Global Warming, Climate, Air Pollution

"Today, for every one of the more than 5.8 billion people on Earth nearly six tons of carbon dioxide are spewed into the air annually. As a result of our activities, the atmospheric concentration of this heat-trapping gas has risen by more than 30 percent."     Environmental Defense Fund Since loading this page, metric tons of CO2 were emitted (708 tons/sec)

Impacts Overview Global Warming Methane Air Pollution Pollution Water Oceans Species Extinction Too Much Nitrogen Desertification Food & Water Shortages Overcrowding Genetically Modified Food Disease & Health Hazards News

U.S.: Holdren as Obama Science Pick Adds Climate Activism.   Harvard University Professor John P. Holdren, President-elect Barack Obama's pick as his top science adviser, will push for action on climate change and embryonic stem cell research. His appointment to the position of assistant to the president for science and technology depends on confirmation by the U.S. Senate. His appointment signals a sharp about- face from President George W. Bush's approach to greenhouse gases and global warming. Holdren uses a U.S. map in global warming presentations to show areas of Cape Cod and Florida that would vanish if temperatures continue rising. It is rapid in relation to the capacity of societies and eco-systems to respond, it is highly non- uniform, and it is certainly not benign. Holdren is an expert in energy climate and environment and in national security, nuclear arms and nuclear energy. Holdren's views on embryonic stem cell research are likely to run contrary to those of Bush. Holdren said he thinks the research should advance without the funding restrictions.   December 19, 2008  

U.S.: Obama Left with Little Time to Curb Global Warming.   Global warming is a ticking time bomb that President-elect Barack Obama can't avoid. Global warming is accelerating. Time is close to running out, and Obama knows it. He said "We all believe what the scientists have been telling us for years now that this is a matter of urgency and national security and it has to be dealt with in a serious way." But it's not clear that he and Congress will agree on an approach. Obama is pushing changes in the way Americans use energy, and produce greenhouse gases. Next year, diplomats will try to agree on a major new international treaty to curb the gases that promote global warming. Scientists are increasingly anxious, talking more often about exceeding "tipping points." "We're out of time," Stanford University biologist said. "Things are going extinct." U.S. emissions have increased by 20% percent since 1992. China has more than doubled its carbon dioxide pollution in that time. World carbon dioxide emissions have grown faster than scientists' worst-case scenarios. Methane, the next most potent greenhouse gas, is on the rise again and scientists fear that vast amounts of the trapped gas will escape from thawing Arctic permafrost. Now some scientists, but not all, say the safe carbon dioxide level for Earth is about 10% below what it is now. Scientists fear that what's happening with Arctic ice melt will be amplified so that sea level rise will occur sooner than they expected. In December 2009, diplomats are charged with forging a new treaty replacing the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which set limits on greenhouse gases, and which the United States didn't ratify. Complicating everything is the worldwide financial meltdown. The poor economy is "a huge factor" that could stop everything, because global warming efforts are aimed at restricting coal power, which is cheap. One of the first things Obaama will do when he gets to Washington is grant California and other states permission to control car tailpipe emissions. The incoming Congress will be more inclined to act on global warming. Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., vowed to push two global warming bills starting in January: one to promote energy efficiency, and the other to create a cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from utilities. Ironically, 2008 is a slightly cooler year in a steadily rising temperature trend line. Experts say it's thanks to a La Nina weather variation. The average global temperature in 2008 is likely to be under 57.9 degrees F, about a tenth of a degree cooler than last year.   December 14, 2008   Associated Press

UN Climate Boss Warns of 'cheap, Dirty' Energy Fix .   The world must avoid a "cheap and dirty" fix for the economy that could undermine the fight against global warming. The world risks a second financial crisis if governments build high-polluting coal-fired power plants that might then have to be scrapped as climate impacts hit. Short-sighted investments could lead to a need to build new low-carbon solar or wind power plants in 10-20 years. The economic slowdown is an opportunity to re-design the world economy and focus on the opportunities for green growth that can put the global economy onto a stable and sustainable path. Obama's ambitious goal is cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020 - they are now 14% above 1990. Bush did not ratify Kyoto, saying it would be too costly. In Europe, economic slowdown has exposed doubts about the costs of an EU goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from fossil fuels, by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020. Poland, which gets 93% of its electricity from coal, and Italy are leading a drive for concessions in the package meant to be agreed at a Dec. 11-12 summit of EU leaders in Brussels. They will also look at details of a new climate treaty, based on ideas on ways to slow rising temperatures. Plans include giving tropical nations credits for slowing deforestation from the Amazon to the Congo, and China wants rich nations to give up to 1.0% of their gross national product in new climate aid.   December 01, 2008   Reuters Alternet

Global: Industrialized countries' emissions on the rise.   The 40 industrialized nations that agreed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol have met their goal of cutting to about 5% below 1990 levels. Some of the biggest reductions were due to economic declines in the 1990s. Between 2000 and 2006, emissions of the 40 nations rose by 2.3% that threatens to wipe out past improvements.   Karen Gaia says: Gains made will most certainly be wiped out by population growth until we can get that growth under control. In the past few years no progress has been made towards reducing population growth.   November 18, 2008   CNN

UN: Financial Chills Are Ill Wind for Climate.   The financial turmoil will set back efforts to fight climate change. A pledge of investment in developing countries, for "green" economic growth and impacts of warming, would be essential to get poorer nations to sign onto a climate agreement. Ongoing negotiations aim to produce such an agreement. Richer nations want China, India and other big Third World emitters of greenhouse gases to contribute to reducing emissions. But the credit crisis changes the outlook. Many industrialized countries are propping up their financial sector and borrowing money to do it. Should the world pursue carbon taxes to discourage the burning of fossil fuels rather than the "carbon trading" system. In carbon trading, industries subject to emissions caps are allotted or allowances that they can buy and sell among one another. But economic arguments are increasingly overshadowed by news that points up the need for more urgent action. Worldwide carbon dioxide leaped by 3% in 2007. Scientists are saying 60-to-80% cuts will be necessary. Both presidential candidates favor a cap-and-trade system.   October 10, 2008   Associated Press

U.S.: How Ike Scarred the Terrain; the Hurricane Ravaged the Texas Gulf Coast Two Weeks Ago, but the Damage it Did to Wildlife and Waterways Could Last Years.   Migratory birds might not find refuge for a while on the Boliver peninsular. Hurricane Ike stripped the trees. Ike caused environmental damage to Southeast Texas, ripping through the barrier islands, washing debris into Galveston Bay and the Gulf, and imperiling animals, fish and plants by pouring saltwater into marshes. The upper Texas coast is under stress because of development, rising seas and sinking land. This has led to the erosion of the shoreline, by as much as 10 feet each year. The dunes and marshes reduce the strength of wind and waves and without the buffer, storms can do more damage. The recent development boom along the coast won't help because dams and levees are stealing much of the sediment that once replenished marshes and barrier beaches. As a general rule, every mile or two of wetlands, or any other kind of land, will reduce a storm surge by a foot. The surge destroyed grasses for grazing cattle and other vegetation. Up to 20 miles inland, post-Ike samples showed salt levels 25 parts per thousand in water that usually has no salinity. There is concern over the plight of a variety of birds that stop for a meal of fish along the upper Texas coast on their way south for the winter. Among the rookeries on the Bolivar Peninsula, the Houston Audubon Society's sanctuaries are covered with debris from destroyed houses and boats. Debris and untreated sewage in Galveston Bay and the bayous around Greater Houston are sucking the oxygen out of the water, leaving little or none for marine life. The city of Houston estimated that as much as 5 million gallons, or 2 percent, of the sewage processed daily flowed into the bayous because of Ike-related power outages. While state and federal authorities have reported 2,221 spills of oil and other hazardous materials from Houston to Lake Charles, La., none of them is considered major.   September 30, 2008   Houston Chronicle

Last Year's World CO2 Emissions Exceeded Most Dire IPCC Predictions.   The world's carbon dioxide emissions in 2007 exceeded the predictions of climate scientists, growing 3% from 2006. This was surprising given the economic downturn. Developing nations took the lead in overall CO2 emissions, accounting for 53% of the total. China was the world's largest CO2 polluter accounting for 60% of the rise in worldwide emissions in 2007. Oceans and forests that lock away carbon and keep it out of the atmosphere, have been absorbing some 3% less pollution since 2000 than the first half of the 20th century. We're locked into more warming than we thought.   September 26, 2008   Los Angeles Times

U.S.: Top Story Northeast States' Regional Carbon Trading System Goes Live This Week.   Twenty-four states are working on cap-and-trade" along with four large Canadian provinces. The northeastern states' Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) offers a "modest" start. It requires a 10% reduction in emissions by power plants by 2019. RGGI's supporters say the program will generate millions of dollars that the states have pledged to use to boost energy efficiency. And set a price on carbon dioxide emissions. The program's western counterpart led by California and embracing seven states and four Canadian provinces, the initiative will require power plants and industries to cut emissions by 15% by 2020. In 2015, it will cover emissions from transportation, residential, and commercial fuel use. An initial blueprint requires industry to start measuring their greenhouse-gas emissions in about two years. A program in the Midwest last year started planning a cap-and-trade program for six more states and Manitoba. These initiatives will bring pressure on the next U.S. president to create a uniform national cap-and-trade program. RGGI say a chief achievement was the decision to auction off 100% of the allowances that power plants will need. Under the RGGI program, 223 power plants in the Northeast will have to buy allowances for all their C02 emissions. Power plants will have six years to stabilize emissions. The program applies to Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maryland. Plants that do not meet the goals may be able to purchase "offsets" from projects that create carbon dioxide reductions. But the use of offsets will be restricted to 3.3 percent of a power plant's emissions. Energy consumption remained roughly flat in the Northeast, and carbon emissions from the power plants are expected to be about 9 percent below 2009. The program requires $1.86 per ton for power plant emissions, which will encourage power producers and their larger customers to consider alternative power sources. Customers will see their electricity bills rise by an amount that depends on the final price of the allowances. Energy efficiency programs will be funded by the auctions and help consumers reduce their bills. After the RGGI states have stabilized power sector carbon emissions, the cap will be reduced each year from 2015 through 2018.   September 24, 2008   Grist Magazine

Texans Mired in Hurricane Ike's Aftermath.   Residents of the Texas coast foraged for water, ice, generators and gasoline as rescuers continued to save people trapped by widespread flooding last month after Hurricane Ike. Emergency officials had tried to unsnarl a snag that delayed deliveries of U.S. government food, water and ice to several million people. Federal officials blamed state leaders for abruptly changing distribution plans. The number of people rescued along the coast rose to nearly 2,000. Rescuers had to go door-to-door to find those who refused to evacuate. The rescue effort involved 50 helicopters and 1,500 searchers. The restoration of power took a month. Nearly 4 million people were without electricity in Texas and Louisiana. A total of 21 deaths in nine states have been blamed on the storm. The hurricane destroyed 10 oil production platforms. Houston police put the city under a weeklong nighttime curfew. Residents peppered radio and TV news programs with angry calls about price gouging at gasoline stations and food stores, low water pressure and a delay by emergency authorities in distributing food, water and ice. Elected officials warned those who evacuated not to try to return home. Federal officials said state authorities asked them to take over distribution of supplies. Many residents were unable to return home because of roads clogged with debris or water. Some ran out of gasoline on highways or had their cars mired in water along low-lying roads. More than 500 National Guard troops helped control traffic and maintain calm on the streets.   Karen Gaia says: the more people you add, the more these natural disasters have an impact. Also population growth may have contributed to the intensity of the storms since climate change causes intense storms and higher quantities of CO2 contribute to climate change.   September 15, 2008   Los Angeles Times

Earthjustice Will Sue EPA to Reduce Global Warming Pollution from Ships and Aircraft.   A coalition of conservation groups and state attorneys general has warned of impending lawsuits over the EPA's failure to address pollution from ships and aircraft. Eight state and local jurisdictions filed similar notices. The coalition filed petitions to the EPA in 2007, requesting that it determine whether greenhouse gas emissions from marine vessels and aircraft endanger public health and if so, to issue regulations to control emissions from these sources. The EPA delayed its obligations by issuing an "Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" (ANPR) that does not make a finding as to whether EPA intends to regulate greenhouse gases as the Supreme Court determined was required to do. Instead, the ANPR compiles comments from other government agencies, reviews provisions of the Clean Air Act, and raises issues regarding potential regulations. The administration is wasting time with continued foot-dragging. Global climate change is damaging our daily lives, even more rapidly than forecast. The conservation groups also released a report that analyzes the large impacts of shipping on climate change and discusses solutions. Instead of taking action the EPA is again putting the brakes on developing innovative solutions. Aircraft emit 12% of carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. transport sources and 3% of the US total emissions. Aircraft also emit nitrogen oxides, which contribute to the formation of ozone. Emissions of NOX at high altitudes result in greater concentrations of ozone than ground-level emissions. Aircraft also emit water vapor which forms condensation trails. The persistent formation of contrails is associated with increased cirrus cloud cover, which warms the Earth's surface. The effects of ozone, contrail and aviation-induced cloud cover is likely to triple the warming effect of aircraft-emitted CO2 alone. If these estimates are correct aviation may be responsible for between 6% and 10% of the human impact on climate by the year 2050. According to the FAA emissions from US domestic aircraft are expected to increase 60% by 2025. The US has failed to address these emissions. The global fleet of marine vessels releases almost 3% of the world's carbon dioxide. Marine vessels release carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and soot. Emissions from ships are not currently regulated. Global shipping has increased by 3% per year for the last three decades and this growth is projected to increase. Shipping pollution will potentially double from 2002 levels by 2020.   July 31, 2008   Earthjustice

MIT Energy Storage Discovery Could Lead to 'Unlimited' Solar Power.   MIT has discovered a new way of storing energy from sunlight that could lead to 'unlimited' solar power. The process, uses solar energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. When needed, the gases can then be re-combined in a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity. Solar power has always been a limited, solution. Now, we can think about solar power as unlimited. The process uses natural materials, is inexpensive and is easy to set up. Other scientists in the field have rushed to highlight the revolutionary potential of the new process. This is a major discovery with enormous implications for the future prosperity of humankind. It opens up the door for developing new technologies for energy production. Within 10 years homes will be able to harness solar power during daylight hours and use this new energy storage method for electricity at night.   Karen Gaia says: the breakthrough that the researchers have found is the use of a catalyst of cobalt phosphate instead of a platinum for a nearly 100% efficient method of electrolysis to produce the oxygen and hydrogen from water. It doesn't matter that the energy used in the electrolysis is from solar or wind or any renewable source. See http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=209900956 for a more precise article on the subject. The other thing to consider is that photovoltaic (solar panels) is currently not that cost-effective. It will become more cost-effective when the price of other energy sources goes up and/or the efficiency of photovoltaic goes up.   July 25, 2008   Solar Energy

U.K.: Global Warming: Unintended Consequences of Action.   Even if CO2 emissions cause global warming, there are unintended consequences when the government tries to solve this problem. A proposal in Britain would establish personal CO2 rationing. Every gasoline purchase, air conditioner turned on and jet flight would be charged against your account. Run out of credits, and you must buy more from anyone with a surplus. Companies such as Chiquita Brands are considering costs of being sued or prosecuted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for not accurately disclosing "carbon footprints" to investors. Different types of farms and varying sizes of fruit must be factored in, differentiating organically grown from traditionally grown. Energy, waste, water use, travel, storage in refrigerated containers and even transport in retailers' trucks are all factors in determining the carbon footprint.   July 18, 2008   Gazette

Gore Sets Moon Shot Goal on Climate Change.   Al Gore is challenging the nation to produce all electricity through wind, sun and Earth-friendly energy sources within 10 years. Fuel costs, climate change and the national security threats by U.S. dependence on foreign oil are creating a political environment that Gore said will sustain bold steps to wean the nation off fossil fuels. He said he understands the magnitude of the challenge. A bipartisan group estimates the cost of transforming the nation to clean electricity sources at $1.5 to $3 trillion over 30 years. But he says it would cost about as much to build ozone free coal plants. "I hope to contribute to a new political environment that will allow the next president to do the right thing." To meet his 10-year goal, Gore said nuclear energy output would continue at current levels while the nation increases its use of solar, wind, geothermal and so-called clean coal energy. If the nation fails to act, the cost of oil will continue to rise. Experts predicted that, at the current rate, world energy demand will grow 50% over the next two decades. The world is not close to abandoning fossil fuels despite their effect on global warming.   July 17, 2008   Associated Press

U.S. Joins G-8 Plan To Halve Emissions.   The United States joined the major industrialized countries to try to halve greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050. The countries will "consider and adopt" reductions of at least 50% as part of a new U.N. treaty. The leaders expect developing countries to promise "meaningful" actions to reduce emissions. Bush and G-8 leaders met Wednesday with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the heads of other developing countries, hoping to come to some kind of agreement on climate change. But deep differences between the two groups remain. The G-8 leaders also promised to make cuts in emissions in the "midterm," though they did not set specific targets. The communique's language drew the disapproval of many environmental groups, which said the targets were weak or ambiguous. The environmental minister of South Africa said: "It is regrettable that the lowest common denominator in the G-8 determined the level of ambition." At the last G-8 summit, the US refused to adopt the 50% target. Bush's shift appears to have stemmed from firmer scientific findings, pressure from allies and Democrats in Congress. White House aides say Bush wants a plan but thinks the debate to date has focused too often on unrealistic aims rather than specifics. The summit leaders left unaddressed several key issues, such as the baseline for calculating a 50% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions. European countries favor ambitious midterm and long-term emissions-reduction targets. The US, joined to varying degrees by Canada and Russia, has been wary of setting what it calls unrealistic targets.   July 08, 2008   Washington Post

Climate Change: Disease Spread Fears.   Viral and parasitic diseases have been shown to increase because of climate change. The most worrying effect is the spread of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, on the African continent. The external changes in the temperature have a direct effect on the metabolism and development of parasites. If there was a warming in temperature above between 14-18C, this can lead to an increase in disease transmission. Case studies conducted in Kenya indicated that climate change has contributed to the evolution of the malaria epidemic in the east African highlands. This information can be used to create early warning systems to deal with the epidemics.   July 08, 2008   Independant Online

Global: Climate risk from flat-screen TVs.   The rising demand for flat-screen TVs could have a greater impact on global warming than the world's largest coal-fired power stations. Manufacturers use nitrogen trifluoride to make the TVs, and as the sets have become popular, annual production of the gas has risen to about 4,000 tonnes. As a driver of global warming, nitrogen trifluoride is 17,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Production of the gas, which remains in the atmosphere for 550 years, is expected to double by next year. Emissions of the gas are not restricted by the Kyoto protocol or similar agreements. This year's production of the gas is equivalent to 67m tonnes of carbon dioxide. Concerns have led Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology to avoid using the gas. Very little nitrogen trifluoride is released into the atmosphere. But the gas is not controlled in the same way as other greenhouse gases.   Karen Gaia says: You can't always rely on technology to get us out of trouble. Often, it is technology that gets us into trouble.   July 07, 2008   Guardian (London)

Secret Report: Biofuel Caused Food Crisis.   Biofuels forced food prices up by 75%, more than previously estimated. The unpublished assessment is based on an analysis of the crisis so far. The figure contradicts the US government's claims that biofuels contribute less than 3% to food-price rises. It will put pressure on the British government, which is due to release its own report on the impact of biofuels, that will state that plant fuels have played a "significant" part in pushing up food prices. While politicians keep industry lobbies happy, people in poor countries cannot afford enough to eat. Rising food prices have pushed 100m people below the poverty line, and sparked riots from Bangladesh to Egypt. Rapid income growth in developing countries has not led to large increases in global grain consumption and was not a major factor for the price increases. The EU and US drive for biofuels has had the biggest impact on prices. Since April, all petrol and diesel in Britain has had to include 2.5% from biofuels. Without the increase in biofuels, global wheat and maize stocks would not have declined appreciably and price increases would have been moderate. Biofuels have been responsible for a 75% jump. Production of biofuels has distorted food markets in three ways. It has diverted grain, with over a third of US corn now used to produce ethanol and about half of vegetable oils in the EU going towards the production of biodiesel. Farmers have been encouraged to set land aside for biofuel production and it has sparked financial speculation in grains. Biofuels from sugarcane from Brazil have not had such an impact. Supporters of biofuels argue that they are a greener alternative to fossil fuels, but that claim has been disputed as it does not apply to US production of ethanol from plants. All we are doing is subsidising higher food prices, while doing nothing to tackle climate change.   July 04, 2008   Guardian (London)

Bangladesh is Set to Disappear Under the Waves by the End of the Century.   In the remote village of Munshigonj, the surviving villagers were sitting by a stagnant pond. Ten years ago, the village began to die. Many of the trees turned a strange colour and rotted. The rice paddies stopped festered in the water and fish floated to the surface, animals began to die and many of the children. People wash in this pond but all got dysentery, and children died. Bangladesh is a flat, low-lying land made of silt, squeezed in between the melting mountains of the Himalayas and the rising seas of the Bay of Bengal. The sea is swelling and wiping Bangladesh off the map. Below the ground saltwater is swelling up. Some farmers are farming shrimp.But unless we change now, this salt water will keep rising until everything is ocean. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - said that Bangladesh will lose 17% of its land and 30% of its food production by 2050. Many climatologists think the IPCC is too optimistic and believe we are facing a 25-metre rise in sea levels this century which would drown Bangladesh entirely. In Dhaka, Dr Atiq Rahman says the IPCC predictions are much too conservative. We are facing a catastrophe and talking about a massive displacement of human beings. Bangladesh is ground zero of global warming. The seas are rising, so land is being claimed from the outside. The rivers are becoming wider, so land is being claimed from within. Cyclones are becoming more intense and more violent, and salt water is rendering the land barren. If you want people in the West to understand the effect they are having here, it's simple. We need to have a system where for every 10,000 tons of carbon you emit, you have to take a Bangladeshi family to live with you. If one of the world's land-based ice-sheets breaks up, we lose 70 to 80% of our land, including Dhaka. This will probably happen towards the end of the lifetime of babies born today. Karim Chowdry, said in the past 30 years, two-thirds of his home island has gone under the water and he had to abandon his house. The land has gone into the sea. The ocean is coming very fast now and we think all the island will be gone in 15 years. Twenty years ago, there were 30,000 people on this island, now there are 18,000, and most think they will be the last inhabitants. Fishing is almost impossible, the waves are much bigger than they used to be. Tere have always been cyclones in Bangladesh, but global warming is making them much more violent.   June 20, 2008   Johann Hari

China Increases Lead as Biggest Carbon Dioxide Emitter.   China has overtaken the US as the leading emitter of carbon dioxide, its emissions increasing 8% in 2007. In 2007 China's emissions were 14% higher than those of the US. China's emissions are likely to continue growing because they are tied to the country's economic growth and its mix of industry and power sources. China is dependent on coal and has seen its most rapid growth in industrial sectors: cement, aluminum and plate glass. About 20% of China's emissions come from its cement kilns. The average American is responsible for 19.4 tons. in Russia 11.8 tons; in the EU 8.6 tons; China, 5.1 tons; and India, 1.8 tons. The data emphasized the importance of getting China to sign on to any new global climate agreement. The Kyoto Protocol will be replaced by a new agreement to be signed in Copenhagen at the end of 2009. Late last year, UN experts warned that the world had only a few years to reverse growing emissions. China had been acting progressively on environmental policy in the past year. There cannot be a solution to the climate change without China, but Chinese leaders would not become more engaged unless the US also made new commitments. Emissions in the original EU states fell 2% in 2007, though this drop was at least partly attributable to a warm winter. High oil prices have created an interest in coal-fired power plants, which are heavily polluting. Eighty percent of the world's coal demand comes from China, but the US is also a major user of coal.   June 16, 2008   New York Times*

U.S.: White House Issues Climate Report 4 Years Late.   Under a court order and four years late, the White House produced a "one-stop shop" of threats to the United States from man-made global warming. It pulls together different U.S. studies and international reports into one document required by law. A Canadian climate scientist called it "a litany of bad news in store for the U.S." One of the scientists who reviewed the report said: "It basically says the America we've known we can no longer count on." White House said the report was comprehensive and "communicates what the scientists are telling us." • Increased heat deaths and deaths from climate-worsened smog. • Worsening water shortages for agriculture and urban users. • A need for billions of dollars in more power plants. Summer cooling will mean Seattle's energy consumption would increase by 146% with the warming by the end of the century. • More death and damage from wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters and extreme weather. • Increased insect infestations and food- and waterborne microbes and diseases. Climate change is likely to accentuate the disparities in the American health care system. Many of the health effects are likely to fall disproportionately on the poor, the elderly, the disabled and the uninsured." Every four years the government must produce a comprehensive science assessment of global warming. Environmental groups got a court order to force the Bush administration to produce the document by the end of this month.   May 30, 2008   Yahoo News

Global Warming: Nine Things That Will Put Us Over the Edge.   An international investigation by leading climate scientists has found that the "tipping points" for all nine scenarios could occur within the next 100 years. Climate change is likely to result in dramatic changes to some of the major geophysical elements of the Earth if global temperatures continue to rise. The nine scenarios are irreversible on a human timescale once they pass a certain threshold of change, and the effects of the transition will be felt for generations to come. A variety of tipping elements could reach their critical point within this century. The nine elements range from the melting of polar ice sheets to the collapse of the Indian and West African monsoons. The effects of the changes could varied, from a rise in sea levels that flood coastal regions to widespread crop failures and famine. Some of the tipping points may be close at hand, such as the point at which the disappearance of the summer sea ice in the Arctic becomes inevitable, others, such as the tipping point for the destruction of northern boreal forests, may take several more decades. While the collapse of the Indian monsoon could occur within a few years, the melting of the Greenland ice cap or the West Antarctic ice sheet, may take several centuries. A tipping point is where a small change in the climate could trigger a larger change in the future. There are many potential tipping points that could occur this century, but it is possible to avoid them with cuts in greenhouse gases. We should be prepared to adapt and to design an early-warning system that alerts us. * Scientists believe that the tipping point for the total loss of summer Arctic sea ice is imminent. * Greenland ice sheet could see irreversible change within 50 years. * West Antarctic ice sheet: could unexpectedly collapse if it slips into the sea at its warming edges. * Gulf Stream: few scientists believe it could be switched off completely this century but its collapse is a possibility. * El Ni๑o: the southern Pacific current may be affected by warmer seas, resulting in far-reaching climate change. * Indian monsoon: could be tipped off-balance by pollutants that cause localised cooling. * West African monsoon: in the future it could cause droughts. * Amazon rainforest: a warmer world and further deforestation may cause a collapse of the rain supporting this ecosystem. * Boreal forests: cold-adapted trees of Siberia and Canada are dying as temperatures rise.   May 08, 2008   Alternet

The Arab World Gets Serious About Climate Change.   Arab environmentalists know that, when it comes to leadership to combat climate change, the Arab World was not the best example. Arab countries that build their economies on fossil energy, and middle-income countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Egypt and Morocco that depend mostly on imported oil, are not at the fore front of policies and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Its per capita production rate of greenhouse gases is almost identical to the EU. This puts pressures on the region to start reducing its rate of greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change is a major threat to the security of the Middle East. Existing tensions over access to water are almost certain to intensify in this region leading to further political instability. In a recent report by FAO it was stated that crop growing may become unsustainable in some areas as a result of the interactions of factors. Maize yields in North Africa, could fall by 15-25% with a three degree centigrade rise in temperature. The 19th session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment witnessed the agreement of the all Arab countries to deal with climate change issues. The declaration stated the need for the production and use of cleaner fuels, improving the efficiency of energy use, expanding the use of cleaner production techniques and environmental friendly technologies. The Arab world has became active in developing new technologies for reduction of greenhouse emissions. The beginning of construction of the first carbon-neutral, waste-free city in Abu Dhabi, will showcase the best available technologies for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The city will use 75% less electricity and half the water of conventional cities. The city's narrow thoroughfares will draw on the traditional architecture of the old walled towns of the Middle East. In the last meeting of the OPEC Ministers in Riyadh four Arab Gulf countries have decided to develop a US $ 750 million research fund for Climate Change. This is to support more efficient petroleum technologies for the protection of the environment, and promote the development of technologies such as carbon capture and storage. An estimated $120 billion investment is anticipated in the industry over the next 10 years. If this package of initiatives can be linked together in a shift towards sustainability and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Arab World will be able to declare its role as an active contributor in the global efforts to save the Earth.   April 22, 2008   Reporter Associati

Australia: Climate Change Likely to Dominate Debates.   This climate scenario is likely to hit Australia before the globe warms by between 1.1 and 6.4 degrees. It's 2012. Energy costs have skyrocketed in the two years since businesses were forced to buy permits to emit greenhouse gas. The poor pay about $600 extra a year for electricity, so goods are more expensive, especially food and transport. Water costs more as we develop ways, to increase its supply. This is the picture former Victorian deputy premier John Thwaites will paint at the environment session at Kevin Rudd's 2020 Summit. "There needs to be some support that assists with higher energy and water bills. But the primary goal has to be to get them to reduce emissions through energy efficiency and housing being upgraded." The climate debate it is likely to feature in half the summit sessions, including health, rural Australia and the economy. The full title of the environment session is ambitious — Population, Sustainability, Climate Change, Water and the Future of our Cities. What impact will climate change have on our water supplies? Projections suggest that water demand will exceed sustainable supply by 2025. There are also important issues including better planning for the predicted increase in extreme weather events. It is likely to require a program encouraging more volunteers and better preparing households.   April 08, 2008   Age

Global Warming May Bring Malaria to Britain: Doctors.   Climate change could bring malaria and other diseases to Britain and trigger more frequent heatwaves. With the exception of Lyme disease, insect-borne diseases are largely unknown in Britain. But global warming could change that. Higher temperatures and heavier rainfall may increase the spread of infections like malaria. Hotter weather also poses a significant risk of an increase in skin cancers, sunburn and sunstroke. Around the world, climate change could have potentially devastating consequences for human health. Between 20 and 70 million more people were likely to be living in malarial regions worldwide by 2080.   April 02, 2008   Reuters

Government Secures UN Climate Change Resolution; Says Maldives Will Not Disappear.   The Maldivian government spearheaded a resolution at the UN to conduct a study into the effects of climate change on human rights. The Maldives refuses to believe that the international community will allow any state to disappear under the sea. Dr Ahmed Shaheed, who last year worked on the issue, warned international moves on human rights and climate change must be matched by action within the Maldives. The resolution springs from a meeting of small island states and a 70-country meeting of the Friends of Human Rights and Climate Change. The new study will form the basis of a Human Rights Council debate. The lack of a human rights study is a "major gap". No-one denies that climate change is having an impact on human lives, and human rights. Extreme weather events have an impact on the right to housing. A warmer and wetter climate can cause the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, which has an impact on the right to health. International human rights treaties require each country to plan adequately for its citizens. Maldivians should hold their government to account, and ask whether plans for the future are adequate. The National Adaptation Programme of Action includes investments in flood and tidal defences, engineering works to reinforce vital transport and communications infrastructure and to protect public utilities such as energy, water and sanitation, intended to allow population consolidation and protection against natural disasters. Maldivians still feel the impact of the 2004 tsunami. Of the 2,987 houses needed for tsunami victims, just over a thousand had not yet begun construction. Local lobby groups maintain the government's record is poor, citing the lack of a sewage treatment plant for Mal้'s 100,000 residents. If the projected 2C temperature rise comes to pass much of the reef system will be irreparably damaged, threatening the tourism and fishing industries, but "political will" can stop this.   March 31, 2008   Minivan News

U.S.: Battening Down the Hatches - States Are Starting to Prepare for Climate Change.   New Orleans is worried. Heat waves. Seas rising six feet, flooding everything south of Interstate 10, now 50 miles inland. Forward-thinking utilities are proposing strengthening transmission poles and shoring up substations. Other states have initiatives to cope with rising sea levels. Congress is considering nearly two dozen bills for funding research and helping communities cope. Climate scientists say it's too late to prevent significant warming and we have only three options: mitigation, adaptation, and suffering. In Alaska,loss of sea ice has left coastal communities at the mercy of storms, which are eating away the land. The manager of Denver Water says he can no longer plan for tomorrow's water needs. The new alliance of water agencies is trying to construct a more accurate picture of the future. Denver aims to make the region's water system more resilient. Annapolis, Md., is spending $9 million to raise the city dock and build flood walls. Florida is exploring the idea of man-made barrier islands. These steps may be too little. What if polar ice melts faster than expected, and the oceans rise 15 feet? Several of the bills pending would create funds to promote adaptation. The task is urgent, says Annapolis Mayor. "We need to come to grips with this now, and not when it's on our doorstep."   March 13, 2008   Busisness Week

Rwanda;: Investment in Renewable Energy is Vital.   Sustainable development cannot be realized when the environment is abused and people indulge in environmental degradation. Energy used during production produces carbon dioxide, bringing about global warming, which causes multiple problems. Replacing the energy that comes from fossils is a gradual one, as new methods of using renewable sources have been more effective as far as environment conservation is concerned. Solar energy is more cost effective than fossil fuel, if more expensive in the short run. The population has to be taught about renewable energy and reducing the rate of cutting trees. The executive secretary of Rwanda Environmental Conservation Organization (RECOR), avers that there is need to think alternative energy sources, and a campaign is on in Rwanda to encourage investors to inject their money in renewable energy. The coordinator of RECOR blames the use of fossil related fuels on the current global warming pattern. In order to achieve the MDG's, environment must be a priority. Every body must have an active role towards planting trees, which reduce carbon dioxide, as green plants use carbon dioxide while making their own food. Petroleum is exhaustible, and environmentally hazardous. More engineers and technicians should be trained to impart the knowledge that will implement renewable energy engineering. Rainfall patterns have changed, which brings about poor harvests, poor economic performance and famine. RECOR has made a list of the equipment needed in generating renewable energy, so that importers are exonerated from taxation. The sources of renewable energy include sunshine, wind, animal waste and others, according to Kayigamba. Rwanda does not possess enough land for planting trees. Environmental conservation is everyone's duty. Fifty years from todate, water will be costing as much as petrol because of the current environmental degradation worldwide. Protect wet lands and maintain the water table intact thus deterring future water scarcity. Global warming will adversely affect developing countries most since they don't have resources to counter the consequences that will have resulted from global warming.   January 28, 2008   Africa News Service

U.S. Population, Energy & Climate Change   There is growing evidence that population, linked to energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, is a key factor in global climatic change. In the climate change equation, population is the 'big multiplier' - particularly when linked with resource consumption - because it intensifies the rate, scale, and scope of both the root causes and effects of climate change in the United States (U.S.), and worldwide. Follow the link for the full report (you need Adobe Acrobat for this report).   2008   Center for Environment & Population

Climate Change May Lead to War.   A study finds that long-term climate change with its resulting food shortages, population shifts, and economic instability can lead to war and population decline. The study revealed that as temperatures decreased centuries ago during a period called the Little Ice Age, the number of wars increased, famine occurred, and the population declined. Even though temperatures are increasing now, the same conflicts may occur, as 80% of the world's wars from 1400 to 1900 were triggered by food shortages and famine caused by extreme weather. Previous research found that temperature changes were correlated with times of war in Eastern China between 1000 and 1911.   December 18, 2007   Natural Hazards Center newsletter

U.K.;: Rising Population Adds to Climate Woes; Socio-economic Factors Play Big Part in Global Warming.   Three-quartersu of the problems associated with global warming have to do with factors like rising population, and only a quarter with the climate. The population debate has gone off the agenda. Climate change is not the major issue. Its a population problem. Even in the UK, demographers once thought the population would stabilise at 60 million, but the latest projections suggest it could hit 75 million and that would make meeting the emissions obligations that much more difficult. The issue of growing populations and consumer behaviour could prove even harder for governments to deal with. Meanwhile, government policy must accommodate the uncertainty and wide range of climatic predictions. Ideally, policy should could allow for further steps to be taken after initial mitigation, if outcomes turn out worse than expected. But neither the UK nor any other government has yet been 'realistic' about the efforts needed to combat global warming. The UK has a target of reducing emissions by 60% by 2050. Its climate change bill will get 'nowhere near' the target, which requires a 9% drop in emissions every year.   December 18, 2007   The Business Times

Speech by Al Gore on the Acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize.   The distinguished scientists with whom it is the honor of my life to share this award have laid before us a choice between two different futures. Life or death, blessings or curses. The human species, are confronting a threat to the survival of our civilization. But we have the ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly. Today, we dumped another 70 million tons of global-warming pollution into the thin shell of atmosphere surrounding our planet. The earth has a fever. And the fever is rising. As the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, scientists report that the North Polar ice cap is falling and could be completely gone during summer in less than 22 years. Major cities in North and South America, Asia and Australia are nearly out of water due to massive droughts and melting glaciers. Desperate farmers are losing their livelihoods. Peoples on low-lying Pacific islands are planning evacuations. Millions have been displaced by massive flooding. We are recklessly burning and clearing our forests and driving more and more species into extinction. Without realizing it, we have begun to wage war on the earth itself. Now, we and the earth's climate are locked in a relationship of "Mutually assured destruction." It is time to make peace with the planet. We must quickly mobilize our civilization with the urgency and resolve that has previously been seen only when nations mobilized for war. The innovators who will devise a new way to harness the sun's energy or invent an engine that's carbon negative may live in Lagos or Mumbai or Montevideo. We must ensure that entrepreneurs and inventors everywhere on the globe have the chance to change the world. We must understand the connections between the climate crisis and poverty, hunger, HIV-Aids and other pandemics. We must begin by making the common rescue of the global environment the central organizing principle of the world community. We need a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store carbon dioxide. And most important of all, we need to put a price on carbon -- with a CO2 tax that is then rebated back to the people. Shift the burden of taxation from employment to pollution. Two nations are failing to do enough: the US tates and China. Both countries should stop using the other's behavior as an excuse for stalemate and develop an agenda for mutual survival in a shared global environment.   December 13, 2007   Al Gore

While the West Protects Itself Against Global Warming, the Poor Beg for Help.   Singapore has built one of the world's largest desalination plants and is paying Dutch experts tens of millions of dollars to devise ways to protect their island. Bangladesh is digging out from a cyclone that killed at least 3,200 and left millions homeless. The country wants to build up its coastlines but has no money. The disparities between the rich and poor in adapting to floods and droughts that are expected to worsen with rising temperatures have dominated the U.N. climate conference. The haves are arguing about emission targets and high-tech solutions. The have-nots need tens of billions of dollars to save their sinking islands, to help farmers adapt and to relocate those in the path of destruction. Those who are least able to cope are being hit hardest. Those who have done the least to cause the problem bear the gravest consequences. The United Nations Development Program says 98% of the 262 million people hit by disasters from 2000 to 2004 came from impoverished countries. The U.N. predicts that about 1.8 billion of the most vulnerable people will be hit by water shortages, 600 million more will go hungry and 32 million will be displaced by droughts and floods. Poor countries have priorities putting food on the table, accessing water, health care. Climate change is making these things worse. Canada said it would spend US$85.4 million on adaptation measures, including tens of millions of dollars to help its Inuit communities adapt to warming Arctic climate. The Netherlands is now spending an additional US$25 billion to improve its water defenses. Italy is doing the same. Singapore has built a 139 million desalination plant to boost its domestic water supply, and with the Dutch firm Delft Hydraulics as part of a more than US$208 million effort to become a hub for climate change research. The city-state is vulnerable to global warming, but realizes that there is potential to make money. Other countries will come to us for help. Some poor countries are creating early warning systems, building shelters on stilts or making plans to relocate communities. But the money often does not reach villages hardest hit. Climate change has become a daily reality in small island states. Up to US$300 million annually will be available and up to US$1.5 billion a year if an international climate agreement is approved. That still falls short of the nearly US$86 billion the UNDP estimates is needed annually by 2015. Impoverished nations are also demanding increased access to technology for adaptation and assurances the money for climate response won't be taken from development aid. Comparing problems in Bangladesh to those of New Orleans, one officer asked "Why are they putting up a few billion for a city like New Orleans when they are putting up only a few million for the entire world?"   December 12, 2007   Associated Press

Climate Change Underway in US.   The non-profit Pew Center on Global Climate Change released a report examining the impact climate change is having on different regions of the United States. With international climate talks under way, the report argues that federal, state and local decision-makers must work both to mitigate global warming and to adapt to its consequences. The report finds that climate change in U.S. is underway and looks at specific impacts. It finds that Midwestern heat waves and Western wildfires are both likely to become larger, more frequent and more intense. Gulf Coast wetland loss and Chesapeake 'dead zones' are likely to be exacerbated by climate change. The studies consider how population growth, development, and land management interact with the problems of a warming planet. A coastal scientist says that wetlands restoration is critical to life and the economy of the Gulf Coast. Continued coastal development coupled with the anticipated rise in sea levels could drown the wetlands. Under storm events such as hurricanes, these open waters increase the risk of coastal flooding More wild fires are likely if forests are not managed for climate change. The report notes that earlier spring snowmelt and hotter, drier summers have led to more wildfires. Carbon dioxide, also promotes tree growth. But that may cause problems, unless the growth is managed properly to lessen fire risk. Agricultural runoff from farms and cities has led to an inadequate level of oxygen in the The Chesapeake Bay, coastal waters and dead zones, which affect fisheries and recreation in the region. The future of the Chesapeake Bay is compromised by climate change. Every planner, every developer, every policy maker, will have to factor climate change into the equation. Getting the right policies in place now is essential to reducing the risk from current and future climate-change impacts.   December 11, 2007   Voice of America

U.N.: Ignoring Global Warming Is "Criminally Irresponsible".   In the fourth and last report issued this year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the U.N.'s top climate official warned that ignoring the urgency of global warming would be "criminally irresponsible." Environmentalists and authors of the report expected tense discussions on what to include and leave out of the document. Scientists were determined to "adhere to standards of quality" in the report. It was indirect barb at the government representatives, who have been accused of watering down and excluding vital information to fit their domestic agendas. The document sums up the scientific consensus on how rapidly the Earth is warming and the effects already observed;. The IPCC already has established that the climate has begun to change because of the greenhouse gases. Global warming will hit the poorest countries hardest. Failing to recognize the urgency of this message and act on it would be nothing less that criminally irresponsible. A new conference will begin exploring a global strategy to curb greenhouse gas emissions after the expiration of the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol According to an early draft the report will be the first to include a chapter on "robust findings and key uncertainties," in which the authors pick out what they believe are the most relevant certainties and doubts about climate change. Among the uncertainties cited: the lack of data from key areas of the world, conflicting studies on the effects of cloud cover and carbon soaked up by oceans, and projections on how planners in developing countries will factor climate change into their decisions. The IPCC has been criticized for the language of the policy summaries, which have been softened on several points because of objections by countries including the USA, China and some big oil-producing nations such as Saudi Arabia. One of several environmental groups invited to observe the process, said "governments cut vital facts and important information" during the negotiations. The WWF accused governments of "politically inspired trimming" of facts which diluted the urgency to make deep cuts in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.   December 10, 2007   Associated Press

European Union Forests Expanding, Absorbing Carbon at Surprisingly High Rate.   The University of Helsinki study says that despite rising population, the EU can meet its obligations post-Kyoto (2012-2020). New technologies and mitigating non-CO2 gasses such as methane; partial credit for expansion of the region's forests could be decisive. A study finds that between 1990 and 2005, expansion of tree vegetation in the EU countries annually absorbed an additional 126 million tonnes of carbon, equal to 11% of the region's emissions. The rate varied from 10% in the 15 old member states 15% in the 12 new members. The findings were surprising, in 1992 they estimated the rate of increase of CO2 absorbsion through the expansion of forests at no more than 5%. The study shows that total CO2 sequestered by EU forests varies widely from country to country. Last year they advanced a more sophisticated approach to measuring forest cover that considers not just forested area but density of trees per hectare. Their calculation also quantifies the biomass and atmospheric carbon stored in forests. They reported that, amid concern about deforestation, growing stock has expanded over the past 15 years in 22 of the 50 countries with most forest, including several EU members. The good news is that trees are efficient mechanisms for capturing and storing carbon. The better news is that Europe's forests are thriving and expanding and will play an increasingly important role in helping the EU to reach its environmental goals. Every year, the expanding European forests remove a surprisingly large amount of carbon from the atmosphere. Their impact in reducing atmospheric carbon may be twice that achieved by the use of renewable energy in Europe today. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the EU commited to an 8% reduction of annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2012. Under the protocol, countries do not get credit for increasing natural carbon sinks through forestry and agriculture. The researchers note the challenge confronting EU nations in order to meet a post-Kyoto commitment to reduce emissions 20% from 1990 levels by 2020. CO2 emissions in EU nations grew by an average of roughly 1% every three years between 1992 and 2004. Europe-wide emissions have not yet started to decline and time is running out for the EU to achieve its 2020 goal. "Policies that accelerate the expansion of our forest biomass not only represent a win-win for climate change and biodiversity, they also open up economic opportunities," "Land owners can benefit with new industries This could also help to reduce one of the main threats to sustained forest expansion, the need to open land to produce agricultural biofuels as alternatives to fossil fuels."   November 29, 2007   Science Daily

Europe;: Fever Outbreak Linked to Climate Change.   An outbreak in Europe of an obscure disease from Africa is raising concerns that globalization and climate change are combining to pose a health threat to the West. Nearly 300 cases of chikungunya fever, a virus that previously has been common only in Africa and Asia, were reported in Italy. While the outbreak was largely the result of stronger trade and travel ties, some experts believe it is a sign of how global warming is creating new breeding grounds for diseases. Officials said the mild winter in Italy allowed mosquitoes to start breeding earlier than usual. More mosquitoes mean more disease. With warmer temperatures in the future, Europe and North America might be hit by outbreaks of diseases usually confined to southern continents. We need to be prepared for more surprises like this in the future. Italian officials grew suspicious in July, when dozens of people in the country's northeast complained of fevers, joint pain, headaches and rashes. Lab tests confirmed chikungunya fever, a disease spread by mosquitoes. Officials believe the virus arrived when a tourist from India brought the virus. The Asian tiger mosquito, which can spread the disease, had reached Italy nearly two decades earlier. The Asian tiger mosquito might be capable of spreading more dangerous diseases. Scientists think Europe's advanced health systems will help avert widespread disease. Malaria was once endemic in much of Europe but disappeared once the swamps that bred mosquitoes were replaced by buildings and medicines to treat malaria became available. But some species of mosquito prefer breeding sites like rain-filled gutters and plastic containers. France also saw a few dozen cases of chikungunya last year. Southern European countries around the Adriatic coast like Greece, France and Spain are also at risk. As temperatures keep rising, disease detection and response systems need to be reinforced. With warmer weather, it is likely we will have diseases in Europe that no one had ever expected.   November 29, 2007   Associated Press

UN: Poor Need $86 Billion in Climate Aid.   Helping the world's poor adapt to changes from a warming planet will cost the richest nations at least $86 billion a year by 2015. $44 billion, would go for "climate-proofing" developing nations' infrastructure while $40 billion would help the poor cope with climate-related risks. $2 billion would go to preventing natural disasters. The report recommends the biggest share be paid by the US and other rich nations, based on calculations by the World Bank and Group of Eight major industrialized nations. The Bush administration said that one of its top priorities is "to alleviate poverty and spur economic growth in the developing world." The Human Development Report compares nations by life expectancy, literacy and other data. This year, it focuses on climate change.   November 27, 2007   Associated Press

U.S.: Source of Water for West at Risk.   The West's water supply is breaking down under the rising temperatures. Mountain-snow runoff bears the scars of climate change in the highest elevations, where winter ends earlier and snow melts before downstream users need it, or vanishes in the mild-spring winds. The change threatens water but also the way it is stored and released. "Changes in runoff are only one step away from the warmth in global warming," said an environmental engineer. Climate change could drain power from renewable energy, forcing power providers to rely more heavily on pollution-spewing power plants. Hydroelectric generators are often at the back of the line when it comes to securing water rights. Power-generating capacity decreased at Glen Canyon Dam in 2003 and 2004 after water levels dropped in Lake Powell, the reservoir that provides water for the dam's turbines. "Hydropower should be encouraged to play an important part in solving the climate problem." Washington state relies on hydropower for 72% of its electricity and would suffer if plants shut down. Arizona would fare better. The Salt River Project draws on hydropower sources for about 5% of its electricity. Arizona Public Service decommissioned its last hydroelectric dam in 2005, leaving it with no hydropower. Some of Arizona's rural areas rely more heavily on hydropower, from Western Area Power Administration. They market and distribute electricity generated by 56 hydropowered plants. Western is studying the effects if its flow of hydropower if interrupted and has begun investing in wind and solar projects. Forests lie in the middle of the West's watersheds and rely on winter snow and runoff to stay healthy. When the weather dries out, so do the trees, leaving them vulnerable to pests, disease and fire. Global warming will fuel hotter and bigger fires. Researchers concluded that wildfire frequency was tied to the timing of snowmelt. A late-starting winter could leave the ground and trees exposed to cold weather. The ground freezes, preventing water from reaching the roots, and the roots freeze, hurting the tree's ability to draw nutrients. Drought-weakened trees have allowed bark-beetle infestations in Arizona and Colorado. If trees disappear, the watershed may not produce as much runoff. Moderately dense forests result in better and wetter snowpacks. Population growth has destroyed wildlife habitat, paving over washes and streams, pumping groundwater away from rivers. Birds would suffer most in the desert areas of Arizona and New Mexico. The flycatcher relies on riparian vegetation that would die if water stopped flowing. The San Pedro River, could suffer devastating losses if the climate turned drier. In the Northwest, uneven runoff cycles have affected fish that depend on regular river flows for spawning. A Tucson-based advocacy group recently cited global warming as it sought protection for a small relative of the rabbit that roams the uplands of the West. The American pika is California's canary in the coal mine, as global warming raises temperatures across California, American pikas are disappearing. Snow and runoff are part of a natural system that stores water through the winter and releases it in the spring. Problems occur when you start to shift the timing. In the high mountains, spring snowmelt occurs as much as two weeks earlier than it once did. The difference has reduced runoff at about 75% percent of the measuring stations. When the snow melts too soon, before planting season, for example, farmers lose some of their share. Reservoirs downstream will fill up before demand climbs high enough and reservoir managers could be forced to release water unused. In 2004 and 2006, snowpacks on the upper Colorado River vanished in a flurry of warm dry winds. Snow stores water efficiently; rain sinks into the soil or evaporates and can cause flooding. Most of the reservoirs that supply water to Arizona can store unused water for months or years. That will help protect water resources for Phoenix and Tucson, which may not see shortages for decades. A bigger question for Arizona is how climate change affects the summer monsoon. If winters get dry, then our landscape's going to be more dependent on summer rain. No one has any idea what's going to happen with the monsoon. A stronger monsoon in Arizona would benefit from storm runoff. Monsoon rains contributed as much or more to SRP's water stores as snow the past two years. Much remains unknown about changes in the way snow refills water resources. Runoff feeds rivers and streams it also recharges underground aquifers. Hotter weather will drive up water use by vegetation, and the ground itself will keep water, soaking up rain and snow before it runs off.   November 26, 2007   The Arizona Republic

CHOGM Plan on Climate Falls Short.   COMMONWEALTH leaders said that climate change threatened the survival of small island members. A "Climate Action Plan", contained only vague language on global warming. The agreement appeared to stop short of the major statement which many members, led by Britain, had wanted. Host President Museveni was not happy with the call for increased financial flows for adaptation. Ths full statement is long and detailed and covers many items including solutions to today's environmental challenges that require active participation by all. We are conscious of the threat to low-lying coastal regions. Climate change can undermine our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The cost of inaction on mitigation and adaptation is greater than the cost of early action. There was a call for increased finance for adaptation, and additional incentives for developing countries, through flexibility mechanisms, for commitments to enhanced mitigation action. Carbon trading will be important in this regard. Measures to tackle climate change should support the economic and social transformation of societies. In particular, the easing of population pressure on agricultural land and the successful development of secondary and tertiary sectors in economies requires the provision of clean energy. A well educated and healthy society, with a diverse economy, is best placed to generate the resources to invest in cleaner technologies.   November 25, 2007   Africa News Service

Australia: It's Hard Being Green and Lean.   Saving the planet is not cheap. It's easy to spend thousands of dollars minimising your carbon footprint giving you the warm feeling that you are doing the right thing. The average household won't have trouble insulating their homes, and switching to renewable energy sources. But people on low incomes can't take advantage of government grants, because the capital expenditure is still beyond their capacity. Upgrading to more energy-efficient appliances presents the same problem. Low-income households can't afford to change to more energy-efficient vehicles. Access to public transport is also a problem. In the outer suburbs of Melbourne, 90% of the population is not within walking distance of public transport after 7 on any night of the week. Australian cities are organised so the poorest live in the outer suburbs, where public transport is also the poorest. Wealthier people could afford to live in the inner suburbs which were close to work and serviced by good public transport. Modelling showed that if carbon is priced at $50 a tonne, then that will cost poor households an extra $1316 a year to carry out the same level of spending. In contrast, the expenditure of high-income households will only increase by 0.7% by paying an extra $2891 a year. Low-income households have smaller carbon footprints than high income households, but carbon prices will cost poorer people proportionately more and increase the pool of disadvantaged people. 15% of Australian families are living under the poverty line, (of about $512 a week income for 2 adults and 2 children). It was argued that a national fund is required to assist low-income and other disadvantaged people to manage climate change and policy responses to it. Community service providers were trained to identify people who use more energy and water, due to a lack of awareness, then shown simple ways to help reduce their energy and water bills. The Phoenix Fridges project involves collecting inefficient fridges, repairing them to improve energy efficiency, then reselling them at affordable prices to people on low incomes. Many of the rebate schemes aren't available to people who rent. We need to find ways to support this group.   November 20, 2007   Sydney Morning Herald

India;: Climate Injustice: the Rich Are Hiding Behind the Poor.   In India, 150 million in the upper-income groups emit more than 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per annum. A Greenpeace report states that India's rich are hiding their carbon footprint behind legions of poor. Climate change is the largest threat to humanity and has focused on the linkages between development and environmental sustainability. The carbon footprint of a small wealthy class (1% of the population) is camouflaged by the 823 million poor population who keep the overall per capita emissions below 2 tonnes per year. The richest income class produce slightly less than the global average CO2 emissions but exceeds the acceptable average of 2.5 tonnes per capita that needs to be reached to limit global warming. The carbon footprint of the four highest income classes exceeds sustainable levels. Developed nations need to cut their CO2 emissions to give space to the developing world to catch up. In India if the upper and middle classes do not manage to check their CO2 emissions, they will deny hundreds of millions of poor Indians access to development. The response is not that India should not develop or the wealthy should stop consuming, but to decarbonise its development. The Five Year Plans of the Indian government bases the future of energy production on coal power plants, increasing CO2 emissions. A major shifting to renewables and energy efficiency would create the carbon space for the poor to develop. Increase in global temperatures will have detrimental effects. Changing rainfall patterns will result in flooding and droughts, melting glaciers will aggravate the problem of freshwater shortage. The intensity and frequency of storms will increase, vector-borne diseases will spread and rising sea-levels will drown coastal low-lying megacities like Mumbai and Kolkata. Countries like India will find their development jeopardised if global temperatures rise above 2 degrees Centigrade. Until now, the Indian government has maintained that the average per capita CO2 emission of India is low compared to that of the EU-25 states and the US. India claims its right to consume more energy from fossil fuels. Implicit is the notion that the developed countries need to decrease their CO2 emissions drastically. India's overall average per capita CO2 emission is 1.67 tonnes. The average CO2 emissions per income group range from 335 kg for the income class below 3,000 rupees per month to an average of 1,494 kg for the income classes above 30,000 rupees per month. While only 14% of the population earns more than 8,000 rupees a month, they contribute 24% of the CO2 emissions of the country. It is the country's poor who keep the average CO2 emissions low. An increasing use of electricity for lighting stabilises for income classes above Rs 5,000. A far sharper increase of CO2 emission from lighting between the lower and the higher income classes has been mitigated by the use of more efficient lighting systems, which are not accessible for the poor because of their high price. CO2 emissions from lighting increase by a factor of 1.6 from the below Rs 3,000 to the Rs 5,000-8,000 income class. Making efficient lighting systems accessible to the poor could cut emissions by 95 million tonnes. The CO2 emissions from fans, reaches a plateau in the 5-8,000 income class while water heaters hits a plateau at the 8-10,000 income. Washing machines start to appear in the 5-8,000 class and peak at the 15-30,000 class. The outsourcing of services is not factored in this assessment. Air conditioning due to its high price only starts to be used by income classes over 10,000 rupees but increases steeply by 6.5 times up to the Rs 30,000 class. The most pronounced increase in electricity consumption is in the use of other appliances, all the devices that make living more comfortable. Together they add 49% of the overall household emissions of the >30k income class. With increasing income, consumption changes from essentials to goods including electronics. Individual CO2 emissions from transport were split into two-wheelers, cars, buses, flights and other forms of transportation. The increase in CO2 from the lowest to the richest income class increased by a factor of 7.1. There is an increase in the use of two-wheelers resulting in an increase from 11 kg to 98 kg of CO2 per person The use of cars is starting at an income of more than Rs 10,000 per month There is a massive increase in air travel for the income class above Rs 30,000 per month The share of transport contributes only 7.2% of the personal emissions assessed by this study. From the 1980s to 2003, the number of vehicles on the road increased by almost 15 times. The number of vehicles in India will increase from today's 60 million to approximately 537 million by 2030, resulting in a 9-13-fold increase of CO2 emissions. In the absence of fast-train connections between cities, the country will need 1,500 to 2,000 passenger planes in 10 years, up from 260 now. The overall CO2 emissions of transportation in India could increase to 1,200 million tonnes in 2030. Mandatory fuel efficiency standards need to be put in place swiftly. This also helps the country to reduce its dependency on oil imports. -- Public transport systems like metros and efficient bus networks need to be built at least in all metros, also enabling these cities to handle the growing traffic burden. To achieve the needed reduction average world CO2 emissions need to be brought down to 2.5 tonnes per capita by 2030. In India 150 million people who today earn more than 8,000 rupees per month emit more than 2.5 tonnes CO2 per annum.   November 14, 2007   InfoChange

Spain;: Too Close for Comfort.   The demolition of Spanish holiday homes is in the headlines, following proposals announced last week by the government aimed at protecting the country's coastline from overdevelopment. At issue are thousands of properties up and down the coast and islands that have been built illegally too close to the coastline. The initiative, which follows years of construction, is about establishing a new development model. It is also about preparing for global warming. A document entitled A Strategy for Coastal Sustainability argues that Spain should move away from mass tourism and rapid urbanisation. Radical solutions are needed to save the environment and guarantee a sustainable future for the coastal economy. The proposal is evidence of overcrowding and overdevelopment on the coast, where 44% of Spain's population is squeezed into 7% of its territory, which attracts 80% of tourists. According to the document, 40% of the Mediterranean coastline is built up and 57% of its beaches hemmed in by construction. As a result, 30% of the coast, 51% of beaches and 70% of dune areas are now in trouble. Then there is the threat of rising sea levels from global warming, which environmentalists say will shave 15 metres off the average Spanish beach by 2050, rising to 30 meters or more in some areas. The coastal law, passed in 1988, aims to protect the shore by turning all beaches into public land and prohibiting the building of new residential zones within 100 metres. Urban-planning rules in Spain have often been ignored, and thousands of residential properties have been illegally built close to the beach, often with permission from local authorities. Properties that were built legally before the Ley de Costas are unaffected. Though no figures are available, it is thought many of the illegal homes are owned by Britons, most of whom have never heard of that particular law and have no idea that their properties are at risk. Any new plan will have to deal with these properties, which could in theory involve expropriation or compulsory purchase leading to demolition. The proposals show that environmental concerns, are moving up the political agenda. This could boost the value of properties that have been legally built. If Gore is right, global warming will bring the waterfront right to your door.   November 04, 2007   Times Online

U.K.;: Wales Carbon Footprint Shame.   With a population just under three million and some of the greatest scenery on earth, many would expect Wales' carbon output to rank among the lowest in the world. But the nation is producing more carbon dioxide per person than Russia or China. The Government is facing accusations that it is failing to deal with the problem. Wales has the 12th worst carbon footprint in the world. The latest figures show Wales produces 41.8m tonnes of CO2 every year, 14.2 tonnes per person. In England, CO2 emissions per person sit at 8.8 tonnes, while in Scotland the figure is 8.5 tonnes and in Northern Ireland it is 9.5 tonnes. In Europe, Wales is the third worst pollutant, and the problem has steadily worsened over the last 15 years. The Government is working to create a three per cent annual cut of CO2 emissions by 2011. But it is unlikely to reach these goals. We have the potential to lead the way because we have all the right resources here, but they're not being used. Two things must be done, including an awareness campaign so people can understand why it is a good thing to reduce energy use. Every government should be spending at least 2% of their GDP on addressing issues of climate change. Everyone needs full insulation in their houses, we need to make sure there is enough public transport and make sure the Carbon Trust gets in and does a lot of work with industries.โ€ There needs to be legislation in place to force local authorities to take action.โ€ "Unless we address the issue of reducing carbon emissions in Wales now, then it will escalate. It could become a total disaster.โ€ "We must become more sophisticated in the targets that we use. We have done a lot with public sector stock and private rental housing, but we need to start focusing on private sector housing." She said: "Carbon emissions in Wales appear higher because of the amount of heavy industry and electricity generation in Wales. Road transport and residential emissions are in line with the rest of the UK." The Environment Minister was providing more resources to making sure Wales' reliance on coal and gas fired power stations was reduced.   November 04, 2007   IC Wales

Concern Grows About Health Risks Posed by Climate Change.   Risks to public health from floods, heat waves and droughts are becoming the focus of global health organizations and officials. A range of health problems is expected to accompany rising temperatures, especially in developing countries. WHO announced that its theme for World Health Day would be "protecting health from climate change." "We need to put public health at the heart of the climate change agenda, this includes mobilizing governments to collaborate on strengthening surveillance and control of infectious diseases, safer use of diminishing water supplies and health action in emergencies." Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and is likely to have been due to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations, and human activity. Recent, rapid climate change is the result of increased concentrations of the greenhouse gases, likely generated by emissions from human use of fossil fuels. On the ground, climate change can increase the occurrence and intensity of natural events like heat waves, floods, droughts and storms, directly affecting the health of millions of people. Health is at risk from a range of climate-related causes, including increases in malnutrition and consequent disorders; deaths, disease and injury due to heat waves, floods, storms, fires and droughts; diarrheal diseases; and a change in the distribution of some infectious-disease carriers (mosquitoes, ticks). WHO concludes that the health hazards posed by climate change are wide-ranging, distributed throughout the globe and difficult to reverse. Climate change is expected to have mixed effects, including a decrease or increase of the range and transmission potential of malaria in Africa, and some benefits, such as fewer deaths from cold exposure. Overall, these benefits will be outweighed by the negative health effects of rising temperatures world-wide, especially in developing countries. The greatest risks are to populations living in small-island developing states, mountain regions, water-stressed regions, megacities in developing nations, and people who are poor and poorly protected by health services. It will be necessary to strengthen health systems to protect public health from the associated risks. Bolstering health systems should include climate-specific interventions for heat wave and vector-borne disease early warning systems, and supporting choices that enhance health in sectors such as agriculture and water management.   October 25, 2007   USINFO

Climate Change a Global Emergency, Experts Warn.   Climate change is the first global emergency and there are multiple reasons why our society is not sustainable. It is caused by carbon dioxide emissions and three-quarters came from burning fossil fuels and a quarter from land-use change. Deforestation emits more than the entire transport sector. South Africa's emissions are high, mainly as a result of burning coal to generate electricity. South Africa emits more carbon dioxide than Brazil, which has four times SA's population. It is said that climate change was wrongly perceived as a first-world issue being used by foreign governments to inhibit the country's economic development. On the contrary, there is cause for concern. At no time in the past 800,000 years has the concentration of carbon dioxide risen above 300 parts per million. It now stands at almost 400 ppm and is rising fast. No one knows what will happen. Even if we stop burning everything, we might have lost control. The expected impact of climate change on South Africa is drier winters to the west and shorter periods of intense summer rainfall in the east, conditions that would harm agriculture. Climate change would have a catastrophic effect on South Africa's water and food supply, and would harm subsistence farming communities. Sub-Saharan Africa is vulnerable to climate change with the low adaptive capacity of much of the population as a result of poverty. Greater use of telecommunications is likely to provide a fillip for the long-term earnings sustainability of cellphone and line operations. South Africa is the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide in Africa, and must start adapting early to a warmer world. There is the potential for "legal liability shifts" when litigious groups started looking for parties to blame. For example of three British retailers - Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury - require "carbon footprinting and reporting" from suppliers. Six recommendations for South African business: research, become knowledgeable on climate change; discover and work on your own carbon footprint; explore the implications of climate change then go down your own supply chain and demand carbon-neutral suppliers. The basic scientific and ecological knowledge on climate change was sound, but legal and financial frameworks needed to be developed. Business has been calling for long, loud legal signals from government. South Africa ratified the UN Kyoto Protocol and appointed the Department of Minerals and Energy as its designated national authority.   October 14, 2007   The Times

Heat May Kill Hundreds More in NYC Region by 2050.   Heat-related deaths in and around New York City will nearly double by 2050 due to global warming if no efforts are made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By taking steps now to cut emissions, New Yorkers could prevent 300 of these expected deaths annually. Scientists offered an estimate of temperature increases in the City and its environs based on two scenarios, one representing rapid population growth and the other based on slower growth and concerns about environmental sustainability. By 2050, heat-related deaths would increase by 95% a year in the worst-case, reduced to 68% by acclimatization with increased air conditioning, heat alerts and other adaptations. Under the lower emissions projection, deaths would increase by 71% or 47% with acclimatization. A variation in mortality increases across the region, would range from 38% to 208%. The smallest increases in the more urban parts of the region, such as within the city itself. But deaths could skyrocket in the suburban and rural New York and Connecticut which are currently relatively cool. Urban areas, suburbs, and the countryside are all going to be affected by these hotter temperatures. No matter where they live, poor people will have a tougher time coping, given that many may not have air conditioning, or may be reluctant to use it due to electrical costs. The best and fairest approach to reducing excess heat deaths due to global warming will be to introduce regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.   October 09, 2007   Reuters

World Crops Could Decline 16% Due to Warming.   Global warming could send world agriculture into serious decline by 2080. India, Pakistan, most of Africa and most of Latin America would be hit hardest. The US, most of Europe, Russia and Canada would probably see agricultural gains. Overall, the world's agricultural productivity was forecast to decline by between 3% and 16% by 2080. Australia's predicted declines in crops range between 16% and 27%. India's declines are forecast between 29% and 38% while Sudan and Senegal had predicted crop declines of more than 50%. Some analysts maintain that global warming could make the impact of human-caused climate change negligible. Studies have shown potential gains in crop yields of up to 30% when carbon dioxide emissions increased. Similar tests have shown gains to be around 15%. The boost tends to flatten out. It turns out that global yields for the major cereal crops have in fact slowed down. The average annual growth in yields in the 1960s and 1970s was 2.6% per year, but by the 1980s and 1990s it had slowed to 1.8%. The global demand for food taking into account higher population, and incomes, would about triple from now to late in the century. Northern countries such as parts of the United States, Russia and Canada would have longer growing seasons due to global warming. But the world could not rely on increased crop yields in those areas. Strong currencies would make it prohibitively expensive for most other countries to buy Russian or Canadian agricultural goods.   October 07, 2007   Planet Ark

Family Planning to Reduce Emissions.   Expanding family planning in developing countries is one of the cheapest ways of reducing global greenhouse emissions. A rapid reduction in population growth in developing countries would play a critical role in reducing demand for energy and pressure on environmental systems. Aggressive programs to keep the global population to the low end of growth ranges is often overlooked as a relatively inexpensive and effective response to managing climate change. The world's population is growing by about 80 million people each year, with almost all in less developed countries. It is estimated it would cost $17 billion a year for comprehensive family planning in developing countries, excluding China and the Eastern Bloc countries. Slowing population growth would alleviate poverty and improve health standards. If you look at the history of family planning, it's about changing minds about family size.   September 25, 2007   The Australian

UK Engineers Urged to Tackle Climate Change.   The next generation of engineers must lead the world in developing environmentally friendly technologies. Tackling climate change and the effects of population growth could generate at least ยฃ700bn globally by 2015. British engineers should capitalise on the opportunity while helping to mitigate the most damaging aspects of climate change. The sustainable companies of tomorrow will need engineers that can help them find ethical, environmentally sound solutions to the tough challenges. Companies must ensure that UK engineering has the highly skilled workforce required. If action is not taken in all sectors of industry and the community, global temperatures will rise by up to 6.4 degrees, and sea levels by 20cm to 60cm by the end of this century.   September 21, 2007  

We Need Fewer People to Halt Global Warming.   London's Science Museum's new director, Charles Rapley, says that having a billion fewer people by 2050 will reduce carbon emissions and cost 1,000 times less than all the other options. While director of the British Antarctic Survey, he told the world that the West Antarctic ice sheet, previously described as "a slumbering giant" was beginning to drip into the sea. Two years ago, he declared that Antarctica was now "a giant awakened" that could eventually raise global sea levels by five metres. He believes that there is an "unequivocal" link between mankind's fossil fuel emissions and the global temperature rise. It is Rapley's view that the "jury is still out" on the prediction that the human race would exceed its food supply by having too many children. Last year, he wrote saying that "if we believe that the size of the human 'footprint' is a serious problem (and there is much evidence for this) then a rational view would be that, the issue of population management must be addressed". Many in the scientific establishment would agree with him. "My position on population is that I am disturbed that no one will talk about it", Rapley says. Hundreds of emails from people around the world support him for standing up and being counted, and a "daft response" from commentators warning that Rapley was out to curb our freedom to procreate. Saving a gigaton of carbon, through education for women and birth control programmes, would cost 1,000 times less than any of the other technical options. In his view, technology alone will not solve the global warming problem - it will take changes in the very ways society behaves. Within 20 years, he says, journeys of up to 600 miles will be made by surface traffic. He says that there is a possibility that Malthus's prediction that we will run out of food could come true we are already struggling to feed 6.5 billion of us adequately, let alone to provide enough water and energy.   September 20, 2007   Telegraph

Family Planning to Reduce Emissions.   Expanding family planning is one of the cheapest ways of reducing greenhouse emissions and alleviating poverty. A rapid reduction in population growth in developing countries would play a critical role in reducing demand for energy and pressure on other environmental systems. Programs to keep the global population to the low end of growth ranges was often overlooked as an effective response to managing climate change. It was estimated in 1994 that it would cost $17 billion a year to roll out comprehensive family planning strategies in developing countries. Slowing population growth would also alleviate poverty and improve health standards. Family planning is not expensive, we are giving people the ability to make decisions about family sizes.   September 18, 2007   The Australian

Brazil Ethanol Seen Good for Climate, Maybe Not Environment.   Brazil's Environmental Minister said that ethanol production is cutting the country's greenhouse gas emissions, but another ministry official said that it remains to be seen whether ethanol is good for the environment. Reductions in deforestation and increased ethanol use has reduced Brazil's CO2 emissions by 500 million tons. Between 2003 and 2004, Brazilian agribusiness and the civilian population cut down 27,000 square kilometers of forest. the number should be around 9,000 square kilometers in 2007. The number one contributor to deforestation is the lumber and cattle industry. Agribusiness is responsible for 25% of Brazil's carbon emissions, due to fertilizer production and burning of sugarcane fields. Sugar and ethanol production is a contributor to greenhouse gases, despite being a force in reducing overall contributions. Ethanol isn't as green as people might like to think. Brazil is studying whether ethanol and biofuels in general are harmful for the environment. The remedy could be worse than the sickness. Sugarcane may be harmful to the environment. The impact of sugarcane expansion on Brazil's groundwater and potassium in fertilizer could be harmful to Brazilian aquifers. Municipalities, state, federal laws and even federal departments often have opposing views on sustainable agriculture. Many small and midsize sugarcane industries simply break environmental laws. One concern is the environmental sustainability of Brazil's ethanol industry. Brazil's government views ethanol much the way oil-producing nations view petroleum.   September 17, 2007   CattleNetwork.com

Letters: Controlling Growth Can Control Global Warming.   Relatively little attention has been given to the largest factor creating greenhouse gas emissions, which is the immensity of the world's population. If we humans don't manage our growth, no policy will ever be sufficient to solve global warming. A 40% cut in per capita carbon emissions in the developed world by 2050 could be completely cancelled out by population growth. This means that all current efforts at reducing global warming will be futile. We can successfully enhance our global health and we can reduce human population growth but only if done simultaneously. Support legislation that provides funding for comprehensive sex education and family planning. When families have this choice they have fewer children and fully desired children. We must acknowledge the harmful consequences of unchecked population growth. Securing our planet's sustainability and our human survivability go hand in hand. To achieve the best for all generations means limiting our species growth as we also limit global warming.   September 14, 2007   Appleton Post Crescent

Window to Prevent Catastrophic Climate Change Closing; EU Should Press for Immediate U.S. Action.   Consumption of resources is breaking records, disrupting the climate and undermining life on the planet. The trends illustrate the need to check consumption of resources that are contributing to the climate crisis, starting with the U.S., which accounted for over 21% of carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning in 2005. The world is running out of time and it is essential that the international community bring pressure to bear on U.S. policy makers. This summer, the EU had fires in Greece and the Canary Islands, floods in England, and heat waves across the Continent. With a global population of 6.6 billion and growing, the ecosystem services are being stretched to the limit due to record levels of consumption In 2006, the world used 3.9 billion tons of oil and in 2005 produced 7.6 billion tons of carbon emissions. More wood was removed from forests in 2005 than ever before. Steel production grew 10% while primary aluminum output increased to 33 million tons. Meat production hit a record 276 million tons. Expansion of soybean plantations could displace 22 million hectares of tropical forest and savanna in the next 20 years. Many fish species become scarcer - with consumption three times as much seafood per person than in 1950. The expanding world population is endangering organisms on the land and in the sea. The warming climate is undermining biodiversity by accelerating habitat loss. The oceans have absorbed about half of the carbon dioxide emitted by humans in the last 200 years. In 2006, the world experienced more weather-related disasters than in any of the previous three years. It is essential that the international community bring pressure to bear on U.S. policy makers to address the climate crisis. The fastest growth carbon emissions is occurring in Asia, particularly China and India. Denmark and Russia are starting to vie for control over the Lomonosov Ridge, where new sources of oil and natural gas could be accessed if the Arctic Circle becomes ice-free. These actions assume that a warming world is here.   September 13, 2007   Worldwatch Institute

Canada: Climate Change Ticks Ever Closer.   At the foot of Leslie St., a spit of land fans out into Lake Ontario. The peninsula, built with rubble from Toronto construction sites, has grown into a home to butterflies, birds, rabbits and coyote. The park is popular with migratory birds many coming from as far away as South America. But among these birds and animals are ticks that can carry Lyme disease. Every morning the co-ordinator of the Bird Research Station in Tommy Thompson Park organizes a group of volunteers who track the birds. It is part of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network sites across southern Canada and the northern United States that monitor the population trends of northern breeding birds. From March to June, volunteers plucked ticks from migrating birds and mailed them to scientists who are trying to gain a better understanding of how birds and climate change might increase the spread of Lyme disease through Canada. Since the 1970s, parts of the US have suffered an epidemic of Lyme disease, mostly within the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central states. In the US, approximately 20,000 new cases are reported each year. The disease is rarely reported in Canada, but ranks among the top bug-borne diseases in the United States. Ten years ago, eastern Canada had only two known populations of blacklegged tick. Today, there are 13 or 14. They tend to settle in migratory bird landfalls. Leslie St. Spit, the Toronto Islands and the Toronto lakeshore are popular resting spots for migrants. Toronto has always been on the migration highways, there are lots of green spaces where the birds can drop in and rest. The birds may be bringing ticks into Canada after passing through the northeastern and north-central states, where they're abundant. All the stations from western Ontario to Nova Scotia captured migratory birds with ticks on them. Canada's cooler climate offered protection from the diseases of warmer regions. But as climate change brings milder winters, scientists worry that the ticks may move farther north. The warmer air temperature can make it easier for the insect to survive the Canadian winter. Should greenhouse gas emissions remain high, average summer temperatures in southern Ontario are expected to be 4 to 5C warmer and average winter temperatures about 6C warmer before the end of the century.   September 01, 2007   Toronto Star

Greenhouse Gases Fueled 2006 US Warmth - Report.   Greenhouse gas emissions pushed U.S. temperatures close to a record high, government scientists reported. The annual average U.S. temperature in 2006 was 2.1F above the 20th century average. Most climate scientists attribute this to greenhouse gas emission, notably from petroleum-fueled vehicles and coal-fired power plants. But other factors also play a role, and U.S. climate scientists wondered if this warmth was due to climate change or to the naturally occurring El Nino. El Nino seemed a logical culprit, and if not El Nino then what? Computer simulations showed, with 90% probability, that human activities contribute to global warming. They compared the simulations for 2006, which included projections of greenhouse gas emissions, with the actual average temperature for the US, and found a correlation, consistent with the greenhouse gas effect. Updated numbers showed last year was 0.08F cooler than 1998. The difference in U.S. average temperatures between 2006, 1998 and 1934 was minuscule.   August 28, 2007   Reuters Alert Net