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		News Archive     11/01/2010 07:00 PM California wants EPA to slow down climate rules Reuters: California has urged U.S. environmental regulators to slow down implementation of rules on greenhouse gas emissions saying they could hurt the state's plan to transform its energy system to run more on renewable energy like solar power. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed last year to require power plants and factories emitting over 25,000 tons of greenhouse gases a year to obtain operating permits. The EPA has said the rules could take effect as soon as this ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Germany sticking to ambitious CO2 target: adviser Reuters: Germany will stick to a more ambitious goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2020 even though the U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen fell short of expectations, a government adviser said on Monday. Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said it was unclear if the European Union as a whole would pursue a 30 percent target when it submits its plan to the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat by January 31. Germany ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Police extremist unit helps climate change e-mail probe BBC: A police unit set up to support forces dealing with extremism in the UK is helping investigate the leaking of climate change data in Norfolk. In November it was revealed that the computer server at the Climate Change Unit at the University of East Anglia had been hacked and e-mails leaked. An inquiry was started by Norfolk Police. Now it has been revealed the force is getting help from the National Domestic Extremism Unit, based in Huntingdon. A spokesman for the ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Canadians say climate change bigger threat than terrorism Mongabay: A new poll shows that Canadians now see climate change as a larger threat than terrorism, even though their government has largely scaled back efforts to combat climate change. Half of the poll's respondents said that climate change was a 'critical threat', while only a quarter said the same about terrorism. The number of Canadians viewing climate change as a 'critical threat' dropped 3 percent in the last six years, from 52 percent to 49 percent (close to the polls margin of error of ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM US carbon market growth seen without climate bill Reuters: Voluntary carbon markets in the United States will grow especially at the regional level even if a stalled federal climate bill fails to impose "cap and trade" on American industry, the chairman of the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) said on Tuesday. "I think we will continue to see interest in voluntary carbon markets ... And I would expect that without a federal law you will continue to see growth in regional initiatives in the United States," Richard Sandor, the exchange's founder, ... read more 10/01/2010 07:00 PM When the Lights Go Out Culture Change: When fossil fuels begin to vanish, the first sign of the times will not be made of cardboard and propped up in front of an empty gas pump. The sign will be the flickering bulb in the ceiling, because electricity is always the weakest link in the synergistic triad that includes fossil fuels and metals. When the lights go out, so does everything else. The house or apartment will be largely non-functioning. Not only will there be darkness throughout the dwelling between sunset and ... read more 12/01/2010 07:00 PM Australia: Floodwaters fail to stop drought's creep across state Sydney Morning Herald: Roads remain submerged in floodwater, ghostly rivers have risen from the dead, paddocks are a sea of green, and mosquitoes are breeding like it's the tropics. Welcome to the drought, NSW style. Despite a surge of devastating floodwaters through parts of the west and central west since Christmas, drought crept across a further 1 per cent of the state last month, taking its claim to 81.8 per cent at the beginning of the year. State Government figures to be released today show 95 ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM UK Must Raise CO2 Cut Target To 42% By 2020 -Environment Panel Dow Jones: The U.K.'s Environmental Audit Committee Monday said the government should increase its target to cut emissions to 42% from 34% below 1990 levels by 2020. "Setting a target of 42% now and moving to the intended budget should increase the long-term stability of the policy framework by removing any uncertainty about whether the higher target and budget might be imposed," the committee said in a report published Monday. It added that the government should implement the new higher ... read more 21/12/2009 07:00 PM Climate change will have severe impact on fisheries, warns FAO Business Standard India: Even as the Copenhagen summit on global warming has concluded without finalising binding commitments to combat this challenge, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said the fisheries sector will be hugely affected by climate change, jeopardising food supply and livelihood of a large section of the world's population. Also Read Related Stories News Now -PM back after attending Copenhagen Summit-India fears climate talks will collapse-UN panel issues new draft at climate ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Report: 2009 was a warm year in USA USA Today: Despite an unusually chilly year in the Midwest, the national U.S. temperature was slightly above average in 2009, according to the National Climatic Data Center. This marked the 13th consecutive year the nation experienced a warmer-than-normal average temperature. Since the late 1980s, 21 of the last 24 years have been unusually warm in the USA. Beginning in late 1800s, when accurate weather records began, the country has been warming at a rate of about 0.1 degree per decade, ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Australia: Small but deadly jellyfish stings increase Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Asked to describe the pain caused by an Irukandji jellyfish sting, Tamara Binamat refers to the universal barometer of female suffering. "I've given birth and that was painful but this was excruciating," she said. "Five times worse than childbirth." Tamara is one of ten people stung by the small but highly toxic jellyfish in Broome waters in the last fortnight. It was mid morning when Tamara's Boxing Day paddle with her young son went awry. She felt the ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Canada: Geist: Ottawa pulls own Internet hoax Toronto Star: Last month, the Canadian delegation at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen found itself targeted by the Yes Men in a widely publicized hoax. The well-known activists satirized the Canadian government's position on the environment by launching a pair of phoney websites that looked official but promoted different policies. The hoax attracted considerable media attention, prompting Prime Minister's Office spokesman Dimitri Soudas to label it a childish prank. Soon after, Canadian ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Germany's Merkel: Fight Against Climate Change Must Go On Dow Jones: The fight against climate change and securing biodiversity is crucial to preventing costly environmental damage, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday. "Copenhagen hasn't made us optimistic," Merkel said at an environmental event on biodiversity. "But we will go on. There is no alternative to it." Her comments come after the disappointing outcome of the United Nations- sponsored climate summit in December, which ended with a face-saving note and no agreement on binding ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Canadians believe planet in peril C News: More than half of Canadians believe greenhouse gases produced by human activity are a key factor spurring climate change, and they say the planet is in peril if significant action isn't taken soon. The findings of the Leger Marketing poll conducted less than a week after the end of climate talks in Copenhagen suggest that Canada's political leaders must more clearly explain their plans for the environment. But the survey's regional results highlight the dilemma climate change ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Australia: States escape catastrophe despite fire dangers Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Four Australian states have avoided major fire activity despite the extreme conditions across the regions yesterday. South Australia and Victoria had catastrophic warnings in place Monday and Victoria's north and north-eastern areas face code red conditions today. There are 19 bushfires burning across Tasmania and southern New South Wales firefighters were on alert for any new fires that could be sparked by strong winds combined with the higher temperatures. The weather ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Australia: Massive crop losses predicted from heatwave Australian Broadcasting Corporation: The heatwave across south east Australia is worrying fruit and vegetable growers, with one table grape grower predicting a 70 per cent drop in yields. As the heat continues today across South Australia and Victoria, fire authorities say conditions are at their worst in the south east of the country since the Black Saturday fires just over a year ago. An expected top of 42 degrees in Adelaide will officially be a heatwave for the South Australian capital. Other capitals ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Saving biodiversity 'on the same scale' as climate change Mongabay: In a kick-off event for the UN's Year of Biodiversity, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, compared the importance of saving biodiversity to stopping climate change. "The question of preserving biological diversity is on the same scale as climate protection," Merkel said today according to Reuters. Germany is the current chair of the UN Convention on Biodiversity. "We need a sea change. Here, now, immediately -- not some time in the future. This year has to be used to relaunch this ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Hybrid Cars Won't Save Much Oil New York Times: Hybrid cars may be as popular as ever, but they may not have much impact on the nation's – or the world's - oil consumption over the next two decades, according to J. Marshall Adkins and Pavel Molchanov, analysts for the financial services firm Raymond James. Roughly 290,000 hybrids were sold last year in the United States, about the same as in 2008, and down from a high of 347,000 in 2007. Last year, hybrid cars -- which have both conventional and a battery operated-engines -- had a ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Kyoto to Copenhagen: Why UN's glacial global warming talks need overhaul Christian Science Monitor: Evidence at the recent Copenhagen climate talks that the whole process is overdue for an overhaul, according to several specialists. Bolstered by a process that angered many and an outcome that pleased few, some analysts argue that the major issues – emissions reductions, levels of financial aid, for instance – are best resolved among a relatively small number of countries that are or will be top emitters of greenhouse gases. Oversight would fall to the United Nations Framework ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM United Kingdom: North East biofuel venture targets £236m in fresh funding Business Green: A UK-based biofuel firm backed by investment group Future Capital Partners is aiming to raise £236m to fund the development of a major new ethanol plant in Grimsby. According to reports from Reuters, Future Fuels - a joint venture between Future Capital Partners, biofuels company Vireol and engineering group Simon Carves - has already purchased a site for the facility and secured planning permission, and is now seeking to raise finance to fund the project. Future Capital ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Japan: Toyota unveils pint-sized hybrid concept car Associated Press: Toyota unveiled a new hybrid concept car that is smaller than the Prius and geared toward younger buyers, as part of the Japanese automaker's strategy to expand its lineup of hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles. Toyota showed off the FT-CH compact car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday. The company also confirmed plans to badge future hybrids with the Prius name, expanding the Prius brand into an entire family of hybrid vehicles. A production ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Gas industry says trying to reduce smog in Wyoming Associated Press: The gas industry says it has taken steps to reduce smog in western Wyoming, but whether that will be enough to comply with a proposed new federal smog rule remains to be seen. Thousands of new natural gas wells have created smog problems in parts of western Wyoming over the last five years. The problem becomes more pronounced each January through April because of weather conditions. Last winter, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality twice issued advisories warning ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM The Asia-Pacific Partnership and the Kyoto Protocols: In conflict or cooperation? ScienceDaily: President Obama's visit to China before December's Copenhagen conference underlined views that the international strategy to tackle climate change truly hinges on cooperation between the United States and the developing Asian economies. This relationship, as represented in the Asia-Pacific Partnership (APP), is controversial to environmental analysts. In two papers published in WIREs Climate Change, analysts debate the significance of the APP and its role as an alternative to the Kyoto ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Germany: Leading climate scientist challenges Mail on Sunday's use of his research Guardian: A leading scientist has hit out at misleading newspaper reports that linked his research to claims that the current cold weather undermines the scientific case for manmade global warming. Mojib Latif, a climate expert at the Leibniz Institute at Kiel University in Germany, said he "cannot understand" reports that used his research to question the scientific consensus on climate change. He told the Guardian: "It comes as a surprise to me that people would try to use my ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Three Britons charged over €3m carbon-trading 'carousel fraud' Guardian: Belgian prosecutors highlighted the massive losses faced by EU governments from VAT fraud today after they charged three Britons and a Dutchman with money-laundering following an investigation into a multimillion-pound scam involving carbon emissions permits. The three Britons, who were arrested last month in Belgium, were accused of failing to pay VAT worth EUR3m (£2.7m) on a series of carbon credit transactions. European authorities believe the EU has lost at least EUR5bn to ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM United Kingdom: How will the snow and ice affect the public's attitudes to climate change? Guardian: Will the prolonged snow and ice of this winter mean the public decide that climate change isn't happening after all, or will it perhaps reinforce worries about extreme weather? Probably neither. For most people there remains little contention about the existence of climate change, even if not everyone is convinced it is solely man-made. Most of us (77%) already say we are concerned about it, but fewer than one in 10 see it as one of the major problems facing Britain. The recent ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM India can be solar power leader: PM Agence France-Presse: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid out ambitious plans to make his country a global leader in solar power on Monday as he launched a government initiative to boost use of the technology. Solar can help secure India's energy independence and tackle climate change, Singh said, as well as offering new opportunities for industry in a country with a crippling shortage of power. The National Solar Mission, launched Monday, could "establish India as a global leader in solar ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Sea icy off part of Antarctica despite fear of melt Reuters: Sea water under an East Antarctic ice shelf showed no sign of higher temperatures despite fears of a thaw linked to global warming that could bring higher world ocean levels, first tests showed on Monday. Sensors lowered through three holes drilled in the Fimbul Ice Shelf showed the sea water is still around freezing and not at higher temperatures widely blamed for the break-up of 10 shelves on the Antarctic Peninsula, the most northerly part of the frozen continent. "The water ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM UK gas reserves down to six hours as imports fail to arrive Guardian: Britain's reserves of stored gas stood at just six hours at lunchtime today as imports from Norway failed to arrive. National Grid issued an appeal for more gas to be pumped to the UK after unusually cold weather led to a shutdown of the Ormen Lange processing centre in the Norwegian Sea, interrupting gas flows to the UK at a time of peak demand. It is the fourth time this month that the company has issued the notice to the market. The so-called gas balancing alert has been ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Germany: World must step up efforts on saving species: Merkel Reuters: German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged industrialized and emerging countries to invest more in protecting wildlife and said the U.N. should create a body to refine scientific arguments for saving animal and plant species. Researchers say preserving nature is crucial to the fight against climate change and warn that human activity is speeding up extinctions. They also argue that peoples' livelihoods depend on natural assets worth trillions of dollars. Extinction rates run at ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM "Boy, its cold outside" and the nature of climate change / Global Warming Huffington Post: It is cold in my backyard, therefore global warming isn't real. It is that sort of quite natural human (ego-centric) perspective that contributes to the difficulty that many face in comprehending climate change / Global Warming. Of course, this difficulty is exacerbated by those who actively distort, seeking to emphasize "cold" records while failing to discuss "hot" records. Even honest and truthful reporting can lead to confusion, remembering that far too many people have a hard time ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Vatican City: Pope Benedict XVI lambasts Copenhagen failure BBC: The Pope has criticised the failure by world leaders to agree to a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen last month. He told nearly 100 ambassadors accredited to the Vatican that world leaders had a continuing responsibility towards preserving God's creation. He criticised the "economic and political resistance" to fighting environmental degradation and creating a new climate treaty at Copenhagen. Benedict XVI was speaking in his annual talk to the Vatican diplomatic ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM A trove of stories ... lost in a sea of noise? Daily Climate: Journalists worldwide published more than 32,400 articles on climate change in last year, yet the coverage was not enough to warrant a spot on a map showing major news events of 2009. Amid gloomy reports of shrinking news holes and contracting news rooms, some 11,000 different reporters, columnists and editorial boards at nearly 2,000 media outlets across the globe published climate-related stories, based on an analysis of DailyClimate.org's archives. Reuters led the pack, ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM United States: Berkeley's radicals spreading heat, light Toronto Star: You want to put solar panels on your rooftop, a geothermal system in your backyard, or maybe spend $20,000 doing a comprehensive energy retrofit of your home. It will pay off over time, right? But there's one big stumbling block: the high upfront cost. And what if you decide to sell your home and can't recoup that investment? Even in Ontario, where you can earn a hefty premium by selling solar power back into the grid, there's still much reluctance in the market to drop that ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Cities struggle to find new uses for auto plants Associated Press: Henry Ford's great-grandson arrived at the shuttered auto plant to brag about a plan to revive the vast empty space: Investors would transform it into a modern factory to make solar panels and high-tech energy systems instead of Town Cars and Thunderbirds. "I can't imagine a better way to reuse the facility," Bill Ford said during his visit to the former Wixom Assembly plant in September. Several months later, a plan that exists only on paper is still awaiting final approval. ... read more 08/01/2010 07:00 PM UK licenses world's biggest offshore wind farms Reuters: Britain has awarded energy companies the rights to develop the world's biggest offshore wind project in hopes the country will become a leader in the emerging industry, which is vital to slash carbon emissions. The Crown Estate, in charge of Britain's coastal seabed, on Friday announced winners for the Round 3 tender, including Portugal's EDP Renewables, Britain's Centrica, Germany's E.ON and Sweden's Vattenfall. In total, the government hopes the programme will deliver up to ... read more 10/01/2010 07:00 PM United States: Air of hope whirls in Akron Beacon Journal: A fresh wind is blowing across Ohio. The state is aggressively pursuing wind as a new source of energy, jobs and economic development. Wind developers, including some from Europe, have big plans for Ohio -- on land and in Lake Erie. Six sprawling, large-scale wind farms with up to 436 towering turbines -- and a price tag in excess of $2 billion -- are proposed across western Ohio. The heaviest concentrations are atop a glacial ridge west of Columbus in Champaign County, ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM US grants $187 million for fuel efficiency research Associated Press: The Obama administration will announce on Monday funding for nine projects designed to significantly increase fuel efficiency in heavy trucks and passenger vehicles, with more than half the money coming from the $787 billion (euro550 billion) stimulus package. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu will detail the projects during a ceremony in Columbus, Indiana, home of Cummins Inc., which will receive nearly $40 million to develop a more efficient and cleaner diesel engine, a more aerodynamic ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM You can thank him for energy savings LA Times: When octogenarian Arthur H. Rosenfeld vacates his utilitarian office at the California Energy Commission this week, one of his final tasks might seem of little consequence: He'll turn off the lights. But that simple act -- some would say compulsion -- has transformed California into a world leader in energy efficiency. California homes are loaded with personal computers, widescreen TVs, iPods, PlayStations, air conditioners, massive refrigerators, hot tubs and swimming pool ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM United States: Task force touts many benefits of biomass Lexinton Herald-Leader: Kentucky has the potential to develop thousands of jobs in the renewable-fuels industry, but it will take a lot of work and investment to achieve that, according to a state task force. A full-scale system to produce fuel for power plants and vehicles made from renewable sources such as grass and wood chips could create 10,000 lasting jobs in 15 years, many in farming areas of the state, and generate billions in economic activity, the task force said in a report. If the state ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM U.S. announces $187 million for fuel efficiency Reuters: The Obama administration plans on Monday to announce the selection of nine projects totaling $187 million aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks. The funding includes more than $100 million from the $787 billion economic stimulus plan President Barack Obama pushed through Congress last February. An additional 50 percent will come from the private sector, according to the announcement to be made by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu in Columbus, Indiana. The ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Ford puts focus on fuel efficiency Wall Street Journal: Ford Motor Co. unveiled its all-new Focus compact car on Monday, and a telling detail is a small bump on each of the vehicle's taillights. These lips jut out just enough to interrupt the airflow around the back of the car, reducing turbulence and allowing the redesigned Focus to travel a bit farther on a tank of gas. Most customers might never notice, but it is the kind of detail Ford engineers now refer to as "one percenters"--tweaks that add up to increased fuel ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Mich.'s biomass rush sparks air quality, forest depletion worries Various: A rush to meet new requirements for renewable energy has spurred plans for wood-burning power plants in Northern Michigan, but critics argue that a surge in wood-based generation could deplete the state's forests and generate hazardous air pollution. Biomass, including wood, is considered a renewable energy source under Public Act 295 -- the 2008 law that requires utilities to get 10 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2015. Wood-based electricity generation makes ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM India: Gangotri glacier dying a slow death Economic Times: Is Gangotri glacier receding at an alarming pace: shrunken by a kilometre in the past 30 years? That's the question often debated by environmentalists and glacial experts. On Sunday, the question was once again thrown open to experts and media through a short documentary showcasing the prevailing situation in the Gangotri glacier which feeds the river Ganga. The 23-minute documentary, 'Him Ganga Hum', produced jointly by Green Peace and a media institute, showed how human ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM United States: Photovoltaic plastic firm rakes in $23.8m, raising prospect of commercial launch Business Green: Massachusetts-based solar technology firm Konarka confirmed last week that it has raised $23.8m as part of its seventh funding round, sparking speculation that the company is nearing commercial scale production. The company, which was founded in 2001 as a spin off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), filed documents with the SEC revealing that it had received almost $24m from investors, including existing backers Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Good Energies and 3i ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Copenhagen blame game sparked by failure to properly explain Danish Text Business Green: COP-15 was not so much a "failure" as a postponement. We can still get beyond the Copenhagen deadlock, as we have all now agreed the "two degree" upper limit on global temperature rise. But first we have to get past the return to the politics of picking numbers out of a hat and the blame-game that has dominated the Copenhagen post-mortems. These post-mortems have been very noisy and Ed Miliband was strident in [wrongly] blaming China for the failure. Not that "blaming" per se ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM A new approach to understanding climate change EurekAlert: Climate change is a phenomenon that extends far beyond science, with fundamental implications for economics, politics, sociology and environmental ethics. It is a phenomenon that changes how people understand the world around them and their own futures. This understanding epitomises the multi-disciplinary approach of WIREs Climate Change, the latest interdisciplinary review project from Wiley-Blackwell. Published in association with the Royal Meteorological Society and the Royal ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Bangladesh: The sinking Sundarbans Independent (UK): With Copenhagen, Obama's cap-and-trade bill, and numerous green policy initiatives coming out of Westminster, climate change is finally receiving the attention it deserves in a policy sense. But the plight of people whose lives have already been devastated by climate change has received surprisingly little attention. Fortunately, photojournalist Peter Caton's new exhibition of photographs from the Sundarbans region in India helps to redress this. The Sundarbans (meaning 'beautiful ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Farm Bureau Fires Back Against Climate Bill's 'Power Grab' ClimateWire: The largest U.S. farm group will "aggressively" fight back against any attempts to change the landscape of American agriculture -- including the farm bill or animal rights campaigns, American Farm Bureau Federation Bob Stallman said yesterday. In a fiery speech that kicked off the powerful farm lobby's four-day convention in Seattle, Stallman said farmers and ranchers must unite to respond to "misguided, activist-driven regulation." "A line must be drawn between our polite and ... read more 11/01/2010 07:00 PM Science must end climate confusion BBC: Climate scientists need to take more responsibility about how their work is presented to the public, suggests the Met Office's Richard Betts. In this week's Green Room, he says it is vital to prevent climate science being misunderstood or misused. Recently, I gave a talk on climate change in my local village hall in Devon, and not surprisingly I was given a hard time. In fact, it started two days before that. Cut off from work by the snow (which, incidentally, had been forecast ... read more News Archive     Back to Homepage
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