Global Warming Today articles from May 2004

Global Warming Today archives from May 2004

Researchers Discover Link Between Aerosols, Cloud Formation.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2004... The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) recently announced that a research team led by NASA Ames Research Center scientists has released a new study that reveals the discovery of a link between tropical anvil cirrus clouds and...

New Denmark Carbon Facility Established.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2004... The Denmark Carbon Facility was unveiled last month by the Danish government. The facility is designed to obtain greenhouse gas emissions reduction credits on behalf of the Danish Ministry of the Environment. Carbon trading adviser...

Japan to Develop System for Testing Oceanic CO2 Levels.(Brief Article)
May 4, 2004... The Japan Times recently reported that Japan's Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry plans to develop a new system for measuring the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) filtered through the sea. According to the paper, the...

Power Companies to Comply With CO2 Disclosure Requests.(The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES))(carbondioxide)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2004... The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) recently announced that, in response to shareholder requests for disclosure on how companies are planning for potential constraints on carbon dioxide (CO2) and other emissions,...

New Zealand Cogeneration Plant to Receive Carbon Credits.(reduction of green house gases emissions)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2004... The government of New Zealand recently announced plans to award up to 1.2 million carbon credits for New Zealand Refining Company's and HRL, Ltd.'s proposed electricity and steam cogeneration plant at a Marsden Point refinery. According to...

Farmers Lobby for Kyoto Ratification in Australia.(Greenhouse gas emissions control)(Brief Article)
May 5, 2004... Australia's federal government is facing pressure from the Western Australia Farmers Federation to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. The government is currently leaning toward voluntary measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and does...

CT Republican Lawmakers Postpone Climate Change Bill Vote.(Connecticut)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The Associated Press (AP) recently reported that Republicans in the Connecticut House of Representatives earlier this week delayed a floor vote on legislation that calls on New England states and eastern Canadian provinces to establish a...

EMA, BVEK Sign Cooperative Agreement.(Emissions Marketing Association)(Bundesverband Emissionshandel und Klimaschutz)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The Emissions Marketing Association (EMA) is working with Bundesverband Emissionshandel und Klimaschutz (BVEK) to establish a European chapter of EMA. "The chapter-based structure allows for local differences in the markets to be...

Oxford Researchers Decry Leeds Climate Research.(BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATIONAL RESEARCH REPORTS,UK.)(Oxford University's Biodiversity Research Group)(Leeds University)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2004... The Scotsman recently reported that four scientists with Oxford University's Biodiversity Research Group have issued a new paper, titled "Crying Wolf on Climate Change and Extinction," which faults research conducted by Leeds University...

NASA Says Aircraft-induced Clouds May Warm Climate.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... NASA recently announced the results of a new study, featured in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Climate, which reveals that "cirrus clouds, formed by contrails from aircraft engine exhaust, are capable of increasing average surface...

Switzerland Considers Carbon Trading Scheme.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2004... The Swiss government, reacting to reports that current efforts will not cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to desired levels by 2010, is considering emissions trading schemes. "Of course emissions trading does not replace carbon dioxide...

Study Says Top U.S. Polluters Tied to Bush Fundraising.
May 7, 2004... Nonprofit organizations the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and Public Citizen recently announced the release of a new study, titled "America's Dirtiest Power Plants: Plugged into the Bush Administration," which reveals that the nation's...

Weekly Update.(CONFERENCES ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY)(Calendar)
May 7, 2004... 2ND WORLD CONFERENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION ON BIOMASS FOR ENERGY, INDUSTRY AND CLIMATE PROTECTION, May 10-14, 2004, Palazzo dei Congressi, Rome, Italy BRUSSELS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE, May 11-12, 2004, Hotel Amigo, Brussels, Belgium...

Researchers Say Troposphere Warming Faster Than Surface.(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... The University of Washington (UW) recently reported that a research team led by a UW atmospheric scientist has used satellite data to reveal that "for more than two decades, the troposphere has actually been warming faster than the surface,"...

U.K. Submits CO2 Emissions NAP to EC.(national allocation plan )(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... The U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently announced that government officials submitted the country's national allocation plan (NAP) for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the European Commission (EC) late last...

Weather Channel Comments On Human/Climate Link.(Brief Article)
May 10, 2004... The Weather Channel has recently clarified its position on the contribution of human activity to global warming. "In regard to the role that people play in influencing our climate, we recognize and respect that there will be those who...

MA Governor Announces Global Warming Plan.(Brief Article)
May 11, 2004... Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney recently introduced a statewide plan aimed at reducing global warming emissions. The plan includes measures ranging from replacing gasoline-fueled vehicles with hybrid electric vehicles to new regulations...

Researchers Say Plankton May Influence Climate Change.(Brief Article)
May 11, 2004... The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) recently announced that UCSB professor of geography and Institute for Computational Earth System Science director David Siegel and his colleague Dierdre Toole of the Woods Hole Oceanographic...

U.K. Announces Plans for Energy Efficiency Program.(Brief Article)
May 11, 2004... The U.K. government recently announced the release of "Energy Efficiency -- The Government Plan for Action," which details how the government can utilize energy efficiency to help combat climate change and save approximately 3 billion pounds...

ExxonMobil Faces Upcoming Climate Change Shareholder Vote.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Christian Brothers Investment Services, Inc. (CBIS) recently announced that ExxonMobil, "the most scrutinized corporation in terms of global warming proxy resolutions," faces on May 26 another major climate change shareholder vote arising from...

Calpine Announces Plan to Address Global Warming.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... Calpine Corporation recently announced plans to address global warming by voluntarily focusing company investments on only low-carbon power generation. According to Calpine, the company's board of directors has resolved to minimize and...

Spokesman Says U.S. Still Committed to Combatting Warming.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2004... U.S. climate change negotiator Harlan Watson earlier this week asserted that the Bush administration will take action to address global warming, despite its rejection of the Kyoto Protocol. Watson stressed that the U.S. continues to work to...

Powerspan, NETL to Develop New CO2 Capture Process.(U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory )
May 14, 2004... The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) will work with New Durham, NH-based Powerspan Corporation to develop a carbon dioxide (CO2) removal process for coal-fired power plants. According to Powerspan,...

Scientists Say Wetter Earth Produces GHG-absorbing Plants.(Brief Article)
May 14, 2004... Reuters recently reported that Australian scientists meeting last week at the Annual Science Meeting of Australia's Cooperative Research Center for Greenhouse Accounting suggested that the increased amount of water brought about by global...

Australia Announces New Investments to Combat Warming.(Australian Greenhouse Office)(Brief Article)
May 14, 2004... The Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO) recently announced that the federal government plans to invest $463.6 million during the next four years in a "significant strengthening of its climate change programs." Specifically, AGO said the...

Pollution Probe Primer Considers Health Impacts of Warming.(Brief Article)
May 14, 2004... Canadian environmental organization Pollution Probe recently announced the release of a new report on climate change and human health, the seventh in a series of primers on environmental issues, that "tells Canadians about the health...

Weekly Update.(conferences and exhibits on climate change and green technologies)(Calendar)
May 14, 2004... THE 16TH RENCONTRES DE BLOIS: CHALLENGES IN THE CLIMATE SCIENCES, May 23-28, 2004, Chateau Royal de Blois, Blois, France 7TH ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY & ENERGY EFFICIENCY EXPO, June 8, 2004, U.S. House of Representatives Cannon...

U.K. Hires Ecofys to Scrutinize NAPs of EU Member States.(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs hires Ecofys)(Brief Article)
May 17, 2004... Local U.K. publication This is London recently reported that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has called on Ecofys, a renewable energy, energy savings and climate policy consultant, to scrutinize the carbon...

Canada, China Launch Clean Development Project.(Brief Article)
May 17, 2004... China and Canada will collaborate on a clean development project aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Canada will provide assistance in the western Chinese Ningxia Hui region, an energy production center which features coal-based and...

MoveOn Encourages Viewing of New Global Warming Film.(The Day After Tomorrow)(Brief Article)
May 17, 2004... Liberal education and advocacy organization MoveOn.org recently issued a call for its members to attend the Hollywood climate change disaster movie "The Day After Tomorrow," scheduled to premiere Memorial Day weekend, and distribute fliers to...

GA Governor Enacts Carbon Sequestration Registry Bill.(Georgia governor)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2004... Georgia governor Sonny Perdue last week signed into law seven conservation bills, including legislation that establishes a statewide, automated Georgia Carbon Sequestration Registry "to measure and inventory the amount of carbon dioxide stored...

ICC Official Says Warming Endangers Inuit, Arctic Animals.(Inuit Circumpolar Conference)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2004... Reuters recently reported that Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) chair Sheila Watt-Cloutier has expressed her concern that global warming threatens the existence of the Inuit. According to Reuters, Watt-Cloutier said human-induced climate...

Canada to Back CDM Funding Initiative in India.(Clean Development Mechanism)(Brief Article)
May 18, 2004... Global Change Strategic International (GCSI) and the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) will operate a new facility to fund Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in India. The effort is aimed at providing help with technology...

Bank of America to Implement New Climate Change Policies.(Brief Article)
May 19, 2004... The Bank of America recently announced it will endeavor to strengthen its commitment to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases through new climate change and forest policies. Bank of America said its commitment comprises "unprecedented"...

Toronto Mayor Announces Funding for GHG-reduction Plan.(David Miller)(Brief Article)
May 19, 2004... Toronto, Ontario mayor David Miller last week announced a new $35-million initiative aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions that will support investment in energy efficiency and renewable power generation in city-owned facilities and...

Ireland Releases 2004 State of the Environment Report.(Ireland Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief Article)
May 19, 2004... The Ireland Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the release of "Ireland's Environment 2004," a state-of-the-environment report which indicates that while "considerable" progress has been achieved in recent years, increased...

Waikato University Teams With NASA on Warming Project.(Brief Article)
May 21, 2004... New Zealand's Waikato University will work with NASA on the Cloudsat program, a new effort to understand global warming and its effects on weather patterns. Cloudsat, which will also involve schools in New Zealand and more than 100 other...

Russian Scientists Advise Putin Not to Support Kyoto.(Brief Article)
May 21, 2004... Reuters recently reported that the Russian Academy of Sciences has advised President Vladimir Putin, in a document obtained by the news service earlier this week, that the Kyoto Protocol "has no scientific foundation" and that ratification of...

New Zealand Develops Forest Industry Framework Agreement.(Brief Article)
May 21, 2004... The government of New Zealand recently announced the development of the Forest Industry Framework Agreement (FIFA), which comprises a five-year package of new forestry sector initiatives that "recognize forestry's value in addressing climate...

Weekly Update.(Calendar)
May 21, 2004... THE 16TH RENCONTRES DE BLOIS: CHALLENGES IN THE CLIMATE SCIENCES, May 23-28, 2004, Chateau Royal de Blois, Blois, France 7TH ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY & ENERGY EFFICIENCY EXPO, June 8, 2004, U.S. House of Representatives Cannon...

New Report Says Warming May Pose Gas Hydrate Threat.(Brief Article)
May 24, 2004... London, England-based Benfield Hazard Research Center (BHRC) recently announced the release of a new report, titled "Gas Hydrates: A Hazard for the 21st Century," which claims that "gas hydrates have the potential to constitute a serious...

Russian Officials Say Decision on Kyoto Not Forthcoming.(Brief Article)
May 24, 2004... Reuters recently reported that "high-ranking sources" in the Russian government have informed the news service that energy and industry minister Viktor Khristenko has requested three additional months to consider ratification of the Kyoto...

New Zealand to Offer Additional Carbon Credits.(Brief Article)
May 24, 2004... New Zealand convenor of the ministerial group on climate change Pete Hodgson recently announced that the government's 2004 budget will make an additional 6 million carbon credits available later this year through a tender process. Hodgson...

Sumitomo to Broker Carbon Credits From Gujarat.(Gujarat Fluorochemicals, Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 24, 2004... Japanese news wire Jiji Press recently reported that Sumitomo Corporation plans to assist India's Gujarat Fluorochemicals, Ltd. in its efforts to decompose hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-23, an alternative refrigerant that is known to contribute to...

CA Assembly Approves Vehicular GHG Emissions Labeling.(greenhouse gases)(California)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2004... A bill approved by the California state assembly late last week requiring the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to revise a "smog index" decal to include emission figures on vehicular greenhouse gases (GHGs) went to the state senate with a...

Study Says Global Warming May Harm River Flow.(Brief Article)
May 25, 2004... Agence France-Presse (AFP) recently reported that Princeton University researchers have released a new study in the journal Climate Change which indicates that global warming may alter the Earth's evaporation and rainfall cycle -- an occurrence...

CDP Reports on Climate-related Financial Risks.(Carbon Disclosure Project)(Brief Article)
May 25, 2004... The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a "corporate responsibility initiative" representing 95 leading institutional investors, recently announced the release of a new report which indicates that "the financial risk of climate change and...

Putin Asserts Commitment to Kyoto Ratification.(Vladimir Putin)(Brief Article)
May 26, 2004... Reuters recently reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin, following an agreement reached late last week between the European Union (EU) and Russia on the details of the latter's World Trade Organization (WTO) entry, voiced his...

Canada, Ontario Sign Climate Change Pact.(Brief Article)
May 26, 2004... The Canadian federal government and the provincial government of Ontario recently signed an agreement to cooperate on climate change efforts. The governments will collaborate on issues including renewable energy, energy efficiency,...

U.S., Norway to Cooperate on Carbon Sequestration.(Brief Article)
May 26, 2004... The U.S. and Norway have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on research into such energy-related areas as carbon sequestration, hydrogen and clean fuels. The agreement was signed by U.S. energy secretary Spencer Abraham and...

Religious, Scientific Leaders Call for Climate Change Action.(Brief Article)
May 26, 2004... The National Religious Partnership for the Environment (NRPE), a "formal alliance of major faith groups and denominations across the spectrum of Jewish and Christian communities and organizations in the U.S.," recently announced that a group of...

Climate Study Reveals Gradual Shift in Perturbation Sensitivity.
May 27, 2004... The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced that University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) ocean scientist Christina Ravelo and colleagues at UCSC and Boise State University have conducted a study, the results of which appear in...

Canada Announces New Freight Sustainability Projects.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2004... Transport Canada minister Tony Valeri recently announced 14 new projects under the agency's Freight Sustainability Demonstration Program, an initiative that will provide approximately $4.5 million in funding over five years for projects...

U.S., Brazil Announce Climate Change Cooperation.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2004... The United States and Brazil recently announced an agreement to cooperate on scientific and technical efforts to address climate change. Areas of cooperation will include climate modeling, energy and technology, land use and land use...

Italy Holds Carbon Emissions Reduction Drive in China.(Brief Article)
May 28, 2004... Chinese news agency Xinhua recently reported that the Ministry of the Environment and Territory of Italy held an assembly in China last week to promote its carbon dioxide emissions reduction fund. According to Xinhua, a Chinese ministry...

Scientists to Release Arctic Climate Impact Assessment.(Brief Article)
May 28, 2004... Reuters recently reported that an international team of scientists plans to present a 1,800-page Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) report at an upcoming meeting of the eight-member Arctic Council -- an intergovernmental forum that...

Scientist Says Nuclear Power Best Option for Halting Warming.(Brief Article)
May 28, 2004... Independent atmospheric scientist James Lovelock, best known for his hypothesis that the Earth functions as a single self-regulating organism, recently authored an opinion piece in U.K. newspaper The Independent arguing that the increased use...

Weekly Update.(Calendar)
May 28, 2004... 7TH ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY & ENERGY EFFICIENCY EXPO, June 8, 2004, U.S. House of Representatives Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. WINDSOR WORKSHOP: TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY & FUELS FORUM, June 14-17, 2004,...