Saturday 10 March 2012

More stories from around the world ..... KNOW<>CARE<>ACT

10 March 2012

Military aims for energy efficiency. The Pentagon unveiled a plan Friday to change the way the military uses energy, saying it wants to bring more-efficient technology to the battlefield in order to save lives and money. Defense officials depicted the plan as a way to protect soldiers, amid criticism from Republicans on Capitol Hill that the alternative-energy push is wasteful. Wall Street Journal

Mexico withers under worst drought in 71 years. Some 2.5 million Mexicans are affected by an extreme drought across two-thirds of Mexico's states, which could cause widespread hunger for years to come. Food production has gone down by 40 percent across Mexico because of the drought, according to the National Confederation of Peasants. Christian Science Monitor

Methane hydrates: Fire and ice. After the Fukushima nuclear accident, Japan shut down most of its nuclear power plants. Now, researchers are drilling deep into the ocean in search of a new source of energy called methane hydrates. Tapping the methane stored in ice could help Japan fill its nuclear energy gap, and is a huge potential source of energy for the world. Living On Earth

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Success of today's energy standards spurs call for more. Energy efficiency standards will save consumers and businesses $1.1 trillion and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas pollution and other emissions by 2035, according to a study released this week. Consumer Reports

Fracking could hinder underground carbon storage. Drilling zones overlap significantly with places suitable for storing carbon dioxide below the surface, according to a new study. As a result, researchers estimate that drilling could damage as much as 80% of U.S. carbon storage capacity. Chemical & Engineering News

Cincinnati joins clean air cities campaign. The Clean Air Cities campaign is a nationwide effort to urge cities to be proactive in speaking to the Obama administration to use the Clean Air Act to make worthwhile reductions in greenhouse gas pollution and slow global warming. Cincinnati City Beat

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Caribbean looks ahead to stave off fresh water scarcity. Two years after a severe drought wreaked havoc with a number of Caribbean countries, some are now adopting new strategies in a bid to prevent a repeat of a situation where countries were rationing water and imposing strict restrictions on residents. Inter Press Service

Mild winter has proven fatal for countless New Jersey honeybees. Beekeepers are used to the typical threats: colony collapse, varroa mites and cold snaps in the spring, to name a few. The warm winter, however, may pose the biggest threat to New Jersey’s honeybees this year. Newark Star-Ledger

Can an early spring confuse nature's clock? It's been an unusually warm winter in some parts of the country, with springtime temperatures and very little snow. How is nature responding? Purdue entomologist Tom Turpin and horticulturalist Kristin Schleiter of the New York Botanical Garden discuss how an early spring affects flower buds, beetles and bees. Science Friday

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New research project aims to find ways to grow strawberries without pesticides. A joint research project between the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and California Strawberry Commission hopes to find nonchemical alternatives to fumigants and to reduce fumigant emissions, which can increase global warming. Ventura County Star

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Inside the Keystone pipeline: How much would it really help US consumers? Politicians paint a rosy picture of lower gas prices and abundant supply, but Canadian firms behind the Keystone pipeline expect it to supply Gulf Coast export markets and raise Midwest oil prices. Christian Science Monitor

China's booming solar and wind sector may be put on hold. For observers of Monday's opening session of the annual gathering of the National People's Congress, Premier Wen Jiabao's announcement that China "will put an end to blind expansion in industries such as solar energy and wind power" was a red flag. Science

Republican presidential win would lose US ground to China - UN climate chief. The United Nations climate chief has warned that US voters risk ceding progress to China and Europe if they opt for a presidential candidate who denies climate change. The Guardian

Wednesday 8 February 2012

7 February 2012 .... What is making the World News

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Politics may be real climate hazard – experts. Climate change impacts may turn out to be a catalyst for worsening conflict. If so, keeping an eye on local politics and the quality of governance could be as important in heading off climate crises as breeding drought-resistant crops or protecting forests, climate security experts said at a recent meeting in London. Reuters

Keystone fractured union model. The labor movement traditionally allows unions with the most at stake on a project - in Keystone's case, the building trades - to take the lead. Keystone XL has disrupted this familiar pattern. Inside Climate News

Cuba on the road to clean-energy development. More than a decade ago, solar electricity changed the lives of several mountain communities in Cuba. Now this and other renewable power sources are emerging as the best options available to develop sustainable energy across the island. Inter Press Service

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Power grid updates left system vulnerable to cyberattacks, auditors say. A rush by the Energy Department to use stimulus money to modernize the country’s power grid has left the system vulnerable to cyberattacks, the agency’s internal watchdog found. Washington Post

E15 fuel, not quite legal yet, under new challenge. Pressure is rising from a surprising array of interests to delay or block the sale of so-called E15 fuel at service stations. USA Today

The quest for cheaper, better lights. A new entrant is emerging in the race to produce energy-saving, affordable lighting. Soraa Inc. plans to disclose the benefits of an unusual technology for manufacturing semiconductors known as LEDs. The goal is to generate more light from smaller chips, thus making LEDs more efficient and affordable. Wall Street Journal

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Low-lying Louisiana prepares for sea level to rise. A scientific report issued by Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration predicts that the Louisiana coast could see about 3 feet of sea level rise along the already low and vulnerable Louisiana coast by 2100 — a prediction that leaves this Cajun coast drowning and under siege from storm surge for decades to come. Associated Press

Climate change to be key in Shoshone Forest plan. Predictions of larger and more frequent fires across the Shoshone National Forest and other possible consequences of a warming climate are expected to play a factor in the agency’s efforts to manage the forest in the coming years. Billings Gazette

Penguins flag changes in Antarctic environment. Human activity has put Antarctica's penguins on thin ice. Over-fishing, melting sea ice and pollution are threatening these iconic creatures. But one species is faring better than most – and researchers are using them to find out what's changing in this vast and fragile ecosystem. Australia ABC News

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Air sampling reveals high emissions from gas field. When U.S. government scientists sampled the air from a tower north of Denver, Colorado, they expected urban smog — but not strong whiffs of what looked like natural gas. They eventually linked the mysterious pollution to a nearby natural-gas field. Their latest evidence suggests that natural gas might not be much better than coal for the climate. Nature

Quebecers tough on environment, not themselves. A new poll suggests people don't recognize impact their actions have on climate. Montreal Gazette

Latest studies throw light on causes of climate change. If experts are to be believed, the better understanding of structure and reactivity of radical-molecule complexes can provide deep insight into various atmospheric phenomenons, including ozone depletion (global warming), acid rain and climate changes. New Delhi Times of India

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European Union carbon row grows. A split widened within the aviation industry on Tuesday over EU charges for carbon emissions, as Europe's low-cost carriers accused Chinese and US rivals of "gunboat" diplomacy against the system. Agence France-Presse

Ministers defend rapid cut to solar power subsidy. The government argued that it had to act quickly to slash subsidies to small-scale solar power because the cost of panels has dropped by nearly half in the past year, much faster than the previous government envisaged when it set up the scheme. The Guardian

Auditor's report on emissions errors a blow to green dream. Just months before the carbon tax is introduced, an auditor's report has found more than one in six major polluters has made "significant errors" when reporting its greenhouse emissions and energy use to the government. Sydney Morning Herald

Sunday 29 January 2012

The end of January 2012. News Round up!!!

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Louisiana scientists working on plan to save coastline, fight global warming. A team of Louisiana scientists is laying the groundwork for creating a new carbon storage industry that could both reduce the effects of global warming and rebuild wetlands along the state’s coastline. New Orleans Times-Picayune

US seems to have largely escaped winter. A combination of factors has trapped winter's cold air over Canada and Alaska, making for unseasonably warm weather in the Lower 48. La NiƱa has helped keep the jet stream on a west-to-east path over Canada, preventing cold Arctic air from dipping into the states. Los Angeles Times

Hotter summers 'may kill 5,900 every year', warns first national risk assessment of climate change. Britain’s first national risk assessment of climate change has warned there will be major increases in flooding, heatwaves and water shortages that could kill thousands of people a year. London Daily Mail

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EU energy policy may bring 500,000 jobs. The European Union may pass a triple-whammy environment policy in the first half of this year that would bring a rapid jobs boost, cut energy bills and improve the environment by one simple measure: keeping Europe's buildings in good repair. Reuters

Edano wants households to lend their roofs to solar drive. A program to allow companies to install solar panels on the roofs of private homes will be introduced by the government before the onset of summer, industry ministery Yukio Edano said. Asahi Shimbun

Boulder council to consider climate goals, carbon tax. Whether the city of Boulder should revamp its approach to addressing climate change – including whether to extend an expiring tax to pay for related programs – is among the questions facing the Boulder City Council this week. Boulder Daily Camera

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Gardeners in a new zone. The pulse of gardeners already has quickened with the lengthening days and arrival of seed catalogs. But now hearts are skipping beats. That's because the US Department of Agriculture has updated, for the first time in 22 years, its map of where different plants can be expected to survive the winter. Omaha World-Herald

On the calendar, winter. In the garden, spring. Nancy Sakaduski's homegrown daffodils are already spreading cheer from a vase on her kitchen table, which would be dandy - and not unusual - if it were spring. Philadelphia Inquirer

Risks of floods from glacial lakes highlighted. Natural scientists and environmentalists here on Saturday said that communities' involvement could mitigate the negative effects of glacial lake outburst floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's higher regions, preventing loss of lives and properties. Karachi Herald

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City cuts its greenhouse gas emissions. The City of North Vancouver's efforts to grapple with climate change are starting to pay off, achieving an 11% drop in emissions. Vancouver North Shore News

GOP wants Sen. Baucus to go rogue on Keystone XL oil sands pipeline. Republicans are pressing Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) to buck his leadership and use his authority in the payroll tax conference to green-light the Keystone oil sands pipeline. The Hill

Coal export terminal opposed in Bellingham, WA. With a musical kickoff from bandZandt singing "No Coal Trains," local activists launched their "Coal-Free Bellingham" campaign for a citizen initiative to outlaw coal trains through a city ordinance. Bellingham Herald

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Dedicated to innovation. The seeds of COP17 have started bearing some fruit as many South African companies appear to be responding well to the call for greening the environment and saving energy. Pretoria Sunday World

Carbon tax 'alarmism' doesn't fit facts, scientists warn. Scientists from around the world, including the former head of Australia's National Climate Centre, are calling for calm on global warming, saying alarmist rhetoric is not backed by evidence and is being used to increase taxes. Sydney Australian

Melanesian Spearhead Group talks climate change. The Melanesian Spearhead Group has successfully completed a three-day ministerial meeting on climate change and environment issues. Fiji Times