Industrial nations shy away from stiff 2020 goals
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Industrial nations were shying away from fixing stiff 2020 guidelines for greenhouse gases cuts at U.N. talks on Friday in what environmentalists said would be a vote for "dangerous" climate change.
Merkel Takes the Climate Fight to Asia
Spiegel Online reports here: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is trying to get developing countries on board for fighting climate change with a proposal based on per-capita emissions. But she warns it will be difficult to come up with a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, and China is skeptical about her idea.
Climate flooding risk 'misjudged'
The flooding risk may have been underestimated, BBC News reports here: Climate change may carry a higher risk of flooding than was previously thought, the journal Nature reports.
Call for 'green-home' cash bonus
BBC News reports here: Households should receive council tax rebates to encourage them to install solar panels and wind turbines, an independent think tank claims.
Vienna meeting seeks climate plan
BBC News reports here: Delegates from 150 countries meet in Vienna to discuss progress on steps to tackle climate change.
Merkel Calls For Prosperity for All
Spiegel Online reports here: Holed up for two-day talks at a Baroque palace near Berlin, Germany's grand coalition government reached a far-reaching agreement on combating climate change and discussed measures to make the benefits of the current upswing accessible to all.
Brazil reviving endangered Amazon manatee
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Brazilian scientists hope that two captivity-raised male Amazon manatees they plan to reintroduce to the wild will spark a bout of reproduction that might save the endangered species from extinction.
The Dangers of Wind Power
Spiegel Online reports here: Wind turbines continue to multiply the world over. But as they grow bigger and bigger, the number of dangerous accidents is climbing. How safe is wind energy?
Proposed NY wind farm scrapped
AP reports here at Yahoo News: GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - Long Island's utility company intends to dump plans to build a $700 million wind energy park in the Atlantic Ocean, a top official said.
UK 'may miss 2020 target for CO2'
The government is striving to cut CO2 by 26% by 2020, BBC News reports here: Further promises by the government to meet greenhouse gas targets look unlikely to be met, a think tank says.
Rich 'can pay poor to cut carbon'
BBC News reports here: Rich nations should not have to cut emissions if they pay poor countries to do it on their behalf, a UN chief says.
Eco-millionaires see boom times ahead
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Mankind's response to climate change will shift how the world gets its energy and is already making "green barons" out of early investors in renewable energy, clean technologies and carbon trading.
Ski resorts seek new summer image
Cool mountain air attracts tourists in the summer, BBC News reports here: Alpine ski resorts are making a special effort to attract tourists this summer, amid fears about climate change and the impact of warmer temperatures on winter snow.
Australia discovers ocean current "missing link"
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Australian scientists have discovered a giant underwater current that is one of the last missing links of a system that connects the world's oceans and helps govern global climate.
Obama says energy policy a moral issue
AP reports here at Yahoo News: WAVERLY, Iowa - Democrat Barack Obama said Saturday the country faces an "an urgent moral challenge" to reduce reliance on oil and needs a president willing to defy special interests in Washington that dictate energy policy.
Hundreds pose naked on shrinking Swiss glacier
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: "ALETSCH GLACIER, Switzerland - Hundreds of people posed naked on Switzerland's shrinking Aletsch glacier on Saturday for U.S. photographer Spencer Tunick as part of a Greenpeace campaign to raise awareness of global warming." See also these related images here from the melting Rhone Glacier.
Russia Resumes Its Long-Range Air Polution
The Washington Post reports here: In Russia's latest assertion of a broader global military presence, President Vladimir Putin announced Friday that the country had resumed the regular long-range air patrols that ended after the Soviet Union collapsed.
EU biofuel policy is a 'mistake'
The researchers question whether biofuel can cut carbon emissions, BBC News reports here: The EU target of ensuring 10% of petrol and diesel comes from renewable sources by 2020 is not an effective way to curb carbon emissions, researchers say.
Merkel Inspects a Changing Climate in Greenland
Spiegel Online reports here: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in Greenland to find out more about the consequences of global warming first hand, has called for the US and China to sign on to the the successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol. But her trip has been criticized by opposition politicians as a publicity stunt.
Maverick Climate Scheme Gets Reality Check
Discovery News reports here: Emulating the sun-dimming effects of large volcanic eruptions to slow the Earth's greenhouse effect, as some have proposed, may just make matters worse, say scientists studying the effects of nature's recent volcanics.
Sony launches expanded recycling program
AP reports here at Yahoo News: Does that Walkman walk no more, or is the original PlayStation now a doorstop? Starting next month, Sony Corp. will take them back at 75 recycling stations around the country.
Urban planning needs rethink as climate change looms
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Rising sea levels, melting glaciers, floods and hurricanes: global warming means urban planners need to rethink how and where to build cities, water experts warned at a conference in Stockholm this week.
Olympics: Beijing bans million cars to cut pollution
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Beijing banned more than one million cars from its roads on Friday in a test run to improve air quality for the Olympics, easing notorious gridlock although a thick smog still hung over the city.
Ford Strives to Meet Hybrid Demand
The Washington Post reports here: The popularity of the Ford Escape hybrid has taken the automaker by surprise and left its potential customers howling that the gas-electric sport-utility vehicle is not widely available.
Atlantic yields climate secrets
BBC News reports here: For the first time, scientists plot the course of climate-crucial Atlantic circulation over a year's variation.
Water for biofuels or for food: it's one or the other
AFP reports here at Yavoo News: Biofuels, hailed by many as the green solution to offset a coming oil shortage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, are not a cure-all solution, experts at a water conference in Stockholm warned this week.
Warning over wildlife souvenirs
BBC News reports here: The WWF asks British holidaymakers not to buy souvenirs which may be made from protected species.
Mexico City pollution harms child lung growth
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Contaminated air that hangs over the Mexican capital, one of the world's biggest cities, does more damage to children than cigarette smoke and may cause chronic lung diseases when they are adults, a study showed on Wednesday.
Tapping the energy of the high seas
CNET News.com explains here in this FAQ: Harnessing the power of the ocean may be the next big opportunity in energy.
How many trees did your iPhone bill kill?
USATODAY.com reports here at Yahoo News: LOS ANGELES - The company itemizes text messages and Internet usage on its data network, which adds to the normal heft of the bill. Siegel says that customers who don't want the details, such as Croy, can call AT&T and change their billing.
Global warming boosts crop disease
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Gobal warming will fuel a disease that annually causes hundreds of million dollars in damage to rapeseed plants, used to make canola oil, according to a study released Tuesday.
Paper battery offers future power
BBC News reports here: Flexible paper batteries could meet the energy demands of the next generation of gadgets, says a team of researchers. They have produced a sample slightly larger than a postage stamp that can release about 2.3 volts, enough to illuminate a small light. But the ambition is to produce reams of paper that could one day power a car.
Brazil Amazon destruction slows
President Lula says the economy can grow while saving the Amazon, BBC News reports here: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has welcomed new figures showing that the destruction of the Amazon rainforest has decreased by 25%.
Arctic sea ice set to hit new low
BBC News reports here: Arctic sea ice is expected to retreat to a record low by the end of this summer, scientists predict.
Biofuel Boom Threatens Gummy Bears
Spiegel Online reports here: A rise in crop prices is threatening to jack up prices on gummy bears and other sweets. Meanwhile, the food and beverage industry in Germany is lobbying for government subsidies for biofuel crops to be eliminated.
EU expects Britain to deliver on renewable energy commitments
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: BRUSSELS - The EU Commission remains confident that Britain will deliver on its commitments to increase the use of renewable energy sources, despite doubts expressed in London, a Brussels spokesman said Monday.
World Water Week to focus on climate change, biofuels
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Climate change and a potential water shortage in some regions, also due to the diversion of water to crops for biofuels, will be at the centre of the 2007 World Water Week which opens here Monday, with 2,500 international experts expected to attend.
After oil and gas, Sahara sunshine?
AP reports here at Yahoo News: ALGIERS, Algeria - It's a vision that has long enticed energy planners: solar panels stretching out over vast swaths of the Sahara desert, soaking up sun to generate clean, green power.
In electric car stakes, it's Miles to go
CNET News.com reports here: Miles Automotive will try to accomplish two feats with one car in 2008: bring an electric sedan to the market, and bring a car made in China to the U.S. The Javlon, from Southern California's Miles Automotive, will go 120 miles before it needs a charge and will hit a top speed of 80 miles an hour, according to CEO Jeff Boyd. It will cost approximately $32,000, and its lithium ion battery will last more than 100,000 miles before it needs to be replaced.
Beijing To Test Plan to Cut Cars
The Washington Post reports here: BEIJING - Despite official hesitation, more than a million cars will be barred from Beijing's streets next week in a test of radical anti-pollution measures for next summer's Olympic Games, the city announced Friday.
Calif. farm town is nation's smoggiest
AP reports here at Yahoo News: ARVIN, Calif. - Lying in a rich agricultural region dotted with vineyards and orange groves, this central California community seems an unlikely place for a dubious distinction: the most polluted air in America. Hemmed in by mountains, Arvin is the final destination for pollutants from cities as far away as San Francisco Bay, and its wheezing residents are paying the price. Many of them complain that the air smells toxic.
Majestic White- Tailed Eagle Returns to German Skies
Spiegel Online reports here: Germany has rescued its national symbol, the white-tailed eagle, from near extinction in a decades-long struggle against egg thieves, communist spies and farmers using poisonous pesticides.
Endangered Species Halts Dresden Bridge Construction
Spiegel Online reports here: A row is raging in Dresden over whether to build a new bridge and risk losing the area's UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Anti-bridge advocates now have a new weapon -- a tiny bat which has caused a court to delay the bridge's construction.
Energy geeks compete for coolest solar home
CNET News.com reports here: Upcoming Solar Decathlon contest will judge 20 solar-powered homes built by college students. MIT's entry is already under construction.
Research reports good environmental news
AP reports here at Yahoo News: For a change, there's some good news from the world of the environment. Several rare and vulnerable birds are rebounding in Europe. Conservation efforts in Peru are reducing damage to the Amazon rain forest. And black-footed ferrets are making a comeback in Wyoming.
Global warming will step up after 2009: scientists
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Global warming is forecast to set in with a vengeance after 2009, with at least half of the five following years expected to be hotter than 1998, the warmest year on record, scientists reported on Thursday.
Beijing dismisses Olympics pollution fears
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Beijing Olympic organisers said Thursday they were confident that athletes would compete in clean air next year despite revelations that events could be postponed because of pollution.
Fish can fight malaria mosquitoes
BBC News reports here: A fish is being hailed by Kenyan researchers as the latest weapon in the battle to curb the spread of malaria.
D.C. Area Heat Breaks 77-Year Record
Washington Post reports here: While severe storms flooded New York City subways, delayed flights and spawned a possible tornado in Brooklyn, Washington-area residents today continued to languish from oppressive heat and humidity. Temperatures hit 102 at Reagan National Airport at 1 p.m., breaking a nearly 80-year-old record by one degree.
US should consider gas tax: Ford chief
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: The United States should consider imposing a European-style gasoline tax if it hopes to improve energy security and tackle global warming, the head of Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday.
Pollution fears cloud Olympic gala
CNN News reports here: A proud China invited the world to the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a dazzling song-and-dance and fireworks display, but cheers and shouts of 10,000 beaming citizens could not mask fears about pollution.
Fuel cell technology to help clean up shipping
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: A group of north European companies aims to show how fuel cells can clean up ship engines, which now use filthy fuels such as oil refinery residues and can spew out hundreds of times more pollutants than automobiles.
Ethanol Is Feeding Hot Market for Farmland
Spiegel Online reports here: The craze for corn to feed the demand for ethanol as a renewable energy source has been a bonanza for many farmers in the American Midwest. But with the demand has come a skyrocketing of real estate prices that threaten to keep smaller and newer farmers from joining the party.
Pollution threat to Beijing Olympics
BBC News reports here: Air pollution could force some events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to be postponed, the Olympics chief warns.
Pollution closes record number of beaches: study
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: The number of U.S. beaches declared unsafe for swimming reached a record last year, with more than 25,000 cases where shorelines were closed or prompted health advisories, an environmental group reported on Tuesday.
Chernobyl Gets $507- Million Pledge to Reseal Reactor
Spiegel Online reports here: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is pledging hundreds of millions to Ukraine in order to build a new sarcophagus to encase the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. The current cement and concrete shell has deteriorated to dangerous levels.
Gore: Polluters manipulate climate info
AP reports here at Yahoo News: SINGAPORE - Research aimed at disputing the scientific consensus on global warming is part of a huge public misinformation campaign funded by some of the world's largest carbon polluters, former Vice President Al Gore said Tuesday.
Beijing pollution to cast pall over olympic performance
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: Smog is spreading a toxic haze over hopes that the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be as superlative in sporting achievement as it will be in spending and glitz.
Europe: No. 1 in Sustainable Energy
Spiegel Online reports here: The EC is committed to policies that include subsidies for alternative energy and encourage investment in new technologies.
Global-Warming Deniers: A Well-Funded Machine
The August 13 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, August 6), 'Global Warming Is A Hoax*' examines the history of denial of global warming and how well-funded naysayers who still reject the overwhelming evidence of climate change have obfuscated the science of global warming, misled the public and provided cover for policy-makers to not do anything.
US Congress nudges energy industry to go 'green'
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: The US House of Representatives has taken an unprecedented step toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions as it passed a bill requiring utility companies to produce 15 percent of their electricity from wind and solar power.
Cyprus Church seeks solar power
BBC News reports here: The Cyprus Orthodox Church will invest millions of dollars in solar energy, amid fears of looming power cuts.
European heatwaves 'have doubled'
BBC News