Climate change, ecology, nature, environment, eco-friendly politics, non-profit projects, human rights, preservation, wildlife... all that we care about.
In the wake of a summer that spawned harsh heat waves and forest fires in Europe; and catastrophic floods in China, Pakistan and elsewhere in Asia, climate debate is back in the news.
Debate about the significance or even existence of anthropogenic global warming featured prominently the headlines last winter during the UN climate conference in [...]
When you look closely then nature has weapons to deal with a lot of what mankind throws at it.
Although the Mediterranean sea covers only one per cent of the world’s marine areas, it contains some six per cent of its marine species. Some of the world’s most endangered species, can be found in the Mediterranean. Fish stocks are down to 20 per cent of natural levels in some areas and the Mediterranean is [...]
Two freshwater dolphins were recently rescued from a Bolivian river after being trapped there for months due to low water levels.
The smallish dolphins weigh between 30 and 40 kilos (66-88 pounds) each and were among a group of nine river dolphins which have been stranded in a Rio Grande tributary for over a month. The [...]
Poor BP. After the Deepwater Horizon mishap they have been tarred by their own brush, so to speak.
But lets face it, despite BP’s exceptionally bad safety record, it’s a bad brush all around; whether you’re a pelican in the Gulf of Mexico or a person living beside Alberta’s tar sands or in the Niger River [...]
The South Asian country of Bangladesh is one of the places in the world considered most vulnerable to climate change. It is also one of the poorest nations on Earth.
In Bangladesh, reducing CO2 emissions and implementing cap and trade schemes are not the issue. Already used to catastrophic flooding compounded by intense poverty, Bangladeshis are [...]
The headline in The Ecologist, ‘Human response to climate change is making matters worse’, is a bit of a f*&#(^@ downer.
Upon reading the actual article, it doesn’t get that much better.
A recent study has researched the impacts of human response to climate change on biodiversity. The study, recently published in the journal Conservation Letters, attempts to [...]
The mismanagement of irrigation, compounded by drought and a drop in commodity prices, has spelled disaster for Australia’s most important agricultural region.
The waters of the Darling River and the massive Murray irrigate a region that produces almost half of Australia’s fresh produce. But the worst drought in over 100 years has plunged the Murray-Darling Basin [...]
About three weeks ago, Pakistan was hit by a natural catastrophe whose magnitude dwarfs the devastating 2005 earthquake in the country’s northern areas. In fact the number of people affected by these floods is estimated to be more than the number of people impacted by both the tsunami and the Haiti earthquake.
Floods are a part [...]
You might think you can do a better job than the UK government at cutting CO2, becoming more energy efficient and deciding how Britain should move towards a low carbon economy.
Well the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change let’s you try it out – in a computer simulation, of course.
The Independent’s environment editor loves [...]
Last night, I was watching the Weather Channel and something rather interesting was brought to my attention. A new report on Global Warming was published recently.
The report was written by more than 300 scientists from 48 countries and confirms what we’ve known all along: Global Warming is here and it’s not going anywhere, any time [...]
Our friends at SnagFilms are currently featuring a great must-see movie for everyone concerned about climate change and it’s effects on the environment. For a two-week period, the movie will be available online for free. So if you haven’t seen it before, or if you want to see it again, here is your chance!
The Age [...]
The Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne, has founded an international project against ecological disaster, the International Sustainability Unit.
Prince Charles has long been involved in environmental issues and warned last year that there were less than 100 months left to avoid irreversible damage due to climate change.
The unit aims to address the depletion [...]
Eco-warrior and youngest air to a banking fortune, David de Rothschild set out in April on a well-publicized trip from California to Australia aboard a vessel constructed from recycled plastic bottles. The raft, christened the Plastiki, is set to arrive in Sydney in about two weeks time. The purpose of Rothschild’s journey: To draw attention [...]
Last week I posted Bill Maher’s recent rant on climate change denial. Now it’s comedian, occasional columnist and star of Peep Show David Mitchell’s turn to vent on climate change, which he does so in his regular Guardian video feature ‘David Mitchell’s Soap Box’.
As usual with anything related to climate change in the Guardian, there [...]
An analysis based on national emissions targets suggests that global temperatures will rise by 4C (7.2F) by 2100.
Six months after over 100 governments pledged to limit their countries’ emissions in order to keep temperatures from rising more than 1.5-2C (2.7-3.6F) above pre-industrial levels a major international study of over 60 nations, called the Climate Scoreboard, [...]
The UK-based 10:10 global campaign was founded in September of 2009 by the director of the environmental documentary film The Age of Stupid, Franny Armstrong.
The idea of 10:10 is simple – to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in 2010. This means everyone, on both individual and organizational levels – businesses, schools, religious organizations, sports [...]
Ny Ålesund, Norway. Population: 30-40. Home to the most northerly post office in the world and a growing community of scientists from across the globe. The former coalmining village is now an international Arctic research station with centers operated by several European countries as well as Asian heavyweight nations China, India, South Korea and Japan.
This [...]
Check out this video clip from Real Time with Bill Maher wherein Bill blasts climate change ‘skeptics’ aka ‘deniers’ aka people whose conservative, free market, right wing ideology is so strong and embedded in their personalities that they think it makes them experts on everything.
Even climate science.
This clip is taken the popular ‘New Rules’ segment [...]
An independent report commissioned by the UK’s Conservative Party – when they were in opposition – has found that Britain needs a green investment bank in order to meet its emissions goals for 2020.
The report, entitled ‘Unlocking investment to deliver Britain’s low carbon future’ discusses low carbon investment, issuing ‘green bonds’, tax incentives to help [...]
Tackling climate change through forest restoration is the theme at this year’s Commonwealth Forestry Conference, currently taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
40 countries are represented at the conference, all from the vestiges of the once great British Empire, upon which the sun used to never set. The Prince of Wales has even addressed the conference – [...]
Ready for some negative news?
The 8.6% fall in UK greenhouse gas emissions last year was down to the economic slump rather than government initiatives.
According to an article in the Guardian, the government needs to take significant action over the next year in order to reach legally binding emissions targets (34% on 1990 levels by 2020). [...]
In light of a recent survey naming UK companies as the worst among 300 of Europe’s largest corporations when it comes to their contribution to global warming, another survey has been released, this time focusing only on British firms.
The new list, called the FTSE carbon strategy index, compares Britain’s 350 biggest companies in terms of [...]
Ethical investment consultant firm Eiris has judged 300 of Europe’s top companies in terms of their contribution to global warming and found that more than half are UK-based. Eiris found that the number of British companies determined to have a ‘very high impact on global warming’ was double that of any other country.
Of those companies [...]
Today’s temperatures are predicted go as high hit 30C (85F) making it the hottest day of the year in England, with temperatures highest in London and the southeast.
World cup fever – and the more civilized pursuit of eating strawberries and cream whilst watching a considerably smaller yellow ball move backwards and forwards at a much [...]
India’s Minister of State for Environmental and Forest, Jairam Ramesh, recently announced plans to launch 2 satellites that will be specifically used to monitor environmental changes in the country.
The first satellite, which will be launched in 2012, will monitor daily carbon emissions; while the second satellite will monitor India’s forest cover—also on a daily basis. [...]
In the 70s and 80s acid rain received lots of attention for being a scourge upon forests and freshwater lakes and streams, poisoning aquatic life, insects and humans as well as corroding monuments and buildings in urban areas.
Acid rain never went away, but its levels changed and its sources shifted. You see, acid rain is [...]
In January of 2007, in an article entitled ‘UN climate panel shamed by bogus rainforest claim’, the London Sunday Times blasted an IPCC report that referenced a WWF report on Amazon rainforests. The Times article characterized the referenced report – which claims that up to 40% of the Amazon is at risk due to climate [...]
Back in 1989 UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher called on the UN for action against man-made global warming. Maggie warned that rapid increases in the use of fossil fuels, the rise of industrial agriculture and population growth were ‘a massive experiment’ on the planet.
James Delingpole quotes Thatcher in a recent piece for the Telegraph:
Recently three [...]
A few years ago, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that melting glaciers would put hundreds of millions of people at risk. However, a recent study published in the journal Science suggests the risk factor is considerably less than previously anticipated.
The main area of focus in the study is the Himalayas and according [...]
