Wind turbines wrong colour for wildlife

BBC News, October 15, 2010


A study has revealed that a wind turbine's colour affects how many insects it attracts, shedding more light on why the turbines occasionally kill bats and birds. Scientists say that turbines, most commonly painted white or grey, draw in insects. These then lure bats and birds - as they pursue their prey - into the path of the turbine blades.Support for the idea comes from another study showing that bats are most often killed by turbines at night and in summer, when insects are most abundant.Read more...

Ο εφιάλτης νέας διαρροής

Καθημερινή, 17 Οκτωβρίου 2010

Τα καλά νέα είναι ότι έπειτα από μέρες έκτακτης εργασίας, τα τοιχώματα της δεξαμενής του εργοστασίου της δυτικής Ουγγαρίας από το οποίο διέρρευσε ένα εκατομμύριο κυβικά μέτρα τοξικής λάσπης, στέκονται ακόμη όρθια. Τα κακά νέα είναι ότι η κυβέρνηση πιστεύει πως η δεξαμενή έχει καταστραφεί τόσο, που μια νέα ολέθρια διαρροή είναι πιθανόν να συμβεί ανά πάσα στιγμή. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Water map shows billions at risk of 'water insecurity'

BBC News, September 29, 2010

About 80% of the world's population lives in areas where the fresh water supply is not secure, according to a new global analysis. Researchers compiled a composite index of "water threats" that includes issues such as scarcity and pollution. The most severe threat category encompasses 3.4 billion people. Writing in the journal Nature, they say that in western countries, conserving water for people through reservoirs and dams works for people, but not nature. Read more...

Innovation of the Week: Using Dirt to Make Water Clean

Worldwatch Institute, September 23, 2010


In 2004 Peter Njodzeka founded the Life and Water Development Group Cameroon (LWDGC) with a rather simple goal. “ I wanted to see the people in my area have clean water,” he said. “And we kept expanding. That’s how it started.”. While Peter was growing up in Nkuv, the small village in Cameroon where he was born, no one had clean water.  The water available for drinking was also used by livestock and wildlife, as well as for the whole village’s washing. Every year at least one child would die from illness caused by the dirty water and most households reported having at least one sick family member in the past six months at any given time.Read more...

NYC Reveals ‘Green’ Infrastructure Plans

Environmental Leader, October 01, 2010

New York City wants to curb water runoff that sends sewage into city waterways through the use of “blue” roofs that have a series of drainage pools and “green” or grass- or ivy-covered roofs, reports Reuters.
The new plan, called “NYC Green Infrastructure” (PDF), would replace the existing approach for sewer overflow control with a mix of green and traditional infrastructure measures that are expected to reduce sewer overflows into waterways, reports Sustainable Business. Read more...

One in five plant species face extinction

The Guardian, September 29, 2010

One in five of the world's plant species – the basis of all life on earth – are at risk of extinction, according to a landmark study published today.
At first glance, the 20% figure looks far better than the previous official estimate of almost three-quarters, but the announcement is being greeted with deep concern. The previous estimate that 70% of plants were either critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable was based on what scientists universally acknowledged were studies heavily biased towards species already thought to be under threat. Read more...

Largest offshore wind farm opens off Thanet in Kent

BBC News, September 23, 2010


The world's biggest offshore wind farm off Kent has been officially opened. Swedish energy giant Vattenfall said the 100 turbines are expected to generate enough electricity to power 200,000 homes. Energy Secretary Chris Huhne is visiting the project, which has been built seven miles (12km) off Foreness Point in Thanet. Construction work at the £780m [1 bn euros] wind farm began two years ago and was completed in June. Read more...

'Lost' frogs found after decades

BBC News, September 22, 2010


A mission aimed at rediscovering amphibian species thought to be extinct has yielded its first results. Conservationists have turned up live specimens of two West African frogs and a cave-dwelling salamander from Mexico. The salamander was last seen in 1941, and was rediscovered by abseiling into caves deep in the forest. The expeditions are partially designed to bring attention to the plight of amphibians around the world, with a third of species at risk of extinction. Read more...

Who's On Board With The Copenhagen Accord?

USCAN


January 31, 2010 marked the deadline for parties to the Copenhagen Accord to submit their respective plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While the UNFCCC Secretariat has signaled this is not a hard deadline, the inclusion of this date, and countries' reaction to it, will provide an indication of whether the Copenhagen Accord can lead to a fair, ambitious and binding agreement to solve the climate crisis. USCAN is tracking media reports and UNFCCC submissions on how countries are engaging with the accord and associated emissions reduction commitments. Read more...

How Peru's wells are being sucked dry by British love of asparagus

The Guardian, September 12, 2010

Asparagus grown in Peru and sold in the UK is commonly held up as a symbol of unacceptable food miles, but a report has raised an even more urgent problem: its water footprint. The study, by the development charity Progressio, has found that industrial production of asparagus in Peru's Ica valley is depleting the area's water resources so fast that smaller farmers and local families are finding wells running dry. Water to the main city in the valley is also under threat, it says. It warns that the export of the luxury vegetable, much of it to British supermarkets, is unsustainable in its current form. Read more...

Freshwater turtles face 'bleak future'

BBC News, September 10, 2010

Freshwater turtles are in catastrophic decline, according to a new analysis by Conservation International (CI).

The group says more than a third of the estimated 280 species around the world are now threatened with extinction. The unsustainable collection of turtles for food and to supply a lucrative pet trade are the key drivers behind the fall in numbers. Habitat loss as a result of river-damming for hydro-electricity is another major concern. Read more...

Methane Reduction from Cattle

ENN, September 09, 2010

Methane is a significant green house gas that can lead to global warming. It is also commonly produced by many animals including humans and cattle. Cow belches, a major source of greenhouse gases, could be decreased by an unusual feed supplement developed by a Penn State dairy scientist. Read more...

Landfill could be greener than recycling when it comes to plastic bottles

The Ecologist, September 08, 2010

For regions with adequate space and little recycling infrastructure, disposing of bottles in landfill generates a lower carbon footprint than recycling or incineration. The ubiquitous PET bottle, used around the world to package drinks, may best be buried after use rather than burnt or reconverted into a second-life product. Read more...

NYC sky-scrapers dim lights to help migratory birds

BBC News, September 02, 2010

A growing number of New York sky-scrapers are switching off their lights to help reduce the number of birds hitting the high-rise buildings.The "lights out" project - organised by NYC Audubon - runs until 1 November, when migratory birds are expected to have completed their autumn migrations. The Empire State and Chrysler buildings are among those dimming their lights.An estimated 90,000 birds each year are killed in the city as a result of striking glass-fronted buildings. Read more...

Αποσύρεται ο λαμπτήρας πυράκτωσης των 75 watt

ΤΑ ΝΕΑ, 01 Σεπτεμβρίου 2010

Από σήμερα αποσύρεται ο πλέον συνήθης στη χρήση λαμπτήρας πυράκτωσης των 75 watt, η παραγωγή και οι εισαγωγές του οποίου στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση παύουν, με τα καταστήματα να καλούνται πλέον να διαθέσουν τα αποθέματά τους.  Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Greenland's prime minister lambasts Greenpeace for raiding Arctic oil rig

The Guardian, August 31, 2010

The prime minister of Greenland has accused Greenpeace of threatening the safety of oil workers and the environment after four activists forced a controversial deep-sea exploration rig in the Arctic to shut down today. Just before dawn, the four campaigners used three high-speed inflatable boats to evade the Danish navy before clambering on to the British-owned rig and slinging mountaineering-type platforms beneath it about 15 metres above the sea. The raid forced the Edinburgh-based oil exploration firm Cairn Energy to suspend drilling, escalating tensions between the Greenlandic government and Greenpeace. Read more...

Εμφύλιος στην Κρήτη για το νερό

ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ, 29 Αυγούστου 2010

Εμφύλιος πόλεμος μαίνεται στη Δυτική Κρήτη για το νερό. Τοπικοί πολιτικοί παράγοντες, υπηρεσιακά στελέχη, κάτοικοι αστικών περιοχών και αγρότες ένα... κουβάρι. Οι αγρότες καταγγέλλουν τους ΤΟΕΒ (Τοπικοί Οργανισμοί Εγγείων Βελτιώσεων) ότι μεροληπτούν υπέρ των ξενοδοχειακών μονάδων, οι οποίες δεν έμειναν το καλοκαίρι ούτε στιγμή χωρίς νερό. Οπως λένε χαρακτηριστικά «στις τουριστικές περιοχές σπαταλιέται το νερό και εμείς δεν έχουμε να ποτίσουμε» . Δεν είναι τυχαίο ότι για πρώτη χρονιά φέτος η Κρήτη κατανάλωνε «εισαγόμενα» λαχανικά (ντομάτες κ.ά.) καθώς πολλές καλλιέργειες καταστράφηκαν εξαιτίας των προβλημάτων στην υδροδότηση. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Απελευθέρωσαν 50.000 ζώα στην Καστοριά

Ελευθεροτυπία, 27 Αυγούστου 2010

Άγνωστοι απελευθέρωσαν 50 χιλιάδες γουνοφόρα ζώα τη νύχτα στην Καστοριά. Τα περισσότερα από αυτά ψόφησαν λόγω ζέστης, σύμφωνα με την Πυροσβεστική Υπηρεσία. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Διαβάστε επίσης: Απελευθέρωσης ζώων συνέχεια. Μετά την Καστοριά σειρά είχε η Κοζάνη (29/8/2010)

Mauritania plants trees to hold back desert

ENN, August 20, 2010

Mauritania has launched a tree-planting program aimed at protecting its capital from the advancing desert and coastal erosion, a project that could eventually extend thousands of kilometers across Africa. The project is part of a broader ant-desertification plan, the "Great Green Wall," launched by the African Union in 2005 to try to create a 15 km-wide wall of greenery stretching 7,000 km between Africa's east and west coasts. Read more...

Φωτοβολταϊκά και σε μικρά οικόπεδα

ΤΑ ΝΕΑ, 27 Αυγούστου 2010

Φωτοβολταϊκά συστήματα ακόμη και σε μικρά εκτός σχεδίου οικόπεδα, μη άρτια και οικοδομήσιμα, θα μπορούν στο εξής να βάζουν οι μικροεπενδυτές, δυνατότητα που μέχρι τώρα δεν είχαν. Στην πράξη αυτό σημαίνει ότι θα μπορεί πλέον να αξιοποιήσει κανείς ένα οικόπεδο τριών- για παράδειγμα- στρεμμάτων που έχει στο χωριό για εγκατάσταση ισχύος 100 κιλοβάτ, κάτι που που λύνει τα χέρια χιλιάδων μικροεπενδυτών ανά την Ελλάδα. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Giant turtle's demise the fault of humans, study says

BBC News, August 16, 2010

Humans helped drive a species of giant turtle to extinction almost 3,000 years ago, according to a study in PNAS.It is one of the first cases that clearly shows that humans played a role in the demise of the giant, extinct animals known as "megafauna". An Australian research team discovered turtle leg bones - but not shells or skulls - on an island of Vanuatu. The bones date to just 200 years after humans' arrival, suggesting they were hunted to extinction for their meat. Read more...

The Right to Water

E-Environment Magazine, August 17, 2010

On Wednesday, August 11, the United Nations General Assembly declared water and clean sanitation a basic human right. Some 122 countries supported the resolution, while the U.S. and Canada, along with 40 other countries, chose to abstain from the vote.

Introduced by Bolivia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Pablo Solon, the resolution is the first step in solving a growing epidemic. Solon says: “At the global level, approximately one out of every eight people do not have drinking water," reports the World Health Organization and of UNICEF in a 2009 document titled "Diarrhea: Why Children Are (Still) Dying and What We Can Do." It continues: "every day 24,000 children die in developing countries due to causes that can be prevented, such as diarrhea, which is caused by contaminated water. This means that a child dies every three-and-a-half seconds.". Read more...

AstraZeneca Tops Climate Counts Scorecard among Four Sectors

Environmental Leader, August 19, 2010

The latest Climate Counts scorecard, an updated evaluation of 47 of the top companies in the pharmaceutical, home and office furnishing, toys and children’s equipment and large appliance sectors, shows that companies continue to improve their climate commitment, but their pace is far slower than what is required to meet the climate challenge, says the nonprofit group. AstraZeneca tops the climate performance scorecard among the four sectors with 79 points out of a possible 100. Read more...

Largest tidal power device unveiled

BBC News, 12 August 2010

A device thought to be the largest tidal turbine of its type to be built in the world has been described by its developer as "simple and robust". Atlantis Resources unveiled its AK-1000 at Invergordon ahead of it being shipped to a European Marine Energy Centre test site off Eday, Orkney. The device stands 22.5m (73ft) tall and weighs 1,300 tonnes. It has two sets of blades on a single unit to harness ebb and flood tides and could generate one megawatt of power - enough electricity for about 1,000 homes. Read more...

'First' newborn beavers spotted in the Argyll Forest

BBC News, August 12, 2010

The first newborn beavers born in the wild since their re-introduction to the UK last year have been spotted by officials in a Scottish forest. At least two kits, estimated to be eight weeks old and belonging to different family groups, have been seen in Knapdale Forest in Argyll. A total of 11 beavers were brought to Scotland from Norway last year as part of the Scottish Beaver Trial. Beavers were hunted to extinction in the UK 400 years ago. Read more...

The Legacy of the Gulf Spill: What to Expect for the Future?

Yale 360, August 09, 2010

The Gulf of Mexico’s capacity to recover from previous environmental assaults — especially the 1979 Ixtoc explosion — provides encouragement about the prospects for its post-Deepwater future. But scientists remain worried about the BP spill's long-term effects on the health of the Gulf and its sea life. Read more...

Myanmar creates world's largest tiger reserve, aiding many endangered Southeast Asian species

ENN, August 06, 2010

Myanmar has announced that Hukaung Valley Tiger Reserve will be nearly tripled in size, making the protected area the largest tiger reserve in the world. Spanning 17,477 square kilometers (6,748 square miles), the newly expanded park is approximately the size of Kuwait and larger than the US state of Connecticut. Read more...

Πορτογαλία η... Πράσινη!

ΤΑ ΝΕΑ, 11 Αυγούστου 2010

Πριν από πέντε χρόνια, οι ηγέτες της Πορτογαλίας αποφάσισαν να µειώσουν την εξάρτηση της χώρας από τα εισαγόµενα ορυκτά καύσιµα θέτοντας σε εφαρµογή µια σειρά από φιλόδοξα προγράµµατα παραγωγής ενέργειας από ανανεώσιµες πηγές κυρίως τιθασεύοντας την αιολική και την υδροηλεκτρική ενέργεια, αλλά και την ενέργεια του ήλιου και των κυµάτων του ωκεανού. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Galapagos Removed From Endangered List

ENN, July 29, 2010

The Galapagos Islands have been removed from the UNESCO list of sites endangered by environmental threats or overuse. The island chain, about 620 miles off Ecuador's coast, is home to unique animal species that inspired Charles Darwin's ideas on evolution. Read more...

Pollution makes quarter of China water unusable

ENN, July 27, 2010

Almost a quarter of China's surface water remains so polluted that it is unfit even for industrial use, while less than half of total supplies are drinkable, data from the environment watchdog showed on Monday. Inspectors from China's Ministry of Environmental Protection tested water samples from the country's major rivers and lakes in the first half of the year and declared just 49.3 percent to be safe for drinking, up from 48 percent last year, the ministry said in a notice posted on its website (www.mep.gov.cn). Read more...

In.gr, 30 Ιουνίου 2010

Για πρώτη φορά τα φωτοβολταϊκά στοιχεία για την παραγωγή ενέργειας από τον Ήλιο είναι πιο φτηνά από την πυρηνική ενέργεια ή την ενέργεια από ορυκτά καύσιμα, αναφέρουν επιστήμονες του Πανεπιστημίου του Ντιουκ στις ΗΠΑ που συνέταξαν τη σχετική έκθεση. Το κόστος έχει φτάσει πλέον στα 0,16 δολάρια την κιλοβατώρα για την πολιτεία της Βόρειας Καρολίνας όπου επικεντρώθηκε η έρευνα. Πρόκειται για μία ιστορική καμπή, αναφέρουν οι συντάκτες της έρευνας στους New York Times. Διαβάστε περισσότερα....

Απαγόρευσαν τις ταυρομαχίες στην Καταλονία

TA NEA, 28 Ιουνίου 2010

Την απαγόρευση των ταυρομαχιών διά νόμου αποφάσισε σήμερα η Καταλονία, η οποία κατέστη η πρώτη περιοχή της Ισπανίας που βάζει τέλος στο παραδοσιακό αγώνισμα της χώρας. Με νόμο που ψηφίστηκε σήμερα στο κοινοβούλιο της Καταλονίας, αποφασίστηκε ότι σε 17 μήνες από σήμερα δεν θα επιτρέπεται η διεξαγωγή ταυρομαχιών εντός των διοικητικών ορίων της Καταλονίας. Σύμφωνα με εκτιμήσεις, η απόφαση αυτή αποτελεί την αρχή του τέλους για τις ταυρομαχίες σε πολλές περιοχές της Ισπανίας. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Chimps, Too, Wage War and Annex Rival Territory

The New York Times, June 21, 2010

Every day, John Mitani or a colleague is up at sunrise to check on the action among the chimpanzees at Ngogo, in Uganda’s Kibale National Park. Most days the male chimps behave a lot like frat boys, making a lot of noise or beating each other up. But once every 10 to 14 days, they do something more adult and cooperative: they wage war. Read more...

Canon Stumbles in Green Product Campaign in Asia

Triple Pundit, July 15, 2010

Greenwashing apparently knows no boundaries, either geographically or by industry. The electronics manufacturer Canon has launched an ambitious green marketing program in Asia, which is smart marketing because consumers in the Pacific Rim region are becoming more aware of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. Or perhaps Canon’s marketing department realizes that such a program would receive a heavy dose of scrutiny in the Euro Zone or North America. Read more...

Δηλητηριασμένα δολώματα έχουν αφανίσει ολόκληρα είδη ζώων

ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ, 20 Ιουλίου 2010

Τεράστιες καταστροφές στην ελληνική πανίδα έχει προκαλέσει η εκτεταμένη χρήση δηλητηριασμένων δολωμάτων. Αν και έχουν απαγορευτεί από το 1993, χιλιάδες κάτοικοι, κυρίως της υπαίθρου, εξακολουθούν να τα χρησιμοποιούν για να αντιμετωπίσουν είδη πουλιών και ζώων που τα θεωρούν ενοχλητικά, όπως έδειξαν έρευνες που πραγματοποίησαν το τελευταίο διάστημα περιβαλλοντικές οργανώσεις της χώρας. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

Ten Nations at 'Extreme Risk' Because of Water Shortages, Report Says

ENN, July 12, 2010

Ten countries worldwide, including five African nations, are at "extreme risk" because of limited access to clean, fresh water, according to a new global water security index. And the effects of climate change and population growth will exacerbate the stress on these water supplies, potentially threatening stability in many regions, according to the analysis by Maplecroft , a UK-based consulting group. Among the nations most at risk are Somalia, Mauritania, Sudan, Niger, and Iraq. Other nations at extreme risk — including Pakistan, Egypt, and Uzbekistan — are already facing internal and border tensions because of limited water supplies. Read more...

For Hudson Bay Polar Bears, The End is Already in Sight

Yale 360, July 08, 2010

The polar bear has long been a symbol of the damage wrought by global warming, but now biologist Andrew Derocher and his colleagues have calculated how long one southerly population can hold out. Their answer? No more than a few decades, as the bears’ decline closely tracks that of the Arctic’s disappearing sea ice. Read nore...

Τρένο ή αεροπλάνο και άλλα πέντε πέντε οικολογικά διλήμματα βρίσκουν απαντήσεις

OIKO, Ιούλιος 2010

Αξίζουν τα χρήματα για να αγοράζεις βιολογικά προϊόντα από όπου κι αν προέρχονται; Αν ανακυκλώνεις, έχεις επιτελέσει το οικολογικό σου καθήκον; Ποιο μέσο ταξιδιού επιβαρύνει λιγότερο το περιβάλλον; Αξίζει ο κόπος να χρησιμοποιείς χάρτινη σακούλα; Το ΟΙΚΟ με τη βοήθεια επιστημόνων δίνει απαντήσεις σε έξι διλήμματα του μέσου ανθρώπου που σκέφτεται το περιβάλλον, αλλά δεν ξέρει τι πρέπει να κάνει γι’ αυτό. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

India's Poor Risk 'Slow Death' Recycling E-Waste

ENN, July 06, 2010

Young rag-pickers sifting through rubbish are a common image of India's chronic poverty, but destitute children face new hazards picking apart old computers as part of the growing "e-waste" industry. Asif, aged seven, spends his days dismantling electronic equipment in a tiny, dimly-lit unit in east Delhi along with six other boys. "My work is to pick out these small black boxes," he said, fingers deftly prying out integrated circuits from the pile of computer remains stacked high beside him. Read more...

Kellogg Cereal Recall Highlights a New Concern: Chemicals Leaching from Food Packaging

ENN, July 06, 2010

Kellogg is recalling as many as 28 million boxes of cereal because a chemical is leaching from the food packaging into the cereal. The Food and Drug Administration states the reason for the recall as "uncharacteristic off-flavor and smell coming from the liner in the package.". The incident highlights a little-appreciated concern: While packaging can help food last longer, it can also leach chemicals into foods. Read more...

Houston Rockets' Stadium Wins LEED Certification

ENN, July 6, 2010

The Houston Toyota Center, home of the NBA's Houston Rockets, recently earned certification through the US Green Building Council's LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance Program. The Center becomes the first such venue in Texas to be certified, and joins the Portland Rose Garden, Miami's American Airlines Arena, and Atlanta's Philips Arena as the only LEED certified NBA facilities. The Center received Silver level certification, ranking only below the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, which received Gold earlier this year. Read more...

Trees a 'low-cost' solution to air pollution and biodiversity loss in cities

The Ecologist, July 2, 2010

Native woods and trees in urban areas, including gardens, provide haven for wildlife, reduce air pollution, surface run-off and flooding. Reversing the declining numbers of native trees and woods in cities would provide numerous benefits at 'relatively little cost', says a report from the Woodland Trust.As well as access to green space, the report, 'Greening the Concrete Jungle', says trees provide a wide range of free ecosystem services including reducing the risk of surface water flooding and improving air quality that could save millions in flood defence and healthcare costs. Read more...

China launches armada to head off algae plume

The Guardian, July 07, 2010

Chinese authorities have dispatched a flotilla of more than 60 ships to head off a massive tide of algae that is approaching the coast of Qingdao. The outbreak is thought to be caused by high ocean temperatures and excess nitrogen runoff from agriculture and fish farms. Scientists involved in the operation say the seaweed known as enteromorpha needs to be cleaned up before it decomposes on beaches and releases noxious gases. Read more...

Solar lamp wins award for helping developing countries

BBC News, July 02, 2010

The developers of a solar lamp that aims to replace kerosene-burning lights in developing countries have won a prestigious environmental award. D Light Design says its lanterns, which sell for around $10 (£7), contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions. One of the runners-up for the Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy was the Rural Energy Foundation (REF) for promoting solar energy in Africa. More than 70% of sub-Saharan Africa has no access to electricity. Read more...

Antarctic Sea Ice Paradoxically Growing

ENN, June 18, 2010

While Arctic sea ice continues to shrink as the world warms, the ice around Antarctica is actually growing, thanks to the influence of the ozone hole over the southernmost continent, scientists have reported.But the south polar growth won't be permanent, they warn. Though they are headed in opposite directions, the current conditions at both poles are affected by human impacts on the climate, said John Turner of the British Antarctic Survey, who presented these findings to the International Polar Year (IPY) conference held last week in Oslo, Norway. Read more...

Take a look at your water environment

EEA, June 23, 2010

What are the nutrient levels in your coastal waters or nearby lake? Do you live in an area where urban waste water treatment fails to meet the EU requirements? The European Environment Agency (EEA) provides the answers through its interactive maps, which have been updated with new water quality data. Read more...

Indonesia's plan to save its rainforests

ENN, June 15, 2010

Late last year Indonesia made global headlines with a bold pledge to reduce deforestation, which claimed nearly 28 million hectares (108,000 square miles) of forest between 1990 and 2005 and is the source of about 80 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesia would voluntarily cut emissions 26 percent — and up to 41 percent with sufficient international support — from a projected baseline by 2020. Last month, Indonesia began to finally detail its plan, which includes a two-year moratorium on new forestry concession on rainforest lands and peat swamps and will be supported over the next five years by a one billion dollar contribution by Norway, under the Scandinavian nation's International Climate and Forests Initiative. Read more...

Green Revolution's diet of big carbon savings

BBC News, June 14, 2010

The Green Revolution of the 1960s raised crop yields and cut hunger - and also saved decades worth of greenhouse gas emissions, a study concludes. US researchers found cumulative global emissions since 1850 would have been one third as much again without the Green Revolution's higher yields.Although modern farming uses more energy and chemicals, much less land needs to be cleared.The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read more...

New Emissions Measurements Show "Green" Consumerism Failing

WorldChanging, June 07, 2010

Has "green consumerism" reduced climate emissions? Not according to John Barrett. Last week Barrett (from the Stockholm Environment Institute's York (England) office) gave a talk in Seattle titled "A Sustainable Consumption and Production Approach to Climate Change Mitigation.” Barrett presented his team’s latest research on consumption-based, community-scale greenhouse gas emissions inventory methods, policy implications, and lessons learned from his work with the United Kingdom government and over 40 local governments throughout Europe. Read more...

Νερό-δηλητήριο σε όλη την Ελλάδα

Ελευθεροτυπία, 06 Ιουνίου 2010

Τοξικά βαρέα μέταλλα σε πόσιμο νερό, ποτάμια, λίμνες και υπόγεια ύδατα, σε συγκεντρώσεις που υπερβαίνουν κατά πολύ τα ανώτατα επιτρεπτά όρια που έχει θέσει η Ε.Ε. ή σε τιμές δυνητικά επικίνδυνες για την ανθρώπινη υγεία, ανιχνεύονται σε πολλές περιοχές της χώρας. Επιστήμονες εκφράζουν φόβους ότι νερό «δηλητήριο» σε Αττική, Βοιωτία, Εύβοια, Πτολεμαΐδα, νησιά Β. Αιγαίου, Πηνειό και αλλού επηρεάζει την αγροτική παραγωγή και θεωρούν επιτακτική την ανάγκη δειγματοληψιών, κυρίως σε τρόφιμα-στόχους όπως οι βολβοί, προκειμένου να διερευνηθούν ενδεχόμενοι κίνδυνοι από την κατανάλωσή τους. Την έρευνα διεπιστημονική επιτροπή από το Γεωπονικό και το Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών για λογαριασμό του ΕΦΕΤ και παραδόθηκε τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2009 στην πολιτική ηγεσία του υπουργείου Αγροτικής Ανάπτυξης και Τροφίμων. Διαβάστε περισσότερα...

BISE and baseline: new tools to combat biodiversity loss in Europe

EEA, June 01, 2010

At the opening session of the Green Week conference in Brussels, the European Commission and the European Environment Agency (EEA) unveiled two new tools to combat biodiversity loss: BISE (the Biodiversity Information System for Europe) and 'Biodiversity baseline'. BISE is a web portal centralising information about European biodiversity in a single location. The baseline offers a comprehensive snapshot of the current state of biodiversity and will be used to monitor progress in the renewed efforts to halt biodiversity loss. Read more...

EU greenhouse gas emissions: more than half way to the '20 % target by 2020'

EEA, June 02, 2010

The European Union's greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory report, compiled by the European Environment Agency (EEA), shows that emissions have not only continued their downward trend in 2008, but have also picked up pace. The EU-27's emissions stood 11.3 % below their 1990 levels, while EU-15 achieved a reduction of 6.9 % compared to Kyoto base-year levels.

'The GHG inventory report shows that the EU is well on track to meet its emission reduction targets with domestic policy measures only. Our policies and tools seem to be working' said Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA. Read more...