Two Key Climate Change Concepts Are ‘Misunderstood’
Damon Matthews of Concordia University in Montreal and Susan Solomon of MIT make the case that policymakers, the media, and to some extent the public have misunderstood the implications of two key concepts — the “irreversibility” of climate change, and the amount of global warming already in the pipeline due to historical greenhous… Read More
New Process May Make Renewable Energy Reliable at Last
Solar energy is virtually limitless, generates no planet-warming greenhouse gases — and is useless between sunset and sunrise. Wind energy is also plentiful and emits no carbon, and it can be harvested day or night, but not when the air is calm. A discovery announced in Thursday’s issue of Science may offer a way around these daunting problems, … Read More
UK Government Is Warming to Nuclear Power
Companies wishing to prospect for shale gas in the UK have been granted 10-year tax breaks and will get special planning permission from the Government if they go for large scale projects. To avoid delays, the Government also used its budget to announce plans to tempt local communities with cash to accept these developments. This controversial … Read More
Africa’s Energy ‘Can Drive its Growth,’ Say Researchers
Africa can go a long way towards lifting itself out of poverty and ending its chronic shortage of energy by using its own resources, a report says. The report, entitled Powering Africa through Feed-in Tariffs – advancing renewable energies to meet the continent’s electricity needs, says renewable energy feed-in tariff policies (REFiTs) can unlock r… Read More
China Pours Cash into Melting Arctic to Win Influence
China has been cozying up to Arctic countries as part of its effort to secure "permanent observer" status on the Arctic Council, an eight-country political body that decides regional policy. Norway was initially sniffy at the approaches because of the Nobel row, but appears to have changed its tune before a formal decision in May.… Read More
Coal Burning Exacts A Lethal Price, Says Study
Campaigners are urging a halt to the building of coal plants and an end to the burning of coal throughout the European Union by 2040. They say this is needed both to ensure better public health, and to help to lessen the damage from climate change. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is blamed for causing thousands of premature deaths and … Read More
The Week’s Top Climate News - In Pictures
A round up of this week's top climate news in one great slideshow for your viewing pleasure. … Read More
Shell Barred From Arctic Drilling Without Overhaul
Shell "screwed up" drilling for oil in Arctic waters and will not be allowed back without a comprehensive overhaul of its plans, the Obama administration said on Thursday. A government review found the oil company was not prepared for the extreme conditions in the Arctic, which resulted in a series of blunders and accidents culminating in the New … Read More
