Global Warming, Climate, Air Pollution

"Today, for every one of the more than 5.8 billion people on Earth nearly six tons of carbon dioxide are spewed into the air annually. As a result of our activities, the atmospheric concentration of this heat-trapping gas has risen by more than 30 percent."     Environmental Defense Fund Since loading this page, metric tons of CO2 were emitted (708 tons/sec)

Impacts Overview Global Warming Methane Air Pollution Pollution Water Oceans Species Extinction Too Much Nitrogen Desertification Food & Water Shortages Overcrowding Genetically Modified Food Disease & Health Hazards News

The Arab World Gets Serious About Climate Change.   Arab environmentalists know that, when it comes to leadership to combat climate change, the Arab World was not the best example. Arab countries that build their economies on fossil energy, and middle-income countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Egypt and Morocco that depend mostly on imported oil, are not at the fore front of policies and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Its per capita production rate of greenhouse gases is almost identical to the EU. This puts pressures on the region to start reducing its rate of greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change is a major threat to the security of the Middle East. Existing tensions over access to water are almost certain to intensify in this region leading to further political instability. In a recent report by FAO it was stated that crop growing may become unsustainable in some areas as a result of the interactions of factors. Maize yields in North Africa, could fall by 15-25% with a three degree centigrade rise in temperature. The 19th session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment witnessed the agreement of the all Arab countries to deal with climate change issues. The declaration stated the need for the production and use of cleaner fuels, improving the efficiency of energy use, expanding the use of cleaner production techniques and environmental friendly technologies. The Arab world has became active in developing new technologies for reduction of greenhouse emissions. The beginning of construction of the first carbon-neutral, waste-free city in Abu Dhabi, will showcase the best available technologies for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The city will use 75% less electricity and half the water of conventional cities. The city's narrow thoroughfares will draw on the traditional architecture of the old walled towns of the Middle East. In the last meeting of the OPEC Ministers in Riyadh four Arab Gulf countries have decided to develop a US $ 750 million research fund for Climate Change. This is to support more efficient petroleum technologies for the protection of the environment, and promote the development of technologies such as carbon capture and storage. An estimated $120 billion investment is anticipated in the industry over the next 10 years. If this package of initiatives can be linked together in a shift towards sustainability and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Arab World will be able to declare its role as an active contributor in the global efforts to save the Earth.   April 22, 2008   Reporter Associati

Government Secures UN Climate Change Resolution; Says Maldives Will Not Disappear.   The Maldivian government spearheaded a resolution at the UN to conduct a study into the effects of climate change on human rights. The Maldives refuses to believe that the international community will allow any state to disappear under the sea. Dr Ahmed Shaheed, who last year worked on the issue, warned international moves on human rights and climate change must be matched by action within the Maldives. The resolution springs from a meeting of small island states and a 70-country meeting of the Friends of Human Rights and Climate Change. The new study will form the basis of a Human Rights Council debate. The lack of a human rights study is a "major gap". No-one denies that climate change is having an impact on human lives, and human rights. Extreme weather events have an impact on the right to housing. A warmer and wetter climate can cause the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, which has an impact on the right to health. International human rights treaties require each country to plan adequately for its citizens. Maldivians should hold their government to account, and ask whether plans for the future are adequate. The National Adaptation Programme of Action includes investments in flood and tidal defences, engineering works to reinforce vital transport and communications infrastructure and to protect public utilities such as energy, water and sanitation, intended to allow population consolidation and protection against natural disasters. Maldivians still feel the impact of the 2004 tsunami. Of the 2,987 houses needed for tsunami victims, just over a thousand had not yet begun construction. Local lobby groups maintain the government's record is poor, citing the lack of a sewage treatment plant for Mal�'s 100,000 residents. If the projected 2C temperature rise comes to pass much of the reef system will be irreparably damaged, threatening the tourism and fishing industries, but "political will" can stop this.   March 31, 2008   Minivan News

Rwanda;: Investment in Renewable Energy is Vital.   Sustainable development cannot be realized when the environment is abused and people indulge in environmental degradation. Energy used during production produces carbon dioxide, bringing about global warming, which causes multiple problems. Replacing the energy that comes from fossils is a gradual one, as new methods of using renewable sources have been more effective as far as environment conservation is concerned. Solar energy is more cost effective than fossil fuel, if more expensive in the short run. The population has to be taught about renewable energy and reducing the rate of cutting trees. The executive secretary of Rwanda Environmental Conservation Organization (RECOR), avers that there is need to think alternative energy sources, and a campaign is on in Rwanda to encourage investors to inject their money in renewable energy. The coordinator of RECOR blames the use of fossil related fuels on the current global warming pattern. In order to achieve the MDG's, environment must be a priority. Every body must have an active role towards planting trees, which reduce carbon dioxide, as green plants use carbon dioxide while making their own food. Petroleum is exhaustible, and environmentally hazardous. More engineers and technicians should be trained to impart the knowledge that will implement renewable energy engineering. Rainfall patterns have changed, which brings about poor harvests, poor economic performance and famine. RECOR has made a list of the equipment needed in generating renewable energy, so that importers are exonerated from taxation. The sources of renewable energy include sunshine, wind, animal waste and others, according to Kayigamba. Rwanda does not possess enough land for planting trees. Environmental conservation is everyone's duty. Fifty years from todate, water will be costing as much as petrol because of the current environmental degradation worldwide. Protect wet lands and maintain the water table intact thus deterring future water scarcity. Global warming will adversely affect developing countries most since they don't have resources to counter the consequences that will have resulted from global warming.   January 28, 2008   Africa News Service

Climate Change May Lead to War.   A study finds that long-term climate change with its resulting food shortages, population shifts, and economic instability can lead to war and population decline. The study revealed that as temperatures decreased centuries ago during a period called the Little Ice Age, the number of wars increased, famine occurred, and the population declined. Even though temperatures are increasing now, the same conflicts may occur, as 80% of the world's wars from 1400 to 1900 were triggered by food shortages and famine caused by extreme weather. Previous research found that temperature changes were correlated with times of war in Eastern China between 1000 and 1911.   December 18, 2007   Natural Hazards Center newsletter

U.K.;: Rising Population Adds to Climate Woes; Socio-economic Factors Play Big Part in Global Warming.   Three-quartersu of the problems associated with global warming have to do with factors like rising population, and only a quarter with the climate. The population debate has gone off the agenda. Climate change is not the major issue. Its a population problem. Even in the UK, demographers once thought the population would stabilise at 60 million, but the latest projections suggest it could hit 75 million and that would make meeting the emissions obligations that much more difficult. The issue of growing populations and consumer behaviour could prove even harder for governments to deal with. Meanwhile, government policy must accommodate the uncertainty and wide range of climatic predictions. Ideally, policy should could allow for further steps to be taken after initial mitigation, if outcomes turn out worse than expected. But neither the UK nor any other government has yet been 'realistic' about the efforts needed to combat global warming. The UK has a target of reducing emissions by 60% by 2050. Its climate change bill will get 'nowhere near' the target, which requires a 9% drop in emissions every year.   December 18, 2007   The Business Times

Speech by Al Gore on the Acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize.   The distinguished scientists with whom it is the honor of my life to share this award have laid before us a choice between two different futures. Life or death, blessings or curses. The human species, are confronting a threat to the survival of our civilization. But we have the ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly. Today, we dumped another 70 million tons of global-warming pollution into the thin shell of atmosphere surrounding our planet. The earth has a fever. And the fever is rising. As the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, scientists report that the North Polar ice cap is falling and could be completely gone during summer in less than 22 years. Major cities in North and South America, Asia and Australia are nearly out of water due to massive droughts and melting glaciers. Desperate farmers are losing their livelihoods. Peoples on low-lying Pacific islands are planning evacuations. Millions have been displaced by massive flooding. We are recklessly burning and clearing our forests and driving more and more species into extinction. Without realizing it, we have begun to wage war on the earth itself. Now, we and the earth's climate are locked in a relationship of "Mutually assured destruction." It is time to make peace with the planet. We must quickly mobilize our civilization with the urgency and resolve that has previously been seen only when nations mobilized for war. The innovators who will devise a new way to harness the sun's energy or invent an engine that's carbon negative may live in Lagos or Mumbai or Montevideo. We must ensure that entrepreneurs and inventors everywhere on the globe have the chance to change the world. We must understand the connections between the climate crisis and poverty, hunger, HIV-Aids and other pandemics. We must begin by making the common rescue of the global environment the central organizing principle of the world community. We need a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store carbon dioxide. And most important of all, we need to put a price on carbon -- with a CO2 tax that is then rebated back to the people. Shift the burden of taxation from employment to pollution. Two nations are failing to do enough: the US tates and China. Both countries should stop using the other's behavior as an excuse for stalemate and develop an agenda for mutual survival in a shared global environment.   December 13, 2007   Al Gore

While the West Protects Itself Against Global Warming, the Poor Beg for Help.   Singapore has built one of the world's largest desalination plants and is paying Dutch experts tens of millions of dollars to devise ways to protect their island. Bangladesh is digging out from a cyclone that killed at least 3,200 and left millions homeless. The country wants to build up its coastlines but has no money. The disparities between the rich and poor in adapting to floods and droughts that are expected to worsen with rising temperatures have dominated the U.N. climate conference. The haves are arguing about emission targets and high-tech solutions. The have-nots need tens of billions of dollars to save their sinking islands, to help farmers adapt and to relocate those in the path of destruction. Those who are least able to cope are being hit hardest. Those who have done the least to cause the problem bear the gravest consequences. The United Nations Development Program says 98% of the 262 million people hit by disasters from 2000 to 2004 came from impoverished countries. The U.N. predicts that about 1.8 billion of the most vulnerable people will be hit by water shortages, 600 million more will go hungry and 32 million will be displaced by droughts and floods. Poor countries have priorities putting food on the table, accessing water, health care. Climate change is making these things worse. Canada said it would spend US$85.4 million on adaptation measures, including tens of millions of dollars to help its Inuit communities adapt to warming Arctic climate. The Netherlands is now spending an additional US$25 billion to improve its water defenses. Italy is doing the same. Singapore has built a 139 million desalination plant to boost its domestic water supply, and with the Dutch firm Delft Hydraulics as part of a more than US$208 million effort to become a hub for climate change research. The city-state is vulnerable to global warming, but realizes that there is potential to make money. Other countries will come to us for help. Some poor countries are creating early warning systems, building shelters on stilts or making plans to relocate communities. But the money often does not reach villages hardest hit. Climate change has become a daily reality in small island states. Up to US$300 million annually will be available and up to US$1.5 billion a year if an international climate agreement is approved. That still falls short of the nearly US$86 billion the UNDP estimates is needed annually by 2015. Impoverished nations are also demanding increased access to technology for adaptation and assurances the money for climate response won't be taken from development aid. Comparing problems in Bangladesh to those of New Orleans, one officer asked "Why are they putting up a few billion for a city like New Orleans when they are putting up only a few million for the entire world?"   December 12, 2007   Associated Press

Climate Change Underway in US.   The non-profit Pew Center on Global Climate Change released a report examining the impact climate change is having on different regions of the United States. With international climate talks under way, the report argues that federal, state and local decision-makers must work both to mitigate global warming and to adapt to its consequences. The report finds that climate change in U.S. is underway and looks at specific impacts. It finds that Midwestern heat waves and Western wildfires are both likely to become larger, more frequent and more intense. Gulf Coast wetland loss and Chesapeake 'dead zones' are likely to be exacerbated by climate change. The studies consider how population growth, development, and land management interact with the problems of a warming planet. A coastal scientist says that wetlands restoration is critical to life and the economy of the Gulf Coast. Continued coastal development coupled with the anticipated rise in sea levels could drown the wetlands. Under storm events such as hurricanes, these open waters increase the risk of coastal flooding More wild fires are likely if forests are not managed for climate change. The report notes that earlier spring snowmelt and hotter, drier summers have led to more wildfires. Carbon dioxide, also promotes tree growth. But that may cause problems, unless the growth is managed properly to lessen fire risk. Agricultural runoff from farms and cities has led to an inadequate level of oxygen in the The Chesapeake Bay, coastal waters and dead zones, which affect fisheries and recreation in the region. The future of the Chesapeake Bay is compromised by climate change. Every planner, every developer, every policy maker, will have to factor climate change into the equation. Getting the right policies in place now is essential to reducing the risk from current and future climate-change impacts.   December 11, 2007   Voice of America

U.N.: Ignoring Global Warming Is "Criminally Irresponsible".   In the fourth and last report issued this year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the U.N.'s top climate official warned that ignoring the urgency of global warming would be "criminally irresponsible." Environmentalists and authors of the report expected tense discussions on what to include and leave out of the document. Scientists were determined to "adhere to standards of quality" in the report. It was indirect barb at the government representatives, who have been accused of watering down and excluding vital information to fit their domestic agendas. The document sums up the scientific consensus on how rapidly the Earth is warming and the effects already observed;. The IPCC already has established that the climate has begun to change because of the greenhouse gases. Global warming will hit the poorest countries hardest. Failing to recognize the urgency of this message and act on it would be nothing less that criminally irresponsible. A new conference will begin exploring a global strategy to curb greenhouse gas emissions after the expiration of the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol According to an early draft the report will be the first to include a chapter on "robust findings and key uncertainties," in which the authors pick out what they believe are the most relevant certainties and doubts about climate change. Among the uncertainties cited: the lack of data from key areas of the world, conflicting studies on the effects of cloud cover and carbon soaked up by oceans, and projections on how planners in developing countries will factor climate change into their decisions. The IPCC has been criticized for the language of the policy summaries, which have been softened on several points because of objections by countries including the USA, China and some big oil-producing nations such as Saudi Arabia. One of several environmental groups invited to observe the process, said "governments cut vital facts and important information" during the negotiations. The WWF accused governments of "politically inspired trimming" of facts which diluted the urgency to make deep cuts in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.   December 10, 2007   Associated Press

European Union Forests Expanding, Absorbing Carbon at Surprisingly High Rate.   The University of Helsinki study says that despite rising population, the EU can meet its obligations post-Kyoto (2012-2020). New technologies and mitigating non-CO2 gasses such as methane; partial credit for expansion of the region's forests could be decisive. A study finds that between 1990 and 2005, expansion of tree vegetation in the EU countries annually absorbed an additional 126 million tonnes of carbon, equal to 11% of the region's emissions. The rate varied from 10% in the 15 old member states 15% in the 12 new members. The findings were surprising, in 1992 they estimated the rate of increase of CO2 absorbsion through the expansion of forests at no more than 5%. The study shows that total CO2 sequestered by EU forests varies widely from country to country. Last year they advanced a more sophisticated approach to measuring forest cover that considers not just forested area but density of trees per hectare. Their calculation also quantifies the biomass and atmospheric carbon stored in forests. They reported that, amid concern about deforestation, growing stock has expanded over the past 15 years in 22 of the 50 countries with most forest, including several EU members. The good news is that trees are efficient mechanisms for capturing and storing carbon. The better news is that Europe's forests are thriving and expanding and will play an increasingly important role in helping the EU to reach its environmental goals. Every year, the expanding European forests remove a surprisingly large amount of carbon from the atmosphere. Their impact in reducing atmospheric carbon may be twice that achieved by the use of renewable energy in Europe today. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the EU commited to an 8% reduction of annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2012. Under the protocol, countries do not get credit for increasing natural carbon sinks through forestry and agriculture. The researchers note the challenge confronting EU nations in order to meet a post-Kyoto commitment to reduce emissions 20% from 1990 levels by 2020. CO2 emissions in EU nations grew by an average of roughly 1% every three years between 1992 and 2004. Europe-wide emissions have not yet started to decline and time is running out for the EU to achieve its 2020 goal. "Policies that accelerate the expansion of our forest biomass not only represent a win-win for climate change and biodiversity, they also open up economic opportunities," "Land owners can benefit with new industries This could also help to reduce one of the main threats to sustained forest expansion, the need to open land to produce agricultural biofuels as alternatives to fossil fuels."   November 29, 2007   Science Daily

Europe;: Fever Outbreak Linked to Climate Change.   An outbreak in Europe of an obscure disease from Africa is raising concerns that globalization and climate change are combining to pose a health threat to the West. Nearly 300 cases of chikungunya fever, a virus that previously has been common only in Africa and Asia, were reported in Italy. While the outbreak was largely the result of stronger trade and travel ties, some experts believe it is a sign of how global warming is creating new breeding grounds for diseases. Officials said the mild winter in Italy allowed mosquitoes to start breeding earlier than usual. More mosquitoes mean more disease. With warmer temperatures in the future, Europe and North America might be hit by outbreaks of diseases usually confined to southern continents. We need to be prepared for more surprises like this in the future. Italian officials grew suspicious in July, when dozens of people in the country's northeast complained of fevers, joint pain, headaches and rashes. Lab tests confirmed chikungunya fever, a disease spread by mosquitoes. Officials believe the virus arrived when a tourist from India brought the virus. The Asian tiger mosquito, which can spread the disease, had reached Italy nearly two decades earlier. The Asian tiger mosquito might be capable of spreading more dangerous diseases. Scientists think Europe's advanced health systems will help avert widespread disease. Malaria was once endemic in much of Europe but disappeared once the swamps that bred mosquitoes were replaced by buildings and medicines to treat malaria became available. But some species of mosquito prefer breeding sites like rain-filled gutters and plastic containers. France also saw a few dozen cases of chikungunya last year. Southern European countries around the Adriatic coast like Greece, France and Spain are also at risk. As temperatures keep rising, disease detection and response systems need to be reinforced. With warmer weather, it is likely we will have diseases in Europe that no one had ever expected.   November 29, 2007   Associated Press

U.S.: Source of Water for West at Risk.   The West's water supply is breaking down under the rising temperatures. Mountain-snow runoff bears the scars of climate change in the highest elevations, where winter ends earlier and snow melts before downstream users need it, or vanishes in the mild-spring winds. The change threatens water but also the way it is stored and released. "Changes in runoff are only one step away from the warmth in global warming," said an environmental engineer. Climate change could drain power from renewable energy, forcing power providers to rely more heavily on pollution-spewing power plants. Hydroelectric generators are often at the back of the line when it comes to securing water rights. Power-generating capacity decreased at Glen Canyon Dam in 2003 and 2004 after water levels dropped in Lake Powell, the reservoir that provides water for the dam's turbines. "Hydropower should be encouraged to play an important part in solving the climate problem." Washington state relies on hydropower for 72% of its electricity and would suffer if plants shut down. Arizona would fare better. The Salt River Project draws on hydropower sources for about 5% of its electricity. Arizona Public Service decommissioned its last hydroelectric dam in 2005, leaving it with no hydropower. Some of Arizona's rural areas rely more heavily on hydropower, from Western Area Power Administration. They market and distribute electricity generated by 56 hydropowered plants. Western is studying the effects if its flow of hydropower if interrupted and has begun investing in wind and solar projects. Forests lie in the middle of the West's watersheds and rely on winter snow and runoff to stay healthy. When the weather dries out, so do the trees, leaving them vulnerable to pests, disease and fire. Global warming will fuel hotter and bigger fires. Researchers concluded that wildfire frequency was tied to the timing of snowmelt. A late-starting winter could leave the ground and trees exposed to cold weather. The ground freezes, preventing water from reaching the roots, and the roots freeze, hurting the tree's ability to draw nutrients. Drought-weakened trees have allowed bark-beetle infestations in Arizona and Colorado. If trees disappear, the watershed may not produce as much runoff. Moderately dense forests result in better and wetter snowpacks. Population growth has destroyed wildlife habitat, paving over washes and streams, pumping groundwater away from rivers. Birds would suffer most in the desert areas of Arizona and New Mexico. The flycatcher relies on riparian vegetation that would die if water stopped flowing. The San Pedro River, could suffer devastating losses if the climate turned drier. In the Northwest, uneven runoff cycles have affected fish that depend on regular river flows for spawning. A Tucson-based advocacy group recently cited global warming as it sought protection for a small relative of the rabbit that roams the uplands of the West. The American pika is California's canary in the coal mine, as global warming raises temperatures across California, American pikas are disappearing. Snow and runoff are part of a natural system that stores water through the winter and releases it in the spring. Problems occur when you start to shift the timing. In the high mountains, spring snowmelt occurs as much as two weeks earlier than it once did. The difference has reduced runoff at about 75% percent of the measuring stations. When the snow melts too soon, before planting season, for example, farmers lose some of their share. Reservoirs downstream will fill up before demand climbs high enough and reservoir managers could be forced to release water unused. In 2004 and 2006, snowpacks on the upper Colorado River vanished in a flurry of warm dry winds. Snow stores water efficiently; rain sinks into the soil or evaporates and can cause flooding. Most of the reservoirs that supply water to Arizona can store unused water for months or years. That will help protect water resources for Phoenix and Tucson, which may not see shortages for decades. A bigger question for Arizona is how climate change affects the summer monsoon. If winters get dry, then our landscape's going to be more dependent on summer rain. No one has any idea what's going to happen with the monsoon. A stronger monsoon in Arizona would benefit from storm runoff. Monsoon rains contributed as much or more to SRP's water stores as snow the past two years. Much remains unknown about changes in the way snow refills water resources. Runoff feeds rivers and streams it also recharges underground aquifers. Hotter weather will drive up water use by vegetation, and the ground itself will keep water, soaking up rain and snow before it runs off.   November 26, 2007   The Arizona Republic

India;: Climate Injustice: the Rich Are Hiding Behind the Poor.   In India, 150 million in the upper-income groups emit more than 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per annum. A Greenpeace report states that India's rich are hiding their carbon footprint behind legions of poor. Climate change is the largest threat to humanity and has focused on the linkages between development and environmental sustainability. The carbon footprint of a small wealthy class (1% of the population) is camouflaged by the 823 million poor population who keep the overall per capita emissions below 2 tonnes per year. The richest income class produce slightly less than the global average CO2 emissions but exceeds the acceptable average of 2.5 tonnes per capita that needs to be reached to limit global warming. The carbon footprint of the four highest income classes exceeds sustainable levels. Developed nations need to cut their CO2 emissions to give space to the developing world to catch up. In India if the upper and middle classes do not manage to check their CO2 emissions, they will deny hundreds of millions of poor Indians access to development. The response is not that India should not develop or the wealthy should stop consuming, but to decarbonise its development. The Five Year Plans of the Indian government bases the future of energy production on coal power plants, increasing CO2 emissions. A major shifting to renewables and energy efficiency would create the carbon space for the poor to develop. Increase in global temperatures will have detrimental effects. Changing rainfall patterns will result in flooding and droughts, melting glaciers will aggravate the problem of freshwater shortage. The intensity and frequency of storms will increase, vector-borne diseases will spread and rising sea-levels will drown coastal low-lying megacities like Mumbai and Kolkata. Countries like India will find their development jeopardised if global temperatures rise above 2 degrees Centigrade. Until now, the Indian government has maintained that the average per capita CO2 emission of India is low compared to that of the EU-25 states and the US. India claims its right to consume more energy from fossil fuels. Implicit is the notion that the developed countries need to decrease their CO2 emissions drastically. India's overall average per capita CO2 emission is 1.67 tonnes. The average CO2 emissions per income group range from 335 kg for the income class below 3,000 rupees per month to an average of 1,494 kg for the income classes above 30,000 rupees per month. While only 14% of the population earns more than 8,000 rupees a month, they contribute 24% of the CO2 emissions of the country. It is the country's poor who keep the average CO2 emissions low. An increasing use of electricity for lighting stabilises for income classes above Rs 5,000. A far sharper increase of CO2 emission from lighting between the lower and the higher income classes has been mitigated by the use of more efficient lighting systems, which are not accessible for the poor because of their high price. CO2 emissions from lighting increase by a factor of 1.6 from the below Rs 3,000 to the Rs 5,000-8,000 income class. Making efficient lighting systems accessible to the poor could cut emissions by 95 million tonnes. The CO2 emissions from fans, reaches a plateau in the 5-8,000 income class while water heaters hits a plateau at the 8-10,000 income. Washing machines start to appear in the 5-8,000 class and peak at the 15-30,000 class. The outsourcing of services is not factored in this assessment. Air conditioning due to its high price only starts to be used by income classes over 10,000 rupees but increases steeply by 6.5 times up to the Rs 30,000 class. The most pronounced increase in electricity consumption is in the use of other appliances, all the devices that make living more comfortable. Together they add 49% of the overall household emissions of the >30k income class. With increasing income, consumption changes from essentials to goods including electronics. Individual CO2 emissions from transport were split into two-wheelers, cars, buses, flights and other forms of transportation. The increase in CO2 from the lowest to the richest income class increased by a factor of 7.1. There is an increase in the use of two-wheelers resulting in an increase from 11 kg to 98 kg of CO2 per person The use of cars is starting at an income of more than Rs 10,000 per month There is a massive increase in air travel for the income class above Rs 30,000 per month The share of transport contributes only 7.2% of the personal emissions assessed by this study. From the 1980s to 2003, the number of vehicles on the road increased by almost 15 times. The number of vehicles in India will increase from today's 60 million to approximately 537 million by 2030, resulting in a 9-13-fold increase of CO2 emissions. In the absence of fast-train connections between cities, the country will need 1,500 to 2,000 passenger planes in 10 years, up from 260 now. The overall CO2 emissions of transportation in India could increase to 1,200 million tonnes in 2030. Mandatory fuel efficiency standards need to be put in place swiftly. This also helps the country to reduce its dependency on oil imports. -- Public transport systems like metros and efficient bus networks need to be built at least in all metros, also enabling these cities to handle the growing traffic burden. To achieve the needed reduction average world CO2 emissions need to be brought down to 2.5 tonnes per capita by 2030. In India 150 million people who today earn more than 8,000 rupees per month emit more than 2.5 tonnes CO2 per annum.   November 14, 2007   InfoChange

Spain;: Too Close for Comfort.   The demolition of Spanish holiday homes is in the headlines, following proposals announced last week by the government aimed at protecting the country's coastline from overdevelopment. At issue are thousands of properties up and down the coast and islands that have been built illegally too close to the coastline. The initiative, which follows years of construction, is about establishing a new development model. It is also about preparing for global warming. A document entitled A Strategy for Coastal Sustainability argues that Spain should move away from mass tourism and rapid urbanisation. Radical solutions are needed to save the environment and guarantee a sustainable future for the coastal economy. The proposal is evidence of overcrowding and overdevelopment on the coast, where 44% of Spain's population is squeezed into 7% of its territory, which attracts 80% of tourists. According to the document, 40% of the Mediterranean coastline is built up and 57% of its beaches hemmed in by construction. As a result, 30% of the coast, 51% of beaches and 70% of dune areas are now in trouble. Then there is the threat of rising sea levels from global warming, which environmentalists say will shave 15 metres off the average Spanish beach by 2050, rising to 30 meters or more in some areas. The coastal law, passed in 1988, aims to protect the shore by turning all beaches into public land and prohibiting the building of new residential zones within 100 metres. Urban-planning rules in Spain have often been ignored, and thousands of residential properties have been illegally built close to the beach, often with permission from local authorities. Properties that were built legally before the Ley de Costas are unaffected. Though no figures are available, it is thought many of the illegal homes are owned by Britons, most of whom have never heard of that particular law and have no idea that their properties are at risk. Any new plan will have to deal with these properties, which could in theory involve expropriation or compulsory purchase leading to demolition. The proposals show that environmental concerns, are moving up the political agenda. This could boost the value of properties that have been legally built. If Gore is right, global warming will bring the waterfront right to your door.   November 04, 2007   Times Online

U.K.;: Wales Carbon Footprint Shame.   With a population just under three million and some of the greatest scenery on earth, many would expect Wales' carbon output to rank among the lowest in the world. But the nation is producing more carbon dioxide per person than Russia or China. The Government is facing accusations that it is failing to deal with the problem. Wales has the 12th worst carbon footprint in the world. The latest figures show Wales produces 41.8m tonnes of CO2 every year, 14.2 tonnes per person. In England, CO2 emissions per person sit at 8.8 tonnes, while in Scotland the figure is 8.5 tonnes and in Northern Ireland it is 9.5 tonnes. In Europe, Wales is the third worst pollutant, and the problem has steadily worsened over the last 15 years. The Government is working to create a three per cent annual cut of CO2 emissions by 2011. But it is unlikely to reach these goals. We have the potential to lead the way because we have all the right resources here, but they're not being used. Two things must be done, including an awareness campaign so people can understand why it is a good thing to reduce energy use. Every government should be spending at least 2% of their GDP on addressing issues of climate change. Everyone needs full insulation in their houses, we need to make sure there is enough public transport and make sure the Carbon Trust gets in and does a lot of work with industries.” There needs to be legislation in place to force local authorities to take action.” "Unless we address the issue of reducing carbon emissions in Wales now, then it will escalate. It could become a total disaster.” "We must become more sophisticated in the targets that we use. We have done a lot with public sector stock and private rental housing, but we need to start focusing on private sector housing." She said: "Carbon emissions in Wales appear higher because of the amount of heavy industry and electricity generation in Wales. Road transport and residential emissions are in line with the rest of the UK." The Environment Minister was providing more resources to making sure Wales' reliance on coal and gas fired power stations was reduced.   November 04, 2007   IC Wales

Concern Grows About Health Risks Posed by Climate Change.   Risks to public health from floods, heat waves and droughts are becoming the focus of global health organizations and officials. A range of health problems is expected to accompany rising temperatures, especially in developing countries. WHO announced that its theme for World Health Day would be "protecting health from climate change." "We need to put public health at the heart of the climate change agenda, this includes mobilizing governments to collaborate on strengthening surveillance and control of infectious diseases, safer use of diminishing water supplies and health action in emergencies." Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and is likely to have been due to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations, and human activity. Recent, rapid climate change is the result of increased concentrations of the greenhouse gases, likely generated by emissions from human use of fossil fuels. On the ground, climate change can increase the occurrence and intensity of natural events like heat waves, floods, droughts and storms, directly affecting the health of millions of people. Health is at risk from a range of climate-related causes, including increases in malnutrition and consequent disorders; deaths, disease and injury due to heat waves, floods, storms, fires and droughts; diarrheal diseases; and a change in the distribution of some infectious-disease carriers (mosquitoes, ticks). WHO concludes that the health hazards posed by climate change are wide-ranging, distributed throughout the globe and difficult to reverse. Climate change is expected to have mixed effects, including a decrease or increase of the range and transmission potential of malaria in Africa, and some benefits, such as fewer deaths from cold exposure. Overall, these benefits will be outweighed by the negative health effects of rising temperatures world-wide, especially in developing countries. The greatest risks are to populations living in small-island developing states, mountain regions, water-stressed regions, megacities in developing nations, and people who are poor and poorly protected by health services. It will be necessary to strengthen health systems to protect public health from the associated risks. Bolstering health systems should include climate-specific interventions for heat wave and vector-borne disease early warning systems, and supporting choices that enhance health in sectors such as agriculture and water management.   October 25, 2007   USINFO

Climate Change a Global Emergency, Experts Warn.   Climate change is the first global emergency and there are multiple reasons why our society is not sustainable. It is caused by carbon dioxide emissions and three-quarters came from burning fossil fuels and a quarter from land-use change. Deforestation emits more than the entire transport sector. South Africa's emissions are high, mainly as a result of burning coal to generate electricity. South Africa emits more carbon dioxide than Brazil, which has four times SA's population. It is said that climate change was wrongly perceived as a first-world issue being used by foreign governments to inhibit the country's economic development. On the contrary, there is cause for concern. At no time in the past 800,000 years has the concentration of carbon dioxide risen above 300 parts per million. It now stands at almost 400 ppm and is rising fast. No one knows what will happen. Even if we stop burning everything, we might have lost control. The expected impact of climate change on South Africa is drier winters to the west and shorter periods of intense summer rainfall in the east, conditions that would harm agriculture. Climate change would have a catastrophic effect on South Africa's water and food supply, and would harm subsistence farming communities. Sub-Saharan Africa is vulnerable to climate change with the low adaptive capacity of much of the population as a result of poverty. Greater use of telecommunications is likely to provide a fillip for the long-term earnings sustainability of cellphone and line operations. South Africa is the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide in Africa, and must start adapting early to a warmer world. There is the potential for "legal liability shifts" when litigious groups started looking for parties to blame. For example of three British retailers - Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury - require "carbon footprinting and reporting" from suppliers. Six recommendations for South African business: research, become knowledgeable on climate change; discover and work on your own carbon footprint; explore the implications of climate change then go down your own supply chain and demand carbon-neutral suppliers. The basic scientific and ecological knowledge on climate change was sound, but legal and financial frameworks needed to be developed. Business has been calling for long, loud legal signals from government. South Africa ratified the UN Kyoto Protocol and appointed the Department of Minerals and Energy as its designated national authority.   October 14, 2007   The Times

Heat May Kill Hundreds More in NYC Region by 2050.   Heat-related deaths in and around New York City will nearly double by 2050 due to global warming if no efforts are made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By taking steps now to cut emissions, New Yorkers could prevent 300 of these expected deaths annually. Scientists offered an estimate of temperature increases in the City and its environs based on two scenarios, one representing rapid population growth and the other based on slower growth and concerns about environmental sustainability. By 2050, heat-related deaths would increase by 95% a year in the worst-case, reduced to 68% by acclimatization with increased air conditioning, heat alerts and other adaptations. Under the lower emissions projection, deaths would increase by 71% or 47% with acclimatization. A variation in mortality increases across the region, would range from 38% to 208%. The smallest increases in the more urban parts of the region, such as within the city itself. But deaths could skyrocket in the suburban and rural New York and Connecticut which are currently relatively cool. Urban areas, suburbs, and the countryside are all going to be affected by these hotter temperatures. No matter where they live, poor people will have a tougher time coping, given that many may not have air conditioning, or may be reluctant to use it due to electrical costs. The best and fairest approach to reducing excess heat deaths due to global warming will be to introduce regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.   October 09, 2007   Reuters

World Crops Could Decline 16% Due to Warming.   Global warming could send world agriculture into serious decline by 2080. India, Pakistan, most of Africa and most of Latin America would be hit hardest. The US, most of Europe, Russia and Canada would probably see agricultural gains. Overall, the world's agricultural productivity was forecast to decline by between 3% and 16% by 2080. Australia's predicted declines in crops range between 16% and 27%. India's declines are forecast between 29% and 38% while Sudan and Senegal had predicted crop declines of more than 50%. Some analysts maintain that global warming could make the impact of human-caused climate change negligible. Studies have shown potential gains in crop yields of up to 30% when carbon dioxide emissions increased. Similar tests have shown gains to be around 15%. The boost tends to flatten out. It turns out that global yields for the major cereal crops have in fact slowed down. The average annual growth in yields in the 1960s and 1970s was 2.6% per year, but by the 1980s and 1990s it had slowed to 1.8%. The global demand for food taking into account higher population, and incomes, would about triple from now to late in the century. Northern countries such as parts of the United States, Russia and Canada would have longer growing seasons due to global warming. But the world could not rely on increased crop yields in those areas. Strong currencies would make it prohibitively expensive for most other countries to buy Russian or Canadian agricultural goods.   October 07, 2007   Planet Ark

Family Planning to Reduce Emissions.   Expanding family planning in developing countries is one of the cheapest ways of reducing global greenhouse emissions. A rapid reduction in population growth in developing countries would play a critical role in reducing demand for energy and pressure on environmental systems. Aggressive programs to keep the global population to the low end of growth ranges is often overlooked as a relatively inexpensive and effective response to managing climate change. The world's population is growing by about 80 million people each year, with almost all in less developed countries. It is estimated it would cost $17 billion a year for comprehensive family planning in developing countries, excluding China and the Eastern Bloc countries. Slowing population growth would alleviate poverty and improve health standards. If you look at the history of family planning, it's about changing minds about family size.   September 25, 2007   The Australian

UK Engineers Urged to Tackle Climate Change.   The next generation of engineers must lead the world in developing environmentally friendly technologies. Tackling climate change and the effects of population growth could generate at least £700bn globally by 2015. British engineers should capitalise on the opportunity while helping to mitigate the most damaging aspects of climate change. The sustainable companies of tomorrow will need engineers that can help them find ethical, environmentally sound solutions to the tough challenges. Companies must ensure that UK engineering has the highly skilled workforce required. If action is not taken in all sectors of industry and the community, global temperatures will rise by up to 6.4 degrees, and sea levels by 20cm to 60cm by the end of this century.   September 21, 2007  

We Need Fewer People to Halt Global Warming.   London's Science Museum's new director, Charles Rapley, says that having a billion fewer people by 2050 will reduce carbon emissions and cost 1,000 times less than all the other options. While director of the British Antarctic Survey, he told the world that the West Antarctic ice sheet, previously described as "a slumbering giant" was beginning to drip into the sea. Two years ago, he declared that Antarctica was now "a giant awakened" that could eventually raise global sea levels by five metres. He believes that there is an "unequivocal" link between mankind's fossil fuel emissions and the global temperature rise. It is Rapley's view that the "jury is still out" on the prediction that the human race would exceed its food supply by having too many children. Last year, he wrote saying that "if we believe that the size of the human 'footprint' is a serious problem (and there is much evidence for this) then a rational view would be that, the issue of population management must be addressed". Many in the scientific establishment would agree with him. "My position on population is that I am disturbed that no one will talk about it", Rapley says. Hundreds of emails from people around the world support him for standing up and being counted, and a "daft response" from commentators warning that Rapley was out to curb our freedom to procreate. Saving a gigaton of carbon, through education for women and birth control programmes, would cost 1,000 times less than any of the other technical options. In his view, technology alone will not solve the global warming problem - it will take changes in the very ways society behaves. Within 20 years, he says, journeys of up to 600 miles will be made by surface traffic. He says that there is a possibility that Malthus's prediction that we will run out of food could come true we are already struggling to feed 6.5 billion of us adequately, let alone to provide enough water and energy.   September 20, 2007   Telegraph

Family Planning to Reduce Emissions.   Expanding family planning is one of the cheapest ways of reducing greenhouse emissions and alleviating poverty. A rapid reduction in population growth in developing countries would play a critical role in reducing demand for energy and pressure on other environmental systems. Programs to keep the global population to the low end of growth ranges was often overlooked as an effective response to managing climate change. It was estimated in 1994 that it would cost $17 billion a year to roll out comprehensive family planning strategies in developing countries. Slowing population growth would also alleviate poverty and improve health standards. Family planning is not expensive, we are giving people the ability to make decisions about family sizes.   September 18, 2007   The Australian

Brazil Ethanol Seen Good for Climate, Maybe Not Environment.   Brazil's Environmental Minister said that ethanol production is cutting the country's greenhouse gas emissions, but another ministry official said that it remains to be seen whether ethanol is good for the environment. Reductions in deforestation and increased ethanol use has reduced Brazil's CO2 emissions by 500 million tons. Between 2003 and 2004, Brazilian agribusiness and the civilian population cut down 27,000 square kilometers of forest. the number should be around 9,000 square kilometers in 2007. The number one contributor to deforestation is the lumber and cattle industry. Agribusiness is responsible for 25% of Brazil's carbon emissions, due to fertilizer production and burning of sugarcane fields. Sugar and ethanol production is a contributor to greenhouse gases, despite being a force in reducing overall contributions. Ethanol isn't as green as people might like to think. Brazil is studying whether ethanol and biofuels in general are harmful for the environment. The remedy could be worse than the sickness. Sugarcane may be harmful to the environment. The impact of sugarcane expansion on Brazil's groundwater and potassium in fertilizer could be harmful to Brazilian aquifers. Municipalities, state, federal laws and even federal departments often have opposing views on sustainable agriculture. Many small and midsize sugarcane industries simply break environmental laws. One concern is the environmental sustainability of Brazil's ethanol industry. Brazil's government views ethanol much the way oil-producing nations view petroleum.   September 17, 2007   CattleNetwork.com

Letters: Controlling Growth Can Control Global Warming.   Relatively little attention has been given to the largest factor creating greenhouse gas emissions, which is the immensity of the world's population. If we humans don't manage our growth, no policy will ever be sufficient to solve global warming. A 40% cut in per capita carbon emissions in the developed world by 2050 could be completely cancelled out by population growth. This means that all current efforts at reducing global warming will be futile. We can successfully enhance our global health and we can reduce human population growth but only if done simultaneously. Support legislation that provides funding for comprehensive sex education and family planning. When families have this choice they have fewer children and fully desired children. We must acknowledge the harmful consequences of unchecked population growth. Securing our planet's sustainability and our human survivability go hand in hand. To achieve the best for all generations means limiting our species growth as we also limit global warming.   September 14, 2007   Appleton Post Crescent

Window to Prevent Catastrophic Climate Change Closing; EU Should Press for Immediate U.S. Action.   Consumption of resources is breaking records, disrupting the climate and undermining life on the planet. The trends illustrate the need to check consumption of resources that are contributing to the climate crisis, starting with the U.S., which accounted for over 21% of carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning in 2005. The world is running out of time and it is essential that the international community bring pressure to bear on U.S. policy makers. This summer, the EU had fires in Greece and the Canary Islands, floods in England, and heat waves across the Continent. With a global population of 6.6 billion and growing, the ecosystem services are being stretched to the limit due to record levels of consumption In 2006, the world used 3.9 billion tons of oil and in 2005 produced 7.6 billion tons of carbon emissions. More wood was removed from forests in 2005 than ever before. Steel production grew 10% while primary aluminum output increased to 33 million tons. Meat production hit a record 276 million tons. Expansion of soybean plantations could displace 22 million hectares of tropical forest and savanna in the next 20 years. Many fish species become scarcer - with consumption three times as much seafood per person than in 1950. The expanding world population is endangering organisms on the land and in the sea. The warming climate is undermining biodiversity by accelerating habitat loss. The oceans have absorbed about half of the carbon dioxide emitted by humans in the last 200 years. In 2006, the world experienced more weather-related disasters than in any of the previous three years. It is essential that the international community bring pressure to bear on U.S. policy makers to address the climate crisis. The fastest growth carbon emissions is occurring in Asia, particularly China and India. Denmark and Russia are starting to vie for control over the Lomonosov Ridge, where new sources of oil and natural gas could be accessed if the Arctic Circle becomes ice-free. These actions assume that a warming world is here.   September 13, 2007   Worldwatch Institute

Greenhouse Gases Fueled 2006 US Warmth - Report.   Greenhouse gas emissions pushed U.S. temperatures close to a record high, government scientists reported. The annual average U.S. temperature in 2006 was 2.1F above the 20th century average. Most climate scientists attribute this to greenhouse gas emission, notably from petroleum-fueled vehicles and coal-fired power plants. But other factors also play a role, and U.S. climate scientists wondered if this warmth was due to climate change or to the naturally occurring El Nino. El Nino seemed a logical culprit, and if not El Nino then what? Computer simulations showed, with 90% probability, that human activities contribute to global warming. They compared the simulations for 2006, which included projections of greenhouse gas emissions, with the actual average temperature for the US, and found a correlation, consistent with the greenhouse gas effect. Updated numbers showed last year was 0.08F cooler than 1998. The difference in U.S. average temperatures between 2006, 1998 and 1934 was minuscule.   August 28, 2007   Reuters Alert Net

Norway Debates the Promise, Costs of New Drilling.   In two generations, oil and gas have transformed Norway into an economic powerhouse. But now its citizens and politicians are debating whether it should take advantage of Earth's warming to drill for more oil above the Arctic Circle, knowing that consumption of that oil will accelerate climate change. About 73 billion barrels of oil and natural gas could be trapped in a 1,220-mile-long stretch of the Arctic seabed. The country is the world's third biggest gas exporter and fifth largest oil exporter. Petroleum accounted for 36% of the government's revenue. If Norway holds back, Russia, Denmark, Canada and other countries with Arctic claims could well vie to exploit these resources. Statoil, the Norwegian oil company whose majority owner is the government, said global warming is a problem, but they also feel a need to supply international markets. Government officials say they are committed to reducing Norway's greenhouse gas emissions and will cut emissions by 30% by 2020. While changing climate make it easier to extract oil and gas from beneath the Barents Sea, Norway is pioneering carbon-capture and storage technologies. But some say the government is making a mistake in pushing for energy exploration in a melting ecosystem.   August 21, 2007   Washington Post

US California;: State Reaches Settlement on Gas Emissions.   San Bernardino County will be forced to measure how much it contributes to global warming and cut its emissions in the next 2 1/2 years. Counties across California realize that local decisions about where to allow new subdivisions and how buildings are constructed, are factors in the climate changes. San Bernardino County, is expected to grow by 500,000 people by 2030 and will show how local government can combat oil dependency and climate disruption. The county could make improvements in transport centers, energy-efficient building, and methane recovery to create electricity. San Bernardino County generates about 10 trips per household per day, and more than 84% of the work trips are made by vehicle. It needs people living closer to where they work. The attorney general's lawsuit had raised the ire of local officials, builders and industry groups. In a compromise, lawmakers agreed that by 2010, new rules would spell out how to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions of projects covered by the law. He has sent stern letters to officials in 11 other counties, on their duty to reduce greenhouse gases. The settlement applies only to unincorporated areas of the county and to government operations, not to the county's fast-growing cities. One lawsuit seeks to force the county to keep new homes out of the path of wildfires and decrease sprawl and protect wildlife. San Bernardino is notorious for adopting goals that sound good on paper but result in little benefit.   August 21, 2007   Los Angeles Times

Scientists Warn on Climate Tipping Points.   Scientists predict that the loss of the Greenland ice sheet may lead to catastrophic sea-level rises. If the Greenland ice sheet melted completely, it would raise global sea levels by seven metres. This should take about 1,000 years. But the break-up could happen more quickly, in 300 years. A study identified eight tipping points that could be passed by the end of this century. The destruction of the Amazon rainforest, the melting of the west Antarctic ice sheet, and a collapse of the global ocean current known as the thermohaline circulation. Prof Lenton said the IPCC issued more conservative reports than his team. If you could stabilise the greenhouse gas levels to today's level, you'll still get some further warming. The average temperature rise of just 1C would be enough to slip the Greenland ice over the edge.   August 15, 2007   Guardian (London)

The Cult of Global Warming.   Note from the editor: More ramblings from the name-callers who get their power and glory by trying to shout down the wisdom of 1000s of scientists... Global warming has become the apocalyptic cult of the new millennium. "The World Tomorrow" stunningly depicts ecological end-times in familiar settings. Singapore is demolished by super tornadoes. Fires ravage downtown San Diego, floods drench Central Europe. This enviro-porn compliments the ravings of Global Warming's nuttier acolytes. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raved to the Live Earth audience: "Get rid of all of these rotten politicians we have in Washington, who are nothing more than corporate toadies. The environmentalist canon may be described as Global Warming caused by carbon dioxide emissions is revealed truth. If we don't repent, mankind will be eternally damned. Doubters are monsters and mental defectives. It's time to turn to pig manure and solar power for energy. Michael Crichton described the religion of environmentalism, we are all energy sinners, doomed to die, unless we seek salvation, which is now called sustainability. Facts are irrelevant, Crichton explains. The Earth has regularly gone through hot and cold cycles. A thousand years ago, Viking settlements in Greenland were growing crops. Reid Bryson, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, is a Global Warming iconoclast, and shunned by many of his colleagues. The professor does not doubt the Earth is warming, but there is no credible evidence that it is due to mankind and carbon dioxide," Bryson told a reporter. "Speaking out against global warming is like being a heretic," Bryson declares. A study in the journal Science analyzed ancient tree rings from 14 sites on three continents in the northern hemisphere and concluded that temperatures in an era known as the Medieval Warm Period some 800 to 1,000 years ago closely matched the warming trend of the 20th century. We're in a mild, erratic natural warming cycle that will gradually return us to the finest weather pattern in all recorded history. The polar ice caps will not melt, and the sea level will continue to rise very slowly. But this is an inconvenient truth for the Church of CO2 Emissions. In the '50s and '60s, it was the military/industrial complex. Then came overpopulation. Now birthrates are falling worldwide, and well below replacement levels in most industrialized nations, And now we have the Church of Global Warming, under the leadership of Pope Albert I and his cardinals (the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and editorial board of The New York Times). As science, Global Warming ranks right up there with the Piltdown Man and the gay-gene theory. All of the left's quasi-religions seek to take us to a state of rigid control, central planning, rationing, pre-industrial living standards and flagellation to purge us of our sins. Brits have to limit childbearing, the Optimum Population Trust insists. If they won't do so voluntarily, the government should adopt coercive measures - which in China has meant forced abortions and sterilizations, and infanticide. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
The scientific consensus is clearly expressed in the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environmental Programme, IPCC's purpose is to evaluate the state of climate science as a basis for informed policy action, primarily on the basis of peer-reviewed and published scientific literature (3). In its most recent assessment, IPCC states unequivocally that the consensus of scientific opinion is that Earth's climate is being affected by human activities: "Human activities ... are modifying the concentration of atmospheric constituents ... that absorb or scatter radiant energy. ... ost of the observed warming over the last 50 years is likely to have been due to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations" http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/306/5702/1686 The author does not dispute that there is global warming - just that it is caused by humans. If we follow the advice of the author - can afford to be wrong?   July 31, 2007   FrontPage magazine.com

Sri Lanka;: Breeding Food Crops to Take Advantage of Rising Atmospheric CO2.   There is concern that it will be difficult to feed the expanding human population of the planet without taking more land and nearly all available freshwater This could lead to the extinction of plant and animal species. The fertilization effect of the rise in the atmosphere's CO2 can boost the yields of current crop varieties and help avert this disaster. The authors grew 16 genotypes of rice under standard paddy culture with adequate water and nutrients, from May to August and from November to March within open-top chambers maintained at either the ambient or an elevated CO2 concentration. They found that the CO2-induced enhancement of the grain yields of the 16 different genotypes ranged from +4% to +175% in the yala season and from -5% to +64% in the maha season. The results demonstrate the significant variation in the response to increased atmospheric CO2 of yield and suggest that types responsive to elevated CO2 may be selected and produce new rice varieties which would be higher yielding in a future high CO2 climate. To avert the catastrophe foreseen by the scientists will require that the breeding programs be initiated as soon as possible.   July 31, 2007   CO2 Science Magazine

Study Links More Hurricanes, Climate Change.   The number of hurricanes each year has doubled over the past century, tied to global warming. Researchers found that average hurricane numbers jumped during the 20th century, from 3.5 per year in the first 30 years to 8.4 in the earliest years of the 21st century. Atlantic Ocean surface temperatures increased .65 degrees. The extent to which this can be blamed on human activities has been the subject of scientific debate over the past two years. The new study drew criticism from experts who dispute the merits of combining data from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with statistics gleaned from more modern technology. "They're saying there's a long, upward trend of the last 100 years in tropical storms. All the data I have looked at show that's not the case," says scientist William Gray a critic of the view that human-induced greenhouse gases drive climate and hurricanes, 19th-century data "is just not that good." While 2006 was a quiet year for hurricanes, with five storms, 100 years ago it would have been considered a very stormy year and 20 years ago, it would have been an average year.   July 30, 2007   USA Today

G.E. Unveils Credit Card Aimed at Relieving Carbon Footprints.   G.E. will introduce the GE Money Earth Rewards Platinum MasterCard, which allows cardholders to forgo a 1% cash rebate and earmark that amount for projects that reduce greenhouse gases. Each Earth Day GE will use the total to buy offsets of greenhouse gas emissions. GE says it is in a position to help people make a difference through their purchases. Environmentalists are not quite as sure. G.E. supplies parts for coal-fired plants, so its credit card offsets emissions it helps create. At myearthrewards.com, the new card's Web site, consumers can calculate their carbon footprint and read tips for reducing it, like buying items that G.E. sells. G.E. is an investor and indirectly a manufacturer of alternative energy devices. G.E. says it is supporting only projects that have been certified by third parties to be effective. The venture first will buy offsets from projects that capture methane from landfills and coal mines. Later, it will add reforestation and alternative energy projects. The card will have no annual fee and will charge interest of 12.99% to 18.99%. If someone charges $750 each month, 1% would offset the activities that yield the 10 metric tons of greenhouse gases that G.E. says a consumer produces each year on average. G.E. is is spurning paper applications, insisting that people apply online or by phone. MasterCard, will sponsor the card and may help G.E. set up arrangements to automatically pay recurring bills. There are similar credit cards available in some parts of Europe. A research group, Redefining Progress, formed a company called Cooler, which is to soon unveil a shopping site that has arranged for about 350 vendors, including Wal-Mart, to purchase carbon credits to offset the greenhouse gases resulting from the manufacture and use of items purchased through the site.   July 25, 2007   New York Times*

Study Confirms Connection Between Human Activity and Increased Rainfall.   For the first time, climate scientists have detected the human fingerprint on changing global precipitation patterns over the past century. Comparing rainfall from 1925 to 1999 the team found that 50% to 85% of rainfall increase at latitudes north of 40 degrees, was connected to human activity. The study pinned increased rain in the 30 degrees of latitude south of the equator on fossil-fuel use in the Northern Hemisphere; latitudes up to 30 degrees north of the equator are getting dryer. That will have economic impacts, and impacts on food production, and could ultimately displace populations.   July 24, 2007   The Vancouver Sun

Solar Variations Not Behind Global Warming: Study.   Solar variations over the past 20 years should have had a cooling effect, scientists said. Their findings add to the evidence that human activity lies behind rising average world temperatures. Over the past 20 years, the trends in the sun that could have influenced Earth's climate have been in the opposite direction to that required to explain the rise in global temperatures. Most scientists say greenhouse gases are the prime cause of the current warming trend. The estimate is that temperatures would rise 1.8 to 4.0 degrees Celsius (3.2 to 7.8 Fahrenheit) this century.   July 11, 2007   Reuters

Agency Takes First Step to Protect Emperor Penguin and 9 Others.   The Fish and Wildlife Service took the first step toward declaring the Emperor penguin and nine other species as needing the protections of the Endangered Species Act. The service said it had evidence to begin a review of the 10 groups of penguins, to determine the rates of decline and their possible causes. One possibility is commercial fishing, when birds are caught in nets, or when the fishing provides competition for their prey. Other factors include habitat loss, predators and climate change. The penguins may join a list of species, including polar bears and two corals found off Florida, whose survival is deemed at risk in part because of the increasing warmth of the atmosphere and oceans. The lists include 568 foreign species. The US government's ability to protect them is largely limited to working in partnership with other governments or international groups. A news release said the Emperor penguin colony featured in the 2005 film “March of the Penguins” has declined by more than 50% because of global warming. Krill has declined by as much as 80% since the 1970s over large areas of the oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. The 10 species named include the African and Humboldt penguins, as well as southern and northern rockhoppers and the macaroni, white-flippered, erect-crested, fiordland-crested and yellow-eyed penguins. The Galapagos penguin is already under the protection.   July 09, 2007   New York Times*

A Global Response to Climate Change.   It wasn't until the Second World Climate Conference took place in 1990 that it was recommend that negotiations begin to create an international treaty to deal with increased emissions of greenhouse gases. A document came into effect on March 21 1994, after the required 50 ratifications by the same number of nations. Humanity had a framework of reference under which the governments would be cooperating to apply new policies and programs that would have a wide reaching effect on the way that human beings live and work. The signatory nations aim to stabilize the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere at a level that blocks the dangerous human interferences upon the climate system. The principle came from the need to allow the ecosystems to adapt to the climate change, while maintaining food production and sustainable economic development. Since climate change is a global challenge, the industrialized nations should go ahead with the first steps to face this problem. Castro said “consumer societies are responsible for the destruction of the environment. They arose from imperialist policies which engendered the backwardness and poverty which today afflicts the vast majority of mankind. They have poisoned the seas and rivers, polluted the air, saturated the atmosphere with gases which are changing weather conditions. In 2004, the developed nations produce 57% gross domestic product and generated 46% of the global emissions. Fundamental responses in climate change are the reduction of the emissions and the absorption of those emissions. Also actions to reduce the vulnerability facing the impacts of climate change. Only the industrialized nations have specific commitments, and the underdeveloped nations have general commitments that are common to all parties. The developed nations would adopt policies limiting or reducing their emissions without quantified commitments. In 1995, it was recognized that those commitments were insufficient. Thus the Berlin Mandate was adopted, which began a process that would establish quantified commitments of reduction of greenhouse gases. The Kyoto document established legally binding commitments for the industrialized nations. The Kyoto Protocol took effect on February 16, 2005. The US has refused to ratify it, and Australia has taken the same position. The Kyoto Protocol would only contribute to reduce the average global increase of temperature between 0.02 and 0.28 degrees Centigrade. Reality indicates that instead of being on track towards a solution, the problem is actually worsening. Between 1974 and 2004 the global emission covered by the Kyoto Protocol increased by 70%. The ones with the highest increases where in the energy producing sector (145%) transportation (120%) and industry (65%). The emissions will continue growing during the coming decades, with a projected increase between 25% and 90% in the emission of those gases between the years 2000 and 2030. Any initiative should recognize the responsibility of the industrialized nations.   July 08, 2007   Periodico 26 (Cuba)

Capping Greenhouse Gases.   Durham ranks above the national average in amount of greenhouse gases generated per person. Durham unveiled its proposed Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Local Action Plan that details local sources and amounts of pollutants and offers solutions for curbing them. The plan recommends that by 2030 local government should reduce its emissions by 50%; residential, commercial and industrial sectors, 30%. Without these cuts, Durham will emit more than 10 million tons of greenhouse gases annually. The county paid a Canadian consulting company, ICLEI, $55,000 for the inventory and plan. If approved Durham would be the first county in North Carolina to adopt such a measure. The reductions must occur as the county's population is expected to increase by 25% by 2030. "We have to cut greenhouse gases against the backdrop of population growth," says Rob Jackson, biology professor at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. "Like a diet, it takes discipline. It takes a group of people to keep the topic in front of City Council and the community all the time." The plan calls for a sustainability coordinator, who would educate the public about energy conservation and monitor progress toward meeting reductions. The city and the county would fund the position, and each has allocated $50,000 to implement the plan. The sustainability coordinator is only as effective as local government, he should coordinate land use, transportation, trees and recycling into the greenhouse gas plan. In addition to car and truck emissions, electricity usage, much of it generated from coal, is Durham's main culprit. And the city, is wasting millions of dollars on energy costs that could go toward efficiency and conservation. Many energy-saving measures have not been implemented nor are there many incentives for energy efficiency. Durham County and Duke University have built or retrofitted seven facilities to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, the national certification for green building. The City of Durham has no LEED-certified buildings. A lack of money and direction eight years ago put Durham behind in its emissions reductions. We need a mandatory plan as soon as possible.   July 05, 2007   The Independent Weekly

U.S.;: New Tactic Against Rapid Growth.   The California Attorney General brought a lawsuit against San Bernardino County accusing the county of not considering the impact of rapid growth on global warming. This came only days after the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club and the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society filed lawsuits over the same issues. The County's plan projects more homes and traffic as the county's population, now 1.7 million, climbs to 2.6 million by 2030. Both the state and environmental groups say they want to see the county look at how its growth policies will affect global warming. We think the county can take some very reasonable, steps to deal with that issue. County planners said they were a victim of timing, approving their general plan update only months after the state adopted a law aimed at reducing greenhouse gases by 25% by 2020. The County Board of Supervisors has responded by boosted the amount of money it is spending on legal fees defending the plan to $325,000. Many counties experiencing fast growth but failing to plan for the increase in emissions. Counties need to do more to reduce the environmental impact of burgeoning communities. The largest county San Bernardino encompasses more acreage than the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island combined! County planners said that the plan includes policies to help counter the effects of growth, but the state provides no standards for measuring or reducing greenhouse gases.   July 03, 2007   Davickservices.com News for Public Officials

Five More Die as Southeast Europe Sizzles.   Four more Romanians have died from a heatwave, raising the region's death toll from the past few days to at least 30. In western Turkey, a 60-year-old man died in hospital as temperatures there hit 111.2F. Turkey reduced working hours for state officials and urged the elderly and children to stay at home, out of the heat. This was Greece's hottest June ever, with more emergency calls. By contrast, northern had severe flooding, caused by torrential rain, which killed a 68-year-old man and a teenager in Sheffield and a man in his 20s in Hull. Southeastern Europe was suffering a drought, even before the latest heatwave. Grain producers say Romania might have to import a million tonnes of wheat to cover a domestic shortfall. In Ukraine, the government has imposed limits on grain exports for three months in an attempt to keep down bread prices.   June 27, 2007   Plantet Ark

Climate Change and Energy.   There is increasing worldwide acceptance that mankind bears the main responsibility for accelerating global warming. Civil society and some governments appear to be more aware of the threats posed by global warming and the action to curb greenhouse gas emissions and offset their impact. In Britain, David Cameron has proposed rationing individuals to a single short-haul flight each year, with any further trips attracting progressively higher taxes. Critics say that this would penalize business travellers, holidaymakers and the tourist industry. The aviation industry is overtaxed, costs would simply be passed on to the consumer, with no pressure for the industry to develop cleaner and more efficient technologies. But the airlines are willing to adapt. American Airlines, for example, has limited the paint used on its aircraft to reduce weight and fuel consumption, simply to keep operating costs down. Virgin Atlantic has a policy of reducing environmental impacts and announced its intention to explore with Boeing the introduction of biofuels. Delta Airlines has launched a plan to give passengers the option of donating an additional US $5.50 per domestic round-trip ticket to The Conservation Fund. Travellers can do their bit by purchasing carbon credits to support deforestation and clean energy projects. Biofuels offer significant possibilities as alternatives in the energy matrix. A new approach could also include the integration of carbon credits into studies in the formulation of projects. The challenge is to develop, diversify and expand our energy supply in as competitive and efficient a manner as possible, whilst maintaining environmental equilibrium and sustainability.
Karen Gaia says: Biofuels take food out of the mouths of hungry people. Except for recycled cooking oil, and there is a limited supply of that.   June 12, 2007   Stabroek News

U.S.;: Bill Aims to Block Emission Reduction.   States would be blocked from imposing new requirements on automakers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under a draft energy bill. It would prohibit the head of the EPA from issuing a waiver needed for a state to impose auto pollution standards if they are "designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions." California has been battling the EPA for 2 years over a state law that would require automakers to reduce emissions by 25% from cars and 18% from SUVs by the 2009 model year. The state needs the EPA waiver before the law can be implemented. Other states said they would follow California's lead if the waiver is granted. A provision would bar such a waiver for any action aimed at climate-changing greenhouse gases. A committee member said the bill would "pre-empt the rights of states to set strong standards to save energy and reduce global warming pollution." The bill addresses a broad range of energy issues. It calls for expansion of the production of alternative motor fuels including liquefied coal to 35 billion gallons a year by 2025. It requires automobiles to increase fleet-wide fuel economy to 35 mpg and requires them to make 85% of their new cars capable of running on 85% ethanol blends by 2020. Henry Waxman said the legislation would "strip states of their existing authorities" in dealing with emissions. "The intent is to tie EPA's hands when it comes to establishing greenhouse gas standards," said Frank O'Donnell of Clean Air Watch.   June 05, 2007   Rutland Herald

Abuse and Incompetence in Fight Against Global Warming.   The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which is to offset greenhouse gases emitted in the developed world by selling carbon credits from elsewhere, has been contaminated by gross incompetence, rule-breaking and possible fraud by companies in the developing world. there may be faults with up to 20% of the carbon credits sold. These are used by European governments and corporations to justify increases in emissions, and malpractice has added to the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. This is with companies that validate and verify the projects in the developing world. Three have failed spot checks. One expert calculates that one third of the projects registered in India do not produce any cuts in greenhouse gases and were wrongly approved. The findings on one company, which has validated dozens of projects and millions of tonnes of carbon reductions, were so bad that the board considered suspending it and called for a new regime of surveillance of their work. Some errors are serious, including conjuring up numbers when projects on the ground failed to provide them; giving a green light to commercial projects which make no contribution to reducing greenhouse gases; and approving existing projects which cannot claim to be part of the drive to cut emissions.   June 05, 2007   Guardian (London)

UN: Global Warming Will Change the Lives of Millions.   As the Earth warms, hundreds of millions of people worldwide will be affected by melting snow covers, ice and glaciers. Water supplies for drinking and agriculture will be impacted, while rising sea levels will affect low-lying coasts. The findings are relevant to people living in the tropics and temperate climes, and in cities from Berlin to Brasilia and Beijing to Boston. Up to 1.5 billion people are dependent on water from rivers influenced by the melting of snow and ice. About 300 million are expected to be critically dependent on snow and ice melting in periods with low precipitation. In Central Asia, Peru and Chile, large land areas are completely reliant on melting water from snow and glaciers. Small Island Developing States and small coastal communities in the Arctic are already experiencing the impacts of the changes. The culture and living conditions are threatened. As ice thaws, there is the danger of higher levels of methane being released. Rising temperatures are creating and expandung existing lakes which are releasing bubbles of methane. Less snow and sea ice means that more of the sun's heat will be absorbed by land and polar oceans, and will speed up global warming. Sustainable polar tourism policies and programs are urgently needed. In the Arctic, tourists have grown from about one million in the early 1990s to more tham 1.5 million today. In Antarctica, the number of ship-borne tourists increased by 430% in last 14 years and the number of land-based tourists is up by 757% in last 10 years. Management practices and infrastructure have not kept up with the rising number of visitors who put pressures on land, wildlife, water and basic necessities. Visitors can also bring in conservation revenue. In the Antarctic, efforts should be continued to ensure that commercial activities will not impact on securing Antarctica as a natural reserve. In the Arctic, what is needed is to provide open access to information, and implement pilot projects that will contribute to a more sustainable tourism. Ships using heavy fuel oils are now banned from visiting the protected areas on the east coast of the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Circle. Norway intends to nominate Svalbard for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The waters surrounding Svalbard are inhabited by large populations of seabirds and marine mammals, and are vulnerable to oil spills. On Svalbard is one of the last true wilderness areas, with an almost intact natural ecosystem. All new activities will be assessed on their pressure on the natural environment and cultural heritage. In these areas it will be almost impossible to have oil spill response equipment in the case of a major spill of heavy fuels. Spills of lighter fuel oils typically have smaller and more transient effects on the environment. Ships sailing inside Svalbard's eastern nature reserves will not be allowed to carry more than 200 passengers. This measure will limit the number of tourists going ashore on various sites, and ensure that disturbance of wildlife and other environmental impacts are kept at low levels.   June 05, 2007   Environment News Service

Carbon-Emissions Culprit? Coal.   A review shows differences in states' contribution to climate change through burning of coal to produce electricity. Wyoming's coal-fired power plants produce more carbon dioxide in eight hours than the power generators of Vermont do in a year. Texas cranks out more than the next two biggest producers combined, California and Pennsylvania, which have twice Texas' population. In Alaska, the carbon dioxide produced per person by all the flying and driving is six times the per-capita amount in New York state. Washington state ranked 30th for total carbon-dioxide emissions, and 43rd for carbon-dioxide emissions per capita. National emissions dipped slightly last year, because of mild weather. The states putting out the most carbon dioxide are doing the least to control it, except for California. Some coal-burning states are providing electricity to customers beyond their borders, including Californians. Wyoming is the largest exporter of energy. The refineries of Texas and Louisiana fuel an oil-hungry nation. On a per-person basis, Wyoming spews more carbon dioxide than any other state: 276,000 pounds per capita a year, thanks to burning coal. Idaho emits the least carbon dioxide per person, less than 23,000 pounds a year. Idaho relies mostly on nonpolluting hydroelectric power from its rivers. Texas, belches almost 1 ½ trillion pounds of carbon dioxide yearly. That's more than every nation in the world except the United States, China, Russia, Japan, India and Germany. North Dakota cranks out 68% more carbon dioxide than New Jersey, which has 13 times North Dakota's residents. Californians have cut their emissions by 11% from 1990 to 2003, Nebraskans have increased their emissions by 16% over the same time. Wyoming, North Dakota and Alaska say numbers in their states are skewed because of their small populations. But Vermont, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia are similar in size and have 1/12 the emissions of Wyoming. Burning coal accounts for half of America's electricity. But it's unfair to pin blame on the coal-using states. Coal-fired generation is the most economical, way to produce power. Outlawing such plants would have little overall impact globally. Emissions from generating electricity account for nearly 40% with transportation emissions contributing about 30%. States with mass transit come out cleaner than those that rely solely on cars, trucks and airplanes, such as Alaska that ranked No. 1 in per-person emissions for transportation. Alaska's sheer expanse requires a lot of air travel. And Anchorage ranked No. 2 in air-cargo traffic.   June 03, 2007   The Seattle Times

Global-Warming Myths.   The debate on global warming is burdened with unfortunate misconceptions. One is that "draconian measures" would be required to mitigate global warming but this is not so. A program would include four strategies: increased energy efficiency, coal mitigation including use of solar, wind, geothermal, and perhaps nuclear power, and carbon capture and sequestration for coal-fired power plants, the development of new biofuels and reversal of deforestation. These strategies can stabilize greenhouse gases at acceptable levels and costs. We need to start reducing emissions now. The choice between draconian measures and passing the "tipping point will be impossible to avoid climate change. A cap-and-trade system sets a cap on total emissions and distributes permits to emit to market participants who must buy allowances if they don't have enough, and may sell them if they have an excess. Such a system has helped reduce emissions from power plants in the United States. But it is too hard to figure out the economic and environmental effects. A politically acceptable compromise might take a long time and fail to achieve reductions. Performance standards would directly regulate the pollutants from new sources, and mandate greater efficiency for new appliances and buildings. Performance standards can be implemented right away. They would result in major emission reductions over time and could be complemented by a cap-and-trade system.   June 2007   Technology Review May/June 2007

US California;: State Acts to Limit Use of Coal Power.   The California Energy Commission forbid municipal utilities in the state from signing new contracts with coal-fired power plants. The move is a step toward reducing the contribution of California to global warming. California, with the strictest pollution laws in the nation, has largely phased out coal-fired generators. But the state still buys 20% of its electricity from coal-fueled power plants in other states. The DWP buys 47% of its power from two coal-fired plants in Utah and Arizona that are major sources of greenhouse gases. Those contracts expire in 2017 and 2027. and they cannot be renewed unless those plants find a way to pump their emissions underground. Nor can cities that own their utilities forge new contracts with coal-fired generators, or gas-fired plants that lack pollution controls. The DWB board has hiked the agency's renewable energy supply from wind farms and other sources from 3% to 8%. The state's action will help increase the amount of renewable power to 35% of the city's energy portfolio by 2020. The city expects only a moderate increase in electricity rates, about 1.4% over the next five years. Environmental groups hailed the restrictions on power purchasing and is a first step in carrying out the goals of the Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires the state to reduce greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020. It will prevent utilities from locking in long-term contracts for dirty power. The maximum emissions for municipal and private utilities are 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour of electricity. California's rules may not prevent the construction of coal-fired plants that are in the planning stages. But they would have to lower their emissions to sell power to California. The energy industry is pinning its hopes on a technology that would pipe gases into underground repositories. But the feasibility of this technology have not been determined. If other states adopt California's approach, it will make renewable energy more competitive with cheap coal. But the DWP has a long way to go. Los Angeles gets the bulk of its electricity from coal. Its solar program remains underfunded, understaffed and poorly designed. But the potential is there.   May 23, 2007   Los Angeles Times

Climate Change May Force Mass Migration.   A report based on latest UN figures says conflict, large-scale development projects and widespread environmental deterioration will make life unsupportable for hundreds of millions of people, mostly in the Sahara belt, south Asia and the Middle East. Climate change is the unknown in this equation; about 155 million people are known to be displaced now by conflict, natural disaster and development projects. This figure could be augmented by 850 million, as more people are affected by water shortages, sea level crises, deteriorating pasture land, conflicts and famine. Figures are uncertain, but the lack of knowledge must not lead to a neglect of what can be done now, by reducing global poverty. By 2080, 1.1 -3.2 billion people would be experiencing water scarcity, 200-600 million, hunger and 2-7 million a year, coastal flooding. Western governments are increasingly aware of climate change as a security issue. It was an underlying factor in the Darfur crisis with the potential to escalate many other conflicts. A staggering number of people are being pushed aside to make way for large-scale development. About 25 million have been displaced by conflict and human rights abuses, 25 million by natural disasters, and 105 million by large development projects, with 8.5 million classed as refugees. By 2050, twice as many people could be displaced by conflict and natural disasters, but 250 million could be permanently displaced by climate change-related phenomena and 645 million by development projects. Between now and 2050 a total of 1 billion people will be displaced from their homes.   May 22, 2007   The Hindu

Australia;: Our Pollution Shame.   Per capita emissions in Australia in 2004 were 4.5 times the global average and just below the US. Carbon dioxide emissions are the main driver of climate change and have accelerated at faster than expected. Nearly eight billion tonnes were emitted globally in 2005, against six billion tonnes in 1995. Whales, dolphins and porpoises are threatened by rising sea temperatures. The loss of icy polar habitats and the decline of krill populations have become critical. Fossil fuel use had become less efficient and the problem was exacerbated by increasing population. The US and Europe accounted for more than 50% of total accumulated global emissions for 200 years. In the past 25 years, the average growth rate of Australian emissions was about twice that of the US and Japan and five times that of Europe. Australia was determined to meet Kyoto targets, even though the nation had not signed up to the agreement. The Government would soon start a $4.1 million advertising campaign promoting energy efficiency. Monash Sustainability Institute interim director said the response to climate change here and overseas was arrogant, and "there is no sign that the world is turning around the growth of carbon dioxide emissions".   May 22, 2007   The Courier-Mail

Global Carbon Levels Spiraling.   Fueled by rapid growth in coal-reliant China, from 2000 to 2004 carbon dioxide emission from industrial sources increased over three times the rate during the 1990s. Carbon dioxide, released when coal, oil and natural gas burn, is a major "greenhouse gas." We have rapid economic growth powered on traditional carbon-emitting sources. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted to produce something in an economy, dropped worldwide after 1980. It shot up after 2000 in high-growth China and stalled elsewhere. In February, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted a 7.2 degree rise in surface temperatures by 2100 if the world pursues growth reliant on fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide is responsible for about half of the 1-degree increase in surface temperatures attributable to human activities in the past century. Countries are using more energy, and no region is decarbonising its energy supply. The world is burning more coal than ever, it is abundant and cheap but much dirtier than other fossil fuels.
Karen Gaia says: It won't be abundant forever - about 40 years.   May 22, 2007   USA Today

How Condoms Could Save Planet.   Having a large family should be regarded as an eco-crime, just like leaving lights on, making unnecessary car journeys and throwing away plastic shopping bags. It claimed having a third child increases a family's carbon footprint by the equivalent of 620 return flights between London and New York. The Optimum Population Trust (OPT) said a lower birth rate would cut carbon dioxide emissions and warned that each UK citizen creates nearly 750 tonnes of carbon dioxide in a lifetime. Stopping at two children was the most effective strategy for tackling climate change. Based on a "social cost" of carbon dioxide of £42.50 a tonne, the climate cost of each Briton was roughly £30,000. This would put the cost of a projected 10 million increase in the UK population at more than £300bn. A condom for 35p therefore represented a "spectacular" potential return. The most effective personal climate change strategy is limiting the number of children. The most effective national and global climate change strategy is limiting the size of the population.
Karen Gaia says: Since the U.K. already has a low birth rate, I see little point in targeting families.   May 08, 2007   The Times

Aussie Cities Facing Big Dry Water Shortages.   Australia faces the most extreme climate change as millions of city dwellers try to cope with water shortages. The government has declared that farmers will receive no irrigation water from July in Australia's most fertile region if the country's drought continues. Water restrictions have been imposed across the continent and scientist Tim Flannery says the problem will only get worse. Brisbane and Adelaide would run out of water by the year's end unless the so-called "Big Dry" ended. It is the most extreme and dangerous situation arising from climate change facing any country. If there are no flows in the river system, Adelaide has only 40 days' worth of water left in storage. The drought, which has lasted a decade in parts of the country, has slowed Australia's growth by an estimated 0.75% as crops have fallen 62%. Many farmers have been forced off the land and counselling services have reported unusually high levels of suicide in rural areas. Children have water conservation messages from an early age at school and householders face hefty fines, or can have their water disconnected, if they are found to be wasting water. The Great Barrier Reef has been badly damaged by bleaching linked to rising ocean temperatures. Australia's tourism industry will be hit by a reluctance by holidaymakers to take the polluting, long-haul plane flights that are the only practical way to reach Down Under. Authorities are also considering culling some of the feral camel population after dromedaries "mad with thirst" rampaged through a remote desert community. The drought could drive Australia's koalas to extinction within a decade. Prime Minister John Howard said there would be no water for farms in the Murray-Darling river basin unless the drought broke soon. Covering more than one million square kilometres the Murray-Darling basin is the country's largest river system, almost three times bigger than Japan and four times larger than Britain. It produces more than 40% of the nation's agricultural produce, worth A$10bn a year. The Murray-Darling supports half the nation's sheep flock, a quarter of the cattle herd and three-quarters of irrigated land. We'll never prove it's climate change until after the event but a lot of farmers have said this drought has the fingerprints of climate change all over it.   May 02, 2007   The Peninsula

Arctic Ice Melting Much Faster Than Predicted.   Arctic Ocean ice is melting faster than predicted. 18 climate models underestimated the extent of sea-ice decline by a factor of three, on average. The IPCC report projects that the Arctic Ocean will retain ice year-round until about 2050, after which it will be ice-free during the summers. The models underestimate the effect of ocean currents carrying ever warmer water into the Arctic Ocean from the Atlantic and Pacific. All the models make it clear that human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide and other atmosphere-warming gases are a major factor in Arctic melting. The findings ratchet up concerns for Arctic wildlife and the livelihoods of Arctic residents. The finding is another indicator that earlier predictions about the impact of global warming weren't overly alarmist. Most of the estimates are occurring at an accelerated rate.   May 01, 2007   National Geo