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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
Energy Leaders Launch Efficiency Partnership
June 3, 2009 11:27 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
Energy ministers from the world's largest economies have formally launched the first high-level body focused exclusively on advancing energy efficiency worldwide. While several international forums exchange energy advice, the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation seeks to elevate that information to a level that affects policymaking.
Global Bird Species in Serious Decline
June 2, 2009 06:44 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
Researchers have known about the speckled brown Sidamo lark for only 40 years. Always a rare sight, the elusive bird may soon vanish from the prairie grasses of Ethiopia forever. Its habitat already restricted to less than 100 square kilometers, the lark is rapidly losing territory as local residents, the Borana ethnic group, convert grassland into heavily grazed pasture. Unless the Borana are allowed to resume their nomadic ways, within the next few years the Sidamo lark will likely become the first known bird species to vanish from mainland Africa, researchers say.
OPINION: Winds of Change in the U.S. Auto Industry
May 28, 2009 10:53 AM - Michael Renner, Worldwatch Institute
What a difference a crisis can make. When U.S. President Obama announced on May 19 that his administration was aiming to raise fuel economy standards four years earlier than was envisioned in legislation, he was joined by the chief executives of 10 auto companies. These are the very people who pushed gas-guzzling vehicles and for years blocked attempts to boost fuel efficiency.
OPINION: Renewables Surge Despite Economic Crisis
May 19, 2009 09:47 AM - Christopher Flavin, Worldwatch Institute
The 2008 figures are in from the new REN 21 Renewables Global Status Report: Renewable power capacity (excluding large hydropower) increased a hefty 16 percent last year, which is remarkable given that world oil use actually declined. Growth in some renewable sectors was even more impressive. Biodiesel production increased 34 percent, and solar power took the prize with a 73 percent jump.
Chemical Treaty Covers Additional Toxins
May 13, 2009 09:47 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
An international treaty designed to eradicate the world's most harmful chemicals was expanded this past week to include nine additional pollutants.
OPINION: Climate Forecast Bright for Major Economies Meeting
April 28, 2009 10:10 AM - Christopher Flavin, Worldwatch Institute
As representatives of the 16 countries that contribute most heavily to climate change meet at the U.S. State Department this week, there are signs that many of these nations are more ready to consider major changes in direction than they were just a few months ago.
Our "Foodprint:" It's Not Just the Miles
April 21, 2009 11:05 AM - , Worldwatch Institute
Our environmental "foodprint" is determined not just by how far food travels, but also by what we eat and how it was produced, according to the latest issue of World Watch magazine. In this first installment of a two-part series on the potential impacts of greater food localization, Sarah DeWeerdt explains that if what you eat matters as much as how far it travels, then red meat and dairy production remain agriculture's overwhelming "hotspots."
Global Palm Oil Demand Fueling Deforestation
April 13, 2009 08:22 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
Indonesia is now the leading supplier for a global market that demands more of the tree's versatile oil for cooking, cosmetics, and biofuel. But palm oil's appeal comes with significant costs. Oil palm plantations often replace tropical forests, killing endangered species, uprooting local communities, and contributing to the release of climate-warming gases. Due mostly to oil palm production, Indonesia emits more greenhouse gases than any country besides China and the United States.
Oil Sands Could Threaten Millions of Migratory Birds
April 6, 2009 09:16 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
An anonymous tip last April alerted Canadian officials to the fact that 500 ducks had mistaken an oil sands company's pollutant-filled reservoir in Alberta as a safe place to land. To the public's dismay, only three birds survived.
A Sustainable Business View on Economy, Climate
April 4, 2009 07:16 AM - Ben Block, Worldwatch Institute
As leaders of the world's 20 largest economies gathered in London this week, international financial institutions announced that the world economy would likely deteriorate more in 2009 than was previously feared. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development predicted that economic activity would shrink 2.7 percent; the World Bank projected a slightly more optimistic contraction of 1.7 percent.