Divers seal broken Gulf oil pipeline
AP reports here at Yahoo News: HOUSTON - Divers sealed a broken oil pipeline Sunday after about 44,500 gallons leaked into the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast Guard said.
2006 in review for clean technology
News.com presents here a special coverage of news stories from 2006 containg some highlights of clean technology.
2006 Highlights:
Superweeds, air caves and the future of energy
Driving coast to coast on deep fat fryers
Ice-powered air conditioner could cut costs
Water wizards of the desert
MIT designs 'invisible,' floating wind turbines
Silicon Valley's Mr. Green
Silicon vs. CIGS: With solar energy, the issue is material
Inside Toyota's hybrid factory
What you don't eat will heat your home
Eco house of the future is no hippie commune
Expert: LEDs could start replacing lightbulbs soon
A better way to make seawater drinkable
Revving up for the all-electric SUV
Mitsubishi, GE to tie up on wind, nuclear power: report
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plans to work with US conglomerate General Electric on nuclear and wind power generation ventures, a newspaper has said.
Honda says fuel-cell cars can be mass-produced by 2018
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Japanese carmaker Honda believes it can mass-produce environmentally friendly fuel-cell cars by 2018.
Group seeks protection for right whales
The Associated Pressreports here at Yahoo News: Alaska - After winning more protection for polar bears, a conservation group is pressuring the U.S. government to keep the North Pacific right whale from going extinct. The whales are the most endangered whale in the world.
Researchers: Warming may change Amazon
The Associated Press reports here at Yahoo News: Brazil - Global warming could spell the end of the world's largest remaining tropical rain forest, transforming the Amazon into a grassy savanna before end of the century, researchers said Friday.
Ice mass snaps free from Canada's Arctic
AP reports here at Yahoo News: A giant ice shelf has snapped free from an island south of the North Pole, scientists said Thursday, citing climate change as a "major" reason for the event. The Ayles Ice Shelf — all 41 square miles of it — broke clear 16 months ago from the coast of Ellesmere Island, about 500 miles south of the North Pole in the Canadian Arctic.
Red kites threatened in Scotland
BBC News reports here: RSPB Scotland says red kite numbers are under threat across the country because of illegal poisoning.
Scientists work on map of climate change
AP reports here at Yahoo News: Scientists in Antarctica spent Christmas Day finishing work that may show the effects of global warming — drilling for clues about how massive ice sheets responded to past temperature changes. The project will be vital to creating a map of how the Earth may react to higher temperatures, scientists say.
Second severe air pollution alert in Serbian town
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Dangerous gases that may have leaked from an ageing petrochemical plant in a Serbian town near Belgrade has triggered an alert overnight, the second such incident in little over a month.
Solar power lights up low-income India
Snigdha Sen reports here at Business 2.0 Magazine on CNN's website: Harish Hande's vision of bringing electricity to the countryside is rallying banks, helping struggling workers, and inspiring entrepreneurs.
EU Energy Plan Calls for Radical Emissions Reductions
Spiegel Online reports here: The European Commission has developed an energy policy plan for the coming years. Its highlights include ambitious climate protection goals, promoting more competition in energy markets and a possible rehabilitation of emissions-friendly nuclear power.
Polar Bears on Thin Ice as Climate Changes
Spiegel Online reports here: The Bush administration is to propose listing polar bears as an endangered species. The move recognizes that the bears are under pressure due to global warming.
Pond scum bubbles up as energy alternative
TheDeal.com reports here at News.com: To the growing industry of biodiesel and ethanol refiners with their eyes on biomass, algae looks like green gold.
Dire warnings from China's first climate change report
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Temperatures in China will rise significantly in coming decades and water shortages will worsen, state media has reported, citing the government's first national assessment of global climate change.
Democrats eye oil money for conservation
AP reports here at Yahoo News: House Democrats in the first weeks of the new Congress plan to establish a dedicated fund to promote renewable energy and conservation, using money from oil companies. That's only one legislative hit the oil industry is expected to take next year as a Congress run by Democrats is likely to show little sympathy to the cash-rich, high-profile business.
As Atlantic warms, more fires predicted in West
Douglas Fischer, MediaNews reports here at the The Mercury News: Researchers predict a decades-long increase in widespread fires across the Western United States in the coming years, based on a new study that reviews the link between sea-surface temperatures in the North Atlantic Ocean and the ferocity of wildfire seasons in the West.
Settlers eyed in Australia extinctions
AP reports here at Yahoo News: CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's giant prehistoric animals, including 10-foot-tall kangaroos and wombat-like creatures as big as a rhinoceros, were likely wiped out by aboriginal settlers, not climate change, a researcher said Tuesday.
Bald Eagle to Be Taken Off Endangered List
The Washington reports here: Seven years after the U.S. government moved to take the bald eagle off the endangered species list, the Bush administration intends to complete the step by February, prodded by a frustrated libertarian property owner in Minnesota. (more)
Indian, Chinese team to map glacier melt
AP reports here at Yahoo News: A joint Indian-Chinese team plans to chart remote Himalayan glaciers that scientists fear are rapidly melting because of global warming, threatening the great rivers that give life to one of South Asia's most fertile regions.
Australia ponders climate future
Parts of Australia are in the grip of the worst drought in memory, BBC News reports here: The parched conditions afflicting much of Australia spark an emotional debate about the nature of climate change.
Mercedes to pay 1.2 mln dlrs for US emissions violations
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: DaimlerChrysler AG and its Mercedes-Benz unit are to pay 1.2 million dollars to settle charges that numerous Mercedes models breached US air regulations, authorities said.
Schwarzenegger Goes Green
Governor Challenges GOP on Global Warming, The Washington Post reports here: Action star turned environmentalist governor aims to make global warming an issue in 2008 election.
UN calls on Asia to take more eco-friendly measures
AFP reports here: The Asia-Pacific region, a global production center, is exceeding its ecological capacity, the United Nations said, calling on the region to take better environmental protection measures.
Batfish protect the Great Barrier Reef in Australia
AP reports here at Yahoo News: When it comes to protecting Australia's Great Barrier Reef, it is hard to beat the batfish. A study by researchers at the Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies found that the rare pancake-like white fish with brown stripes was the only one of 27 species that successfully removed the forest of algae that can otherwise overwhelm and kill off the reef.
Lawsuit: Alaska sea otters need critical habitat
AP reports here at CNN News: A conservation group, alarmed at a decrease in the number of sea otters in southwest Alaska, filed a lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday to try to compel the government to designate critical habitat to help the endangered species recover.
Can Cod Be Saved in Europe?
Spiegel Online writes here: The European Union is meeting this week to set next year's fishing quotas for cod. Once again, though, they are ignoring the advice of experts. To save the fish, a complete ban may be necessary.
Tides affect speed of Antarctic ice slide
Reuters reports here: Tides affect the speed at which an Antarctic ice sheet bigger than the Netherlands is sliding toward the sea, adding a surprise piece to a puzzle about ocean levels and global warming, a study showed on Wednesday.
Merkel to take up global warming with Bush in Washington
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: German Chancellor Angela Merkel will press US President George W. Bush on cutting greenhouse emissions during talks in Washington next month after Berlin assumes the presidencies of the G8 and the EU.
Spain set for warmest year on record
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: This year is on track to be the warmest on record in Spain, a country which was already hot before global warming set in, the government said on Tuesday.
EU tackles aircraft CO2 emissions
BBC News reports here: The European Commission proposes capping the greenhouse gases airlines can emit from 2011.
Ministers haggle over fish quotas
BBC News reports here: Politicians and fishing leaders embark on the latest round of annual talks over catch limits.
Group offers roadmap to reduce pollution
AP reports here at Yahoo News: A regional environmental group Monday released a comprehensive "climate change roadmap" to reduce pollution linked to global warming by 75 percent in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.
States sue EPA over soot levels
AP reports here at Yahoo News: More than a dozen states sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday to lower soot levels from smokestacks and exhaust pipes, a move the state officials argue would save thousands of lives.
Skiers Wondering When Winter Will Come
Spiegel Online writes here: Unseasonably warm weather in Europe's Alps has left skiers and snowboarders unable to scratch their winter itch. Meanwhile, the winter tourism industry is suffering, and the Swiss ski team has left for Canada in search of whiter pastures.
Offshore wind farms get go-ahead
BBC News reports here: Plans for two major offshore wind farms in the Thames Estuary are given the government green light.
Tesco to run fleet on green fuel
BBC News reports here: Tesco, the UK's largest supermarket chain, has announced plans to run three quarters of its delivery fleet on biodiesel from January next year.
Trees planted in the tropics would have the biggest cooling effect
BBC News reports here: Planting trees to offset carbon will have little impact unless they are put in the right place, scientists say. Trees planted in the tropics would have the biggest cooling effect.
Air pollution killer in Asian cities
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Air pollution is killing more than half a million people in Asian cities each year and shows no sign of improving as urban centers expand, studies by the Asian Development Bank show.
Kilimanjaro's snow melts
AP reports here at Yahoo News: Kenya - Rivers of ice at the Equator foretold in the 2nd century, found in the 19th are now melting away in this new century, returning to the realm of lore and fading photographs.
Plasma Gasification of Waste
Plasma gasification is a technologically advanced and environmentally friendly process of disposing of waste materials converting them to commercially usable by-products. Garbage can be a gold mine—when it's heated to 10,000 F. A plant being built in Florida will use a plasma arc jet (like the one shown at left) to turn 3000 tons of garbage a day into steam for nearby factories, sludge for road construction and 120 megawatts of electricity—all with promise of minimal emissions. For more info see plascoenergygroup.com
Asia slow to act on pollution
AP reports here at Yahoo News: Japan says soot from Chinese power stations is poisoning its lakes. Coal emissions from India and China are polluting the air in Bangladesh. Land-clearing forest fires in Indonesia routinely send a choking haze across Singapore and Malaysia.
Is the Sea Level Rise Doubling Its Speed?
Spiegel Online reports here: Trumping all previous estimates, one German climatologist believes global sea levels could rise as much as 140 centimeters by the end of the century. That could mean catastrophic hurricanes and floods. But other experts discount the significance of the new model.
Nuclear War in Asia Would Trigger Climate Catastrophe
Spiegel Online reports here: What consequences would a nuclear war between Israel and Iran, or between Pakistan and India, have for the world's climate? Scientists have now created a computer model of what might happen. The results are alarming.
Al Gore Urges Scientists to Speak Out on Climate Change
LiveScience.com reports here at Yahoo News: Former Vice President Al Gore said here today that he would become a member of the American Geophysical Union as a sign of his dedication not only to protecting the environment but also his belief that science is vital when it comes to decisions impacting the fate of the planet.
Sea level rise 'under-estimated'
BBC News reports here: Sea level rise projections are under-estimating the impact of climate change on the oceans, a study suggest.
China's white dolphin called extinct after 20 million years
AP reports here at CNN News: An expedition searching for a rare Yangtze River dolphin ended Wednesday without a single sighting and with the team's leader saying one of the world's oldest species was effectively extinct.
Asia's greenhouse gas 'to treble'
India and China will be the main Asian greenhouse offenders, BBC News reports here: Asia's greenhouse gas emissions will treble over the next 25 years, according to a report commissioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Cashing in on carbon guilt
CNET News.com reports here: Pollution penance isn't just for heavy industry anymore. This year, several Web-delivered services emerged that are designed to reduce an individual's environmental impact on the planet.
Sea creatures' global warming fix
BBC News reports here: A simple sea creature could help to address the problem of global warming, a scientist claims. Tiny tube-like salps mop up greenhouse gases by feasting on carbon-dioxide soaked algae from the oceans. The US researcher told an American Geophysical Union meeting of his plans to adjust nutrient levels in the ocean to boost the sea animal's populations. But other scientists warned of the unknown consequences of meddling with the ocean's complex ecosystem.
Landmark EU chemical law passed
Industry and environmentalists have battled over the rules, BBC News reports here: The European Parliament has backed a deal, reached with EU governments, on wide-ranging legislation to control the use of toxic chemicals in industry.
Leonardo DiCaprio asks Yahoo! users for answers to global warming
AP reports here at USA Today: Leonardo DiCaprio knows global warming is a problem, and he wants answers. That's why the award-winning actor posted a question on the " Yahoo! Answers" website, prompting visitors to share their solutions. HELP OUT LEO: Offer your two cents on his question here at Yahoo! Answers.
Satellites weigh Africa's water
BBC News reports here: Two satellites map gravity changes over Africa to show how water has been lost from the continent recently.
Merkel Wants to Loosen EU Wildlife Protection
Spiegel Online reports here: The German government wants to relax European wildlife conservation laws to allow businesses to grow more easily. That's a bad idea, says the WWF. The field hamsters need our help.
Dense fog in China disrupts highway, air travel
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Heavy fog blanketed Beijing, Shanghai and other parts of north and east-central China for a second day on Tuesday, worsening air pollution in the capital and disrupting air and highway travel across the region.
Climate 'would reel from A-bombs'
BBC News reports here: Even a small-scale nuclear war would have far-reaching consequences for the global climate, say scientists.
Arctic sea ice 'faces rapid melt'
BBC News reports here: The Arctic may be close to a tipping point that sees all-year-round ice disappear very rapidly in the next few decades, US scientists have warned.
Global warming prolongs life of space debris
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Human increases in carbon dioxide emissions are thinning the Earth's outer atmosphere, making it easier to keep the space station aloft but prolonging the life of dangerous space debris, scientists said on Monday.
Top tax tip: Live energy efficient
CNN Money writes here: The government is keen towards those who build green. If you're going to make your home more energy efficient within the next two years, you can get up to $500 in tax credits. If you're going to build a home that uses 50 percent less in heating and cooling costs than other homes, you can get up to $2,000 in tax credits if it is completed after August 8, 2005.
£34m 'green' research at Airbus
BBC News reports here: A £34m investment aimed at developing greener aircraft has been confirmed for the Airbus factory in Flintshire.
Rights focus sought over climate
BBC News reports here: More attention to human rights is needed in tackling climate change, former Irish President Mary Robinson will say in a lecture.
Japan to offer aid to monitor acid rain and yellow sand in China
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Japan will give China 793 million yen (6.82 million dollars) to set up a system to monitor acid rain and yellow sand in China, Foreign Minister Taro Aso said.
Antarctica works as living global warming laboratory
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: For scientists at this ice-encircled outpost, global warming is not a matter of debate. It is a simple fact and crucial research questions center on what its consequences will be.
Congress seeks to prevent overfishing in U.S. waters
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: The U.S. Congress on Saturday sent the White House legislation that updates laws designed to prevent overfishing in U.S. waters.
A Consumer's Guide to Becoming Carbon Neutral
U.S. News & World Report writes here at Yahoo News: Members of the Middlebury College ski team are investing money in wind energy projects so that they can hit the slopes this season without guilt about global warming. The skiers are joining a growing bandwagon of individuals, groups, and companies seeking to offset the greenhouse gases they contribute to the planet.
Ebola Virus Kills Thousands of Gorillas
Spiegel Online reports here: Outbreaks of the deadly Ebola virus has killed up to 5,500 gorillas in West Africa. A study released on Friday says that together with commercial hunting, the virus could threaten the species with extinction.
World Bank praises India's climate change efforts
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: India is ahead of many developing countries in implementing steps to tackle global warming because of its development programmes, according to the World Bank.
Rising sea level big concern along S.C.
AP reports here at Yahoo News: Global warming and a rise in sea levels could dramatically affect South Carolina's coast, according to scientists and environmental officials meeting at a conference in Charleston this week.
Plastics 'poisoning world's seas'
BBC News reports here: Microscopic particles of plastic could be poisoning the oceans, according to a British team of researchers. They report that small plastic pellets called "mermaids' tears", which are the result of industry and domestic waste, have spread across the world's seas.
'Green' tax plans fail to impress
BBC News reports here: Environmental taxes announced by Chancellor Gordon Brown have failed to impress opposition parties, businesses and green campaigners.
No Winter for Europe
Spiegel Online writes here: Central Europe is experiencing its warmest winter in 500 years and the Alps haven't been this warm in over a millenneum. Ski resorts are suffering, as are the bears.
Solar cell breaks efficiency record
CNET News.com reports here: Boeing-Spectrolab has developed a solar cell that can convert almost 41 percent of the sunlight that strikes it into electricity, the latest step in trying to drop the cost of solar power.
India 'disappointed' by foreign help with climate change
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Rich countries have not transferred technology to combat global warming to India as promised under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, a top environment official has said.
Global warming to have major impact on ocean food web
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: A new study of the oceans suggests that phytoplankton -- the vital first link in the food chain of the seas -- will be hugely affected by global warming.
Interview with Underwater Photographer Bill Curtsinger
Bill Curtsinger is one of the world's best known nature photographers and one of the few who dives in the icy cold waters on the poles. SPIEGEL ONLINE spoke here with him about sharks, whales and other creatures of the deep.
Pollution 'reducing rice harvest'
BBC News reports here: Pollution-laden clouds may be partly to blame for India's dwindling rice harvests, according to research.
German govt wants to cap airline carbon dioxide emissions
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: The German government supports EU plans to introduce binding climate protection guidelines for airlines and will take up the issue when Germany assumes the EU presidency next year, Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee has said.
Flowers in Alps, bears can't sleep as winter waits
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Flowers are blooming on the slopes of Alpine ski resorts and bears are having trouble hibernating in Siberia amid a late start to winter that may be a portent of global warming.
Rainforest in Brazil gets protected status
BBC News reports here: Vast tracts of rainforest in Brazil are to get a new protected status.
Eco-Friendly Holiday Season
Make your holiday season eco-friendly with LED lights and recycled photo frames. See this blog for some tips.
Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century
Worldchanging is poised to be the Whole Earth Catalog for this millennium. Written by leading new thinkers who believe that the means for building a better future lie all around us, Worldchanging is packed with the information, resources, reviews, and ideas that give readers the tools they need to make a difference. Brought together by Alex Steffen, co-founder of the popular and award-winning web site Worldchanging.com, this team of top-notch writers includes Cameron Sinclair, founder of Architecture for Humanity, Geekcorps founder Ethan Zuckerman, sustainable food expert Anna Lappe, and many others. Renowned designer Stefan Sagmeister brings his extraordinary talents to Worldchanging, resulting in a book that will challenge readers to personally redefine the conversation about the future. You can order Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century here in our online store. (more)
German Greens refocus on environment to win voters
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Germany's Greens party, hoping a global wave of anxiety about climate change will sweep it back into power, is setting aside its liberal-left campaigns to return to its original cause -- the environment.
An Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth: Director Davis Guggenheim eloquently weaves the science of global warming with Al Gore's personal history and lifelong commitment to reversing the effects of global climate change in the most talked-about documentary of the year. An audience and critical favorite, An Inconvenient Truth makes the compelling case that global warming is real, man-made, and its effects will be cataclysmic if we don't act now. Gore presents a wide array of facts and information in a thoughtful and compelling way: often humorous, frequently emotional, always fascinating. In the end, An Inconvenient Truth accomplishes what all great films should: it leaves the viewer shaken, involved and inspired. Check out the movie trailer below and if you are interested you can order the DVD An Inconvenient Truth here in our online store.
Chinese river dolphin nears extinction: Xinhua
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Scientists who spent nearly a month in a fruitless search for a Chinese river dolphin that is more endangered than the Giant Panda say there may be no more than 50 left alive, the Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.
Groundwater polluted in 9 out of 10 Chinese cities
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Underground water reserves in around 9 out of every 10 Chinese cities are polluted or over-exploited, and could take hundreds of years to recover, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.
Climate Change Effect on Where Americans Can Build Their Homes
The Washington Post reports here: A place near the water has been an American dream for a very long time. Fifty-four percent of Americans live within 50 miles of a coast. This is the year, however, in which the big boys in global finance got religion about climate change. As a result, this American dream -- as far north as the Washington area, and even New York and New England -- is under attack.
Greenpeace Downsizes in Germany
Spiegel Online reports here: Greenpeace is in dire financial straits: The largest German environmental organization is bringing in too little money, and Greenpeace International needs more and more support. Now, the group is cutting 20 of the 160 jobs in Germany. Morale has hit a low point.
India monsoons worsen as climate changes
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: India's monsoon rains have intensified over the last half-century as average temperatures have risen, and more severe weather could be in store if global warming continues, scientists reported on Thursday.