Local energy workers jammed a downtown Houston theater today to protest climate change legislation that the U.S. Senate will take up in the coming weeks.
The Energy Citizens rally, promoted by some major energy companies and business organizations as well as the Greater Houston Partnership, is the first of several such events planned in 19 states in the coming weeks.
About 3,500 people, or 1,500 more than expected, filed into the facility, many donning yellow T-shirts that were being handed out that read "I'm an energy citizen." Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane Jr. was the keynote speaker.
Organizers of the event, billed as a dialogue on energy and the environment, told the Chronicle on Monday that legislation the U.S. House passed last spring will destroy millions of U.S. jobs and raise costs without reducing greenhouse gas emissions blamed for climate change.
“It's a dangerous piece of legislation,” said James Hackett, chairman and CEO of Anadarko Energy, which is busing employees to the event.
Hackett said he supports reducing greenhouse emissions and developing alternative sources of fuel.
“But I do think there's a virtual reality that's being portrayed to most American citizens about how quickly we get there and how we get there,” Hackett said.
The rally is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at the Verizon Wireless Theater downtown, with doors open at 11:30.
The climate change bill the House passed earlier this year sets a steadily decreasing cap on emissions from factories, power plants and other industrial sources and lets companies trade any excess emissions allowances. The price of those emissions allowances would most likely be passed on to consumers.
The measure also would set up a system for creating extra allowances, called offsets, through other projects that reduce emissions, and would include incentives for renewable energy sources and home and business energy efficiency.
But opponents say the bill won't reduce greenhouse gas emissions because it doesn't secure promises from developing nations, like China and India, to put controls on their growing emissions.
It also makes no mention of encouraging nuclear power generation, which some rally organizers believe will be key to meeting the country's electricity needs without creating more greenhouse gases, and doesn't discuss a role for natural gas, which typically has lower carbon emissions than other fossil fuels.
Opponents also say the cost of the legislation is ill-timed in a weak economy.
A study released by the National Association of Manufacturers last week says the law would cost 1.8 million to 2.4 million jobs by 2030 and would cost each U.S. household up to $1,248 a year by 2030.
Other estimates of annual household costs have differed — $83 per year according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration; $88-$140 according to the Environmental Protection Agency; and $175 a year projected by the Congressional Budget Office.
During the 2008 presidential campaign, both major party nominees — Republican John McCain and Democratic winner Barack Obama — said they favored a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions.
One of the scheduled speakers at today's event, National Black Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Harry Alford, said his organization has been on the record against such a bill since 1996 when it opposed the Kyoto Treaty that led to the emissions trading system now operating in Europe.
Chevron has invited Houston employees and retirees to participate in the event, and will provide transportation, so they can be part of the policy discussion, said spokesman Scott Walker in an e-mail.
“Chevron supports a national climate change program that is transparent, promotes energy efficiency and conservation measures, treats all participants fairly and protects our economy and energy security,” he said.
Shell Oil has been outspoken in support of climate change legislation, and is a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, which has supported a cap and trade program.
Shell is “neither encouraging nor discouraging participation in the rally,” spokesman Bill Tanner said.
The Greater Houston Partnership is “still in the process of formulating an official position on the cap and trade plan in the energy legislation,” according to a release concerning the event, but is encouraging dialogue because of the legislation's potential effect on the region.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Young activists from 110 countries want climate change action
More than 800 young environmental activists from 110 countries on Monday began a meeting described as the biggest-ever youth gathering on climate change.
The week-long conference in the central South Korean city of Daejeon is organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
It will give young people a chance to demand action on global warming before a crucial Copenhagen meeting in December, according to UNEP.
Achim Steiner, UNEP executive director, said in a statement the conference "is a gathering of the generation that will inherit the outcome of the decisions taken in December and beyond."
The 800 people aged between 10 and 24 year were chosen from thousands of applicants due to their outstanding green projects, the UN body said.
Among these are a rap video by two Canadian teenagers on how people can reduce their environmental footprint, a drive to distribute 500 low-energy lightbulbs in Nepal, a car pooling initiative in Samoa, a recycling project in Sierra Leone and a river clean-up in Russia.
The initiatives will be put to a vote during the conference to choose the best one out of several hundreds on display.
The Children and Youth Conference is part of the UN's global "Seal the Deal!" campaign being spearheaded by Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to spur support for a global climate agree
The week-long conference in the central South Korean city of Daejeon is organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
It will give young people a chance to demand action on global warming before a crucial Copenhagen meeting in December, according to UNEP.
Achim Steiner, UNEP executive director, said in a statement the conference "is a gathering of the generation that will inherit the outcome of the decisions taken in December and beyond."
The 800 people aged between 10 and 24 year were chosen from thousands of applicants due to their outstanding green projects, the UN body said.
Among these are a rap video by two Canadian teenagers on how people can reduce their environmental footprint, a drive to distribute 500 low-energy lightbulbs in Nepal, a car pooling initiative in Samoa, a recycling project in Sierra Leone and a river clean-up in Russia.
The initiatives will be put to a vote during the conference to choose the best one out of several hundreds on display.
The Children and Youth Conference is part of the UN's global "Seal the Deal!" campaign being spearheaded by Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to spur support for a global climate agree
Health care, climate, and the progressive movement
The last week or so has been the right-wingers-at-town-hall-meetings moment, and it looks like it’s going to be supplemented by something similar but different: rallies organized by fossil-fuel-supporting corporations in the states of Texas, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Colorado, Tennessee, Indiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Florida, South Carolina, Alaska, Illinois, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas. Late last week, Greenpeace released a memo written by the leader of the American Petroleum Institute (API) to heads of oil companies—apparently given to Greenpeace by a less-than-loyal employee of one of the API member companies. The memo referred to a “series of ‘Energy Citizen’ rallies in about 20 states across the country during the last two weeks of Congress’s August recess ... API will provide the up-front resources to ensure logistical issues do not become a problem ... Please indicate to your company leadership your strong support for employee participation in the rallies.” “Energy Citizen,” of course, really means “Fossil Fuel Citizen.” Working with groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, American Farm Bureau, American Conservative Union, FreedomWorks, and Americans for Tax Reform, you can be sure that when it comes to the rapidly worsening climate crisis, or the millions of jobs that could be created by a shift to a clean energy economy, or energy independence, or the national security threat of being dependent on Middle East oil—none of these issues will be on the agenda of these particular “energy citizens.” It would be a good thing—more than that, it is imperative—to have a presence of progressive activists at these events, just as it is important that we are at the town hall meetings focused on health care where the right-wingers are attempting to hijack the debate over how we fix a broken and expensive health care system. We need to show them and show the media that the progressive movement, the climate movement, and the health care reform movement are not just sitting back and putting our faith in President Obama and Democratic congressmen to do the right thing. And we need to be there to talk face to face with those from the other side. I am certain, based on many experiences doing just this kind of thing, that if we talk to them with respect and patience, a small number will be willing to consider what we have to say and a larger number will begin to have some doubts. Unfortunately, too many progressive people seem to have the attitude that Obama and the Democratic leaders in Congress can take care of things. They’ve had that attitude for the last seven months, since Obama took office. I remember hearing about the low turnout at a national conference of the Campaign for America’s Future, a Democratic think tank/action center, in early June. The reports that I saw were that there were about half as many people at this event as there had been the year before. Then there were the anti-war demonstrations in D.C. and NYC in March on the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Taken together, there were a maximum of 10,000 people present, and that may be generous. It is not surprising that after Obama’s historic victory the hundreds of thousands of progressives who worked hard on his campaign would step back from the kind of intense activism many of them engaged in during 2008. This is a normal response for many campaign volunteers when their candidate for President, or any office, wins. It does make you wonder, though, about the effectiveness of the Organizing for America operation that Obama handed over to the Democratic National Committee soon after taking office. A front-page article in August 14’s New York Times, “Health Debate Fails to Ignite Obama’s Web,” explored this issue and, based upon research done in Iowa, came to the conclusion that there is “a sense of fatigue among volunteers being recruited for [the health care] battle.” Could this just possibly have something to do with people’s concerns about the power and influence of the Pentagon, the banks, the coal companies, the health insurance companies and other powerful corporations within the Obama administration and especially within Congress? You betcha, it sure seems to me. This is why I was pleased to see in my email inbox today an editorial from the upcoming August 31 issue of The Nation magazine. Entitled “Blue Dog Daze,” it criticized the “conservative” and “Blue Dog” Democrats as “the epitome of a Washington captured by moneyed interests. They aren’t working to ensure that health care reforms are paid for; they are laboring on behalf of insurance companies to protect their obscene profits.” The editorial goes on to say that
What the country needs—what Obama needs, whether he realizes it or not—is an independent, mobilized, progressive citizen’s movement that takes on the corporate lobbies, from Big Pharma to Big Oil to Wall Street; challenges the legislators who are in their pockets; and demands affordable national healthcare, renewable energy, empowerment of workers, regulation of Wall Street and more. That movement should go after the conservatives and the compromised in both parties—anyone who stands in the way of reform.
During these “dog days” of August and into September, a good place to start for independents who agree with this sentiment are the town meetings and “Energy Citizen” rallies. We should be present to speak the truth about what we need, to peacefully confront those who lie and obstruct democratic dialogue, and to engage in just that dialogue with those fellow citizens who are willing to talk.
What the country needs—what Obama needs, whether he realizes it or not—is an independent, mobilized, progressive citizen’s movement that takes on the corporate lobbies, from Big Pharma to Big Oil to Wall Street; challenges the legislators who are in their pockets; and demands affordable national healthcare, renewable energy, empowerment of workers, regulation of Wall Street and more. That movement should go after the conservatives and the compromised in both parties—anyone who stands in the way of reform.
During these “dog days” of August and into September, a good place to start for independents who agree with this sentiment are the town meetings and “Energy Citizen” rallies. We should be present to speak the truth about what we need, to peacefully confront those who lie and obstruct democratic dialogue, and to engage in just that dialogue with those fellow citizens who are willing to talk.
Scientists analyze blood to test for toxic airplane air exposure
Inside a freezer in a research laboratory at the University of Washington are blood and blood plasma samples from 92 people who suffer from mysterious illnesses, including tremors, memory loss and severe migraine headaches.They are mostly pilots and flight attendants who suspect they've been poisoned in their workplace -- on board the aircraft they fly.
Clement Furlong, University of Washington professor of medicine and genome sciences, leads a team of scientists who have been collecting the samples for 2 ½ years.
Furlong said his team is a few months away from finalizing a blood analysis test that will be able to definitely confirm whether the study participants were indeed poisoned by toxic fumes.
Results of Furlong's research could expand recognition of what a select group of researchers believes is a largely unrecognized risk of flying: the chance that poisonous fumes enter the cabin.
"There's a danger of inhaling compounds that are coming out of the engine," said Furlong in his laboratory. See a diagram of how the air is circulated »
The air we breathe on board a plane is a 50-50 mix of filtered, recirculated air and so-called "bleed air" -- which bleeds off the engines, and then is pressurized and cooled before being sent into the cabin through vents. If an engine oil seal leaks, aviation engineers and scientists say, the bleed air can become contaminated with toxins.
In 2002 the National Academies of Sciences' National Research Council reported "contaminant exposures result from the intake of chemical contaminants (e.g., engine lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids, deicing fluids and their degradation products) into the Environmental Control System and then into the cabin."
"There's a danger of inhaling compounds that are coming out of the engine," said Furlong in his laboratory.
The air we breathe on board a plane is a 50-50 mix of filtered, recirculated air and so-called "bleed air" -- which bleeds off the engines, and then is pressurized and cooled before being sent into the cabin through vents. If an engine oil seal leaks, aviation engineers and scientists say, the bleed air can become contaminated with toxins.
In 2002 the National Academies of Sciences' National Research Council reported "contaminant exposures result from the intake of chemical contaminants (e.g., engine lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids, deicing fluids and their degradation products) into the Environmental Control System and then into the cabin."
Of particular concern are toxic anti-wear agents in the oil, designed to prolong an engine's life, called tricresyl phosphates.
"The engine seals fail and there's very potent toxins that can come on board," said Furlong.
Neuropsychologist Sarah Mackenzie Ross of University College London studied 27 British pilots who claimed they had inhaled contaminated air and subsequently had difficulty processing information and slowed reaction times. Her testing confirmed their symptoms.
"They did appear to underperform on tasks that required attention, processing speed, reaction time, and what we call executive functioning, which is high-level decision making," said Ross.
Former flight attendant Terry Williams believes she is a victim of such a "fume event." She complains of debilitating migraine headaches, tremors, and blind spots in her field of vision.
"It's been so constant and just continues to worsen so it's extremely frustrating," said Williams, who is suing Boeing, the owner of McDonnell Douglas, which made the MD-82 aircraft on which she worked. "I'm frustrated that I don't feel any better and it's over two years after the exposure."
Boeing told CNN, "It is our belief that air quality on airplanes is healthy and safe."
In its response to Williams' suit, the company said: "The potential for bleed air contamination has been known through the aviation industry for many years." But Boeing denies any responsibility for Terry Williams' illness.
While Williams' symptoms appear to be quite rare, it appears that fume events occur with regularity.
A British study for the House of Lords found fume events in 1 of every 2,000 flights. In the U.S., airlines are required to report "fume events" to the Federal Aviation Administration. There were 108 such reports last year.
So why wouldn't more flight attendants, pilots and passengers suffer symptoms?
Furlong said a small percentage of people (how small is not known) appear to be highly sensitive to the most toxic chemicals. They may be genetically disposed to a strong reaction, possessing multiple genes of metabolizing proteins in their livers, or temporarily have high enzyme levels (which can be triggered by prescription drugs) that will act on the inhaled chemicals to magnify their toxicity.
"If you happen to be taking a medication that turns on the protein that converts pre-toxin to very potent toxin, you've got an issue," said Furlong.
As a result, someone sitting next to a victim may have inhaled the same contaminated fumes, but not suffer the same reaction.
How might you know that you may have been exposed to a "fume event" while flying? Experts say the telltale sign is a "dirty sock" smell. That's butyric acid from engine oil, which itself is not highly toxic. But along with it comes the deadly nonodorous compounds tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate and mono-ortho-cresyl phosphate
Boeing's new plane, the 787 Dreamliner, has been designed so that air entering the cabin from outside will not "bleed" off the engines. The company says that's only for fuel efficiency purposes, not because of any concern about the quality of bleed air in its current fleet of aircraft.
Indeed, Boeing and the FAA say the air quality on airplanes is as good or better than that of the average office building or home.
Clement Furlong, University of Washington professor of medicine and genome sciences, leads a team of scientists who have been collecting the samples for 2 ½ years.
Furlong said his team is a few months away from finalizing a blood analysis test that will be able to definitely confirm whether the study participants were indeed poisoned by toxic fumes.
Results of Furlong's research could expand recognition of what a select group of researchers believes is a largely unrecognized risk of flying: the chance that poisonous fumes enter the cabin.
"There's a danger of inhaling compounds that are coming out of the engine," said Furlong in his laboratory. See a diagram of how the air is circulated »
The air we breathe on board a plane is a 50-50 mix of filtered, recirculated air and so-called "bleed air" -- which bleeds off the engines, and then is pressurized and cooled before being sent into the cabin through vents. If an engine oil seal leaks, aviation engineers and scientists say, the bleed air can become contaminated with toxins.
In 2002 the National Academies of Sciences' National Research Council reported "contaminant exposures result from the intake of chemical contaminants (e.g., engine lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids, deicing fluids and their degradation products) into the Environmental Control System and then into the cabin."
"There's a danger of inhaling compounds that are coming out of the engine," said Furlong in his laboratory.
The air we breathe on board a plane is a 50-50 mix of filtered, recirculated air and so-called "bleed air" -- which bleeds off the engines, and then is pressurized and cooled before being sent into the cabin through vents. If an engine oil seal leaks, aviation engineers and scientists say, the bleed air can become contaminated with toxins.
In 2002 the National Academies of Sciences' National Research Council reported "contaminant exposures result from the intake of chemical contaminants (e.g., engine lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids, deicing fluids and their degradation products) into the Environmental Control System and then into the cabin."
Of particular concern are toxic anti-wear agents in the oil, designed to prolong an engine's life, called tricresyl phosphates.
"The engine seals fail and there's very potent toxins that can come on board," said Furlong.
Neuropsychologist Sarah Mackenzie Ross of University College London studied 27 British pilots who claimed they had inhaled contaminated air and subsequently had difficulty processing information and slowed reaction times. Her testing confirmed their symptoms.
"They did appear to underperform on tasks that required attention, processing speed, reaction time, and what we call executive functioning, which is high-level decision making," said Ross.
Former flight attendant Terry Williams believes she is a victim of such a "fume event." She complains of debilitating migraine headaches, tremors, and blind spots in her field of vision.
"It's been so constant and just continues to worsen so it's extremely frustrating," said Williams, who is suing Boeing, the owner of McDonnell Douglas, which made the MD-82 aircraft on which she worked. "I'm frustrated that I don't feel any better and it's over two years after the exposure."
Boeing told CNN, "It is our belief that air quality on airplanes is healthy and safe."
In its response to Williams' suit, the company said: "The potential for bleed air contamination has been known through the aviation industry for many years." But Boeing denies any responsibility for Terry Williams' illness.
While Williams' symptoms appear to be quite rare, it appears that fume events occur with regularity.
A British study for the House of Lords found fume events in 1 of every 2,000 flights. In the U.S., airlines are required to report "fume events" to the Federal Aviation Administration. There were 108 such reports last year.
So why wouldn't more flight attendants, pilots and passengers suffer symptoms?
Furlong said a small percentage of people (how small is not known) appear to be highly sensitive to the most toxic chemicals. They may be genetically disposed to a strong reaction, possessing multiple genes of metabolizing proteins in their livers, or temporarily have high enzyme levels (which can be triggered by prescription drugs) that will act on the inhaled chemicals to magnify their toxicity.
"If you happen to be taking a medication that turns on the protein that converts pre-toxin to very potent toxin, you've got an issue," said Furlong.
As a result, someone sitting next to a victim may have inhaled the same contaminated fumes, but not suffer the same reaction.
How might you know that you may have been exposed to a "fume event" while flying? Experts say the telltale sign is a "dirty sock" smell. That's butyric acid from engine oil, which itself is not highly toxic. But along with it comes the deadly nonodorous compounds tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate and mono-ortho-cresyl phosphate
Boeing's new plane, the 787 Dreamliner, has been designed so that air entering the cabin from outside will not "bleed" off the engines. The company says that's only for fuel efficiency purposes, not because of any concern about the quality of bleed air in its current fleet of aircraft.
Indeed, Boeing and the FAA say the air quality on airplanes is as good or better than that of the average office building or home.
New sustainable agriculture fellowships result in green jobs for fresh crop of campus food activists
As a new crop of college graduates worries about finding that all-important first job, and students flock to internships in food and farming, Bon Appetit Management Company (http://www.bamco.com) has established a program that brightens new graduates’ job prospects. The sustainable food service leader has created three new career-boosting paid fellowships for young campus activists involved in sustainable food and social justice. The new fellows will work directly with farmers around the country to assess overall sustainability, including labor practices in agricultural operations that supply the company’s 400 kitchens in 29 states. The Bon Appétit fellows will gather information about best practices on both small, owner-operated farms and conventional large-scale farms that currently supply products to Bon Appétit kitchens. Fellows will evaluate farmworker labor conditions, farm biodiversity, and handling of farm waste. Their reporting will be used by the company to determine how it can work with its long-time Farm to Fork small-operator partners and larger conventional suppliers to ensure the entire supply chain is as safe, efficient, and fair to farmers and farmworkers as possible. Their work will deepen understanding and strengthen relationships between buyers and farmers, ultimately benefiting the nation’s food system. Bon Appétit’s Farm to Fork partners are farms located within 150 miles of each specific restaurant where the food is served. Chefs in all 400 Bon Appétit restaurants work directly with Farm to Fork farms to meet the company’s commitment of sourcing at least 20% of all food items locally. With 10 years of the Farm-to-Fork local sourcing program under the company’s belt, Bon Appétit is taking the next step to look at labor issues both in current small-farmer partners and larger operations. Following a move in April 2009 to support the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ quest for fairness in the Florida tomato fields, Bon Appétit realized the need to explore what the company’s role could be in facilitating fair labor practices throughout their entire supply chain. The fellows will provide an informational bridge that will plant the seeds for meaningful partnerships, helping farms of all sizes serve larger buyers more effectively while fulfilling Bon Appétit’s overall sustainability goals. Says Maisie Greenawalt, Vice President, Bon Appétit Management Company, “Meaningful change at all points of the food system is our goal. The fellows program allows us to involve young people in a way that invests in both these deserving graduates and the farmers who have fed them throughout their college years. This work will result in a deeper understanding of the issues facing farmers and suppliers, and help us define a viable approach to farm worker justice as the final link in the chain of sustainability from farm to table. ” Working on the East Coast is fellow Carolina Fojo who graduated in May with honors from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in Cultural Anthropology. Fojo has lived with indigenous Fair Trade coffee producers in Oaxaca, Mexico and interned with UN affiliated NGOs on Fair Trade and worker migration issues. West Coast fellow Vera Chang is an honors graduate in Global Ethics from Carleton College. Vera is certified in permaculture design and is currently completing an apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture. Chang was also an intern with The California Food & Justice Coalition and Founder and President of Food Truth, a student organization at Carleton focusing on food issues. Midwest fellow Dayna Burtness graduated with honors from St. Olaf College with an individual major in The Politics and Practices of US Agriculture. Burtness was co-founder of St. Olaf’s student- run farm, and served as an intern with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. She went on to become a Program Associate for the institute’s Local Foods Program. All fellows are hired for a period of one year with a possibility of renewal for a second term. “Agriculture in the United States today faces real pressure to change for the better. As a recent college graduate, I see my Bon Appetit fellowship as a fascinating and critical opportunity for me to work on positive ways to improve our national food system. This is a terrific chance to bring together the best thinking in business with young graduates’ energy and commitment. I look forward to working towards a more socially responsible food system with Bon Appetit and partnering farms." said Dayna Burtness, Midwest fellow. In today’s economy, recent graduates face a tough climate for first-time employment. At the same time, challenges in the food system present an unprecedented opportunity for positive change. Landing a dream green job is a boost for these hardworking young people, giving them first-hand experience of the sweet spot between business and sustainability and providing a platform for career growth in the years to come.
About Bon Appétit Bon Appétit Management Company (www.bamco.com) is an onsite restaurant company offering full foodservice management to corporations, universities and specialty venues. Bon Appétit is committed to sourcing sustainable, local foods for all cafés throughout the country. A pioneer in environmentally sound sourcing policies, Bon Appétit has developed programs addressing local purchasing, the overuse of antibiotics, sustainable seafood, cage-free eggs, and most recently, the connection between food and climate change. The company has received numerous awards for its work from organizations like the Natural Resources Defense Council, Seafood Choices Alliance, The Humane Society of the United States, and Food Alliance. Based in Palo Alto, CA, Bon Appétit has more than 400 cafés in 29 states, including eBay, the University of Pennsylvania and the Getty Center.
About Bon Appétit Bon Appétit Management Company (www.bamco.com) is an onsite restaurant company offering full foodservice management to corporations, universities and specialty venues. Bon Appétit is committed to sourcing sustainable, local foods for all cafés throughout the country. A pioneer in environmentally sound sourcing policies, Bon Appétit has developed programs addressing local purchasing, the overuse of antibiotics, sustainable seafood, cage-free eggs, and most recently, the connection between food and climate change. The company has received numerous awards for its work from organizations like the Natural Resources Defense Council, Seafood Choices Alliance, The Humane Society of the United States, and Food Alliance. Based in Palo Alto, CA, Bon Appétit has more than 400 cafés in 29 states, including eBay, the University of Pennsylvania and the Getty Center.
North America will map carbon-intensive industries
At the North American Leaders' Summit last week, a new type of atlas was unveiled. The "North American Carbon Atlas" will pinpoint carbon-intensive industries and locate underground sites for carbon capture and storage in the US, Canada and Mexico. The partnership will also explore ways to collaborate on research, development and demonstration. "It will be important for the database to follow changes from year to year," says Diana Liverman of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford according to the New Scientist. If the project is well done, it could be the basis for carbon trading, she adds
COP15 – the crucial conference
The ambition of the Danish government is that the COP15 conference in Copenhagen will result in an ambitious global agreement incorporating all the countries of the world.
Ministry of Climate and Energy of Denmark
At the time of the adoption of the Bali Action Plan, the Danish, Polish and Indonesian governments agreed to strive to ensure that the COP15 conference in Copenhagen in 2009 would be absolutely crucial for the work of the next many years towards a better climate. The background to this decision was partly the increased focus on quick action in the latest report from the IPCC. It was also partly an acknowledgement of the fact that 2009 represents more or less the last chance to achieve an agreement, if this agreement is to be approved and ratified in time for it to come into force after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
The UNFCCC’s history shows that countries can quickly move forward together, but also that they risk coming to a standstill because of internal disagreement. The ambition of the Danish government is that the COP15 conference in Copenhagen will result in an ambitious global agreement incorporating all the countries of the world.
Developments in the world since the Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in 1997 show that a new agreement is needed. China has replaced the USA as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and the price of oil has soared. This is a reminder of the fact that fossil fuels do not merely pollute; they are also a source of energy whose reserves are constantly being reduced. The aim of the Danish government is to achieve an agreement that both reduces the total quantity of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and is supported by as many countries as possible.
Ministry of Climate and Energy of Denmark
At the time of the adoption of the Bali Action Plan, the Danish, Polish and Indonesian governments agreed to strive to ensure that the COP15 conference in Copenhagen in 2009 would be absolutely crucial for the work of the next many years towards a better climate. The background to this decision was partly the increased focus on quick action in the latest report from the IPCC. It was also partly an acknowledgement of the fact that 2009 represents more or less the last chance to achieve an agreement, if this agreement is to be approved and ratified in time for it to come into force after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
The UNFCCC’s history shows that countries can quickly move forward together, but also that they risk coming to a standstill because of internal disagreement. The ambition of the Danish government is that the COP15 conference in Copenhagen will result in an ambitious global agreement incorporating all the countries of the world.
Developments in the world since the Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in 1997 show that a new agreement is needed. China has replaced the USA as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and the price of oil has soared. This is a reminder of the fact that fossil fuels do not merely pollute; they are also a source of energy whose reserves are constantly being reduced. The aim of the Danish government is to achieve an agreement that both reduces the total quantity of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and is supported by as many countries as possible.
Solar power brings light to Bangladesh villages
With state-owned and private sector fossil-fuel power plants only capable of delivering up to 3,800 megawatts of electricity a day against a demand of 5,500 megawatts, solar energy systems offer some relief to millions of villagers in Bangladesh."Life has become much easier now," said Kulsum Begum, a mother of four whose husband and son work abroad and who lives in Pritomoddi, some 60 km (40 miles) southeast of the capital Dhaka.Begum installed a 40-watt solar system on the roof of her house. The system powers four light bulbs, one television and also recharges her lifeline: the mobile phone."Whenever I need something, I call my husband or son on the cell phone. I am so happy now," she said.The solar energy systems offered to Bangladesh villagers are heavily subsidized by the World Bank and run by the state-owned Infrastructure and Development Company Limited (IDCOL).Prices of a solar system span from 9,500 taka ($135) to 68,000 taka ($970) depending on capacity but the villagers usually pay in installments. Prices are also set to fall after the government lifted import duties on solar panels last month.Grameen Shakti, a non-profit organization linked to the Nobel Prize winning micro credit agency Grameen Bank, works with the World Bank and IDCOL to spread the technology throughout the impoverished country."Right now 2.5 million people are benefiting from solar energy and we have a plan to reach 10 million people by the end of 2012," said Dipal Chandra Barua, Managing Director of Grameen Shakti.Since June, Grameen Shakti has installed more than 250,000 solar home systems, accounting for some 66 per cent of the total of solar-powered households. Barua said around 10,000 new solar home systems are being fitted every month.
Youths from 110 countries inspire climate action
The biggest-ever youth conference on climate change began Monday, as 800 young environmental activists from 110 countries gathered in the central South Korean city of Daejeon.The week-long conference is aimed at giving young people a chance to demand action on global warming ahead of the pivotal UN climate change conference in Copenhagen in December.The youth climate conference "is a gathering of the generation that will inherit the outcome of the decisions taken in December and beyond,” said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which is organizing the event.The 800 participants aged between 10 and 24 years were chosen from thousands of applicants due to their outstanding green projects, the UN body said.Among these are a rap video by two Canadian teenagers on how people can reduce their environmental footprint, a drive to distribute 500 low-energy light bulbs in Nepal, a car pooling initiative in Samoa, a recycling project in Sierra Leone and a river clean-up in Russia.
Ocean temperature breaks the record
Once again, the world sets new temperature records. According to an analysis by NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, USA, the planet’s ocean surface temperature in July has broken the previous high mark from 1998. The global ocean surface temperature for July was 0.59 degrees C (1.06 degrees F) above the 20th century average of 16.4 degrees C (61.5 degrees F). All in all, the planet was warmer than normal, though July ranked “only” fifth-warmest since world-wide records began in 1880. The combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for July 2009 ends at 0.57 degrees C (1.03 degrees F) above the 20th century average of 15.8 degrees C (60.4 degrees F). According to the federal scientists, it was hotter than usual in Europe, Northern Africa and a large part of Western North America. Across these regions, temperatures were about 2-4 degrees C (4-7 degrees F) above average. However, Southern South America, Central Canada, the Eastern United States and parts of Western and Eastern Asia experienced cooler than average conditions, where region-wide temperatures were nearly 2-4 degrees C (4-7 degrees F) below average
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