Japan’s Fukushima Faces Long Road to Repair
The cleanup after the catastrophic nuclear accident two years ago at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan is not going well. Radioactive cooling water is leaking into the ground from at least three vast storage tanks, and the vulnerability of the plant to further accidents was revealed when a rat chewed through an electric cable, cutting off vital … Read More
GM Urges Obama, Congress to Unite on Climate Change
General Motors called on Barack Obama and Congress to work together on climate change on Wednesday, saying the effort would be good for business. GM, which makes the plug-in Chevy Volt, was the first of the big three car makers to sign on to a new push from the business world for greater action on global warming from Washington, the Climate Declar… Read More
IMF Rejects Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Calls for Reform
Fossil fuel subsidies provided by both rich and poor countries to keep their citizens happy are holding back the world economy, accelerating climate change and damaging the health of current and future generations, according to the International Monetary Fund. The worst offender of all is the United States, which allows annual subsidies of $502 … Read More
Carbon Bubble May Plunge the World into Financial Crisis
The world could be heading for a major economic crisis as stock markets inflate an investment bubble in fossil fuels to the tune of trillions of dollars, according to leading economists. "The financial crisis has shown what happens when risks accumulate unnoticed," said Lord (Nicholas) Stern, a professor at the London School of Economics. He said … Read More
Climate Change Could Lead to More Turbulent Flights
The study addresses clear air turbulence, a sharp upward or downward movement of air that can come literally out of the blue, often as the result of wind shear, with no storms or clouds in view. “It’s not just about knocking your drink over,” said lead author Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading, in England, in an in… Read More
Overseas Demand Breathes New Life into U.S. Coal
The good news is that U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are continuing to decline. “Over the last four years, our emissions of the dangerous carbon pollution that threatens our planet have actually fallen,” said President Obama in his State of the Union address last month. The bad news is the U.S. is exporting its polluting gases, particularly i… Read More
U.S. Dominated Global Disaster Losses in 2012: Swiss Re
The insurance industry had its third-most expensive year on record in 2012, with global economic losses from natural catastrophes and man-made disasters totaling $186 billion, according to a report released March 27 by the reinsurance giant Swiss Re. The total insured losses for the year was $77 billion, which was well below the losses seen in 2011… Read More
Countries in Asia Cutting Carbon Faster than Europe
When it comes to prowess in moving towards a low-carbon economy, some countries in Asia are increasingly outpacing Europe and the United States, a new report shows. Three of the top G20 countries best placed to compete in the global low-carbon economy are now from East Asia, having overtaken their European and American competitors, according to an… Read More
