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Deforestation conference to turn plans to action.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy will open a daylong conference Thursday of some 40 nations to start turning plans into action to save the world's forests and help rein in the noxious gases blamed for climate change. Associated Press. 11 March 2010.
Water vapour warming.
A loss of water vapour in the Earth's upper atmosphere may have slowed the rate of global warming over the past decade, suggests new research. Although the decade 2000–2009 was the warmest on record, average global temperatures leveled off during this period despite a continued rise in greenhouse gas emissions. Nature. 11 March 2010.
Clarity on clouds.
Clouds are one of the largest sources of uncertainty in climate models. That's because global climate models cannot explicitly capture cloud formation. However, new research suggests that clouds should be explicitly represented in climate models for more accurate simulations of the climate. Nature. 11 March 2010.
China environment worsening, may miss energy goals.
China's environment is "still deteriorating", a senior official said Wednesday, as the booming nation burnt record amounts of coal and lagged behind in meeting its energy-saving goals. Agence France-Presse. 11 March 2010.
Solar minimum won't slow warming: Study.
A dimming of the Sun to match conditions in the 'Little Ice Age' of the 17th century would only slightly slow global warming, according to new research. Reuters. 11 March 2010.
Sun won't stop global warming if dims as in 1600s.
A dimming of the sun to match conditions in the "Little Ice Age" of the 17th century would only slightly slow global warming, a study indicated on Wednesday. Reuters. 11 March 2010.
Climate of fear.
The integrity of climate research has taken a very public battering in recent months. Scientists must now emphasize the science, while acknowledging that they are in a street fight. Nature. Editorial, 11 March 2010.
Climate change "quagmire."
That it should be left to a politician from a developing country to make that point - while his counterparts in the West push for Rube Goldberg solutions to a "crisis" that may not even exist - goes far toward explaining the state of the climate debate today. Wall Street Journal. Opinion, 11 March 2010.
West worries about Russia turning to coal.
European efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions could be undermined by Russian plans to dramatically increase energy production from coal, Western experts said in Brussels yesterday. Euractiv, Belgium. 10 March 2010.
Clean coal? Obama funds research to capture carbon.
Can coal really be clean? Environmentalists may be skeptical, but President Obama is moving ahead with efforts to create non-polluting coal. USA Today. 10 March 2010.
California to regulate most potent greenhouse gas.
Starting in 2011, California will regulate emissions from electric utility equipment of the gas sulfur hexafluoride — commonly called SF6, which has 23,900 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide, the most prevalent greenhouse gas. New York Times. 10 March 2010.
EPA: U.S. saw record decline in greenhouse gas emissions in 2008.
High gasoline prices, a slow economy and - ironically enough - a cool summer caused U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to fall nearly 3% in 2008 from 2007 levels, the Environmental Protection Agency reported today. Los Angeles Times, California. 10 March 2010.
Methane from Arctic Ocean.
Far more of the greenhouse gas methane is seeping from seabed deposits in the Arctic shelf into the atmosphere than previously thought, a new study shows. Chemical & Engineering News. 10 March 2010.
EU 'imports' a third of its carbon emissions.
US-based researchers used a global trade database to track goods and services, and assigned emissions to the countries where they were used. Nearly a quarter of China's emissions come from goods exported to the West. BBC. 10 March 2010.
Climate-change deniers take a lesson from anti-evolution activists.
The similarities between the anti-evolution movement and climate change-denial seem to get more numerous by the day. Washington Post. Opinion, 10 March 2010.
When goods get traded, who pays for the CO2?
Popularly, China is a villain in climate change. But while China may be leading the world in carbon emissions, that output is in large part due to the fact that it is using energy to make clothes, cars and toys for the rest of us, a new study finds. Time Magazine. 9 March 2010.
Counting outsourced emissions.
One of the stickiest points in international climate change negotiations is how to account for CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions produced to make goods that are then sold for export. Should the producing country or the consuming country be held accountable for those emissions? New York Times. 9 March 2010.
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, United Kingdom. 9 March 2010.
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, Texas. 9 March 2010.
Coal-burning power firm turns to trees.
Delta Electricity, operator of the Wallerawang power station west of Sydney, has begun planting more than 200,000 Mallee eucalypt trees in a scheme to create carbon-neutral fuel and cut its use of coal by 20 per cent. Australian Associated Press. 9 March 2010.
US still responsible for most CO2 emissions.
Europeans import nearly twice as much carbon dioxide per head as US citizens – but the US still holds the dubious distinction of being the world's largest emitter. New Scientist. 9 March 2010.
UK import emissions are the highest in Europe, figures show.
Britain's demand for imported goods is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions abroad than any other European country, according to a new study published today. London Guardian, United Kingdom. 9 March 2010.
Consumption habits cause rich countries to outsource emissions.
Over a third of the carbon emissions related to the consumption of goods in wealthy nations actually occur in developing countries, according to a new analysis by researchers with the Carnegie Institution. Mongabay. 9 March 2010.
For developing nations, exports boost CO2 emissions.
A new study finds that worldwide, about a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions are the result of imported and exported goods and services. All Things Considered, NPR. 9 March 2010.
Compost and climate change: how they are related.
Amateur gardeners take note: your choice of compost could be contributing to climate change. Why? It's all to do with peat. London Guardian, United Kingdom. Editorial, 9 March 2010.
Closing coal plant a numbers game.
Members of several conservation groups opposed to coal mining have contributed to a report saying the owners of Navajo Generating Station in Page would be best off financially if they closed the coal plant. Flagstaff Arizona Daily Sun, Arizona. 8 March 2010.
High-carbon ice age mystery solved.
How come a big ice age happened when carbon dioxide levels were high? It's a question climate sceptics often ask. But sometimes the right answer is the simplest: it turns out CO2 levels were not that high after all. New Scientist. 8 March 2010.
U.S. and Brazil sign deforestation agreement.
Brazil and the United States have signed an agreement to worth together to reduce deforestation as part of an effort to slow climate change. Mongabay. 8 March 2010.
Wanted: An eco prophet.
People are drifting into a lethal slumber on climate change; more of the same won't wake them up. We need to be taught to believe by a true believer in a world where belief is the fatal, missing ingredient. London Guardian, United Kingdom. Opinion, 8 March 2010.
What would our world be like without coal?
Even though Congress hasn’t followed through on the promise of bringing the hammer down on fossil fuel industries, many feel the Obama administration is marching in that direction, prompting the question: What would the world be like without coal? Beckley Register-Herald, West Virginia. Opinion, 8 March 2010.
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