News Roundup
‘Working climate scientists are almost unanimous in their view that the earth is slowly warming up and that human activity, particularly the combustion of fossil fuels, is the primary cause. But beneath that surface unanimity, predictions vary about how much the planet will warm in the future because of rising greenhouse gases.’
via Why Climate Stumps Even the Brightest Scientists – Green Blog – NYTimes.com.
‘Russia Reuters – Russia on Wednesday took a big step toward the controversial creation of the world’s first floating nuclear power station, putting a barge that will house the plant into the water.’
via Russia floats barge for waterborne nuclear plant | Reuters.
‘For some, the most worrisome thing about geoengineering is the idea that, once people know about it, they will think of it as a technological quick fix that makes it unnecessary to control emissions of greenhouse gases, an effort everyone takes pains to point out is by far the most important step to be taken now.’
via Books on Science – When the Day After Tomorrow Has Come – NYTimes.com.
‘Meat producers should use certain antibiotics only to assure animal health and stop using the drugs to increase production and promote growth, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday.’
‘ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Polar bear policy in America can be summed up succinctly: The iconic bears are threatened with extinction, and so far nothing much is being done.’
‘Reuters – The United States would send a positive signal by passing domestic legislation to fight global warming ahead of U.N. climate talks in November, the EU’s climate chief said on Monday.’
‘…Yes, organic methods sequester more carbon dioxide than conventional ones. But the ultimate culprit behind agriculture-driven climate change isn’t carbon dioxide. Instead, it’s methane and nitrous oxide—two gasses conspicuously absent from the Rodale study. Agricultural production in the U.S. accounts for only 7 percent of overall carbon dioxide emissions. By contrast, it accounts for 19-25 percent of methane emissions and 70-75 percent of nitrous oxide emissions. Methane, according to the EPA, is 23 times more potent a GHG than carbon dioxide. Nitrous oxide is 310 times as potent.’
via Organic Agriculture: A Solution to Global Warming? – Freakonomics Blog – NYTimes.com.
‘Alberta Reuters – A judge found Syncrude Canada Ltd, Canada’s largest oil sands producer, guilty on Friday in the deaths of 1,600 ducks that landed on a toxic Northern Alberta tailings pond in 2008, ruling the company should have had deterrents in place.’
via Syncrude guilty in 1,600 duck deaths in toxic pond | Reuters.
‘…The results are pretty conclusive. The new research supports the idea that the vast majority of the world’s active climate scientists accept the evidence for global warming as well as the case that human activities are the principal cause of it.’
via Study Affirms Consensus on Climate Change – Green Blog – NYTimes.com.
‘Reuters – Europe’s carmakers moved a step closer creating an infrastructure for electric cars after agreeing on plug and socket standards for slow or overnight charging of the battery-driven vehicles due to hit roads from next year.’
via Europe moves closer to electric car infrastructure | Reuters.