How Meat Contributes to Global Warming

ENN, January 28, 2009

KEY CONCEPTS

Pound for pound, beef production generates greenhouse gases that contribute more than 13 times as much to global warming as do the gases emitted from producing chicken. For potatoes, the multiplier is 57.

Beef consumption is rising rapidly, both as population increases and as people eat more meat.

Producing the annual beef diet of the average American emits as much greenhouse gas as a car driven more than 1,800 miles. Read more...

The Carbon Marketing Wars Have Begun

ENN, January 27, 2009

Their logos and packaging are near clones—Lay's potato chips in the United States and Walkers crisps in the United Kingdom. The story behind the similarity is that both brands are owned by PepsiCo. But a subtle difference sets them apart. Each bag of Walkers crisps carries a label stating that 75.0 grams of carbon were emitted to produce a 34.5 gram bag of chips.
In 2007, Walkers became the first major food brand to display a carbon label on its packaging. The label was the result of collaboration between PepsiCo and Carbon Trust, a British-government-funded nonprofit that works with businesses and the public to transition to a low-carbon economy. Read more...

Mayor Newsom launches Green Rental Car incentive program

ENN, January 22, 2009

The office of the San Francisco Mayor issued the following news release:
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is launching the nation's first Green Rental Car program that rewards customers for renting "green" alternative-fueled vehicles and rental car companies for increasing rentals of high mileage and alternative-fuel vehicles. The innovative incentive program is expected to eliminate more than 4,000 tons of CO2 emissions each year. Read more...

Emperor penguins face extinction

BBC News, January 26, 2008

Emperor penguins, whose long treks across Antarctic ice to mate have been immortalised by Hollywood, are heading towards extinction, scientists say. Based on predictions of sea ice extent from climate change models, the penguins are likely to see their numbers plummet by 95% by 2100.
That corresponds to a decline to just 600 breeding pairs in the world.
The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read more...

EU wants "zero-waste, zero-emission" goal for ships

ENN, January 21, 2009

ENDS Europe Daily, 21 January 2009 - The European commission has issued a plan to increase the competitiveness of the EU maritime sector and improve its environmental performance by 2018. The plan is also intended to meet objectives in other sectors such as energy and road transport.
The commission calls for an ambitious long-term "zero-waste, zero-emission" goal for the maritime sector. It reaffirmed its intention to table draft legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions from ships if world governments failed to agree global reductions this year. Read more...

Μιλάμε για πράσινη ενέργεια ή... πράσινα άλογα

Ελευθεροτυπία, 11 Ιανουαρίου 2009

Τη στιγμή που στην Αμερική και στην Ευρώπη οι κυβερνήσεις προσανατολίζονται σε μαζικές επενδύσεις σε μακροχρονίως βιώσιμες και φιλικές προς το περιβάλλον μορφές ενέργειας, η Ελλάδα συνεχίζει να βασίζει τον ενεργειακό σχεδιασμό και μάλιστα της ηλεκτροπαραγωγής της των επόμενων 40 ετών στα ορυκτά καύσιμα. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

EU environment agency outlines challenges for 2009

ENN, January 15, 2009

Tackling climate change and its consequences, reforming the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, improving air quality and reducing the environmental impact of biofuels will top the bloc's environmental policy debates in the coming year, according to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
The agency's 'snapshot' of key environmental policy debates in 2009 singles out "global diplomacy and the search for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol" as the main topic to be discussed, followed by adapting to climate change and water-management issues. Read more...

Light pollution forms 'eco-traps'

BBC News, January 16, 2009

An international team of researchers has found another form of light pollution that could have an adverse effect on wildlife.
The scientists showed that as well as direct light sources, polarised light also triggered potentially dangerous changes in many species' behaviour. They added that road surfaces and glass buildings were among the main sources of this form of light pollution. Read more...

Βλάπτουν το περιβάλλον οι τηλεοράσεις plasma

TA NEA, 13 Ιανουαρίου 2009

Για τους Βρετανούς είναι «τα 4Χ4 του σαλονιού»: όπως τα τζιπ μεγάλου κυβισμού, έτσι και οι τεράστιες τηλεοράσεις plasma βαρύνονται ιδιαίτερα για τη μόλυνση του περιβάλλοντος. Γι΄ αυτόν τον λόγο, η κυβέρνηση Μπράουν στη Βρετανία σκοπεύει να απαγορεύσει τη διάθεσή τους στην αγορά. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Μπόνους για ανακύκλωση

Ελευθεροτυπία, 13 Ιανουαρίου 2009

Νέο σύστημα ανακύκλωσης, που θα παρέχει ένα είδος «επιβράβευσης» του πολίτη, θεσπίζεται με απόφαση που υπέγραψε χθες ο υπουργός ΠΕΧΩΔΕ. Θα είναι συμπληρωματικό με τους μπλε κάδους, που θα συνεχίσουν να λειτουργούν, ενώ προβλέπεται η ενίσχυση των δήμων ώστε να μην καταλήγει το περιεχόμενό τους στα... απορριμματοφόρα, όπως ισχύει σήμερα σε σημαντικό ποσοστό. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Once reducers of CO2, Canada's trees now contribute to global warming

ENN, January 8, 2009

In an alarming, yet little noticed series of recent studies, scientists have determined that Canada's 1.2 million square miles of forests have become so stressed from damage caused by global warming, insect infestations and persistent fires that they have crossed an ominous line and now pump out more carbon dioxide than they take in. Read more...

Motorola Introduces Phone Made From Recycled Water Bottles

ENN, January 7, 2009

Las Vegas, NV (AHN) - Motorola Inc. introduced a cell phone made from recycled plastic water bottles.
The MOTO W233 Renew's plastic housing is not only made of recycled material, but the company said the device is the first "carbon neutral" phone. Read more...

Environmental Coalition Reaches Agreement with Navy on Mid-Frequency Sonar Lawsuit

NRDC, December 28, 2008

After years of litigation with the U.S. Navy over its refusal to prepare environmental impact statements (EIS) for sonar training exercises, a settlement announced Saturday commits the Navy to complete a schedule of full environmental reviews on major training exercises around the world, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The settlement also requires disclosure of previously classified information regarding the Navy's sonar use and commits the Navy to fund nearly $15 million in new marine mammal research designated by NRDC and co-plaintiffs. Read more...

Thousands protest against Indian tiger reserve

ENN, December 30, 2008

CHENNAI, India (Reuters) - More than 15,000 people in southern India protested against the extension of a new tiger reserve Tuesday, despite official assurances that they will not lose their homes to the sanctuary.
Representatives from all parties in Tamil Nadu state, including the state's ruling party, took part in what is the third such protest since November against the extension of the Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary, police said. Read more...

EU admits failure to protect biodiversity

ENN, January 02, 2009

The EU is "highly unlikely" to meet its objective of putting a stop to biodiversity loss by 2010, the European Commission admits.
For the bloc to even come close to achieving the target, "intensive efforts" will have to be made by both the Commission and individual member states, according to the mid-term assessment of progress on implementing the Biodiversity Action Plan to halt biodiversity loss in the EU. Read more...

'Huge year for natural disasters'

BBC News, December 29, 2008

The past year has been one of the most devastating ever in terms of natural disasters, one of the world's biggest re-insurance companies has said.
Munich Re said the impact of the disasters was greater than in 2007 in both human and economic terms. The company suggested climate change was boosting the destructive power of disasters like hurricanes and flooding. Read more...

AutoΝΕΑ, 31 Δεκεμβρίου, 2008

Οι μπαταρίες νέας τεχνολογίας ανοίγουν τον δρόμο στα ηλεκ τρικά αυτοκίνητα. Οι μεγάλοι αυτοκινητοκατασκευαστές έλαβαν το μήνυμα και ετοιμάζονται να λανσάρουν μία σειρά τέτοιων μοντέλων στο άμεσο μέλλον. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Διαβάστε ακόμη: Προστέθηκε 'πράσινη' ενότητα στα μαθήματα νέων οδηγών