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The Bali Communiqué

The Bali Communiqué Press Release:

30 November 2007

150 global business leaders call for legally binding UN framework to tackle climate change

The business leaders of 150 global companies have today published a communiqué to world leaders calling for a comprehensive, legally binding United Nations framework to tackle climate change. The initiative represents an unprecedented coming together of the international business community and includes some of the biggest companies and brands from around the world, including the United States, Europe, Australia and China. It has been led by The Prince of Wales’s UK and EU Corporate Leaders Groups on Climate Change, which are developed and run by the University of Cambridge Programme for Industry. The leaders hope that the initiative is likely to have a significant impact on the UN climate negotiations starting next week in Bali, Indonesia.

In an article published in today’s Financial Times, The Prince of Wales congratulates the companies for showing “remarkable leadership” and expresses his “fervent hope” that the communiqué “will strengthen the resolve of those gathered in Bali to make the tough decisions the world so urgently needs”. The communiqué also appears in full in a double-page spread in today’s global edition of the Financial Times.

The communiqué notes that “The scientific evidence is now overwhelming” and that “climate change presents very serious global social, environmental and economic risks and it demands an urgent global response”. It presents a strong business case for action by stating that “As business leaders, it is our belief that the benefits of strong, early action on climate change outweigh the costs of not acting”. It notes that the costs of action are manageable but that each year of delay will result in greater disruption. The leaders also state that “The shift to a low-carbon economy will create significant business opportunities”.

The 150 global companies go on to argue that a “sufficiently ambitious, international and comprehensive legally-binding United Nations agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will provide business with the certainty it needs to scale up global investment in low-carbon technologies”. This is significant because there is still a debate in the international community as to whether a mandatory or voluntary approach is most appropriate.

But most significantly, the business leaders argue that “the overall targets for emissions reduction must be guided primarily by science”. This is in contrast to the argument that has previously been made by some parts of the business community that it is concerns over competitiveness and cost that should set the limit of emission cuts. The leaders note that evidence from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) already points to a reduction being required of “at least 50% by 2050” and comment that the “greatest effort” will need to be made by those countries that have already industrialised.

In reference to the Bali meeting, the companies urge world leaders to “seize this window of opportunity” and agree a “work-plan of comprehensive negotiations” to ensure an agreement can come into force post 2012 (when the existing Kyoto Protocol expires).

US based companies in support of the communiqué include Coca-Cola, Dupont, Gap, GE, Johnson and Johnson, Nike, Pacific Gas and Electric, Sun Microsystems and United Technologies. European based companies include Anglo-American, British Airways, F&C Asset Management, Ferrovial, Nestle, Nokia, Rolls Royce, Shell, Tesco, Virgin and Volkswagen while Australian based companies include Insurance Australia Group, Macquarie, National Australia Bank, News Corporation and Westpac.

Significantly, the communiqué has also been signed by a number of Chinese companies including Shanghai Electric, Zhufeng Technology and Suntech.

James Smith, the Chair of Shell UK said: "The message from the international business community couldn't be clearer. A comprehensive, legally-binding United Nations agreement to tackle climate change will provide business with the certainty it needs to scale up global investment in low carbon technologies. The cost of inaction far out weighs the cost of taking action now. It is crucial that, at the Bali conference, countries agree a work plan of comprehensive negotiations to ensure a robust policy framework is in place, to guide us forward over the coming decades."

Alain Grisay, CEO of F&C Asset Management said: “Business and investors can only play their part in tackling climate change if governments take decisive action to make this possible. This problem will not get solved through market forces alone in the time that we have left to act, because climate change presents a textbook example of market failure. This means that voluntary targets won’t do: business needs a level playing field in order to take on the financial risks that adequate action on climate change requires”.

Tony Juniper, Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, welcomed the initiative: “The shift to a low carbon economy is not only an environmental imperative but also an unprecedented economic and social opportunity. Scaling up clean energy systems and using energy more efficiently could not only slash emissions, but help to improve the quality of life for billions of people and create millions of jobs. Time is now short, however, and if we are to have a good chance of cutting emissions by a sufficient amount we need to act right away, and that is why we need a strong outcome from the Bali talks, and that is why it is so important that so many companies have signalled their support for governments to negotiate a deal that is up to the task at hand”.

Polly Courtice, Director of CPI commented: "The University of Cambridge Programme for Industry helps leaders from the public and private sectors understand and act upon the challenges and opportunities of sustainable development. So we are delighted to be working through The Prince of Wales Corporate Leaders’ Groups on Climate Change to bring together so many global companies who are calling on world leaders to take bold and urgent action in the face of climate change"

The Bali Communiqué is being sent direct to the 130 Environment Ministers that will be attending the Bali conference. It will also be handed personally to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who will be attending the conference in its second week.

Editor’s Notes

1. The Prince of Wales’s UK and EU Corporate Leaders Groups have been developed by The University of Cambridge Programme for Industry. Members of the groups include: ABN AMRO, AIG, Allianz SE, Anglian Water Group, AXA Insurance, BAA, BskyB, Centrica, Deutsche Telekom AG, Enel SpA, E.On, F&C Asset Management, John Lewis Partnership, Johnson Matthey, Kingfisher, Lloyds TSB, Philips Lighting, Reckitt Benckiser, Schneider Electric, Shell, Skanska AB, Standard Chartered Bank, StatoilHydro, Sun Microsystems, Tesco, Unilever, Vodafone.

More information on the groups is available at: www.cpi.cam.ac.uk/bep/clgcc

2. The United Nations Climate Change Conference 2007 in Bali will start on Monday, 3 December and close on Friday, 14 December 2007. The Conference will be presided over by Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar, with support from the UN’s Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), headed by Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. The first week will involve negotiations among the Parties at the level of high-ranking government officials on a wide range of issues. On Wednesday, 12 December, the high-level segment will start with addresses by the UN Secretary-General and the President of Indonesia. It is expected to be attended by 130 Environment Ministers. More information is available at: http://unfccc.int/

3. The Bali Communiqué and a full list of signatories is available at: www.balicommunique.com

Press enquiries: for further information please contact Genevieve Maul, University of Cambridge Press office 01223 332300 gm349@admin.cam.ac.uk
 


Bali Climate Change Conference

Spiegel Online reports here: With the Kyoto Protocol ending in 2012, negotiators are gathering in Bali, Indonesia on Monday to begin coming up with a new, and hopefully better, climate change agreement. Europe's wish list is long and ambitious.


Bush clings to anti-Kyoto stance ahead of climate talks

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - US President George W. Bush, who rejected the Kyoto protocol, remains opposed to international constraints on curbing carbon emissions despite growing isolation ahead of a world climate summit.


Cameroon gorillas returning home

The journey was due to take 18 hours, BBC News reports here: Four rare gorillas are being flown from South Africa to Cameroon, five years after they were illegally smuggled to Taiping Zoo in Malaysia.


Energy-hungry India eyes role as "wind superpower"

Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: NEW DELHI - India might be painted as a pollution-spewing, global-warming economy of 1 billion people but it is also one of the world's biggest wind power users, part of a focus on renewable energy mostly unnoticed in the West.


U.S. lifestyle won't have to change in CO2 cut: report

Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: NEW YORK - U.S. citizens will not have to drive less or read in the dark to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but they will have to buy more efficient cars and appliances, a report from two business groups said on Thursday.


NASA Map Reveals Clear View of Frozen Continent

Spiegel Online reports here: A team of international scientists has unveiled a mosaic map of Antarctica compiled from satellite images. The new map allows experts and laypersons alike to observe its majestic landscapes online and in stunning clarity.


Venus offers Earth climate clues

Venus' atmosphere is composed chiefly of carbon dioxide (CO2), BBC News reports here: Observations of the planet Venus might assist efforts to tackle the threat of climate change here on Earth.


Rudd makes global warming a priority

AP reports here at Yahoo News: SYDNEY, Australia - Newly elected leader Kevin Rudd moved quickly Sunday to bring Australia into international talks on fighting global warming, and to head off potentially thorny relations with the United States and key Asian neighbors.


Meat, poultry, vegetables feel heat from global warming

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: HYDERABAD, India - From meat, poultry and milk to potatoes, onions and leafy greens, everything consumed on the world's dining tables is feeling the heat from climate change, scientists say.


Then there was one: US now alone as Kyoto holdout

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: PARIS - Supporters of the Kyoto Protocol were gleeful on Saturday after Australian elections left the United States in the wilderness as the only major economy to boycott the UN's climate pact.


Guyana Rainforest Proposal

Spiegel Online reports here: (article in German) Es wäre ein Deal der Superlative: Guyanas Präsident bietet Großbritannien ein Regenwald-Gebiet an, das größer als England ist - im Gegenzug will der südamerikanische Staat Entwicklungshilfe. See also here from the Stabroek News website: Earlier this month at the formal opening of the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting at the National Cultural Centre, President Jagdeo must have seriously surprised some of those in his audience as he wrapped up his presentation. Coming to the final few paragraphs of what had been a straightforward address, the President disclosed that Guyana's offer of almost its entire rainforest in the fight against climate change was still on the table. He disclosed that in a meeting last year with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair he "outlined our offer to deploy almost our entire rainforest - which is the size of England - in the long term service of the world's battle against climate change. That offer remains".


Wolf may lose endangered species listing

AP reports here at Yahoo News: PRAY, Mont. - For rancher Randy Petrich, the removal of gray wolves from the endangered species list — a move that would open up the animals to hunting in the Northern Rockies for the first time in decades — couldn't come soon enough.


Zimbabwe crisis hits black rhino

Armed men in camouflage shot dead all three adult females, BBC News reports here: Three adult black rhinos have been shot at the Imire Safari park in Zimbabwe.


SF Bay spill takes toll on diving duck

AP reports here at Yahoo News: SAN FRANCISCO - Thousands of birds have been found dead or blackened since an oil spill two weeks ago, but no species has been hit harder than the surf scoter, a migratory sea duck that had already seen a precipitous population decline in recent decades.


Bidder pays $40,800 for butterfly name

AP reports here at CNN: GAINESVILLE, Florida - An anonymous bidder paid $40,800 for the naming rights of a new butterfly in order to honor a woman who died in 1972.


Early climate change victim: Andes water

AP reports here at Yahoo News: Scientists predict that all the glaciers in the tropical Andes will disappear by mid-century. The implications are dire not just for La Paz-El Alto but also for Quito, Ecuador, and Bogota, Colombia. More than 11 million people now live in the burgeoning cities, and El Alto alone is expanding at 5 percent a year.


Biologists Debate Relocating Imperiled Species

Spiegel Online reports here: As global warming changes the face of habitats around the world, scientists are asking if humans can help save species from extinction by moving them to cooler climes. But before polar bear resettlement and tiger transports begin, is it time to take a look at easier alternatives?


Fuel's gold: Termites point way to new dawn of bio-energy

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: PARIS - A team of US scientists poring over the intestines of a tropical termite have a gut feeling that a breakthrough in the quest for cleaner, renewable petrol is in store.


Eco funds receive a warm reception

FT.com reports here at Yahoo News: Investors are increasingly turning to environmental and ecological funds as the fight against global warming becomes a popular trade among fund managers.


Indonesia seeks international help to protect forests

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: JAKARTA - Indonesia's environment minister said Thursday his country needed about six billion dollars a year from rich nations to preserve dwindling forests, a key step in fighting climate change.


Wal-Mart releases green report

AP reports here at CNN: BENTONVILLE, Arkansas - Wal-Mart presented little new information in its first major report on efforts to become greener, but it was enough to encourage some environmental groups to say that the world's largest retailer is trying.


EU urges investment in renewable energy

AP reports here at Yahoo News: SINGAPORE - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Thursday that countries should invest more in renewable energy to mitigate the impact of expensive fossil fuels such as crude oil.


Is Atomic Radiation as Dangerous as We Thought?

Spiegel Online reports here: A mounting number of studies are coming to some surprising conclusions about the dangers of nuclear radiation. It might not be as deadly as is widely believed.


The Earth's Surface by Night

Spiegel Online reports here: The European satellite "Rosetta" still has a few billion kilometers to go before meeting up with its target comet. In the meantime, though, it is sending back impressive photos of the Earth.


Billions of jellyfish wipe out N. Irish salmon farm

AP reports here at Yahoo News: DUBLIN, Ireland - The only salmon farm in Northern Ireland has lost its entire population of more than 100,000 fish, worth $2 million, to a spectacular jellyfish attack, its owners said Wednesday. Until the past decade, the mauve stinger has rarely been spotted so far north in British or Irish waters, and scientists cite this as evidence of global warming.


China wants to freeze emissions at 2005 levels: Wen

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: SINGAPORE - China will seek to increase cooperation with Asian nations on climate change and will try to freeze its key pollution emissions at 2005 levels, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said Wednesday.


Asia signs 'green region' environment pact

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: SINGAPORE - Leaders of 16 Asian nations including China and India signed an environmental pact on Wednesday, pledging action on climate change and forest cover, and promoting the use of nuclear energy.


Brown rivers are 'more natural'

BBC News reports here: Rivers and lakes in northern Europe and North America that have turned brown are returning to a more natural, pre-industrialised state, a study says. Writing in Nature, they say soils are becoming less acidic, resulting in more carbon being washed away by rainfall.


Environmentalists: Loggerhead turtles need more protection

AP reports here at CNN: WASHINGTON - Two environmental groups are asking the Interior Department to declare loggerhead sea turtles that inhabit the Atlantic coast officially endangered, maintaining that tens of thousands of the turtles are killed annually by commercial fishing and because of coastal development.


Dalai Lama bemoans deforestation of Tibet

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: TOKYO - The Dalai Lama called Wednesday for special care to preserve Tibet's ecosystem, saying that corruption among Chinese bureaucrats was worsening deforestation.


New Wallpaper Download Website: Wallpapers247.com

Please check out our new website wallpapers247.com where you can download wallpapers for your computers desktop background, we offer from nature images like birds animals and plants to jungle scenes from Panama and snowy landscapes from the Swiss Alps or Art from the Louvre in Paris and King Ludwigs Castles in Bavaria Germany. Plus new images are added all the time so best bookmark that website! Enjoy some fresh eco desktop look on your PC! :)


From gas guzzler to tire-smoking hybrid

CNN reports here: On a beautiful, crisp late fall afternoon, rock icon Neil Young took his 1959 Lincoln Continental for one last spin before a team of mechanics ripped out its gas-guzzling engine to make way for an electric motor.


Congo to form nature reserve for bonobos

AP reports here at Yahoo News: KINSHASA, Congo - Congo is setting aside more than 11,000 square miles of rain forest to help protect the endangered bonobo, a great ape that is the most closely related to humans and is found only in this Central African country.


Britain's Brown seeks action on climate

AP reports here at Yahoo News: LONDON - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday he is determined to raise Britain's already ambitious targets for cutting carbon emissions and to push the nation to the forefront of global efforts to tackle climate change.


'Frightening' UN Climate Report May Be Too Optimistic

Spiegel Online reports here: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called the latest climate report "as frightening as a science-fiction movie." However, the IPCC report may already be out of date and the true situation could be even more serious than previously thought.


G20 ministers stress need for new energy supplies

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: KLEINMOND, South Africa - Leaders of the world's 20 largest economies stressed on Sunday the need for new energy supplies as global economic growth continues to stumble over high oil prices.


Kuwait pledges $150 million to climate fund

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: RIYADH - Kuwait's emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah said on Sunday that his oil-rich state has donated 150 million dollars to a fund to tackle global warming, the official KUNA news agency reported.


UN panel gives dire warming forecast

UN panel gives dire warming forecast, AP reports here at Yahoo News: VALENCIA, Spain - Global warming is "unequivocal" and carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere commits the world to sea levels rising an average of up to 4.6 feet, the world's top climate experts warned Saturday in their most authoritative report to date.


U.N. report: Urgent action needed on 'severe' climate change

CNN reports here: Climate change is "severe and so sweeping that only urgent, global action" can head it off, a United Nations scientific panel said in a report on global warming issued Saturday.


Experts warn of 'abrupt' warming

BBC News reports here: A UN panel has agreed a landmark report declaring that climate change is "unequivocal" and may bring "abrupt and irreversible" impacts. Ban Ki-moon: "Now I believe we are on the verge of a catastrophe if we do not act!"


US wants freeze on tuna fishing

BBC News reports here: The US is calling for a ban on the fishing of bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea.


Whale found beached in deep Amazon rain forest

AP reports here at CNN.com: RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- An 18-foot minke whale ran aground on a sandbar in the Amazon jungle some 1,000 miles from the ocean, Brazilian media reported Friday.


FOX Attacks the Environment

Petition: foxattacks.com You won't believe the lies and misinformation Fox News is spreading about global warming and climate change.


US, China working on biofuels pact

AP reports here at Yahoo News: BEIJING - The United States and China are working on a pact to promote use of ethanol and other biofuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and could announce an agreement as early as next month, an American official said Friday.


Climate report to warn of potentially 'irreversible' impacts

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: VALENCIA, Spain (AFP) - The UN's Nobel-winning panel on climate change on Friday completed a draft report that said the consequences of global warming could be far-reaching and irreversible.


WFP chief warns of "perfect storm" food crisis in west Africa

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: DAKAR - Climate change, rising food prices and population growth could combine to create a "perfect storm" crisis that wreaks havoc in west Africa, the head of the UN World Food Programme warned Thursday.


Environmentalists: Protect sea turtles

AP reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - Two environmental groups are asking the Interior Department to declare loggerhead sea turtles that inhabit the Atlantic coast officially endangered, maintaining that tens of thousands of the turtles are killed annually by commercial fishing and because of coastal development.


Biofuels bonanza facing 'crash'

Roger Harrabin Environment Analyst for BBC News reports here: The biofuels bonanza will crash unless producers can guarantee their crops have been produced responsibly, the UN's environment agency chief has said.


Greenhouse gases rising faster than UN forecasts: report

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: SYDNEY - Greenhouse gas emissions are rising faster than worst-case predictions by the United Nations' top climate change body, said a new Australian report issued Thursday.


Understanding the climate ostrich

Why do people find it hard to accept the increasingly firm messages that climate change is a real and significant threat to livelihoods? Here in this BBC News article, a sociologist unravels some of the issues that may lie behind climate scepticism.


Australians named worst emitters

BBC News reports here: A study of the world's power stations has shown the extent to which developed countries produce more carbon dioxide per head than emerging economies. Australians were found to be the world's worst polluters per capita, producing five times as much carbon from generating power as China.

The Top Ten Carbon Dioxide Emitters
National power sector emissions (in tonnes of CO2):

  1. US - 2,530 million
  2. China - 2,430 million
  3. Russia - 600 million
  4. India - 529 million
  5. Japan - 363 million
  6. Germany - 323 million
  7. Australia - 205 million
  8. South Africa - 201 million
  9. UK - 192 million
  10. South Korea - 168 million


Russian oil slick clean-up 'could take months': WWF

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: MOSCOW - A major oil spill off the southern coast of Russia could take months to clear, a top environmentalist said on Wednesday as the first charges were brought over the accident.


Japan emperor's woe over US fish

The bluegill wiped out the Japanese royal bitterling, BBC News reports here: Japan's Emperor Akihito has said he "feels pained" that he introduced an aggressive non-native species of fish to Japan nearly 50 years ago.

 


Learn how much your power plant pollutes

AP reports here: WASHINGTON - There's growing worry about global warming, but how much of it is the work of that power plant just outside town? And if Congress limits heat-trapping greenhouse gases, will it affect utility and electric bills? And who's the biggest corporate culprit when it comes to climate change?


Italians Fight for the Right to Love Black Cats

Spiegel Online reports here: Black cats get a bad rap, particularly in Italy where they are popularly associated with evil. Now in an effort to disassociate these maligned felines from superstition and stop an estimated 60,000 annual cat killings, Italy is to hold its first national Black Cat Day.


In new take on carbon-trading, Indonesia may get paid to save trees

The Christian Science Monitor reports here at Yahoo News: Jakarta, Indonesia - For decades, conservationists have sought to halt the wholesale clearance of Indonesia's tropical rainforests by loggers and plantation companies. But repeated calls for sustainable forestry practices to safeguard biodiversity haven't succeeded in stopping the chain saws.


Record pollution dumped in China river

AP reports here at Yahoo News: BEIJING - The amount of sewage dumped into China's Yangtze River rose 3 percent last year to a record level, state media said Wednesday.


California's Christmas List: Clean Air

Time Magazine writes here: Gov. Schwarzenegger wants to clamp down on greenhouse gas emissions. Only the US government stands in his way.


Low-lying states gather to debate rising sea levels

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: MALE - Dozens of small island nations opened talks in the Maldives on Tuesday to draft a strategy to combat rising water levels in the world's oceans, which are threatening their very existence.


ASEAN summit to promote nuclear energy, solar power

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: SINGAPORE - Southeast Asian leaders will promote the use of civilian nuclear power, along with other alternative energy sources, when they meet in Singapore next week, a draft statement obtained Tuesday said.


Why the world's climate body may not tell the whole truth

BBC News reports here: As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) puts the finishing touches to its final report of the year, two of its senior scientists look at what the panel is and how well it works. Here, a view from a leading researcher into temperature change.


Israel to encourage development of electric cars

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Sunday his government will encourage the development of electric cars to help wean Israel off fossil fuels.


Green chemistry's 'race to innovation'

As with green-tech movement, the eco-spin on chemical science isn't just for tree huggers. Businesses, too, are betting on better materials. CNET News.com reports here: Just a few steps behind green tech, green chemistry is the latest movement that's both a source of technology innovation and a rallying cry for environmentalists.


Failure to tackle climate peril 'criminally irresponsible', IPCC told

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: VALENCIA, Spain - The Nobel-winning panel of world climate experts on Monday launched a debate over a landmark report after a top UN official warned any failure to curb global warming would be "criminally irresponsible."


Red List Definitions

Red List Definitions:


Black Sea Oil Spill

Calmer Seas Allow Shipwreck Rescue Efforts, Spiegel Online reports here: Rescue operations have begun after four ships and an oil tanker sank in a storm near the Black Sea on Sunday. At least eight men are still missing and an environmental disaster seems inevitable.


Farming the wind efficiently

CNN News reports here: Wind power is currently the world's fastest growing energy technology. According to the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) onshore wind farms are on course to provide 5 percent (3000 megawatts) of the UK's energy requirements by 2010. The UK Government -- who are investing around £1 billion in wind farms -- has stated that it wants 10 percent of energy to come from renewable resources by the same date. And by 2020 Europe as a whole hopes to produce 20 percent of its energy through renewable sources.


UN chief looks at Antarctica glaciers

AP reports here at Yahoo News: CHILEAN PRESIDENTE EDUARDO FREI BASE, Antarctica - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the Antarctica on Friday to see firsthand the impact of climate change and the melting of glaciers.


Toyota eyes the plug-in Prius

Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: TORRANCE, California - Toyota Motor Corp on Friday detailed plans to study U.S. consumer demand for a version of its hot-selling Prius hybrid that could be recharged at a standard outlet and run on electric power only.


Schwarzenegger declares state of emergency over oil spill

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: SAN FRANCISCO - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency on Friday to help fight the San Francisco oil spill that is threatening wildlife and several miles of pristine coastline.


Fuel without the fossil

The New York Times reports here at CNET News.com: Nipping at the heels of companies using biological methods to develop fuels from plant matter are entrepreneurs who favor chemistry.


China signals rejection of emission caps

AP reports here at Yahoo News: "BEIJING - A Chinese official gave the clearest sign yet that Beijing will reject binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions at a global meeting next month, saying Friday developing countries must be allowed to raise emissions to fight poverty."


Oil spill threatens Bay Area wildlife

AP reports here at Yahoo News: SAN FRANCISCO - Dozens of dead and injured seabirds found coated in black goo are the most visible victims of a 58,000 gallon oil spill in the San Francisco Bay, which scientists say could threaten wildlife for years.


California to sue US government over greenhouse gases

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: SAN FRANCISCO - California on Thursday said it was suing the United States government to secure approval for the state's tough new proposals aimed at slashing vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.


Crude Awakenings: Global Oil Security and American Foreign Policy

Crude Awakenings: Global Oil Security and American Foreign Policy

The Wall Street Journal: "Crude Awakenings is smart, practical, and convincing. . ."

Book Description:
With oil prices reaching record high levels recently, many wonder whether we are we potentially headed towards another 1973-style oil shock. The answer is a resounding "no," according to the new book, Crude Awakenings: Global Oil Security and American Foreign Policy. Despite apparent threats from Middle East turmoil and terrorism, global petroleum supplies today are in fact more, not less, stable than they have been in decades, thanks to effective and forward-looking political, technological and market developments that have been implemented throughout the industry.

Conventional wisdom on oil is wrong. So says the author, Steve A. Yetiv, Professor of Political Science at Old Dominion University: "The real story of global oil over the past twenty-five years is not about short run developments with Yukos, Venezuala or Nigeria, nor terrorist attacks on U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It is not even about periodic small- and large-scale U.S. attacks on Iraq. Rather, the real story is about longer-term developments that have changed the international relations of the Middle East, politics at the global level, and world oil markets. These developments have increased oil stability."

Although prices continue to remain volatile, Yetiv argues that the world market in petroleum products is far more benign and predictable than what is portrayed to us by the media and lawmakers, a fact that has serious implications for our current domestic and foreign policy decisions.


Climate change and violent conflict

The impact of climate change will make the poorest communities across the world poorer. Many of them are already affected by conflict and instability and thus face a dual risk. International Alert’s new research finds that the consequences of climate change will fuel violent conflict, which itself hinders the ability of governments and local communities to adapt to the pressures of climate change. For the complete reports see the international-alert.org website here.


Palm oil warning for Indonesia

Huge swathes of Indonesia's jungles are under threat, BBC News reports here: Land clearances in Indonesia to meet the growing global demand for palm oil pose a serious threat to the environment, a report has warned. Forests are being burned and peat wetlands drained for plantations, causing huge releases of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, Greenpeace said.


Pollution turns China river dark red

AP reports here at Yahoo News: BEIJING - Industrial discharge and household wastewater have polluted a northern Chinese river so badly that the water is dark red in some sections and has caused chronic illnesses among villagers, a government publication reported.


Science News Review

Science News Review brings you news updates on many science categories including Ecology, Environment, Global Warming and many more check it out and bookmark it!


Energy needs 'to grow inexorably'

The world is becoming increasingly energy intensive, BBC News reports here: The global demand for energy is set to grow inexorably through to 2030 if governments do not change their policies, warns a top energy official.


Experts warn Florida about climate change

AP reports here at Yahoo News: TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Scientists and economists Tuesday warned lawmakers of consequences Florida faces from climate change, including more destructive hurricanes and a rising sea level, but they also said the state could be a leader in reducing global warming.


China urged to take the lead in wind power

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: SHANGHAI - Long criticised at home and abroad over the destruction of its environment, China has a chance to alter its polluting ways by becoming a global leader in wind power, industry experts say.


Cities Tackle Surge in Global Pigeon Population

Spiegel Online reports here: Gray and inconspicuous they may be, but pigeons are highly adaptable and their numbers are surging around the world, heightening the risk of disease. Cities have resorted to imaginative techniques to kill the birds over the years, but the only effective curb is to stop feeding them, says a Swiss scientist.


Climate bill's 60% emission cut

The UK will be the first nation to put carbon emissions levels into law, BBC News reports here: Prime Minister Gordon Brown has committed the UK to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 60% before 2050 to help tackle global warming.


Clean green NZ battles climate change threat to trade, tourism

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: WELLINGTON - New Zealand is famous for its clean air and pristine environment but finds itself fighting for the future of its top export moneyspinners because of global climate change fears.


Massachusetts pushes biofuel standards

AP reports here at Yahoo News: BOSTON - Gov. Deval Patrick and top lawmakers want to put Massachusetts on the clean energy map by requiring biofuel blends in home heating oil and providing tax incentives for producers of more efficient ethanol technology, known as cellulosic ethanol.


US must meet global warming challenge: Clinton

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: DES MOINES, United States - Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton Monday pledged to slash US greenhouse gas emissions, as she aimed to bounce back from her most difficult week yet on the campaign trail.


Tibetans wake up to nosebleeds in super-dry autumn

Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: Moisture has become a luxury in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa where many locals are waking up to nosebleeds in the dry autumn, state media said on Monday as the Himalayan region faces growing threat of global warming.


Most ready for 'green sacrifices'

The poll suggests the public are more ready than politicians, BBC News reports here: Most people say they are ready to make personal sacrifices to address climate change, according to a BBC poll of 22,000 people in 21 countries.


Peace lures wildlife back to south Sudan

AP reports here at Yahoo News: OPEKOLOE, Sudan - Sudan's 22-year north-south civil war — Africa's longest and bloodiest conflict, killed some two million people. It also drove out large numbers of animals. Now after two years of relative peace, they're dramatically back. Wildlife services estimate 7,000 elephants have returned, along with some 1,500 giraffes and about 500 oryx antelopes, both thought to have left Sudan forever. Lions, leopards and a wide variety of gazelles, some of them unique to Sudan, are being spotted, too.


Beijing to raise emission standards for Olympics

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: BEIJING - Beijing will introduce tougher car emissions standards in 2008 in a bid to help clear the air in the notoriously polluted capital for the Olympic Games, official media reported.


Think tank: Climate affects security

AP reports here at Yahoo News: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Climate change could be one of the greatest national security challenges ever faced by U.S. policy makers, according to a new joint study by two U.S. think tanks.


Yangtze River less tainted than expected

AP reports here at Yahoo News: GENEVA - Chinese and Swiss scientists said Friday the Yangtze River is less polluted than expected, but only because the vast amounts of water dilute farm and industrial waste that still pose a serious threat to animals and plants.


Paris Rental Bike Scheme Goes Global

BBC News reports here: A growing number of cities are setting up self-service rental bike schemes. A French advertising company has hit upon the most simple scheme, one that has won over thousands of Parisians and is now being exported across the world.


Clinton, Wal-Mart push 'green' cities

AP reports here at Yahoo News: SEATTLE - Former President Bill Clinton told more than 100 mayors Thursday that stopping global warming depends on them demonstrating that it makes economic sense. He said his foundation is teaming up with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to save cities money on environmentally friendly supplies by buying in bulk.


Air pollution in Albania kills at least 200 every year: WHO

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: TIRANA - Illnesses linked to air pollution cause the death of at least two hundred people every year in Albania, mostly in the capital Tirana, according to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO) published on Thursday.


Man Cuts Down 122 Trees to Get Sea View

Spiegel Online reports here: A German pensioner has cut down dozens of trees to get a better view of the Baltic Sea from his coastal home. Officials are calling him a Grinch Who Stole the Forest and want to prosecute him. Neighbors, though, are asking what all the fuss is about.


10 Most 'Accountable' Companies

Which corporations are most committed to social and environmental goals? See Fortune's annual ranking of the world's 100 largest companies here at CNN Money.


Pay dirt: Start-up draws electricity from the ground

Martin LaMonica reports here at News.com: Living Power Systems has made a microbial fuel cell that creates enough power from bacteria for low-power applications.


Software expert Shai Agassi plans to jumpstart electric car sector

AFP reports here at Yahoo News: BERLIN - Electric cars could be recharged simply by changing the batteries and sold with a subscription like mobile telephones, according to the vision of software star Shai Agassi.


Parrotfish to aid reef repair

BBC News reports here: A vividly coloured fish could be the key to saving the Caribbean's coral reefs from plummeting into terminal decline, scientists claim.


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