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News: ‘General’ Archive

Professor Dan Kammen speaking about Obama climate and energy policy

Friday, April 24th, 2009

UC Berkeley Professor Dan Kammen, coordinating lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and an advisor to Obama during the 2008 campaign, describes recent changes in Climate Change policy since Obama has been in office. In particular Kammen focuses on policy reversals announced by EPA’s Lisa P. Jackson which allow California to set higher air quality standards than national, and the pivotal decision to consider CO2 as a harmful greenhouse gas.

Dan Kammen speaking at UC Berkeley on Obama’s climate change approach

Global warming could take bite out of Midwest corn, report says – chicagotribune.com

Friday, April 10th, 2009

‘The Environment America study, based on government and university data, projects rising temperatures will reduce yields of the nation’s biggest crop by 3 percent in the Midwest and the South, compared to projected yields without further global warming.

…The nation overall would lose about $1.4 billion in annual corn revenue, the group said.’

via Global warming could take bite out of Midwest corn, report says — chicagotribune.com.

EPA Continues To Block Harmful Mining Projects

Friday, April 10th, 2009

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is objecting to three more Appalachian surface mining permits, saying the operations would cause unacceptable damage.

via EPA Continues To Block Harmful Mining Projects.

China Vies to Be Leader in Electric Vehicles – NYTimes.com

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

TIANJIN, China — Chinese leaders have adopted a plan aimed at turning the country into one of the leading producers of hybrid and all-electric vehicles within three years, and making it the world leader in electric cars and buses after that.

via China Vies to Be Leader in Electric Vehicles – NYTimes.com.

Nuclear Reactor’s Life Is Prolonged in New Jersey – NYTimes.com

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

‘WASHINGTON — The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted Wednesday to allow the Oyster Creek nuclear reactor in South Jersey to operate for another 20 years, rejecting claims made by opponents about risk.

…Since 2000, the commission has allowed extensions of initial 40-year licenses for 51 other reactors in the country. ‘

via Nuclear Reactor’s Life Is Prolonged in New Jersey – NYTimes.com.

Kathy Freston: The Breathtaking Effects Of Cutting Back On Meat

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Consume these vegetarian statistics with a grain of salt:

‘If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would save:
● 100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months;
● 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year;
● 70 million gallons of gas–enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare;
● 3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware;
● 33 tons of antibiotics.

If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would prevent:
● Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 million tons of CO2, as much as produced by all of France;
● 3 million tons of soil erosion and $70 million in resulting economic damages;
● 4.5 million tons of animal excrement;
● Almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant.’

via Kathy Freston: The Breathtaking Effects Of Cutting Back On Meat.

$3.2B Available in Block Grants for Local Energy Efficiency Upgrades | GreenBiz.com

Monday, March 30th, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Further energy efficiency project funds from the U.S. government’s stimulus package were released this week by the Obama administration in the form of $3.2 billion in block grants for cities, counties, states, territories and Native American tribes.

via $3.2B Available in Block Grants for Local Energy Efficiency Upgrades | GreenBiz.com.

Obama Signs Wilderness Bill

Monday, March 30th, 2009

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama signed legislation Monday setting aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness.

via Obama Signs Wilderness Bill.

Nuclear Power Timeline: Meltdowns And Build-Ups

Friday, March 27th, 2009

‘_ 1955: A U.S. government reactor makes Arco, Idaho, the world’s first town electrified by nuclear power.

_ 1957: The U.S.’ first commercial nuclear power plant becomes operational in Shippingport, Pa. (Nuclear reactors were already in service in the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom). It was retired in 1982.

_ March 29, 1979: Three Mile Island Unit 2 in Middletown, Pa., melts down. No one was killed or seriously injured that day, but the public relations disaster sets back the industry for decades.

_ April 26, 1986: Chernobyl nuclear power plant explodes in Soviet Ukraine, killing thousands. A radioactive cloud floats over much of Europe and large areas of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus are contaminated.’

etc.

via Nuclear Power Timeline: Meltdowns And Build-Ups.

China launches vast water clean-up – SciDev.Net

Friday, March 27th, 2009

‘[BEIJING] A project to improve water quality in China has been launched by the government, which says it is the largest expenditure on environmental protection since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949.

The project, which has an estimated budget of more than 30 billion Chinese yuan (around 4.4 billion US dollars) over 12 years, aims to counter the deteriorating water quality affecting millions of Chinese people and their livelihoods.’

via China launches vast water clean-up – SciDev.Net.