Australia faces extreme weather rise, says leaked UN report
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Australia will suffer more droughts, fires, floods and storms due to global warming and its famous Great Barrier Reef will be devastated by 2030, according to leaked extracts Friday of a UN report.
Sydney in climate change blackout
CNN News reports here: • Sydney landmarks turn off their lights for an hour to highlight global warming • Landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House thrown into darkness • Residents also turned off the lights in event organized by environmentalists
Peru must protect Amazon tribes
BBC News reports here: The top Latin American rights body says Peru must do more to protect Amazonian tribes from illegal loggers.
Ethanol fuels huge corn planting
Reuters reports here at CNet News.com: U.S. farmers plan to cash in on the fuel ethanol boom by planting the largest area of corn in 63 years, potentially yielding a record crop and calming fears that renewable fuels will steal grain needed for food and feed, the federal government said Friday.
Key lawmaker says won't rush climate change bill
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Rep. John Dingell, a key player in building consensus for first-ever climate change legislation in Congress, said on Friday he won't rush to get a measure passed despite widespread calls for quick action.
Entrepreneur opening green luxury resorts
CNET News.com reports here: The Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa sports all of the usual amenities: pools, gardens, spas, cable TV, an in-suite coffee machine. But it's also one of the greenest hotels in the nation, according to its founder.
Shark deaths endanger scallop population
AP reports here at Yahoo News: Overfishing of powerful sharks — a top predator in the ocean — may endanger bay scallops, a gourmet delicacy. With fewer sharks to devour them, skates and rays have increased sharply along the East Coast and they are gobbling up shellfish, particularly bay scallops, researchers report in Friday's issue of the journal Science.
Hong Kong group takes legal action over pollution
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: HONG KONG - A new Hong Kong pressure group Thursday launched legal action against the government for failing in its current policies to improve the poor air quality and protect the citizens from it.
"Greener" buildings could slow global warming: UNEP
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: OSLO - Better architecture and energy savings in buildings could do more to fight global warming than all curbs on greenhouse gases agreed under the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol, a U.N. study showed on Thursday.
Massive Solar Plant Opens in Portugal
Spiegel Online reports here: One of the largest solar plants in the world has opened in Portugal's sunny south. The project is intended to help reduce the country's reliance on imported energy.
Preserve peat bogs for climate
BBC News reports here: British peatlands may contain 20 years' worth of carbon emissions. The UK government should conserve peat bogs as a way of curbing climate change, the National Trust is urging.
Chinese bureaucrats blasted for energy-wasting office buildings
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: "BEIJING The Chinese government has blasted local officials for setting a bad example in energy conservation with their luxurious office buildings, state media reported Wednesday." Architects worldwide should learn and build more energy efficient buildings, its sometimes makes one wonder what they studied when you see some of those full glass front loft or office buildings, wasting way to much energy.
Renewable Energy - Wind Turbines
Spiegel Online reports here: The rich may be moaning about wind turbines ruining their coastal views on Cape Cod, but in Delaware, citizens are ardently battling politicians -- and the coal industry -- to build the nation's largest offshore wind park.
One in 10 at risk from rising seas, storms: study
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: One in 10 people in the world, mostly in Asia, live in coastal areas at risk from rising seas and more powerful storms that may be caused by global warming, an international study showed on Wednesday.
Warming may create climates, cut others
AP reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - Some climates may disappear from Earth entirely, not just from their current locations, while new climates could develop if the planet continues to warm, a study says. Such changes would endanger some plants and animals while providing new opportunities for others, said John W. Williams, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Storing wind power for future use
CNET News.com reports here: Start-up General Compression looks to commercialize technology concept for storing electricity generated by wind turbines.
Nuclear energy 'not the solution to global warming'
AFP reports here: Environment ministers from Austria, Iceland, Ireland and Norway said Monday that nuclear power was not the solution to global warming.
Save forests to fight global warming: Stern
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: JAKARTA - The world should invest 10 billion dollars annually to halve deforestation in the fight against global warming, Nicholas Stern, the author of a key climate change report, said Friday.
China seen topping U.S. carbon emissions in 2007
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: China is on course to overtake the United States this year as the world's biggest carbon emitter, estimates based on Chinese energy data show, potentially pressuring Beijing to take more action on climate change.
Southern Ocean current faces slowdown threat
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: The impact of global warming on the vast Southern Ocean around Antarctica is starting to pose a threat to ocean currents that distribute heat around the world, Australian scientists say, citing new deep-water data.
Are GM Crops Killing Bees?
Spiegel Online reports here: A mysterious decimation of bee populations has German beekeepers worried, while a similar phenomenon in the United States is gradually assuming catastrophic proportions. The consequences for agriculture and the economy could be enormous.
World Water Day, March 22
'Coping with Water Scarcity' is the theme for World Water Day 2007, which is celebrated each year on 22 March. This year's theme highlights the increasing significance of water scarcity worldwide and the need for increased integration and cooperation to ensure sustainable, efficient and equitable management of scarce water resources, both at international and local levels. For more info see: worldwaterday07.org
The Not- so- Blue Danube
Spiegel Online reports here: The WWF has released a report naming Europe's longest river, the Danube, among the world's top 10 most endangered rivers. A European Union development plan is one of the Danube's greatest threats.
Antarctic Voyages
Check out the Antarctic Voyages report here at the Washington Post website: The frozen landscape, with dry valleys and active volcanoes, provides a living laboratory for scientists, a wondrous journey for hardy travelers.
Hydrogen cars face technological hurdles: experts
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Hydrogen is being touted as an environmentally friendly fuel of the future, but the road to hydrogen-powered vehicles will not be easy, industry experts said on Tuesday.
Germany Plans Boom in Coal- Fired Power Plants -- Despite High Emissions
Spiegel Online reports here: Everyone in Germany is talking about climate protection -- everyone, that is, except for energy companies. They're planning to build dozens of new coal-fired power plants -- with the support of the governing coalition in Berlin.
Gore urges fast action on global warming
The Associated Press reports here at Yahoo News: Al Gore, a Democratic favorite for the presidency despite pronouncements that he's not running, spoke out on his signature issue Wednesday, warning of a "true planetary emergency" if Congress fails to act on global warming.
Investors Call On Congress to Go Green
Spiegel Online reports here: Funds with $4 trillion under management want Washington to put mandatory limits on carbon emissions.
Using the sun's rays to keep homes cool
CNET News.com reports here: Hybrid air conditioner, which can be run on solar panels, from a wall socket or, in a pinch, batteries, consumes less power.
Rivers run towards 'crisis point'
BBC News reports here: Dams, shipping, pollution and climate change are among the threats to major rivers, a report concludes.
Mercedes' fish-inspired car
PopSci.com reports here at CNN News: When Mercedes-Benz began to contemplate its next generation of high-efficiency small cars, it sought aquatic inspiration. But instead of considering obvious undersea hot rods like sharks, the Mercedes team turned to a fish that resembled a car: the tropical boxfish.
EU site to offer extreme weather data
AP reports here at Yahoo News: VIENNA, Austria - It looks like a color-coded terror alert scale — and meteorologically speaking, that's exactly what it is. With climate change making conditions more unpredictable, national weather services from across the European Union have joined forces to create http://www.meteoalarm.eu — a new Web site providing up-to-the-minute information on "extreme weather" across the continent.
"We Have to Take Away People's Fear of Climate Change"
Hans von Storch is one of Germany's leading researchers on climate change. DER SPIEGEL spoke here with him about why fears of global warming are exaggerated and the doom-mongering tendencies of German scientists.
Ski industry goes green to fight warming
AP reports here at Yahoo News: STATELINE, Nev. - Mammoth Mountain urges its visitors to park their cars and take advantage of an extensive bus network. The Vail resorts, including nearby Heavenly at Lake Tahoe, run their lifts with wind power. In Colorado, the Sunshine Express high-speed quad at Steamboat operates on sunlight.
US 'blocks environment progress'
BBC News reports here: Germany's environment minister, Sigmar Gabriel, says the United States has blocked progress on two key issues to protect the global environment.
Germany Automakers' Hybrid Efforts Plagued by Technical Problems
Spiegel Online reports here: German automakers will introduce hybrid cars into the market later than planned. Carmakers underestimated the difficulty of developing the sophisticated, environmentally friendly technology.
Caution urged on climate 'risks'
BBC News reports here: Two leading UK climate researchers say "overplaying" the global warming message risks confusing the public.
This Winter the Warmest Ever Recorded
Spiegel Online reports here: Many have spent the winter complaining about a lack of snow and marvelling at the warm temperatures. With good reason. Turns out, this was the warmest winter on record.
Marine bill to 'protect UK seas'
BBC News reports here: Legislation will protect Britain's seas and coasts, and ease planning for renewable energy, the government says.
Hong Kong organisations take power initiative to help ease smog
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: With pollution nearing crisis levels in Hong Kong, a few companies and organisations are doing their bit to ease the problem by installing their own renewable energy generators.
Climate Change to Cost Germany €800 Billion
Spiegel Online reports here: A new report predicts that climate change will cost Germany a staggering €800 billion by 2050 -- with higher energy costs, declining tourism, increased insurance costs and damage caused by extreme weather.
Impact of global warming
Reuters writes here at Yahoo News: A polar bear swimming amid melting Arctic sea ice may be one image of global warming's impact. But it could just as well be a California wildfire, a European heat wave or a Caribbean hurricane.
Oil that fries your burger can run your car
Reuters writes here: After a good meal, how about asking the head waiter if you can take the waste grease from the kitchen to fuel your car?
Primate Hunting Reaches Crisis Point in Latin America
Spiegel Online reports here: Monkey numbers in Latin America have fallen dramatically in recent years as primate hunting reaches unsustainable levels. Most are used for food, but an increasing number of souvenirs are also produced using dead monkeys.
'Binding' carbon targets proposed
BBC News reports here: The UK government will seek a 60% cut in UK carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 in its plan to tackle global warming.
China's pollution cuts local rain
BBC News reports here: Pollution from China's factories and vehicles is significantly reducing rainfall in hilly areas of the country.
Middle East, Africa need water reform: World Bank
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: The World Bank urged governments in the Middle East and North Africa on Sunday to speed up improvements to water resources and said water availability per person in the region was set to drop by half by 2050.
Solar Technology Gets White House Boost
The Associated Press reports here at the Washington Post website: BOSTON -- A company trying to harness energy from sunlight and interior light to wirelessly power everything from cell phones to signboards now has financial backing from the White House.
Raccoons Invade Germany
Spiegel Online reports here: The raccoon population in Germany is booming -- much to the displeasure of hunters and wine makers.
Report outlines global warming's effects
AP reports here at CNN News: The harmful effects of global warming on daily life are already showing up, and within a couple of decades hundreds of millions of people won't have enough water, top scientists will say next month at a meeting in Belgium. At the same time, tens of millions of others will be flooded out of their homes each year as the Earth reels from rising temperatures and sea levels, according to portions of a draft of an international scientific report obtained by The Associated Press.
Highway speed limit plan irks Germans
AP reports here at Yahoo News: BERLIN - An EU official called on Germany to give up the famous freedom of its highways and impose speed limits on the autobahn to fight global warming — a demand that drew angry responses on Sunday in a country that cherishes what it calls "free driving for free citizens."
Travellers at risk from global warming on Tibet railway: official
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: BEIJING Climate change could present a danger to travellers using the new railway to Tibet, according to China's top meteorologist Saturday.
Bush pledge to promote bio-fuels
BBC News reports here: US President George W Bush has vowed to promote technologies for the production of alternative fuels like ethanol.
EU agrees renewable energy target
Spiegel Online reports here: The European Union has agreed on a far-reaching, unilateral reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and increase in renewable energy production. The road to compromise was a rocky one.
U.S. Scientific Censorship
Reuters reports here: Polar bears, sea ice and global warming are taboo subjects, at least in public, for some U.S. scientists attending meetings abroad, environmental groups and a top federal wildlife official said on Thursday.
Global interest in biofuels
BBC News reports here: Sao Paulo, Brazil - As US President George W Bush embarks on his week-long tour of Latin America, the growing global interest in biofuels, such as ethanol, is high on his agenda. One of his first stops is due to be an ethanol processing facility in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo.
Why Hybrid Cars Are Such a Hard Sell
Spiegel Online reports here: Despite the growing popularity of hybrid cars in America, they still haven't crossed over to the mainstream. Many buyers simply aren't willing to pay the premium.
Europe Divided over How to Reach Climate Goals
Spiegel Online reports here: European Union leaders are gathered in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to talk about the future of the climate. But not all are looking into the same crystal ball.
Snow sports 'stress' to wildlife
BBC News reports here: Winter sports such as snowboarding, off-piste skiing and trekking are putting Alpine wildlife under stress, scientists have concluded.
Biofuels power 'clean energy' boom
CNET News.com reports here: Transportation, followed by wind and solar power, is biggest sector of rapidly changing energy industry.
Global impact of Asia's pollution
BBC News reports here: The Asian "brown cloud" of pollution is affecting weather systems globally, according to research.
IBM sees green in environmental tech
CNET News.com reports here: Big Blue is going green with an initiative that focuses on environmental technologies and services.
"People Act as though the Hybrid Could Solve all our Problems"
Spiegel Online reports here: Volkswagen is currently under political pressure for not moving faster to develop hybrids and other lower-emissions automobiles.