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Coca-Cola's New PlantBottle Sows Path to Greener Packaging
December 2, 2009 09:58 AM - By Marc Gunther, GreenBiz.com
In a podcast interview with GreenBiz.com Senior Writer Marc Gunther, Scott Vitters, the Coca-Cola Company's global head of sustainable packaging, takes the wraps off the company's new PlantBottle, a recyclable PET plastic container made partially from plants. (Gunther's blog on the PlantBottle's development is available at GreenBiz.com.)
Atlantic Hurricane Season Ends With Few Storms
December 2, 2009 08:50 AM - Roger Greenway, ENN
The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season officially ended at the end of November. This year there were the fewest named storms and hurricanes since 1997. Only nine named storms formed this year, including three hurricanes, two of which were major hurricanes at Category 3 strength or higher. These numbers fall within the ranges predicted in NOAA’s mid-season outlook issued in August, which called for seven to 11 named storms, three to six hurricanes, and one to two major hurricanes. An average season has 11 named storms and six hurricanes, including two major hurricanes.
California water allocation hits record-low level
December 2, 2009 07:08 AM - Steve Gorman, Reuters
California officials said on Tuesday that drought and environmental restrictions have forced them to cut planned water deliveries to irrigation districts and cities statewide to just 5 percent of their contracted allotments. Although the state Water Resources Department typically ends up supplying more water than first projected for an upcoming year, its 5 percent initial allocation for 2010 marks the smallest on record since the agency began delivering water in 1967.
EPA Delays Action on More Ethanol in Gasoline
December 1, 2009 12:24 PM - Tom Doggett, Reuters
Newer American cars will likely be able to handle higher ethanol blends in their gasoline but the decision to approve an industry request to change the fuel mix will have to await final testing next year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said today.
The Changing Role of US Forest Management in Response to Climate Change
December 1, 2009 10:03 AM - Thomas Schueneman , Global Warming is Real
The US Forest Service may be moving in a new direction. US Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell told his regional offices and station directors that "responding to the challenges of climate change in providing water and water-related ecosystem services is one of the most urgent tasks facing us as an agency. History will judge us by how well we respond to these challenges."
British Antarctic Survey Climate Review finds the Ozone Hole has Shielded Antarctica from Global Warming!
December 1, 2009 05:59 AM - Roger Greenway, ENN
An important report from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) shows things aren’t always what they seem to be, and that our knowledge of our complex Earth is not a good as we thought. Sometimes problems are not what they seem to be, and sometimes a problem in one sense carries unknown benefits in other senses. The BAS is a global leader in studying the Antarctic, and it has recently published the first comprehensive review of the state of Antarctica’s climate and its relationship to the global climate system. The review — Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment — presents the latest research from the icy continent, identifies areas for future scientific research, and addresses the urgent questions that policy makers have about Antarctic melting, sea-level rise and biodiversity.
Now's the Time to Benefit from Green Tax Incentives
November 30, 2009 12:17 PM - Melissa Hincha-Ownby, Mother Nature Network
There is one month left in 2009, which leaves you plenty of time to take advantage of the green tax incentives available to consumers. While some of these tax credits or deductions have been available for several years, many were created as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Companies Are Committing to Reduce Toxic Footprints
November 30, 2009 10:51 AM - Richard Liroff, Green Biz.com
Companies need to move towards using greener chemicals because the principal drivers demanding such change -- science, regulation, and business-to-business environmentally preferable purchasing programs -- are surging and will intensify. Product toxicity reduction should be a core element of business strategy because it can reduce reputational and litigation liabilities, help companies avoid "toxic lockout" of their products from the marketplace, and drive innovation.
Mars Meteorite Reexamined for Signs of Life Using New Analysis
November 30, 2009 10:07 AM - Irene Klotz, Discovery News
A controversial Mars meteorite is once again in the spotlight as scientists use a new kind of analysis on the rock. The study is reminiscent of initial research, published in 1996, suggesting that tiny iron sulfide and iron oxide grains in the meteorite had biological origins, and that tiny, worm-shaped objects in the rock could be the fossilized remains of Martian microbes.
Global Salmon Study Shows 'Sustainable' Food May Not Be So Sustainable
November 30, 2009 09:51 AM - Science Daily
Popular thinking about how to improve food systems for the better often misses the point, according to the results of a three-year global study of salmon production systems. Rather than pushing for organic or land-based production, or worrying about simple metrics such as "food miles," the study finds that the world can achieve greater environmental benefits by focusing on improvements to key aspects of production and distribution.