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A Victory Over Iceland Whaling
2007-08-28 09:18:00
Conservationists are celebrating a small victory this week after Iceland announced that it will not issue further commercial whaling quotas after existing permits expire on August 31st. Citing poor market demand, particularly from Japan, government officials see no reason to allow more whaling until "market conditions improve".Iceland created an international uproar last October when they announced they would resume commercial whale hunting and issued annual quotas totaling 30 minke whales in addition to 9 fin whales - and endangered species and second only to the blue whale in length. To date, seven of each have been killed with the resulting whale meet relegated to cold storage as hunters have been unable to find buyers for the meat domestically or in Japan. Chief among buyer concerns is the high toxic levels of North Atlantic whale meat.Not surprisingly, this outcome was predicted by conservationists at the outset, with Arni Finnsson from the Iceland Nature Conservation Assoc...
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Western States, BC and Manitoba Join In Climate Goal
2007-08-24 21:31:00
The leaders of 6 western states and 2 Canadian provinces have set formal targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases.Dubbed the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) , California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, British Columbia and Manitoba have agreed to reduce the region's emission to 15% below 2005 levels by 2020.Though the figure above represents an overall goal, individual states will vary according the policies they have already established. Arizona and New Mexico are promising reductions over their 2000 emissions, while Washington and California used 1990 as a base year, promising 15 percent reductions. Oregon used 1990 as a base year and promised a 10 percent cut by 2020, as did BC.The key point in the announcement is the agreement to establish a carbon market and cap-and-trade system over within the next year - a key peice of the puzzle that is needed before any region of North America can make substantial progress on climate change.
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Think CO2 is "Just Plant Food"? Think again.
2007-08-24 20:56:00
Here's a good rebuttal for anyone still running into the C02 - They Call It Pollution, We Call It Life crowd.A favorite argument of global warming deniers is that the carbon dioxide is harmless because it's "just plant food". It turns out that like any other "food", too much will only cause harm.Both Grist and Environmental Defense are covering new research showing that more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will mean less food value (i.e. decreased nitrogen and protein) in our fruits and vegetables. Think you'll get around that by boosting your meat diet? Once more, think again. Lower food value in plants, means less protein for grazing cows and pigs and therefore less meat produced by each animal. Add to this the exploding demand for meat from developing countries like China and you will need to tell me where we're meant to get all of these food calories from.Maybe the new denier jingle can be "C02 - They Call It Pollution, We Call It A Cure for Obesity".
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The 11th Hour Opens Tomorrow
2007-08-24 00:47:00
The 11th Hour , the new environmental documentary by Leonardo DiCaprio, is now open in New York and LA and is going national tomorrow. The studio itself describes the film asa feature length documentary concerning the environmental crises caused by human actions and their impact on the planet. "The 11th Hour " documents the cumulative impact of these actions upon the planet's life systems and calls for restorative action through a reshaping of human activity.More importantly, The 11th Hour is one of the few efforts that place us in our true context. The Earth has survived countless calamities and will ultimately survive the damage we cause. What is far less certain is our own future, as "our consumerism, our mistaken emphasis on economic growth over quality of life, (and) our growing disconnect with the sources of our food and most other things in our lives" increasingly puts our survival as a species in danger. The film drives this point home, while the likes of Stephen Hawking, D...
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Oppostion Could End Government Over Kyoto
2007-08-23 23:15:00
Opposition parties are ramping up talk of bringing down the minority government after the Conservatives opportunistically posted their comprehensive climate change plan online while political attention was distracted by the ongoing North American leaders summit.Both the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois are taking exception to the plan which fails to outline a path to meet Canada's greenhouse gas reduction targets agreed to under the Kyoto Protocol. It also flies in the face of a private members bill passed by opposition parties that legally requires Canada to honour it's Kyoto commitments.(NDP leader) Mr. Layton suggests the lack of action on climate change would force his party to vote against the Conservatives. The Liberals did not return phone calls yesterday to say whether they would be willing to prop up the government after the lack of action on Mr. Rodriguez's law. But Bloc Québécois MP Bernard Bigras, who is his party's environment critic, is making threats similar to those ...
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The Scourge of "Big Wind"
2007-08-15 20:41:00
America's first offshore wind project is being proposed for the windy bay of Cape Cod's Nantucket Sound. The 130 wind turbines would produce up to 420 megawatts of clean, renewable energy and supply three quarters of the Cape and Islands electricity needs.However, in a testament to our societies 'me first' attitude, a coalition of wealthy residents - including Senator Ted Kennedy and prominent environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - are campaigning against the project because of its potential impact on their seafront views. Witness the scourge of Big Wind first hand courtesy of The Daily Show.
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Turf War Brewing Over Alberta Oil Sands
2007-08-15 00:31:00
Former Albert a Premier Peter Lougheed is predicting a "war" between the federal government and Alberta over pollution caused by the growing oil sands industry. He says the conflict could be a threat to national unity that will likely escalate to the Supreme Court of Canada as Alberta fights for the right of the province to develop its natural resources as it sees fit.It doesn't get more dramatic than that.Lougheed has a history of being an outspoken critic of provincial and federal politics since leaving office in 1985. He's also let his own concern about the oil sands be known, calling the pace of development "haphazard" and a threat to the environment.Albertans themselves will hold the key to the conflict. If they make the greening of the oil sands a top political issue, the provincial government will likely be forced to negotiate ways to address this with the feds. Greenhouse gas emissions can start to be brought under control, water diversions can be minimized, and the pro...
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Canada Crips Towards Climate Deal
2007-08-11 00:53:00
In the face of inaction by the federal Conservatives, Canada 's provinces and territories wrapped up discussions on climate change policy today during the annual premier's conference being held in Moncton, New Brunswick.Some moderate actions were agreed to, but no consensus was reached on the two big solutions - matching California vehicle emissions standards and establishing an inter-provincial cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases. Twelve of thirteen provinces embraced matching the California standards, which call for a 30% reduction in new car emissions by 2016. Only Ontario refused, saying that the province's troubled auto manufacturing industry was in no position to bear the burden. Meanwhile, Ontario did join British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba in calling for a firm cap-and-trade system that would apply to all industries in the country.Two questions. First, the provinces endorsing cap-and-trade represent almost 80% of the Canadian population - what's stopping them ...
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US Faces the Real Global Warming Hoax
2007-08-09 22:20:00
This week's cover story in Newsweek is leveled squarely at global warming deniers, outlining the concerted and well funded plan by certain industries to mislead the public and derail efforts to fight global warming.Since the late 1980s, this well-coordinated, well-funded campaign by contrarian scientists, free-market think tanks and industry has created a paralyzing fog of doubt around climate change. Through advertisements, op-eds, lobbying and media attention, greenhouse doubters (they hate being called deniers) argued first that the world is not warming; measurements indicating otherwise are flawed, they said. Then they claimed that any warming is natural, not caused by human activities. Now they contend that the looming warming will be minuscule and harmless.Critical thinking 101 - when you see remarks like these all coming from the same source the people making these claims do not have a real position based on evidence. They are arguing for a particular result, in this case t...
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World Heritage Park Expanded in Canada
2007-08-09 20:24:00
On Wednesday Stephen Harper 5,000 square kilometers would be added to the Nahanni National Park Reserve - a spectacular area of the Northwest Territories that, alongside Yellowstone and the Galapagos, was named one the UN's original three World Heritage Sites back in 1978."This is arguably the most important act of environmental protection in a generation," the prime minister said Wednesday. The government plans to add 5,400 square kilometres of land within the Greater Nahanni ecosystem, barring it from any kind of further development.Despite the good news "arguably" is the key word. There has been an ongoing efforts to protect in the Nahanni's entire 38,000 square kilometer watershed by both environmentalists, and local first nations who already have ceded control of 23,000 square kilometers to Parks Canada . However, proposed mining development still threatens the park from upstream sites. Protecting the entire watershed would be a solid a worth effort at protecting the health...
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Board Approves Swindle for Surrey Schools
2007-07-30 21:55:00
Surrey School Board Trustee Heather Stilwell gained national attention this past May by proposing that The Great Global Warming Swindle be made available in Surrey high schools alongside An Inconvenient Truth in order to ensure students are offered a "balanced perspective" on the issue of global warming.The Board heard her proposal in May and unanimously passed the following motion:THAT WHEREAS it has been reported in the media that all secondary schools in the Province will be provided with a copy of the movie ?An Inconvenient Truth?; and WHEREAS this movie is advancing one particular view of the world?s climate change based on ice, etc.; and WHEREAS many scientists world-wide have expressed scepticism about this scientific accuracy; and WHEREAS it is our role as Trustees to ensure that students are provided with accurate information and a balanced perspective when there is credible information presented on two sides of an issue.THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the school district?s I...
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Skeptics, This Way Please
2007-07-30 21:07:00
For as long as global warming has been at the forefront of the media, there has been climate change deniers muddying the public discourse and slowing progress towards solutions.The press, our politicians, and even the progressive blogosphere, have been integral in giving these "skeptics" a voice - by accommodating opinions that are patently false, and lending authority to those engaging in an agenda of misinformation. While deniers arguments gain coverage in the mainstream thanks to so called "balanced reporting", bloggers are to blame for freely publishing deniers comments regardless of how demonstrably false they are - a practice that gives the false impression of a debate about the facts of climate change when in reality there isn't one. There are those who are genuinely misinformed or under-informed about global warming and to their credit seek new information and correct their opinions as they learn more. For the rest - those that knowingly perpetuate lies, or stubbornly refu...
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Oil Spill in Vancouver Suburbs
2007-07-25 20:06:00
A geyser of oil sprung up from the streets of a Vancouver suburb yesterday, after a construction crew's backhoe inadvertently broke a pipeline that connected a refinery to a refuelling facility in the harbour.It's still unknown how much oil was spilled. Though certainly a small spill, the oil quickly made it's way into Burrard Inlent. Photo's below, courtesy of Global TV News.
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Turning Car Emissions Into Green Fuel
2007-07-23 19:35:00
Three fishermen from Wales have invented a box that can be fixed to the exhaust outlet of any vehicle and safely capture greenhouse gas emissions.However, in addition to reducing the vehicle emissions by 85% to 95%, the Green box goes one step further by providing the raw ingredients for new biofuel production. Once full, the Greenbox can be detached from the vehicle and sent to a bioreactor where it provides food to algae that can then be converted to bio-diesel.Through a chemical reaction, the captured gases from the box would be fed to algae, which would then be crushed to produce a bio-oil. This extract can be converted to produce a biodiesel almost identical to normal diesel. This biodiesel can be fed back into a diesel engine, the emptied Greenbox can be affixed to the car and the cycle can begin again. The process also yields methane gas and fertilizer, both of which can be captured separately. The algae required to capture all of Britain's auto emissions would...
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The World's Top Green Cities
2007-07-20 21:12:00
The Grist has posted their choices for the 15 greenest cities on Earth. Top place goes to Reykjavik, Iceland on the waves of its commitment to renewable energy a their long-term plan to be fossil fuel free by 2050. My humble hometown of Vancouver places 5th. See the complete list at The Grist.
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The Death of The Great Global Warming Swindle
2007-07-20 02:25:00
For months, global warming skeptics have been touting The Great Global Warming Swindle as a balanced and fair critique to calls for urgent action on the issue of climate change. In reality, The Swindle is a misleading, dishonest and ill-conceived work of propaganda that is chock full of paid industry mouth pieces and anorexically thin on genuine evidence.Nowhere was this better revealed than in a recent interview conducted by ABC Australia's Tony Jones with the Martin Durkin, the film's director. Durkin lurches, sputters and sweats his way through the 10 minute grilling as Jones lines up example after example of omissions and lies that he presented in his film.For those on the sane side of the spectrum, you are excused from debating this movie with anyone who insists on citing it as 'evidence' after watching this clip.Rest in peace GGWS.See part one of the interview at DeSmogBlog.
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Darfur, Climate & Responsibility
2007-07-18 21:54:00
The discovery of a vast underground lake is offering the best hope yet for an end to the war in Darfur . At 30,750 km2 it is the size of Lake Erie and will provide much needed influx of water, and an opportunity for peace, to the Sudan's drought stricken north.Since 2003, two hundred thousand people have died and a further 2 million have fled the north where water shortages and drought have fueled a human catastrophe of mass migrations and ethnic conflict. With the discovery of this new fresh water resource, plans are moving forward to drill 1000 wells in the area and bring relief to Darfur's people.The conflict in the region, and the prospect of peace through water, underscores our reliance on the environment and the bigger risks that we're assuming in ignoring the environmental damage that is ongoing throughout the world.Critics of that view point will point to the overpopulation in the region while turning a blind eye to the same pressures in the United States where the popu...
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Ninjas Are Cool. Are You a Ninja?
2007-07-16 20:22:00
Ninjas are cool. Ninjas say fight global warming. Are you a Ninja?
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Man Swims at the North Pole
2007-07-16 20:03:00
In a jaw dropping effort to get leaders to take action on global warming, endurance British explorer and endurance athlete Lewis Gordon Pugh has done the unthinkable - swim in the open waters at the North Pole .Lewis Gordon Pugh swam Sunday for 18 minutes and 50 seconds in temperatures of ?1.8 degrees in just a Speedo, cap and goggles.?I am obviously ecstatic to have succeeded, but this swim is a triumph and a tragedy,? the 37-year-old British lawyer said after coming out of the water. Are we gettting the message yet? In case the point needs to be belabored further, if Pugh was swimming in open water at the top of the planet, it means that a lot of ice is melting. That melt includes land base ice in Canada's North, in Greenland, Antarctica and alpine glaciers. It means the oceans are rising. It does not mean that selling swimming trips to the arctic is a new business opportunity, and it doesn't mean that global warming is a good thing.
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Producing Solar Power Like Paper
2007-07-13 19:11:00
New research released this week concluded that the sun is not driving the global warming problem. However, the sun may be powering our global warming solutions in the near future thanks to a revolutionary solar panel being developed by the California company Nanosolar.Their product represents a new approach to solar that aims to crank out paper thin panels at low cost through the same mass production techniques used in (not surprisingly) paper production. If successful, translucent solar powers could literally blanket our cities and drive a new era of renewable energy. Nanosolar has the technology for the product in place and they have secured $100,000,000 for the construction of a pair of manufacturing sites in California and Germany. They can also count the founders of Google on their list of investors, as well as the US Department of Energy which contributed a $20 million research grant earlier this year.Clip courtesy KQED Public Television 9
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Sun Not Responsible for Global Warming
2007-07-12 01:36:00
In yet another blow to climate change 'skeptics', a newly released study demonstrates that global temperatures are rising at an accelerating rate despite the fact that the sun's output has been decreasing since 1985.The study not only delivers a blow to deniers arguments, but to their credibility as well. For the past decade, a well funded strategy of public relations spin and unsupported claims have been the backbone of skeptics' attempts to derail efforts to fight global warming.With the solar argument now put to rest, skeptics will be scrounging for a new angle. Watch for it in the coming months.
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Boeing Launches New Green Jet
2007-07-10 02:01:00
Boeing has unveiled its new greener jet that promises to use 20% less fuel than other similarly sized aircraft by taking advantage of a new lightweight carbon fibre design. Dubbed the 787 "Dreamliner" the craft promises to carry up to 330 passengers in greater comfort than its predecessors by offering larger windows and less noise.The launch took place yesterday outside the boeing factory in Everett, Washington.Close to 700 orders for the new Boeing have already been fulfilled, with Virgin Atlantic leading the way. They have already purchased 15 and will likely exercise options on another eight by the end of this year. They also have the right to buy a further 20, in a deal that could be worth up to $8 billion.How significant is a 20% increase in efficiency? The Grist has the scoop from one the project's lead designers,According to Jeff Hawk, who oversees environmental efforts for the model, the 787 consumes about one gallon of fuel per seat per 100 miles of travel -- "less than...
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Miss Live Earth? See the Highlights on MSN
2007-07-10 00:18:00
If you missed Live Earth you can catch all the highlights online thanks to MSN. Following the record setting event that drew 10 million online viewers, MSN is offering highlight clips from every major venues through their concert website. You can scroll through the available footage and assemble your personal favorites in a customized video playlist.
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Live Earth Draws 2 Billion Viewers, Breaks Internet Record
2007-07-09 01:34:00
Live Earth successfully wrapped up its 24 hour concert series that spanned seven continents and reached an estimated 2 billion people. In its goal to raise awareness of a problem that will touch every one of us, the series can be only be called a success. Here are a few highlights from the day.Internet streaming record: 10 millionviewed the concert via Internet streams, wich surpassed the previous record held by 2005's Live 8 global concerts to fight poverty.Largest crowd: The largest event of the series was in Rio de Janeiro where 400,000 attended free of charge.Concerts on every continent: Nunavut, a previously unheard of band of research scientists in Antarctica, beamed their performance abroad making Live Earth the only concert event to be held on all seven continents.Walking the walk: Live Earth committed to minimizing its ecological footprint at every stage. Measures included sourcing electricity from green sources, implementing a comprehensive recycling program for co...
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Live Earth - Complete Viewing & Listening Guide
2007-07-06 21:59:00
In case anyone has been living off planet for the past couple months, Live Earth is here!Live Earth is a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series taking place tomorrow (Saturday, July 7th) that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis, with concert footage flowing throughout the world over television, radio, Internet and wireless channels.Here's a rundown of everything you'll need to tune in:Streaming Online Footage MSN will stream the Live Earth concerts LIVE from all seven continents starting from Sydney, Australia and continuing geographically and chronologically across the globe. Log on tonight -- Friday, July 6th -- at 9:15pm (ET) / 6:15pm (PT) (since it's tomorrow already in Australia) for the start of what is destined to be an incomparable 24 hours.OFFICIAL CONCERTS AND SCHEDULE CITY LOCAL START TIME USA START TIME (EDT) Live Earth Sydney 11:10 a.m. 7/7 9:10 pm 7/6 Li...
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Guilting the Public is Not a Global Warming Solution
2007-07-05 08:31:00
Throughout the past 18 months, the environment has seen a resurgence in the hearts and minds of voters as the reality of global warming hits home. However, on the heels of chronic inaction, governments and environmentalists are now riding a fine line towards voter backlash.Public sentiment has been punctuated by two factors: rising environmental concern and a desire for leadership and solutions. In the face of rising greenhouse gases and a complete lack of accountability from industry, the public have been seeking action from elected officials - action that will make a seriously impact on emissions and begin to stop a looming environmental catastrophe.Instead what we have seen is an utter unwillingness and inability on the part of both elected officials and environmental campaigners to hold industry to account, while all responsibility for the stewardship of nature is dropped onto the lap of the individual citizen. This trend is threatening to squander a rising environmental conc...
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Denier Form Letter
2007-07-01 08:26:00
Dear (insert commenter's name),I appreciate you taking the time to respond to the global warming issue. Please see the following page to find the scientifically endorsed and verified response to the information you provided. If you have additional and relevant information to add after reviewing it, I hope you'll return to share it with our readers here. Thank you for your shared interest in creating solutions for global warming, and a sustainable economy where all can prosper. If you'd like additional information on why you're being directed to the link above, please visit this page.Regards,Odiyya
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The Evolving Threat to Our Forests
2007-06-30 01:12:00
It is estimated that the mountain pine beetle has destroyed 40% of British Columbia's lodgepole pine since 1993. University researchers have now found evidence that the beetle is adapting to spruce as well. Researchers at the University of Northern B.C. in Prince George say the pine beetle, which has destroyed about 40 per cent of the province's lodgepole pine since 1993, is now killing spruce trees as well. "There were rumours before that pine beetles were not only killing spruce but successfully reproducing in spruce, and we have now observed that in Prince George and we have been trying to document what's going on," Staffan Lindgren, a professor of ecosystem science at UNBC, said yesterday.Lodgepole pine is the most common timber in forest rich BC, covering 14 million hectares of land. Spruce is right behind and covers 13 million hectares. With that in mind, the threat posed by the mountain pine beetle is arguably the most visible and significant consequence of global warmin...
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Eagles Removed From Endangered List
2007-06-29 02:07:00
Four decades after it was declared endangered, the bald eagle has been removed from the US critical list.Population levels bottomed out in 1967 when only 400 breeding pairs remained in the lower 48 states. Today, that number tops 10,000, in no small part thanks to Canada. Over the decades Canada has supplied more eagles to the US efforts than can easily be counted, and with them helped ensure that the aggressive conservation policies put in place were bolstered by a growing and healthy eagle population.
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A Glowing Bid from Cumbria, UK
2007-06-29 01:54:00
Congratulations to the residents and city of Cumbria, UK! They have emerged as the early front runner to host the the long-term disposal of 500,000 cubic meters of radioactive waste.But communities that have fallen behind the early favorite need not fear. The British government is still "earger for other communities to compete" with Cumbria's nation leading bid, and will be throwing in £300,000 in annual "community benefit packages" for the eventual winner.Project costs are estimated at £10bn at 2003 prices. As a side note, is using 4 year old pricing working well for anyone at home?