Climate Change Newsletter - August\'s issue of 2008

Wind \'can produce over 25% of EU electricity by 2030\'

Wind energy could easily provide for more than one fourth of the EU\'s electricity by 2030 provided that wind farms are better connected to existing electricity grids and that a new grid to exploit the offshore wind industry is built, according to a stakeholder action plan detailing research and political priorities for the sector.

http://www.euractiv.com/en/energy/wind-produce-25-eu-electricity-2030/article-174606

Hydrogen economy sustainable in 15 years

But pursuing a range of alternatives would cut carbon emissions sooner, an NRC study says. With substantial investments, hydrogen could become a competitive fuel within 15 years, but the fastest way to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles will be to pursue a wider “portfolio” of new technologies, a panel of experts asserts.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/34210/title/Hydrogen_economy_sustainable_in_15_years_

Renewables and energy efficiency could plug the \'energy gap\'

Energy experts say renewables and energy efficiency could plug the \'energy gap\'.

If the Government is serious about renewables and energy efficiency, Britain doesn\'t need to build major new power stations to keep the lights on. That is the conclusion of a new report by independent energy experts Pöyry for WWF and Greenpeace.

http://www.wwf.org.uk/news/n_0000005256.asp

France braces itself for busy green agenda   

The French EU Presidency has outlined how it intends to make progress on the massive package of pending EU climate and energy legislation as pressure mounts on the Union to show leadership on global climate policy ahead of a key UN meeting in Copenhagen next year.

http://www.euractiv.com/en/climate-change/france-braces-busy-green-agenda/article-174281

21 US cities will measure and disclose their CO2 emissions

Twenty-one US cities, including New York and New Orleans, have announced they will measure their greenhouse gases emissions, in a joint effort to seek ways to halt and reverse global warming.The cities will resort to a measuring system for CO2 and other greenhouse gases already in used by some 1,300 companies worldwide who voluntarily disclose their emissions.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080811/tsc-us-britain-environment-economy-warmi-e123fef.html

Picking a Green Candidate

What are the key environmental issues facing the next president of the U.S.? Global warming is unquestionably the most pressing environmental issue facing whoever ends up in the White House in January 2009. Not only does climate change impact—and in most cases exacerbate—other environmental problems, it has even wider implications for the economy and society at large. Luckily for all of us, both Barack Obama and John McCain are committed to tackling climate change, although their proposed approaches differ in significant ways.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=picking-a-green-candidate

Bush administration wants changes to Endangered Species Act

The administration of US President George W. Bush has proposed revisions to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) so that the law can not be used to regulate the emission of greenhouse gases. The new regulations would reduce reviews by government scientists that have been mandatory whenever federal agencies propose projects such as dams or highways that could threaten endangered species.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080812/tsc-us-environment-climate-animals-e123fef.html

Report warns of Canadian oil sands climate risks

The rush to exploit Canada\'s heavy tar-sand oil, which necessitates more energy to recover than conventional oils, could significantly increase global risks of dangerous climate change, warns a new report by the WWF and the Co-Operative Financial Services (CFS), a UK financial group.

http://www.euractiv.com/en/energy/report-warns-canadian-oil-sands-climate-risks/article-174693

Green energy help for poor: Poorest targeted with energy-saving schemes

Ministers are examining a raft of green energy measures, including bringing forward a £2.75bn home insulation programme funded by energy companies, to protect Britain\'s poorest from the impact of rising gas and electricity prices.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/aug/04/energy.householdbills?gusrc=rss&feed=environment

Warmer weather produces more intense rainfall: study

US and British researchers have confirmed the link between warmer climate and an increase in powerful rainstorms, according to a study released Thursday that underscores one of the challenges of global warming. The researchers even found that the increase of extreme rainfall was higher than what has been predicted in current computer models, according to the study published in the journal Science.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080808/tsc-us-environment-climate-warming-e123fef.html

Scientists to assess Beijing Olympics air pollution control efforts

As the Summer Olympics in Beijing kicks off this week, the event is giving scientists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe how the atmosphere responds when a heavily populated region substantially curbs everyday industrial emissions. http://esciencenews.com/articles/2008/08/08/scientists.assess.beijing.olympics.air.pollution.control.efforts

Sunrise on China\'s First Carbon-Neutral City

This seaside city aims to reduce--and eventually eliminate--greenhouse gas emissions through a circular economy. This seaside resort city facing Japan and Korea across the Yellow Sea takes its name from an ancient poem, ri qu shien zhao, or first to get sunshine. More than 2.8 million residents enjoy that early sunshine (even if Gisborne in New Zealand is actually the first to see the sun in the morning) as well as a gentle sea breeze and a host of water sports. But Rizhao is also among the first—ahead of the rest of China and most cities in the world—to pledge to become carbon neutral, that is, to balance the amount of greenhouse gases it emits through industry and other human activities with the amount of greenhouse gases it eliminates.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=sunrise-on-chinas-first-carbo-neutral-city

NASA Data Show Some African Drought Linked to Warmer Indian Ocean

A new study, co-funded by NASA, has identified a link between a warming Indian Ocean and less rainfall in eastern and southern Africa. Computer models and observations show a decline in rainfall, with implications for the region\'s food security. http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/indian_ocean_warm.html

Buildings That Can Breathe

A green designer says we need to save energy by making our architecture more efficient. Architect William McDonough draws his green-building techniques from the world around him. His most ambitious project, a redevelopment of the Ford Motors complex in Dearborn, Mich., incorporates a living roof that features nearly 11 acres of vegetation to purify storm water and provide natural air conditioning. NEWSWEEK\'s Fareed Zakaria spoke to him about energy efficiency in architecture, the future of environmental design and the possibility of eliminating all industrial waste from the planet.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/151732

Energy Invention: Keeping an open mind

Solar, wind, ocean, geothermal energy: All good stuff, but it’s likely that there are still more clean energy possibilities out there yet to be discovered and even further from being commercialized. We have to keep an open mind on those possibilities, not close it up. The human race is not done inventing quite yet.

http://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/nrgs2008/20080065.html

Wildfires May Improve Forests\' Ability to Sequester Carbon

When saving trees means less carbon storage. Wildfires wreaked havoc across southern California last year, resulting in billions of dollars in irreparable damage. Not surprisingly, land managers and agencies this season have mobilized fire crews and equipment to stop the flames before they spread. In the meantime, however, researchers studying the amount of carbon that forests and vegetation harbor have stumbled on a finding that presents an added quandary to fire management: suppressing fires means that less carbon is stored in trees.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=wildfires-may-improve-forests