Climate News Live
Recently in General Category
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080911150048.htm
Normally, discussion about climate change and global warming generates images of ice melting. As glaciers disappear, hurricanes surge and tides rise, warming is observed through various examples of hotter water. But as scientists have studied in Antarctica, ice that remains intact is the key to many understandings of what is occurring to the Earth's atmosphere. The ice filled region of the South Pole contains ice cores, which are accumulations of ice and snow over a period of several years. Within the ice cores is relevant information that indicates the levels of important greenhouse gases with each time in history. Scientists have been using ice cores to analyze the global carbon cycle and climate for 70,000 years and have found more evidence to link climate change to increased carbon dioxide levels.
In the last Ice Age, as during most of Earth's history, levels of carbon dioxide and climate change are intimately linked. Carbon dioxide tends to rise when climate warms, and the higher levels of carbon dioxide magnify the warming, Brook said. These natural cycles provide a "fingerprint" of how the carbon cycle responds to climate change.
In contrast to the relatively low levels of carbon dioxide in the Ice Age, the burning of fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution has led to levels of greenhouse gases that by comparison are off the charts. The level of atmospheric carbon dioxide today is about 385 parts per million, or more than double that of some of the lower levels during the Ice Age. These changes have taken place at a speed and magnitude that has not occurred in hundreds of thousands of years, if not longer. Past studies of ice cores have suggested that Earth's temperature can sometimes change amazingly fast, warming as much as 15 degrees in some regions within a couple of decades.
While the ice cores are not melting, they are providing alarming evidence that the present levels of greenhouse gases are troubling. With these observed correlations, scientists have further proof that their predictions of a warming climate are correct. By their estimations, it appears that a continuously hotter Earth is inevitable if nothing is done to reduce the climbing levels of carbon dioxide.
Science Daily; September 15, 2008
Submitted by K. Rutherford
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/05/20/cmethical20.xml
Investing in climate change is proving to be profitable for governments, corporations, and investors from many sectors. Governments recent subsidies towards energy-efficient programs is bringing in newfound wealth for investors. In addition, the rising price of oil have been influential in pushing investments towards alternative energy sources. CEO's are taking charge in ways that were unforeseen.
"Eight years ago, there were around 350 companies to choose from in this sector," says Christie at BlackRock. "Now there are around 1,100. These companies are also growing up – a large number already have a competitive product and are profitable."
Christie estimates that, as little as four years ago, only around 30 percent of the companies in the BlackRock portfolio were making a profit. Now that figure is 90 percent.
There are is no one way to profit from climate change. Corporations are finding innovative strategies to reap the benefits of climate change from government subsidies and consumer demands.
Daily Telegraph: May 20, 2008
submitted by M. Lamarre
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/05/20/cmethical20.xml
Investing in climate change is proving to be profitable for governments, corporations, and investors from many sectors. Governments recent subsidies towards energy-efficient programs is bringing in newfound wealth for investors. In addition, the rising price of oil have been influential in pushing investments towards alternative energy sources. CEO's are taking charge in ways that were unforeseen.
"Eight years ago, there were around 350 companies to choose from in this sector," says Christie at BlackRock. "Now there are around 1,100. These companies are also growing up – a large number already have a competitive product and are profitable."
Christie estimates that, as little as four years ago, only around 30 per cent of the companies in the BlackRock portfolio were making a profit. Now that figure is 90 per cent.
There are is no one way to profit from climate change. Corporations are finding innovative strategies to reap the benefits of climate change from government subsidies and consumer demands.
Daily Telegraph: May 20, 2008
submitted by M. Lamarre
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5790122.html
Citing its impact on food prices, Texas Senator introduces legislation to freeze corn-ethanol fuel standard. While its consideration is unlikely, there is increased attention being paid to the long-term impacts of the renewable fuel standard.
Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison wants to freeze the amount of ethanol produced from corn. The senior senator from Texas filed a bill that would keep production of corn-based ethanol at this year's level of 9 billion gallons. A law passed last year requires that amount increase annually reaching 15 billion in 2015 and 36 billion by 2022. Hutchison says the requirement is a big reason for this year's rising food prices. Senator John Cornyn of Texas and Republican presidential nominee John McCain are co-sponsors.
The Houston Chronicle; May 19, 2008
Submitted by J. Andrews
Britain's international project to help poor countries deal with climate change is facing heavy criticism for requiring those countries to pay them back with interest. The UK's environment transformation fund allocated 800 million dollars to help poorer nations deal with droughts and storms in 2007. However, more developed countries are surprised to hear that those funds will not come in forms of grants, as expected, but loans that have to be paid back with interest.
"We need urgently to prepare for climate change, but we are not in a position to pay back loans," said a spokesman for the Bangladesh high commission (embassy) in London. "The climate situation has not been created by us. The money should come spontaneously from rich countries and not be a loan."
The United States, Brazil, and Toby Quantrill, head of international government at WWF have all expressed concerns about having poor countries pay back loans when they are already in debt. "It should be grants and not loans, otherwise developing countries will have to pay twice, once for the emissions that caused the problems and then again to clean up the mess," said Tom Sharman, a policy adviser with ActionAid in London.
Gulf Times; May 18, 2008
Submitted by M. Lamarre
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/48238/story.htm
Without a doubt, nuclear energy is one of the more controversial topics in energy and politics. Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee running for President, is a big advocate of drastically increasing the number of nuclear power plants in the United States. On the Democratic side, Sen. Barack Obama likes nukes as well, though he doesn’t feel the federal government should provide subsidies for building these new non-carbon-dioxide-emitting sources of electricity. Sen. Hillary Clinton is the most reserved of the three, preferring renewable fuels because of nuclear power's safety and disposal concerns.
Nuclear energy accounts for about 20 percent of US electricity supply, a figure that could rise if regulations on carbon dioxide emissions are imposed, making greenhouse gas emission-free nuclear plants more attractive.
There are 104 operating nuclear reactors nationwide.
The key roadblock to new US nuclear plants has been finding a home for nuclear waste. Congress designated Yucca Mountain, 90 miles (145 km) from Las Vegas, to be the nation's waste repository, but the site is years behind schedule and may never open because of powerful opponents like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not issued a new nuclear plant license since the mid 1970s and utility companies have balked for years at constructing new sites because of concerns about plant safety and cost overruns.
The proliferation of nuclear energy in the United States while denying developing nations like North Korea and Iran the same power sources seem hypocritical, but some argue that our advancement of nuclear science can help us aid these nations in ensuring they don't use nuclear material for weaponry. It seems the true future of nuclear power economically, politically, and climatologically will be decided in November 2008.
Planet Ark; May 7, 2008
Submitted by B. Shapiro
http://news.smh.com.au/world-may-be-heating-quickly-scientist/20080507-2bul.html
Studies done by CSIRO and Victoria University shows that climate change is worse than what some scientists expected, as warmer-than-expected weather is predicted for the future. However, the news is not all bad because the cumulative actions taken to reduce emissions by 2050 may benefit the world citizens in 2100.
Climate change is happening faster than predicted and the world could be as much as seven degrees hotter by the end of the century, a CSIRO scientist says.
New Australian research showed current policies did not go far enough to manage the risks posed by climate change, according to Dr Roger Jones, a climate risk analyst with CSIRO's energy transformed flagship. Global action was needed by 2015 to adequately reduce those risks, he said.
Developing nations and commodity-producing nations such as Australia are expected to increase their share of greenhouse gas emissions as their economies mature.
The Sydney Morning Herald; May 7, 2008
Submitted by M. Lamarre
