ENN: Spotlight

Supply Chain Companies Dread Potential Impact Of Emissions Legislation

A recent annual survey into the carbon reduction efforts by suppliers has revealed that business leaders dread the potential impact of emissions legislation on their activities. The survey, carried out by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a transatlantic not for profit organization, covered responses of 144 supply companies to multinational corporations.

Climate Security Act Vote Looms in Senate - Yea or Nay?

The Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act passed the U.S Senate Environment and Public Works Committee last December by a vote of 11—8. In the coming weeks the legislation will come to a full vote on the floor of the Senate. The bill calls for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 71% below 2005 levels by 2050 — phased in at 4% by 2012 and 19% by 2020.

Global agriculture report says GM crops not a solution

A landmark assessment of global agriculture says industrial agriculture has failed and that genetically modified (GM) crops are not a solution for poverty, hunger, or climate change.

Sweet sorghum promoted as "smart" biofuel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A corn-like plant that can grow as high as an elephant's eye on some of Earth's driest farmland shows promise as a "smart" biofuel that won't cut into world food supplies, an agriculture expert said on Monday.

Inventor, Engineering Students Explore New Type Of Solar Collectors

There’s a lot of energy in the College of Engineering at Rowan University, Glassboro, N.J., these days, and it doesn’t have anything to do with 20-year-olds cramming for finals. The energy in this case involves a team of students led by chemical engineering associate professor Dr. Kevin Dahm working with a local inventor to advance a new solar thermal collector the inventor designed. The engineering students pointed out that this is the first truly new solar thermal system in more than three decades, and the company stated that it is unique among renewable energy technologies as it is cost effective without any government subsidies.

How to recycle clothes

One of my sisters, Kate, was spring cleaning a couple of closets recently and after sorting through things she wound up donating most of her clothes to the local church. But there was a small pile of clothes that looked ripe for the dump. Karmically, she didn’t want to deposit these pre-loved clothes into the trash bin. So she did what sisters do — asked the older one for advice. I came across a great suggestion from organicgardens.com where we discovered that cotton and wool “rags”� and old leather gloves could be composted.

Airline emissions 'far higher than previous estimates'

The aviation industry's failure to curb its soaring carbon emissions could lead to the "worst case scenario" for climate change, as envisaged by the United Nations. An unpublished study by the world's leading experts has revealed that airlines are pumping 20 per cent more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than estimates suggest, with total emissions set to reach between 1.2 billion and 1.5 billion tonnes annually by 2025.

Redesigning Global Economic Governance

A distinct set of global institutions governs the international economic system: the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. Each has its specialty, and they are complemented by a number of even more specialized institutions with more restricted membership, such as the Bank for International Settlements and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Each institution is aware of the others, but none is responsible for the overall coherence of their various policies, let alone the achievement of international objectives.

Ethanol waiver seen spiking gasoline $1/gallon

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A proposal by Texas Gov. Rick Perry to waive half of the renewable fuel standard for ethanol has raised the ire of some ethanol proponents, who say it could add more than a dollar per gallon to the cost of gasoline across the country. "The impact on gasoline prices, if you take 4.5 billion gallons of ethanol off the market today, if (Texas) Governor Perry gets his way, is significant," said Bob Dineen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol industry group.

EPA dangles prospect of tougher lead standard, but hedges its bets

Like a Kentucky Derby contender that came up lame, EPA Administrator Steve Johnson was a late scratch at his own press conference today to discuss a proposed tougher standard for lead concentrations in the air. As you may know, the lead standard hasn’t been updated since 1978. And we know now that virtually any level of lead in the air can get into the blood stream, leading to possible brain damage for children and other bad health effects. EPA is under a court order to issue a final new standard by September of this year.

Death of 500 ducks in oil sands tragic: Imperial CEO

The death of about 500 ducks that landed in a pond of oily, toxic sludge operated by Canada's biggest oil sands producer was tragic, the chief executive of Imperial Oil Ltd said on Thursday. Imperial has a 25 percent stake in oil sand producer Syncrude Canada Ltd, owner of the tailings pond in northern Alberta, where the ducks died earlier this week because a warning system meant to keep them off wasn't operating.

Toilet Truths

Despite modern marvels such as the space toilet, much of the world still endures a medieval level of sanitation. Nearly 2.6 billion people live without basic services, forced to defecate on the ground or line up to pay for the use of soiled latrines. Some historians give the flush toilet mythological origins in the court of King Minos of Crete. Queen Elizabeth I had one as well, built by her godson in 1596. In the nineteenth century, architects started to incorporate water closet innovations into their designs and the modern toilet was born. Thomas Crapper, a British plumber, had a hand in perfecting the cistern to make flushing quieter and more polite.

Global Economy Gets a Little Greener

What brings together a Latin American beauty corporation, a boutique French advertising agency, a UK-based sustainability think-tank and a Brazilian online carbon trading venture? All of them have pledged to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions en route to zero emissions by joining the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), a web-based forum to catalyze a transition to a low-carbon world set up by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in cooperation with the UN's Environment Management Group.

Commission plans new sustainability policy measures

The European Commission intends to announce a package of measures next month to stimulate sustainable industrial development across the EU. The proposals would set framework conditions needed to eliminate market failures and deal with environmental externalities, Didier Herbert, head of the sustainable industrial policy unit of the Commission told a conference organised by the UK's Environmental Industries Commission in London today.

Bangkok market a hub for illegal international trade in freshwater turtles and tortoises

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—Thailand is a major hub for the international trade in illegal freshwater turtles and tortoises, finds a new report, Pet freshwater turtle and tortoise trade in Chatuchak Market, Bangkok, Thailand, launched today by TRAFFIC, the wildlife monitoring network, a joint programme of WWF and IUCN.

Arctic marine mammals on thin ice

The loss of sea ice due to climate change could spell disaster for polar bears and other Arctic marine mammals. The April Special Issue of Ecological Applications examines such potential effects, puts them in historical context, and describes possible conservation measures to mitigate them. The assessment reflects the latest thinking of experts representing multiple scientific disciplines. Sea ice is the common habitat feature uniting these unique and diverse Arctic inhabitants.

Report confirms ozone pollution can kill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even breathing in a little ozone at levels found in many areas is likely to kill some people prematurely, the National Research Council reported on Tuesday. The report recommends that the Environmental Protection Agency consider ozone-related mortality in any future ozone standards, and said local health authorities should keep this in mind when advising people to stay indoors on polluted days.

Earth Day 2058: A Vision

Here is an educated guess at what the world might look like by Earth Day 2058 -- not a prediction or a warning, but more of a natural extension of current trends, some of them hopeful ones: The hot job is that of sustainable design engineer. In 2058, all products, processes, services, packaging have to be designed to sustainable standards —minimal use of water in production, manufacturing and export, minimal use of petrochemicals due to limited availability and high price, minimal use of energy inputs, and so on.

Houston, LA named top CO2 polluters

Counties in the main U.S. petrochemical and driving hubs top the country's output of the planet-warming gas carbon dioxide, emitting about three times more CO2 than the top county in New York does, researchers said on Thursday. Harris County in Texas emitted more than 18.6 million tons of CO2 in 2002, the latest year for which data was available, according to Vulcan, a three-year project funded by NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy. The county is home to oil and natural gas plants and Houston, which has about 2 million people.

Brazilians urged to follow Chinese wisdom on springs

With climate change focusing attention on water generally, WWF’s Brazil Springs Movement is promoting the theme that water sources need to be considered alongside water resources. Nominated areas include springs, headwaters and recharge areas such as mountain tops. “The focus of WWF-Brazil is to mobilize the country for the protection of water resources, both in quality and quantity,”� said Denise Hamú, WWF-Brazil’s CEO.

Social innovation: Good for you, good for me

Ethical Corporation, 10 April 2008 - Big firms are joining the queue to follow in Muhammad Yunus's footsteps by developing businesses designed to fix social ills. Muhammad Yunus has for more than 30 years challenged business leaders to find radical ways of creating new markets in poor countries. The Nobel Peace Prize winner's latest book, “Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism”�, is no less ambitious. It explores how big companies can invest in external partners to develop products and services that will benefit the poor.

Wind Power Growth Blows Past Projections

Washington, D.C.-Global wind power capacity rose 27 percent in 2007 to more than 94,100 megawatts, led by capacity additions in the European Union, the United States, and China, according to the latest Vital Sign Update from the Worldwatch Institute. New wind installations were second only to natural gas in the United States as an additional source of power capacity and were the leading source of new capacity in the EU. In China, the estimated 3,449 megawatts of wind turbines added last year propelled China past the government's ambitious wind power target for 2010.

Canada logging may ignite "carbon bomb": Greenpeace

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Canada threatens to ignite a "carbon bomb" that could drastically worsen global warming if it continues heavy logging in areas of its vast northern forest, Greenpeace warned in a report on Thursday. Logging and other developments in the boreal forest release the carbon that the trees have trapped from the atmosphere over decades, potentially producing more greenhouse gases than from burning fossil fuels, the environmental group charged.

Antibiotic resistance and the developing world

Developing countries, struggling under the burden of bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis, are more in need of antibiotics than ever. But issues such as proliferation of counterfeit drugs, poor prescribing practices and a lack of regulation or guidelines are fuelling the growth of resistance to these much needed medicines.

Free Recycling Through the Mail

Free and green - those are the goals of a pilot program launched today by the US Postal Service that allows customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free of charge.

Virtual Snow-World Helps Patients Feel no Pain

For most of us, the blustery, teeth-chattering months of winter are just about over, and we've got to say, we're pretty happy about that. While ice skating from your house to your mailbox can be fun once or twice, it tends to lose its charm after one too many slips and bruises. But even though the sun may finally be shining, you can enter your own winter wonderland any time you like: Just slip on a pair of virtual-reality goggles to step into a land filled with icicles, flurries of snow, and maybe even an errant penguin or polar bear.

Eco Homes Show Will Help Build Homes for the 21st Century

With the UK Government's code for Sustainable Housing aiming for all new houses built from 2016 onwards to be carbon neutral, house builders and designers have less than eight years to grapple with the technologies that will make this possible. One of the best places to find out what new green building products and services are available and how they can be cost--effectively integrated into building projects will be The Eco Homes Show, part of The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show at the NEC from 10-13 April.

A Close Look at the Current State of Mattress Recycling

Usually when people think of recycling, they think of smiling trash cans eagerly welcoming happy bottles and cans. However, most people don’t really think about mattresses. With a number of major landfills starting to run out of space, discarded mattresses have been a thorn in the side of landfill operators. How big of a thorn? A single mattress can take up to 23 cubic feet of space. Over the past few years, the concept of mattress recycling has begun to gain traction. There have been a number of drivers towards mattress recycling, including legislation and the increasing burden that mattresses cause landfill operators.

New Kyoto Protocol CDM Chair Sets Priorities

Expanding and streamlining the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) will be 2008's focal points for the CDM Executive Board, according to Rajesh Kumar Sethi, who as its newly appointed chairperson is the man in charge of managing the world’s largest market-based mechanism for verifying and financing carbon dioxide emissions reduction projects.

100 Best Corporate Citizens 2008

This list - CRO's 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2008 - matters. If you think for a minute that it doesn't, then get on the phone or sit upright at your computer to listen to or read some of the phone calls and e-mails CRO magazine received from irate companies that found themselves MIA from the list or lower in the rankings than they would have liked.

US Fears Over Honey Bee Collapse

The pollination of crops by bees is responsible for a third of the food produced in the US. One in every three mouthfuls has been touched by their tiny feet; but our six-legged friends are in trouble. They are getting sick and leaving their hives. Without bees, food gets more expensive - some products could disappear altogether.

FDA Harasses Dairy Company Employees

Special FDA agents and investigators from the US Food and Drug Administration aggressively interrogated two young female employees of Organic Pastures Dairy Company, the nation's largest raw milk producer, with questions focusing on the dairy's interstate sales of raw colostrum and raw milk for pet food.

Thai Police Sting Wildlife Dealers: Undercover Operation Nets Some of World's Most Endangered Species

Thai Police today conducted their largest operation on wildlife dealers this year when 40 officers raided ten shops suspected of selling rare and endangered species in the famous Jatujak Bangkok weekend market. In an undercover sweep operation, officers from the Royal Thai Police Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division caught a number of dealers red-handed as they attempted to sell some of the world's most endangered species to undercover agents.

Solar Thermal Electricity: Catching the Eye of Utility Companies

The American Southwest has some of the greatest solar resources on the globe, it yet remains largely untapped. This trend may be changing as solar technology matures, market forces shift and concern for climate change mounts. One of the most common arguments against large-scale use of renewable energy is that it cannot produce a steady, reliable stream of energy, day and night. Ausra Inc. does not agree. They believe that solar thermal technology has the potential to supply over 90% of grid power, while finding solutions to environmental issues.

New Record: Wind Powers 40% Of Spain

Wind power is breaking new records in Spain, accounting for just over 40 percent of all electricity consumed during a brief period last weekend. As heavy winds lashed Spain on Saturday evening wind parks generated 9,862 megawatts of power which translated to 40.8 percent of total consumption. Between Friday and Sunday wind power accounted for an average of 28 percent of all electricity demand in Spain. Spain’s wind power generation equaled that of hydropower for the first time in 2007.

Love biofuels? API turns to online matchmaking

The American Petroleum Institute launched an online marketplace yesterday that enables petroleum refiners, blenders and importers to identify sellers of renewable fuels credits. The API Credit Exchange, dubbed ACE, comes three months after President Bush signed into law an energy bill that requires the nation to consume 9 billion gallons of ethanol, biodiesel and other renewable fuels this year. The consumption requirement revs up to 36 billion gallons a year annually by 2022 (Greenwire , Dec. 14, 2007).

EPA Adds 12 Hazardous Waste Sites to Superfund

EPA’s Superfund program has identified 12 new hazardous waste sites throughout the U.S. to add to its list of locations that need to be cleaned up, in addition to six other sites that have been proposed as additions. Superfund has already added 1,581 sites, of which 324 have been deleted. Contaminants found at these sites range from arsenic to copper to lead.

'Living Green' with Ed Begley Jr. March 25 at WIU

MACOMB, IL -- Environmental activist and actor Ed Begley Jr. will present 'Living 'Green' With Ed' at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in the Western Illinois University Union Grand Ballroom in Macomb as part of the University Theme 'Global Challenges and Personal Responsibility — Environmental Sustainability' 2007-2008 Speaker Series. Begley's presentation is open and free to the public.

Chinese biofuel 'could endanger biodiversity'

[BEIJING] Using China's forests and 'idle land' to produce biofuels could pose a threat to biodiversity, warned experts at an international meeting. Spike Millington, chief technical advisor to the European Union-China Biodiversity Programme, raised the problem earlier this month (7 March) at the International Workshop on Biodiversity and Climate Change, held in Beijing, China.

Hotel & Spa Project Gets Rolling with Demolition Ceremony

STATE COLLEGE, PA.—When most hotel developers officially launch a project, they invite local dignitaries and have a groundbreaking ceremony—with at least several shovels. This month, Tricore Group, LLC did something just a little different. It had a demolition ceremony and used a gold sledgehammer. Why demolition and why gold? The demolition is significant because much of the masonry, concrete, steel and glass will be recycled per the requirements of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program. Gold is meaningful because Tricore will pursue LEED Gold for its “P”� Hotel & Spa, a 100-suite, five-story condominium hotel.

Just GiGo It!

f you’re like me, you get sick of hearing about how to go green. Everyday there’s companies pushing messages at you about what you should and shouldn’t be doing to go green. With 3000 messages hitting the average person a day and $620 billion spent each year in advertising”� that’s a lot of greenness to take in. Well, when you’re going through the closets and doing your spring-cleaning, don’t toss it, GIGO it! Here’s a company that takes a new approach to recycling - a practical, realistic and effective way to reuse things you don’t need.

What Bali means for China

China played a critical negotiating role in the fraught UN climate summit in Bali. Its next challenge is to satisfy the demands of the world’s media. The UN climate summit in Bali, Indonesia, in December 2007 will probably be best remembered for the executive secretary, Yvo de Boer, dramatically walking out of the conference hall in tears. In less dramatic but more important ways China significantly advanced the negotiations, with huge implications for global efforts to tackle climate change. And it also learnt an important lesson about itself.

5 Ways to Green Your Office

Many of our friends have asked for advice on how to create an eco-friendly office. No matter what career path you’re in or where you work, getting your office informed and on board with a green lifestyle can be a difficult task. Not everyone is a green lover like you! So here’s an easy list of green office tips to help get you started. Take a gander and be the office leader; don’t just start a trend”� make an impact.

Heat Transfer Unveils High-Efficiency ModCon Boiler

EAST FREETOWN, MASS.— The new, 94 percent-efficient ModCon Commercial Condensing Boiler from Heat Transfer Products features a high-grade Inconel, load-matching gas burner with a five-to-one turndown ratio, to meet the variable needs for space heating and domestic hot water in a single application. The 500,000 Btu per hour model, for example, will operate as low as 100,000 Btu/h, saving energy on warmer spring and fall days when the heating load is light and spans just a few hours.

Lost in the Amazon

Wading in muck up to the rims of his black rubber boots, Manoel dos Santos proudly showed off his tall palms of acai (pronounced ah-sie-ee), the deliciously bitter Amazonian berry that American health food stores tout as a miracle fruit. “Ten years ago, we didn’t even have enough acai for ourselves to eat,”� dos Santos told the first tour group to ever visit his community.

Grain Farmer Percy Schmeiser Claims Moral Victory in Seed Battle Against Monsanto

Percy Schmeiser's decade-long legal odyssey has finally come to an end - and he's got a cheque for $660 to prove it. The 77-year-old Saskatchewan farmer and his wife, Louise, became international folk heroes for their legal struggle with agribusiness giant Monsanto Canada Inc., after the company sued them for violating its patent on genetically engineered canola seeds in 1997.

Dog Rescued After Four Months Stranded in Desert

One day in December, train conductor Ken VanMoorhem was on his usual route, rolling through the desolate desert of western Utah, when he spotted a small figure limping along the sand. He would have stopped the train in its tracks to rescue the injured animal if he could, but it was impossible. So VanMoorhem kept a close lookout each time he took that same route, always hoping he might catch a glimpse of her — but he didn't spot the dog again until nearly two months later.

Melting glaciers will shrink grain harvests in China and India.

The world is now facing a climate-driven shrinkage of river-based irrigation water supplies. Mountain glaciers in the Himalayas and on the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau are melting and could soon deprive the major rivers of India and China of the ice melt needed to sustain them during the dry season. In the Ganges, the Yellow, and the Yangtze river basins, where irrigated agriculture depends heavily on rivers, this loss of dry-season flow will shrink harvests.

French state body upholds decision on GM crop ban

PARIS (Reuters) - France's top legal authority on Wednesday upheld a government decision to ban commercial use of the only genetically modified (GM) crop grown in the country by rejecting an emergency injunction filed by the pro-GM camp. France issued decrees banning the use of MON 810 maize seeds in February after a government-appointed committee said it unearthed new evidence of damage GM products could inflict on the environment.

Eating Soy Helps Women Prevent Breast Cancer

If you're a tofu-lover, you may be in luck: A new government-sponsored study from Japan claims that women who make soy-based products a regular part of their daily diet face dramatically lower risks of developing breast cancer than those who don't. The study tracked 25,000 women between the ages of 40 and 69 over a ten-and-a-half year period, finding that women who consumed around 3.5 ounces of tofu or 1.75 ounces of "natto" (a type of fermented bean) each day were one-third less likely to develop the dreaded disease, thanks to a cancer-fighting compound called genistein that's naturally found in soy.

Six Cheapskate Ways to Green the Earth

Sure, you've seen An Inconvenient Truth and cringed at the image of that CGI polar bear swimming in the ocean for miles, with no ice in sight. Since you don't want any polar bear blood on your hands, you've resolved to go greener by eating organic, switching over to CFL light bulbs, supporting only eco-conscious businesses, and doing whatever else Al Gore asks of you. The only problem? Environmentalism can be very expensive. You can spend your entire weekly grocery budget on a few packages of organic meat at Whole Foods, and that eco-friendly bamboo t-shirt you ordered last week didn't come cheap, either. While you'd love to save the planet, you'd also like to keep your kitchen pantry stocked with something more than ramen noodles.

Hydromatic Introduces New Technology for Clothes Dryers

ORLANDO, FLA.—At the 2008 International Builders’ Show, Hydromatic Technologies Corp. launched a new technology for clothes dryers that will reduce the appliances’ energy consumption up to 50 percent and cut clothes-drying time by up to 41 percent. As one of the most energy consuming appliances, clothes dryers are not required to abide by energy standards. With Hydromatic’s technology, dryers will finally go “green,”� and the company is poised to set energy standards for this high-consuming appliance three years ahead of the deadline set by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Xanterra’s Zion Lodge Receives Sustainable Hotel of Year Award

DENVER—The historic Zion Lodge in Zion National Park was named the Sustainable Hotel of the Year at the recent HotelWorld Global Hospitality and Design Award Ceremony and Expo in Las Vegas. The award was presented in recognition of the many environmental programs implemented by Denver-based operator Xanterra Parks & Resorts.

Pirates Launch Recycling Programs at Ballpark

Pittsburgh Pirates fans can embrace a new team color next year: green. The team has launched a greening initiatives program branded “Let’s Go Bucs. Let’s Go Green.”� It will include: Recycling, Paper Usage, Printing, Cleaning Products, Concessionaire Initiatives, Energy usage.

Ocean Deserts Expanding

Scientists from the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Hawaii unveiled new research last week showing that steadily warming sea surface waters are causing the least biologically productive swaths of the world’s oceans—so-called “ocean deserts”�—to expand at an unprecedented rate (some 15 percent on average) over a nine-year period ending in 2007.

Ten New Green Mutual Funds

As 2008 begins, mutual fund investors have ten new opportunities to make money and make a difference. The US, Europe, Asia, and the UK figure prominently in the following selection of new or recent portfolios, as do green, sustainable, and profitable companies.

A Brilliantly Simple Way to Recharge Your Batteries

Ask yourself this: How many devices in your house use batteries? How often do they need to get replaced? How often have you thought of getting rechargeable batteries? How often have you actually done it? If your answers are many, often, every time, and never, you're not alone.

Haiti Reforestation Project: Young Visionaries Take Action

Haiti is the only country in the Americas on the UN list of Least Developed Countries. Ninety-eight percent of its forests have been cut down. Its population is dependant on wood-derived charcoal based energy, and it is struggling to survive. A new grassroots reforestation effort has started to train and educate over 450 young leaders in 12 cities and towns across Haiti. They are working to adopt a new vision for their country: A vision that promotes a sustainable and scalable development of Haiti.

Farm-Fresh Eggs: Standing up for goodness, straight from the coop

Long before I began wading through labels like “cage-free,”� “organic,”� and “free-range”� and shelling out $4 for one dozen farm-fresh eggs at a specialty grocery, my grandmother was selling them out of her Iowa farmhouse for 50 cents a dozen.

Igor Shpilenok- Photographer and Environmental Activist

An environmental activist and founder of the Bryansky Les Nature Reserve, Igor travels across Russia documenting its wild places. The camera is Igor's most powerful and faithful companion in the struggle to protect the Russian wilderness - an integral part of the global ecological balance.

EU Struggles to Meet Key Environmental Targets

The European Union is struggling to satisfy many of its major environmental goals. In its annual EU Environment-related Indicators Assessment, released last week, the Environment Directorate-General acknowledged that while the region has made some progress, it has fallen behind in meeting a variety of critical environmental targets. The European Environment Agency uses 37 core indicators to measure progress in achieving EU-wide goals in the areas of agriculture, climate change, pollution, biodiversity, and resource use. The 2008 indicators “reveal that in most areas there has been little improvement, with only one indicator showing positive progress towards reaching EU targets,”� the assessment says.

Thawing ice threatens China Yellow River flood

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's northern region of Inner Mongolia is on high alert against a severe flood threat caused by ice blocking the Yellow River during the spring thaw, state media said. More than 70,000 people in the region were on standby for rescue and disaster relief efforts along the frozen 720-km (450-mile) stretch of China's second longest river, known as "China's sorrow" for its frequent flooding.

Vatican lists "new sins," including pollution

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Thou shall not pollute the Earth. Thou shall beware genetic manipulation. Modern times bring with them modern sins. So the Vatican has told the faithful that they should be aware of "new" sins such as causing environmental blight.

New Lollipops Can Fight Cavities

Your parents always told you candy would give you cavities. But what if you could satisfy your sweet tooth with something that's actually good for your teeth? Now you can, thanks to UCLA microbiologist Wenyuan Shi, who's just invented a sugar-free lollipop that contains a licorice root extract (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) which naturally targets and kills the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Kiva & Markmakers - the gift of giving

A great way to indoctrinate kids to the lifestyle of giving — give a child a Markmakers gift card. This way, card recipients can shop at an online gift store for goods, services, and items needed around the world in order to help the rainforest, wildlife, or underprivileged people. Learn more @ markmakers.org.

Indian government boosts science spending

[NEW DELHI] India's new science budget, announced last week (29 February) includes a 16 per cent increase in science spending. The 2008—09 budget also includes a new fund to attract students to science careers, the establishment of three new Indian Institutes of Technology and a rise in funds for manned space missions. The total science budget is just over US$6 billion (around 242 billion Indian Rupees), compared with last year's budget of around US$5 billion.

Iowa Community Goes off the Grid, and Keeps the Comfort

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Stacey Hurlin fondly recalls living on a seven-acre property in Fairfield, looking out her window at a pond, a large oak tree and rolling hills. 'It was just gorgeous,' she said. She then describes the pioneering spirit it took to sell her 5,000-square-foot house, move to a much smaller home and join a community on the outskirts of town that embraces conservation over extravagance.

8 Ways to Green Your Recycling

by Trey Granger on February 18th, 2008 Ideally, the act of recycling would be enough for you to rest easy. But here are eight ways to make your recycling efforts as eco-friendly as possible.

Tornado-Struck Kansas Town Aims to be Greenest in America

The tornado that dropped Dorothy's Kansas farmhouse down in Oz may be the state's most famous storm, but Kansas has seen more than its fair share: Last May, a major storm spawned 123 separate tornadoes in that unlucky state. The worst one blew in at more than 205 miles an hour and touched down in the town of Greensburg, blowing it to bits. Eleven people were killed, and nearly all of the homes and buildings were reduced to rubble.

GreenMoney Interviews: Jerry Dodson, Founder of the Parnassus Funds

Jerry Dodson is one of the more unique leaders of the SRI community. For well over 20 years Jerry has run the Parnassus family of funds, which is the only major SRI fund family based in the Western US, San Francisco to be exact. Jerry is known for his straightforward communication style, especially in their quarterly and annual shareholder reports. As an investor I appreciate their investment philosophy that states 'companies with ethical business practices make for good long-term investments.'

Are Renewables Approaching a Tipping Point? Highlights from the REN21 Renewables 2007 Global Status Report

The REN21 Renewables 2007 Global Status Report presents information about the current status of renewable energy around the world. The report is a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and REN21 (the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century) and was initiated in 2005. The 2007 edition is the third in the series.

Weather Channel Details Earth Day Campaign

Environmental Leader reports on the Earth Day campaign by Forecast Earth, which is the green living site from The Weather Channel (TWC). The campaign will feature viewers answering the question “What are you doing to save the planet?”�

Biodynamics: Bringing the Cosmos to the Farm

By Darcy Maulsby If you’ve heard about the high quality and exceptional flavor of biodynamic food, you may be wondering what makes it different from organic food. While biodynamic farmers follow organic principles, they also incorporate other methods from the soil to the stars. 'Biodynamics is not a magic formula,”� says Parker Forsell, the biodynamic program coordinator at Angelic Organics, a community-supported farm near Caledonia, Ill., managed by “Farmer John”� Peterson. The farm has used biodynamic methods for 15 years.

The End of Pirate Fishing Vessel Viarsa 1

Madrid -- The Australian authorities have confirmed that last December one of the most infamous pirate fishing vessels, the Viarsa 1, associated with the Galician ship owning company Vidal Armadores S.A. was scrapped at a shipyard in Mumbai, India. This puts an end to the long legal action against this vessel initiated in 2003 in connection with the development of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, more commonly known as pirate fishing, in the waters of the Southern Ocean.

Ban the Plastic Bag Campaign Takes UK by Storm

The Daily Mail, one of the top national newspapers in the UK, launched a “banish the plastic bag”� campaign on its front page last week. It included 10 pages building the case against plastic bags with articles and photos of the damage done to wildlife. The next day supermarket chain Marks & Spencer announced it would begin charging shoppers five pence for plastic carrier bags in April. A day later, The Daily Mail announced: “Prime Minister backs banish the bag campaign and announces plans for a ban.”�

E-design: Ecology, electronics shaping home interiors

What’s next in home design and decor? Greenness and gadgetry, that’s what. Local design experts say that technology and ecology are shaping the way homeowners build, renovate and otherwise outfit their homes, and they see energy savings and electronics as fuels for the fire. “I think that laptops — and I’m not quite sure where it’s going to go — are going to change the way we use our spaces,”� says licensed interior designer Davia Gallup of Davenport, Iowa, owner of HomeFront Interior design. Gallup uses a computer-aided drafting program like the one seen on the HGTV network’s “Hidden Spaces”� program to show her clients what their dream spaces will look like before they’re renovated or built from the ground up.

Ethanol and Intensive Confinement Factory Farms--A Toxic Synergy

CAFO's = Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Also known as Factory Farms, Animal Factories, and blots on the U.S. rural landscape. They produce smelly wastes from "farm" animals including cattle and pigs -- variable wastes that are then disposed of in a wildly under-regulated, chemical witches brew commonly called Sludge. Also commonly mislabeled "Fertilizer," it's hazardously dumped in enormous quantities on U.S. food-growing farm fields.

ENN Weekly Review: Feb 25th-29th, 2008

This Week at ENN: Hydrogen cars could produce their own fuel, National parks contaminated, Biofuel labeling inaccurate, How to save the rainforests, "Doomsday" seed vault opens, New technology will greatly improve solar power and much more.

Field Dispatch: Natural Habitat Antarctica Final Dispatch

How can I discuss the profound experience of visiting Antarctica in a way that hasn’t already been done? Libraries are filled with books that describe travels to the continent, but most seem to describe it as a place to be conquered, or at least survived. Practically a whole subgenre of literature concerns the incredible survival stories from the early and not-so-early explorers; names like Scott, Mawson, Byrd, Ross, Amundsen, and of course, Shackleton, are embedded in our collective consciousness as men who challenged the continent — and who sometimes paid the ultimate price. Fortunately, however, Antarctica is being seen more recently as something greater than just a savage world to be survived.

Tree Blocks: Building imagination with reclaimed trees

While cleaning the kids’ playroom for what must be the umpteenth time today I spied the bag of Tree Blocks that our entire family loves to build with. These unusual building blocks are cut from tree branches and make the most beautiful sculptures, keeping little hands busy for at least long enough for me to get a shower. The “elves”� at Tree Blocks identify abandoned or end of productive cycle plots of apple, cherry and hazelnut trees and contact the farmers. They then push the old trees over removing the roots. Tree Blocks bridges and blocks are made from the wood purchased and processed by the “elves.”� This leaves the farmer clean soil and seed money, so he can get back into production.

Fiber Nanogenerators Put the Power in Power Walking

Researchers led by Zhong Lin Wang at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Materials Science and Technology, are developing power fibers that can be used to manufacture shirts and other clothing that can convert energy released during physical motion into electrical energy capable of powering small electronic devices in the field. Applications are widespread and extend beyond soldiers and other military personnel using such power generating clothing to scientists, engineers and other researchers, as well as everyday people eventually wearing them to sustain our ever expanding reliance and fascination with portable electronic devices.

ENN Weekly Review: Feb 18th-22nd, 2008

This week on ENN: Gravity powered lamp lasts 200 years, Global fish sources threatened, Clinton and Obama leading the environmental votes, Practicing Green, Sea levels hit a record low in Venice, UK farm chiefurges for solutions to global warming and much more.

Field Dispatch: Natural Habitat Antarctica Trip Pt.3

I’ve traveled to a lot of mountainous regions in my life — the Himalayas in Nepal, the Karakorum in Pakistan, the Spanish Pyrenees, the Austrian Alps, the Canadian Rockies”� But of all the places I’ve visited, few can compare to the magnificence of South Georgia Island. I’m hard pressed to think of another place on earth that features such a spectacular combination of snow and glacier covered peaks, abundant wildlife, beautiful bays and fjords, a rich history, and very limited signs of civilization.

Crop biofuels 'create carbon debt'

Two studies have shown that changes in land use to produce crop-based biofuels can actually result in more greenhouse-gas emissions than burning fossil fuels. The studies, both published in Science last week (8 February), estimate the impact of converting forests and grasslands into cropland for the production of biofuels.

ENN Weekly Review: Feb 11th-15th, 2008

This week on ENN: Leading Brands call for climate change, Green Economics going mainstream, CSR: It's all about attitude, Consumers fret over food packaging, Sumatran Tigers in serious danger, Bloomberg slams U.S. over ethanol and much much more.

Field Dispatch: Natural Habitat Antarctica Trip Pt. 2

The last few days have gone by incredibly quickly - it's hard to believe we've been at sea for almost a week. We arrived at the Falkland Islands about a day after leaving the Beagle Channel. We rode our Zodiac boats to our first land excursion on West Point Island, where we visited a very nice rookery of black-browed albatrosses and rock hopper penguins.

Field Dispatch: Natural Habitat Antarctica Trip Pt.1

I am actually on my way - and I couldn't be more excited! Years of anticipation and hard work have finally paid off, and I'm headed to Antarctica. A world of ice and rock, water and sky, wind and cold. And, some of the richest, most unspoiled wildlife habitat on Planet Earth. I'm writing this from my cabin in the ice-hardened, former Russian research vessel: the Professor Multanovskiy. Recently converted to passenger service, the Multanovskiy is carrying me and 74 other souls (passengers, crew, and staff) to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula.

ENN Weekly : Feb 4th - 8th

This week at ENN: How to reduce lunch waste for your child, The age of "green economics" is upon us, Whaling: hypocrisy on the high seas?, China's snow may be a chilling warning, Making agriculture sustainable and much much more.

Solar Taxi Arrives Down Under!

After a brief and wet stint in Sydney, the Solar Taxi has made its way to Canberra to visit our proud nation's capital. The Solar Taxi is a round the world venture undertaken by Swiss adventurer Louis Palmer. Embarking on his journey in July last year, to date, Palmer has done over 15923 kilometres in his custom made solar powered vehicle. His trip has been a momentous one, from royal passengers, vehicle breakdowns and rainy days.

California to Require Net-Zero-Energy Buildings

Every two years, the California Energy Commission (CEC) releases an Integrated Energy Policy Report in which it makes recommendations for energy policy in the state, including changes to Title 24, the energy efficiency portion of the building codes. In its 2007 report, CEC recommends adjusting Title 24 to require net-zero-energy performance in residential buildings by 2020 and in commercial buildings by 2030. According to Panama Bartholomy of CEC, the commission does not need new legislation to incorporate these goals and is already moving to put them in place. “The 2008 standards will get us closer to these recommendations,”� he said, referring to the Title 24 update currently moving through the state’s rulemaking process.

Obesity Becoming World Crisis

It's already being called the next deadly global pandemic. Projected to be a bigger threat to life than AIDS and malaria combined, obesity is quickly becoming the world's most severe health-care crisis. As waistlines grow alarmingly, so do concerns over the impact an unhealthy population could have on everything from medicine to the economy.

ENN Weekly : Jan 28th - Feb 1st

This week on ENN: Chinese Factories find new energy source, New Species discovered in Africa, Designer solar panels, Whole Foods gives free bags to shoppers, Hydrogen hypersonic jets, Hot Liquids in your water bottle could be bad for your health, U.N. worried about food inflation, Anti-whalers leave Antarctica but vow to return and much more.

Don't Bother with the "Green" Consumer

It seems so logical on the face of it. A company wishing to go green should focus on the green consumer, right? Not so. Marketing to the green consumer has proved difficult, even downright dangerous, for companies large and small. Here's why: Established companies fear alienating their base of mainstream consumers by appealing to the green consumer, and rightly so. The majority of consumers seek to satisfy their personal needs before considering those of the planet. Green for green's sake products often don't meet the basic needs that most people require from their products. Take hemp clothing, for example. If green for green's sake products could go mainstream, we'd all be wearing hemp sweaters and be happy about it.

Eco-Farm: Seeds of Ignorance: Investigative Journalist Reveals Serious Safety Concerns About GM Food

Note: For the next few days I'll be reporting from Eco-Farm, the annual conference held by the Ecological Farming Association of California. At Eco-Farm, some 1,400-1,500 organic farmers, Big Organic marketers, and sundry sustainable-ag enthusiasts pack into a rustic, beautiful seaside conference hall an hour-and-a-half south of San Francisco to talk farming amid the dunes.

Wood-Pellet Stoves: Efficient Heat

The 1980’s witnessed the inception of wood-pellet stoves but the benefits and efficiency of this innovative product, has not showed its face until recently. A pellet stove is a small electric unit that burns small pieces of recycled and compacted sawdust pellets. The advantages to wood pellet stoves are many, for one, they are extremely efficient, use inexpensive fuel and produce very little waste.

ENN Weekly: Jan 21st -25th

ENN Weekly: Jan 21st -25th:A growing number of farmers are betting they can make more money selling their water supplies, Snowboarders gear up in green, Gunning for a national presence, New York City's first green- and organic-certified restaurant has opened its doors, Tuna with unsafe levels of mercury is on dinner menus at some of New York’s most well known and expensive eateries, Shares of solar energy companies have lost nearly half their value this year and much more.

Wildlife Numbers Decline as Desperate Refugees Seek Meat

There are no real winners in Africa’s many tribal and political conflicts and the list of losers keeps growing. Animal conservation groups say they have found a link between the decline of African wildlife, much of it threatened or endangered, and refugee camps. It appears that a thriving black market in illegally caught meat has grown up in the camps due to the lack of animal protein provided by the international aid organizations that provide food for the camps.

Everest conqueror Hillary makes last journey

AUCKLAND (Reuters) - Saffron-robed Buddhist monks, Nepali Sherpas and grey-bearded mountaineers paid homage on Tuesday to Sir Edmund Hillary, the man who conquered Everest, as thousands gathered in New Zealand to watch his state funeral.

From China with Hybrids

According to a new study by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography - Climate Change in the Spanish Mediterranean - the Mediterranean Sea could be on course to rise half a meter (20 inches) in the next 50 years. Sea levels have been rising since the 1970s with the rate of increase growing in recent years - between 2.5mm and 10mm (0.1 and 0.4in) per year since the 1990s. Global warming is to blame, with water expanding as it warms and melting ice adding to the pot.

2007 was tied as Earth's second warmest year

NEW YORK - Climatologists at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City have found that 2007 tied with 1998 for Earth’s second warmest year in a century. Goddard Institute researchers used temperature data from weather stations on land, satellite measurements of sea ice temperature since 1982 and data from ships for earlier years.

Is Plastic Making Us Fat?

Being fat has long been seen as a personal problem, fixed only by struggling against the proliferation of fast food restaurants, unlucky genes, and a sedentary life. But could something in the environment also be making Americans fat in epidemic numbers?

Final U.S. decision expected on food from clones

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a final ruling on Tuesday that food from cloned animals and their offspring is as safe as any other, opening the door to the controversial technology in the U.S. food supply. The FDA will brief reporters at 12 noon EST on the final risk assessment on animal clones.

New Green Building Technology Unveiled: Dirt Floors

Earthen flooring is nothing more than what it sounds like — humble, natural earth compacted with straw or other fibers and stabilized with various natural oils to form eco-friendly high-quality flooring. These floors are easy to clean, comes in a variety of textures, colors, and materials. It can be installed over nearly any subflooring, it integrates well with radiant heat systems and it’s one of the cheapest flooring methods either conventional or green.

Tiny English Islands Once Held Pygmy Versions of Dinosaurs

The dinosaurs, the thecodontosaurus or “socket toothed lizard”�, are not themselves newly discovered. In fact, they were one of the first dinosaurs to ever be named. The first fossils of the six foot long dinosaur were originally found in 1834, before dinosaurs were even recognized as a group, at the site of the current Bristol Zoo. 11 more thecodontosaurus skeletons were found in 1975 in a quarry north of Bristol, which helped create the idea that the creatures had lived on the mainland in some sort of desert.

China rings out year of fluorescent green pigs

A fluorescent green Chinese pig has given birth to two piglets which share their mother's transgenic characteristic after she mated with an ordinary pig, state media said. The mother sow is one of the three fluorescent green pigs successfully bred by a research team in December 2006 after they injected fluorescent green protein into pig embryos.

New approach needed to save coral reefs

LONDON (Reuters) - A growing human population is pushing coral reefs in the Caribbean to breaking point and saving them will require a new, larger-scale approach, researchers said on Tuesday. Coral reefs have long been under threat but pinpointing whether overfishing, climate change or development is the main culprit has proved both contentious and difficult, said Camilo Mora, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Canada.

Carbon Credits to be Used to Fund GM Food Crops

US biotech firm Arcadia Biosciences has announced a plan to help fund the planting of genetically modified rice with carbon credits. The company will work with the Chinese government to give farmers who plant their crops carbon credits, which they can then sell on the global carbon trading market.

Statement from U.S. Department Of Energy Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary For Fossil Energy James Slutz

“Clean coal technology is a vital component of the Bush Administration’s vision for a cleaner, more secure energy future. FutureGen, which seeks to demonstrate integrated clean coal technologies with carbon capture and sequestration, remains a cornerstone of this vision..."

Beijing introduces cleaner fuel standards

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has introduced cleaner fuel standards in its capital Beijing, its latest effort to curb the city's notorious pollution ahead of the Olympic Games in August. Under the new standards, retailers will be required to supply gasoline and diesel equivalent to the Euro IV standard, a move that will cut emissions of acid rain-causing sulphur dioxide by 1,840 tonnes, the China Daily said on Wednesday, citing Beijing's Environmental Protection Bureau.

UC Berkeley scientists create software to fight global warming

Berkeley, California - Dr. Cristiano Facanha of ICF International, a consulting firm that advises governmental agencies and others on transportation issues, and Dr. Arpad Horvath of the University of California at Berkeley have analyzed shipping emissions through their work with supply chains and life-cycle analysis for a combined total of 20 years.The pair’s methodology has also now become the foundation for a new and a easy to use web software that allows online retailers to offer consumers the option to offset the emissions caused by their order shipments.

Twenty Diverse Companies Make the Sustainability Cut

What do large-cap apparel maker Nike, medium-cap office furniture maker Herman Miller and small-cap coffee roaster Green Mountain Coffee Roasters all have in common? They are all found on the 2007 Sustainable Business 20 (SB20) List of the World's Top Sustainable Stocks.

Edison's Lamp Shines On

Pity poor Tom Edison. He couldn’t have predicted. His best known invention - the first practical incandescent light bulb - is blamed as one of the causes of global warming, pollution and energy insecurity. He wanted to bring life to the world after the sun went down, not contribute to the end of the world as we know it.

Anti-alcohol drug promising for binge eaters

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The results of a small study suggest that the muscle-relaxing drug baclofen may help curb binge eating episodes in women with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. "This is the first study, to our knowledge, that studies baclofen's use in binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa in a systematic manner," Dr. Allegra I. Broft, from Columbia University in New York, who led the study, told Reuters Health.

Greening the classroom

“How often do you eat DNA?”� Martha Kirouac, PhD ’03, asks a group of high-school biology teachers during a summer course at the Huntington Library. “Do you know you’re eating it right now, in that banana?”� The group then grinds up a banana, mixes it with a little dish soap, salt, and water, and pours in some ice-cold ethanol. “Out comes this big wad of DNA and associated proteins,”� Martha says. “The teachers’ students love it when they get to try it in the classroom.”� When the teachers ask their students if they eat DNA, the response frequently is “Nooooo! That’s so gross!”�

California Funds Solar Water Heating Systems

Sacramento, California - A bill signed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger would provide rebates to residents and businesses to support the installation of 200,000 solar water heating systems in the state by 2017.

BuildingGreen Announces 2007 Top-10 Products

BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of the GreenSpec Directory and Environmental Building News ( EBN), announced its annual Top-10 Green Building Products. The Top-10 consists of the ten most exciting products added to GreenSpec in the last year, which are detailed in a press release available online at www.buildinggreen.com/press/.

IPCC Looks To Building Sector For Cutting C02 Fastest

On November 17, 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its fourth “Synthesis Report”� along with a “Summary for Policymakers.”� The latest report integrates the findings of reports released earlier in 2007 by each of the three IPCC working groups, which dealt, respectively, with the underlying science of climate change, the likely impacts, and mitigation options.

Homes Get Their Own LEED

When the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) first rolled out the LEED for Homes rating system pilot in 2005, it faced a number of challenges, including creating a provider network, training raters, keeping registration and certification fees low, and convincing homebuilders and homeowners that certification was worth the expense.

Energy Metrics: Btus, Watts, and Kilowatt-Hours

Nearly every green publication (including, unfortunately, our own) has, on occasion, confused units of electric power (kilowatts) with units of energy (kilowatt-hours). It’s an easy mistake to make for those who are not steeped in the engineering of energy flows. But the basic principles are not that complicated—and are worth getting straight.

ENN Week In Review Dec 14 - 21

This week's top stories, from the editors of ENN: Japan goes beyond what is asked by Kyoto, and agrees to avoid killing humpback whales in the antarctic for now. Experts forsee more species of birds going extinct with climate change, and to the alarm of conservation groups, songbirds in Cyprus are showing up on restaurant menus. The US government gets tougher on toy safety, and economists project a $15 billion dollar "organic" electronics market in less than 10 years. These stories and more news, in ENN's week in review.

Allergies may protect against pancreatic cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Having a history of allergies or hay fever may offer protection from deadly pancreatic cancer, according to a study appearing in the International Journal of Cancer. Ayelet Eppel, of Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues examined the association between a history of allergies or asthma and the risk of pancreas cancer in a population-based, case-control study in Ontario. They identified cases of pancreatic cancer through the Ontario Cancer Registry and recruited control subjects from the Ontario Familial Colorectal Cancer Registry.

Stores desperately seeking shoppers on Super Saturday

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. shoppers, come out, come out, wherever you are. "Super Saturday," the last Saturday before Christmas, is often the biggest shopping day of the holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. This year, the day may be busier than ever as procrastinating shoppers seek deeper discounts closer to Christmas. According to a survey last week for Discover Financial Services , 42 percent of those questioned said they had either not started their holiday shopping, or had completed some -- but not much -- gift buying.

The Two-Mile Time Machine: Ice Cores, Abrupt Climate Change, and Our Future

Richard Alley, one of the world's leading climate researchers, tells the fascinating history of global climate changes as revealed by reading the annual rings of ice from cores drilled in Greenland. In the 1990s he and his colleagues made headlines with the discovery that the last ice age came to an abrupt end over a period of only three years.

Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage

This book is a guide for forward-thinking business leaders who see the Green Wave coming and want to profit from it.

'Deep Economy': ideas for a better world

Bill McKibben envisions a new economy more attuned to environmental harmony and human satisfaction.

Bird Extinctions Likely to Rise with Climate Change

As warming temperatures push organisms to seek cooler climates at ever-higher altitudes, habitat areas are shrinking, putting many species of plants and animals at risk. This trend could have particularly dire consequences for the world’s bird populations, according to a new report in the journal Conservation Biology. “It’s like an escalator to extinction,”� says lead author Cagan Sekercioglu, a senior research scientist with the Department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University. “As a species is forced upwards and its elevational range narrows, the species moves closer to extinction.”�

Seas could rise twice as high as predicted: study

The world's sea levels could rise twice as high this century as U.N. climate scientists have predicted, according to researchers who looked at what happened more than 100,000 years ago, the last time Earth got this hot. Experts working on the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have suggested a maximum 21st century sea level rise -- a key effect of global climate change -- of about 32 inches.

Buying Green This Holiday Season

Woodstock, NY - With the distressing state of the environment on people's minds this year, they are thinking more than ever about the environmental impact of their gift choices.

The news is filled with stories that link our consumer habits and the products we buy with our health and the health of the planet. These stories contain lessons about becoming educated consumers: the recall of toxic toys from China reminds us to learn more about what is in the products we buy and where they come from - and to support natural products.

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ENN Week in Review: Dec 10th -14th

This week on ENN: Major retailers connected to organic fraud, US upadtes it's endangered species list, Climate Change affecting artic waters, Al Gore lays blame for Bali stalemate, French farmer goes on anti-GMO hunger strike and much more.

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Native American astronomer reaches out to native students

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Dennis Lamenti believes he is the only Native American astronomer in the U.S. with -- or working on -- a graduate degree. He now has another goal: to re-introduce astronomy to thousands of Native American students nationwide.

The IU graduate student is planning a spring Bloomington campus visit, and later a retreat for Native American students at a national observatory. It's a nation-wide event,designed to bring more Native Americans to the field of astronomy while introducing his culture's astronomic heritage to the world.

Namibia's poor 'will be hit hard' by climate change

Namibia, Africa - Climate change is expected to dramatically alter the lifestyles of poor people in Namibia, say the authors of a study. Their findings were published by the UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) this month (December).

Namibia is economically dependent on natural resources. Up to 30 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to be reliant on the environment. Climate change could increase temperatures by 2–6 degrees Celsius by 2100, and rainfall is expected to be lower and more variable.

Canadian museum unveils long, long-lost dinosaur

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's Royal Ontario Museum unveiled the skeleton of a massive dinosaur on Wednesday that had been lost for decades -- in its own collection.

FACTBOX: Notable quotes at Bali climate talks

Following are quotes from world leaders and senior officials at the opening of the high-level segment of December 3-14 U.N.-led climate talks in Bali or at press briefings.

Climate change drying up mountains in Western U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - By 2040, climate change will have melted the glaciers of Glacier National Park in Montana and the spring snowpack in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, scientists said on Tuesday.

China market may be breeding ground for deadly viruses

GUANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - Scorpions scamper in bowls, water snakes coil in tanks and cats whine in cramped cages, waiting to be slaughtered, skinned and served for dinner.

Scientists discover how BRCA1 gene causes cancer

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Mutations in the BRCA1 breast cancer gene appear to be linked with the loss of a protein important for putting the brakes on cell growth, a finding that could lead to new therapies, researchers said on Sunday.

Britain plans big move towards wind power: paper

Britain's secretary of state for business, John Hutton, will announce on Monday that he will open up the seas around Britain to wind farms in a big renewable energy initiative and a reversal from a previous push towards nuclear power.

ENN Week in Review: Dec 3rd - 7th 2007

We've rounded up some of the important stories you may have missed this week. Week in review: Hong Kong choked with pollution, Climate change may lead to major� bird extinctions, New film takes aim at ExxonMobil, Global warming and "furnace" cities, Should you buy a Hybrid? and The silver lining of Global Warming. All of this and much more.

Bissfield Michigan Home, Model of Sustainability, Earns LEEDS Platinum

Blissfield, Michigan - Michigan’s first platinum-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) award has been given to “Burnside’s Inn,” a home designed by Riverbend Timber Framing, Blissfield, and built by Robert Burnside’s Fireside Home Construction, Dexter.

The LEED Green Building Rating System™, the nationally accepted benchmark for high-performance green buildings, bases its certifications on sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.� The platinum award is its highest level of recognition.

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Safety, Hybrid Technology Rank High As Coolest New Car Features

CHICAGO� - The automobile industry continues to make great strides, bringing new, creative features to market each year. Whether related to safety, comfort or convenience, carmakers develop a wide variety of new features to attract new-car shoppers. With countless hours behind the wheel of new vehicles, the Cars.com reviewers identified what they consider the 10 most notable features that debuted in 2007.

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Prius Tops The List As Japanese Cars Continue to Dominate Car-Owner Satisfaction Surveys

YONKERS, N.Y. - Japanese vehicles continue their domination over domestic and European brands in Consumer Reports' Annual Car Owner Satisfaction Survey. Of the 39 car models that made Consumer Reports' latest Most Satisfying car list, 18 toted Japanese nameplates with 10 of those built by Toyota.

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For the fourth straight year, the Toyota Prius hybrid was identified by respondents as the most satisfying of any vehicle, with 92 percent of Prius owners indicating they would definitely buy one again. Following closely, were the BMW 335i coupe/convertible and Porsche Boxster, which drew scores of 91 and 90 respectively.

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Study: Price of lower-calorie foods rising drastically

Seattle - As food prices rise, the costs of lower-calorie foods are rising the fastest, according to a University of Washington study appearing in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. As the prices of fresh fruit and vegetables and other low-calorie foods have jumped nearly 20 percent in the past two years, the UW researchers say, a nutritious diet may be moving out of the reach of some American consumers.

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Presidential Candidate Bill Richardson To Speak At GreenXchange Global Marketplace Conference

Los Angeles, Calif., and Framingham, Mass.,� GreenXchange LLC today announced that Governor Bill Richardson, 2008 Presidential Candidate and former U.S. Secretary of Energy, will deliver a keynote address at the GreenXchange™ Global Marketplace Conference on Monday, December 10, 2007, at 10:30 a.m.� During Governor Richardson’s presentation, attendees will hear first-hand about his plan for a New Energy Revolution.� The inaugural conference is scheduled to take place December 10-11, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.� To register for the event, visit www.greenxchangexpo.com.

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World’s Largest Green Shopping Destination Opens

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the latest entry into green online shopping - www.EVO.com - announced they are open for business.

The idea is to take online green shopping to an expanded level, providing shoppers with a wider selection of green gift items via the web. Using special software the website has prescreened millions of products for their "green" attributes and only offers products for sale on evo.com that earn an EVO rating of one to five leaves. The company consulted with leaders in the sustainability field to establish the rating system. The site features more than 100,000 green products and services from 1,200 retailers. There's something for almost everyone.

U.S., China to sign import safety pacts: HHS' Leavitt

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States expects to sign of pair of agreements with China next week to ensure that food, animal feed, drugs and medical devices that the country exports to the United States meet U.S. safety standards, a top Bush administration official said on Monday.

The Six Sins Of Greenwashing - Misleading Claims Found In Many Products

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Buyers beware - that so-called “Green” product is likely stretching the eco-truth according to the Six Sins of Greenwashing, a study released today by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing.

The Six Sins of Greenwashing found that of 1,018 common consumer products ranging from toothpaste to caulking to shampoo to printers, randomly surveyed for the study, 99% were guilty of “greenwashing.”

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Sens. Kerry, Boxer and Feinstein call on FDA to Establish Maximum Level for Lead in Lipstick

WASHINGTON - Senators John Kerry, Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer are urging the Food and Drug Administration to test a wide range of lipstick brands for the presence of lead, to publicly report their results, and to limit lead in lipstick and other cosmetics products to "the lowest detectable levels found in laboratory tests."� The action by three U.S. Senators comes on the heels of a report last month by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which found lead in 61 percent of 33 lipsticks tested. Levels ranged from 0.02 to 0.65 parts per million.

Germany shows contradictions on climate change

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is the world's sixth largest emitter of greenhouses gases, builds some of the fastest and most polluting cars on the road, rejects speed limits to cut CO2 and is replacing its nuclear power with coal-burning plants.

Innovative Geothermal Energy Project Launched in Canada

Dartmouth, Canada -� Construction has begun on a new innovative geo-thermal project called the Alderney 5 Advanced Geothermal Energy Project in Dartmouth, Canada.

� The Alderney 5 project is a $3.0-million energy-efficiency retrofit of five buildings on the Dartmouth waterfront that are owned by the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM); Natural Resource Canada's Technology Early Action Measures program is providing $1 million. The project will save an estimated $250,000 per year in energy costs.

Starbucks plans 2nd farm support center in Rwanda

KIGALI (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp said on Saturday it would open a support centre for coffee farmers in Rwanda, the second in Africa after Ethiopia.

Texas mayors promote fluorescents as "state bulb"

To kick off a statewide campaign to get residents to replace old light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs, Texas mayors vowed to launch an effort to make the bulbs available, to encourage their use and to suggest that people give them as gifts for Christmas or other occasions.

International Rhino Foundation Auctions Rhino Poop for Holidays

YULEE, Fla. - We swear we're not making this up. For the first time in history you may find rhino poop under your Christmas tree. This year the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) is auctioning off endangered feces -- poop from endangered rhino species. It's all part of an effort to save one of Earth's most recognizable, but most threatened wild animals.

That's right, actual rhino poop will be an auction item on the popular Web site eBay. The rhino poop auction will begin Friday, November 30, 2007 and can be accessed by searching for "rhino poop" at eBay.com or by visiting www.endangeredfeces.org.

Turtle Conservation is Like its Name Sake: It’s Slow, But There are Big Rewards

WASHINGTON - Marine turtles have thrived for more than 100 million years.� But only the last few hundred years have given the huge, spectacular, prehistoric reptiles serious trouble. And that's where people like Earl Possardt, an international sea turtle specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, come in.� Possardt is part of a bigger effort to rescue what remains of seven species of an animal that has managed, sometimes against formidable odds, to make it all the way into the 21st century.

In 2007 alone, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service directed international conservation grants totaling nearly $600,000 to 22 countries and conservation entities involved in sea turtle survival.� Most of the money has gone to efforts to restore or safeguard turtle nesting areas.� The funds also support conservation of the world's largest nesting loggerhead population in Oman, and help preserve one of the two remaining large leatherback nesting areas that occur along the West African coast.

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ENN Weekly: November 26th -30th

ENN Week in Review: November 26th -30th 2007. We've put together some of the important stories from the last week for just in case you missed them. Inside: China "losing" 2008 Olympics? Is America too ambitious with it's biofuel program? Greenhouse emissions down in the US 2006,Miracle-Gro to pay $500K for failure to comply with GM regulations, Are fisherman facing extinction?� All of this and much more.�

Indonesia at risk: Climate change threatens people and nature

Jakarta, Indonesia – The devastating impact of global warming is already evident in Indonesia and will likely worsen due to further human-induced climate change, warns WWF.

The review from the global conservation organization, Climate Change in Indonesia – Implications for Humans and Nature, highlights that annual rainfall in the world’s fourth most populous nation is already down by 2 to 3 per cent, and the seasons are changing.

The combination of high population density and high levels of biodiversity, together with a staggering 80,000 kilometres of coastline and 17,500 islands, makes Indonesia one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change.

Japan says whaling will not stop

Japan will not end what it calls its research whaling program, but it also expects to maintain strong ties with Australia, one of the most vocal critics of the hunt, the top government spokesman said on Monday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Nabataea Machimura was speaking after Australia's Labor party swept to power in national elections on Saturday, ending 11 years of conservative rule under John Howard, an ally of Tokyo.

ENN Weekly Nov 19th -23rd

This week on ENN: Triple "P" Wave and the road to Bali, History shows climate change may have influenced war, Russia may ban river oil shipments after spill earlier this week, Global warming solution needs scientific reserch, China puts shore birds at risk, Bluefin tuna face collapse, Fuel costs could influence holiday spending and much more.

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No excuse for climate inaction

Valencia, Spain – Immediate action is essential if the world is to avert “runaway” climate change, according to the latest report by the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The IPPC’s Synthesis Report — a compilation of three previous IPCC assessment reports — should send a strong signal to political leaders and governments that the reality of human-induced global warming is beyond any reasonable doubt.

ENN Week in Review : Nov 12th - 16th

We've rounded up some of the important stories you may have missed this week.� ENN Weekly: Many bear species face extinction, Russia's Oil Spill on the Black Sea, Dutch official wary of Biofuels unseen impacts, China's growing energy & pollution problems, Honda goes solar and much more.

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Can “Dumping Soda”� Mitigate Global Obesity Trends?

Consumer groups on five continents are promoting a new “Dump Soda” campaign to educate people about the links between soft-drink marketing and rising childhood obesity. “Multinational giants like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are flooding the world with beverages that are nothing more than ‘liquid candy,’” said Bruce Silverglade, legal director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest, which is coordinating the campaign with the International Association of Consumer Food Organizations. “As a result, consumers, including children, in all corners of the globe are increasingly developing obesity, ‘adult onset’ diabetes, and other health problems.”

Controlling Catalogue Clutter

Diane MacEachern is the author of the best selling book: "Save Our Planet: 750 Everyday Ways You Can Help Clean Up the Earth" and the founder of BigGreenPurse.com. From BigGreenPurse, the top ten ways to reduce or eliminate catalogue clutter.�

�� 1. Send a letter. You can find the catalog address on the mailing label. Don’t know what to say? Download a free sample letter from Junkbusters.com.

� �� 2. Delete your address. The Direct Marketing Association will add your name to a "delete" list for direct marketers through its Mail Preference Service ($1 online at dmaconsumers.org).

�� 3. Sign up with www.catalogchoice.org. This free service helps you cancel catalogs you no longer wish to receive.

Digital Audio and the Hydrogen Economy: My Personal Journey

Penn State researchers Bruce Logan�and Shaoan Cheng announced yesterday the results of experimental research that produces hydrogen from microbes. Built upon earlier work that led to the production of electricity from microbes, Logan’s team has shown how to take those same hard working microbes and make hydrogen. Could the hydrogen economy be just around the corner?

Several years ago, after reading Eco Economy – Building an Economy for the Earth by Lester Brown�of the Earth Policy Institute, I felt I had a pretty good understanding of how a hydrogen based economy might work. Since its publication in early 2001 (and doesn’t that seem so long ago) I kept reading reports of the�“false promise of the hydrogen economy” and my enthusiasm waned for hydrogen, despite my respect for Lester Brown’s�visionary work. The obstacles to making hydrogen an efficient carrier of energy do appear daunting.

Who's L.A. gonna call? -- "Drought Busters"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A team of "Drought Busters" driving hybrid Toyota Prius cars was dispatched throughout Los Angeles on Tuesday to educate residents on water waste as the city struggles with a record drought.

Water authorities said the six-person team would give written notices to Angelenos caught wasting water as well as handing out advice on how to cut excessive water use.

Fines are not envisaged at the moment but officials left open the possibility that the Drought Busters could impose penalties if record low rainfall persists.

"We are not in the mandatory water conservation phase at this point and we will not be writing fines," the city's Department of Water and Power chief, Robert Rozanski, told a news conference.

Waste Water Plus Bacteria Make Hydrogen Fuel: Study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Bacteria that feed on vinegar and waste water zapped with a shot of electricity could produce a clean hydrogen fuel to power vehicles that now run on petroleum, researchers reported on Monday.

These so-called microbial fuel cells can turn almost any biodegradable organic material into zero-emission hydrogen gas fuel, said Bruce Logan of Penn State University.

This would be an environmental advantage over the current generation of hydrogen-powered cars, where the hydrogen is most commonly made from fossil fuels. Even though the cars themselves emit no climate-warming greenhouse gases, the manufacture of their fuel does.

Scientists Find High-Fat Diet Disrupts Body Clock

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Our body's 24-hour internal clock, or circadian clock, regulates the time we go to sleep, wake up and become hungry as well as the daily rhythms of many metabolic functions. The clock -- an ancient molecular machine found in organisms large and small, simple and complex -- properly aligns one's physiology with one's environment.

Frank Gehry Boston design draws scrutiny

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Its walls buckle and bulge and its windows pop out from twisting corners with the whimsical air of a cartoon.

But the three-year-old, $300 million building at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology just outside of Boston is drawing more scrutiny and provoking more emotion than usual since a lawsuit announced last week by MIT against its celebrated architect Frank Gehry.

"It looks like a sculpture," enthused Gianna Milano, a visiting scholar from Italy, standing in front of the Stata Center, a Gehry design which the elite school says is beset by "design and construction failures."

Tiny chemical change in horse herpes virus can have lethal effect, Cornell researchers discover

Ithica, NY - Sometimes, a small change can make a big difference. Such is the case with the horse herpes virus: A change in just one amino acid can make all the difference between triggering a cold or a life-threatening neurological disorder. Cornell microbiologists have shown that a single amino acid variation in an enzyme that is part of the DNA copying process of equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) creates a different type of EHV-1, which causes the neurological disorders in horses. Both types of EHV-1 can also cause abortions.

Preparing for hard times

The last U.S. recession ended six years ago, so this expansion's a little bit old. It's all pointing to the specter of a recession in the not too distant future.

Maybe it won't get that bad. Many economists are suggesting the recession predictions are overly pessimistic. Instead, they say we're in for slow growth or stagnation. That's not much better, is it?

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Click a mouse, feed a mouth in U.N. campaign

LONDON (Reuters) - A food-linked word game put on the Internet a month ago has proved a runaway success and has already generated enough rice to feed 50,000 people, the United Nations World Food Programme said on Friday.

FreeRice offers participants multiple choice definitions to the meaning of a word, with each correct click generating 10 grains of rice for the WFP.

The brainchild of American online fundraising pioneer John Breen, the Web site (www.freerice.com) relies on advertising revenue to underwrite its rice campaign.

AIDS vaccines experts confused and dismayed

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AIDS vaccine researchers are worried about the future of their field after learning an experimental HIV vaccine not only does not work, but just might make recipients more susceptible to infection with the AIDS virus.

They are worried about their volunteers and the future of AIDS vaccines in general. And they are worried because they cannot understand how a vaccine would make a person more vulnerable.

Researchers from Merck & Co. (MRK.N: Quote, Profile, Research), which makes the vaccine, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is helping develop it, said on Wednesday they believe a type of common cold virus used as the basis of the vaccine may somehow have made their volunteers more susceptible to HIV.

Dieting hardest for emotional eaters: study

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Emotional eaters -- people who eat when they are lonely or blue -- tend to lose the least amount of weight and have the hardest time keeping it off, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

They said the study may explain why so many people who lose weight gain it all back. "We found that the more people report eating in response to thoughts and feelings, the less weight they lost," Heather Niemeier, an obesity researcher at The Miriam Hospital and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, said in a statement.

Norway seeks land power for offshore fields

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's centre-left government pushed ahead on Friday with controversial plans to power some offshore oil and gas platforms by electricity produced on land, in an effort to cut carbon emissions by the oil industry.

The Energy and Petroleum Ministry linked its approval for BP's Skarv field development with pledges by field partners to help develop technology that brings electrical power to offshore platforms or floating production vessels.

Climate change endangers Alaska's coastal villages

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - At risk from surging storm waves and floods, Alaska's coastal villagers are dealing with the immediate consequences of climate change -- threats to their health, safety and even their ancestors' graves.

The rapid erosion of the state's coastline is blamed on the scarcity of sea ice and thawing of permafrost. Without solid ice to shield the land, and without hard-frozen conditions to keep it held fast, encroaching waves and floods easily carve large chunks from shorelines or riverbanks.

"People are dying and getting injured as a result of trying to engage in traditional activities in much-changing conditions," said Deborah Williams, a former Interior Department official who heads an Alaska organization focused on climate change.

Grooming goes green

TORONTO (Reuters) -- Who ever thought that putting on your face in the morning might be dangerous. On the heels of massive recalls of lead-laced toys, a cosmetics safety campaign has found the offensive metal in several popular brands of lipstick. France, Italy, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom all have standards in place for organic cosmetic products, though some are industry standards and not government regulations.

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ENN - Week in Review Nov 2nd -9th

This Week on ENN: Childrens toy contains date rape drug, Fuel Spills in San Francisco Bay, Oil Races to Record High Above $98 a barrel, Scientists Enhance Mother Nature's Carbon Handling Mechanism, Australian Scientists Decode Whale Sounds, all this and much more on the ENN week in review

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California sues EPA over car emissions

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, demanding a quick federal decision that would allow the nation's most populous state to limit greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

"California is ready to implement the nation's cleanest standards for vehicle emissions, but we cannot do that until the federal government grants a waiver allowing us to enforce those standards," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said.

The long-threatened legal action follows a 2005 California law requiring new vehicles to meet tighter standards for emissions, starting with 2009 models introduced next year.

LA Times, Whole Foods Back Major Green Shopping Expo

Los Angeles, California – The environmentally aware, socially conscious consumer, will have to go no farther than the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on December 15 and 16 to find unique, green holiday gifts. The Eco Gift Expo as it's called has also gathered the support of Whole Foods Market and the Los Angeles Times who are co-sponsoring the event.

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Exceptions prove rule of tropical importance in biodiversity

Even a group of shellfish that appear to violate the overarching pattern of global biodiversity actually follows the same biological rules as other marine organisms, confirming a general theory for the spread of life on Earth. The University of Chicago’s David Jablonski and his colleagues present this finding in the Nov. 7 advanced online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“There’s more of everything in the tropics. More genetic diversity, more diversity in form, more diversity of species,” said David Jablonski, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor in Geophysical Sciences at Chicago.

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Exposing Deadly Diseases in 3-D

CHICAGO --- With 3-D and some very high tech arrays of technology, scientists are able to 'see' deadly bacteria and viruses in three dimensions, and in all liklihood, come to new understands of how they work, and what will stop their deadly work.

The focus is the proteins of molecular sized killers. Scientists at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine are mapping parts of lethal bacteria in three dimensions, exposing a new and intimate chemical portrait of biological killers down to their atoms. This view of the disease will offer scientists who design drugs a fresh opening into the bacteria's vulnerabilities, and it's hoped, enable them to create drugs to disable it or vaccines to prevent it.��

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Bill Clinton, Green Building Council Launch Effort To Green US Schools

Chicago - Today at the world’s largest green building exposition in Chicago, Greenbuild 2007, former President Bill Clinton announced a joint commitment to green all of America’s schools within a generation.�

Earth Day Network (EDN) – a Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) and Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) partner – and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) joined former President Clinton in making this announcement to the American public and media.�

Today’s event formally kicked-off Earth Day Network’s national Green Schools campaign, which includes three major initiatives:� greening all new and existing school structures within a generation; developing and building healthier play areas and recreational facilities for all students; and working to greatly improve the food children eat in K-12 schools.� Along with USGBC and the Clinton Foundation, Earth Day Network will expand the green schools movement through legislation, education, and corporate and community volunteer greening efforts.

Researchers to develop improved cowpea varieties

RIVERSIDE – Providing food security, one of the greatest challenges of our time, is a critical goal especially in the developing world, where crop destruction by drought, disease and pest infestation swiftly places millions of lives at risk of hunger.� Scientists will help meet this challenge by focusing on cowpea, a protein-rich legume crop of immense importance to Africa that complements starchy staple crops such as corn, cassava, sorghum and millets in the diets of millions of Africans.

“Our project will develop the key genomic resources that are currently lacking in cowpea,” said Timothy Close, a professor of genetics and a co-principal investigator of the grant, who leads at the University of California, Riverside's cowpea genomics effort. “We will use modern plant breeding approaches that employ new and efficient molecular marker development methodologies.”

The Next Generation of Carbon Neutral Shipping ?

Denver, CO – Carbon neutral shipping has arrived. A Colorado company called Ship Green has launched an alternative that provides shoppers with tools to calculate and offset the carbon emissions created by each product shipped. The owners designed it they say to make it possible for customers to reduce the carbon footprint of each purchase. As businesses race to position themselves as leaders in the green economy. The new service targets both individuals and companies in the United States.

Growing List Of Cities Switching To LED Holiday Tree Lights

Colorado Springs, CO - Old Colorado City, the national historic district of Colorado Springs, joins a growing list of cities switching to low energy tree lights. Colorado Springs will have a new LED look this year for its annual 'Its Christmas in Old Colorado City' event.

The city's town managers decided to trade in their inefficient incandescent holiday lights for LED Christmas lights. "I read a lot about the benefits of LED holiday lighting online and we decided it was the economically and environmentally responsible thing to do," said Nancy Stovall, member of the Board of Directors of the Old Colorado City Associates and coordinator of the 'Its Christmas in Old Colorado City" event.

Seafood Companies Call on Canada to End Seal Hunt

WASHINGTON – A list of well-respected seafood distributors are boycotting select seafood imports to protect Canadadian seal populations and end Canada's seal hunting practices. These distributors supply seafood to major U.S. chains, including BJ’s Wholesale Club, Shaw’s Supermarkets, Sam’s Club and Target.

The boycott has won the full support of the influential Humane Society of the United States who applauded the participation of some of� Canada's most respected seafood distributors.

“ The cruelty involved in Canada ’s commercial seal hunt is unacceptable,” said Jim Chambers of Prime Seafood, one of the top seafood suppliers to restaurants in the Washington , D.C. metro area. “I’m a bit surprised that Canada ’s sustainable seafood advocates haven’t come out against the commercial seal hunt yet. I hope they do. They have the power to help bring the hunt to an end.”

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Without enough sleep, children gain weight: study

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Insufficient sleep can negatively affect preteens' metabolism as well as their exercise and eating habits, causing them to get fat, researchers reported on Monday.

Children aged 9 to 12 who slept less than nine hours a night were more likely to gain weight than their more rested peers, according to researchers at the University of Michigan's Center for Human Growth and Development.

France casts doubts on timing of GMO evaluation

PARIS (Reuters) - It may take longer than expected to assess pest-resistant genetically modified (GMO) crops for use in France, the agriculture minister said in remarks published on Monday.

"I cannot be absolutely sure how long it will take to carry out the scientific evaluation," Michel Barnier told the farming publication Agra Press.

"I cannot say today that everything will have been completed in February," he added.

Group to Create Rating System for Landscapes

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has been working with the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas–Austin since 2005 to research environmentally friendly landscapes for building sites, parks, and public areas.

In 2006, the U.S. Botanic Garden joined the effort, and now the group is going public with its Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI), a project to develop guidelines by 2009 and a rating system for landscapes by 2012.

California Fire Codes Put Focus on Plastic Decking Concerns

A highly publicized series of wildfires has struck California in the last decade, putting a focus on homes in wildfire-prone areas and the flammable materials they are constructed from—including roofing, siding, and decking. Taking effect on January 1, 2008, the Wildland-Urban Interface Building Codes, developed by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal (SFM), aim to protect homes and the safety of occupants and firefighters. Among other provisions, the codes restrict relatively flammable decking, including wood-plastic composites.

The new codes affect “Fire Hazard Severity Zones,” identified by topography (fire spreads faster on slopes), vegetation that fuels fires, weather patterns, history of past wildfires, and likelihood of fire spreading from neighboring areas. Those zones affect a significant portion of the state, mostly in rural areas, but they also frequently intersect with populated areas. According to Kevin Reinertson at SFM, the standards have been projected to affect 8%–11% of new construction in California.

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Wisconsin Leopold Center Earns LEED Platinum

Baraboo, Wisconsin -� Built in honor of one of the world’s most famed conservationists, the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center, located on Leopold’s farm near Baraboo, Wisconsin, has earned 61 out of a possible 69 LEED points, the most earned by any LEED-certified building to date and enough to qualify for a Platinum rating.

The net-zero-energy building produces as much energy as it consumes with a grid-tied photovoltaic system and a ground-source heat pump serving a radiant-floor heating system; wood stoves add additional heat.