‘LANZHOU, June 24 (Xinhua) — A total of 20 trainees from 12 countries are attending a workshop on the use of solar energy in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China’s Gansu Province.’
News Roundup
China trains int’l technicians on use of solar energy
June 24th, 2010A Winsome Climate Panel Presents Its New Cast – Green Blog – NYTimes.com
June 24th, 2010‘Embarking on a bit of a charm offensive, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just released the names of more than 800 scientists selected to take part in writing its fifth assessment report on climate change, due out in 2014. The panel is charged with releasing periodic reports summarizing the state of knowledge about climate change as a guide to policy makers.’
via A Winsome Climate Panel Presents Its New Cast – Green Blog – NYTimes.com.
Would a Push to Curb Carbon Really Reduce U.S. Dependence on Oil? – NYTimes.com
June 23rd, 2010‘President Obama and congressional Democrats cite the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster as a powerful reason to pass climate legislation, but economists see a flaw with the link: Leading Senate measures would do little to curb petroleum use.’
via Would a Push to Curb Carbon Really Reduce U.S. Dependence on Oil? – NYTimes.com.
More wins needed in climate talks: World Bank | Reuters
June 22nd, 2010‘Reuters – World climate talks set for November in Mexico could make progress on how poorer states cope with global warming, but more wins are needed at the table to produce a big breakthrough at the long-running talks, a senior World Bank official said.’
via More wins needed in climate talks: World Bank | Reuters.
Organic Agriculture: A Solution to Global Warming? – NYTimes.com
June 20th, 2010‘In 2008, the Rodale Institute—an organization dedicated to the promotion of organic agriculture—published a widely noted report entitled “Regenerative Organic Farming: A Solution to Global Warming.” The takeaway was that organic agriculture, due to its reliance on biological rather than chemical methods, could substantially reduce carbon emissions generated by the agricultural sector. Rodale predicted that if the world’s 3.5 billion acres of arable land were placed under organic production, 40 percent of global carbon emissions would be immediately sequestered.’
via Organic Agriculture: A Solution to Global Warming? – Freakonomics Blog – NYTimes.com.
Video: Jeremy Jackson: How we wrecked the ocean
June 19th, 2010Troubling talk by Jeremy Jackson, coral reef ecologist about the widespread trouble in the oceans.
Concluding excerpt:
“So the question is, how are we all going to respond to this? We can do all sorts of things to fix it, but in the final analysis the thing we really need to fix is ourselves. It’s not about the fish, it’s not about the pollution, it’s not about the climate change. It’s about us and our greed, and our need for growth, and our inability to image a world which is different from the selfish world we live in today.”
“So the question is will we respond to this or not? I would say that the future of life and the dignity of human beings depends on our doing that.”
Sierra Club to fight Southern Co coal project | Reuters
June 19th, 2010‘Reuters – The Sierra Club has appealed a state utility commission vote that allows a Southern Co utility to build an expensive advanced coal-fired plant.’
via Sierra Club to fight Southern Co coal project | Reuters.
Energy-starved Pakistan seeks wind investors | Reuters
June 18th, 2010‘(Reuters) – Pakistan this year expects to finalize four wind power deals worth $500 million to exploit a renewable resource that has been barely tapped in a country with a yawning gap between power capacity and demand.’
Nigeria’s agony dwarfs the Gulf oil spill. The US and Europe ignore it | Environment | The Observer
June 18th, 2010‘The Deepwater Horizon disaster caused headlines around the world, yet the people who live in the Niger delta have had to live with environmental catastrophes for decades’
via Nigeria’s agony dwarfs the Gulf oil spill. The US and Europe ignore it | Environment | The Observer.
BP agrees to $20 billion fund for spill claims | Reuters
June 16th, 2010‘Louisiana Reuters – British energy giant BP Plc agreed on Wednesday to President Barack Obama’s demand to place about $20 billion in a special fund to pay damage claims from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.’
via BP agrees to $20 billion fund for spill claims | Reuters.