Global Warming Today articles from December 2006

Global Warming Today archives from December 2006

US opposes airlines emissions tax.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 1, 2006... The Bush administration opposes European plans to require airlines to curb greenhouse gases on grounds it would unfairly disadvantage US carriers. "We are strongly opposed to the imposition of a tax. We think this will violate trade...

Indian scientists link heavier rains and global warming.(International Report)
December 1, 2006... Indian scientists said last week they have observed evidence that global warming is intensifying monsoons. Heavy rainfall observed during recent monsoons can only get worse, according to a team of scientists from the Indian Institute of...

Study: old-growth forests store 'significant amounts' of carbon.(Industry Report)
December 1, 2006... Old-growth forest might store more carbon than previously thought, according to a study published in Science last week. The forests, at least 100 years old, are widespread in tropical and subtropical developing countries. Until now, they...

Canadian fishing authorities consider global warming.(International Report)
December 4, 2006... Global warming and unpredictable fish behavior could prompt Fisheries and Oceans Canada to shorten openings and further restrict the number of boats on the fishing grounds. "We're seeing effects already, whether you call it climate change...

Western states to collaborate on global warming fight.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 4, 2006... California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington will collaborate on ways to fight global warming and use energy more efficiently under an agreement regulators signed Friday in San Francisco. The agreement commits the states to review each...

UrbanScooters launches online marketplace.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 4, 2006... UrbanScooters.com announced last Wednesday its new online Marketplace that features reviews of "low global warming emission transportation alternatives." "Electric cars and other cleaner modes of transportation are out there," said Frank...

Global warming hurting ski industry in Spain.(International Report)
December 5, 2006... Global warming is threatening the ski industry in Spain, where nearly all ski slopes are closed for lack of snow. The Pyrenees Mountains have a quarter of the usual amount of snow for the beginning of December, and the situation is similar...

CGIAR Developing climate-resilient crops.(Industry Report)
December 5, 2006... Researchers at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research are developing climate-resilient agriculture to reduce the impact of global warming on food supplies. Climate change is expected to disproportionately affect the...

Scientists predict declining crops due to global warming.(Industry Report)
December 5, 2006... Higher temperatures, due to global warming, could cause a 40% drop in some of California's most popular crops by mid-century, according to new research in the journal Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. Almonds, walnuts, oranges, avocados...

Boxer promises action on global warming.(Industry Report)
December 6, 2006... Senator Barbara Boxer will head the leading Senate Environment and Public Works Committee next year. Boxer announced Tuesday that "the days of rollbacks" on environmental protection are over. Boxer said her first act would be to convene a...

Research indicates southern ocean could slow global warming.(Industry Report)
December 6, 2006... The southern ocean may slow the rate of global warming by absorbing significantly more heat and carbon dioxide than previously thought, according to a recent study from the University of Arizona in Tucson. According to researchers, the...

Earth911.org launches global warming section.(Industry Report)
December 6, 2006... Earth 911.org has launched a new section dedicated to global warming. The new section aims to provide visitors with educational and actionable information to help them better understand what global warming is, and what efforts they can take to...

Tokyo joins large cities climate change group.(International Report)
December 7, 2006... Tokyo recently joined the Large Cities Climate Change Group. The group is made up of cities committed to the reduction of urban carbon emissions and adapting to climate change. It was founded following the World Cities Leadership Climate Change...

World bank says India ahead in adapting to global warming.(International Report)
December 7, 2006... India is ahead of most developing nations in putting in place measures to help it adapt to climate change, the World Bank said Thursday. "Adaptation is the same as development as it is basically about improving people's ability to deal...

Study says global warming hurts phytoplankton.(Industry Report)
December 7, 2006... A 10-year, satellite-based analysis has shown for the first time that primary biological productivity in the oceans--the growth of phytoplankton that forms the basis for the rest of the marine food chain--is tightly linked to climate change,...

Research compares past global warming to future.(Industry Report)
December 8, 2006... Earth could be in store for some significant global warming according to research published Dec. 8 in the journal Science. Researchers looked at an episode of rapid climate change known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum that occurred...

Researchers say oil transition has major environmental risks.(Industry Report)
December 8, 2006... The transition to substitute fossil-based liquid hydrocarbons will increase global greenhouse gas emissions unless mitigating steps are taken, according to researchers at UC Berkeley. The global energy system is in the early stages of a...

EPA issues green challenge to Fortune 500 companies.(Industry Report)
December 8, 2006... The US Environmental Protection Agency has called on Fortune 500 companies to double their current level of green power purchasing. Green power is environmentally friendly electricity obtained from renewable sources such as solar, wind,...

Senator releases Global Warming Skeptic's Guide.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 11, 2006... Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee Senator James Inhofe last week released the committee-published booklet entitled "A Skeptic's Guide to Debunking Global Warming Alarmism. Hot and Cold Media Spin Cycle: A Challenge to...

Global warming group considers national efforts.(Editorials, Asides, & Reviews)
December 11, 2006... The Greentech Innovation Network--a coalition of environmental entrepreneurs and venture capitalists who lobbied for California's global warming law--is considering pushing for national laws on climate change. The group, created by...

Study says hydropower contributes to global warming.(Industry Report)
December 11, 2006... Hydropower contributes to global warming, according to a study conducted across Southeast Asia by Taiwan's National Sun Yat-sen University and National Central University. Hydropower is usually considered the cleanest form of power...

Oakland aims to be oil free by 2020.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 12, 2006... Oakland, California is preparing to convene a task force that will try to make the city independent of oil by 2020. The 11-member oil-independence task force will look at ways to decrease the city's reliance on fossil fuels, including oil...

EC to propose mandatory renewable energy target.(International Report)
December 12, 2006... The European Commission will propose a mandatory target next month for energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020, according to a policy draft released last week. The draft of the EU executive's Renewable Energy Road Map, obtained...

UN will say human impact on global warming less than previously thought.(International Report)
December 12, 2006... The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is expected to report that humankind's impact on global climate is less than previously believed. According to the UK-based Telegraph, a report due from the IPCC in February...

Exxon mobil offers 25-year outlook, greenhouse gas expectations.(Industry Report)
December 13, 2006... Global oil and gas reserves are abundant, and even at lower prices companies could extract them profitably, Exxon Mobil Corporation said yesterday in its latest 25-year outlook. Exxon Mobil's Jamie Spellings said energy demand growth will...

Study: Arctic circle ice to disappear by 2040.(Industry Report)
December 13, 2006... The frozen sea areas in the Arctic circle will be completely gone by the summer 2040 due to global warming, according to a study from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the University of Washington, and McGill University. ...

Report says global warming to hurt Alpine ski industry.(International Report)
December 13, 2006... Global warming poses a serious threat to Alpine ski resorts and the economies that depend on them, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Wednesday. The OECD carried out a study of ski areas across the Alps and...

Correction.(Correction notice)
December 13, 2006... The correct link to A Skeptic's Guide to Debunking Global Warming Alarmism featured in Senator Releases Global Warming Skeptic's Guide Dec. 12 is http://epw.senate.gov/repwhitepapers/6345050%20Hot%20&%20Cold%20Media.pdf

Report looks at global warming's affects on New England.(Industry Report)
December 14, 2006... Global warming holds "massive implications" for New England's coastal communities and economies, including warmer water temperatures that could increase stress on already dwindling Georges Bank fish stocks, according to a report released this...

UN says global warming not to blame for cyclone increases.(Industry Report)
December 14, 2006... There is no definite causal link between global warming and the intensity and frequency of cyclones, the United Nations said this week. The UN World Meteorological Organization consulted 125 researchers and forecasters before making the...

UN looks at cows' contributions to global warming.(Industry Report)
December 14, 2006... The livestock sector is one of the most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, including global warming, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. In a recently released report called Livestock's...

Energy experts push for carbon price.(Industry Report)
December 15, 2006... The US needs to set a carbon price as the first step in cutting emissions of carbon dioxide, a panel of environmental and energy experts said last week. The panel included Stanford University climatologist Stephen Schneider, Sierra Club...

Insects provide evidence of global warming.(Industry Report)
December 15, 2006... Small insects called midges are providing evidence of global warming's effects, according to researchers from Ohio State University. The scientists created a history of changing midge communities for six remote mountain lakes in the...

Global warming improves sex life of subordinate seals.(Industry Report)
December 15, 2006... Climate change is enhancing the sex life of subordinate male grey seals on the remote Scottish Island of North Rona, according to researchers at the UK's Durham University and the University of St Andrews. Warmer and drier autumns have led...

European Parliament adopts emissions targets.(International Report)
December 18, 2006... By 2020, the EU should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% and produce 25% of its primary energy through renewables, according to a report adopted by the European Parliament last week. The European Parliament adopted the Eluned...

Study: global warming to increase world sea levels more than previously expected.(Industry Report)
December 18, 2006... Global warming will cause a greater than previously expected rise in the world's sea levels, according to a new study from Germany's Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Researchers used a new semi-empirical method instead of...

Organizations Rank 2006 among warmest years.(Industry Report)
December 18, 2006... Several national and international climate agencies last week issued statements ranking 2006 among the warmest years recorded. British weather officials and the World Meteorological Organization, based in Geneva, estimated that 2006 would...

Environment Northwest presents climate change roadmap.(International Report)
December 19, 2006... Canadian non-profit environmental group Environment Northwest has released a plan "governments must act on" if they hope to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets for eastern Canada and the US northeast. The organization's Climate Change...

Study looks at benefits of tree planting to combat global warming.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 19, 2006... Planting trees can help fight global warming if they're planted in the right spots, according to US and French climate experts. Tree-planting programs in the tropics work because tropical forests absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and...

Survey reveals American voters' views on global warming.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 19, 2006... American voters see global warming as a serious problem but are divided as to whether it's caused by human activities or long-term planetary trends, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey. Of the 1,000 likely voters polled, 45% consider...

Global warming affecting Washington DC trees.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 20, 2006... Global warming is causing a change in Washington DC's tree population, according to the National Arbor Day Foundation. In a revised map of hardiness zones-bands of similar temperatures where similar trees are likely to grow in winter-the...

European Commission proposes including air transport in emissions trading.(International Report)
December 20, 2006... The European Commission Wednesday proposed legislation to bring greenhouse gas emissions from civil aviation into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The proposed directive will cover emissions from flights within the EU from 2011 and all...

Global warming said to alter European bird migration.(International Report)
December 20, 2006... Many European birds haven't flown south for the winter due to mild weather experts widely link to global warming. Robins, thrushes and ducks that would normally fly south have been seen in Scandinavia this month, much later than usual. ...

EPA certifies Palo Alto as green community.(Industry Report)
December 21, 2006... The US Environmental Protection Agency has certified Palo Alto, California, as a Green Power Community, the first designation of its kind in the state and the fourth in the nation. The EPA's Green Power Communities demonstrate environmental...

Boston adopts USGBC standards.(Industry Report)
December 21, 2006... Boston this week announced plans to amend its building code to require that all large-scale private construction meet the minimum standards of the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for new...

Rising sea levels submerge South Asian islands.(International Report)
December 21, 2006... Rising sea levels have submerged the islands of Suparibhanga and Lohacharra in the Sunderbands in the Ganges River Delta. According to a six-year study of the impact of climate change on the area shared by India and Bangladesh, only 100 of...

Australia needs carbon price to bring change to energy industry.(International Report)
December 22, 2006... Australia won't change the high emissions rate from its energy sector or the high growth in energy consumption without a carbon tax, according to research released last week from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics. ...

Non-hibernating bears in Spain linked to global warming.(International Report)
December 22, 2006... Bears in the mountains of northern Spain have stopped hibernating, scientists said last week, linking the situation to global warming. The roughly 130 brown bears have been active in the forests of Spain's Cantabrian mountains, when...

EPEAT computers aim to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 22, 2006... More than 300 computers have been registered with the electronic product environment assessment tool, a green computer standard released in July by the Green Electronics Council. EPEAT-registered computers have reduced levels of cadmium,...

ClimDev Africa to monitor global warming trends.(International Report)
December 26, 2006... United Nations agencies will intensify monitoring of global warming trends in Africa through a new initiative called ClimDev Africa. The Global Climate Observing System, a partnership of UN agencies including the World Meteorological...

China and India to investigate global warming's impact on glaciers.(International Report)
December 26, 2006... China and India recently agreed to a joint expedition to the Himalayas to study the impact of global warming on glaciers in the region. The countries suspect melting glaciers could be a threat to rivers that supply water to millions of...

Study: pacific tuna population to decrease due to global warming.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 26, 2006... Bluefin tuna stocks in the Pacific could be seriously reduced by the end of the century if global warming progresses at its current pace, a group of researchers said Monday. The researchers from the University of Tokyo warned that the tuna...

Canadian province considers coal-powered projects, expects opposition.(International Report)
December 27, 2006... British Columbia, Canada, is expected to soon attempt expansion of its electricity system through proposed coal-fired generation projects. Those close to the projects expect concern from environmentalists. On Dec. 21 Environment Canada...

IPCC prepares global warming update.(International Report)
December 27, 2006... On Feb. 1, the world's top scientists will issue their first installment of a three-part update on global warming. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will issue the report. Insiders close to the IPCC said the report will...

Parliament accepts motion on global warming.(International Report)
December 27, 2006... The Turkish parliament will soon vote on a bill calling for greater studies and measures to prevent the effects of global warming. The bill by Gaziantep Deputy Fatma Sahin says that steps should be taken to minimize the harm caused by...

Bush administration says global warming threatens polar bears.(Editorials, Asides & Reviews)
December 28, 2006... Polar bears should be classified as a threatened species because global warming could cause their habitat to melt away, the Bush administration said on Wednesday. The arctic animals were being threatened by receding ice, said Dirk...

Wal-Mart to install solar energy systems in five states.(Industry Report)
December 28, 2006... Wal-Mart recently issued a request for proposals to install solar energy systems on its stores in five states. Bids are due Jan. 5. According to the RFP document, the move is part of the company's commitment "to reduce our overall...

China prepares global warming assessment.(International Report)
December 28, 2006... A forthcoming official assessment of the effects of global climate change on China will warn of worsening drought in northern China and increasing "extreme weather events." "The most direct impact of climate change will be on China's grain...

Scientist says Australian drought not result of global warming.(Industry Report)
December 29, 2006... The drought hurting Australia's southeast is due to natural climatic change and not the greenhouse effect, according to a scientist with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. A model of 10,000 years of...

Goldman Sachs awards environmental research grants.(Industry Report)
December 29, 2006... The Goldman Sachs Center for Environmental Markets has announced its first research grants, worth more than $2.3 million, for three programs focused on finding market-based solutions to climate change. The grant recipients are Resources for...

Scientists say global warming caused ice shelf to break off.(Industry Report)
December 29, 2006... A giant ice shelf has snapped free from an island south of the North Pole, scientists said last week, citing climate change as a "major" reason for the event. The 41 square mile Ayles Ice Shelf broke clear 16 months ago from the coast of...