The 2008 Global Climate Report
thenazareneway to Communions
White House Issues Tardy Climate Report
By SETH BORENSTEIN,AP
Posted: 2008-05-30 07:11:57
WASHINGTON (May 29) - Under a court order and four years late, the White House Thursday produced what it called a science-based "one-stop shop" of specific threats to the United States from man-made global warming.
While the report has no new science in it, it pulls together different U.S. studies and localizes international reports into one comprehensive document required by law. The 271-page report is notable because it is something the Bush administration has fought in the past.
Andrew Weaver, a Canadian climate scientist who was not involved in the effort, called it "a litany of bad news in store for the U.S."
And biologist Thomas Lovejoy, one of the scientists who reviewed the report for the federal government, said: "It basically says the America we've known we can no longer count on. It's a pretty dramatic picture of all kinds of change rippling through natural systems across the country. And all of that has implications for people."
White House associate science director Sharon Hays, in a teleconference with reporters, declined to characterize the findings, but said it is an issue the administration takes seriously. She said the report was comprehensive and "communicates what the scientists are telling us."
That includes:
Increased heat deaths and deaths from climate-worsened smog. In Los Angeles alone yearly heat fatalities could increase by more than 1,000 by 2080, and the Midwest and Northeast are most vulnerable to increased heat deaths.
Worsening water shortages for agriculture and urban users. From California to New York, lack of water will be an issue.
A need for billions of dollars in more power plants (one major cause of global warming gases) to cool a hotter country. The report says summer cooling will mean Seattle's energy consumption would increase by 146 percent with the warming that could come by the end of the century.
More death and damage from wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters and extreme weather. In the last three decades, wildfire season in the West has increased by 78 days.
Increased insect infestations and food- and waterborne microbes and diseases. Insect and pathogen outbreaks to the forests are causing $1.5 billion in annual losses.
"Finally, climate change is very likely to accentuate the disparities already evident in the American health care system," the report said. "Many of the expected health effects are likely to fall disproportionately on the poor, the elderly, the disabled and the uninsured."
The report was required by a 1990 law which says that every four years the government must produce a comprehensive science assessment of global warming. It had not been done since 2000.
Environmental groups got a court order last year to force the Bush administration to produce the document by the end of this month. Hays said the White House has preferred issuing studies on individual global warming issues, such as an agricultural effects report that was released on Tuesday.
"It's totally begrudging," said Rick Piltz, director of Climate Science Watch at the nonprofit Government Accountability Project. "It's important the government go on record honestly acknowledging this stuff."
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/white-house-issues-tardy-climate-report/20080529214409990001
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
"eco-awakening"of Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford's New Eco-Chic Campaign
Former Supermodel Teams Up With PUR Water Filtration System to Help the Environment and Poor Children
May 7, 2008
After giving birth to two children, former supermodel Cindy Crawford says she had an "eco-awakening."
The supermodel talks about ways to help keep our water clean.
More Photos
The celebrity mom has now teamed up with the PUR Water Filtration System company to raise awareness about water and plastic waste through the "Thirsty for Change" campaign.
Crawford has designed an eco-chic reusable aluminum bottle with PUR and is hoping her example will inspire others to adopt more environmentally friendly habits.
Though estimates vary widely, PUR says that last year Americans went through 50 billion plastic water bottles, with 38 billion of them ending up in landfills. National
By switching to filtered tap water and a reusable bottles, PUR says each person can help cut down on plastic bottle waste, save money and protect themselves from dangerous contaminates.
"As a mom, I'm particularly concerned because I want my kids to grow up in a healthy environment. I filter my tap water with PUR. It's a really simple yet impactful way to reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic my family uses, while also ensuring that we always have access to clean, great-tasting drinking water," Crawford said.
Former Supermodel Teams Up With PUR Water Filtration System to Help the Environment and Poor Children
May 7, 2008
After giving birth to two children, former supermodel Cindy Crawford says she had an "eco-awakening."
The supermodel talks about ways to help keep our water clean.
More Photos
The celebrity mom has now teamed up with the PUR Water Filtration System company to raise awareness about water and plastic waste through the "Thirsty for Change" campaign.
Crawford has designed an eco-chic reusable aluminum bottle with PUR and is hoping her example will inspire others to adopt more environmentally friendly habits.
Though estimates vary widely, PUR says that last year Americans went through 50 billion plastic water bottles, with 38 billion of them ending up in landfills. National
By switching to filtered tap water and a reusable bottles, PUR says each person can help cut down on plastic bottle waste, save money and protect themselves from dangerous contaminates.
"As a mom, I'm particularly concerned because I want my kids to grow up in a healthy environment. I filter my tap water with PUR. It's a really simple yet impactful way to reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic my family uses, while also ensuring that we always have access to clean, great-tasting drinking water," Crawford said.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Smart Sponge the Latest Weapon Against Water Pollution
Smart Sponge the Latest Weapon Against Water Pollution
New Technology Helps Clean Up Debris and Waste in Water
By SAM CHAMPION and DARCY BONFILS
May 26, 2008
Sparkling waters and pristine beaches are part of summer fun, but keeping oceans clean has become increasingly challenging for shore communities.
sponge
(ABC News)
Water pollution led to more than 25,000 beach closures in the United States in 2006, the most in nearly two decades, according to a report by the National Resources Defense Council.
Every eight months an amount of oil equivalent to the Exxon Valdez spill is dumped down storm drain systems into coastal waters.
Now a new device called the smart sponge is becoming the latest weapon in the fight against water pollution.
Long Beach, Calif., has begun using the smart sponge to help clean up pollution from the nearly 4,500 tons of waste that flow into the waters around that city each year, most of it shooting down the Los Angeles River after rainstorms.
In Long Beach, 2,000 sponges have been placed in city storm drains since 2004, neutralizing dangerous chemicals and catching debris before it has a chance to hit the ocean.
"The smart sponge is very similar to the sponge that you'd find in your home at your sink, except it has properties that allow it to absorb oil and kill bacteria on contact," said hydrology expert Duane Cook.
Tests show a drastic improvement in water quality, with a 97 percent bacterial kill rate and 1 million gallons of contaminated water diverted from the storm drain system every month.
Other beachfront cities like Miami and Norwalk, Conn., and airports and marinas are putting smart sponges to use as well.
"It's the last line of defense to protect the environment," said Glenn Rink, the creator of the smart sponge.
However promising the sponges may be in the fight against pollution, though, water experts say preventing pollution is still the best line of defense
"There is no silver bullet. … There's no golden ticket to solve our storm water problem," said Steve Fleischle at the Water Keeper Alliance. "What we really need to do is we need to educate people to not litter, to not dump motor oil down the storm drains."
New Technology Helps Clean Up Debris and Waste in Water
By SAM CHAMPION and DARCY BONFILS
May 26, 2008
Sparkling waters and pristine beaches are part of summer fun, but keeping oceans clean has become increasingly challenging for shore communities.
sponge
(ABC News)
Water pollution led to more than 25,000 beach closures in the United States in 2006, the most in nearly two decades, according to a report by the National Resources Defense Council.
Every eight months an amount of oil equivalent to the Exxon Valdez spill is dumped down storm drain systems into coastal waters.
Now a new device called the smart sponge is becoming the latest weapon in the fight against water pollution.
Long Beach, Calif., has begun using the smart sponge to help clean up pollution from the nearly 4,500 tons of waste that flow into the waters around that city each year, most of it shooting down the Los Angeles River after rainstorms.
In Long Beach, 2,000 sponges have been placed in city storm drains since 2004, neutralizing dangerous chemicals and catching debris before it has a chance to hit the ocean.
"The smart sponge is very similar to the sponge that you'd find in your home at your sink, except it has properties that allow it to absorb oil and kill bacteria on contact," said hydrology expert Duane Cook.
Tests show a drastic improvement in water quality, with a 97 percent bacterial kill rate and 1 million gallons of contaminated water diverted from the storm drain system every month.
Other beachfront cities like Miami and Norwalk, Conn., and airports and marinas are putting smart sponges to use as well.
"It's the last line of defense to protect the environment," said Glenn Rink, the creator of the smart sponge.
However promising the sponges may be in the fight against pollution, though, water experts say preventing pollution is still the best line of defense
"There is no silver bullet. … There's no golden ticket to solve our storm water problem," said Steve Fleischle at the Water Keeper Alliance. "What we really need to do is we need to educate people to not litter, to not dump motor oil down the storm drains."
Monday, May 26, 2008
Up to 9 Hurricanes This Season
Forecasters Expect Up to 9 Hurricanes This Season
NOAA Predicts Possible Above Average Hurricane Season
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY
May 22, 2008
The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season should be about as bad as normal or slightly busier, with a good chance of six to nine hurricanes forming, federal forecasters said Thursday in a new way of predicting how active the season could be.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration releases forecast of "normal."
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials also said 12 to 16 named storms and two to five major hurricanes could form. They said there is only a 60 to 70 percent chance for their predictions to come true.
This is the first time they gave a probability because they want people to understand that seasonal forecasts are uncertain. Some residents become complacent because they have seen errors in previous seasonal forecasts.
Forecasters stress residents should always be prepared no matter what the seasonal forecasts say, because even a slow season can be disastrous. Seasonal forecasts don't predict whether, where or when any of these storms may hit land.
Related
"We don't want anyone changing their preparation plans because of the seasonal outlook. The only number that matters is the number one, the one storm that you need to prepare for," said Dennis Feltgen, spokesman for the National Hurricane Center, which is part of NOAA.
An average season has 11 named storms, including six hurricanes for which two reach major status of at least Category 3 with winds of more than 110 mph.
Forecasters and emergency responders fear that coastal residents will be apathetic this year after the United States escaped the past two storm seasons virtually unscathed.
"Living in a coastal state means having a plan for each and every hurricane season. Review or complete emergency plans now -- before a storm threatens," said Conrad C. Lautenbacher, NOAA administrator. "Planning and preparation is the key to storm survival and recovery."
Colorado State University weather researcher William Gray expects 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major this year.
Last year, there were 15 named storms and six hurricanes, two of which were major. The government predicted 13 to 17 named storms, seven to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes.
NOAA Predicts Possible Above Average Hurricane Season
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY
May 22, 2008
The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season should be about as bad as normal or slightly busier, with a good chance of six to nine hurricanes forming, federal forecasters said Thursday in a new way of predicting how active the season could be.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration releases forecast of "normal."
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials also said 12 to 16 named storms and two to five major hurricanes could form. They said there is only a 60 to 70 percent chance for their predictions to come true.
This is the first time they gave a probability because they want people to understand that seasonal forecasts are uncertain. Some residents become complacent because they have seen errors in previous seasonal forecasts.
Forecasters stress residents should always be prepared no matter what the seasonal forecasts say, because even a slow season can be disastrous. Seasonal forecasts don't predict whether, where or when any of these storms may hit land.
Related
"We don't want anyone changing their preparation plans because of the seasonal outlook. The only number that matters is the number one, the one storm that you need to prepare for," said Dennis Feltgen, spokesman for the National Hurricane Center, which is part of NOAA.
An average season has 11 named storms, including six hurricanes for which two reach major status of at least Category 3 with winds of more than 110 mph.
Forecasters and emergency responders fear that coastal residents will be apathetic this year after the United States escaped the past two storm seasons virtually unscathed.
"Living in a coastal state means having a plan for each and every hurricane season. Review or complete emergency plans now -- before a storm threatens," said Conrad C. Lautenbacher, NOAA administrator. "Planning and preparation is the key to storm survival and recovery."
Colorado State University weather researcher William Gray expects 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major this year.
Last year, there were 15 named storms and six hurricanes, two of which were major. The government predicted 13 to 17 named storms, seven to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Complete ban on plastic bags not possible in Delhi: Govt
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Complete ban on plastic bags not possible in Delhi: Govt
Wed, May 21 05:15 PM
A complete ban on plastic bags in the national capital is impossible, a government panel has noted and suggested setting up of recycling units by the manufacturers on the basis of "polluter pays principle" to tackle the menace.
"Environmentally-sound and economically-viable modern recycling units must be established by licensed plastic bags manufacturers or Plastic Manufacturers Associations on the basis of polluter pays principle," the panel said in its report submitted before the Delhi High Court.
The panel comprising officials of Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Justice R C Chopra was set up by the court while hearing a petition filed by activist V K Jain from NGO Tapas.
Jain has sought a complete ban on plastic bags in the city, maintaining that they are chocking drains and the Yamuna river and leading to water-borne diseases.
He said developed and developing countries like Germany, Singapore and Bangladesh have successfully banned the product.
The panel while maintaining that polythene bags are not easy to be banned, an observation which has brought a ray of smile on the face of plastic industry, also suggested setting up of a compaction unit for plastic recycling to be managed by the civic agencies at zonal level.
Complete ban on plastic bags not possible in Delhi: Govt
Wed, May 21 05:15 PM
A complete ban on plastic bags in the national capital is impossible, a government panel has noted and suggested setting up of recycling units by the manufacturers on the basis of "polluter pays principle" to tackle the menace.
"Environmentally-sound and economically-viable modern recycling units must be established by licensed plastic bags manufacturers or Plastic Manufacturers Associations on the basis of polluter pays principle," the panel said in its report submitted before the Delhi High Court.
The panel comprising officials of Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Justice R C Chopra was set up by the court while hearing a petition filed by activist V K Jain from NGO Tapas.
Jain has sought a complete ban on plastic bags in the city, maintaining that they are chocking drains and the Yamuna river and leading to water-borne diseases.
He said developed and developing countries like Germany, Singapore and Bangladesh have successfully banned the product.
The panel while maintaining that polythene bags are not easy to be banned, an observation which has brought a ray of smile on the face of plastic industry, also suggested setting up of a compaction unit for plastic recycling to be managed by the civic agencies at zonal level.
Pollution eats up 3 species every hour
LONDON: Three species every hour are being scraped off from earth due to pollution, it has been revealed at world conference to save wildlife.
It was 65 years ago that dinosaurs were eradicated from the earth and since then, no rate of extinction has been observed as yet.
But now a shock report on the destruction of natural habitats has alarmed many by indicating that one in four mammals are on the endangered list, which includes orangutans, chimpanzees and elephants.
The United Nation's World Conservation Union reports that the list includes one in eight bird types, a third of amphibians and 70 per cent of plant life.
The reports have cautioned if there won't be any action taken for greenhouse gases and climate change, it could actually put food supplies in danger and "destroy the foundation of human life," reports The Sun .
In fact, much of harm has already been done with the destruction costs already hitting 1.8 billion pounds per year.
Officials attended the conference, at Bonn, Germany, from 191 countries, and they are planning to discuss ways of slowing the extinction rate.
However, according to German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, the world faced "a Herculean task".
While a UN summit in 2002 had already set a target for slowing extinction, but it is still lagging way behind schedule.
Scientists in Australia have already "reactivated" DNA from an extinct species by using a Tasmanian tiger sample in mouse embryos.
It was 65 years ago that dinosaurs were eradicated from the earth and since then, no rate of extinction has been observed as yet.
But now a shock report on the destruction of natural habitats has alarmed many by indicating that one in four mammals are on the endangered list, which includes orangutans, chimpanzees and elephants.
The United Nation's World Conservation Union reports that the list includes one in eight bird types, a third of amphibians and 70 per cent of plant life.
The reports have cautioned if there won't be any action taken for greenhouse gases and climate change, it could actually put food supplies in danger and "destroy the foundation of human life," reports The Sun .
In fact, much of harm has already been done with the destruction costs already hitting 1.8 billion pounds per year.
Officials attended the conference, at Bonn, Germany, from 191 countries, and they are planning to discuss ways of slowing the extinction rate.
However, according to German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, the world faced "a Herculean task".
While a UN summit in 2002 had already set a target for slowing extinction, but it is still lagging way behind schedule.
Scientists in Australia have already "reactivated" DNA from an extinct species by using a Tasmanian tiger sample in mouse embryos.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Global Warming Affects life
Sci. & Tech.
Wildlife and environment already hit by climate change
GUARDIAN NEWS SERVICE
By Ian Sample
Global warming is disrupting wildlife and the environment on every continent, according to an unprecedented study that reveals the extent to which climate change is already affecting the world's ecosystems.
Scientists examined published reports dating back to 1970 and found that at least 90% of environmental damage and disruption around the world could be explained by rising temperatures driven by human activity.
Big falls in Antarctic penguin populations, fewer fish in African lakes, shifts in American river flows and earlier flowering and bird migrations inEurope are all likely to be driven by global warming, the study found.
The team of experts, including members of the UN's intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) from America, Europe, Australia and China, is the first to formally link some of the most dramatic changes to the world's wildlife and habitats with human-induced climate change.
In the study, which appears in the journal Nature, researchers analysed reports highlighting changes in populations or behaviour of 28,800 animal and plant species. They examined a further 829 reports that focused on different environmental effects, including surging rivers, retreating glaciers and shifting forests, across the seven continents.
To work out how much - or if at all - global warming played a role, the scientists next checked historical records to see what impact natural variations in local climate, deforestation and changes in land use might have on the ecosystems and species that live there.
In 90% of cases the shifts in wildlife behaviour and populations could only be explained by global warming, while 95% of environmental changes, such as melting permafrost, retreating glaciers and changes in river flows were consistent with rising temperatures.
"When we look at all these impacts together, it is clear they are across continents and endemic. We're getting a sense that climate change is already changing the way the world works," said lead author Cynthia Rosenzweig, head of the climate impacts group at Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York.
Most of the reports examined by the team were published between 1970 and 2004, during which time global average temperatures rose by around 0.6C. The latest report from the IPCC suggests the world is likely to warm between 2C and 6C by the end of the century.
Wildlife and environment already hit by climate change
GUARDIAN NEWS SERVICE
By Ian Sample
Global warming is disrupting wildlife and the environment on every continent, according to an unprecedented study that reveals the extent to which climate change is already affecting the world's ecosystems.
Scientists examined published reports dating back to 1970 and found that at least 90% of environmental damage and disruption around the world could be explained by rising temperatures driven by human activity.
Big falls in Antarctic penguin populations, fewer fish in African lakes, shifts in American river flows and earlier flowering and bird migrations inEurope are all likely to be driven by global warming, the study found.
The team of experts, including members of the UN's intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) from America, Europe, Australia and China, is the first to formally link some of the most dramatic changes to the world's wildlife and habitats with human-induced climate change.
In the study, which appears in the journal Nature, researchers analysed reports highlighting changes in populations or behaviour of 28,800 animal and plant species. They examined a further 829 reports that focused on different environmental effects, including surging rivers, retreating glaciers and shifting forests, across the seven continents.
To work out how much - or if at all - global warming played a role, the scientists next checked historical records to see what impact natural variations in local climate, deforestation and changes in land use might have on the ecosystems and species that live there.
In 90% of cases the shifts in wildlife behaviour and populations could only be explained by global warming, while 95% of environmental changes, such as melting permafrost, retreating glaciers and changes in river flows were consistent with rising temperatures.
"When we look at all these impacts together, it is clear they are across continents and endemic. We're getting a sense that climate change is already changing the way the world works," said lead author Cynthia Rosenzweig, head of the climate impacts group at Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York.
Most of the reports examined by the team were published between 1970 and 2004, during which time global average temperatures rose by around 0.6C. The latest report from the IPCC suggests the world is likely to warm between 2C and 6C by the end of the century.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The question of Biofuels in environment saftey
Backlash Erupts Over Biofuels as Food Costs Rise
Maybe ethanol isn’t the answer after all, as both fuel and corn prices keep going up.
By . Agence France-Presse
May 9, 2008 -- A biofuels backlash has erupted throughout the United States, as lawmakers and experts debate the merits of converting food to fuel to support America's age-old love affair with the automobile.
With gasoline at record prices at U.S. pumps, and soaring corn, rice and wheat costs sparking a global food crisis this year with deadly riots in several nations, some have questioned the wisdom of higher U.S. biofuel mandates that divert U.S. crops, like corn, to fuel production.
"Why are we putting food in our gas tanks instead of our stomachs?" Richard Reinwald, owner of Reinwald's Bakery in Huntington, New York, asked members of Congress at a hearing last week on skyrocketing food costs.
Biofuels are derived from foodstuffs such as corn, soybeans and sugarcane, and plants like switch grass and their cellulosic waste.
Touted just months ago as an answer to spiking gas prices, biofuels are enduring closer scrutiny by U.S. lawmakers alarmed by the high cost of food staples and how they are sapping millions of American households.
Members of Bush's own Republican party are turning on him, including Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who called on Congress to undo "America's ethanol mistake."
"In recent weeks, the correlation between government biofuel mandates and rapidly rising food prices has become undeniable," Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) said in a statement on her website. "At a time when the U.S. economy is facing recession, Congress needs to reform its food-to-fuel policies and look at alternatives to strengthen energy security."
Hutchison is due to introduce legislation to Congress that would freeze biofuel mandates at current levels.
Biofuels are refined to produce fuel similar to those made from petroleum, but their growing use has been cited along with poor harvests due to drought, surging demand in Asia as living standards have risen, higher transport costs and trade restrictions for the rapid rise in food prices.
Joachim von Braun, head of the U.S.-based International Food Policy Research Institute, said a moratorium on biofuels from food grains in 2008 would lower corn prices by 20% and wheat prices by 10% in 2009 and 2010.
The United States is the world's top producer of corn-based ethanol, and the Bush administration sees it as a key way to reduce dependence on foreign oil and curb fossil fuel emissions, the main source of man-made global warming.
Some scientists warn that biofuels actually increase greenhouse gas emissions, as farmers convert forest and grassland to new cropland to replace or add to grain diverted to biofuels.
"Corn-based ethanol, instead of producing a 20% savings, nearly doubles greenhouse emissions over 30 years, and increases greenhouse gases for 167 years," Timothy Searchinger and other experts wrote in a study published in the journal Science.
Yet scores of American farmers eyeing swelling corn prices have abandoned wheat to grow corn, leading to the lowest U.S. wheat ending stocks in 60 years, according to the US Department of Agriculture, and causing a ripple effect of rising commodity prices.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2008
Maybe ethanol isn’t the answer after all, as both fuel and corn prices keep going up.
By . Agence France-Presse
May 9, 2008 -- A biofuels backlash has erupted throughout the United States, as lawmakers and experts debate the merits of converting food to fuel to support America's age-old love affair with the automobile.
With gasoline at record prices at U.S. pumps, and soaring corn, rice and wheat costs sparking a global food crisis this year with deadly riots in several nations, some have questioned the wisdom of higher U.S. biofuel mandates that divert U.S. crops, like corn, to fuel production.
"Why are we putting food in our gas tanks instead of our stomachs?" Richard Reinwald, owner of Reinwald's Bakery in Huntington, New York, asked members of Congress at a hearing last week on skyrocketing food costs.
Biofuels are derived from foodstuffs such as corn, soybeans and sugarcane, and plants like switch grass and their cellulosic waste.
Touted just months ago as an answer to spiking gas prices, biofuels are enduring closer scrutiny by U.S. lawmakers alarmed by the high cost of food staples and how they are sapping millions of American households.
Members of Bush's own Republican party are turning on him, including Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who called on Congress to undo "America's ethanol mistake."
"In recent weeks, the correlation between government biofuel mandates and rapidly rising food prices has become undeniable," Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) said in a statement on her website. "At a time when the U.S. economy is facing recession, Congress needs to reform its food-to-fuel policies and look at alternatives to strengthen energy security."
Hutchison is due to introduce legislation to Congress that would freeze biofuel mandates at current levels.
Biofuels are refined to produce fuel similar to those made from petroleum, but their growing use has been cited along with poor harvests due to drought, surging demand in Asia as living standards have risen, higher transport costs and trade restrictions for the rapid rise in food prices.
Joachim von Braun, head of the U.S.-based International Food Policy Research Institute, said a moratorium on biofuels from food grains in 2008 would lower corn prices by 20% and wheat prices by 10% in 2009 and 2010.
The United States is the world's top producer of corn-based ethanol, and the Bush administration sees it as a key way to reduce dependence on foreign oil and curb fossil fuel emissions, the main source of man-made global warming.
Some scientists warn that biofuels actually increase greenhouse gas emissions, as farmers convert forest and grassland to new cropland to replace or add to grain diverted to biofuels.
"Corn-based ethanol, instead of producing a 20% savings, nearly doubles greenhouse emissions over 30 years, and increases greenhouse gases for 167 years," Timothy Searchinger and other experts wrote in a study published in the journal Science.
Yet scores of American farmers eyeing swelling corn prices have abandoned wheat to grow corn, leading to the lowest U.S. wheat ending stocks in 60 years, according to the US Department of Agriculture, and causing a ripple effect of rising commodity prices.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2008
For a plastic free world
A woman's struggle against plastics that destoys a healthy life in our planet. You can contribute your miteca
Climate and Environment
Life Less Plastic
Posted on April 24, 2008 by Amy VanderZanden
Topics: Climate and Environment
Countries: United States
Alternatives to Plastic: Home Gardens. Photo: key lime_pie (flickr)
Alternatives to Plastic: Home Gardens. Photo: key lime_pie (flickr)
I recently came upon a blog by a Chicago woman committed to living as close to a plastic-free life as possible. Her journey to a life without plastic began last September, and over the months her postings about her adventures and increasing knowledge have gathered an audience in the thousands.
The statistics about our reliance on plastics are shocking: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of plastic in our waste stream has increased from less than 1 percent in 1960 to 11.7 percent in 2006. And, while Americans drank 50 billion bottles of water in 2006, 38 billion of those ended up in the trash, according to Fast Company magazine.
The anonymous blogger, whose blog is titled Life Less Plastic, explains that she's doing this for personal health reasons, as well to do better by the environment. Among her most popular posts is an entry describing "What I'm Doing to Be Mostly Plastic-Free," which includes:
10. Washing my dishes with Dr. Bronner's bar soap. It works! I'm not kidding!
11. Bringing my own stainless steel coffee mug to the coffee shop. This is important because paper cups are lined with plastic.
12. Bringing along a reusable water bottle or mug for water, and NEVER drinking bottled water.
13. Bringing my own takeout containers to restaurants in case I have leftovers. This sounds embarrassing, but no one has ever even noticed that I've brought my own container except for the people I'm with.
14. Not buying aluminum food cans, excluding canned tomatoes and vegetable broth, which I haven't been able to give up yet. Hopefully, I can/jar some tomatoes this summer and do away with this plastic use, though.
In a society where plastic is pervasive and packaging alternatives are few, even Life Less Plastic's author hasn't been able to do without medicine, which comes in plastic bottles; toothpaste; and even some packaged foods she hasn't been able to find in the bulk section of nearby supermarkets.
Plastics have been around for a while, but we are only beginning to understand their potentially negative consequences. Without plastic, we wouldn't have seen the advances in science and medicine we saw in the last century. However, as the Chicago blogger points out, there are a lot of ways to "live a life less plastic."
Keywords: sustainability, plastic, green revolution
* Add new comment
Climate and Environment
Life Less Plastic
Posted on April 24, 2008 by Amy VanderZanden
Topics: Climate and Environment
Countries: United States
Alternatives to Plastic: Home Gardens. Photo: key lime_pie (flickr)
Alternatives to Plastic: Home Gardens. Photo: key lime_pie (flickr)
I recently came upon a blog by a Chicago woman committed to living as close to a plastic-free life as possible. Her journey to a life without plastic began last September, and over the months her postings about her adventures and increasing knowledge have gathered an audience in the thousands.
The statistics about our reliance on plastics are shocking: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of plastic in our waste stream has increased from less than 1 percent in 1960 to 11.7 percent in 2006. And, while Americans drank 50 billion bottles of water in 2006, 38 billion of those ended up in the trash, according to Fast Company magazine.
The anonymous blogger, whose blog is titled Life Less Plastic, explains that she's doing this for personal health reasons, as well to do better by the environment. Among her most popular posts is an entry describing "What I'm Doing to Be Mostly Plastic-Free," which includes:
10. Washing my dishes with Dr. Bronner's bar soap. It works! I'm not kidding!
11. Bringing my own stainless steel coffee mug to the coffee shop. This is important because paper cups are lined with plastic.
12. Bringing along a reusable water bottle or mug for water, and NEVER drinking bottled water.
13. Bringing my own takeout containers to restaurants in case I have leftovers. This sounds embarrassing, but no one has ever even noticed that I've brought my own container except for the people I'm with.
14. Not buying aluminum food cans, excluding canned tomatoes and vegetable broth, which I haven't been able to give up yet. Hopefully, I can/jar some tomatoes this summer and do away with this plastic use, though.
In a society where plastic is pervasive and packaging alternatives are few, even Life Less Plastic's author hasn't been able to do without medicine, which comes in plastic bottles; toothpaste; and even some packaged foods she hasn't been able to find in the bulk section of nearby supermarkets.
Plastics have been around for a while, but we are only beginning to understand their potentially negative consequences. Without plastic, we wouldn't have seen the advances in science and medicine we saw in the last century. However, as the Chicago blogger points out, there are a lot of ways to "live a life less plastic."
Keywords: sustainability, plastic, green revolution
* Add new comment
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
World carbon dioxide levels highest for 650,000 years, says US report | Environment | The Guardian
World carbon dioxide levels highest for 650,000 years, says US report | Environment | The Guardian
World carbon dioxide levels highest for 650,000 years, says US report
This article appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday May 13 2008 on p16 of the UK news section. It was last updated at 12:24 on May 13 2008.
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a record high, according to the latest figures, renewing fears that climate change could begin to slide out of control.
Scientists at the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii say that CO2 levels in the atmosphere now stand at 387 parts per million (ppm), up almost 40% since the industrial revolution and the highest for at least the last 650,000 years.
The figures, published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on its website, also confirm that carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than expected. The annual mean growth rate for 2007 was 2.14ppm - the fourth year in the last six to see an annual rise greater than 2ppm. From 1970 to 2000, the concentration rose by about 1.5ppm each year, but since 2000 the annual rise has leapt to an average 2.1ppm.
Scientists say the shift could indicate that the Earth is losing its natural ability to soak up billions of tonnes of CO2 each year. Climate models assume that about half our future emissions will be reabsorbed by forests and oceans, but the new figures confirm this may be too optimistic. If more of our carbon pollution stays in the atmosphere, it means emissions will have to be cut by more than is currently projected to prevent dangerous levels of global warming.
Martin Parry, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's working group on impacts, said: "Despite all the talk, the situation is getting worse. Levels of greenhouse gases continue to rise in the atmosphere and the rate of that rise is accelerating. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change and the scale of those impacts will also accelerate, until we decide to do something about it."
Perched some 11,000ft up a volcano, the Mauna Loa observatory has been measuring carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since 1958. It is regarded as producing among the most reliable data sets because of its remote location, far from any possible source of the gas that could confuse the sensors.
Over the decades, the Mauna Loa readings, made famous in Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth, show the CO2 level rising and falling each year as foliage across the northern hemisphere blooms in spring and recedes in autumn. But they also show an upward trend as human emissions pour into the atmosphere, and each spring, the total CO2 level creeps above the previous year's high to set a new record.
Robin Oakley, head of Greenpeace's climate change campaign, said: "We're now witnessing a key moment in the climate change story, and it's not good news. The last time the atmosphere was this choked with CO2 humans were yet to evolve as a species. To even consider building new runways and coal-fired power stations at this juncture in history is an unpardonable folly, but Gordon Brown seems determined to stumble forward regardless with his ill-conceived plans in the face of the science and widespread public opposition."
A study last year suggested that the recent surge in atmospheric CO2 levels was down to three processes: growth in the world economy, heavy use of coal in China, and a weakening of natural "sinks", forests, seas and soils that absorb carbon. The scientists said the increase was 35% larger than they expected.
They said about half of the carbon surge was down to the Chinese reliance on coal, which has forced up the carbon intensity of the overall world economy since 2000, reversing a trend of increasing energy efficiency since the 1970s.
· Martin Parry will be speaking at the Guardian Planning for Climate Adaptation conference on May 19
World carbon dioxide levels highest for 650,000 years, says US report
This article appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday May 13 2008 on p16 of the UK news section. It was last updated at 12:24 on May 13 2008.
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a record high, according to the latest figures, renewing fears that climate change could begin to slide out of control.
Scientists at the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii say that CO2 levels in the atmosphere now stand at 387 parts per million (ppm), up almost 40% since the industrial revolution and the highest for at least the last 650,000 years.
The figures, published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on its website, also confirm that carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than expected. The annual mean growth rate for 2007 was 2.14ppm - the fourth year in the last six to see an annual rise greater than 2ppm. From 1970 to 2000, the concentration rose by about 1.5ppm each year, but since 2000 the annual rise has leapt to an average 2.1ppm.
Scientists say the shift could indicate that the Earth is losing its natural ability to soak up billions of tonnes of CO2 each year. Climate models assume that about half our future emissions will be reabsorbed by forests and oceans, but the new figures confirm this may be too optimistic. If more of our carbon pollution stays in the atmosphere, it means emissions will have to be cut by more than is currently projected to prevent dangerous levels of global warming.
Martin Parry, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's working group on impacts, said: "Despite all the talk, the situation is getting worse. Levels of greenhouse gases continue to rise in the atmosphere and the rate of that rise is accelerating. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change and the scale of those impacts will also accelerate, until we decide to do something about it."
Perched some 11,000ft up a volcano, the Mauna Loa observatory has been measuring carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since 1958. It is regarded as producing among the most reliable data sets because of its remote location, far from any possible source of the gas that could confuse the sensors.
Over the decades, the Mauna Loa readings, made famous in Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth, show the CO2 level rising and falling each year as foliage across the northern hemisphere blooms in spring and recedes in autumn. But they also show an upward trend as human emissions pour into the atmosphere, and each spring, the total CO2 level creeps above the previous year's high to set a new record.
Robin Oakley, head of Greenpeace's climate change campaign, said: "We're now witnessing a key moment in the climate change story, and it's not good news. The last time the atmosphere was this choked with CO2 humans were yet to evolve as a species. To even consider building new runways and coal-fired power stations at this juncture in history is an unpardonable folly, but Gordon Brown seems determined to stumble forward regardless with his ill-conceived plans in the face of the science and widespread public opposition."
A study last year suggested that the recent surge in atmospheric CO2 levels was down to three processes: growth in the world economy, heavy use of coal in China, and a weakening of natural "sinks", forests, seas and soils that absorb carbon. The scientists said the increase was 35% larger than they expected.
They said about half of the carbon surge was down to the Chinese reliance on coal, which has forced up the carbon intensity of the overall world economy since 2000, reversing a trend of increasing energy efficiency since the 1970s.
· Martin Parry will be speaking at the Guardian Planning for Climate Adaptation conference on May 19
Monday, May 12, 2008
Richard Levin,president of Yale University, has written the following article in 2007. It gives us a comprehensive and relevant understanding of the grave danger humanity is facing today
Global Climate Change: Taking the Battle to the Campus
Richard Levin
YaleGlobal, 26 February 2007
NEW HAVEN: We are at last awakening to the reality of global climate change. The report this month by the worldwide team of scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that global warming is unequivocal and that most of the warming over the last half century is likely due to greenhouse gas emissions from human activity. No previous report of the respected panel, which was formed in 1988, has been so conclusive. There is less certitude about what to do and who will take the initiative.
Governments and corporations are obvious candidates for leadership in confronting the threat of global climate change. But there is also need to take the battle to university campuses, where the world's future leaders should join the fight by taking measures that communities at large will be asked to adopt.
Without dramatic action over the next half century, we face the threat of rising sea levels and massive economic disruption. Substantial costs cannot be avoided without a dramatic effort to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
Recently, 10 large corporations and four leading environmental groups announced support for US legislation to introduce a cap-and-trade system for carbon-dioxide emissions. The benefit of such as a system is that it produces a tangible limit on emissions – they are "capped" – while allowing the parties within a sector or industry whose emissions have an overall cap to buy and sell, or "trade," portions of that total emissions allowance.
Another way to curb emissions is for governments to impose a "carbon tax" on the companies or individuals that produce emissions. A tax will produce an uncertain amount of environmental benefit, but may be more practical for reaching millions of households than a cap-and-trade scheme, which has been effective in regulating the sulfur-dioxide emissions of large entities such as public utilities.
The call for legislation is welcome news, but not enough. Our governments have failed to take effective action so far. The US is most deficient, but even among the governments that signed the Kyoto Agreement, most have not taken sufficient steps to ensure that national targets will be met by 2012.
We cannot wait for our governments to act, though they must act if the problem is ultimately to be solved. Large organizations all over the world with the power to act independently should take matters into their own hands and begin to reduce greenhouse gas emissions now. We need to demonstrate that resisting global warming is feasible and not prohibitively expensive. By showing leadership in action, not just in words, we will make the necessary response by governments much more likely, in part because they will be more confident that significant laws and policies in response to climate change will be accepted by those they represent.
Several large global companies, including General Electric, have started down this path, and so has Yale, along with other universities. I have called upon my colleagues at some of America's best-known institutions to join Yale in committing to ambitious greenhouse gas reduction programs of their own. At this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, I met with the leaders of 23 global universities and urged them to join this effort.
Universities are a natural place to demonstrate that global warming can be resisted and its adverse long-term consequences avoided. It is, after all, our scientists who identified the causes and effects of climate change and who research ways to address it. And it is our students who, in the coming decades, will have the responsibility for ensuring that the opportunities for the health and prosperity of future generations will be no less abundant than they have been for the generations that preceded them.
Here's why universities must act today. Collectively and decisively, we can set a powerful example for the next generation of leaders who will increasingly interact with one another on global issues. We can demonstrate that it is possible to reduce emissions dramatically, even while accommodating the continuing growth and development of our campuses. If we succeed, so can others.
At Yale, we committed in 2005 to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below the 1990 level by the year 2020. This represents a 43 percent reduction from our 2004 level, even while our plans call for 15 percent growth in our physical plant.
We intend to reach this ambitious goal by a combination of strategies, including:
1. Conservation within existing buildings
2. Sustainable construction of new buildings
3. More efficient production and distribution of energy on campus (Yale produces its own steam, chilled water and two-thirds of its electricity by co-generation)
4. Use of energy from renewable sources on campus
5. Direct participation in off-campus production of renewable energy
We have already reduced campus greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent in one year. Among other measures, we have installed more efficient controls and sensors to regulate heat, air conditioning and lighting; we have begun to modify our power plant and distribution systems for greater efficiency; and we run our campus bus fleet on a blend of ultra low-sulfur diesel and carbon-free biodiesel fuels. A simple step we have taken is keeping our buildings a couple of degrees cooler in winter and warmer in summer than in the past.
Students have supported our commitment on many fronts. As community members, students reduced energy use in our residential colleges by 10 percent in 2006; as researchers, they contribute to the dialogue on climate science; as activists, they continue to raise the question as to how our universities ought to assist in shaping a vision for the future.
The good news is that many of the investments required to reduce carbon emissions actually save money in the long run. The astonishing news is that we estimate that we can reach our 2020 goal – a 43 percent reduction in emissions from current level – at a cost that is below 1/2 of 1 percent of our annual operating expenses. Any organization can afford this level of sacrifice to ensure the future of the planet.
Yale's strategy depends on conservation, renewable energy and participation in carbon-offset projects in roughly equal measure. All three approaches can be part of any organization's strategy. It is important, however, that carbon offsets produce real environmental benefit. Carbon markets in the US, in the absence of governmentally imposed caps, are immature. Carbon offsets, sometimes called "renewable energy certificates," can currently be purchased at prices well below the cost of creating incremental supplies of renewable energy. As long as this persists, purchasing offsets in the market will have no environmental benefit. Thus, at Yale, we only count offsets created by direct investment in new sources of supply.
For institutions in developing countries, where growth needs to be more rapid, a reduction to 10 percent below 1990 levels is too much to expect. But a 10 percent reduction below today's levels, or even a no-growth-in-emissions policy, would be a reasonable and constructive aspiration. On a global level, it would be unreasonable and unjust to maintain the wide disparity in nations' per-capita emissions well into the future, but a worldwide collective effort in greenhouse gas reductions must still be the goal.
Universities are the natural leaders of such an effort, but other non-profit organizations, municipal governments and for-profit businesses should heed the call as well. Our future depends on it.
Richard Levin is president of Yale University.
Rights: © 2007 Yale Center for the Study of Globalization
Global Climate Change: Taking the Battle to the Campus
Richard Levin
YaleGlobal, 26 February 2007
NEW HAVEN: We are at last awakening to the reality of global climate change. The report this month by the worldwide team of scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that global warming is unequivocal and that most of the warming over the last half century is likely due to greenhouse gas emissions from human activity. No previous report of the respected panel, which was formed in 1988, has been so conclusive. There is less certitude about what to do and who will take the initiative.
Governments and corporations are obvious candidates for leadership in confronting the threat of global climate change. But there is also need to take the battle to university campuses, where the world's future leaders should join the fight by taking measures that communities at large will be asked to adopt.
Without dramatic action over the next half century, we face the threat of rising sea levels and massive economic disruption. Substantial costs cannot be avoided without a dramatic effort to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
Recently, 10 large corporations and four leading environmental groups announced support for US legislation to introduce a cap-and-trade system for carbon-dioxide emissions. The benefit of such as a system is that it produces a tangible limit on emissions – they are "capped" – while allowing the parties within a sector or industry whose emissions have an overall cap to buy and sell, or "trade," portions of that total emissions allowance.
Another way to curb emissions is for governments to impose a "carbon tax" on the companies or individuals that produce emissions. A tax will produce an uncertain amount of environmental benefit, but may be more practical for reaching millions of households than a cap-and-trade scheme, which has been effective in regulating the sulfur-dioxide emissions of large entities such as public utilities.
The call for legislation is welcome news, but not enough. Our governments have failed to take effective action so far. The US is most deficient, but even among the governments that signed the Kyoto Agreement, most have not taken sufficient steps to ensure that national targets will be met by 2012.
We cannot wait for our governments to act, though they must act if the problem is ultimately to be solved. Large organizations all over the world with the power to act independently should take matters into their own hands and begin to reduce greenhouse gas emissions now. We need to demonstrate that resisting global warming is feasible and not prohibitively expensive. By showing leadership in action, not just in words, we will make the necessary response by governments much more likely, in part because they will be more confident that significant laws and policies in response to climate change will be accepted by those they represent.
Several large global companies, including General Electric, have started down this path, and so has Yale, along with other universities. I have called upon my colleagues at some of America's best-known institutions to join Yale in committing to ambitious greenhouse gas reduction programs of their own. At this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, I met with the leaders of 23 global universities and urged them to join this effort.
Universities are a natural place to demonstrate that global warming can be resisted and its adverse long-term consequences avoided. It is, after all, our scientists who identified the causes and effects of climate change and who research ways to address it. And it is our students who, in the coming decades, will have the responsibility for ensuring that the opportunities for the health and prosperity of future generations will be no less abundant than they have been for the generations that preceded them.
Here's why universities must act today. Collectively and decisively, we can set a powerful example for the next generation of leaders who will increasingly interact with one another on global issues. We can demonstrate that it is possible to reduce emissions dramatically, even while accommodating the continuing growth and development of our campuses. If we succeed, so can others.
At Yale, we committed in 2005 to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below the 1990 level by the year 2020. This represents a 43 percent reduction from our 2004 level, even while our plans call for 15 percent growth in our physical plant.
We intend to reach this ambitious goal by a combination of strategies, including:
1. Conservation within existing buildings
2. Sustainable construction of new buildings
3. More efficient production and distribution of energy on campus (Yale produces its own steam, chilled water and two-thirds of its electricity by co-generation)
4. Use of energy from renewable sources on campus
5. Direct participation in off-campus production of renewable energy
We have already reduced campus greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent in one year. Among other measures, we have installed more efficient controls and sensors to regulate heat, air conditioning and lighting; we have begun to modify our power plant and distribution systems for greater efficiency; and we run our campus bus fleet on a blend of ultra low-sulfur diesel and carbon-free biodiesel fuels. A simple step we have taken is keeping our buildings a couple of degrees cooler in winter and warmer in summer than in the past.
Students have supported our commitment on many fronts. As community members, students reduced energy use in our residential colleges by 10 percent in 2006; as researchers, they contribute to the dialogue on climate science; as activists, they continue to raise the question as to how our universities ought to assist in shaping a vision for the future.
The good news is that many of the investments required to reduce carbon emissions actually save money in the long run. The astonishing news is that we estimate that we can reach our 2020 goal – a 43 percent reduction in emissions from current level – at a cost that is below 1/2 of 1 percent of our annual operating expenses. Any organization can afford this level of sacrifice to ensure the future of the planet.
Yale's strategy depends on conservation, renewable energy and participation in carbon-offset projects in roughly equal measure. All three approaches can be part of any organization's strategy. It is important, however, that carbon offsets produce real environmental benefit. Carbon markets in the US, in the absence of governmentally imposed caps, are immature. Carbon offsets, sometimes called "renewable energy certificates," can currently be purchased at prices well below the cost of creating incremental supplies of renewable energy. As long as this persists, purchasing offsets in the market will have no environmental benefit. Thus, at Yale, we only count offsets created by direct investment in new sources of supply.
For institutions in developing countries, where growth needs to be more rapid, a reduction to 10 percent below 1990 levels is too much to expect. But a 10 percent reduction below today's levels, or even a no-growth-in-emissions policy, would be a reasonable and constructive aspiration. On a global level, it would be unreasonable and unjust to maintain the wide disparity in nations' per-capita emissions well into the future, but a worldwide collective effort in greenhouse gas reductions must still be the goal.
Universities are the natural leaders of such an effort, but other non-profit organizations, municipal governments and for-profit businesses should heed the call as well. Our future depends on it.
Richard Levin is president of Yale University.
Rights: © 2007 Yale Center for the Study of Globalization
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Antarctic warming slows down
Climate models off on Antarctic warming - LiveScience- msnbc.com
Climate models off on Antarctic warming
Change is less than predicted; concern remains about 'ice sheet edge'
updated 4:27 p.m. ET, Fri., May. 9, 2008
Antarctica hasn’t warmed as much over the last century as climate models had originally predicted, a new study finds.
Climate change's effects on Antarctica are of particular interest because of the substantial amount of water locked up in its ice sheets. Should that water begin to melt, sea levels around the globe could rise and inundate low-lying coastal areas.
The new study, detailed in the April 5 issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, marks the first time that researchers have been able to give a progress report on Antarctic climate model projections by comparing climate records to model simulations (these comparisons have been done for the other six continents). Information about Antarctica's harsh weather patterns has traditionally been limited, but temperature records from ice cores and ground weather stations have recently been constructed, giving scientists the missing information they needed.
"This is a really important exercise for these climate models," said study leader Andrew Monaghan of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Co.
Temperature gap
Monaghan and his team found that while climate models projected temperature increases of 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.75 degrees Celsius) over the past century, temperatures were observed to have risen by only 0.4 F (0.2 C).
"This is showing us that, over the past century, most of Antarctica has not undergone the fairly dramatic warming that has affected the rest of the globe," Monaghan said.
The gap between prediction and reality seemed to be caused by the models overestimating the amount of water vapor in the Antarctic atmosphere. The cold air over the southernmost continent handles moisture differently than the atmosphere over warmer regions.
The models did, however, correctly capture the increases in snowfall over Antarctica in the late 20th century, followed by a decrease in the last decade.
One reason that Antarctica hasn't warmed as much as other parts of the globe is the existence of the ozone hole overhead: It alters wind patterns, creating a swirling belt of winds around the landmass that keeps comparatively warm air from seeping in, preserving the continent's frigid temperatures.
One important exception to this rule is the Antarctic Peninsula, which has warmed by several degrees, in part because winds there draw in warmer air from the north.
Mixed verdict
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that sea levels could rise by 7 to 23 inches (18 to 59 centimeters) globally this century, in part due to ice melt at the poles and from mountain glaciers.
The new study, funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy, suggests that warming in Antarctica could offset this amount by about 2 inches (5 centimeters) if the continent warms by 5.4 F (3 C), as warmer air would hold more moisture and generate more snowfall, which contributes to the growth of the ice sheets, locking up any additional water in the these large masses of ice. That would mean a rise of only 5 to 21 inches (13 to 54 centimeters).
But these projections are by no means certain — if melt from Antarctic ice sheets outweighed the snowfall that contributes to their growth, sea level rise could be higher.
"The research clearly shows that you can actually slow down sea-level rise when you increase temperatures over Antarctica because snowfall increases, but warmer temperatures also have the potential to speed up sea-level rise due to enhanced melting along the edges of Antarctica," Monaghan said. "Over the next century, whether the ice sheet grows from increased snowfall or shrinks due to more melt will depend on how much temperatures increase in Antarctica, and potentially on erosion at the ice sheet edge by the warmer ocean and rising sea level."
The findings of the study don't call into question model projections for other parts of the globe, Monaghan said. "The models are really doing quite a good job at simulating the 20th century changes over the six inhabited continents," he told LiveScience.
© 2008 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.
Climate models off on Antarctic warming
Change is less than predicted; concern remains about 'ice sheet edge'
updated 4:27 p.m. ET, Fri., May. 9, 2008
Antarctica hasn’t warmed as much over the last century as climate models had originally predicted, a new study finds.
Climate change's effects on Antarctica are of particular interest because of the substantial amount of water locked up in its ice sheets. Should that water begin to melt, sea levels around the globe could rise and inundate low-lying coastal areas.
The new study, detailed in the April 5 issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, marks the first time that researchers have been able to give a progress report on Antarctic climate model projections by comparing climate records to model simulations (these comparisons have been done for the other six continents). Information about Antarctica's harsh weather patterns has traditionally been limited, but temperature records from ice cores and ground weather stations have recently been constructed, giving scientists the missing information they needed.
"This is a really important exercise for these climate models," said study leader Andrew Monaghan of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Co.
Temperature gap
Monaghan and his team found that while climate models projected temperature increases of 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.75 degrees Celsius) over the past century, temperatures were observed to have risen by only 0.4 F (0.2 C).
"This is showing us that, over the past century, most of Antarctica has not undergone the fairly dramatic warming that has affected the rest of the globe," Monaghan said.
The gap between prediction and reality seemed to be caused by the models overestimating the amount of water vapor in the Antarctic atmosphere. The cold air over the southernmost continent handles moisture differently than the atmosphere over warmer regions.
The models did, however, correctly capture the increases in snowfall over Antarctica in the late 20th century, followed by a decrease in the last decade.
One reason that Antarctica hasn't warmed as much as other parts of the globe is the existence of the ozone hole overhead: It alters wind patterns, creating a swirling belt of winds around the landmass that keeps comparatively warm air from seeping in, preserving the continent's frigid temperatures.
One important exception to this rule is the Antarctic Peninsula, which has warmed by several degrees, in part because winds there draw in warmer air from the north.
Mixed verdict
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that sea levels could rise by 7 to 23 inches (18 to 59 centimeters) globally this century, in part due to ice melt at the poles and from mountain glaciers.
The new study, funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy, suggests that warming in Antarctica could offset this amount by about 2 inches (5 centimeters) if the continent warms by 5.4 F (3 C), as warmer air would hold more moisture and generate more snowfall, which contributes to the growth of the ice sheets, locking up any additional water in the these large masses of ice. That would mean a rise of only 5 to 21 inches (13 to 54 centimeters).
But these projections are by no means certain — if melt from Antarctic ice sheets outweighed the snowfall that contributes to their growth, sea level rise could be higher.
"The research clearly shows that you can actually slow down sea-level rise when you increase temperatures over Antarctica because snowfall increases, but warmer temperatures also have the potential to speed up sea-level rise due to enhanced melting along the edges of Antarctica," Monaghan said. "Over the next century, whether the ice sheet grows from increased snowfall or shrinks due to more melt will depend on how much temperatures increase in Antarctica, and potentially on erosion at the ice sheet edge by the warmer ocean and rising sea level."
The findings of the study don't call into question model projections for other parts of the globe, Monaghan said. "The models are really doing quite a good job at simulating the 20th century changes over the six inhabited continents," he told LiveScience.
© 2008 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.
Environment protection: Chinese leader seeks Japanese help
Chinese leader seeks Japanese help on environment - Yahoo! News
Chinese leader seeks Japanese help on environment
Fri May 9, 10:43 AM ET
KAWASAKI, Japan (AFP) - Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday voiced hope that Japan would share environmental technology with his country as he toured a state-of-the-art recycling factory.
Hu, on a rare visit to Japan to mend ties between Asia's two largest economies, visited the Kawasaki PET Bottle Recycling Factory near Tokyo which processes used bottles and electronics devices.
"We want to introduce Japan's advanced technology on the environment to China," Hu said, adding that his administration will focus on green businesses.
China's pollution has been rapidly growing as its economy soars, posing particular concern for neighbours such as Japan and South Korea.
Hu and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda had agreed Wednesday to work together to fight global warming in a summit that focused mostly on general themes of reconciliation.
The two countries have long had tense relations, in part due to the legacy of Japanese aggression in China before World War II.
Hu wound up his time in Tokyo on Friday by meeting with Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, who in an unusual step went to his hotel to bid farewell to Hu and his wife, Liu Yongqing.
Hu later visited a Chinese school in Yokohama, Japan's second most populous city which has a large Chinese community. He was welcomed with a traditional lion dance and Chinese songs.
Hu also met with a group of Japanese lawmakers supporting the Beijing Olympics, which has become a lightning rod for global criticism over China's rights record and treatment of restive Tibet.
"The Beijing Olympics are not only for the Chinese people but also for people in Asia, including Japan, and around the world," Hu told lower house Speaker Yohei Kono, who heads the group.
Chinese star hurdler Liu Xiang, one of his country's main hopes for Olympic gold, saluted Hu as he prepared for Saturday's Grand Prix in the western metropolis of Osaka.
"His visit to Japan helped deepen friendship between China and Japan," Liu said.
Hu later headed to Osaka for talks with business leaders. He was due to visit historic temples in the western town of Nara on Saturday before flying home.
Chinese leader seeks Japanese help on environment
Fri May 9, 10:43 AM ET
KAWASAKI, Japan (AFP) - Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday voiced hope that Japan would share environmental technology with his country as he toured a state-of-the-art recycling factory.
Hu, on a rare visit to Japan to mend ties between Asia's two largest economies, visited the Kawasaki PET Bottle Recycling Factory near Tokyo which processes used bottles and electronics devices.
"We want to introduce Japan's advanced technology on the environment to China," Hu said, adding that his administration will focus on green businesses.
China's pollution has been rapidly growing as its economy soars, posing particular concern for neighbours such as Japan and South Korea.
Hu and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda had agreed Wednesday to work together to fight global warming in a summit that focused mostly on general themes of reconciliation.
The two countries have long had tense relations, in part due to the legacy of Japanese aggression in China before World War II.
Hu wound up his time in Tokyo on Friday by meeting with Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, who in an unusual step went to his hotel to bid farewell to Hu and his wife, Liu Yongqing.
Hu later visited a Chinese school in Yokohama, Japan's second most populous city which has a large Chinese community. He was welcomed with a traditional lion dance and Chinese songs.
Hu also met with a group of Japanese lawmakers supporting the Beijing Olympics, which has become a lightning rod for global criticism over China's rights record and treatment of restive Tibet.
"The Beijing Olympics are not only for the Chinese people but also for people in Asia, including Japan, and around the world," Hu told lower house Speaker Yohei Kono, who heads the group.
Chinese star hurdler Liu Xiang, one of his country's main hopes for Olympic gold, saluted Hu as he prepared for Saturday's Grand Prix in the western metropolis of Osaka.
"His visit to Japan helped deepen friendship between China and Japan," Liu said.
Hu later headed to Osaka for talks with business leaders. He was due to visit historic temples in the western town of Nara on Saturday before flying home.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Ethanol Fuel -- Ecofriendly?
Kick the oil habit and make your own ethanol - Yahoo! News
Kick the oil habit and make your own ethanol
By Timothy Gardner Thu May 8, 6:00 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A new company hopes drivers will kick the oil habit by brewing ethanol at home that won't spike food prices.
E-Fuel Corp unveiled on Thursday the "MicroFueler" touting it as the world's first machine that allows homeowners to make their own ethanol and pump the brew directly into their cars.
The portable unit that sells for $10,000 resembles a gasoline station pump and nozzle -- minus the slot for a credit card, or the digital "SALE" numbers that whir ever faster at retail pumps as global demand pushes fuel prices to record levels.
Instead of tapping gasoline from an underground tank, the pump's back end plugs into home power and water supplies to make ethanol for as little as $1 a gallon (3.8 liters), according to E-Fuel.
The company says one of the machine's top selling points is its sweet tooth. It ferments fuel from sugar, the price of which is historically cheap as global supplies are glutted.
That means it avoids the Achilles heel of today's U.S. ethanol system -- reliance on corn -- which has been blamed for helping to spike global food prices.
"There's no mother in America crying that their kids aren't getting enough sugar," Tom Quinn, CEO and founder of E-Fuel said in an interview.
Regular table sugar alone is too expensive, so E-Fuels says it will link customers to cheaper surplus supplies, including inedible sugar from Mexico that sells at a fraction of the price. It also hopes to get users to help pay for feedstock by selling carbon credits for using the machine, since making ethanol from sugar emits fewer greenhouse gases than making it from corn.
"We will break the traditional ethanol system," said Quinn a California computer and computer games inventor, who has bankrolled the company with what he calls "millions, but not multimillion" of dollars.
He said despite the steep upfront costs, the machines will pay for themselves quickly. For a two-car family that drives about 34,500 miles a year, the MicroFueler will pay for itself in less than two years, assuming average gasoline prices of $3.60 per gallon, the company said. The unit makes up to 35 gallons (132 liters) of 100 percent ethanol per week.
Others are not so sure that the MicroFueler is a good investment.
"I doubt it will work," said David Pimental, a professor at Cornell University who has studied the economics of ethanol for decades. He said the history of the fuel has been one of moving to greater and greater scales to increase the efficiencies of making the fuel.
E-Fuel says the machine is efficient in a way that big ethanol plants aren't because it removes water from the fuel with special fine filters that reduce the fuel costs of distilling the water out.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner, editing by Marguerita Choy)
Kick the oil habit and make your own ethanol
By Timothy Gardner Thu May 8, 6:00 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A new company hopes drivers will kick the oil habit by brewing ethanol at home that won't spike food prices.
E-Fuel Corp unveiled on Thursday the "MicroFueler" touting it as the world's first machine that allows homeowners to make their own ethanol and pump the brew directly into their cars.
The portable unit that sells for $10,000 resembles a gasoline station pump and nozzle -- minus the slot for a credit card, or the digital "SALE" numbers that whir ever faster at retail pumps as global demand pushes fuel prices to record levels.
Instead of tapping gasoline from an underground tank, the pump's back end plugs into home power and water supplies to make ethanol for as little as $1 a gallon (3.8 liters), according to E-Fuel.
The company says one of the machine's top selling points is its sweet tooth. It ferments fuel from sugar, the price of which is historically cheap as global supplies are glutted.
That means it avoids the Achilles heel of today's U.S. ethanol system -- reliance on corn -- which has been blamed for helping to spike global food prices.
"There's no mother in America crying that their kids aren't getting enough sugar," Tom Quinn, CEO and founder of E-Fuel said in an interview.
Regular table sugar alone is too expensive, so E-Fuels says it will link customers to cheaper surplus supplies, including inedible sugar from Mexico that sells at a fraction of the price. It also hopes to get users to help pay for feedstock by selling carbon credits for using the machine, since making ethanol from sugar emits fewer greenhouse gases than making it from corn.
"We will break the traditional ethanol system," said Quinn a California computer and computer games inventor, who has bankrolled the company with what he calls "millions, but not multimillion" of dollars.
He said despite the steep upfront costs, the machines will pay for themselves quickly. For a two-car family that drives about 34,500 miles a year, the MicroFueler will pay for itself in less than two years, assuming average gasoline prices of $3.60 per gallon, the company said. The unit makes up to 35 gallons (132 liters) of 100 percent ethanol per week.
Others are not so sure that the MicroFueler is a good investment.
"I doubt it will work," said David Pimental, a professor at Cornell University who has studied the economics of ethanol for decades. He said the history of the fuel has been one of moving to greater and greater scales to increase the efficiencies of making the fuel.
E-Fuel says the machine is efficient in a way that big ethanol plants aren't because it removes water from the fuel with special fine filters that reduce the fuel costs of distilling the water out.
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner, editing by Marguerita Choy)
Bio fuels or food habits
Friday, May 09, 2008
Bio fuels, not Indian food habits escalate food prices
Mumbai: Minister of State for External affairs feel that diversion of food grain and encouraging it by diversion is the reason behind price hike. "Diversion of food grain for bio-fuels and encouraging it by subsidising such diversion is the primary reason if not the exclusive reason for rising food grain prices all over the world", said Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma.
He was speaking at the round table conference organised by FICCI on 'Foreign policy-Implications for Indian Business'. Perhaps for the first time in sharp response to US president George Bush's statement, "India and China are causing rise in the food prices", from the senior government functionary Sharma said, "issue of the bio-fuels must be addressed very carefully and it should be ensured that, it doesn't threatens the food security".
The food grains which are diverted for bio-fuels may not be the staple diet for rich and affluent countries but they are part of staple diet for millions and millions of people in many poor countries. And one must understand issue of food security is also linked with health security, he added.
Another important factor, which is causing rise in the food prices, all over the world is the rising oil prices, as today's agriculture is energy intensive and also dependent on fertilisers, which is also a petroleum product, he pointed out.
Later speaking with media persons on the future of Indo-US nuclear deal he virtually admitted that, nuclear deal is dead and buried by saying "I won't like to use such a harsh words and dialogue and consensus between two sovereign nations don't get affected by the change in the dispersion".
Even if there is a change of government in the United States after the elections, it won't disturb basic understanding between two countries on civil nuclear deal, he expressed confidence. Defending governments dilly-dally approach over the nuclear deal Sharma said, "we are living in an era of coalition politics and it is necessary to build larger consensus on such an important issue at home before, we sign a treaty with another country.
Source: Business Standard
Bio fuels, not Indian food habits escalate food prices
Mumbai: Minister of State for External affairs feel that diversion of food grain and encouraging it by diversion is the reason behind price hike. "Diversion of food grain for bio-fuels and encouraging it by subsidising such diversion is the primary reason if not the exclusive reason for rising food grain prices all over the world", said Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma.
He was speaking at the round table conference organised by FICCI on 'Foreign policy-Implications for Indian Business'. Perhaps for the first time in sharp response to US president George Bush's statement, "India and China are causing rise in the food prices", from the senior government functionary Sharma said, "issue of the bio-fuels must be addressed very carefully and it should be ensured that, it doesn't threatens the food security".
The food grains which are diverted for bio-fuels may not be the staple diet for rich and affluent countries but they are part of staple diet for millions and millions of people in many poor countries. And one must understand issue of food security is also linked with health security, he added.
Another important factor, which is causing rise in the food prices, all over the world is the rising oil prices, as today's agriculture is energy intensive and also dependent on fertilisers, which is also a petroleum product, he pointed out.
Later speaking with media persons on the future of Indo-US nuclear deal he virtually admitted that, nuclear deal is dead and buried by saying "I won't like to use such a harsh words and dialogue and consensus between two sovereign nations don't get affected by the change in the dispersion".
Even if there is a change of government in the United States after the elections, it won't disturb basic understanding between two countries on civil nuclear deal, he expressed confidence. Defending governments dilly-dally approach over the nuclear deal Sharma said, "we are living in an era of coalition politics and it is necessary to build larger consensus on such an important issue at home before, we sign a treaty with another country.
Source: Business Standard
Press Release : Climate Change
Press Release : Climate Change
Mayl 07, 2008
Press Release
Nargis not just a natural disaster, but a human-made disaster because of climate change
Deaths of over 20,000 people and reports of over 40,000 missing
is a sad reminder to the world that it has done little
to contain greenhouse gas emissions -- says CSE
* Climate change is urgent, real and happening. We know that large parts of the sub-continent will be worst impacted. We know that we are climate victims.
* But we do not connect the dots to recognise the fact that the tropical cyclone Nargis, which has led to such enormous devastation in Myanmar, is also because of changing climate. It is not just a natural disaster.
* The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has established that climate change will intensify cyclones.
* Is Nargis then the beginning of the change? If so, why is the rich industrialised world doing so little to contain its emissions? Why are we not recognising that these are victims of climate change? Why are we not beginning to penalise the polluters, so that emissions are reduced?
New Delhi, May 7, 2008: Tropical cyclone Nargis, which has killed over 20,000 people and reportedly left 40,000 missing in its wake, is not just a natural disaster, says Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). “While we can never pinpoint one disaster as the result of climate change, there is enough scientific evidence that climate change will lead to intensification of tropical cyclones,” says Sunita Narain, director, CSE.
“Nargis is a sign of things to come. Last year, Bangladesh was devastated by the tropical cyclone Sidr. The victims of these cyclones are climate change victims and their plight should remind the rich world that it is doing too little to contain its greenhouse gas emissions,” Narain added.
What the IPCC says
The 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had clearly observed that cyclones will increase in their intensity as a result of global warming. According to the IPCC: “There is observational evidence of an increase of intense tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic since about 1970, correlated with increases of tropical sea surface temperatures”.
The IPCC also notes that “based on a range of models, it is likely that future tropical cyclones (typhoons and hurricanes) will become more intense, with larger peak wind speeds and more heavy precipitation associated with ongoing increases of tropical sea surface temperatures”.
Big polluters responsible for these deaths and devastation
Says Mario D’Souza, CSE’s climate change researcher: “The voices of the victims of climate change must be heard. Like the tropical cyclone Sidr, which ripped through Bangladesh in 2007, the Nargis has also left thousands dead and homeless. This devastation happened because the rich failed to contain emissions necessary for their growth.”
Points out Narain: “This is the challenge of climate science. It is clear that while we will never be able to make absolute predictions or direct correlations between events that we see around us and the warming that is now inevitable, there is enough evidence to make connections. For instance, we know that rainfall in our world will become more variable – devastating for people dependent on rain-fed agriculture. And now we can see the intensification of tropical cyclones, another prediction of climate science.”
Climate change is related to economic growth and wealth creation. The bulk of greenhouse emissions are related to burning of fossil fuels, for the energy that drives the world. It is no wonder then that the rich industrialised world, responsible for the bulk of the emissions in the atmosphere, has found it difficult to cut its emissions. After all, “its lifestyle is not negotiable”, as a former American president has said.
In this growth path, ‘more’ is the mantra. While science tells us that drastic reductions are needed, no country is talking about limiting consumption.
But these emissions and lifestyles are now spelling doom for countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh – and the big polluters of the world, such as the US, cannot escape their responsibility and role in the ‘dance of death’ of tropical cyclones like Nargis. “The question that the world needs to answer now,” says Narain, “is how to make these countries pay for the victims of climate change.”
The only way it can be done is by making them reduce their emissions drastically – 30 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. There is no comparison between the emissions of countries like India or even China and rich big emitters of the world. There is a stock of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, built up over centuries in the process of creating nations’ wealth. “This is the natural debt of nations, and they must pay up,” says D’Souza.
The fact is that these countries are doing too little to cut their emissions. While the Kyoto Protocol agreed to meager emission reduction targets of 5 per cent by 2012, between 1990 and 2005, emissions have increased. In fact, emissions of countries like the US have increased by a whopping 20 per cent during that period. This is unacceptable.
It is time the voices of the victims of climate change are raised to demand tougher action from the rich world to reduce emissions. It is time that the victims are compensated and the climate polluters penalised.
For more details, please contact:
*
For more on this, please contact Mario D’Souza at mario@cseindia.org or Souparno Banerjee at souparno@cseindia.org
Mayl 07, 2008
Press Release
Nargis not just a natural disaster, but a human-made disaster because of climate change
Deaths of over 20,000 people and reports of over 40,000 missing
is a sad reminder to the world that it has done little
to contain greenhouse gas emissions -- says CSE
* Climate change is urgent, real and happening. We know that large parts of the sub-continent will be worst impacted. We know that we are climate victims.
* But we do not connect the dots to recognise the fact that the tropical cyclone Nargis, which has led to such enormous devastation in Myanmar, is also because of changing climate. It is not just a natural disaster.
* The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has established that climate change will intensify cyclones.
* Is Nargis then the beginning of the change? If so, why is the rich industrialised world doing so little to contain its emissions? Why are we not recognising that these are victims of climate change? Why are we not beginning to penalise the polluters, so that emissions are reduced?
New Delhi, May 7, 2008: Tropical cyclone Nargis, which has killed over 20,000 people and reportedly left 40,000 missing in its wake, is not just a natural disaster, says Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). “While we can never pinpoint one disaster as the result of climate change, there is enough scientific evidence that climate change will lead to intensification of tropical cyclones,” says Sunita Narain, director, CSE.
“Nargis is a sign of things to come. Last year, Bangladesh was devastated by the tropical cyclone Sidr. The victims of these cyclones are climate change victims and their plight should remind the rich world that it is doing too little to contain its greenhouse gas emissions,” Narain added.
What the IPCC says
The 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had clearly observed that cyclones will increase in their intensity as a result of global warming. According to the IPCC: “There is observational evidence of an increase of intense tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic since about 1970, correlated with increases of tropical sea surface temperatures”.
The IPCC also notes that “based on a range of models, it is likely that future tropical cyclones (typhoons and hurricanes) will become more intense, with larger peak wind speeds and more heavy precipitation associated with ongoing increases of tropical sea surface temperatures”.
Big polluters responsible for these deaths and devastation
Says Mario D’Souza, CSE’s climate change researcher: “The voices of the victims of climate change must be heard. Like the tropical cyclone Sidr, which ripped through Bangladesh in 2007, the Nargis has also left thousands dead and homeless. This devastation happened because the rich failed to contain emissions necessary for their growth.”
Points out Narain: “This is the challenge of climate science. It is clear that while we will never be able to make absolute predictions or direct correlations between events that we see around us and the warming that is now inevitable, there is enough evidence to make connections. For instance, we know that rainfall in our world will become more variable – devastating for people dependent on rain-fed agriculture. And now we can see the intensification of tropical cyclones, another prediction of climate science.”
Climate change is related to economic growth and wealth creation. The bulk of greenhouse emissions are related to burning of fossil fuels, for the energy that drives the world. It is no wonder then that the rich industrialised world, responsible for the bulk of the emissions in the atmosphere, has found it difficult to cut its emissions. After all, “its lifestyle is not negotiable”, as a former American president has said.
In this growth path, ‘more’ is the mantra. While science tells us that drastic reductions are needed, no country is talking about limiting consumption.
But these emissions and lifestyles are now spelling doom for countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh – and the big polluters of the world, such as the US, cannot escape their responsibility and role in the ‘dance of death’ of tropical cyclones like Nargis. “The question that the world needs to answer now,” says Narain, “is how to make these countries pay for the victims of climate change.”
The only way it can be done is by making them reduce their emissions drastically – 30 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. There is no comparison between the emissions of countries like India or even China and rich big emitters of the world. There is a stock of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, built up over centuries in the process of creating nations’ wealth. “This is the natural debt of nations, and they must pay up,” says D’Souza.
The fact is that these countries are doing too little to cut their emissions. While the Kyoto Protocol agreed to meager emission reduction targets of 5 per cent by 2012, between 1990 and 2005, emissions have increased. In fact, emissions of countries like the US have increased by a whopping 20 per cent during that period. This is unacceptable.
It is time the voices of the victims of climate change are raised to demand tougher action from the rich world to reduce emissions. It is time that the victims are compensated and the climate polluters penalised.
For more details, please contact:
*
For more on this, please contact Mario D’Souza at mario@cseindia.org or Souparno Banerjee at souparno@cseindia.org
India Together: Insufficient relief for Kerala's endosulfan victims - 11 February 2008
India Together: Insufficient relief for Kerala's endosulfan victims - 11 February 2008
Insufficient relief for Kerala's endosulfan victims
For seven-year-old Sandhya and her siblings, totally dependant on their mother who ekes out a living by making beedis, the state government's relief package, announced nearly 18 months ago, is simply not enough. Many more suffer the same fate. P N Venugopal reports.
11 February 2008 - Seven-year old Sandhya had the first glimpse of the world around her in the first week of 2008. Born blind due to the deadly fallout of the hazardous pesticide endosulfan, this innocent girl belonging to Swarga village of Kasargod district in Kerala had her vision restored after two surgeries and prolonged treatment. This was the initiative of the teachers of her school and under the auspices of the Endosulfan Victims Relief & Remediation Cell of the Kasargod District Panchayat. Sandhya's paternal uncle had died of the ill effects of endosulfan and her two siblings too are the victims of.
Sandhya is just one of the many in Kasargod district who are the living victims of the aerial spraying of endosulfan in the cashew plantations of Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) for over two decades, till 2001. Endosulfan is recognised as being unacceptably hazardous to human health and the environment. It has left a legacy of deformity and malfunctions in various communities world over. Its use is banned not only in many European countries, but even in India's neigbouring Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, it took hundreds of deaths, dedicated effort of environmental/public health activists and two decades to force the Kerala government to stop the use of endosulfan.
But it was only in August 2006 that the Kerala Government owned up its responsibility and disbursed Rs.50,000 each to the kin of 135 victims who had died. The Chief Minister V S Achutanandan also announced a relief package of Rs.50 lakhs to take care of the treatment of the affected and their rehabilitation. "We are now preparing a list of those who died after June 2006," says M V Balakrishnan Master, District Panchayat President, Kasargod. And there have been many deaths too. Eight-year old Jumaila, of Chengala died in July, Mani (65), a resident of Ukkinadukawho in September, Lakkanna Rai, 55, of Velloor Sabrakaje died in a Mangalore hospital in December, Sangamulya, 70, died in January this year.
Opinion about the relief is divided. Some feel that not enough is being done for the endosulfan-impaired living and the easier way of compensating the dead is being adopted. "By all means, list out all those who have died," says Dr Y S Mohankumar of Padre, who was one of the first to trace the deaths due to mysterious ailments in the district to the spraying of endosulfan. "But please don't wait till they die. Treat the living."
But that is exactly what we are doing counters, Balakrishnan Master. He reels out numbers. "Out of the Rs.50 lakhs allotted by the government we have earmarked Rs 37.5 lakhs for treatment. In a medical camp, 153 victims who had ailments of ear, nose and throat were treated. 162 were treated in another medical camp for the vision impaired. 103 victims who lost vision fully or partially have been treated. Certain serious patients have been treated in hospitals outside the state. Several surgeries have been done."
Master adds that in the case of victims who were immobile, doctors visited them at their residence and charted out their course of treatment. Rs.12.5 lakhs is kept aside for implements such as hearing aids and although not distributed as yet, it is reported that orders have been placed.
Money is the crunch. The district panchayat is working on a website to appeal to the global community for assistance.
• Kerala owns up responsibility
• The living dead: endosulfan victims
Sudheerkumar, the convener of the Anti-Endosulfan Committee more or less agrees with the contentions of the district panchayat president. "They have done quite a bit of work. Many of the victims do get treatment." But he points out that in such a massive tragedy treatment alone is not enough. Rehabilitation and nursing care has not been given equal priority. Many of the affected families have been deprived of their breadwinner either by death or by deserting. Paid home-nurses could help take care of such children while the mothers can go for work and eke out a living.
Sandhya and her siblings are totally dependant on their mother who ekes out a living by making beedis. Their father had left them after the three were born with physical disorders. Then there is four-year- old Anjana of Periya village, who was born with her urinary bladder outside her body. Her mother has to be with her all the time and also make a living. Is it not the duty of the state, which has owned up the responsibility, to provide assistance to the mother at least by providing nursing care, asks Sudheer Kumar. "In fact, the state should adopt such children."
Dr Mohan Kumar too points out the lack of schemes for rehabilitation. He cites the example of the two visually-challenged sons of Easwar of Padre village. No treatment or surgery can ever give them sight. The two kids should get necessary support for learning Braille, Mohankumar says. Providing means of livelihoods to those who can work has also not been taken up. The PCK should be asked to register all those who are suffering and facilities provided for organic farming in side the plantations argues Sudheer Kumar. But the residues of the dreaded chemical has to be removed beforehand and no such moves are in the offing.
Another disturbing factor is that only Rs.50 lakhs had been allocated in the last year's state budget for the relief measures. Several cases filed by individuals seeking compensation are currently pending in courts. One was disposed off last year, where the judiciary merely asked the government to hasten the disbursal of the allocated amount and did not go into the merits of the claim or the quantum of compensation.
The district panchayat had earmarked another Rs.10 lakhs from its funds. The money is almost over. And there are about 2000 victims registered till date. Balakrishnan as well as M Madhavan Nambiar, the coordinator of the relief cell was extremely cautious when they mentioned the preparation of a second list of those who have died. "We've not made any commitment that the relatives of those in the list will be provided with compensation," they say. Money is the crunch. The district panchayat is working on a website which will contain the details of the gruesome tragedy and will make appeals to the global community for assistance.
But do the victims have to depend on charity? Are not the perpetrators out in the open? "But so far we do not have concrete and scientific evidence that will stand in a court of law which will squarely implicate the PCK and the producers of endosulfan," says Balakrishnan Master. "We have to prove that they are the culprits." But Dr.Sreepadi Khajampadi another early activist, disagrees. "It's for the accused to prove that they are not guilty, " he says.
The activists seem to have more or less withdrawn from the scene and the local politicians appear to have taken over. There are allegations that politics is playing its own role in deciding whether one is a endosulfan victim or not. There are also cynical comments about attributing almost every other death to endosulfan. But those who allege this are unwilling to be quoted as even they think that if some one is going to be benefited - after all, they are all so poor - they shouldn't be deprived of the compensation. (The Quest Features & Footage, Kochi) ⊕
Insufficient relief for Kerala's endosulfan victims
For seven-year-old Sandhya and her siblings, totally dependant on their mother who ekes out a living by making beedis, the state government's relief package, announced nearly 18 months ago, is simply not enough. Many more suffer the same fate. P N Venugopal reports.
11 February 2008 - Seven-year old Sandhya had the first glimpse of the world around her in the first week of 2008. Born blind due to the deadly fallout of the hazardous pesticide endosulfan, this innocent girl belonging to Swarga village of Kasargod district in Kerala had her vision restored after two surgeries and prolonged treatment. This was the initiative of the teachers of her school and under the auspices of the Endosulfan Victims Relief & Remediation Cell of the Kasargod District Panchayat. Sandhya's paternal uncle had died of the ill effects of endosulfan and her two siblings too are the victims of.
Sandhya is just one of the many in Kasargod district who are the living victims of the aerial spraying of endosulfan in the cashew plantations of Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) for over two decades, till 2001. Endosulfan is recognised as being unacceptably hazardous to human health and the environment. It has left a legacy of deformity and malfunctions in various communities world over. Its use is banned not only in many European countries, but even in India's neigbouring Pakistan and Sri Lanka. However, it took hundreds of deaths, dedicated effort of environmental/public health activists and two decades to force the Kerala government to stop the use of endosulfan.
But it was only in August 2006 that the Kerala Government owned up its responsibility and disbursed Rs.50,000 each to the kin of 135 victims who had died. The Chief Minister V S Achutanandan also announced a relief package of Rs.50 lakhs to take care of the treatment of the affected and their rehabilitation. "We are now preparing a list of those who died after June 2006," says M V Balakrishnan Master, District Panchayat President, Kasargod. And there have been many deaths too. Eight-year old Jumaila, of Chengala died in July, Mani (65), a resident of Ukkinadukawho in September, Lakkanna Rai, 55, of Velloor Sabrakaje died in a Mangalore hospital in December, Sangamulya, 70, died in January this year.
Opinion about the relief is divided. Some feel that not enough is being done for the endosulfan-impaired living and the easier way of compensating the dead is being adopted. "By all means, list out all those who have died," says Dr Y S Mohankumar of Padre, who was one of the first to trace the deaths due to mysterious ailments in the district to the spraying of endosulfan. "But please don't wait till they die. Treat the living."
But that is exactly what we are doing counters, Balakrishnan Master. He reels out numbers. "Out of the Rs.50 lakhs allotted by the government we have earmarked Rs 37.5 lakhs for treatment. In a medical camp, 153 victims who had ailments of ear, nose and throat were treated. 162 were treated in another medical camp for the vision impaired. 103 victims who lost vision fully or partially have been treated. Certain serious patients have been treated in hospitals outside the state. Several surgeries have been done."
Master adds that in the case of victims who were immobile, doctors visited them at their residence and charted out their course of treatment. Rs.12.5 lakhs is kept aside for implements such as hearing aids and although not distributed as yet, it is reported that orders have been placed.
Money is the crunch. The district panchayat is working on a website to appeal to the global community for assistance.
• Kerala owns up responsibility
• The living dead: endosulfan victims
Sudheerkumar, the convener of the Anti-Endosulfan Committee more or less agrees with the contentions of the district panchayat president. "They have done quite a bit of work. Many of the victims do get treatment." But he points out that in such a massive tragedy treatment alone is not enough. Rehabilitation and nursing care has not been given equal priority. Many of the affected families have been deprived of their breadwinner either by death or by deserting. Paid home-nurses could help take care of such children while the mothers can go for work and eke out a living.
Sandhya and her siblings are totally dependant on their mother who ekes out a living by making beedis. Their father had left them after the three were born with physical disorders. Then there is four-year- old Anjana of Periya village, who was born with her urinary bladder outside her body. Her mother has to be with her all the time and also make a living. Is it not the duty of the state, which has owned up the responsibility, to provide assistance to the mother at least by providing nursing care, asks Sudheer Kumar. "In fact, the state should adopt such children."
Dr Mohan Kumar too points out the lack of schemes for rehabilitation. He cites the example of the two visually-challenged sons of Easwar of Padre village. No treatment or surgery can ever give them sight. The two kids should get necessary support for learning Braille, Mohankumar says. Providing means of livelihoods to those who can work has also not been taken up. The PCK should be asked to register all those who are suffering and facilities provided for organic farming in side the plantations argues Sudheer Kumar. But the residues of the dreaded chemical has to be removed beforehand and no such moves are in the offing.
Another disturbing factor is that only Rs.50 lakhs had been allocated in the last year's state budget for the relief measures. Several cases filed by individuals seeking compensation are currently pending in courts. One was disposed off last year, where the judiciary merely asked the government to hasten the disbursal of the allocated amount and did not go into the merits of the claim or the quantum of compensation.
The district panchayat had earmarked another Rs.10 lakhs from its funds. The money is almost over. And there are about 2000 victims registered till date. Balakrishnan as well as M Madhavan Nambiar, the coordinator of the relief cell was extremely cautious when they mentioned the preparation of a second list of those who have died. "We've not made any commitment that the relatives of those in the list will be provided with compensation," they say. Money is the crunch. The district panchayat is working on a website which will contain the details of the gruesome tragedy and will make appeals to the global community for assistance.
But do the victims have to depend on charity? Are not the perpetrators out in the open? "But so far we do not have concrete and scientific evidence that will stand in a court of law which will squarely implicate the PCK and the producers of endosulfan," says Balakrishnan Master. "We have to prove that they are the culprits." But Dr.Sreepadi Khajampadi another early activist, disagrees. "It's for the accused to prove that they are not guilty, " he says.
The activists seem to have more or less withdrawn from the scene and the local politicians appear to have taken over. There are allegations that politics is playing its own role in deciding whether one is a endosulfan victim or not. There are also cynical comments about attributing almost every other death to endosulfan. But those who allege this are unwilling to be quoted as even they think that if some one is going to be benefited - after all, they are all so poor - they shouldn't be deprived of the compensation. (The Quest Features & Footage, Kochi) ⊕
India Together: Old conflict resurfaces at Athirappilly falls - 9 April 2008
India Together: Old conflict resurfaces at Athirappilly falls - 9 April 2008
ENVIRONMENT
Old conflict resurfaces at Athirappilly falls
Kerala's electricity board is preparing to build the seventh dam across the 144-kilometers-long Chalakudy river. The fate of the picturesque Athirappilly waterfalls hangs in the balance, with locals battling against the project. Sudhirendar Sharma has more.
9 April 2008 - The flow at the Athirappilly falls near Thrissur in Kerala has been curtailed to cap the tourist influx. Registering a complaint with the District Collector, the tourists and local people alleged that the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had done this to add a new justification to the proposed seventh dam on the Chalakudy river.
That this has been done from the upstream Poringalkuthu reservoir came to the notice of activists on 25 March. The waterfalls depends on release from the Poringalkuthu reservoir upstream.
Reduced flow at the Athirappilly falls near Thrissur, from February this year. See second picture below for the falls view in full bloom during the monsoons. Pic: River Research Centre.
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The picturesque water falls is a couple of hours drive from the concrete jungle of Kochi. This is the last stretch of the river that flows freely before it merges into the Arabian Sea. Most of the upstream having been already dammed, a new dam will sound the death knell for the river.
Proposed dam will reduce Athirappilly falls to trickle
KSEB is preparing to move heavy earth machinery for building what will be the seventh dam across the Chalakudy, the 144 kilometers long river in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats. However, local people are fighting a decisive battle to save the waterfalls. Had the courts not intervened in the past, Athirappilly would have long met the same fate as the Jog Falls in Karnataka.
Ammini, a mother of three, is leading the ongoing campaign against the proposed dam and contends that odds are stacked in their favour. Some million tourists are attracted to the site each year, sustaining livelihoods of several hundred families engaged in providing services. Her small kiosk has been the favourite of most visiting film crews but she is piqued at their non-indulgence as the picturesque site waits for its doom.
The proposed dam will cap about 86 per cent of all water flowing in the river, reducing the falls at Athirappilly to a trickle. But KSEB is unmoved. Not without reason has it revised the detailed project report (DPR) four times since 1989 during which it faced two court strictures, first of which suspended the environmental clearance given in 1998 while the second quashed similar clearance given in 2005. Environmental clearance is given by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi.
Two mandatory public hearing held following the High Court's directives had both rejected the project.
• Was the Bhakra dam worth it
• More accidents at dam sites
The Kerala High Court was convinced that the KSEB had violated the EIA Notification 1994 procedures regarding non-publication of the clearance letter at relevant places, non-holding of the Public Hearing based on a WAPCOS (Water & Power Consultancy Services) EIA and also not making the EIA report available to the public as has been mandatory.
It is alleged that manipulating data has remained KSEB's quest to secure fresh clearance every time it hits a judicial roadblock. The latest clearance obtained on 18 July 2007. Five members from the River Valley Committee of MoEF had visited the project site and held discussions with the people and also held a public consultation in April 2007. Ironically, the report did not have a word on 'environment'.
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that two mandatory public hearing held following the High Court's directives, had both rejected the project. The first was held as on 6 Feb 2002 at Thrissur Town Hall, which around 500 people attended. The second was held on 25 June 2006 at Chalakudy, the dam site. The venue was shifted from Thrissur to Chalakudy due to complaints by the petitioners. Around 1500 people took part.
View during the monsoons. Pic: River Research Centre.
Despite all this, there has been no let-up in the efforts by the board to get the project implemented. According to a report by the River Research Centre at Thrissur the proposed 163 MW hydroelectric project will be one of the least efficient, operating at a plant load factor of 16 per cent. And at a projected investment of Rs.700 crores, which is five times its original estimate, the power generated will be grossly expensive.
Dubious justifications
The project appears to be based on dubious justifications. Else, how could a project that will scuttle the downstream Thumpurmuzhi irrigation project which commands 40,000 acres in Trissur and Ernakulum districts be ignored? And how could its direct impact on the tourism revenue and local livelihoods get sidestepped?
There are threatened species too. Four species of rare hornbills, a rich diversity of 104 different fish and some 2.1 elephants traversing each kilometre in the valley do not seem to have impacted KSEB's single-minded pursuit.
Refer the number of families to be displaced and the discourse takes a different turn. Will it matter if 78 families of the Kadar tribe, the primitive hunter gatherers endemic to the river valley, get relocated to a new site? Relocation and rehabilitation is more of a norm than exception in the case of big projects and why should Athirappilly be any different?
Yet, these are the tools that have repeatedly been deployed to contest big projects. That the proposed project will dry the remaining stretch of the river and that it will be the most dammed river of its size should the proposed project get commissioned are consequences that one may has to live with. "But this is an avoidable blunder," argues S P Ravi of RRC, "mere seven percent reduction in the prevailing transmission losses from existing power projects can contribute as such as 1000 MW of additional power."
The reasons for dropping the project have multiplied ever since. Land use change caused by deforestation and submergence has been acknowledged by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as one of the critical factors in affecting climate change. With the Council on Climate Change convened by the Prime Minister seized on matter like these, no two thoughts should be spared on summarily rejecting the project at Athirappilly. ⊕
ENVIRONMENT
Old conflict resurfaces at Athirappilly falls
Kerala's electricity board is preparing to build the seventh dam across the 144-kilometers-long Chalakudy river. The fate of the picturesque Athirappilly waterfalls hangs in the balance, with locals battling against the project. Sudhirendar Sharma has more.
9 April 2008 - The flow at the Athirappilly falls near Thrissur in Kerala has been curtailed to cap the tourist influx. Registering a complaint with the District Collector, the tourists and local people alleged that the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had done this to add a new justification to the proposed seventh dam on the Chalakudy river.
That this has been done from the upstream Poringalkuthu reservoir came to the notice of activists on 25 March. The waterfalls depends on release from the Poringalkuthu reservoir upstream.
Reduced flow at the Athirappilly falls near Thrissur, from February this year. See second picture below for the falls view in full bloom during the monsoons. Pic: River Research Centre.
javascript:void(0)
Publish Post
The picturesque water falls is a couple of hours drive from the concrete jungle of Kochi. This is the last stretch of the river that flows freely before it merges into the Arabian Sea. Most of the upstream having been already dammed, a new dam will sound the death knell for the river.
Proposed dam will reduce Athirappilly falls to trickle
KSEB is preparing to move heavy earth machinery for building what will be the seventh dam across the Chalakudy, the 144 kilometers long river in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats. However, local people are fighting a decisive battle to save the waterfalls. Had the courts not intervened in the past, Athirappilly would have long met the same fate as the Jog Falls in Karnataka.
Ammini, a mother of three, is leading the ongoing campaign against the proposed dam and contends that odds are stacked in their favour. Some million tourists are attracted to the site each year, sustaining livelihoods of several hundred families engaged in providing services. Her small kiosk has been the favourite of most visiting film crews but she is piqued at their non-indulgence as the picturesque site waits for its doom.
The proposed dam will cap about 86 per cent of all water flowing in the river, reducing the falls at Athirappilly to a trickle. But KSEB is unmoved. Not without reason has it revised the detailed project report (DPR) four times since 1989 during which it faced two court strictures, first of which suspended the environmental clearance given in 1998 while the second quashed similar clearance given in 2005. Environmental clearance is given by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi.
Two mandatory public hearing held following the High Court's directives had both rejected the project.
• Was the Bhakra dam worth it
• More accidents at dam sites
The Kerala High Court was convinced that the KSEB had violated the EIA Notification 1994 procedures regarding non-publication of the clearance letter at relevant places, non-holding of the Public Hearing based on a WAPCOS (Water & Power Consultancy Services) EIA and also not making the EIA report available to the public as has been mandatory.
It is alleged that manipulating data has remained KSEB's quest to secure fresh clearance every time it hits a judicial roadblock. The latest clearance obtained on 18 July 2007. Five members from the River Valley Committee of MoEF had visited the project site and held discussions with the people and also held a public consultation in April 2007. Ironically, the report did not have a word on 'environment'.
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that two mandatory public hearing held following the High Court's directives, had both rejected the project. The first was held as on 6 Feb 2002 at Thrissur Town Hall, which around 500 people attended. The second was held on 25 June 2006 at Chalakudy, the dam site. The venue was shifted from Thrissur to Chalakudy due to complaints by the petitioners. Around 1500 people took part.
View during the monsoons. Pic: River Research Centre.
Despite all this, there has been no let-up in the efforts by the board to get the project implemented. According to a report by the River Research Centre at Thrissur the proposed 163 MW hydroelectric project will be one of the least efficient, operating at a plant load factor of 16 per cent. And at a projected investment of Rs.700 crores, which is five times its original estimate, the power generated will be grossly expensive.
Dubious justifications
The project appears to be based on dubious justifications. Else, how could a project that will scuttle the downstream Thumpurmuzhi irrigation project which commands 40,000 acres in Trissur and Ernakulum districts be ignored? And how could its direct impact on the tourism revenue and local livelihoods get sidestepped?
There are threatened species too. Four species of rare hornbills, a rich diversity of 104 different fish and some 2.1 elephants traversing each kilometre in the valley do not seem to have impacted KSEB's single-minded pursuit.
Refer the number of families to be displaced and the discourse takes a different turn. Will it matter if 78 families of the Kadar tribe, the primitive hunter gatherers endemic to the river valley, get relocated to a new site? Relocation and rehabilitation is more of a norm than exception in the case of big projects and why should Athirappilly be any different?
Yet, these are the tools that have repeatedly been deployed to contest big projects. That the proposed project will dry the remaining stretch of the river and that it will be the most dammed river of its size should the proposed project get commissioned are consequences that one may has to live with. "But this is an avoidable blunder," argues S P Ravi of RRC, "mere seven percent reduction in the prevailing transmission losses from existing power projects can contribute as such as 1000 MW of additional power."
The reasons for dropping the project have multiplied ever since. Land use change caused by deforestation and submergence has been acknowledged by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as one of the critical factors in affecting climate change. With the Council on Climate Change convened by the Prime Minister seized on matter like these, no two thoughts should be spared on summarily rejecting the project at Athirappilly. ⊕
ENN: Can Green Trade Tariffs Combat Climate Change?
ENN: Can Green Trade Tariffs Combat Climate Change? From: , Global Policy Innovations Program, More from this Affiliate
Published May 3, 2008 09:21 AM
Can Green Trade Tariffs Combat Climate Change?
RELATED ARTICLES
* U.S. and EU propose trade plan to counter climate change
* China to Watch Others on Climate Change Action
* Italy Swings Its Support Back to Kyoto and Beyond
* W.House voices concerns on future climate talks
/energy/article/35758
In recent months, China has taken center stage in the international debate over global warming. It has surpassed the United States as the world's largest source of greenhouse gases, and it became developing nations' diplomatic champion at the recent United Nations climate negotiations in Bali. Now China may become the target of a full-fledged trade war that could destroy—or perhaps rescue—the chances of bringing rich and poor nations together to fight global warming.
The focus on China intensified late last year, when new data from the International Energy Agency and other research organizations revealed that China had overtaken the United States as the largest source of greenhouse gases—and, more ominously, that its emissions are growing at a rate that exceeds all wealthy nations' capacity to decrease theirs. Even if China met its own targets for energy conservation, its emissions would increase by about 2.3 billion metric tons over the next five years—far larger than the 1.7 billion tons in cutbacks imposed by the Kyoto Protocol on the 37 developed "Annex 1" countries, including the United States.
After the inconclusive end of the UN led Bali talks on the global environment, worry has grown among U.S. and European industries—especially iron, steel, cement, glass, chemicals, and pulp and paper—that any new climate treaty would put them at a big disadvantage against their fast-growing competitors in China. In response, the U.S. Congress is moving to create a system of trade sanctions that would levy heavy taxes on imports from other major greenhouse gas emitters. Ironically, the American plan is taking shape even before the United States takes any action to reduce its own emissions, inviting charges of hypocrisy, violation of international law, and threatening a major trade war.
The tariff proposal—contained in the central piece of global warming legislation now before Congress—would impose emission controls on domestic industries starting in 2012. It would also levy punitive tariffs on greenhouse-gas-intensive products imported from countries that lack "comparable action" to that of the United States, starting in 2020. Industrial lobbies and labor unions are pushing hard for these sanctions to take effect more quickly.
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and industrial chambers of commerce strongly advocate a similar tariff system, leading many analysts to predict that the EU will also adopt some sort of green tariff system in the next few years.
Warning of an "all-out trade war" if the sanctions go forward, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab argues that green trade sanctions would violate World Trade Organization rules. In a recent letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, she wrote, "We believe this approach could be a blunt and imprecise instrument of fear, rather than one of persuasion, that will take us down a dangerous path and adversely impact U.S. manufacturers, farmers, and consumers."
Developing nations' allies, meanwhile, are warning that the sanctions plan could destroy the chances of a post-Kyoto treaty. Chinese diplomats have not responded directly, but they have noticeably hardened their stand on climate talks. In February, China's top climate negotiator, Yu Qingtai, said at the UN that rich nations, which "caused the problem of climate change in the first place," must be treated as "culprits," and developing countries as "victims."
Despite China's official hard line, some Chinese environmental officials privately express alarm at run-away carbon emissions, and suggest that foreign green tariffs would actually strengthen their hand in domestic policy struggles over controlling greenhouse gases by helping to win political support for emissions cuts. Pan Yue, vice-director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, recently argued in a China Daily article in favor of stronger emissions regulations and a more "green-oriented China," warning that "China's image among the international community" was in jeopardy.
The growing dispute over trade sanctions brings to the fore not only the fundamental ethical question of whether wealthy nations should bear the burden of emissions reduction alone, but also the strategic question of whether sticks as well as carrots should be used to induce green behavior in developing countries.
Although China may not like it, the international trading system may provide more leverage than any other post-Kyoto mechanism over developing countries' environmental policies. Despite the threat of trade wars, trade sanctions could emerge as the most effective means of forcing international action on global warming.
Published May 3, 2008 09:21 AM
Can Green Trade Tariffs Combat Climate Change?
RELATED ARTICLES
* U.S. and EU propose trade plan to counter climate change
* China to Watch Others on Climate Change Action
* Italy Swings Its Support Back to Kyoto and Beyond
* W.House voices concerns on future climate talks
/energy/article/35758
In recent months, China has taken center stage in the international debate over global warming. It has surpassed the United States as the world's largest source of greenhouse gases, and it became developing nations' diplomatic champion at the recent United Nations climate negotiations in Bali. Now China may become the target of a full-fledged trade war that could destroy—or perhaps rescue—the chances of bringing rich and poor nations together to fight global warming.
The focus on China intensified late last year, when new data from the International Energy Agency and other research organizations revealed that China had overtaken the United States as the largest source of greenhouse gases—and, more ominously, that its emissions are growing at a rate that exceeds all wealthy nations' capacity to decrease theirs. Even if China met its own targets for energy conservation, its emissions would increase by about 2.3 billion metric tons over the next five years—far larger than the 1.7 billion tons in cutbacks imposed by the Kyoto Protocol on the 37 developed "Annex 1" countries, including the United States.
After the inconclusive end of the UN led Bali talks on the global environment, worry has grown among U.S. and European industries—especially iron, steel, cement, glass, chemicals, and pulp and paper—that any new climate treaty would put them at a big disadvantage against their fast-growing competitors in China. In response, the U.S. Congress is moving to create a system of trade sanctions that would levy heavy taxes on imports from other major greenhouse gas emitters. Ironically, the American plan is taking shape even before the United States takes any action to reduce its own emissions, inviting charges of hypocrisy, violation of international law, and threatening a major trade war.
The tariff proposal—contained in the central piece of global warming legislation now before Congress—would impose emission controls on domestic industries starting in 2012. It would also levy punitive tariffs on greenhouse-gas-intensive products imported from countries that lack "comparable action" to that of the United States, starting in 2020. Industrial lobbies and labor unions are pushing hard for these sanctions to take effect more quickly.
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and industrial chambers of commerce strongly advocate a similar tariff system, leading many analysts to predict that the EU will also adopt some sort of green tariff system in the next few years.
Warning of an "all-out trade war" if the sanctions go forward, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab argues that green trade sanctions would violate World Trade Organization rules. In a recent letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, she wrote, "We believe this approach could be a blunt and imprecise instrument of fear, rather than one of persuasion, that will take us down a dangerous path and adversely impact U.S. manufacturers, farmers, and consumers."
Developing nations' allies, meanwhile, are warning that the sanctions plan could destroy the chances of a post-Kyoto treaty. Chinese diplomats have not responded directly, but they have noticeably hardened their stand on climate talks. In February, China's top climate negotiator, Yu Qingtai, said at the UN that rich nations, which "caused the problem of climate change in the first place," must be treated as "culprits," and developing countries as "victims."
Despite China's official hard line, some Chinese environmental officials privately express alarm at run-away carbon emissions, and suggest that foreign green tariffs would actually strengthen their hand in domestic policy struggles over controlling greenhouse gases by helping to win political support for emissions cuts. Pan Yue, vice-director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, recently argued in a China Daily article in favor of stronger emissions regulations and a more "green-oriented China," warning that "China's image among the international community" was in jeopardy.
The growing dispute over trade sanctions brings to the fore not only the fundamental ethical question of whether wealthy nations should bear the burden of emissions reduction alone, but also the strategic question of whether sticks as well as carrots should be used to induce green behavior in developing countries.
Although China may not like it, the international trading system may provide more leverage than any other post-Kyoto mechanism over developing countries' environmental policies. Despite the threat of trade wars, trade sanctions could emerge as the most effective means of forcing international action on global warming.
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