Doha Conference Negotiator: Carbon Cuts Talks Must Wait
The debate on whether the world needs stronger greenhouse gas cuts to keep the planet from warming by 2C should be deferred until next year, according to Brazil's lead negotiator at the upcoming talks in Doha, which begin Nov. 26 and run until Dec. 7, 2012. Ambassador Luiz Alberto Figueiredo says delegates at Qatar – the most important climate neg… Read More
Emissions Trading Used to Subsidize Overseas Rivals
Some of the companies that have complained loudest about the European Union's environmental measures are using the EU's emissions trading scheme (ETS) to give money to rivals in other countries instead of cutting their own greenhouse gas emissions, it has emerged. A report by Sandbag, a non-governmental organization that examines carbon trading, f… Read More
Report: Coal Plants Smothering Communities of Color
Coal plants place a disproportionate burden on poor and largely minority communities, exposing residents to high levels of pollutants that affect public health, according to a new report led by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).… Read More
Drought Puts Trees the World Over ‘At the Edge’
As the climate warms, scientists expect an increase in droughts around the world, causing all sorts of problems for water supplies, agriculture, and energy production. Forests will be affected too, naturally, but a new study released Wednesday in Nature shows just how widespread the effects could be. After looking at 226 tree species at 81 … Read More
Ben Strauss on Rising Seas & the Fate of New York on PBS
As NYC residents rebound from Hurricane Sandy, many anticipate future disasters and how the city will cope with rising seas.… Read More
NOAA Seeks Public Input On Looming Satellite Gap
The next-generation of polar orbiting satellites, known as the Joint Polar Satellite System, or JPSS, has been delayed by mismanagement, billions in cost overruns, and technical development challenges. This has pushed back the launch date of the next polar orbiting satellite to 2017 at the earliest, which is past the design lifetime of the youngest… Read More
Winter Outlook Offers Hope For U.S. Skiers & Boarders
There are many reasons why this winter is likely to play out differently than last year, chief among them being the conditions in the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean. Last year there was a strong La Niña event, with much below average sea surface temperatures in this region.… Read More
CO2 Hits New High; World Could Warm 7°F by 2060
The amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached a record 390.9 parts per million (ppm) in 2011, according to a report released Tuesday by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). That’s a 40 percent increase over levels in 1750, before humans began burning fossil fuels in earnest. Although CO2 is still the most significant… Read More
