Happy Green New Year to NY and Everybody!
CNN News reports here: NEW YORK (CNN) -- New York celebrates the centennial of its most famous New Year's tradition Monday, as organizers of the Times Square ball drop have given the crystal globe an environmental makeover. This year the 1,415-pound ball has been outfitted with more than 9,500 energy-efficient light-emitting diodes that will illuminate the ball's more than 600 crystals.
Natural catastrophes will grow with climate change: re-insurer
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: FRANKFURT - Natural catastrophes in 2007 were more frequent and costlier than a year earlier and climate change will make them more expensive still, the world's second-biggest re-insurer, Munich Re, said Thursday.
Rain saves Atlanta from drought record
AP reports here at Yahoo News: ATLANTA - This year was almost one for the record books, but then it rained. A lot.
Bodies point to Alaska's past
BBC News reports here: Sea erosion brings an urgency to archaeologists' work, as bodies emerge on the shoreline of northern Alaska.
Global warming to alter Californias landscape
AP reports here at Yahoo News: LOS ANGELES - California is defined by its scenery, from the mountains that enchanted John Muir to the wine country and beaches that define its culture around the world. But as scientists try to forecast how global warming might affect the nation's most geographically diverse state, they envision a landscape that could look quite different by the end of this century, if not sooner.
Animals rights group honours Stella
The Press Association reports here at Google News: Fashion designer Stella McCartney has been named Person of the Year by animal rights charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta). The daughter of former Beatle Sir Paul refuses to use fur or leather in her collections. "Stella McCartney proves you can have a look that kills without killing," said Peta's US senior vice-president Dan Mathews.
Beijing air pollution 'as bad as it can get,' official says
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: BEIJING - Beijingers were warned to stay indoors on Thursday as pollution levels across the capital hit the top of the scale, despite repeated assurances by the government that air quality was improving.
New efficient bulb sees the light
LEDs are already used in dozens of household gadgets, BBC News reports here: A new type of super-efficient household light bulb is being developed which could spell the end of regular bulbs.
Rich life emerges from nature's freezer
BBC News reports here: Tiny channels in the Arctic ice support creatures that play a crucial role in climate-affected ecosystems.
McCall melt links the Arctic eras
BBC News reports here: Fifty years of study on Alaska's McCall glacier have provided scientists with a timeline of local climatic change.
China promises to promote clean energy
AP reports here at Yahoo News: BEIJING - China promised Wednesday to develop renewable energy for its fast-growing economy but warned that coal consumption will grow dramatically and avoided embracing binding limits on its greenhouse gas emissions.
Archbishop warns over environment
People should treat nature with reverence, the archbishop said, BBC News reports here: The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that human greed is threatening the environmental balance of the Earth.
Rwanda introduces 'gorilla tax'
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: KIGALI - Rwandan companies using the country's famous mountain gorillas' image for marketing purposes will have to pay a tax aimed at financing the endangered species protection, officials announced Monday.
Japan, China to set up environmental fund: report
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: TOKYO - Japan plans to propose a joint fund worth a total of 200 billion yen (1.8 billion dollars) with China to help Beijing step up environmental protection efforts, a newspaper said Monday.
LED Christmas trees
LED Christmas trees, CNET News.com reports here: More than ever, consumers, businesses, and public agencies are turning to light-emitting diodes to save energy while brightening their holiday displays. LEDs are solid-state semiconductors light shines from a chip rather than passing through a bulb or tube. They generally use one-tenth the energy of an incandescent bulb and can last a decade or longer. They also produce almost no heat, thereby reducing fire potential.
Despite Investments, Rhine Salmon Face a Difficult Migration
Spiegel Onlinereports here : It's tough times if you're a salmon trying to migrate up the Rhine. Despite recent improvements, the river is still unpassable for fish in several stretches. Now the French are proposing a shuttle service to help salmon get past their hydroelectric power stations.
'Drilling up' into space for energy
AP reports here at Yahoo News: BALI, Indonesia - While great nations fretted over coal, oil and global warming, one of the smallest at the U.N. climate conference was looking toward the heavens for its energy.
EU agrees curbs on airline emissions from 2012
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: BRUSSELS - European Union environment ministers agreed Thursday to impose carbon dioxide emissions curbs on airlines from 2012, but environmentalists and EU lawmakers said the plans did not go far enough.
Is EPA Playing Dirty With Clean Air Law?
AP reports here at CBS News: The old axiom goes, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way." Critics are saying the Environmental Protection Agency has added another option: "Trip up." Several states are now talking about suing the EPA because of its rejection of a strict auto emissions law set to be enacted by California and 16 other states, rules which would have required cleaner cars beginning two years from now.
Comment by Frank O'Donnell, President, Clean Air Watch: It would have been more appropriate for EPA Administrator Steve Johnson to resign than to issue this decision, which his own legal experts concluded is probably illegal.California to sue U.S. for denying emissions waiver
Reuters reports here at CNET News.com: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said on Thursday that he would sue the U.S. government for not granting a waiver that would allow his state to enforce new standards on motor vehicle emissions.
Bush's Arrogance in the Face of Global Warming
Spiegel Online reports here: US President George W. Bush's decision to block California state emissions regulations shows executive arrogance stemming from ideological blindness.
Japan drops humpback whale hunt
Japan has said the hunt would be too small to affect whale numbers, BBC News reports here: A controversial Japanese mission to hunt humpback whales in the Antarctic has been temporarily abandoned, a top government official says.
EU cap on air emissions from 2012
Stavros Dimas says aircraft emissions could double by 2020, BBC News reports here: EU ministers have agreed to impose carbon emissions quotas on airlines in an attempt to fight climate change.
EPA Says 17 States Can’t Set Emission Rules for Cars
The New York Times reports here: - The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday denied California and 16 other states the right to set their own standards for carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles.
Marine protection plan unveiled
Protected areas could help to regenerate fish stocks, BBC News reports here: Public consultation has begun on proposals to extend protection for marine life around Britain.
New law gives ethanol big boost
AP reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - Gas guzzlers could become relics of the past and farmers may rival oil companies in producing motor fuels under a new energy law. Consumers also will save electricity — and money — from more efficient refrigerators, furnaces and dishwashers.
Bush signs bill boosting fuel standards
AP reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - President Bush signed into law Wednesday legislation that will bring more fuel-efficient vehicles into auto showrooms and require wider use of ethanol, calling it "a major step" toward energy independence and easing global warming.
EU reaches deal on fishing quotas
Fishermen say current restrictions are decimating their industry, BBC News reports here: European Union fisheries ministers are to allow fishermen to catch more cod in the North Sea, against the recommendations of environmentalists.
Deforestation hits nutrient cycle
BBC News reports here: The benefits of cutting down tropical forests in order to convert the nutrient-rich soil into farmland are only short-lived, scientists suggest. US researchers studied deforested land in Mexico and found that soil levels of phosphorus, a key nutrient for plants, fell by 44% after three growing cycles. In the long-term, the land risked becoming so degraded that it would be uneconomic to farm, they added.
Did the US Delegation Go Behind Bush's Back?
Spiegel Online reports here: Delegates at the Bali climate change conference reached a modest deal after the US dramatically abandoned its opposition. However, the White House almost immediately distanced itself from the negotiations. Did the US delegation make a deal without consulting Bush?
Bishop on hunger strike against decision to divert river
International Herald Tribune, France reports here: Bishop Luiz Flavio Cappio has been on a hunger strike since Nov. 27, hoping to stop a $2 billion project to divert Brazil's fourth largest river, the Sao Francisco, which is intended to irrigate several of the country's poorest and most drought-stricken states. Critics say it will cause irreversible environmental damage and mainly benefit large agribusiness.
Officials to pick site for coal plant
AP reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - A government and industry research project to learn ways to burn coal without emitting global warming gases is taking a major step forward Tuesday with an announcement on where the futuristic power plant will be built — in Texas or Illinois.
Rising seas 'to beat predictions'
Sea level rise is fuelled by melting ice in Greenland and Antarctica, BBC News reports here: The world's sea levels could rise twice as high this century as UN climate scientists have previously predicted, according to a study.
It's Up to Europe to Save The World
Spiegel Online reports here: The US, so keen on flexing its muscles in world politics under President George W. Bush, has ceded global leadership to the Europeans in tackling climate change, say German newspapers.
'Every Human Should Have the Same Right to Produce CO2'
The head of the International Energy Agency, Nobuo Tanaka, has called on government leaders to take bolder action to curb CO2 emissions. Energy saving alone could produce a third of the necessary CO2 reductions, he told Spiegel Online here in this interview.
S.Africa looks to sun, wind to lighten blackouts
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: JOHANNESBURG - Faced with power cuts stretching into the next decade, South Africa is slowly switching its focus to alternative energy sources in a country blessed with bountiful sunshine and a lengthy coastline.
US sets terms for climate talks
BBC News reports here: The US has said the climate change negotiating process it agreed to in Bali must ensure developing states take their fair share of emission cuts. The deal did not meet this principle fully, the White House said - climate change could not be curbed by emission cuts from developed countries alone.
Climate Change Deal Reached after US U- Turn
Spiegel Online reports here: There were tears, boos and, at the end, even hugs: After a long struggle, the delegates at the UN climate conference on Bali finally managed to agree on a roadmap for fighting climate change. Despite the lack of concrete targets, most considered the deal a success.
Climate plan to adopt forest protection
AP reports here at Yahoo News: BALI, Indonesia - Delegates at a U.N. climate conference have agreed to include forest conservation in any future discussions about a new global warming pact, paving the way for billions of dollars in new spending to attack illegal logging, officials said. (more)
Climate deal sealed by US U-turn
The deal should lead to better protection for tropical forests, BBC News reports here: Delegates at the UN summit in Bali have agreed a deal on curbing climate change after days of bitter wrangling. Agreement was reached after a U-turn from the US, which had wanted firmer commitments from developing countries.
A greener way to recover methane
BBC News reports here: Oil reservoirs could have an environmental make-over with the help of bacteria. A report in Nature has shown how crude oil in deposits around the world are naturally broken down by microbes to methane. Scientists say that increasing microbe activity would produce a more energy-efficient method of methane recovery.
'Bush Is Playing a Double Game'
Spiegel Online reports here: Tensions have been high at the UN climate conference on Bali as the European Union and United States faced off over emissions cuts. German commentators assess the roles of Germany and the US at opposite ends of the climate divide.
US, Europe make progress at Climate talks
AP reports here at Yahoo News: BALI, Indonesia - The U.S. and Europe headed toward a compromise solution Friday at the U.N. climate conference, breaking a deadlock over how ambitious the goal should be in negotiating future cutbacks in global warming gases, the German environment minister said.
China and India Exploit Icy Energy Reserves
Spiegel Online reports here: China and India have reported massive finds of frozen methane gas off their coasts, which they hope will satisfy their energy needs. But environmentalists fear that tapping these resources could have adverse effects on the world climate.
2007 data confirms warming trend
BBC News reports here: 2007 has been one of the warmest years since 1850, despite the cooling influence of La Nina conditions. The UK's Hadley Centre and University of East Anglia conclude that globally, this year ranks as the seventh warmest.
EU threatens to boycott US climate talks
AP reports here at Yahoo News: BALI, Indonesia - European nations on Thursday threatened to boycott U.S.-led climate talks next month unless Washington accepts a range of numbers for negotiating deep reductions of global-warming emissions at a U.N. conference here.
Small Business Catches the Green Bug
Spiegel Online reports here: Climate policy and customer demand are spurring growth for small and medium-sized companies to supply green materials to their corporate clients.
The American Gap between Words and Deeds
Spiegel Online reports here: It sounds good -- at first. The US says it wants to be part of a climate treaty and looks forward to a new chapter in climate policy. But a closer look reveals that Washington continues to torpedo any concrete agreement.
Gore: U.S. blocking climate talks
AP reports here at CNN: STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore Wednesday accused the U.S. of blocking progress at U.N. climate talks in Bali but said a breakthrough was possible in the final days of the conference.
Ban Ki- Moon Warns of Climate Change 'Oblivion'
Spiegel Online reports here: Speaking at the climate change conference on Bali, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that preventing global climate change is the "moral challenge of our generation." Failure to act could send the human race into oblivion, he warned.
U.N.'s Ban urges 2009 deadline for climate deal
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: NUSA DUA, Indonesia - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the world on Wednesday to agree to work out a new climate treaty by 2009 but said it might be "too ambitious" to set goals for greenhouse gas cuts in Bali.
Scientist: 'Arctic is screaming'
AP reports here at CNN: An already relentless melting of the Arctic greatly accelerated this summer, a warning sign that some scientists worry could mean global warming has passed an ominous tipping point. One even speculated that summer sea ice would be gone in five years.
Merkel's Climate Change Vision Doomed to Fail
Spiegel Online reports here: The German government's position at the UN Climate Change Conference on Bali is the most radical out of all the major industrial nations. But there's little hope of Berlin persuading other countries to accept its ambitious vision.
Biofuels: danger or new opportunity for Africa?
AFP reports here: OUAGADOUGOU - The growing promotion of environmentally-friendly biofuels is raising questions for Africa: are such fuels a threat to food security or a golden opportunity to cut down on fossil fuel bills.
Gore Urges Bold Moves in Nobel Speech
Spiegel Online reports here: In his Nobel Prize speech Monday, Al Gore singled out the US and China in particular for not doing enough.
Wind 'could power all UK homes'
The aim is for 20% of EU energy to come from renewables by 2020, BBC News reports here: All UK homes could be powered by offshore wind farms by 2020 as part of the fight against climate change, under plans unveiled by John Hutton.
Gore to U.S., China: Fix climate or else
AP reports here at CNN: OSLO, Norway - Al Gore received his Nobel Peace Prize on Monday and urged the United States and China to make the boldest moves on climate change or "stand accountable before history for their failure to act." "We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency -- a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here," Gore said in his acceptance speech.
No unity yet at UN climate talks
BBC News reports here: Disagreements over responsibility for tackling climate change remain much in evidence as UN climate negotiations enter their second week.
Philips' Lightbulb Moment
Spiegel Online reports here: Europe's largest electronics company is redefining itself as a global lighting king by hawking energy-efficient LED bulbs.
Spill oozes onto S. Korean coast
AP reports here at CNN: Oil from a damaged supertanker has reached an ecologically sensitive shoreline on South Korea's western coast, a Coast Guard official said Saturday. Some 2.7 million gallons of oil had gushed Friday from a supertanker after a barge carrying a crane slammed into it off of Mallipo beach.
Sweden First, US almost Last, Says Study
Spiegel Online reports here: A new report rates the climate-protection performance of 56 countries that account for 90 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. While Germany came in at second-best, the US ranked second worst.
Scientists trying to save Coral Triangle
AP reports here at Yahoo News: KIMBE BAY, Papua New Guinea - For time beyond memory on this remote bay of neon fish and underwater gardens, people have avoided the "masalai," taboo waters, where a monster octopus might lurk or spirits dwell in coral caves. Now it's science that wants no-go zones in Kimbe Bay, and it's because of a new fear.
Will 'Lights Out' Lead to a Brownout?
Spiegel Online reports here: The intentions behind Saturday's "lights out" action in Germany, Switzerland and Austria may be good, but utility companies are warning that the pro-climate protection demonstration could cause a mass power outage across Europe.
WWF says warming puts Amazon at risk
AP reports here at Yahoo News: BALI, Indonesia - The impact of climate change plus deforestation could wipe out or severely damage nearly 60 percent of the Amazon forest by 2030 — making it impossible to keep global temperatures from reaching catastrophic levels, an environmental group said Thursday.
House passes energy bill but Bush set to veto
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed an energy bill that would boost vehicle fuel economy requirements by 40 percent by 2020, raise ethanol use by five-fold by 2022 and impose $13 billion in new taxes on big energy companies.
US Pressured to Support Emissions Cuts
Spiegel Online reports here: Pressure is mounting on the US to take a leading role in efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. As world climate change experts continute to discuss a new emissions reduction treaty in Bali, a Senate committee approved a plan to cut emissions in the US.
Global warming wreaks havoc with nature
AP reports here at Yahoo News: BALI, Indonesia - More than 3,000 flying foxes dropped dead, falling from trees in Australia. Giant squid migrated north to commercial fishing grounds off California, gobbling anchovy and hake. Butterflies have gone extinct in the Alps.
Germany Commits €3.3 Billion to Combat Climate Change
Spiegel Online reports here: On Wednesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet approved an ambitious €3.3 billion plan aimed at cutting Germany's greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2020.
'Tropics expand' as world warms
Expansion of the tropics could mean an increase in droughts, BBC News reports here: Climate change is causing the tropics to widen, with possible impacts on the global food supply, research suggests.
House seeks tax incentives for renewable energy
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: WASHINGTON - Democrats in the House of Representatives want to include provisions in pending energy legislation that would strip about $21 billion in tax subsidies from oil and gas companies and put them toward subsidies for renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
Islanders seek climate summit help
AP reports here at CNN: Scientists project that seas expanding from warmth and from the runoff of melting land ice may displace millions of coastal inhabitants worldwide in this century if heat-trapping industrial emissions are not sharply curtailed. A Europe-based research group, the Global Governance Project, will propose at the two-week Bali meeting that an international fund be established to resettle "climate refugees." Summarizing the islanders' plight, Ursula Rakova said: "We don't have vehicles, an airport. We're merely victims of what is happening with the industrialized nations emitting `greenhouse gases."'
The Era of Green Economics Is Dawning
Spiegel Online reports here: Will the climate conference in Bali finally bring about a turning point in the battle against global warming? The world is already capable of making the spring to a new era of environmentally friendly business practices -- and it could spur growth rather than hinder it.
World food prices to jump
World food prices to jump, AP reports here at CNN: BEIJING, China - Food prices are set to rise around the globe after years of decline, with climate change making it harder for the world's poorest to get adequate food, according to a report released Tuesday.
EU Calls for 50- Percent Cut in Greenhouse Emissions
Spiegel Online reports here: Leaders from the major world governments are meeting in Bali to draft a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. The EU delegation kicked off the conference by saying it will seek an international commitment to reduce emissions to 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
Wind power sets sail from crowded Germany
Reuters reports here at Yahoo News: BERLIN - Nearly 19,000 wind turbines cover Germany: dotted across the countryside, nudging to the edge of cities and whirring alongside motorways.
Nations gather for climate talks
The conference hopes to make progress towards a "Kyoto II" deal, BBC News reports here: Final preparations are under way for a key UN climate summit that will attempt to reach a deal on what should replace the Kyoto Protocol, which ends in 2012.
50 years on: The Keeling Curve legacy
BBC News reports here: It is a scientific icon, which belongs, some claim, alongside E=mc2 and the double helix. Its name - the Keeling Curve - may be scarcely known outside scientific circles, but the jagged upward slope showing rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere has become one of the most famous graphs in science, and a potent symbol of our times.
Improving Drought Forecasts
From the deserts of the American southwest to the pine forests of the Deep South, drought-weary residents have one thing on their minds: "I wish it would rain!" Technically, what they should be wishing for is "more streamflow." Find out why in today's story here from Science @ NASA.
Nature's banks pays dividends
Successful marine protection areas helped create jobs, BBC News reports here: Marine reserves, co-managed by local communities, can help alleviate the impact of poverty, a study suggests.
UN body launches database to tackle illegal caviar trade
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: GENEVA - The United Nations watchdog on endangered species said Friday it is launching a database to track the international trade in caviar and tackle its illegal trade.
Japan firm announces first carbon spot trade
AFP reports here at Yahoo News: TOKYO - A Japanese company said Friday it had conducted the world's first spot trade in carbon credits, predicting the nascent market will grow as countries step up efforts to tackle global warming.