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Climate body to try to bridge differences before G8
July 4, 2009 08:57 AM - Reuters
Officials from a 17-member body which account for the lions share of the world's carbon emissions will hold urgent talks next Tuesday to iron out differences on the eve of a July 8-10 summit of the G8. Group of Eight diplomats and climate change officials told Reuters the meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF) was called to narrow the gap between rich countries and developing nations such as India over long-term targets on global warming and emissions.
Lunar probe launches on collision course with moon
July 3, 2009 08:19 AM - Rachel Courtland, New Scientist
Two NASA probes are on their way to the moon in the hopes of finding water ice and safe landing sites that could pave the way for the return of astronauts to the lunar surface. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and a piggyback mission called Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) took off at 2132 GMT on Thursday aboard an Atlas V rocket from a launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
EPA Proposes New Standards for Large Ships
July 1, 2009 12:25 PM - Editor, ENN
The US Environmental Protection Agency today announced the next steps in a coordinated strategy to reduce emissions from ocean-going vessels. EPA is proposing a rule under the Clean Air Act that sets tough engine and fuel standards for U.S. flagged ships that would harmonize with international standards and lead to significant air quality improvements throughout the country. "These emissions are contributing to health, environmental and economic challenges for port communities and others that are miles inland. Building on our work to form an international agreement earlier this year, we’re taking the next steps to reduce significant amounts of harmful pollution from getting into the air we breathe," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Lowering emissions from American ships will help safeguard our port communities, and demonstrate American leadership in protecting our health and the environment around the globe."
Swine Flu: Just the Latest Chapter in a 91-Year Pandemic Era
July 1, 2009 07:43 AM - Hadley Leggett, WIRED
The current strain of H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, has people scared because it’s a novel virus that most of the population has never been exposed to. But as a group, H1N1 viruses aren’t new. They’ve been circulating since 1918, when a new strain appeared simultaneously in pigs and humans and killed 40 to 50 million people in a single year. Over the past 91 years, the virus has jumped back and forth between humans, pigs and birds — and possibly even been resurrected from a laboratory freezer. Taking a historical view of the swine flu is critical to understanding the current pandemic, and future outbreaks, argue scientists in two perspectives published Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
New Household Cleaners Reduces Packaging
June 30, 2009 11:05 AM - Trey Granger, Earth 911
A new line of household cleaners by Bumgartens will be sold in tablet form, requiring 75 percent less packaging and reducing the impact of shipping because the products have 85 percent less "water weight."
Dams Are Thwarting Louisiana Marsh Restoration, Study Says
June 29, 2009 07:12 AM - CORNELIA DEAN, The New York Times
Desperate to halt the erosion of Louisiana’s coast, officials there are talking about breaking Mississippi River levees south of New Orleans to restore the nourishing flow of muddy water into the state’s marshes. But in a new analysis, scientists at Louisiana State University say inland dams trap so much sediment that the river no longer carries enough to halt marsh loss, especially now that global warming is speeding a rise in sea levels.
Air Pollution From Freeway Extends One And A Half Miles Away
June 28, 2009 10:43 AM - ScienceDaily, Adapted from materials provided by University of California, Los Angeles.
Environmental health researchers from UCLA, the University of Southern California and the California Air Resources Board have found that during the hours before sunrise, freeway air pollution extends much further than previously thought.
House passes landmark climate change bill
June 27, 2009 07:03 AM - Richard Cowan, Reuters
President Barack Obama scored a major victory on Friday when the House of Representatives passed legislation to slash industrial pollution that is blamed for global warming. The Democratic-controlled House passed the climate change bill, a top priority for Obama, by a vote of 219-212.
Recycled Plastics Market Begins to Stabilize
June 26, 2009 09:57 AM - Haley Paul, Earth 911
Recycling industry representatives suggest that the tide is turning, with export demand building up slowly and domestic demand finally stabilizing.
New Law Requires Calif. Landfills to Capture Methane
June 26, 2009 06:25 AM - ClimateBiz, GreenBiz
A new regulation adopted today will force more than a dozen California landfills to install equipment that captures methane gas created by decomposing solid waste. The California Air Resources Board’s newly adopted measure will also impact other landfills by forcing them to change their operating practices to reduce the amount of methane released into the atmosphere.