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Australian PM Urges More US Climate Change Action
August 19, 2008
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd urged the United States on Tuesday to take more action on climate change and become more involved in the global debate on the issue
West Africa: Flooding in Region Puts Lives at Risk, Says UN Health Agency
August 20, 2008
International aid is urgently needed to reduce the risk to millions of lives in danger across West Africa due to the effects of flooding, the United Nations health agency warned today.
No need for nuclear, Government says
August 20, 2008
NUCLEAR power is important for other countries, but not for energy rich Australia, Resources Minister Martin Ferguson says.
East Africa: Pastoralists Need Help on Climate Change
August 19, 2008
Pastoralists in East Africa's arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) need to be empowered to adapt to, and survive, climate change, a report by a humanitarian organisation says.
Mauritius: The Butterfly Effect
August 19, 2008
It's been gaining in popularity in recent times. Climate change has, in effect, been giving credibility to the Butterfly Effect, which posits that a minor change in one part in a system can unleash major changes in another part of the system. This phenomenon is all the more apposite if one adheres to the Gaia hypothesis. This philosophy affirms that the totality of Earth's organisms and their environment act as a "single, self-regulating system". Accordingly, small changes can upset the whole planet.
Ghana: Climate Change And Maritime Security
August 19, 2008
HMS ENDURANCE is undertaking an important deployment to West Africa to highlight the effects of climate change and the importance of maritime security.
Namibia: Another Cold Front Coming
August 19, 2008
Southern Namibia will be hit by a cold front this weekend, the Windhoek Weather Bureau warned yesterday.
Nigeria: Flood Submerges 150 Houses in Sokoto
August 19, 2008
No fewer than 150 houses have been submerged by flood in Bela village, Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Africa: Maasai 'Can Fight Climate Change'
August 19, 2008
Africa should make more use of the skills of its nomadic peoples to help combat the challenges of climate change, the aid agency Oxfam says.
Tanzania: Dar to Spend $2 Million On New Weather Radar This Year
August 19, 2008
The Tanzania Meteorology Agency will spend $2 million to purchase a new weather radar to improve forecasting, monitor changes and impending disasters such as drought and floods.
Cameroon: Heavy Rains Paralyse Buea
August 19, 2008
They came down in fast blinding sheets, drumming hard on rooftops and whipping at the vegetation.The rains set off floods that practically wrecked the better part of the day. Buea was transformed into a delta with what began as rivulets swelling into swirling streams, while runoff littered with garbage gurgled down the gutters.
£40K awards on offer for green SMEs
August 19, 2008
Small businesses are being offered the chance to win awards of up to £40,000 to help fund innovative ideas to tackle climate change.
Remanufacturing has role in war on waste
August 19, 2008
Shoe-horned somewhere between reuse and recycling, remanufacturing sits uncomfortably in the standard waste hierarchy.
Non-domestic BREEAM standard to be launched
August 19, 2008
With autumn fast approaching, certification body BRE Global is gearing up to launch the latest addition to its stable of sustainable building standards.
How catching cold mountain air could save Europe's glaciers
August 19, 2008
A German geography professor has developed a controversial system of mountain "wind-catching" screens which he claims could slow or even halt the dramatic rate at which Europe's glaciers are melting.
Biotechnology is not the only solution
August 19, 2008
Biotechnology is only one of a set of approaches needed to solve the world's problems, says an editorial in Nature Biotechnology.
Shipwrecks On Coral Reefs Harbor Unwanted Species
August 19, 2008
Shipwrecks on coral reefs may increase invasion of unwanted species, according to a recent US Geological Survey study. These unwanted species can completely overtake the reef and eliminate all the native coral, dramatically decreasing the diversity of marine organisms on the reef. This study documents for the first time that a rapid change in the dominant biota on a coral reef is unambiguously associated with man-made structures.
Getting To The Root Of The Matter
August 19, 2008
A number of current issues related to water availability and climate change are giving impetus to new research aimed at roots and their functioning. The research is producing new experimental methods, data acquisition and theoretical understanding. Recently, scientists from the US Salinity Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, assembled a collection of new research in the form of 13 papers that are published as a special section of the August issue of Vadose Zone Journal.
New Climate Record Shows Century-long Droughts In Eastern North America
August 19, 2008
A stalagmite in a West Virginia cave has yielded the most detailed geological record to date on climate cycles in eastern North America over the past 7,000 years. The new study confirms that during periods when Earth received less solar radiation, the Atlantic Ocean cooled, icebergs increased and precipitation fell, creating a series of century-long droughts.
Drier, Warmer Springs In US Southwest Stem From Human-caused Changes In Winds
August 19, 2008
Human-driven changes in the westerly winds are bringing hotter and drier springs to the American Southwest, according to new research from the University of Arizona in Tucson. Since the 1970s the winter storm track in the western US has been shifting north, particularly in the late winter. As a result, fewer winter storms bring rain and snow to Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, western Colorado and western New Mexico.
Renewable targets won't drop - Wong
August 19, 2008
THE Federal Government says it has no plans to scrap or soften the renewable energy target (RET) for businesses, despite complaints from industry groups that it will lead to higher costs.
Climate change may raise blood risk
August 19, 2008
CLIMATE change could threaten the safety of blood used for life-saving transfusions, Australian experts have warned.
Sustainable agriculture gets Irish Aid
August 18, 2008
Eight international agricultural centres working to achieve sustainable food security and help farmers deal with the consequences of climate change have received Euro 4m from Irish Aid.
Ireland 'could lead marine energy sector'
August 18, 2008
Ireland could become a leader in marine energy, according to the US ambassador.
More U.S. States Cooking Up Renewable Energy Incentives
August 18, 2008
Wisconsin Governor's task force calls for feed-in tariffs; South Carolina tests net metering; New York expands net metering, green building legislation.
Zimbabwe: 'Carry Out Regular Technological Assessments'
August 18, 2008
Industries in Zimbabwe should carry out regular technological needs assessments to ensure the type of machinery they are using is efficient and friendly to the environment, an official said on Friday.
East Africa: Climate Change Pushing Pastoralists to Survival Mode
August 18, 2008
Pastoralists – among the most marginalised groups of people in East Africa – could adapt to climate change and support others in the face of unpredictable weather, but are continuing to be ignored, according to Oxfam.
Nigeria: Country Loses N20 Billion to Flood Annually
August 18, 2008
Director of Erosion, Flood Control and Coastal Management, Federal Ministry of Environment, Alhaji Baworu Yahaya has said the nation loses about N20 billion annually to flood.
Somalia: Floods Raze Livestocks in Northern District
August 18, 2008
Heavy flooding rains in Warsheikh locale of Togdher northern Somalia have devastated hordes of domestic animals belonging to pastoralists.
Nigeria: Flood Sacks 500 in Babura
August 18, 2008
At least five hundred people were rendered homeless and properties worth millions of naira destroyed when flood, occasioned by torrential rainfall, ravaged Babura, a town in Jigawa state over a period of two days from Friday.
South Africa: Africa Investor Partners Unido On Investment Summit
August 18, 2008
Africa Investor, an international investment research and communication group, on Wednesday announced that it will partner with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), to co-host an Africa Investment Climate Summit and CEO Forum at the Hilton Hotel, Durban, South Africa in October.
Rwanda: Empowering the Youth to Meet Tomorrow's Challenges
August 18, 2008
The theme for this year's International Youth Day was, "Youth and Climate Change; Time for Action." The selection of this theme clearly indicates that climate change has already begun to devastate communities particularly in the developing world. Today the problems of hunger, floods and poverty continue to bite.
Cameroon: International Youth Day - 'Youth And Climate Change: Time For Action'
August 18, 2008
On International Youth Day, let us recognize the potential of youth in tackling the greatest challenges of our times. From eliminating extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV, young people are a dynamic force for positive change.
Climate Change: An Urgent Case for Altering our Practices
August 18, 2008
Although it seems that businesses of all types are at or nearing a tipping point in terms of concern about their environmental impact, we may also be on the verge of ecological tipping points that make drastic action all the more necessary.
Cataloguing Invisible Life: Microbe Genome Emerges From Lake Sediment
August 17, 2008
Scientists have taken a sample of Lake Washington mud and successfully sequenced a complete genome for an unknown microorganism. Their method provides a way to discover new microscopic life in complex communities.
Sell uranium to India - Robb
August 17, 2008
SELLING uranium to India would help to reduce international greenhouse gas emissions, Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Andrew Robb says.
Chip fat rally heads for Athens
August 15, 2008
In a challenge that gives a whole new meaning to the term "fast food", ten rally teams are attempting to drive from London to Athens powered by waste cooking oil that participants will have to scavenge from restaurants and burger bars.
Experts Urge Industry To Broaden Carbon Footprint Calculations
August 15, 2008
Carnegie Mellon University researchers are urging companies to embrace new methods for following trail of dangerous carbon emissions.
Climate myths: Global warming stopped in 1998
August 15, 2008
Even if the atmospheric temperature near the earth's surface has become cooler recently, that doesn't mean the planet as a whole isn't heating up
EU Carbon Credits 'Undervalued'
August 15, 2008
The price of carbon credits trading in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme dropped by as much as 25 percent during the last month, but an EU research company warns the credits are undervalued and will likely rally in the mid-term.
Uganda: 100,000 Trees Planted Countrywide
August 15, 2008
A total of 100,000 species of tree seedlings have been planted in six districts countrywide in a move to mitigate the impact of climate change.
West Africa: Flood Relief Efforts Continue
August 15, 2008
Disaster relief teams have fanned out across West Africa to assess how badly the region was hit during the past month of heavy rains.
South Africa: Government Has to Make a Clean Break With Past
August 15, 2008
ENVIRONMENTAL Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus Van Schalkwyk described SA's new government plan to mitigate climate change as "progressive, ambitious and far-reaching".
West Africa: Adebayor Rescues Ghanaians in Togo
August 15, 2008
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has dispatched food and medicine worth US$100,000 to Ghanaian populated towns in Togo ravaged by last week's floods.
Chile shows a great potential for renewable energies
August 15, 2008
According to a study, the non conventional renewable energies could supply up to 40% of the energy demand in Chile by 2025.
Current climate models 'ignoring brown carbon'
August 15, 2008
Scientists say that atmospheric models must be updated to incorporate the effects of brown carbon particles.
Djibouti: Access to Food Halved
August 14, 2008
Access to food in Djibouti has been cut by more than 50 percent because of reduced availability and rising prices, according to a humanitarian official.
U.S. Could Halve Fuel Consumption by 2035: Report
August 14, 2008
The U.S. could feasibly halve its gasoline consumption if the country switched to hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles by 2035, according to a new MIT report. For too long, automakers have focused on improving performance at the expense of efficiency.
From Sprawl to Smart Growth: Sacramento as a Case Study
August 14, 2008
Mike McKeever, the executive director of the Sacramento Council of Governments, talks to GreenBiz Radio about implementing the area's widely praised smart growth strategy and how smart growth is changing how businesses plan their own growth.
Developers take on Peterborough zero-carbon challenge
August 14, 2008
A consortium of developers is set to build a zero-carbon neighbourhood in the centre of Peterborough.
