Vote for Russia's 'Miss Atom' 2009

Wired, February 12, 2009

Meet Alyona Kirsanova of Novovoronezh, one of the contestants in Russia's "Miss Atom" 2009. She is 22, works for Novovoronezhatomenergoremont, and loves "enjoying life". Alyona is a first-time contestant in "Miss Atom," an annual beauty contest open to (female) employees of Russia's nuclear industry. Read more...

World heading for 'water bankruptcy'

EurActiv, February 5, 2009

Sustained economic growth, human security and political stability over the next two decades depend on how water is managed, warns the World Economic Forum in a report urging governments and businesses to address consistent under-charging, waste and overuse of water.
Discussed last week at the forum's annual meeting in Davos, the report on managing future water needs argues that "we are now on the verge of water bankruptcy in many places, with no way of paying the debt back". Read more...

EU gives shark protection teeth

BBC News, February 5, 2009

The European Commission has unveiled measures aimed at protecting sharks, many of which are in sharp decline.
The proposals would close loopholes in current shark finning regulations, cut catches of endangered species and set quotas according to scientific advice. About half of ocean-going shark species are threatened with extinction. Read more...

Landmark Global Warming Lawsuit Settled

ENN, February 10, 2008

A federal lawsuit that sought to force two U.S. agencies to address the global warming implications of their overseas financing activities was settled Friday after more than six years. The suit established important legal precedents related to global warming.
The plaintiffs, including Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the city of Boulder, filed the suit in 2002 alleging that Export-Import Bank of the United States and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation illegally provided more than $32 billion in financing and insurance to fossil fuel projects over 10 years without assessing whether the projects contributed to global warming or impacted the U.S. environment, as they were required to do under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Read more...

U.S. becomes top wind producer, solar next

ENN, February 3, 2009

The United States overtook Germany as the biggest producer of wind power last year, new figures showed, and will likely take the lead in solar power this year, analysts said on Monday.
Even before an expected "Obama bounce" from a new President who has vowed to boost clean energy, U.S. wind power capacity surged 50 percent last year to 25 gigwatts (GW) -- enough to power more than five million homes. Read more...