News: Archive for November, 2012
‘DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Anticipating an onslaught of criticism from poor nations, the United States claimed “enormous” strides in reducing greenhouse emissions at the opening of U.N. climate talks Monday, despite failing to join other industrialized nations in committing to binding cuts.’
via US defends ‘enormous’ climate efforts at UN talks – Yahoo! News.
‘DOHA, Qatar (AP) — As nearly 200 countries meet in oil-and-gas-rich Qatar for annual talks starting Monday on slowing global warming, one of the main challenges will be raising climate aid for poor countries at a time when budgets are strained by financial turmoil.’
via 2012 UN Climate Talks In Doha, Qatar Face Multiple Challenges.
‘November 26, San Francisco – Climate One at The Commonwealth Club announced today that NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen will be awarded the second annual Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication. The $10,000 award is given to a natural or social scientist who has made extraordinary scientific contributions and communicated that knowledge to a broad public in a clear and compelling fashion. The award was established this year in honor of Stephen Henry Schneider, one of the founding fathers of climatology who died suddenly in 2010.’
The award will be presented at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on Dec. 4th.
Report by James George
‘DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — This year’s drought is consistent with predictions that global climate change would bring about weather extremes including more frequent droughts, said a report released Monday.’
via Iowa scientists: Drought a sign of climate change – Yahoo! News.
‘Laying the blame for the deaths of 11 oil rig workers in the Deepwater Horizon explosion and Gulf of Mexico spill on BP, federal prosecutors announced Thursday that two BP supervisors had been charged with manslaughter and the company would pay a $4-billion criminal fine, the largest in U.S. history.’
via BP to pay $4-billion criminal fine in Deepwater Horizon spill – latimes.com.
‘SACRAMENTO — California environmental officials moved ahead with a first-ever auction of greenhouse gas pollution credits despite a last-minute lawsuit filed by the state Chamber of Commerce to invalidate the sale.’
via California holds cap-and-trade auction of greenhouse gas credits – latimes.com.
Obama reaffirmed his concerns over climate change in his first post re-election press conference today, stating that he plans to address it after engaging in wide ranging conversations toward finding possible solutions, while adding the caveat that any solutions must be consistent with economic recovery.
“…I am a firm believer that climate change is real, that it is impacted by human behavior and carbon emissions. And as a consequence, I think we’ve got an obligation to future generations to do something about it.”
“If … we can shape an agenda that says we can create jobs, advance growth and make a serious dent in climate change and be an international leader, I think that’s something that the American people would support.”
Report by James George
‘BRUSSELS — The European Union’s climate commissioner demanded Wednesday that E.U. member states reach agreement before the end of the year on a stop-gap measure to tackle the virtual collapse of the bloc’s main instrument for cutting carbon emissions.’
via European Official Presses for Action on Carbon Program – NYTimes.com.
‘Evidence of abundant rainfall early in the Maya civilization and drought later could explain its fate, scientists suggest.’
via Climate change may explain Maya rise and fall, study says – latimes.com.
‘Writing in the journal PLoS One on Wednesday, research botanist Aaron Davis of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London and colleagues reported that climate warming could drive wild varieties of Coffea arabica to extinction by 2080.’