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Quebec sets 2020 greenhouse gas emission targets
November 24, 2009 06:22 AM - Reuters
The Canadian province of Quebec said on Monday it aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, the same target as that set by the European Union. "It is a very ambitious target for the government, given that 48 percent of Quebec's total energy currently comes from renewable energy sources," Quebec Premier Jean Charest said in a statement.
Using Enzymes from Termites To Make Biofuel from Wood Waste
November 23, 2009 02:52 PM - Phil McKenna, Technology Review
Biofuel startup ZeaChem has begun building a biofuel pilot plant that will turn cellulosic feedstocks into ethanol via a novel approach that uses microbes found in the guts of termites. The company says the ethanol yields from the sugars of its cellulosic feedstocks are significantly higher than the yields from other biofuel production processes. ZeaChem says its process also has the potential to produce a plastic feedstock.
Solar Energy Industry Brings Ray of Hope to the Rust Belt
November 23, 2009 09:32 AM - Todd Woody , Los Angeles Times, Environmental Health News
Areas hard-hit by the U.S. automakers' slump are pitching themselves to green technology firms. Workers and machines that used to crank out cars are now making parts for solar and wind power plants.
65 World leaders to join climate talks
November 22, 2009 08:35 AM - John Acher, Reuters
Sixty-five world leaders have confirmed they will attend a U.N. conference in Copenhagen in December that will try to clinch a new global climate deal, and many more are considering, Danish officials said on Sunday.
Smart Grid Riding On the Information Superhighway
November 19, 2009 11:08 AM - Nick Nigro, Clean Techies
If Internet companies and some utilities have their way, the smart grid will rely on the existing infrastructure of the information superhighway in order to function. They argue that by relying on existing standards like Internet Protocol (IP), the smart grid will grow faster and more organically than if utilities adopt an assortment of proprietary methods.
ISLAM’S GREEN INITIATIVE
November 19, 2009 06:28 AM - Shireen Qudosi
The UK-based the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), in working with the U.N., recently hosted 200 representatives from nine major world religions spanning over 60 different religious organizations. Baha’i, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Shintoists, Taoists and Sikhs all gathered at London’s Windsor Castle with a united environmental agenda. In an era of increasing religious divide, a once little thought of topic known as “the environment” was able to bring together ancient faith groups to discuss a modern solution. And with Islam at the forefront of today’s news, Muslim leaders proved Islam’s ability to adapt and meet new needs.
USEPA Proposes One — Hour Sulfur Dioxide Standard, to Drop 24 -hr and Annual Primary Standards
November 18, 2009 07:10 AM - Roger Greenway, ENN
The US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a new one — hour Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) standard. The SO2 standard has not been changed since 1971. There has not been a health based standard shorter than 24 hrs for SO2 since short term acute effects have not been well known. A secondary standard of 3-hrs has been in effect. This was set to address welfare considerations, not health.
Tidal Power Turbines Producing More Energy Than Expected
November 17, 2009 11:08 AM - Timothy Hurst, Earth and Industry, Matter Network
Marine Current Turbines' SeaGen, the world’s only commercial scale tidal stream turbine, is running reliably and delivering more energy than originally expected. The generators can produce enough energy to meet the average electricity needs for 1500 UK homes during each ebb and each flood tide.
A National Security Perspective on Climate Change
November 16, 2009 06:48 AM - Thomas Schueneman, Global Warming is Real
One key aspect of the discussion this week at the Transatlantic Media Dialog — part of the ongoing effort of climate and energy cooperation began earlier this years as the "Transatlantic Climate Bridge" was the issue of perception. Specifically how climate change and climate policy is perceived in the US and EU, as well as across the globe. A key conclusion was that climate change is indeed a threat to America's national security, and key to that finding is the conclusion that global warming is a "threat multiplier" for instability in some of the most volatile regions of the world, and that such volatility will reach even the most stable regions due to the tensions caused by climate change.
How will Clean Energy Legislation Affect Energy Prices?
November 13, 2009 12:58 PM - Keith Tanner, Clean Techies
As debate heats up around the proposals for clean energy legislation in Congress, one of the main points of contention is the amount of money it will cost. More specifically, everyone wants to know how the average American household will be impacted by the respective energy bills in the House (Waxman-Markey’s American Clean Energy and Security Act) and the Senate (Kerry-Boxer’s Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act).