23
Ex-EPA official says White House pulled rank.
A former EPA official contradicted congressional testimony by EPA's administrator on a key global warming decisions, saying the White House ordered the blocking of California's bid to regulate vehicles' tailpipe emissions.
Washington Post.
23 July 2008
Saharan sun could power European supergrid.
Vast farms of solar panels in the Sahara desert could provide clean electricity for the whole of Europe, according to EU scientists working on a plan to pool the region's renewable energy.
London Guardian.
23 July 2008
Uprising against the ethanol mandate.
The governor of Texas is leading a coalition seeking to waive the federal ethanol mandate because of costly grain.
New York Times.
23 July 2008
Don't offset your CO2 emissions, retire them.
At the age of 25, Dan Lewer is going into retirement -- carbon emissions retirement that is. Lewer is co-founder of a new online carbon offset company called Carbon Retirement, which launched on July 15.
Reuters.
23 July 2008
In the push for alternative energy, what happened to geothermal?
Geothermal energy, which has been heralded by some scientists over the years as a rich untapped resource, has garnered much less attention than other alternative energy sources, particularly from politicians.
US News & World Report.
23 July 2008
State is first to ok green building standards.
California became the first state in the nation to approve green building standards for all new construction, a move that officials say will help the state meet its ambitious goals to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
San Francisco Chronicle.
23 July 2008
Warming world 'drying wetlands'.
Scientists warn that if the decline of the world's wetlands continued, it could result in vast amounts of carbon being released into the atmosphere and "compound the global warming problem significantly".
BBC.
23 July 2008
Health report to get 'low-profile' release.
The Conservative government is planning a quiet release for a major Health Canada report that warns of the harmful impact of climate change on the health of Canadians, particularly the young, elderly and aboriginals.
Toronto Globe and Mail.
23 July 2008
The killer oceans: What really wiped out the dinosaurs?
Scientists now think rising sea-levels were to blame for the demise of the dinosaurs – and they could threaten our survival too.
London Independent.
23 July 2008
Arctic lakes show warming.
Global air and water temperatures are inching up, causing seas to warm and expand, and polar ice to melt. Alaska is warming more quickly than lower latitudes, so scientists at Toolik Lake can observe changes from global warming here first.
Raleigh News & Observer.
23 July 2008
Unique fossil discovery shows Antarctic was once much warmer.
A new fossil discovery is the first of its kind from the whole of the Antarctic continent.
Asian News International.
23 July 2008
At Shore, jellyfish seek rivers, bays.
Jellyfish are increasingly making their way into bays and rivers on the Jersey Shore, stinging swimmers and chasing some from recreational spots they had used for decades.
Philadelphia Inquirer.
23 July 2008
French firm cashes in under U.N. warming program.
A French chemical maker's experience shows that even a major Western industrial company can reap billions of dollars - more than all the clean-air projects in Africa - from a pollution-trading program aimed at helping poorer countries.
Wall Street Journal.
23 July 2008
New California law allows cities to give loans for energy-saving improvements.
Berkeley and Palm Desert are pioneering the effort to let homeowners and businesses borrow at low interest rates to pay for solar panels, high-efficiency air conditioners and other upgrades.
Los Angeles Times.
23 July 2008
Chinese pollution powers up demand for green technology.
China recently overtook the United States as the world's biggest carbon polluter, but in a nation known for its dirty technology, a surprising business trend is emerging - green entrepreneurs.
United Press International.
23 July 2008
Wind power: A reality check.
High-profile personalities have been telling the nation to ditch that dirty fossil fuel and turn to renewable energy.
CNN Money.
23 July 2008
But exactly where will you plug it in?
General Motors Corp. can see the future, too, and so can utilities. They have begun to think seriously about the electric car and whether people will become as obsessed with finding outlets as they are with finding low pump prices today.
Chicago Tribune.
23 July 2008
Pickens sees answer to energy crisis in the wind.
The billionaire oilman and onetime corporate raider says the U.S. must wean itself from foreign oil, and he's betting some of his fortune on harnessing domestic energy alternatives.
Los Angeles Times.
23 July 2008
Six 'environmentally friendly model cities' chosen to lead cuts in CO2.
The government said Tuesday it has selected Yokohama and five other municipalities as "environmentally friendly model cities" as part of efforts to lead the world in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Kyodo News.
23 July 2008
Will greener planes fly?
Can planes fly on jet fuel made from something that's cheaper than oil and that leads to lower greenhouse-gas emissions?
Slate.com.
23 July 2008
West Virginia doing little about gas prices, report says.
West Virginia is among the states doing the least to protect its residents from high gas prices and has not adopted incentives for driving hybrid vehicles, vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards, or idling restrictions.
Charleston Gazette-Mail.
23 July 2008
Cartoonists use humour to tackle climate change.
Cartoonists from over 50 countries have shown that barbed humour can be a powerful weapon in the fight to halt global warming.
London Guardian.
23 July 2008
Japanese town blazes trail in clean energy.
In the mountains of northern Japan, wind, sun and even cow dung are being turned into electricity as part of efforts to turn a whole town into an experiment in renewable energy use.
Agence France-Presse.
23 July 2008
Reduced-emissions plan is under way.
San Bernardino County is taking a fresh look at curbing greenhouse gases.
Redlands Daily Facts.
23 July 2008
Saying goodbye to the grid.
A proven air-clearing money-saving scheme is attracting global focus.
Sydney Morning Herald.
23 July 2008
Pond life fuels bio research.
The University of Queensland's Ben Hankamer is engineering algae to produce biofuels such as hydrogen and biodiesel oils, and investigating whether this process can be used to sequester carbon.
Sydney Australian.
23 July 2008
Vote gives state air-quality flexibility.
A Maine legislative committee, amid criticism that it may be ignoring the intent of the General Assembly, voted 7-6 on Tuesday to give state environmental officials wider discretion on a new regional air-quality law.
Bridgeport Connecticut Post.
23 July 2008
Population time bomb ticking on emissions.
A two-thirds cut in household greenhouse gas emissions would still not achieve Federal Government carbon targets because the population is growing too fast, a study into immigration policy and climate change contends.
Sydney Morning Herald.
23 July 2008
Green Streets project reduces carbon footprint and energy bills.
Families taking part in a greener living experiment have made big cuts in their carbon footprint, managing to reduce their energy use by 30 per cent and CO2 emissions by 20 per cent
London Daily Telegraph.
23 July 2008
A recession will give ecological development a new life.
The economic downturn could benefit communities and the environment by offering an opportunity to rethink development.
London Guardian.
23 July 2008
Missouri gas use hits four-year low.
Missourians are cutting back on driving because of high fuel prices, lending support to an environmental group's study showing the state is more vulnerable than most to cost increases at the pump.
Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian.
23 July 2008
Colorado ranks high among states weaning themselves off oil.
It may not seem apparent at the pump, where local motorists are spending $50 or more for a tank of gas, but Colorado ranks high among states doing the most to wean themselves from oil addiction, according to a study released Tuesday.
Colorado Springs Gazette.
23 July 2008
Welcome to Eco Ave -- greenest street in Scotland.
Since launching a competition across the UK six months ago to cut energy use against seven other streets, Colinton Mains Green in Edinburgh has reduced its use of electricity and gas by almost 20 per cent.
Edinburgh Scotsman.
23 July 2008
Draughty British companies waste US$5 bln - survey.
British businesses are wasting 2.5 billion pounds (US$4.99 billion) a year in energy bills swollen by inefficiencies such as draughty windows or leaving lights and computers on, the Carbon Trust said on Tuesday.
Reuters.
23 July 2008
Liberals to stall on carbon emissions trading scheme.
Kevin Rudd faces a delay in the introduction of his carbon emissions trading system until after the next election, with Brendan Nelson vowing last night that the Coalition will not accept a start-up date before "2011 at the earliest".
Sydney Australian.
23 July 2008
New Jersey looks to cut greenhouse gas.
New Jersey state officials held their last public hearing Thursday for the forthcoming New Jersey Energy Master Plan that outlines state renewable-energy goals, and they have seen a wealth of support for the plan.
Wall Street Journal.
23 July 2008
EPA decision making is criticized.
A former EPA official stepped up criticism of a decision by the EPA's chief to deny California's request to implement its own, tougher regulations on automotive greenhouse-gas emissions, a denial that he said appeared to be the result of pressure from the White House.
Wall Street Journal.
23 July 2008
T. Boone Pickens says U.S. must rely less on foreign oil.
T. Boone Pickens, a longtime Republican partisan, and Al Gore, the former Democratic vice president, don't agree on much when it comes to politics. But Mr. Gore's global-warming awareness campaign has set a bar for Mr. Pickens' own effort to sound alarms about the dangers of depending on foreign oil.
Dallas Morning News.
23 July 2008
Bush wants lower royalties levied on oil shale.
The Bush administration on Tuesday proposed charging energy companies that want to squeeze oil out of vast shale deposits in the West lower royalties than what they pay for drilling on other federal lands, including offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska.
Associated Press.
23 July 2008
Gore gets behind emission measure.
Former vice president Al Gore has endorsed a bill that would require sharp reductions in carbon emissions in Massachusetts.
Boston Globe.
23 July 2008
Climate change unavoidable.
The Cabinet will soon have to take some major and very difficult decisions about a future economic model for South Africa when a study on how the country can mitigate the long-term impacts of climate change is presented to it, says Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk.
Cape Argus.
23 July 2008
On the front line of climate change.
Universities should have a formal role in developing the new low-emissions technologies and training the interdisciplinary professionals required to help the country cope with climate change, Ross Garnaut is advising the Government.
Sydney Australian.
23 July 2008
No time limit on carbon permit revenue pledge: Swan.
Wayne Swan has declared his pledge to use "every cent" in revenue raised through the emissions trading scheme to help assist households and business will continue for the life of the Rudd government.
Sydney Australian.
23 July 2008
Climate ads are wasteful propaganda: Joyce.
A taxpayer-funded advertising campaign on climate change is a wasteful "propaganda piece", says Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce.
Australian Associated Press.
23 July 2008
Union wants money, jobs for carbon reduction.
A union representing coal and power industry workers is demanding proceeds from the Government's emissions trading be invested in renewable energy to create new jobs to replace those that will be lost.
Sydney Morning Herald.
23 July 2008
Indian PM says nuclear vote will help millions.
India's government Wednesday celebrated a victory it said would help bring millions out of poverty, after winning a vote that clears the way for a controversial nuclear deal with the United States.
Agence France-Presse.
23 July 2008
Firm touts Alberta coal-to-liquids plant.
A small Calgary company on Tuesday proposed Canada's first coal-to-liquids (CTL) plant in northwest Alberta.
Calgary Herald.
23 July 2008
Oil exec pushes Congress on renewable energy.
Members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee held hearings on the future of energy security Tuesday where they heard testimony from an unlikely voice in the debate: billionaire oil tycoon and founder of Mesa Petroleum, T. Boone Pickens.
Cedar Rapids KCRG.
23 July 2008
Plug-in hybrids generate buzz in San Jose.
Once known only to a small group of devotees, the ultra-high-mileage cars have generated enough buzz to draw about 650 people to a plug-in conference in San Jose Tuesday.
San Francisco Chronicle.
23 July 2008
Ineos unveils household waste-to-ethanol process, plans commercial plant.
Ineos says within two years it plans to begin the commercial production of ethanol, which could be used to fuel vehicles, derived from biodegradable household waste.
Chemical Week.
23 July 2008
Tulsa World: Pickens touts energy from wind.
Boone Pickens, the billionaire Texas oilman, told a U.S. Senate panel that dependence on imported oil threatens national security.
Tulsa World.
23 July 2008
World Bank criticized on environmental efforts.
The World Bank and its partners need to do a far better job of considering the environmental effects of projects they finance in poor countries, its internal review group said.
New York Times.
23 July 2008
World Bank overstated money for environment - report.
The World Bank overstated its commitment to environmental projects since 1990, possibly by billions of dollars, an internal watchdog group reported on Tuesday.
Reuters.
23 July 2008
Tons of groceries end up in the rubbish bin.
A staggering 587,000 tons of food waste is thrown out by Scottish households every year, which equates to a third of all the food we buy.
Glasgow Daily Record.
23 July 2008
Government to clean up toxic landfills near capital.
The Government is stepping in to tackle the massive task of cleaning up six sprawling landfill sites on the edge of the city, where years of uncontrolled dumping are threatening to lead to widespread pollution.
Abu Dhabi National.
23 July 2008
'Green Initiatives' introduced.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has teamed up with the private sector to kick off the ''Green Initiatives'' programme to help maintain a balance between tourism promotion and environmental protection.
Bangkok Post.
23 July 2008
Indian nuclear vote 'to help millions'.
India's government has cleared the way for a controversial nuclear deal with the United States, which it says could help bring millions out of poverty.
Agence France-Presse.
23 July 2008
Bush rejected EPA advice on California air-quality waiver, whistle-blower says.
The Environmental Protection Agency told the Bush administration that by law California should be able to set air-quality standards tougher than federal law, but President Bush rejected the advice and made clear he wanted a single national standard.
Sacramento Bee.
23 July 2008
Maine energy plan readied.
Saying the nation is "dangerously dependent" on foreign oil, a report presented Tuesday to Gov. John Baldacci calls for a series of energy-reducing efforts.
Associated Press.
23 July 2008
Dominion to announce cleanup plans for Salem power plant.
Tomorrow's meeting between power plant owner Dominion and state regulators has been shrouded in drama and mystery.
Salem News.
23 July 2008
Oregon plots strategy for combating invasive species.
State officials have identified 20 new insects and snails that have arrived in Oregon since 2007.
Portland Oregonian.
23 July 2008
California green energy proposal has thin support.
Awareness is low, but 63 percent of those who had a view on it favor a California ballot measure that would require half the state's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2025
Reuters.
23 July 2008
