Amateur gardeners urged to use peat-free compost to cut carbon footprint.
London Daily Telegraph 09 Mar
Economics
Energy
More Solutions StoriesEditorialsGo slow on push to cut 'footprint.'Even if you concede the contention that climate change is being caused by humans ---- and that debate will continue ---- we could eliminate our carbon output entirely yet have a minimal effect on the world's climate. San Diego North County Times 07 Mar Raising the gas tax might be the only way to wean americans off oil.Surprisingly, climate proposals in Washington, such as the House-passed Waxman-Markey bill, wouldn't do all that much to slash American oil consumption in the near future. Washington Post 05 Mar Cars homes projects to lower carbon emissions by 355,000 tonnes.Three separate sustainable energy projects set to be implemented by the Government, assisted by the Inter-American Development Bank, will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 350,000 tonnes, in addition to saving the Bahamas Electricity Corporation $1.36 million per annum in fuel imports. Nassau Tribune 05 Mar Lift the moratorium on nuclear plants.We support removing Minnesota's moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power plants. We believe nuclear power, which is good on greenhouse gases but which carries other risks, has to be part of the discussion of the nation's energy future. St. Paul Pioneer Press 04 Mar A nuclear future.We support President Obama's offer of government-loan guarantees amounting to $8.3 billion for a new twin-reactor nuclear power plant in Georgia, the country's first new atomic power project in nearly 30 years. Cape Cod Times 04 Mar Don’t choke the Clean Air Act.The EPA has done what it had to do, and Congress should not waste valuable time and energy scuttling their efforts. The answer from here is to move ahead with meaningful, forward-looking action on climate change. Twin Cities Minnesota Daily 04 Mar New standards put lid on smog.Though it hasn't received as much attention as health-care reform in the past six months, Washington is almost as bitterly divided over efforts to curb greenhouse gases. It's heartening to see that there is bipartisanship on one aspect of the problem: smog. Nashville Tennessean 03 Mar A natural choice.With a rising carbon price, natural gas will become too expensive to burn. But it can provide the country some time to bring to market the cleaner technologies on which America eventually must run. Washington Post 28 Feb OpinionGo natural, go nuclear.When properly understood, nuclear energy is as clean and natural as wind, sunshine or any of the supposedly more "natural" alternatives. The tremendous power that lies at the heart of the atom is part of nature as well. Washington Hill 09 Mar New NOAA climate office would meet growing needs.NOAA’s and the nation’s climate-related information resources are not organized to meet the growing demand. To remain relevant and responsive, NOAA must adapt. Science News 08 Mar Politics and policy.Energy Secretary Steven Chu discusses the administration's energy game plan in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal 08 Mar Making clean energy more palatable.The manner by which the majority of Albertans are supplied with electricity affects the environment, as well as people living in communities where there is infrastructure for electricity generation and transmission. Edmonton Journal 08 Mar It came from the sea.J. Craig Venter and his partners at Exxon Mobil Corp. and BP PLC believe genetically engineered life forms hold great promise for energy and other industries. Wall Street Journal 08 Mar The promise of green chemistry.Although Grossman is not a trained chemist, she has done a remarkable job of compiling a tremendous amount of technical information and translating it into language nonscientists can appreciate. Chemical & Engineering News 08 Mar Dreaming the possible dream.If we put a simple price on carbon, new technologies will have a chance to blossom and thousands more would come out of innovators’ garages. America still has the best innovation culture in the world. New York Times 07 Mar Behavior and energy policy.Nuanced research into human behavior and energy-use decisions is not new, nor is the idea that energy efficiency may be generally cost-effective. But what has been missing is a concerted effort to translate behavioral science insights into scaled interventions. Science 05 Mar |
World’s pall of black carbon can be eased with new stoves.
ah zut/flickr
With a single, concerted initiative, the world could save millions of people in poor nations from respiratory ailments and early death, while dealing a big blow to global warming - and all at a surprisingly small cost. Yale Environment 360 09 Mar Solar industry learns lessons in Spanish sun.Two years ago, this gritty mining city hosted a brief 21st-century gold rush. Long famous for coal, Puertollano discovered another energy source it had overlooked: the relentless, scorching sun. New York Times 09 Mar Making clean technology cheap as well as green is key to success.It’s called clean technology’s “competitive conundrum’’: how to get people to pay for cleaner energy when electricity produced from traditional sources like nuclear power, coal, or natural gas costs less. Boston Globe 09 Mar Tapping offshore wind.It’s been nine years since developers first proposed a wind farm off Cape Cod. You can now find offshore wind proposals in just about any state with a coastline. But these are still just proposals. Environment Report 09 Mar Europe supergrid hopefuls form club to push project.Ten companies are pushing to build a pan-European offshore power network that could help cut carbon emissions but would cost customers 20 billion euros over the next decade - in addition to the tens of billions of euros necessary for the turbines themselves. Reuters 09 Mar Gardeners urged to stop using peat-based compost.Yesterday the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn announced a new target to phase out the use of peat compost in amateur gardens by 2020. Its extraction in the UK not only disturbs rare wildlife but also releases an estimated million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. London Independent 09 Mar Green buzz fails to warm UK home buyers.The British building industry wants to ease green home standards as the public balk at the 20 percent or higher costs of low-carbon homes, exhibitors told a major London conference this week. Reuters 09 Mar UK offshore wind costs at least twice nuclear: Study.Generating Britain's electricity from offshore wind farms is likely to be at least twice as expensive as nuclear power, according to a new report by engineering consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff. Britain plans to build over 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power capacity by 2020. Reuters 09 Mar EU faces court challenge over biofuels reports.Four environmental groups have sued the European Union's executive for withholding documents they say will add to a growing dossier of evidence that biofuels harm the environment and push up food prices. Reuters 09 Mar Nuclear energy gets new French-driven boost.Poor countries need nuclear power, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday, urging rich lenders to help pay for a global nuclear expansion in the interests of fighting climate change and feeding the growing world hunger for energy. Associated Press 09 Mar James Hansen keen on next-generation nuclear power.Renewable energy won't save the planet so it's time to go nuclear, according to one of world's most high-profile climate scientists. Sydney Australian 09 Mar Wal-Mart settles environmental complaints over California stores.Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Monday it has reached settlements with environmental groups over greenhouse-gas emissions associated with its operations, allowing planned expansions at three of its California stores to proceed. Wall Street Journal 09 Mar Charged cars that would charge.The idea of a vehicle-to-grid system, or V2G, has been around for at least a decade, and mathematicians and economists are racing to figure out how V2G could be profitable and energy-efficient. Science News 09 Mar Environment Agency maps hydropower hotspots.Thousands of small-scale hydroelectric schemes could power 850,000 homes and produce 1.5% of the UK's electricity needs, according to an Environment Agency study published today. Press Association 09 Mar Shanghai Expo to be low carbon, high tech.The Shanghai World Expo will be powered by wind and solar-generated electricity and feature energy efficient advanced technologies, China's Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang said on Monday. Xinhua News Agency 09 Mar Sydinvest green themes fund eyes U.S. and China.U.S. and Chinese economic stimulus measures are likely to focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy, according to fund manager Sydinvest, which took a stake in a U.S. alternative fuel components company last month. Reuters 09 Mar Will the anaconda or the oyster rule wave power?From giant hydraulic oysters that sit on the sea floor, to long rubber snakes that writhe in the ocean swell, there's no shortage of creatures designed to harness the power of the waves. If wave power is to emerge as a viable form of green energy, we need to put them to the test and only the most reliable can expect to survive. New Scientist 09 Mar 'Gribble' marine pest may be key to biofuel breakthrough, say scientists.Gribble, which resemble pink woodlice, plagued seafarers for centuries by boring through the planks of ships and destroying wooden piers. But now a team of British researchers has learnt that gribble have a gift for digesting wood not seen in any other animal. London Times 09 Mar Lending scheme to bring solar to Cambodia's poor.With access to solar-powered energy products for Cambodia’s rural poor extremely limited, the solar energy company Kamworks and the Cambodia Mutual Savings and Credit Network are partnering to provide low-interest loans and installation of solar panels. New York Times 09 Mar Aging reactors put nuclear power plant 'safety cultures' in the spotlight.Across the U.S. nuclear energy sector, plant owners are seeking -- and gaining -- NRC approval to run first-generation plants for 20 years beyond the original license period. ClimateWire 09 Mar Markey requests GAO investigation into nuclear plant safety.The chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee announced his request that the GAO commence a thorough review of nuclear reactor safety regulations and oversight, as well as the NRC’s process of granting licenses for nuclear power plants. Belmont Citizen-Herald 09 Mar China supports nuclear power development in orderly way.Nuclear power should be developed with due regulations and in an orderly way thanks to its strict requirement for human resources, technology, security and quality, a Chinese official said Monday here at the international conference on civilian use of nuclear energy. Xinhua News Agency 09 Mar Sarkozy makes nuclear energy plea.President Nicolas Sarkozy of France on Monday called for an international effort to finance civil atomic energy in developing countries, with an appeal to the World Bank to reverse a 50-year abstention from funding the construction of nuclear reactors. London Financial Times 09 Mar Conversation about growth in global energy demand begins with China.China is already the world's largest producer of heavily polluting coal, and the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide. But the Asian giant also "could well become the world's largest market for clean energy," said global energy expert Rob Barnett. Fort Worth Star-Telegram 09 Mar European activists sue over biofuels studies.Environmental lawyers and activists on Monday sued the European Commission for failing to release studies investigating the impact of biofuels on the environment, arguing that European policy was “inventing an artificial market” for biofuels. New York Times 09 Mar |