8 papers over differences on climate change
G8 nations, papering over deep differences on how to set goals to combat global warming, said on Tuesday they would work toward a target of at least halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 with other participants in U.N. talks. In a communique released during a summit in northern Japan, the Group of Eight leaders agreed that they would need to set mid-term goals to achieve the "shared vision" for 2050, but gave no numerical targets.

Dell Recycling Program Provides Jobs
Dell is teaming up with the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired-Goodwill of Greater Rochester, New York, to start a free computer recycling program that will create jobs for ABVI workers and keep unwanted electronic devices out of local landfills, reports the Democrat and Chronicle.

Researchers say popular fish contains potentially dangerous fatty acid combination
The researchers say the combination could be a potentially dangerous food source for some patients with heart disease, arthritis, asthma and other allergic and auto-immune diseases that are particularly vulnerable to an "exaggerated inflammatory response." Inflammation is known to cause damage to blood vessels, the heart, lung and joint tissues, skin, and the digestive tract.

New bill passed cuts toxic ship pollution, praised by leading environmental group
Washington, D.C The U.S,. Senate passed (June 27,2008), by unanimous consent, legislation that will allow the U.S. to join an international treaty that could dramatically cut ocean ship pollution that causes tens of thousands of global deaths annually. “The Marine Pollution Prevention Act of 2008”? (H.R. 802), was passed overwhelmingly by the U.S. House of Representatives last year.

Rare hydrogen producing microorganism may help unlock tomorrow's hydrogen economy
An ancient organism from the pit of a collapsed volcano may hold the key to tomorrow's hydrogen economy. Scientists from across the world have formed a team to unlock the process refined by a billions-year old archaea. The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute will expedite the research by sequencing the hydrogen-producing organism for comparative genomics.

Global Leaders Need to Forge Consensus and Act Now, Climate Change Experts
Government leaders need to act quickly and establish clear, consistent, inclusive and long-term climate change policies, according to a global survey of key climate change decision makers and scientists conducted by GlobeScan.

A Stamp for Sustainable Lifestyles
The French postal service "La Poste" and UNEP have partnered to publish a booklet of letter stamps (Carnet de dix) inspired by the project UNEP/UNESCO youthXchange. This Carnet has the dimension and shape of a business card and contains 10 stamps, each of which carries a message related to sustainable consumption.

July 7, 2008

Nature Reserves Attract Humans, But At A Cost To Biodiversity
Rather than suppressing local communities in developing nations, nature reserves attract human settlement, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. In an analysis of 306 rural protected areas in 45 countries in Africa and Latin America, the researchers found that, on average, the rate of human population growth along the borders of protected areas was nearly twice that of neighboring rural areas.

Flooding, After the Deluge, and the Politics of Toxic Mold
For days now, a swollen Mississippi River has menacingly roamed far from its banks, devouring large swatches of picturesque river towns and some of the Midwest's best farmlands. While countless news organizations chronicle both the courage of those fighting 'Big Muddy's' assault and the anguish of those wounded by it, another battle is about to begin. This battle will go all but unseen, for the struggle will be one of individual households against mold, mold that is both toxic and dangerous, though there are those who insist otherwise.

90% Of Israeli Homes Have Solar Water Heaters
I recently noted that Hawaii has enacted a law that requires all new homes to install solar water heaters. Eventually, Hawaii may have as many water heaters as Israel, where 90% of homes have solar water heaters installed. When viewed from above, the Jerusalem often glitters with the shine of the thousands of solar heaters that adorn rooftops.

Eastern Pacific Fishing Nations Fail to Conserve Tuna
Rodney McInnis, Southwest Administrator of NOAA’s Fisheries Service and U.S. Commissioner to the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), today expressed disappointment that a few countries blocked the Commission’s plan to conserve depleted tuna stocks. The IATTC’s annual meetings concluded on Friday in Panama without agreement on a plan to conserve yellowfin and bigeye tuna, which have in recent years been subject to overexploitation.

Wasps use parasitic mites as baby bodyguards
Parents will go a long way to protect their children, and one type of wasp goes as far as offering a home to a parasitic mite that helps fight off intruders at its nest. After breeding, potter wasps (Allodynerus delphinalis) build a nest and lay eggs inside cavities that contain food and are sealed with mud and saliva. But the insect's offspring are threatened by parasitic wasps that try to invade the nest and lay their eggs inside the cavities. This kills the baby potter wasp in the process.

Eco-friendly Car Wash
Most people are thinking about saving money or getting a fantastic tan as they proudly soap up automobiles on their driveways, hose in hand. But the truth is that home car washing is one of the more environmentally unfriendly chores we perform.

India launches climate change action plan
[NEW DELHI] India released its national action plan on climate change this week (30 June) with a focus on harnessing renewable energy rather than stringent emissions targets. India's prime minister Manmohan Singh released the plan ahead of his attendance at next week's (7—9 July) G8 summit in Japan where climate change is expected to be discussed.

China Olympic city battles "invading" algae
In China's Olympic co-host city Qingdao, sea breezes that usually bring relief from baking summer temperatures now bring a cloying stench from a massive algae bloom that locals fear will harm the city's bucolic image during the Games. "If we don't clean this up, we're done for," said local businessman Zhang Longfei, pointing at a blanket of green weed stretching far out to sea at Qingdao's No. 3 Bathing Beach.

Retooling a Developed Economy’s Energy Base: Germany at the Head of the Class
Energy consumption in Germany dropped 5.6% - the equivalent of 18.5 tons of oil - in 2007 as its economy grew 2.5%, according to BP’s latest statistical review of world energy, illustrating that economic growth is possible while clean technology is put in place and alternative, renewable energy resources are developed.

EU, greens urge Bush to back 2050 emissions target
The European Union and green groups piled pressure on the United States on Monday to agree to a target to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century and back the need for rich countries to set 2020 goals as well. Climate change is high on the agenda for the G8 nations meeting at a luxury hotel on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido from Monday to Wednesday. But green groups fear the summit will end in failure by not committing to a pledge to slash emissions by 2050.

July 4, 2008

Vague land ownership a factor in Amazon deforestation
A “fragile”? land tenure system and “a scarce presence”? by the State were identified as key factors in rising Amazon deforestation last week. The diagnosis was delivered to the 3rd International Congress on Bioenergy last week by WWF-Brazil forest engineer Ana Euler, who said there was a need to re-discuss the Brazilian development model.

The Backroom Biofuel Processors Are Meeting Online On A Professional Exchange
Biodiesel processors are in strong demand now that the price of petrol is going through the roof. (Small) businesses are increasingly beginning to produce their own biofuels and in an effort to breath more life into the new market, the U.S. Biofuels Exchange Inc. (USBE) has launched a biofuels platform. The new platform matches biofuel producers of all sizes with buyers.

LA City Committee Supports Plastic Bag Fee, Foam Container Ban
Los Angeles is considering a plan that would reduce plastic bag use by retailers and ban foam containers at city facilities, reports the Associated Press. The city council’s energy and environment committee unanimously supported Tuesday a plan to ban the use of plastic bags at all supermarkets and retail stores, unless the state passes a bill which would impose a $.25 fee for each plastic bag.

French bank unveils sustainability labels
Environmental Finance, 3 July 2008 - Caisse d'Epargne has launched a labelling system to rate financial products, based on their financial risk and sustainability. The French bank has been applying the labels to its savings products since the beginning of June, and has made the methodology freely available for other institutions to adopt. Caisse d'Epargne plans to extend labelling to insurance and loan products by the end of 2008.

Tissue manufacturer buys wind power to counterbalance plants' CO2 emissions
Cascades Tissue Group in Waterford has offset its carbon dioxide emissions by buying 11 million kilowatt hours of wind power. The commercial tissue manufacturer, a subsidiary of Montreal-based Cascades Inc., will use the credits to offset the emissions from its plants in Waterford and Mechanicville, which produce the North River line of paper products.

Beetle attack
OVER the past 14 years, a tiny insect no bigger than a grain of rice has laid waste a swathe of British Columbia’s forests so vast that the rust-red wasteland is visible from space. The mountain pine beetle has infested and killed over half the lodgepole pine forest in the centre of the province—an area larger than England.

Massive wildfires threaten two California towns
California firefighters made a desperate stand as darkness fell on Thursday to save more than 4,000 homes and other structures from a pair of out-of-control wildfires burning about 170 miles apart along the California coast. The most imminent danger was to homes around Goleta, near Santa Barbara, where flames were fast approaching 2,600 homes and transmission lines supplying power to 100,000 people on the central coast.

Australian adviser unveils carbon trading scheme
Australia's leading climate guru on Friday laid out a draft carbon trading scheme to rein in rising emissions in the world's top per-capita greenhouse gas polluter. Economist Ross Garnaut, appointed by the government to design what will be the world's most extensive emissions regime from 2010, said Australia was critically at risk from climate change and urged deep cuts in emissions from the world's top coal exporter.

July 3, 2008

Alabama Student Calculates Cost Savings of Recycling
A business student at the University of Alabama in Huntsville has found that the city of Birmingham could save as much as $1.8 million over 10 years if it could boost its recycling participation rate to 25 percent, reports the Associated Press.

Egyptian centre to push Middle East renewables
Egypt has established a US$30 million centre for renewable energy for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

G8 could see climate deal and substance in doubt
G8 leaders could well cobble together some agreement next week on goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions, but bolder progress in climate change talks will probably have to wait until a new U.S president takes office.

Greenville Injection Project Could Have Global Implications
A porous rock layer filled with saltwater that underlies much of the Midwest could permanently store half of the greenhouse gases released in the next century by industries in Ohio and neighboring states.

Where's the global food crisis taking us?
In five years' time, we could be living in a world where millions are dying in famines with no food aid to hand, regular storms and droughts wipe out acres of crops, and skyrocketing food prices have created global political panic, food experts say.

Drivers on Canadian West Coast paying carbon tax
North America's first comprehensive carbon tax is now in effect in the Canadian West Coast province of British Columbia, greeted with complaints that some gasoline stations have used the tax as cover to raise prices more than necessary.

New Car Engine Could Double Fuel Economy
A new engine from Revetec is half the size and weight of a traditional engine, and has 50 percent fewer emissions.

Tackling Qingdao's invading algae
Young recruits from the People's Liberation Army threw off their shoes and stood knee-deep in the thick green algae that has overwhelmed the Qingdao coastline. Locals say the algae has never been so thick here - agricultural and industrial pollution are thought to be responsible.

Freeze lifted on solar applications in West
The Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday said it reversed an earlier decision freezing solar project applications in six Western states and would accept new applications.

Poaching gangs blamed for tiger density tumble in Nepal park
A Nepal wildlife reserve that boasted the highest density of tigers in the world is just half a decade later struggling to hold a few remaining tigers.

July 2, 2008

State workers in Utah shifting to 4-day week
Utah this summer will become what experts say is the first state to institute a mandatory four-day work week for most state employees, joining local governments across the nation that are altering schedules to save money, energy and resources. Gov. Jon Huntsman, a first-term Republican, says he's making the change to reduce the state's carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency, improve customer service and provide workers more flexibility.

Condemned to single-sex life by climate change
All tuatara could be born male — and thus doomed to extinction — within decades.

Rebuilding Greensburg The Green Way
Greensburg, Kan. was flattened by a major tornado in 2007. The town decided to bring it back in a completely "green," sustainable way. Alex Cohen talks to Greensburg's former mayor, John Janssen, about the decision to rebuild that community using an environmentally friendly approach.

World Bank approves climate funds before G8 summit
The World Bank on Tuesday agreed to establish two investment funds to help developing economies switch to clean-energy technologies to curb carbon emissions and help poor countries adapt to climate change.

Some 1.5 bln people may starve due to land erosion
Rising land degradation reduces crop yields and may threaten food security of about a quarter of the world' population, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said on Wednesday.

Sanitation 'crucial' for tackling water-borne disease
Effective and affordable interventions that provide the global population with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation are needed if water-borne diseases are ever to be controlled, says a WHO report entitled 'Safe Water, Better Health', released last week (26 June).

Science communicators rise to climate challenge
Science communicators from around the world have devised recommendations to put forward to the UN for better communicating climate change impacts and mitigation methods.

Motorists brave Mexico border violence for fuel
U.S. motorists are risking rampant drug violence in Mexico to drive over the border and fill their tanks with cheap Mexican fuel, some even coming to blows over gas shortages and long queues. The gap between Mexico's subsidized gasoline and record U.S. prices has made it well worth making the trip.

Green Beer
Once reserved for St. Patrick's Day, green beer is now available year round in the form of more ecologically sound beers. Companies across the globe are crafting beers for taste and sustainability. They have found innovative ways to consume less power, conserve water, recycle materials, and utilize brewing byproducts. Although an industry-wide green revolution is still years away, companies are looking to the future for today's perfect brew.

McCain and Obama's Plans to Combat Climate Change
Regardless of who is elected next November, both candidates agree that climate change is a fact and not a theory. John McCain and Barack Obama however vary widely in their response to this issue, leaving the American people with a choice of approaches when choosing the next president. McCain’s primary tools include implementing a cap and trade system for emissions and utilizing greater amounts of nuclear power and “clean” coal.

Most state workers in Utah shifting to 4-day week
Utah this summer will become what experts say is the first state to institute a mandatory four-day work week for most state employees, joining local governments across the nation that are altering schedules to save money, energy and resources. Gov. Jon Huntsman, a first-term Republican, says he's making the change to reduce the state's carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency, improve customer service and provide workers more flexibility.

July 1, 2008

OPEC couldn't replace Iran oil output: OPEC chief
OPEC will not be able to replace some 4 million barrels per day in lost Iranian output if Tehran carries out its threat to stop oil exports if attacked, OPEC President Chakib Khelil said on Tuesday.

High Gas Prices Threaten to Drain Small Towns' Populations
For thousands of small-town residents across the country who drive long distances to jobs that pay little more than minimum wage, the high cost of gas is making that daily commute cost-prohibitive. So much so that economists predict that over the next few years, the country could see a migration that would greatly reduce the population of Small Town America - resulting in a painful shift away from lifestyle, family roots, traditions and school ties.

U.S. solar energy industry blasts government move
Leaders in the U.S. solar energy industry blasted the U.S. government on Monday for a freeze on applications for new solar projects on public land in six Western states. The Bureau of Land Management announced the freeze a month ago, saying it would conduct an extensive study looking at the environmental, social and economic impacts of solar energy development.

New Apple iPhone 3G to arrive in Green Packaging
It's faster, it's cheaper, it's just as beautiful, and now it's greener--at least its packaging is. Apple, the same company that got bruised in its fistfight with Greenpeace last year, literally just announced that its new iPhone 3G, in all of the glory of its already unprecedented demand, will arrive next Friday outfitted in green packaging.

Judge: Reduce CO2 Or Don't Build Coal Plant
In a ruling believed to be unprecedented, a Georgia judge halted the construction of Dynegy's Longleaf coal-fired power plant because it had not made provisions for reducing its emissions of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas most widely implicated in man-made global warming. The judge ruled that the plant must limit its pollution, according to the Sierra Club, which has been waging a campaign against Dynegy, an energy company with plans to build more coal-fired power plants than any other.

Eco-tourism: Carbon 'offsets', a good idea that's not working
Top airlines and tour operators keen to shore up their green credentials nowadays offer customers carbon "offsets" to compensate holiday pollution.

Wal-Mart to source more fruits and veggies locally
Wal-Mart Stores Inc is sourcing more produce sold in its U.S. supercenters and Neighborhood Market stores from local farmers as it tries to offset the soaring transportation costs that are driving up food prices.

Pushing the PV Envelope: Organic Solar Cells Moving into Production
Organic photovoltaic cells, including dye-sensitized cells (DSCs) - may be the ultimate when it comes to offering off-grid, micro-power generation. Initial small-scale technology and market tests — solar chargers for mobile phones in Africa, for example - are under way as researchers continue to try to find ways to boost solar energy conversion efficiencies — which now surpass 5% for small organic PV cells and up to 11% for DSCs - minimize production costs and develop markets for both small- and large-scale applications.

Smart Vendor car vending machine in Japan
Holding a full-size Smart Car, the faux vending machine has two choices (coupe and cabrio), and a convenient slot to insert the amount you need (about $20k). Of course, this is a concept only, but is a nice extension of their already creative vending machine idea that fits right into the Japanese love for instant gratification on-the-go. Besides, could you do this with any other car without it seeming like a big joke?

Toyota to build Camry hybrids in China in 2010: paper
TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp plans to begin building and selling a hybrid version of its Camry sedan in China in 2010 in anticipation of growing demand for environmentally friendly vehicles, the Nikkei business daily reported on Tuesday.