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The Case Against Biofuels: Probing Ethanol’s Hidden Costs: Yale Environment 360

Friday, March 12th, 2010

‘In light of the strong evidence that growing corn, soybeans, and other food crops to produce ethanol takes a heavy toll on the environment and is hurting the world’s poor through higher food prices, consider this astonishing fact: This year, more than a third of the U.S.’s record corn harvest of 335 million metric tons will be used to produce corn ethanol. What’s more, within five years fully 50 percent of the U.S. corn crop is expected to wind up as biofuels.’

via The Case Against Biofuels: Probing Ethanol’s Hidden Costs by C. Ford Runge: Yale Environment 360.

WHO/Europe – European governments adopt comprehensive plan to reduce environmental risks to health by 2020

Friday, March 12th, 2010

‘Governments from northern, western, central, southern and eastern Europe signed a declaration today pledging to reduce the adverse health impact of environmental threats in the next decade. The text was endorsed by 53 Member States attending the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in Parma, Italy on 10-12 March 2010.’

via WHO/Europe – European governments adopt comprehensive plan to reduce environmental risks to health by 2020.

Political ads: new weapon in U.S. climate change war? | Reuters

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

‘Big business is now free to blitz the airwaves to attack politicians who support action against climate change, which could smother messages from environmentalists.’

via Political ads: new weapon in U.S. climate change war? | Reuters.

U.S. cap and trade rebranded pollution reduction | Reuters

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

‘ Reuters – Like a savvy Madison Avenue advertising team, senators pushing climate-control legislation have decided to scrap the name “cap and trade” and rebrand their product as “pollution reduction targets.”‘

via U.S. cap and trade rebranded pollution reduction | Reuters.

Obama pushes climate change in White House meeting | Reuters

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

‘(Reuters) – President Barack Obama, weighing in on the Senate’s efforts to pass a climate change bill, gathered Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday to try to jumpstart an overhaul of U.S. energy policy.’

via Obama pushes climate change in White House meeting | Reuters.

China and India to Join Copenhagen Climate Change Accord – NYTimes.com

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

‘WASHINGTON — China and India formally agreed Tuesday to join the international climate change agreement reached in December in Copenhagen, the last two major economies to sign up.’

via China and India to Join Copenhagen Climate Change Accord – NYTimes.com.

Scientists Taking Steps to Defend Work on Climate – NYTimes.com

Monday, March 8th, 2010

‘WASHINGTON — For months, climate scientists have taken a vicious beating in the media and on the Internet, accused of hiding data, covering up errors and suppressing alternate views. Their response until now has been largely to assert the legitimacy of the vast body of climate science and to mock their critics as cranks and know-nothings.’

via Scientists Taking Steps to Defend Work on Climate – NYTimes.com.

Global climate battle plays out in World Bank | Reuters

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

‘(Reuters) – The United States and Britain are threatening to withhold support for a $3.75 billion World Bank loan for a coal-fired plant in South Africa, expanding the battleground in the global debate over who should pay for clean energy.’

via Global climate battle plays out in World Bank | Reuters.

Growing low-oxygen zones in oceans worry scientists | McClatchy

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

‘WASHINGTON — Lower levels of oxygen in the Earth’s oceans, particularly off the United States’ Pacific Northwest coast, could be another sign of fundamental changes linked to global climate change, scientists say.’

via Growing low-oxygen zones in oceans worry scientists | McClatchy.

U.S. needs fresh look at nuclear waste issue: Chu | Reuters

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

‘Reuters – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said on Friday that the United States needs to come up with a better system for storing or disposing of radioactive nuclear waste than a planned repository near Las Vegas.’

via U.S. needs fresh look at nuclear waste issue: Chu | Reuters.