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Our Editorial and News Affiliates
Worldwatch Institute
The Worldwatch Institute offers a unique blend of interdisciplinary research, global focus, and accessible writing that has made it a leading source of information on the interactions among key environmental, social, and economic trends. Our work revolves around the transition to an environmentally sustainable and socially just society—and how to achieve it.
Website: http://www.worldwatch.org/
Contact:
Worldwatch Institute
1776 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036-1904
U.S.A.
Phone: 1.202.452.1999
Fax: 1.202.296.7365
worldwatch [AT] worldwatch [DOT] org
Degraded Habitats Push More Species to Extinction
November 4, 2009 10:17 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
The latest global assessment of biodiversity ruled yesterday that an additional 11 species are either fully extinct or extinct outside of captivity. As climate change, invasive species, and habitat destruction place greater pressure on wildlife, more species are disappearing at rates faster than conservationists can react to ensure the species' survival.
U.S. Public Still Unconvinced on Climate Change
October 27, 2009 03:39 PM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
Fewer U.S. citizens consider climate change to be a "serious threat" compared to two years ago, even as scientific evidence demonstrates that the problem has become increasingly severe, according to a recent nationwide public opinion poll. The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press survey suggests that climate change campaigns are not adequately explaining the latest science to an audience that needs to reduce emissions substantially in order for the world to avoid the most damaging effects of global warming.
US Pressured to Help Fight Tropical Deforestation
October 19, 2009 11:44 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
As the U.S. Senate prepares to debate its own climate change legislation, a chorus of politicians, businesses, environmentalists, and scientists is uniting to request that U.S. climate policy help tropical nations in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia protect their forests. Known as the Commission on Climate and Tropical Forests, the group suggests that U.S. cap-and-trade legislation raise an annual $5 billion and $9 billion in public and private investments, respectively. Without forestry offsets, comparable domestic emissions reductions would cost the U.S. economy an additional $50 billion by 2020, the group estimates.
More Corporations Are "Greening" Supply Chains
September 28, 2009 09:56 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
For many companies, sustainability improvements such as energy and water efficiency were at first reactions to public criticism. Nowadays, as rising energy costs, water scarcity, and climate change threaten the affordability and availability of global inputs, corporations are recognizing that a more sustainable product has a better chance of remaining competitive in a resource-constrained world.
Wind Energy Could Power China, Study Finds
September 16, 2009 10:52 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
Wind power alone could provide electricity for all of China if the country overhauls its rural grids and raises the subsidy for wind energy, a new study finds.
India Could Halve Emissions Growth, at a Cost
September 10, 2009 07:32 AM - Anna da Costa, Worldwatch Institute
Growth in India's carbon emissions could be nearly halved by the year 2030 through the use of known practices and technologies, according to a new report from McKinsey & Company. Through a "step-change in...efforts to lower emissions," India's carbon output could grow from 1.6 billion tons in 2005 to only 2.8 billion tons in 2030 as the country's population expands and its economy develops, the report said. This is down from a previously projected 5-6 billion tons for 2030.
China Gradually Improves Environmental Transparency
September 2, 2009 10:01 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
Very little is known about pollution levels throughout China, despite the country's worsening air quality and imperiled waterways. But now the Ministry of Environmental Protection authorized its Measures on Open Environmental Information, a new effort at public disclosure. The measure has been implemented for a year, and cities across China are slowly becoming more forthright with environmental information, according to a study by U.S. and Chinese environmental groups.
OPINION: U.S. Climate Funds Increase, Future Levels in Doubt
August 7, 2009 10:17 AM - Miriam Pemberton, Worldwatch Institute
The world's nations will gather in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December to negotiate a landmark agreement to prevent full-blown climate change. If they fail, large landmasses around the world will be vulnerable to weather extremes, droughts, flooding, food insecurity, spreading disease vectors, and sea-level rise.
Study Finds Rich U.S. Energy-Efficiency Potential
August 3, 2009 10:33 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
The potential for energy-efficiency improvements throughout the U.S. economy is huge and entirely within reach if annual investments increase fivefold, according to a new McKinsey & Company report.
Illegal Pangolin Trade Threatens Rare Species
July 20, 2009 09:41 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
Chinese demand for the pangolin, a scale-covered anteater, is forcing the endangered animals closer to extinction, wildlife organizations announced last week.