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Green-News: Wednesday 3.4.09

Posted on March 4, 2009 by Gerald Pugliese

Clean coal. Do you believe it? I have my doubts. How can releasing carbon dioxide into the air, along with other pollutants, be clean? That’s why Academy Award-winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen cooked up this commercial bashing clean coal; via Gaiam Life.

A clean technology fund developed by the Bush administration to promote coal operations in the developing world is being criticized for supplying cash to coal power stations with meager emission standards. Activists want the money put to better use; from NewScientist.

NASA’s satellite designed to map Earth's carbon dioxide levels never hit orbit, shortly after launch it crashed into the ocean. The glitch occurred just after takeoff. Losing the $280 million satellite is a major setback for global climate research; Space.com reports.

Some crackpot affiliated with an institute that was given hundreds of thousands of dollars by ExxonMobil, says rising carbon dioxide levels are not a problem, we shouldn’t worry and that millions of years ago the planet was just fine with a lot of carbon; via Earth First.

One researcher insists Switzerland’s abnormally cold winter and record snow depths are no reason to doubt climate change, saying weather patterns are largely influenced by natural atmospheric pressure, but humans do influence weather events; SwissInfo.ch investigates.

The European Union is still confident president Obama will set ambitious mid-term goals for reducing greenhouse gases. The United States has pledged to cut emissions by 80% by 2050, but hasn’t set intermediate goals, worrying some E.U. leaders; from the AFP.

Image credit: ThisIsReality.org

Tags: Green Living, carbon dioxide, climate change, coal, global warming, greenhouse gas

Green-News: Thursday 1.8.09

Posted on January 8, 2009 by Gerald Pugliese

New York City is getting hip to wind energy. A new five-story apartment building in the Bronx will be partly powered by wind, generating electricity for lights, hallways, elevators and other common areas. Mayor Bloomberg has already supported putting turbines atop skyscrapers; The New York Times reports.

And New York State has adopted clean air rules stricter than EPA’s. Under the rules new industrial plants in New York, as well as existing plants that wish to ramp up operations, must install state-of-the-art pollution controls. Companies claim this will interfere with business; via the Associated Press.

Hong Kong has major pollution issues. In fact, 1 in 5 residents are considering leaving the city due to poor air quality, which would leave the local economy in disarray. And just last year air pollution reached it worst levels ever. But, the city has yet to introduce new air quality standards; from the AFP.

Later this month, Japan’s space agency will launch a satellite to monitor greenhouse gases around the world. The satellite will solve the problem of being unable to track emissions from developing countries. NASA plans to launch a similar probe to measure carbon dioxide; Reuters investigates.

Australia's military warns global warming and rising sea levels around Pacific nations could cause conflict over resources. Officials say fallout from climate change acts as a threat multiplier. And this tension could spread to bickering over undersea oil and gas deposits in the Arctic; the AFP explains.

South Australia has put the kibosh on plastic shopping bags. Even 100% degradable plastic bags are out! As of May 4 retailers using any form of plastic bags will be fined $5,000 AUD and if bag suppliers try to peddle shopping bags to retailers, they could face fines of $20,000 AUD; from TreeHugger.

Tags: Green Living, climate change, greenhouse gas, natural resources, oil, wind power

Green-News: Wednesday 12.17.08

Posted on December 17, 2008 by Gerald Pugliese

Rain might be a drag. But it’s an untapped source of energy, until now. Designer Sang-Kyun Park has invented an LED umbrella, powered by falling rain. The drops react with the umbrella made out of polyvinylidene fluoride (PDVF), energizing a series of LED lights; inhabitat investigates.

NY is cracking down on bags. Starting to January 1, 2009 a new law will require stores with more than 10,000 square feet of retail space or are part of a chain with 5 or more locations to collect and recycle plastic bags and provide bins for bag recycling; SustainableBusiness News explains.

Junk mail is a waste. I hate it! So here’s a cool idea. For $20, GreenDimes makes it easy to opt out of big mailing lists. And, to sweeten the deal, when you join, they plant 5 trees, claiming that combined effort of planting and saving trees is like growing your own tiny forest; from GreenDaily.

Some people doubt climate change is real. But Rence Sore, the Permanent Secretary of Environment, Conservation and Meteorology, believes the writing is on the wall. Saying our coasts are eroding, seas are yielding less fish and gardens grow less food; via The Solomon Star.

More on global warming, researchers have determined glaciers in Greenland are losing ice faster this year than last year. And last year was already a record-setting loss. Experts claim the floating ice coming off the glaciers could cover an area twice the size of Manhattan Island; ENN reports.

Recently the European Union agreed to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions. But Russia may not participate in the plan if it goes against their interests. Russia’s current strategy is to lower emissions 30% below 1990-levels and then reduce them more by 2020; more from ENN.

Tags: Green Living, climate, climate change, global warming, greenhouse gas, plastic

Green-News: Monday 12.15.08

Posted on December 15, 2008 by Gerald Pugliese

Mexico pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050, making it one of the few developing countries to set such a goal. They’ll use solar power, wind power and other clean technologies to meet the mark. Officials hope other countries follow; via the Associated Press.

The U.N. will allocate millions of dollars to help poor nations reduce emissions and adapt to climate change conditions, like droughts and floods. The money will come from a 2% levy on investments industrial nations make on green projects worldwide; from the Associated Press.

More global warming news, the E.U. has reached a unanimous agreement on the “20-20-20” climate package. Under the plan, nations will decrease greenhouse emissions by 20% by 2020, make 20% energy savings and increase renewable energy usage by 20%; the AFP reports.

While some large corporations, such as IBM and Dell, are improving operations to reduce greenhouse gases, many U.S. companies are “largely ignoring” the problem. Out of a possible grade of 100, the median score was 38. IBM scored 79 and Dell scored 77; more from the AFP.

The EPA has launched its list of the “Most Wanted” environmental fugitives. Violators include a man who dumped his tanker truck into Little Beaver Creek in Ohio. And a father and son team who illegally imports cars into the U.S. that do not meet emission standards; via DiscoBlog.

A disgraced tanker captain in South Korean was sentenced to 18 months in jail and fined $13,990 for criminal neglect when his ship caused the country’s worst oil spill, causing $500 in damages and polluted a wide expanse of shoreline. The spill destroyed the oyster business; from ENN.

Tags: EPA, Green Living, emissions, greenhouse gas, oil spill

Green-News: Thursday 12.4.08

Posted on December 4, 2008 by Gerald Pugliese

Nuns of the Conventus of Our Lady of Consolation in the U.K. are going green, inspired by a saint’s vision of a world living in light. They’ll be moving into a solar-powered monastery with rainwater harvesting, woodchip boiler and other eco-innovations; The Guardian reports.

Either fish are very depressed or all our antidepressants are winding up in oceans and waterways. I’m guessing the latter. Chemists have found Wellbutrin, Celexa, Prozac, Zoloft and other medications in waters downstream of water treatment facilities; via Discoblog.

And more bad news, the Whitehouse has approved regulations allowing coal mining debris to be dumped into nearby streams and valleys. Environmental groups are upset, claiming this ruling will accelerate the destruction of mountains, forests and streams; The New York Times explains.

At a U.N. conference on climate change in Poland, environmentalists criticized the U.S. and other rich nations for not making commitments to curb greenhouse gas emissions. And speakers cite a lack of trust between the developed and the developing word; The Associated Press reports.

Back to coal, Greenpeace activists were briefly arrested in Denmark for attempting to board a cargo ship carrying South African coal to Denmark. Protestors contend it’s outrageous that a small country like Denmark burns 8.3 tons of coal every year; the AFP investigates.

Here’s more protesting. This time 10,000 German metal workers came out against the European Union’s plans to combat climate change, which they feel will hurt their industry. Last year 27 members of the E.U. agreed to a 20% reduction in emissions by 2020; more from the AFP.

Tags: Green Living, Greenpeace, coal, environmentalist, greenhouse gas, solar

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