Reduce costs installing solar energy systems
CNET News.com reports here: Solar technology specialist HelioVolt is teaming up with Exceltech to tackle one of the biggest obstacles to the proliferation of solar power: manual labor.
Monster Trucks Come to Germany
Spiegel Online reports here: Will 60-ton tractor-trailers soon be roaring down the German autobahn? These extra-long "gigaliners" could reduce truck congestion and save gas, but are controversial -- especially with advocates of rail transport.
Hong Kong's smog hits danger levels
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Air pollution in Hong Kong hit dangerous levels as a row broke out over a carbon emissions trading plan with China that is aimed at improving the region's chronically poor air quality.
California may ban conventional lightbulbs by 2012
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: A California lawmaker wants to make his state the first to ban incandescent lightbulbs as part of California's groundbreaking initiatives to reduce energy use and greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.
Scientists recommend tighter smog limits
The Associated Press reports here at Yahoo News: Federal scientists want to tighten smog standards, a step that would allow tens of millions of Americans to breathe easier but also would clash with President Bush's plan to wean Americans away from gasoline.
Congress begins tackling climate issues
AP reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - Two private advocacy groups say they have found evidence of political pressure on government climate scientists at seven federal agencies in efforts to downplay the threat of global warming.
Concrete Proposal to Cut Carbon Dioxide Emissions
LiveScience.com reports here at Yahoo News: The making of cement accounts for up to 10 percent of the world's total emissions of carbon dioxide, a key gas involved in global warming. Now scientists and engineers are developing a cleaner way to manufacture cement.
Clean energy seen 50 pct of supply by 2050
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Clean energies could surge to supply half of world demand by 2050 if governments crack down on use of fossil fuels, said a study by the renewable energy industry and an environmental group on Thursday.
DAVOS Consortium set up to standardize co reporting of climate risk
Forbes.com reports here: DAVOS, Switzerland (AFX) - The World Economic Forum (WEF), which is meeting in Davos, Switzerland, has announced the formation of a new international partnership to create a framework for the standardized reporting of climate risk-related issues by corporations.
New Zealand looks at nationwide ethanol plan
CNET News.com reports here: Country is giving a boost to cellulosic ethanol, which is poised to take on a bigger alternative-energy role.
Energy Independence?
Charles Krauthammer from the The Washington Post asks here: Is there anything more depressing than yet another promise of energy independence in yet another State of the Union address? By my count, 24 of the 34 State of the Union addresses since the oil embargo of 1973 have proposed solutions to our energy problem.
Tuna groups tackle overfishing
BBC News reports here: The first international plan to try to stop the overfishing of tuna has been adopted by regulators meeting in Japan.
Car fumes stunt child lung growth
BBC News reports here: Living too close to a busy road could stunt a child's lung development, a study suggests.
Drought makes climate change hot election issue in Australia
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Australia's conservative leader signalled his acceptance that climate change will be a hot election issue this year, unveiling a multi-billion-dollar water rescue package for the world's driest inhabited continent.
Energy roadmap backs renewables
The report calls for energy supplies to enter a "solar generation" BBC News reports here: Half of the world's energy needs in 2050 could be met by renewables and improved efficiency, a study has said. It said alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, could provide nearly 70% of the world's electricity and 65% of global heat demand.
The Arctic region as global warming barometer
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: The Arctic Ocean's pack ice is expected to disappear entirely in the coming decades and will bring unforeseeable changes to the region, international experts meeting this week in Norway said.
Congo rebels vow to end gorilla killings
AP reports here at Yahoo News: DAKAR, Senegal - Rebels in eastern Congo have agreed to stop killing mountain gorillas and allow government rangers to restart patrols, conservationists said Wednesday. Earlier this month, rebels allegedly killed and ate two silverback mountain gorillas, according to field reports collected by London-based Africa Conservation Fund.
Business world urges governments to be bolder on climate change
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Leading economists have cautiously welcomed US President George Bush's proposals for a long-term cut in US gasoline consumption, as business leaders meeting in Davos urged bolder government action on climate change.
Bush should cap greenhouse gas emissions: Democrats
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: President George W. Bush needs to go beyond rhetoric and call for mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions in his State of the Union address, Democrats said on Tuesday.
Storms Devastate Germany's Forests
Spiegel Online reports here: The violent storm that killed 11 people in Germany last week also knocked down 40 million trees. The German forestry industry estimates the damage will cost them around €1 billion.
In Reversal, Canada's Conservatives Embrace Environmental Concerns
The Washington Post reports here: TORONTO -- Canada's Conservative Party government, faced with a strong public demand for action on climate change, is scrambling to rebuild environmental programs that it dismantled last year and offer new initiatives.
Glaciers may vanish from Alps by 2050
AP reports here at Yahoo News: VIENNA, Austria - Most glaciers will disappear from the Alps by 2050, scientists told a conference on climate change Monday, basing their bleak outlook on evidence of slow but steady melting of the region's continental ice sheets.
See also related the following article on our main ecotoolbox site: The best visible signal of worldwide global warming: the melting away of glaciers in the Alps.
Creating Ethanol from Trash
Technologyreview.com reports here: Researchers find a way to make liquid fuels from waste cheaply and without the pollution produced by earlier methods.
Calls to act on global warming precede Bush speech
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Environmentalists, evangelical Christians and congressional and corporate leaders have called for action on global warming in the days leading up to President George W. Bush's State of the Union speech.
Tuna conservation talks in Japan
Conservationists say tuna is facing commercial extinction, BBC News reports here: A major effort to try to reverse the decline in tuna stocks worldwide is getting under way in Kobe, Japan.
Europe's first climate sink inaugurated in Monaco
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Prince Albert of Monaco inaugurated Europe's first so-called "climate sink," in a bid to help fight global warming. The concept of carbon sinks is based on the natural ability of trees, other plants and the soil to soak up carbon dioxide and temporarily store the carbon in wood, roots, leaves and the soil, thus purifying the atmosphere by absorbing part of the carbon dioxide generated by human activity.
Solar home attains energy independence
New Jersey household combines solar and hydrogen power to leave utility bills behind. But is it a one-of-a-kind venture? Reuters reports here at News.com: Michael Strizki heats and cools his house year-round and runs a full range of appliances--including such power-guzzlers as a hot tub and a wide-screen TV--without paying a penny in utility bills.
Canada revives renewable energy support
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced C$1.5 billion ($1.3 billion) in funding for renewable energy on Friday but the opposition Liberals said the Conservative government was just resurrecting their old environmental programs.
Surviving a False Spring
Spiegel Online writes here: Frogs have started mating, wild hamsters can't sleep, and the mild climate intimates spring. How dangerous is Europe's warm winter for animals and plants? A look at the miracle of biological clocks.
'Health check' for farm wildlife
BBC News reports here: UK scientists say they have developed a system that can predict the future impacts of farming on an area's biodiversity.
Pelosi seeks global warming committee
AP reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sought to create a special committee Thursday in an effort to jump-start long-delayed government efforts to deal with global warming and produce a bill by Independence Day.
Your PCs forecast climate future
BBC News reports here: A climate prediction project run on home PCs, in conjunction with the BBC and scientists, reveals its forecasts.
A Small Fish Has Become an Indicator for Global Warming
Spiegel Online reports here: A warm European winter has renewed concerns about climate change. New research exploring the effects of rising temperatures on a bottom-feeding fish in the North Sea -- the eelpout -- shows what global warming can do.
Sex-changing chemicals found in Potomac River
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Chemicals known to change the sexual characteristics of fish and other animals have been found in West Virginia tributaries of the Potomac River, which runs through Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Wednesday.
Find toxic wastelands via Google Earth
CNET News.com reports here: ARLINGTON, Va.--The Environmental Protection Agency wants to make it easier for Google, Microsoft and other enterprising online mappers to spread the word about potentially hazardous sites in your neighborhood.
Climate change could amplify drought in east Indian Ocean, Australasia
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Climate change could worsen the impact of an El Nino-like weather system in the Indian Ocean, bring brutal droughts to parts of Indonesia and Australasia, a study says.
Warming could cut China grain crops by over a third
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Rising temperatures in China could slash grain production in the world's most populous country by over a third in the second half of this century, imperilling food security, the official Xinhua agency reported on Wednesday.
Can Germany Really Shut Down its Nuclear Reactors?
Spiegel online writes here: With Moscow's three-day interruption of oil shipments and EU plans for a transformed energy market, Germany's government is being forced to act on its energy policies. The country is set on moving away from nuclear power. But is that realistic?
Climate resets 'Doomsday Clock'
BBC News reports here: Experts assessing the dangers posed to civilisation have added climate change to the prospect of nuclear annihilation as the greatest threats to humankind.
Civil servants in polluted Chinese city urged to walk to work
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Civil servants in a Chinese city that is listed as one of the 10 most polluted in the world have been asked to walk to work in a bid to ease the environmental woes, according to state press.
Bush readies speech on ethanol
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: U.S. President George W. Bush's annual speech to Congress next week is likely to call for a massive increase in U.S. ethanol usage and tweak climate change policy while stopping short of mandatory emissions caps, sources familiar with White House plans said on Tuesday.
A Nuclear Power Renaissance
Spiegel Online reports here: With concerns about global warming and energy security on the rise, countries the world over are taking a new look at nuclear energy. Some are building new reactors as fast as they can.
Protection for 'weirdest' species
BBC News reports here: A project is launched to protect some of the world's unique creatures, previously ignored by conservationists.
Evangelicals, scientists join forces to combat global warming
AP reports here at CNN News: Some leading scientists and evangelical Christian leaders have agreed to put aside their fierce differences over the origin of life and work together to fight global warming.
Gore urges Japanese execs to lead fight against global warming
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Former US vice president and environmental activist Al Gore has urged Japanese business leaders to set an example for companies around the world in tackling climate change.
Asian leaders sign energy pact at landmark summit
Reuters reports here at the Washington Post website: Leaders from 16 Asian nations, representing half the world's population, pledged on Monday to develop alternative energy supplies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
U.S. denies British rumors on Bush climate change
Reuters reports here: A U.S. official on Sunday denied a British newspaper report that President George W. Bush was preparing to announce a dramatic policy shift on global warming in his State of the Union speech this month.
U.S., Canada weigh Great Lakes cleanup
The Associated Press reports here at Yahoo News: The U.S. and Canadian governments are considering whether to update and strengthen the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, which hasn't been significantly revised since 1987. It commits the two countries to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity" of the world's biggest surface freshwater system — a mission that many see as only partly accomplished. (more)
EU plans attack on car emissions
Bigger cars may find it harder to cut their emissions cheaply, BBC News reports here: The cost of "gas-guzzling" cars could soar in five years' time under plans from the European Commission.
Lloyd's boss demands action on climate change
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Governments and businesses must act now against climate change, and the United States needs a bigger public debate about its risks, the chairman of the Lloyd's insurance market said.
China's coasts devastated by pollution, rising sea levels
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: China's coastal environment is being ravaged by the twin threats of worsening pollution and rising sea levels, according to an official report.
Russians Warned to Stay Away From Grumpy Insomniac Bears
Spiegel Online reports here: Moscow has sent an urgent warning to its population to stay away from brown bears -- they're in a bad mood because they didn't get enough sleep.
Japan and EU urge big polluters to cut emissions
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Japan and the European Union urged major polluters such as the United States, China and India on Thursday to work harder to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
EU to ban imports of wild birds
Only birds bred in captivity will be allowed into the EU, BBC News reports here: The trade in wild birds is to be permanently banned across the European Union starting in July, EU animal health officials have decided.
NASA scientist urges action on warming
AP reports here at Yahoo News: MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. - The effects of global warming are being felt around the world and unless international efforts are launched within the next 10 years species will disappear and the earth will be a vastly less habitable planet by the end of the century, according to NASA scientist James E. Hansen.
Brussels Bows to Global Warming
Spiegel Online writes here: Arid deserts in Spain, winters with no snow and fewer tourists in the Mediterranean. All that will happen if the world doesn't act, the EU said on Wednesday. Its new energy strategy plans emission cuts of up to 20 percent.
It's Not All Green at the Auto Show
Despite Eco-Friendly Buzz, High-Power Cars Remain a Staple, the Washington Post reports here.
Climate Experts Worry as 2006 Is Hottest Year on Record in U.S.
The Washington Post reports here: Last year was the warmest in the continental United States in the past 112 years -- capping a nine-year warming streak "unprecedented in the historical record" that was driven in part by the burning of fossil fuels, the government reported yesterday.
EU plans 'industrial revolution'
BBC News reports here: The EU calls on member states to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 20% by 2020, in a new strategy.
Cook Inlet belugas face extinction risk
The Associated Press reports here: ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The beluga whales swimming off Alaska's largest city are at considerable risk of going extinct unless something changes, a federal study says.
Oil Spat May Prompt Nuclear Rethink, Says Merkel
Spiegel Online reports here: Germany seems to be having second thoughts about abandoning nuclear power following persistent problems with oil supplies from Russia. Chancellor Angela Merkel has cast doubt on the planned nuclear phase-out, putting her on a collision course with her coalition partner, the SPD.
Summit aims for 'greener' housing
UK homes account for 27% of CO2 emissions, BBC News reports here: Housing Minister Yvette Cooper is meeting building industry leaders to discuss how to ensure new homes are made energy efficient and affordable.
Americans covet beach homes, but insurers fret over hurricane risk
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Many Americans dream of owning a beachfront home with ocean views, but big home insurance firms are retreating from the Atlantic coast amid fears that climate change will unleash more dangerous hurricanes.
Warm Winds Harm Ski Industry
Balmy breezes blow ill winds through ski resorts, suffering their worst season in 25 years, The Washington Post reports here: With a shortage of snowflakes, this winter may be bleakest in 25 years for ski resorts in Northeast.
Tibet's record temperatures spark climate change fears
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Temperatures in rugged Tibet have hit record highs in recent days, China's state press has reported, as a scientific survey warned of the impact of global warming in the Himalayan region.
Wal-Mart takes a shine to solar power
CNET News.com reports here: A big-box store near you could soon be soaking up the rays in the retail giant's big push for alternative energy.
In the Global Energy Rush, Nuclear Gets A Resurgence
The Washington Post reports here: Faced with evidence that coal- and oil-fired electric plants are overheating the planet, and alarmed by soaring demand for electricity, governments from South America to Asia are turning once again to a power source mostly shunned for two decades as too dangerous and too costly.
Whooping cranes rebounding in Texas
The Associated Press reports here at Yahoo News: Texas - Once down to about 15, the world's only naturally migrating flock of whooping cranes has continued its comeback, now numbering a record 237 birds in wintering grounds along Texas' Gulf Coast.
Drill ban sought for Alaskan park
BBC News reports here: Legislation is introduced in the US to try to make a ban on drilling in an oil-rich Alaskan wildlife refuge permanent.
Pearson accuses airlines of failing to take climate change seriously
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Environment minister Ian Pearson has accused British, Irish and US airlines of failing to take global warming seriously, branding Ryanair "the irresponsible face of capitalism."
A Revitalized Chesapeake May Be Decades Away
The Washington Post reports here: The multibillion-dollar cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay, which government officials had pledged would succeed by 2010, will likely miss that deadline by a wide margin -- and, at the current pace, might drag on for decades more, an Environmental Protection Agency official acknowledged yesterday.
Merkel, Bush talk climate change
CNN International reports here: US President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are pledging closer cooperation on combating global warming and in trying to prod a Middle East peace, brushing aside lingering differences between the two countries.
2007 to be 'warmest on record'
BBC News reports here: The world is likely to experience the warmest year on record in 2007, the UK's Met Office forecasts.
International Polar Year aims to shed light on ends of Earth
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Researchers from some 60 countries will try to better understand the Earth's poles in 2007 and the effect of climate change as part of the first "International Polar Year" since the 1950s.
Oil investigation targets Interior official: NYT
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: The Justice Department is investigating whether the director of a multibillion-dollar oil-trading program at the Interior Department has been paid as a consultant for oil companies hoping for contracts, The New York Times reported on Saturday.