global warming

To the Barricades - - With Ogden?

Terry Tamminen — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:25:43 -0400

You know the agitators in any revolution always put up posters and banners to make their point to the public (and to anger the authorities too, of course!). In a Los Angeles suburb last week a dry cleaner named Ogden struck just such a blow for corporate social responsibility - - and greater profits.

Who’s Got the Winning Idea?

Terry Tamminen — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:03:59 -0400

As we scramble for solutions to climate, energy, and environmental problems, companies, governments, and individuals are taking action - - so does anyone have a monopoly on great ideas for true “sustainability” or “social responsibility”?

Signs of the Times - - and the Times to Come

Terry Tamminen — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:16:06 -0400

In the past week I’ve seen three companies and one surprising manifestation of the cleantech revolution that’s shaping up worldwide. All of these observations are worth sharing as a means of peering into the cleantech crystal ball.

Climate Change - It's Much Worse

Peter Hale — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:40:19 -0400

Politicians may have got the science on climate change wrong and don't realise how bad the situation is, a new report says.

The report, by the Australian National University's centre for climate law and policy, says policy-makers have not understood how the carbon cycle works.

Recent research shows climate change could be feeding on itself, and therefore advancing at a faster rate than first thought.

These climate cycle "feedbacks" - where global warming interferes with carbon storage sinks - must be taken into account, the report says.

San Francisco to charge polluting firms

Peter Hale — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:04:20 -0400

New rules have been passed in the San Francisco Bay Area that will require businesses to pay fees for the amount of carbon dioxide they emit.

The rules, due to come into effect on 1 July, could cost big emitters more than $50,000 (£25,000) a year, but most firms will pay less than $1 (50p).

Backers say the move sets an important precedent for the rest of the US.

But opponents say it may interfere with plans to introduce much tougher emissions targets across California.

The Easy Way Out

Terry Tamminen — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:13:17 -0400

Governor Charlie Crist hosted a Climate Summit in Miami this week and here are a few observations from the front row…

The State of the Climate Change Debate

Saabira Chaudhuri — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:30:06 -0400

As oil prices and global temperatures both skyrocket, discussions about climate change solutions grow increasingly complex and increasingly tense. Important legislation designed to curb emissions is pending in Congress, but throw a presidential election, a weakening dollar, and increasingly tight budgets into the mix, and the future of any such measures is decidedly uncertain.

Climate Change Book Wins Prize

Peter Hale — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 05:57:46 -0400

A book about global warming has won this year's Royal Society prize for popular science writing.

Mark Lynas' Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet has already been turned into a TV programme and is now almost certain to experience a jump in sales. The book explains how Earth will change for every degree rise in temperature - from droughts to mass extinctions.

Mr Lynas was presented with the winner's £10,000 cheque at a ceremony hosted by the UK academy of science.

When Water is Clear, So Are the Profits

Terry Tamminen — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:22:44 -0400

It’s ironic that the images of flooding in the mid-west are accompanied by stories about government agencies pleading with people in those hard-hit areas to conserve water, because the floods have contaminated drinking water supplies. The recent salmonella poisoning of over 300 people in the US from tainted tomatoes can also be traced to polluted water used for irrigation (add to that the e-coli outbreaks from tainted irrigation water used on spinach and other row crops in the past 2 years).

New targets for carbon emmissions ?

Peter Hale — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:24:25 -0400

A coalition of 99 companies is asking political leaders to set targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and to establish a global carbon market.

Their blueprint for tackling climate change is being handed to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda ahead of next month's G8 summit in Japan. They argue that cutting emissions must be made to carry economic advantages.