Global Environmental Change Report articles from November 2002

Global Environmental Change Report archives from November 2002

States of the union. (Focus Report).
November 22, 2002... Much criticism has been heaped upon the US government for its reluctance to take on global warming. One of President George W. Bush's first actions in office was to withdraw the US from the Kyoto Protocol, and his reputation did not improve...

Australia has needs. (Policy & Economics).
November 22, 2002... Although many nations are struggling to meet Kyoto Protocol commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, most scientists say that much deeper cuts in emissions will have to be made to slow climate change. Australia, which brokered a...

All's fair after Kyoto. (Policy & Economics).
November 22, 2002... What happens after the Kyoto Protocol? A new assessment comparing eight frameworks for climate policy proposed as successors to the protocol suggests the only effective way to secure future international co-operation to limit greenhouse gas...

Banking on new projects. (Policy & Economics).
November 22, 2002... This month the World Bank launched a new $100 million fund for financing carhon sequestration projects. The BioCarbon Fund, a public-private partnership, looks to encourage private and public investment in carbon reduction projects in...

Tokyo gets serious. (Policy & Economics).
November 22, 2002... The Tokyo municipal government is mulling changes to its environmental ordinance that will require about 1,000 factories, offices, and other facilities in the city to cut [CO.sub.2] emissions. The metropolitan government will direct the...

Energy revolution needed. (Science Update).
November 22, 2002... Reducing and limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is all fine and good, but regulations alone will not be enough to stabilize atmospheric [CO.sub.2] levels. What's needed is the further development of alternative energy technologies,...

Firing up the carbon cycle. (Science Update).
November 22, 2002... Wildfires can have a huge impact on the global carbon cycle, perhaps more so than was previously thought. Recent research examined fires that ravaged parts of Indonesia in 1997, spewing as much carbon into the atmosphere as the entire Earth's...

Rx in Toronto. (Science Update).
November 22, 2002... As the debate whether or not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol rages in Canada, a number of reports from both camps have been released in recent months that bolster or refute the need for climate action. Now the Toronto-based environmental group...

Invasion of the exotics. (Science Update).
November 22, 2002... Two of the most serious environmental threats today are climate change and the spread of invasive, exotic species. While each wreaks enough havoc independently, there is little research on whether a changing climate can facilitate species...

Sun rises in West. (Industry Watch).
November 22, 2002... The largest solar power facility in the world will soon be built in Prescott, Arizona. The Prescott Airport Solar Power Plant will deliver 450 kilowatts (KW) of solar generated electricity onto the grid of Arizona Public Service Co. (APS),...

Tide rises in the North. (Industry Watch).
November 22, 2002... The place that calls itself the world's northernmost city, Hammerfest, Norway, is home to a pioneering energy project. Within the next few weeks, a windmill-like turbine will begin generating electricity, but it will not be the wind spinning...

Big wind in Canada. (Industry Watch).
November 22, 2002... ENMAX Corporation and Vision Quest Windelectric Inc. have announced plans to build and operate Canada's largest wind farm, a 75-megawatt, Cdn $100-million (US $63 million) wind farm in southern Alberta. With its 114 Vestas wind turbines, the...

Holy rolling to fuel efficiency. (Industry Watch).
November 22, 2002... "What would Jesus drive?" That is a question posed by the Evangelical Environmental Network, a Pennsylvania-based environmental group keen on convincing Americans to be more spiritual in their automobile purchases. The group is saturating...

Focus report.
November 11, 2002... Party's over in New Delhi The Eighth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP8), held in New Delhi, India, ended the way it began this month: with a deepening rift between rich and poor countries....

Australia can, but will it? (Policy & Economics).
November 11, 2002... While many critics of the Kyoto Protocol--which can include environmentalists, industry representatives, and in some cases the government--say Australia will not be able to meet its treaty commitment, a new study suggests otherwise. When and...

Big countries falling short. (Policy & Economics).
November 11, 2002... With the Kyoto Protocol close to becoming international law, many observers are asking if nations have made any progress at all in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Just how serious is climate change and what can governments do...

Austria's election climate. (Policy & Economics).
November 11, 2002... When Austrian voters go to the polls on 24 November, they will not only be deciding on the makeup of the government, but will also likely set the course for the country's climate policy. For nearly two decades a coalition of Social...

Developing strategies in climate action. (Policy & Economics).
November 11, 2002... Some industrialized nations, most notably the US and Australia, feel developing countries need to take more responsibility in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A new report by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change shows that a number...

Search for the missing sink. (Science Update).
November 11, 2002... Each year, some 2 billion tons of CO2 somehow gets lost in the carbon cycle. Computer modelers have, since the 1 980s, noted the substantial "missing" carbon emitted annually through the combustion of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other...

The downside of diesel. (Science Update).
November 11, 2002... Diesel is sometimes touted as an acceptable alternative to gasoline, since diesel produces less [CO.sub.2] But new research shows that diesel-fueled cars still contribute to global warming. The findings appear in the Journal of Geophysical...

Ice tells a different story. (Science Update).
November 11, 2002... Some scientists have associated the increasing number of large icebergs off Antarctica with global warming. But a new study suggests that the sharp increase in the number of large icebergs specifically those tracked by the US National Ice...

Rethinking sinks. (Science Update).
November 11, 2002... Much effort has been invested in planting trees to create carbon sinks to offset [CO.sub.2] emissions. But new research out of Europe suggests that all that effort may end up doing more harm than good. Riccardo Valentini of the University...

Renewable Australia. (Industry Watch).
November 11, 2002... Australia will soon be home to the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere, as the Australian government has recently approved a plan for a project to bring wind turbines to four sites in southwest Victoria. Renewable energy company...

Industry in the woods. (Industry Watch).
November 11, 2002... The idea of major corporations offsetting their greenhouse gas emissions by sponsoring forestation projects in the developing world has been an attractive component of global mitigation projects. The strategy is supposed to help bring...

CDM be dammed. (Industry Watch).
November 11, 2002... Hydropower is generally perceived as an energy source that can help countries reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is also seen as a prime candidate for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects of the Kyoto Protocol, by which...

The registry is open. (Industry Watch).
November 11, 2002... The carbon emissions trade has not yet bloomed in the US, but some states are preparing for the inevitable. A number of global businesses headquartered or operating in California have teamed up with local government and environmental groups...