Global Warming Today articles from August 2005

Global Warming Today archives from August 2005

House, Senate Approve Energy Policy Act of 2005.
August 1, 2005... The U.S. Senate approved Friday afternoon, by a vote of 74 to 26, the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The House of Representatives passed the legislation on Thursday by a vote of 275 to 156. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce noted that...

Merzbach, ECF Sign Agreement on GHG Reduction Projects.
August 1, 2005... Merzbach Group, LLC recently announced it has entered into a framework cooperation agreement with IXIS Environment & Infrastructures, acting as investment manager of the European Carbon Fund (ECF), by which Merzbach may finance clean...

Asia-Pacific Partnership Formed on Clean Development, Climate.
August 1, 2005... The U.S., Australia, China, India, Japan and South Korea joined together last week in announcing the creation of a new Asia-Pacific partnership on clean development, energy security and climate change. "This results-oriented partnership...

Mazda Adopts New 'Eco-friendly' Painting Process.
August 2, 2005... Mazda recently announced it has developed a new electrodeposition basecoat -- known as e-coating -- that is designed to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. According to Mazda, the new painting technology, which the automaker says...

UNEP Official Issues Statement on U.S-led Climate Initiative.
August 2, 2005... United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) executive director Klaus Toepfer has welcomed the U.S.' plan to work with Australia and Asian countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, maintaining that "rapidly developing economies like China...

Point Carbon Releases Updated Global Carbon Market Forecast.
August 2, 2005... Point Carbon, recently announced the release of its updated forecast for the 2005 global carbon market. Point Carbon estimates that the total size of the market could grow to more than 5 billion euros (about $6.1 billion) this year. ...

MIT Researcher Sees Links Between Warming, Hurricanes.
August 3, 2005... The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently announced that an MIT professor has released the results of research he says indicates that hurricanes have become more powerful over the past three decades, due in part to global...

Energy Companies Call for U.K. Action on Climate Change.
August 3, 2005... Friends of the Earth (FOE) recently reported that a coalition of energy and environmental interests, including FOE, Greenpeace, the U.K. Business Council for Sustainable Energy and eight energy companies, recently sent a joint letter to the...

EIA Predicts 30.2 Billion Metric Tons of CO2 Emissions in 2010.
August 3, 2005... The Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently announced the release of the "International Energy Outlook 2005" (IEO2005), which projects that worldwide energy consumption will grow by 57 percent between 2002 and 2005. According to...

Central Vermont Public Service Joins Chicago Climate Exchange.
August 4, 2005... Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS) recently announced it has joined the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) to take part in the exchange's voluntary, legally binding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction and trading program. According to...

EC Finds Support for Including Aviation in Climate Efforts.
August 4, 2005... The European Commission (EC) published late last week the results of a two-month public internet consultation conducted by the commission, which reveal broad support among the aviation industry, NGOs and citizens for taking action to limit "the...

Canada Supports New Net Zero Energy Housing Initiative.
August 4, 2005... Canadian labor and housing minister Joe Fontana, through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), has announced $1 million in funding to start the first phase of a "net zero energy healthy housing initiative." According to...

EcoSecurities, JCF Develop Small-scale CDM Project Facility.
August 5, 2005... EcoSecurities and Japan Carbon Finance, Ltd. (JCF) recently announced that they have entered into an agreement for the acquisition of certified emissions reductions (CERs) utilizing Japan's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (JGRF). According...

FOE U.K. Says DTI Figures Indicate Rising CO2 Emissions.
August 5, 2005... Friends of the Earth (FOE) U.K. recently announced that, using the latest figures released by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), it has calculated that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from January to May increased by 1.79 percent. Using...

Weekly Update.
August 5, 2005... ENERGY 2005, August 12-17, 2005, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA INTERNATIONAL ENERGY PROGRAM EVALUATION CONFERENCE, August 17-19, 2005, New York Marriott Brooklyn Bridge, New York, NY RESOURCE 05: LOW CARBON TECHNOLOGY...

Rheem Tests Industrial Nanotech's PT, High Heat Coatings.
August 8, 2005... Industrial Nanotech, Inc. recently announced that Rheem Australia and Rheem New Zealand are testing the company's Nansulate Translucent PT and high heat coatings for the reduction of heat loss in heater cylinders to help reduce greenhouse gas...

Study Questions Carbon Absorption Capacity of Land and Ocean.
August 8, 2005... The University of California (UC), Berkeley recently announced that a new study, the results of which appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds that "if current production of carbon from fossil fuels continues...

Research Finds Ice Shelf Collapse May Be Linked to Warming.
August 8, 2005... The Australian recently reported that a team of geologists has determined that the collapse of an Antarctic ice shelf in 2002 may be linked to global warming. According to the newspaper, the researchers said the collapse of the Larsen B...

New Zealand Steel, Government to Enter NGA Agreement.
August 9, 2005... New Zealand Steel and the New Zealand government recently announced they are to enter talks for a negotiated greenhouse agreement (NGA). According to the government, firms that obtain an NGA receive exemptions to the carbon tax in return...

Scottish Schools to Establish Carbon Storage Research Center.
August 9, 2005... The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) recently announced the awarding of nearly 8 million pounds (about $14.3 million) in funding through its Strategic Research Development Grant, with 1.4 million pounds (about $2.5 million)...

President Bush Signs Energy Bill Into Law.
August 10, 2005... U.S. President George Bush signed into law on Monday the Energy Policy Act of 2005, comprehensive legislation designed to encourage energy efficiency and conservation, promote alternative and renewable energy sources, reduce U.S. dependence on...

New Report Urges Pension Trustees to Address Climate Risk.
August 10, 2005... The Carbon Trust recently announced the release of a new report, titled "A Climate for Change: A Trustee's Guide to Understanding and Addressing Climate Risk," which was prepared for both it and the Institutional Investors Group on Climate...

DOE Releases Vision & Framework for U.S. Climate Program.
August 10, 2005... The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the release of its new "Vision and Framework for Strategy and Planning" report. According to DOE, the report supports the department's goals of reducing emissions from energy use and...

OSU Says Oregon Coast Could See More 'Dead Zone' Events.
August 11, 2005... Local Oregon newspaper The Jacksonville News reported earlier this week that scientists at Oregon State University (OSU) have predicted that the Pacific Ocean off the Oregon coast could experience warming-related "dead zone" events similar to...

J-Power to Purchase Brazilian Company's GHG Reduction Credits.
August 11, 2005... Japan Today recently reported that Tokyo-based Electric Power Development Company, Ltd., or J-Power, has reached an agreement with Brazil's Essencis Solucoes Ambientais S.A. for the purchase of 2.8 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission...

WWF Urges Government to Begin Testing Geosequestration.
August 11, 2005... The Australian recently reported that World Wide Fund for Nature Australia (WWF Australia) is urging the federal government to begin conducting tests of geosequestration technology sooner than the currently scheduled start date of late next...

AEP Expands CO2 Reduction Commitment Through 2010.
August 12, 2005... American Electric Power recently announced it will expand and extend its commitment to voluntarily reduce, avoid or sequester its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through 2010, while continuing its membership in the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX)...

Verdiem Touts Ability of Software to Reduce PC Emissions.
August 12, 2005... Seattle, WA-based Verdiem recently announced that a drop in energy use by personal computers (PCs) employing the company's power management software Surveyor is expected to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50 million pounds this year....

IEA Cautions Australia on Environmental Sustainability.
August 12, 2005... The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently announced the release of a new report, titled "Energy Policies of IEA Countries -- The Australian 2005 Review," which indicates that while Australian energy markets have low prices and high levels...

Weekly Update.
August 12, 2005... ENERGY 2005, August 12-17, 2005, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA INTERNATIONAL ENERGY PROGRAM EVALUATION CONFERENCE, August 17-19, 2005, New York Marriott Brooklyn Bridge, New York, NY RESOURCE 05: LOW CARBON TECHNOLOGY...

Czech Companies Miss Deadline to Apply for Emissions Permits.
August 15, 2005... The Prague Daily Monitor recently reported that, according to the daily newspaper Hospodarske noviny, 53 companies in Czechoslovakia could be fined for failing to meet a deadline to apply for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions permits. ...

WWF Report Finds European Cities Getting Hotter.
August 15, 2005... The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently released a report titled "Europe feels the heat -- Extreme weather and the power sector," which analyzes summer temperature data from 16 European cities and finds that the continent's capitals have warmed...

Report Finds Automaker Strategies Aggravating Global Warming.
August 15, 2005... Environmental Defense recently announced the release of a new report, titled "Automakers' Corporate Carbon Burdens," which finds that "despite growing concern over global warming, major automakers still pursue product strategies that make the...

Researchers Find Increased Peat Bog Melting in Western Siberia.
August 16, 2005... NewScientist.com recently reported that University of Oxford researcher Judith Marquand and botanist Sergei Kirpotin from Russia's Tomsk State University have revealed upon their return from western Siberia that the region's...

Canada Proposes Domestic Offset Credit System Rules.
August 16, 2005... Environment Canada recently announced that the Canadian government has proposed a set of rules for a domestic offset credit system, which will provide incentives for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Environment Canada noted...

Sapporo Looks to Reduce Emissions 50 Percent From 1990 Levels.
August 16, 2005... Japanese news service Kyodo recently reported that Tokyo-based Sapporo Breweries, Ltd. revealed late last week its intention to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 50 percent from 1990 levels by 2010. According to Kyodo, Sapporo noted...

Researchers Consider Source of Warming Measurement Discrepancy.
August 17, 2005... Yale University recently announced the release of a report by Yale and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists which suggests that "the effect of the sun's heat on weather balloons largely accounts for a data...

Canada Invests in Nanotech-based Coating R&D.
August 17, 2005... Canadian deputy prime minister and minister of public safety and emergency preparedness Anne McLellan recently announced, on behalf of industry minister David Emerson, an investment of up to $3.5 million for research and development (R&D) of...

Researchers Devise New Cloud-based Method for Fighting Warming.
August 18, 2005... U.K. newspaper The Times recently reported that Edinburgh University engineering design professor emeritus Stephen Salter and the National Center for Atmospheric Research's (NCAR) John Latham have devised a new method for combatting global...

Japanese Joint Venture Looks to Begin Carbon Trading in China.
August 18, 2005... Kyodo recently reported that Japanese firms JGC Corporation, Marubeni Corporation and Daioh Construction Company have formed a joint venture for the trading of carbon credits in China. According to Kyodo, the firms will aid a chemical...

Clif Bar, GHN Tour Raises Warming Awareness.
August 18, 2005... Berkeley, CA-based Clif Bar & Company recently announced it has joined with the Green House Network (GHN), a nonprofit organization dedicated to public education about global climate change, to host a four-city "Santa Claus" tour designed to...

Researchers Find Warming May Be Increasing Antarctic Sea Ice.
August 19, 2005... NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) recently announced that a new administration-funded study finds that predicted increases in precipitation due to warmer air temperatures from greenhouse gases may actually increase sea ice volume in the...

Government of Canada Invests in Clean Energy Technology.
August 19, 2005... The Canadian government recently announced a $2.3-million investment for the development of new greenhouse gas (GHG) and waste reduction technology. According to the government, the Technology Partnerships Canada (TPC) investment is part...

Portland Reveals CO2 Emissions Higher Than First Reported.
August 19, 2005... The City of Portland, OR's Office of Sustainable Development (OSD) recently announced that while it reported in June that local emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) were 0.1 percent below 1990 levels, the office subsequently discovered a "minor...

Weekly Update.
August 19, 2005... RESOURCE 05: LOW CARBON TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE, September 13-15, 2005, BRE Watford, Watford, England REDUCTION OF EMISSIONS AND GEOLOGICAL STORAGE OF CO2 -- INNOVATION AND INDUSTRIAL STAKES, September 15-16, 2005, Hotel Le Meridien Etoile,...

Weyerhaeuser to Help Conserve Forests Using Carbon Markets.
August 22, 2005... Forest products interest Weyerhaeuser Company recently announced it is teaming with The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International, as well as other corporations, in joining the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA), the...

NASA Goddard to Deploy Altair's PBS Professional.
August 22, 2005... Troy, MI-based Altair Engineering, Inc. recently announced that Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) plans to integrate Altair's PBS Professional workload management and batch queuing solution on Intel Itanium 2 processors for NASA's Goddard Space...

Shell U.K. Invites Businesses to Compete for Climate Grants.
August 22, 2005... Shell U.K. recently announced the launch of "Shell Springboard," a new pilot program that will provide grants of up to 40,000 pounds (about $71,870) to a small number of U.K. businesses that submit "the most compelling plans for a product or...

Cal/EPA Signs Building Energy Efficiency Agreement.
August 23, 2005... The California Department of General Services (DGS) recently announced that three state office buildings will receive energy "tune ups" under an agreement signed late last week by California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) secretary...

British, Russian Scientists Make Climate Change Wager.
August 23, 2005... U.K. newspaper The Guardian recently reported that British climate scientist James Annan has made a $10,000 bet with Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics researchers Vladimir Bashkirtsev and Galina Mashnich over the future global climate. ...

Research and Markets Reports on the Finance of Climate Change.
August 23, 2005... Research and Markets recently announced the availability of a new report, titled "The Finance of Climate Change -- A Guide for Governments, Corporations and Investors." According to Research and Markets, the report considers the role of...

HTC Purenergy Launches Commercial Marketing Operations.
August 24, 2005... HTC Purenergy, the commercial brand of Saskatchewan, Canada-based energy technology company HTC Hydrogen Technologies Corporation, recently announced the launch of the HTC Purenergy commercial marketing operations. According to HTC...

Scientist Resigns From CCSP Committee, Cites Political Bias.
August 24, 2005... The National Center for Policy Analysis recently reported the resignation of Colorado state climatologist and Colorado State University professor Roger Pielke from the Climate Change Science Program (CCSP). According to NCPA, Pielke, whose...

Ottawa Hospital Expects Energy Savings Via Completed Retrofits.
August 25, 2005... The Ottawa Hospital and Honeywell International recently announced the completion of construction on a $17-million energy retrofit effort that is expected to save the hospital $2.7 million in energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by...

NZ Landfill Gas Project Awarded 28,000 Emissions Units.
August 25, 2005... The New Zealand government recently announced that the Tirohia landfill gas project, proposed by HG Leach and Company, Ltd., has been awarded 28,000 internationally tradable emissions units under the government's Projects to Reduce Emissions...

FOE Cymru Criticizes Study of New Flights' Impact in Wales.
August 25, 2005... Welsh newspaper Western Mail recently reported that Friends of the Earth (FOE) Cymru has condemned a new report, obtained by the newspaper, which evaluates the environmental impact of two new daily flights between the island of Anglesey and the...

Report Says Arctic Could be 'Ice-free' by 2100.
August 26, 2005... The University of Arizona (UA) recently announced that a new report warns that current warming trends in the Arctic may cause the Arctic system to become seasonally "ice-free" within 100 years. The report is the result of a weeklong meeting...

Greenpeace Protests Climate Change in South Australia.
August 26, 2005... Greenpeace Australia Pacific recently announced the arrival of its "Rainbow Warrior" flagship at the mouth of Australia's Murray River in an effort to encourage government protection of the Murray Darling Basin from climate change by...

NHPIRG Releases '2005 Report Card on Climate Change Action'.
August 26, 2005... The New Hampshire Public Interest Research Group (NHPIRG) recently announced the release of its "2005 Report Card on Climate Change Action," which concludes that although some progress has occurred, the region is still not yet on a trajectory...

Weekly Update.
August 26, 2005... RESOURCE 05: LOW CARBON TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE, September 13-15, 2005, BRE Watford, Watford, England REDUCTION OF EMISSIONS AND GEOLOGICAL STORAGE OF CO2 -- INNOVATION AND INDUSTRIAL STAKES, September 15-16, 2005, Hotel Le Meridien Etoile,...

Northeast States Consider Joining to Cap GHG Emissions.
August 29, 2005... Reuters reported last week that officials in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont are working to develop a plan that would cap, and eventually reduce, greenhouse gas (GHG)...

Federal Court Allows Global Warming Lawsuit to Proceed.
August 29, 2005... Friends of the Earth (FOE) recently reported that a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has allowed a global warming lawsuit, filed in August 2002 by FOE, Greenpeace and the cities of Boulder, CO and...

NOAA Finds Climate Change Contributing to Coral Reef Stress.
August 29, 2005... The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently announced the release of a new report, titled "The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2005," which finds that the nation's...

Buller Refurbishment Project Awarded Emissions Units.
August 30, 2005... The New Zealand government recently announced that a Kawatiri Energy, Ltd. proposal to refurbish the Buller Electric Power Station has been awarded more than 34,000 internationally tradable emissions units under the federal Projects to Reduce...

Australian Fossils Provide Potential Climate Change Information.
August 30, 2005... The Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported last week that a team of scientists from the Queensland Museum have unearthed fossils in Mount Etna Caves National Park and the Capricorn Tourist Caves outside the city of Rockhampton that provide...

CA, OR, WA to Discuss Combined Approach to GHG Reduction.
August 30, 2005... The Washington Post reported late last week that California is looking to cut its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 under a regional GHG reduction plan set to be discussed next month in Sacramento, CA with officials from...

CalSTRS Joins California Climate Action Registry.
August 31, 2005... The California State Teachers' Retirement Systems (CalSTRS) recently joined the California Climate Action Registry and will now begin measuring and reporting its emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). CalSTRS noted that its participation in...

Australian Scientist Predicts Effects of Rising Temperatures.
August 31, 2005... The Australian recently reported that environmental scientist Tim Flannery warned attendees of a lecture on climate change held earlier this month at the Museum of South Australia that continually rising global temperatures are anticipated to...