The average person in the UK emits 11 tonnes of CO2 in a year. This would fill 3 hot air balloons
The average person in the UK emits 11 tonnes of CO2 in a year. This would fill 3 hot air balloons
What’s going on?
News
Arctic sea ice on track for extreme melt
The summer of 2007 saw the lowest recorded extent of Arctic sea ice. Although the ice extent increased in the cold winter that followed, the rate of melting is such that the ice extent in June 2008 has reached similar levels to June 2007 and is likely to reduce further as the summer progresses. At this rate, the arctic will be clear of summer sea ice within only 5-10 years.
As the ice thins, it becomes easier for melting to occur around the edges. Also, the reduced extent of ice decreases the amount of solar energy that is reflected, leaving more to be absorbed, which results in even more melting.
'Acidified' seawater found in east Pacific
Evidence of corrosive water caused by the ocean’s absorption of carbon dioxide (CO2) was found less than 20 miles off the west coast of North America during a field study from Canada to Mexico last summer. This was the first time “acidified” ocean water has been found on the continental shelf of western North America.
The term “ocean acidification” describes the process of ocean water becoming corrosive as a result of carbon dioxide being absorbed from the atmosphere.
While this absorption significantly reduces the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, thereby decreasing the effects of global warming, the change in the ocean chemistry affects marine life, particularly organisms with calcium carbonate shells, such as corals, mussels, mollusks, and small creatures in the early stages of the food chain. These impacts are not fully understood.
Acidification is likely to increase as atmospheric CO2 levels continue to rise.
CO2 Calculator Rate Change
Improved research by DEFRA in the UK has shown that the effects of greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft are worse than previously suspected. You can see the full report via the link below, but in summary we need to absorb about 50% more CO2 than was previously thought to compensate for the emissions from each kilometre of air travel. If you have previously used our calculator you will notice that the cost of offsetting a journey is now around 50% higher than before to reflect the increased level of tree planting needed to absorb your emissions.
Sun is not the cause of climate change
Scientists have produced further compelling evidence showing that modern-day climate change is not caused by changes in the Sun's activity.
The research contradicts a favoured theory of climate sceptics, that changes in cosmic rays coming to Earth determine cloudiness and temperature, but Lancaster University scientists found there has been no significant link between them in the last 20 years. This puts the cosmic ray theory, which was a centrepiece of the controversial documentary The Great Global Warming Swindle, under very great pressure.
The cosmic ray theory has also been attacked in recent months by Mike Lockwood from the UK's Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory. He showed that over the last 20 years, solar activity has been rising, which should have led to a drop in global temperatures if the theory was correct.
The message coming from this research is simple. We need to carry on trying to cut carbon emissions.
"Green Passport" Campaign
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a Green Passport campaign, which aims to raise tourists' awareness of their potential to contribute to sustainable development by making responsible holiday choices.
In 2007, international tourist arrivals reached nearly 900 million and by the end of the decade this number is expected to reach more than one billion. As tourist numbers grow, so will their demand for energy, water, and natural resources to support their holidays.
The Green Passport web site contains practical tips to help people reduce their environmental and social footprint while they are on vacation.
Wasted Energy
Britons are the worst energy wasters in Europe with bad habits which could cost £11bn by 2010, a survey of Europe's five most populous nations suggests. Leaving mobile phone chargers plugged in, appliances on standby and lights on are among their most common failings.
If the levels of wastage continue, an extra 43m tonnes of carbon dioxide will be pumped into the atmosphere by then, the Energy Saving Trust said. It interviewed 5,000 people in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
The comparison with German consumers, who top the energy efficiency league, reveals major differences. Britons leave chargers on three times as much as Germans, they leave standby buttons on twice as much and forget to switch off lights four times as much.
World's First Solar Electric Bus
The world's first solar electric bus has been introduced in Adelaide, South Australia. It is emission-free, air-conditioned and is very quiet. It is recharged via solar panels on the roof of the bus station.
The bus is operated by Adelaide City council as a free service.
Planetwise (Bookless no longer)!
Dave Bookless, National Director of A Rocha UK, is the author of the new book Planetwise, which will be published on 15th February 2008. The book offers a biblical and practical response to climate change and environmental stewardship. Its message is one of hope, and this book could help transform the way you see your relationship with the natural world.
UN Schizophrenia on Carbon
The Carbon Monitoring for Action (CARMA) group has drawn attention to a dangerous schizophrenia among UN organisations. On the one hand, there is the position of Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon who at the recent Bali conference said “The situation is so desperately serious that any delay could push us past the tipping point, beyond which the ecological, financial and human costs would increase dramatically.”
On the other hand, UN-affiliated institutions such as the World Bank Group and the Clean Development Mechanism continue to subsidize coal-fired power generation without carbon capture and storage. An example of this is that part of the financing for India’s proposed giant Mundra coal-fired power plant will come from the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation, if the IFC’s Board approves the project. The Mundra plant will rank third nationally in terms of carbon emissions, with projected annual CO2 emissions of 27.8 million tons when it is fully operational.
Another very warm year
2007 is expected to have been the 7th warmest year on record, with the result that the 11 warmest years have all been within the last 13 years.
In the northern hemisphere, 2007 is thought to have been the 2nd warmest year, whereas in the southern hemisphere the year ranks 9th due to the La Nina conditions which have prevailed since April.
For more information and graphs from the UK Met Office, click here
Australia 'back on the map' with Kyoto decision
New Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd signed the instrument of ratification of the Kyoto Protocol yesterday, in the first official act of his new Government. Australia will now become a full member of the Kyoto Protocol early next year.
During the United Nations Climate Change (UNCC) conference in Bali, delegates broke into spontaneous applause when news of Australia's decision was announced.
Climate Stewards welcomes this announcement and hopes it will add to the impetus for substantial actions to emerge from the current Bali conference.
11 of last 12 years were among the 12 warmest on record
The 4th assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was released on Saturday. Among its key findings are:
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"Eleven of the last twelve years (1995-2006) rank among the twelve warmest years in the instrumental record of global surface temperature (since 1850)."
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"Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 (379ppm) and CH4 (1774 ppb) in 2005 exceed by far the natural range over the last 650,000 years."
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"There is medium confidence that approximately 20-30% of species assessed so far are likely to be at increased risk of extinction if increases in global average warming exceed 1.5-2.5 degrees C (relative to 1980-1999). As global average temperature increase exceeds about 3.5 degrees C, model projections suggest significant extinctions (40-70% of species assessed) around the globe."
California sues US over greenhouse gases in car fumes
California is suing the US federal government over its failure to back the state's tough new anti-pollution laws regulating greenhouse gas emissions.
Two years ago, California passed legislation requiring carmakers to cut vehicle emissions by 30% by 2016. The legislation is tougher than the federal laws and for the measure to take effect, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must give its approval.
State governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said there was no legal basis for the EPA to stand in California's way. He said: "Our future depends on us taking action on global warming right now.
US car-makers are fighting California's plans to cut emissions levels in the courts. Industry groups say the proposed standards would raise the cost of vehicles and could force America's embattled car makers into further difficulties.
Ultra Green Marathon, South Africa
South Africa's first carbon neutral marathon was held on 10 November 2007. Participants walked, cycled or ran to the Ferncliffe Nature Reserve, where they planted as many mistbelt trees as possible, as part of one of Climate Stewards' accredited carbon banking projects.
Entrants were encouraged to drink only tap water or manually squeezed juice, to use only natural carbohydrates such as bananas, not to drive before the race and to reduce or ban cell phone use. Winners received a Tree of the Year for 2008, Diospyros Whyteana.
Forests Now Declaration gains momentum
Climate Stewards is a signatory to the Forests Now Declaration. The Declaration arrived in New York last week to coincide with a series of high-level meetings over the course of what many called "Climate Week" in the city.
Kevin Conrad, the Chief Executive of the 30-strong Coalition for Rainforest Nations, met with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, the Rt Hon. Sir Michael Somare and Costa Rica's Minister of External Relations, Bruno Stagno Ugarte. In a huge step forward for the Declaration – and in another demonstration of the leadership of these two countries on these issues – it was signed by Prime Minister Somare and taken by Minister Ugarte to be presented to President Oscar Arias Sánchez on his return to Costa Rica.
Eminent primatologist and UN Messenger of Peace Dr Jane Goodall also signed the Declaration on behalf of the Jane Goodall Institute during a press conference at the Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, established by former US President Bill Clinton and inaugurated in September 2005. Signing the Declaration just prior to addressing a working session on protecting tropical forests, Dr. Goodall said "This Declaration should help convince the world leaders assembled here in New York that protecting tropical forests is not only a critical means of addressing climate change; it is also essential to the future of the amazing species found in tropical forests and of the people who live there."
More information on the Forests Now Declaration and other signing events.....
Australia's changing climate
The most comprehensive assessment to date of Australia’s climate was jointly released yesterday by the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO at GREENHOUSE 2007 in Sydney.
The report predicts that temperatures will rise by about 1ºC over Australia by 2030. The amount of warming later this century will depend on the rate of greenhouse gas emissions. If emissions are low, it anticipates warming of between 1ºC and 2.5ºC by 2070. Under a high-emission scenario the best estimate is 3.4ºC, with a range of 2.2ºC to 5ºC.
There will also be changes in temperature extremes, with fewer frosts and substantially more days over 35ºC. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases are likely to cause decreases in rainfall in the decades to come. The report also states that droughts are likely to become more frequent, evaporation rates are likely to increase, high-fire-danger weather is likely to increase in the south-east, and sea levels will continue to rise.
Extreme rainfall in Africa gives climate warning
Christian Aid partner organisations across Africa say the extreme rainfall experienced by the continent this summer is the worst in decades and is having a devastating impact on the food supply.
The weather conditions are becoming more and more unpredictable. Farmers find it difficult to decide when to plant their seeds as the rains are either not sufficient or not consistent. The torrential rains have also swept away crops before harvest, and in some areas have left subsistence farmers totally destitute.
Thankfully, although the northern part of Ghana has experienced some bad floods, the Climate Stewards project in Ghana is not situated near the disaster zones. Murugu is cut off by the overflowing of the Mognore river, but the flooding there is seasonal and not too unusual.
Climate Stewards signs Forests Now Declaration
Climate Stewards fully supports the Forests Now declaration, which was launched yesterday. The declaration says that "action on forests now is a win against climate change, a win for vital forest ecosystems, and a win for the whole of humanity." It calls upon governments to take six specific steps to help preserve, sustain and regenerate the world's forests.
Read the Forests Now declaration
Extent of Arctic sea ice now 15% below previous minimum - still melting
As at 4 September 2007 the extent of Arctic sea ice was only 4.42 million km2, which is 15% less than the previous recorded minimum, set in 2005.
US scientists think warm 2006 was due to greenhouse gases
Greenhouse gases likely accounted for more than half of the widespread warmth across the continental United States last year, according to a new study by four scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Last year’s average temperature was the second highest in the US since record-keeping began in 1895. The team found that it was very unlikely that the 2006 El Niño played any role, though other natural factors likely contributed to the unusual warmth.
The authors also estimate that there is a 16 percent chance that 2007 will bring record-breaking warmth.
Europe heating up more than previously thought
A new study in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres shows that the mean temperature in western Europe has risen by 1.6 Celsius degrees since 1880, not by 1.3 degrees as previously thought. This may mean we have been under-estimating the impacts of human activity on the climate.
The study's findings may provide further evidence that heat waves like the one that killed dozens this summer in Europe were a sign of global warming.
The study team also compiled temperature readings from more than 200 locations across Europe and found that heat waves now last an average of 3 days compared to around 1.5 days in 1880.
More Hurricanes due to Warmer Seas
A new analysis of Atlantic hurricanes says their numbers have doubled over the last century.
The authors say that man-made climate change, which has increased the temperature of the sea surface, is the major factor behind the increase in numbers. "Approximately 60%, and possibly even 70% of what we are seeing in the last decade can be attributed directly to greenhouse warming," say the authors.
Experts say that 2007 will be a very active season with nine hurricanes forecast, of which five are expected to be intense.
UN Issues Desertification Warning
United Nations University experts today presented an analysis that estimates 50 million people could be at risk of displacement due to desertification within the next 10 years. It suggests that one third of all people are potential victims of desertification in the longer term.
The report calls desertification one of the greatest environmental challenges of our times. It warns that within a single generation, the loss of soil productivity and the degradation of environmental life-support services could lead to mass migrations of people from degraded areas.
The report says that drylands represent more than 40% of global land area and calls for governments to increase vegetation, thereby sequestering carbon. This would simultaneously combat desertification and climate change.
China Overtakes US in Carbon Emissions
China has now become the world's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, according to figures compiled by the Dutch government. Experts were predicting the shift would happen by 2009, but it has happened already. China is now building 550 coal-fired power stations, cranking them up at the rate of two each week.
Senior scientist Dr Jos Olivier, who compiled the figures, says China's booming economy is behind the emissions boost. He says when people buy products that were made in China, they are helping the country become the world's biggest carbon emitter.
However, the average greenhouse gas impact for someone in China last year was only a quarter that of an American, or half that of someone in Britain.
Climate Stewards hopes that the new figures will prompt the world to agree a global carbon reduction scheme.
Arctic Spring arriving earlier
Spring in the Arctic is arriving "weeks earlier" than a decade ago, a team of Danish researchers have reported. Ice in north-east Greenland is melting an average of 14.6 days earlier than in the mid-1990s, bringing forward the date plants flower and birds lay eggs.
The team warned that the observed changes could disrupt the region's ecosystems and food chain, affecting the long-term survival of some species.
Carbon storage proposal - Australia
Australian energy company Santos confirmed today that it has submitted a proposal to the Australian Government this week regarding the Moomba Carbon Storage (“MCS”) project.
The long-term objective of establishing a large-scale carbon storage hub at Moomba will be to store in excess of 400 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). It would do so by injecting CO2 into the depleting oil and gas reservoirs of the Cooper Basin. An initial Demonstration Phase is proposed, which would sequester approximately 1 million tonnes of CO2 per year (equivalent to taking 250,000 cars off the road per year), commencing in 2010.
Some good news from G8 summit
British PM, Tony Blair, reporting back from last week's summit in Germany, said that for the first time the G8 nations had agreed:
- that a new global climate change agreement should succeed the current Kyoto Treaty;
- that at the heart of that agreement should be a substantial cut in global emissions, of the order of at least 50% in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050;
- that the UN is the only body able to finalise a global deal on climate change; and
- that a comprehensive agreement should be reached in 2009.
Mr Blair also acknowledged that much remains to be done.
Vatican calls for all of us to change patterns of consumption
In an address to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development last month, a Vatican spokesperson said:
"... even technology, its transfer and political will to collaborate at the international level are not enough: to all that we must add national education schemes that will lead all of us without exception to approach our daily patterns of consumption and production in a very different way and to demand a similar change throughout construction, transport, businesses and other institutions."
Oxfam calls on G8 to help the poor adapt to climate change
Oxfam says that human-induced climate change is already causing harm to the world’s poorest people, who are the least responsible for emissions and least able to adapt to climatic shocks. "Developing countries cannot be expected to foot the bill for the impact of rich countries’ emissions," said Celine Charveriat, head of Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign. "Justice demands that rich countries pay for the harm already being caused to those who are least responsible for the problem." Oxfam is calling for G8 countries to cut their emissions to keep global warming below 2° Celsius and to start helping poor countries to cope by paying their share of $50 billion per year, which is estimated to be needed to fund strategies to allow poorer countries to adapt to the effects of climate change.
Oxfam field staff and partners are seeing first-hand the harm that climate change is already causing poor people, particularly farmers. This mirrors the consensus of the world’s leading scientists. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says Africa will be hardest hit by global warming. Food production is predicted to drop, and as many as 250m people could experience water shortages by 2020. Increased flooding is forecast in Asia, especially in the delta regions that are home to one billion people.
CO2 Emissions Increasing Faster than Expected
Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels – the principal driver of climate change – have accelerated globally at a far greater rate than expected over recent years, according to a paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The paper explains that the average growth rate of carbon dioxide emissions increased from 1.1 per cent a year in the 1990s to a three per cent increase per year in the 2000s. Nearly eight billion tonnes of carbon were emitted globally into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide in 2005, compared with just six billion tonnes in 1995.
On average, each person in Australia and the US now emits more than five tonnes of carbon per year, while in China the figure is only one tonne per year. Since the start of the industrial revolution, the US and Europe account for more than 50 per cent of the total, accumulated global emissions, while China accounts for less than eight per cent. The 50 least developed countries have together contributed less than 0.5 per cent of global cumulative emissions over 200 years.
Next 5 years are key to the planet's future
The world has more than enough sustainable energy and technology to curb climate change, but only if key decisions are made within the next five years, according to new research by WWF.
Toyota says hybrid car costs to reduce
Toyota launched the Prius, the world's first hybrid car, in 1997 and has so far sold almost one million hybrods around the world. The company has a goal of selling one million hybrids per year by 2010 or soon after and by 2020, expects hybrids to account for "100 percent" of Toyota's vehicles.
By 2010, Toyata expects profit margins on hybrids to be equal to those on gasoline cars, which will remove the main hurdle to cost-competitiveness for the hybrid -- the expense of the powertrain, which twins a conventional engine with an electric motor.
Industry watchers expect the current Prius to be remodelled late next year or in early 2009, using a lithium-ion battery for the first time. However, Toyota's spokesman added that plug-in hybrids, which can be recharged through an electric socket, were still years away from practical application and pure electric vehicles even further out because even with a trunk full of rechargeable batteries, they would have a cruising range of just 60 km (37 miles).
Some encouragement from IPCC Working Group 3 Report
The Working Group III Report 'Mitigation of Climate Change' was released in Bangkok yesterday.
The report indicates that with current climate change mitigation policies, global GHG emissions will continue to grow over the next few decades. More encouragingly, however, the IPCC estimates that macro-economic costs to stabilise emissions by 2030 will be less than 3% of global GDP.
Of interest to Climate Stewards, the report concludes that forest-related mitigation activities can considerably reduce emissions and increase CO2 removal at low cost, and can be designed to create synergies with adaptation and sustainable development.
Another conclusion relevant to supporters of Climate Stewards is that lifestyle changes can reduce GHG emissions. Changes in lifestyles and consumption patterns that emphasize resource conservation can contribute to developing a low-carbon economy that is both equitable and sustainable.
China Gas Emissions 'May Pass US'
China could overtake the US this year as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, according to the International Energy Agency.
This comes days after a Chinese government report warned of the impact of climate change on the country. The report said that higher temperatures would lead to worsening droughts, spreading deserts and reduced water supplies, but it stopped short of recommending cuts in greenhouse gas output.
China is heavily reliant on highly polluting coal for its energy, and mines far more coal than any other country. Altough the Chinese government has pledged to try to develop alternative energy sources, it says wealthy nations are the most to blame for high gas emissions. Per capita emissions from China still remain well below those of the US and other developed countries.
Norway Aims to be Carbon Neutral by 2050
Norway wants to cut its net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 in the world's toughest national plan for fighting global warming, said Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. He said that Norway, the world's number five oil exporter, wanted other rich nations to set similar "carbon neutral" aims.
"The greenhouse effect...is our most dangerous environmental problem," Stoltenberg said in his speech, listing risks such as thawing of Siberian permafrost, death of the Amazon rainforest or a spread of the Sahara. Under the 2050 plan, domestic emissions would be offset by cuts abroad or by buying emissions quotas on international markets. Norway could, for instance, help China or India to shift to solar or wind power from burning coal or oil.
The EU says it will cut unilaterally by 20 percent by 2020 and by 30 percent if others make similar cuts. Among other tough goals, California aims to cut emissions by 80 percent by 2050, by which time Iceland aims to phase out use of oil.
Greenpeace said Norway should also take responsibility for 500 million tonnes of emissions caused by oil and gas exports. Under UN rules, exports do not count towards Norway's totals.
18th April 2007: UK Guidance on Sustainable Homes
The Code for Sustainable Homes is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes in the UK. It is a voluntary star rating system that shows the sustainability of a new home as a complete package.
The Code is a flexible framework that enables developers to demonstrate the sustainability of new homes. For consumers the Code is a mark of quality, giving them information they can trust. The Code sets minimum standards for energy and water use at each level.
In March 2007 Communities and Local Government published full technical guidance on how to comply with the Code.
Plant trees in tropical areas to reduce global warming
A new report in US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says the pine forests in snowy areas of Europe, Siberia and Canada may contribute to warming. This is because their canopies absorb sunlight which would otherwise be reflected by the snow. Only tropical forests effectively cool the earth by absorbing carbon dioxide and creating clouds, the report says.
But the report's authors stress they are not advocating chopping down trees. They say forests are a valuable resource and remain vital for bio-diversity, providing a home for animals and plants.
IGCC Report - Billions of People face Climate Risk
Billions of people face shortages of food and water and increased risk of flooding, experts at a major climate change conference have warned. People living in poverty would be worst affected by the effects of climate change, the gathered experts said. The bleak conclusion came ahead of the publication of the latest key report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Key findings of the report include:
- 75-250 million people across Africa could face water shortages by 2020
- Crop yields could increase by 20% in East and Southeast Asia, but decrease by up to 30% in Central and South Asia
- Agriculture fed by rainfall could drop by 50% in some African countries by 2020
- 20-30% of all plant and animal species at increased risk of extinction if temperatures rise between 1.5-2.5C
- Glaciers and snow cover expected to decline, reducing water availability in countries supplied by melt water
The report states that the observed increase in the global average temperature was "very likely" due to man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The scientific work reviewed by IPCC scientists includes more than 29,000 pieces of data on observed changes in physical and biological aspects of the natural world. 89% of these, it believes, are consistent with a warming world.
"This further underlines both how urgent it is to reach global agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and how important it is for us all to adapt to the climate change that is already under way," said European Environment Commissioner, Stavros Dimas.
It is the second in a series of IPCC reports coming out this year, together making up its fourth global climate assessment.
Climate’s challenge to marine life
Climate change is expected to have considerable impacts on Australia’s marine life and marine ecosystems, according to a CSIRO report for the Australian Government. The report is the first major study in the Australian region to combine the research of climate modellers, ecologists and fisheries and aquaculture scientists.
The report predicts ocean temperature increases of 1-2 degrees C by 2070. This will allow extra CO2 to dissolve in the oceans causing pH to drop, which will dissolve the shells of marine creatures such as many phytoplankton. This will decrease their abundance, with potentially drastic knock-on effects to organisms higher up the food chain.
The most affected marine groups are likely to be tropical coral reefs, cold water coral reefs, rocky reefs and kelps, plankton and species that live on or near the sea floor. Scientists have already seen changes to the distribution and quantity of marine species and communities in some regions such as the Tasman Sea. Sub-tropical migrations to the Tasmanian east coast where the waters have warmed in recent years are already altering the habitat of a whole range of species.
The report also warns that there may be flow-on implications for human societies and economies. Fisheries and tourism industries could be at risk.
http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/impacts/publications/marinelife.html
It's all go in Ghana!
After months of preparation, our first trees have been planted on the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology campus in Kumasi, Ghana. With the backing of A Rocha International, Climate Stewards will plant 24,000 tree seedlings this season over a further 10 sites in Ghana. Schools, universities and remote communities are partnering with us in this exciting venture to benefit the climate, the local communities and biodiversity.
Going nowhere fast - Top rivers face mounting threats
Rivers on every continent are drying out, threatening severe water shortages, according to a new WWF report.
The report, World's Top Rivers at Risk, released ahead of World Water Day (22 March), lists the top ten rivers that are fast dying as a result of climate change, pollution and dams.
“All the rivers in the report symbolize the current freshwater crisis, which we have been signalling for years," says WWF Global Freshwater Programme Director Jamie Pittock.
The Great Global Warming Swindle - Critique by Professor Sir John Houghton
Professor Sir John Houghton CBE, FRS is a former Chairman of the Scientific Assessment Working Group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The Channel 4 programme directed by Martin Durkin on Thursday 8 March 2007 purported to debunk the science of Global Warming describing it as ‘lies’ and an invention of hundreds of scientists around the world who have conspired to mislead governments, and the general public. The most prominent person in the programme was Lord Lawson, former Chancellor of the Exchequer who is not a scientist and who shows little knowledge of the science but who is party to the creation of a conspiracy theory that questions the motives and integrity of the world scientific community, especially as represented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The material presented was a mixture of truth, half truth and falsehood put together with the sole purpose of discrediting the science of global warming as presented by the main world community of climate scientists and by the IPCC.
Green motoring campaign launched
A campaign to get drivers to take easy steps to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions has been launched by the government.
The 'Drive Smarter' campaign aims to get motorists to follow simple tips to reduce their impact on the environment.
If all drivers followed the advice, CO2 emissions each year could be reduced by 8% - or by more than 5.5m tonnes, the government says. Read more at the BBC
Older, Wiser But Ghana Less Green at 50
AMASAMAN, Ghana - Small, scraggy and forlorn, the handful of seedlings Ghanaian school-owner Thomas Darkwah has planted in his schoolyard does not look like much.
But the hope is that planting these and five million other free government seedlings this year will help reforest Ghana, a poor West African country which has lost nearly three-quarters of its trees since British colonial times.
The first country in sub-Saharan Africa to win independence, Ghana turns 50 this month. While it may be older and wiser, it is also decidedly less green.
Oscars for Gore Film Could Spur Action on Climate Change
The double Oscar win for 'An Inconvenient Truth', former Vice President Al Gore's expanded slide-show on global warming, could spur grassroots support for the fight against climate change, environmental advocates said on Monday.The film takes the issue beyond the realm of distant policymakers and puts it on a more personal footing, according to Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club.
Polar Study of Climate Change Launched
This week the largest and most ambitious internationally coordinated scientific effort for 50 years kicks off. The UK launch of International Polar Year, one of a series of events around the world, takes place on Monday 26 February 2007, at the Royal Society, London in the presence of HRH the Princess Royal.
Leading scientists will describe how the international scientific community will work together to address the serious global threat of climate change, sea-level rise and the impact these will have on people all over the world. Recent international reports such as the Stern Review and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasise the uncertainties regarding the contribution that the polar regions will make to future climate change and sea-level rise. International Polar Year 2007-2008 addresses the urgent need for a global response. Read more at the British Antarctic Survey
Politicians sign new climate pact
Leading international politicians have reached a new agreement on tackling climate change, at a Washington summit.Delegates agreed that developing countries will have to face targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions as well as rich countries. The forum's closing statement said man-made climate change was now "beyond doubt".Climate change is a global issue and there is an obligation on us all to take action, in line with our capabilities and historic responsibilities," said the statement from the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (Globe).Read more at the BBC
World's Churches go Green
Dire warnings from top scientists that mankind is to blame for global warming set off alarm bells everywhere - but many of the world's churches have already 'gone green' in the race to save the planet.For Christians, Jews and Muslims, the message is the same - mankind has 'stewardship' of the earth which it has a duty to protect for future generations. And environmentalists hailed churches for stepping up to the plate with a real sense of urgency.'Caring for the environment is a key part of many religions. Any contribution which highlights and tackles issues such as climate change is very welcome,' said Mike Childs of Friends of the Earth.
Standard for offsetting to deliver much needed clarity
People offsetting their carbon emissions will soon be able to do so with greater clarity and certainty with the development of a voluntary standard for offsetting, released for public consultation last week.Climate Stewards welcomes this consultation and is engaging in it with the aim of improving the impact of government proposals on poor people and biodiversity in developing countries. Environment Secretary David Miliband said the standard and associated code of practice would raise the bar for the offsetting industry.
US scientists & evangelicals join global warming fight
U.S. scientists and evangelical Christian leaders joined forces on Wednesday to protect the environment from the ravages of global warming, calling on President George W. Bush and others in power to help.
'We agree not only that reckless human activity has imperiled the Earth - especially the unsustainable and short-sighted lifestyles and public policies or our own nation - but also that we share a profound moral obligation to work together to call our nation, and other nations, to the kind of dramatic change urgently required in our day,' the group said.Read more at Reuters
Defra climate change short film
This two minute film is designed to illustrate why climate change is happening, what it will mean and also to inspire people to be part of the solution.