DailyPlanetMedia.com: Top Headlines

SOUTH ASIA FLOODS KILL 1000

2008-08-28

Floods in south Asia this monsoon season have killed more than 1,000 people mostly in India's states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as well as Nepal and Bangladesh.Indian authorities issued a warning of more floods in eastern India with heavy rainfal...

INCENTIVES TO HALT DEFORESTATION

2008-08-28

After agreeing to what forests in the world had been decimated - and that poor countries should be compensated for halting deforestation - a package of solutions to reduce human-made emissions will put together and presented at the next round of ...

SMART TAX FOR CLIMATE FIX

2008-08-27

Smart tax breaks, financial incentives and better market mechanisms would benefit both the environment and economy, according to a UN study report released to delegates at the climate meeting of governments in Ghana.The report said governments sh...

CONGRESS REVOKES AMAZON LAWS

2008-08-27

Peru's Congress has revoked controversial laws that would have opened up Amazon tribal land to development.Indigenous leaders complained they had never been consulted on the laws intended to benefit the free trade agreement Peru has signed with t...

SUPPORT FOR UN FOREST SCHEME

2008-08-26

The likelihood that the United Nations will soon finalize a scheme to slow deforestation in the African and Amazon regions had increased following overwhelming approval from delegates attending the UN's latest climate meeting."We're getting beyon...

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLOSIONS

2008-08-26

Military strategists have briefed USA and the United Kingdom of the consequences of imploding climate change that could result in worldwide famines, floods and conflicts over resources.Military analyst Dr Gwynne Dyer, author of the book Climate W...

HYDROGEN CARS CHEERED IN USA

2008-08-25

Zero emission hydrogen fuel cell technology took a giant step forward when nine different types of hydrogen cars finished a 13 days road trip across United States last weekend.California Fuel Cell Partnership Executive Director Catherine Dunwoody...

SOLAR PLANE SETS NEW RECORD

2008-08-25

A solar powered plane has set a new world endurance record for a flight by an unmanned aircraft.British-built Zephyr-6 stayed in the air for more than three days flying through the night on batteries it had recharged in sunlight.The Zephyr flew n...

YEAR OF THE SAVAGE MOONSOON

2008-08-24

Extreme floods and typhoons across greater Asia over the last three months have severely affected tens of millions of people from the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Far East China, Korea and Japan.Since June the Asian southwest monsoon h...

CANADA PACT SHOWS WAY AHEAD

2008-08-23

The Canadian government has delivered a working model for how the entire far north Arctic region can be sustained.The model comes in the form of a pact between the Canadian government and Inuit native groups which shelters the habitat of polar be...

UNCERTAIN TIMES FOR CARBON FUNDS

2008-08-23

Concerns over the makeup of the climate agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol - and the likelihood of a worsening worldwide credit crunch - is slowing the development of carbon funds to offset greenhouse gas emissions.Kyoto will expire after 20...

GIANT GREENLAND GLACIER CRACKS

2008-08-22

A huge chunk of Greenland's largest glacier has broken away as a result of global warming, according to US researchers who had monitored the event from NASA satellite images.The giant Petermann Glacier measuring 29 square km broke away from north...

FLIGHT OFFSETTING CONFUSION

2008-08-22

Travel company Expedia Inc has published a survey that revealed ignorance among the general public towards carbon emission offsetting.One in ten in a survey of 2,000 British nationals believed offsetting meant walking to work instead of driving w...

MEKONG STAYS AT RECORD HIGH

2008-08-21

The long stretch of the Mekong River waterway from northern Thailand to central Cambodia remains higher than in 2000 when the worst floods in four decades struck southern Vietnam, according to The Mekong River Commission.The Vietnamese government...

OCEANS TURNING ACIDIC

2008-08-21

Rising acidification of the world's oceans - caused by imploding climate change - will significantly reduce the successful fertilization of many species this century, according to a report by Swedish and Australian scientists.Species facing extin...

RIVERS ON THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE

2008-08-20

All the world's major rivers are so severely polluted that they had now reached "the brink of collapse", according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (UCN).China's longest river, the Yangtze is polluted with untreated waste, ag...

WINDMILLS TO TOWER NEW YORK

2008-08-20

Billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg will push his bold new plan for a greener New York that includes placing giant wind generators on top of the city's skyscrapers, rooftop solar panels and geothermal power.Associates of the outspoken mayor, who ...

BIRDS TELL THE CLIMATE STORY

2008-08-19

Migratory birds, described as the climate change "canary in the mine", have lost half of their numbers in Australia.The Australian Government's hearing on coastal climate change has been told that migratory birds frequently seen in the 80's are n...

HOTTER PLANET FEEDING WILDFIRES

2008-08-19

The number and intensity of wildfires in California over recent summers is part of a trend toward more fires burning larger areas in the Western United States.That's the view of Dr Amanda Staudt, climate scientist for the National Wildlife Federa...

MEKONG FLOODING KILLS 200

2008-08-18

Almost 200 people died - and thousands evacuated from their homes - in what Vietnamese authorities described as the worst Mekong River flooding in living history.Today severe flooding imploded on Thailand, Cambodia and Laos as well as Myanmar, wh...

HUMAN POLLUTION DESTROYING OCEANS

2008-08-18

Human exploitation of the deep seas - combined with an accumulation and rapid build-up of severe pollution - had started a time bomb for irreversible ocean destruction, according to a United Nations report.Damage to the oceans was "rapidly passin...

DIGITAL MAP PINPOINTS OIL

2008-08-17

The world's first digital map of Earth's geology will be used to pinpoint sites for oil and gas exploration.The map covers about 70 percent of the globe including most of the mineral-rich developing nations, such as Sierra Leone and Afghanistan.A...

CHARLES' ATTACK ON CORPORATE FARMING

2008-08-16

Prince Charles' outburst against genetically modified crops was a deliberate attempt to spark public debate on corporate farming and modern industrial agriculture reliant on the use of fossil fuels, UK royal insiders told Daily Planet Media.The p...

MEKONG FLOODS THREATEN ASIA

2008-08-16

The Mekong River that runs from China through Southeast Asia has reached its highest level in 100 years as a result of successive months of unusually heavy rain.Officials in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, have warned residents living near the Me...

STORM BLOWS AWAY BEIJING SMOG

2008-08-15

Picture book clear blue skies had the Olympic organizers smiling today as they declared victory over the city's smog.The ideal conditions heralded in the first day of Olympic athletics at Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium.Authorities took extraordina...

NORTH CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES CRISIS

2008-08-15

Vast tracts of North California is ablaze with hundreds of lightning-sparked fires breaking out costing the state $13 million a day. Fire budgets have been strained across America's west with more fires raging out of control, due largely t...

PRINCE CHARLES CONDEMNS GM CROPS

2008-08-14

Britain's Prince Charles has described plans to spread genetically modified (GM) crops as "an absolute disaster".Commenting on plans to allow 50 British farms to plant GM crops the crown prince to the United Kingdom throne said the introduction o...

BLUE SKIES OVER BIEJING

2008-08-14

The sun has broken through the haze in Beijing for the first time since the Olympics began.Controversy has swirled around the issue of Beijing's air quality throughout the build-up to the Games, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has i...

THOUSANDS KILLED BY SMOG

2008-08-14

An estimated 64,000 people die from causes attributed to particle air pollution each year in the United States, according to the US Natural Resources Defence Council.And almost half of Europe's population may have been exposed to airborne concent...

50C SCORCHING DAYS AHEAD

2008-08-13

Computer projections indicate that temperatures would rise later this century to 50 degrees Celsius in parts of Australia, India, the Middle East, North Africa, the Sahel and across subtropical South America.Scientists at Royal Netherlands Meteor...

HEAT'S ON FOR ARCTIC OIL

2008-08-12

As governments prepare strategies for claiming mining and drilling rights to the ice shrinking Arctic region the US Coast Guard cutter has begun its mission to map the ocean floor north of Alaska and seek information on oil and natural gas reserv...

WESTERN ALLIANCE TO CAP AND TRADE

2008-08-12

A coalition of US states and Canadian provinces will form an alliance for the world's biggest cap and trade system in 2012 to offset global warming carbon emissions.Called the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) the system will be phased in stages s...

EUROPE GEARS UP FOR CLIMATE ACTION

2008-08-11

Climate change is said to be already happening - and many of the world's most respected scientists are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that human-made global warming represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats faci...

TEN ATLANTIC HURRICANES PREDICTED

2008-08-10

Weather forecasters predict up to 10 hurricanes will form across the Atlantic later this year.The US Government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has revised its predictions up from 12 to 16 storms with six to 9 developing ...

CONCERN FOR GREAT BARRIER REEF

2008-08-10

Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has linked the survival of the Great Barrier Reef to the Federal Government's fledging emissions trading scheme.During a reef cruise off Port Douglas, north of Cairns in the state of Queensland, marine scient...

MERCEDES SCHEME FOR GREEN CARS

2008-08-09

German vehicle maker Mercedes wants cars to be included in carbon reduction schemes to bring down vehicle emissions.Mercedes told an Australian Senate revue that making cars accountable for mitigating carbon emissions would enhance bargaining pow...

FIRE SMOKE THREATENS SE ASIA

2008-08-09

Singapore and Malaysia have protested to Indonesia over the haze health risk that threatens to sweep across South-Eastern Asia due to the fierce forest fires burning on the main Sumatra Island.Chocking smoke has delayed flights in and out of Suma...

KIND WEATHER FOR OLYMPICS OPENING

2008-08-08

Despite a day of white haze and widespread concern that rain would dampen the spirits of 91,000 people attending the weather stayed kind for the opening ceremony.Websites reported that Olympic organizers were prepared for the likelihood that the ...

WHITE HAZE COUNTDOWN TO OLYMPICS

2008-08-08

While stubborn white haze refused this morning to lift from the China capital city of Beijing athletes and officials from 200 countries prepared to take part in the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics tonight at the Bird's Nest stadium.The coun...

GETTING WIND FROM CLIMATE CHANGE

2008-08-07

Al Gore's challenge to the US to produce all of its electricity from renewable sources within 10 years will become a key topic of the climate change debate that is certain to be a hot - if not the hottest issue - for next year's presidential elec...

THICK HAZE THE DAY BEFORE OLYMPICS

2008-08-07

Beijing is covered in a thick white haze a day before start of the Olympic Games.But while the haze is causing the Olympic organizers some trepidation the athletes who will take part in tomorrow's opening ceremony said it's the heat and the humid...

BATTLE LINES FOR ARCTIC OIL

2008-08-06

The organization that specializes on international boundaries has released a map that defines all the disputed boundaries in the Arctic region in an attempt to pacify aggressive country claims for rights to oil and gas resources.Canada, Russia, t...

HAZE HOVERING OVER BEIJING

2008-08-06

Haze continues to hover over Beijing just two days before the start of the Olympic Games. However, Olympic organizers remain confident there will be clear blue skies for the opening ceremony.Cloudy skies were forecast for the remainder of today. ...

SCIENTISTS DOUBT COOK ON CLIMATE

2008-08-05

Climate science researchers studying satellite imaging doubt whether logbooks by Captain James Cook's Endeavour will be of much value in understanding the dynamics of modern climate change.Cook's records from his voyages in the 17th century are v...

OIL SUPPLIES NOW MATCHING DEMAND

2008-08-05

Oil fell to a three-month low in New York and London overnight heightening speculation that supplies were closing in on matching demand for crude.New York stock brokers told Daily Planet Media that specific news of a tropical storm missing oil in...

WHITE HAZE HANGS OVER BEIJING

2008-08-04

A thick white haze hangs over Beijing just four days before the Olympic games opening ceremony on August 8.Organizing authorities told Daily Planet Media that the haze was temporary and further measures being taken to remove cars from the city's ...

NO RECOVERY FOR ARCTIC MELTDOWN

2008-08-04

The Arctic sea ice is unlikely to recover from last year's record low, according to latest figures from the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre.This year's Arctic melt is already showing sea ice to be well below average as the summer meltdown pe...

CLIMATE CHANGE HAPPENS SWIFTLY

2008-08-03

Evidence of a fast cooling of Earth's climate almost 13 thousand years ago has added more evidence to the scientific viewpoint that the planet is likely to have a swift and severe climate change if the composition of the atmosphere is rapidly alt...

BLUE SKY DAY IN BEIJING

2008-08-03

Beijing Olympic Games officials are confident that the next seven days will be clear skies and provide a picture perfect setting of the opening ceremony on 8 August.Hundreds of thousands of cars have been ordered off the roads to cut down tailgat...

CANADA CLOSES ARCTIC PARK

2008-08-02

Record high temperatures and extreme flooding on a Canadian Arctic island has resulted in the partial closing closure of the Auyuittuq National Park.The ice cap on the 19, 000 square kilometers park is undergoing unusual melting and erosion, attr...

CLEAR SKIES OVER BEIJING

2008-08-02

Another day of clear skies over Beijing has given Olympic Games officials some confidence that air pollution won't spoil the world's premier athletic event and grand opening.Meteorologists said recent rain had washed away the city's smog - allevi...

USA STATES FORCE EPA INTO COURT

2008-08-01

New York City and California are suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to curb global warming carbon emissions from ocean ships and aircraft.The states - supported by environmental groups - are filing for a court order to prote...

NEW SOLUTION FOR CARBON HEAT

2008-08-01

Scientists have invented a new material that converts the heat wasted from combustion engines in vehicles, power stations and heat pumps.

The thermoelectric new material turns heat into energy without any carbon emissions. <...

CAR MAKERS HUNT FOR PLATINUM

2008-07-31

Hydrogen fuel cells that provide carbon emissions free fuel are dependent on just a few mines that provide 80 percent of the world's platinum reserves.Existing supplies of platinum would meet only 20 per cent of the platinum required if cars powe...

DARK CLOUD OVER EMISSIONS DEAL

2008-07-31

Chances of a world deal to cut emissions enough to curb any severe implosion of global warming climate change has widened considerably following the failure of world trade talks in Geneva.The World Trade Organization's gathering of nations was ab...

ANOTHER CRACK IN ARCTIC SHELF

2008-07-30

A huge chunk of the Canadian ice shelf has broken off which climate experts say is a result of a warming planet.The 20 square kilometers ice fracture - the biggest since the nearby Ayles ice shelf split in 2005 - broke off from the shelf on Ward ...

AUSTRALIANS WANT EMISSIONS ACTION

2008-07-29

Two public polls released this week show that 8 out of 10 Australians support the government's decision to introduce the world's biggest carbon trading schemes in 2010.The Labor Party won power with a strong anti-emissions policy and set up the f...

JAPAN TO START CARBON TRADING

2008-07-29

Japan will start a national carbon trading scheme in October to lower greenhouse gases and cut emissions by 60-80 percent by 2050.Japan will spend $30 billion over the next five years on innovative technology to reduce long-term global emissions....

PAST EARTH HAD NO POLAR ICE

2008-07-29

Latest climate research indicates that greenhouse gases 40 million years - when Earth was much hotter - were similar to some levels being forecast for the end of this century, according to Dr Catherine Burgess of the Cardiff University's School o...

AFRICA SUN TO POWER EUROPE

2008-07-28

A cool plan for Europe using solar power from the fierce Sahara sun has been boosted with the support of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.EU scientists are working 24/7 to complete a report on the viability of channeling solar energy from Afri...

USA GREENHOUSE DANGERS REVEALED

2008-07-27

The disclosure of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report has provided more evidence of the Bush Administration covering up sensitive information that human-made greenhouse emissions were not only causing global warming but endangering pe...

CLEAN ENERGY FOR CITY HEAT

2008-07-26

More than half the world's population lives in cities. Urban dwellers are the primary cause of global warming. And the war against climate change will be won or lost in finding fast solutions to the main problem of too much city heat.In most citi...

LONDON'S FIRST SUSTAINABLE NIGHTCLUB

2008-07-26

A North London nightspot has laid claim to being the world's first sustainable club.The Surya venue in King's Cross encourages clubbers to think, dance and express their ecological significance.The dancers do in fact reduce the venue's electricit...

INFLATION HEADS EMISSIONS CONCERNS

2008-07-25

Private enterprise and not central banks would lead the world with cap and trading to reduce the human-made greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet, Bank of Thailand Governor, Tarisa Watanagase told Daily Planet Media.She said centra...

OBAMA TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING

2008-07-25

Europe and the United States will form the core alliance in the fight to prevent severe climate change resulting from human-made greenhouse gas emissions.That was the clear message from US presidential candidate Barack Obama talking publicly for ...

ENHANCING THE LOW CARBON LIFESTYLE

2008-07-25

The USA celebrates Sustainable Day tomorrow.And at noon in the City of Menomonie Mayor Dennis Kropp will sign the Climate Agreement for living sustainably to benefit the planet and future generations.26 July has been marked as the day when people...

CRUDE PRICES SPUR ARCTIC OIL RUSH

2008-07-24

The fast melting Arctic region will become a "hot spot" for the next rush for Earth's remaining oil and gas reserves, following a report from the US Geological Survey.The US government-led study group estimates that the Arctic offshore holds at l...

NZ WIND FARM GOES TO COURT

2008-07-24

Leading international climate scientists will give opposing evidence to a court hearing that will judge whether the effects of human-made global warming justify the building of a wind farm in New Zealand.Auckland's Roch Sullivan, who opposes wind...

SOUTH AFRICA HIT BY CLIMATE CHANGE

2008-07-23

South Africa's Western Cape had already experienced climate change due to global warming, a conference for journalists has been informed."We will be experiencing a change in the way we live," said South Africa's Environment Minister Marthinus van...

CHANNEL 4 UNBENDED BY VERDICT

2008-07-23

Channel 4 won't stop selling a DVD that attacks the science of climate change - despite being told by the country's media regulator that the documentary had broken strict broadcasting rules on impartiality.The program has its own dedicated websit...

OIL PRICES FORCE NEW AVIATION ORDER

2008-07-22

The chief executive of Qantas, Geoff Dixon says the aviation industry is heading into a new world order fueled by high oil prices and environmental concerns.Mr Dixon said many airlines would be forced to close and major new global airlines will e...

WORLD TO MOVE FROM FOSSIL FUELS

2008-07-22

The head of Europe's biggest power producer has forcaste the world will move away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.Chief Executive of E.ON Wulf Bernotat said there were three reasons why the world will soon switch to renewable energy.(1) Ren...

WATCHDOG CENSURES TV PROGRAMME

2008-07-22

UK Channel 4 misrepresented some of the world's leading climate scientists in the documentary The Great Global Warming Swindle.The programme - promoted as "a definitive response" to Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth - was first broadcast in March l...

BREAKTHROUGH IN SOLAR TECHNOLOGY

2008-07-22

US scientists have devised a new solar power device that promises to make a clean, renewable energy source more affordable.Researchers are enthused by the development of a new type of "solar concentrator" that may provide a better way to extract ...

NEW GREEN DEAL FOR CLIMATE CRUNCH

2008-07-21

A new economic order based on incentives for renewable energy and carbon offset trading has been proposed by the New Economics Foundation, a visionary group of British economists The foundation has released a report that tackles the twin problem ...

USA PEOPLE HAVE LOW LIFE EXPECTANCY

2008-07-21

Americans live shorter lives than most people in other developed countries and the US is now ranked 42nd in terms of life expectancy.The American Human Development Report in its latest report on human population stated that the world's leading ec...

LAST GREAT GLOBAL LAND GRAB

2008-07-20

The next two decades could see the remaining forests on Earth threatened by the "last great global land grab", according to two reports from the Rights and Resources Initiative.The reports said demand for land to grow food, biofuels and wood prod...

CAR POOLS GAINING POPULARITY

2008-07-20

Car pooling has become increasingly popular in Europe, the UK and the United States where large-scale internet-booked car pools have been operating successfully for years.According to latest surveys in the US, many cities have designated car pool...

POPE BENEDICT'S CRUSADE FOR EARTH

2008-07-19

Pope Benedict has escalated his crusade for a healthy, holistic Earth telling crowds of followers in Sydney, Australia, that young people stood to inherit a planet whose resources had been scarred and squandered.The pope's crusade began last year...

AUSTRALIA'S "GREENHOUSE MAFIA"

2008-07-19

A speech writer for the former Australian conservative government has alleged that the new Labor government's Green Paper on climate change shows Australia's big polluters are influencing federal policy and operated as a "greenhouse mafia."Commen...

DANGEROUS METHANE ON HIGH RISE

2008-07-19

Global warming methane emissions - mainly from garbage landfill - are rising to dangerous levels.Climate scientists told Daily Planet Media that there is a growing concern that rising levels of methane could become a catalyst for melting of perma...

AL GORE'S 10-YEAR CLIMATE PLAN

2008-07-18

Former US Vice President Al Gore has called on the US to make a total switch from fossil fuel to renewable energy within 10 years.Gore said the 10-years target was achievable, likening it to the mission of landing man on the moon.The ambitious ta...

FOOD THE "FUNDAMENTAL" HUMAN RIGHT

2008-07-18

The Elders of Nelson Mandela's climate task force have declared that food - as a basic human right - was the primary catalyst for new wars.Already food riots have broken out in many of the world's poorest countries and the growing crisis has stym...

VOLCANOE CLUES TO CLIMATE CHANGE

2008-07-18

The discovery that the ocean starved of oxygen caused a mass extinction of marine species 93 million years ago may hold valuable information for solutions to modern global warming.Underwater volcanism in rocks dating to the period known as the "a...

EMISSIONS COSTS TO LIFT AIR FARES

2008-07-17

European will be paying more for flights under the new pending carbon trading system that forces carriers to cap carbon emissions, or pay a stiff penalty.The system - expected to be approved next month - will be in full operation by 2012.Airlines...

AUSSIE CARBON TRADING LEAKS

2008-07-17

Barely one day after being announced, Australia's fledging carbon trading scheme is leaking badly with some of the country's biggest polluting industries - such as electricity generators and aluminum producers - receiving free carbon permits.Most...

LOW OIL SUPPLIES A MISCONCEPTION

2008-07-16

Twice as much oil is in the ground as major producers claim, according to a former industry adviser who claims there is widespread misinformation on how proven reserves are calculated.Claims that the world has reached the point where oil producti...

AUSTRALIA'S MURRAY RIVER DRYING UP

2008-07-16

Australia's mighty Murray River could lose up to two-thirds of its water flow due to climate change and past development.Inflows into the twin Murray and Darling rivers dropped to record lows last month. And if the countywide drought continues, f...

RUSSIANS EVACUATE MELTING ICE STATION

2008-07-15

A team of Russian researchers has evacuated their research station on the North Pole as the Arctic ice is melting much faster than thought possible.Since September 20 Russian scientists have lived and worked on a drifting ice floe known as 'North...

REEFS VERGING ON EXTINCTION

2008-07-15

One third of the world's coral reef building species is threatened with extinction because of climate change.The study by a team of international scientists examined 700 species of coral and found that 231 are either vulnerable or facing extincti...

SCHWARZENEGGER ATTACKS BUSH

2008-07-14

Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has attacked the Bush administration for denying the existence of human-made global warming and casting the responsibilities for climate change action onto other countries.Smarting from the Federal Gover...

BRITAIN PUTS BRAKES ON BIOFUELS

2008-07-14

Britain has put the brakes on biofuels out of concerns that growing crops for fuel were exacerbating climate change and hiking up food prices.The British Government has adopted a report from Renewable Fuels Agency that calls for more cautious app...

ANTARCTIC ICE SHELF ABOUT TO BREAK

2008-07-13

Scientists are growing increasingly concerned for the future of the huge Wilkins ice shelf that joins on to the Antarctic coast.The latest satellite images suggest the ice shelf is disintegrating rapidly, and is now connected to the Antarctic mai...

BUSH PASSES ON EMISSIONS ACTION

2008-07-13

President George W. Bush won't be taking any regulatory action on greenhouse gas emissions this year.The decision follows a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the "the complexity and magnitude of the question" had cast dou...

EARTH'S AIR WARMING FASTER

2008-07-12

An expert committee on climate - attached to the Royal Society of New Zealand - has weighed into the controversy over climate change by publicly declaring that recent global warming has anthropogenic (human induced) causes.The society's science a...

USA SMOG LEVELS LINKED TO WARMING

2008-07-12

Global warming has been linked to higher levels of smog that could harm human health.A published draft report by the US Environmental Protection Agency states that climate change has the potential to produce significant increases in near-surface ...

SATELLITES MAP WIND ENERGY SITES

2008-07-11

NASA is using its global satellite network to map out sectors of the oceans that are suited for wind energy.The maps show where offshore farms can best convert wind energy to electricity.So far, examination of the maps shot from space reveal the ...

CLIMATE CHANGE BRINGS BIGGER TUNA

2008-07-11

Climate change resulting in warmer seas has had a positive spin-off for the tuna fishing industry.Fishing trawlers off the South Australia Great Australian Bight have reported bigger catch size, according to the chief executive of the Australian ...

CLEAN ENERGY ON A ROLL

2008-07-10

With crude oil prices likely to peak above $150 per barrel - and the world poised to adopt binding CO2 caps and an emissions trading scheme - the clean energy industry's future is looking bright.A Daily Planet Media survey of fossil fuels and alt...

NOWHERE NEAR FAR ENOUGH

2008-07-10

Leading climate scientists have condemned the G8 rich nations pledge to halve global emissions by 2050 as non-specific and meaningless.Criticism was directed at the failure of the G8 statement to mention a base by which any reduction in greenhous...

PUSH FOR 20% BY 2020 CUTS

2008-07-09

The European Union, Japan and Australia will lead the global fight against climate change and attempt to overcome a stalemate between developed and developing countries.While the three-day G8 summit held on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, Japan,...

CHINA PLANS CLIMATE RESPONSE

2008-07-09

China is making plans for tough emissions cuts but President Hu Jintao is adamant that the west, which has been "polluting the air for centuries" must act first to reduce emissions and exchange financial and technical support.While China is the w...

G8 STRIKES EMISSIONS DEAL

2008-07-08

A deal struck overnight between hosts Japan and the US has resulted in the group of rich developed nations agreeing to long-term climate change goals that will be ratified at the G8 summit being held on the Japanese island of Hokkaido.Summit orga...

REEFS FOR THE FUTURE

2008-07-08

The International Coral Reef Symposium - the world's largest scientific meeting on coral reefs - is now being held in the US focused on Earth's rising temperatures and severe weather events linked to climate change.Nearly 2,500 coral experts are ...

WARMING STRESSING CORAL ECOSYSTEMS

2008-07-08

Many of the world's coral reef ecosystems are imperiled by overfishing and pollution, as well as facing the threat of climate change, according to the latest report from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on the state of coral...

CLIMATE TRUMPED AT G8 SUMMIT

2008-07-07

Rising poverty, inflation and hiked oil prices have upstaged global warming and climate change on the first day of the summit for Group of Eight rich nations being held in luxury hotel in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.President George ...

SOLAR POWER FOR HYBRID CARS

2008-07-07

Toyota will become the world's first carmaker to use a solar power generation system for mass-produced vehicles.Rooftop solar panels will be fitted on all the high-end models of the popular Prius to run the air-conditioning.In 1997 Prius became t...

CLIMATE CHANGE EXPERIMENT IN CHINA

2008-07-07

An experiment on the effect of climate change on grazing land in China?s Tibetan Plateau has shown that 26-36 percent of plant species in the region will decline if global temperatures continue to rise.Chinese and US scientists conducted the expe...

CHINA CLOSES AIR POLLUTING FACTORIES

2008-07-06

China has ordered the closure of 40 factories in a city close to Beijing following concerns by athletes that heavily polluted air will affect their performance.Beijing city authorities told Daily Planet Media that car and factory emissions would ...

NEW FERRARI ENGINES TO CUT CO2

2008-07-06

Ferrari's next generation of sports car engines will reduce CO2 emissions by 40 per cent over the next four years.Company president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said Ferrari intended to cut its vehicles' greenhouse gas emissions by nearly half and...

TREE PLANTING GREENWASHING STUNT

2008-07-06

Environmental groups have accused the Mexican Government of carrying out a greenwashing publicity stunt that involved planting eight million trees across the country.Greenpeace alleged that only 10 percent of the planted trees would survive.A muc...

USA FAR AWAY FROM G8 TARGET

2008-07-05

Core Europe countries and the United States remain far apart on how to reduce global warming carbon emissions, according to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.Hosing down expectations that the US would agree to a binding pact to cu...

RUSSIA FACES ECO CRISIS

2008-07-05

Russia is facing an eco crisis with parts of the country like to become uninhabitable within the next 30 years, President Dmitry Medvedev told law students in his home city of St Petersburg.The problem, according to Medvedev, stems from Russia's ...

G8 FAILS CLIMATE SCORECARD

2008-07-04

The powerul Group of 8 countries reputation for leadership against global warming has been tarnished by an environmental study published today that states the world's most developed nations had failed to fulfill their pledges to fight climate cha...

SUN RAYS NOT CAUSING WARMING

2008-07-04

Latest research has discredited the notion that cosmic rays are a major influence on the Earth's climate.The report presented to the European Geosciences Union gave convincing proof that cosmic ray flux does not affect cloud formation.Cosmic rays...

G8 GETS UPSTAGED ON EMISSIONS

2008-07-03

Next week's G8 leaders summit in Hokkaido, Japan, is being upstaged by the more inclusive Major Economies Meeting (MEM), as a forum for discussions on a new framework to curb the world's accelerating carbon emissions.US President George W. Bush e...

BOTTLE MANIA'S CARBON FOOTPRINT

2008-07-03

Some of the biggest companies in the world managed to build a bottled water empire in the United States leaving behind a massive environmental footprint left by the 50 billion bottles of water drunk each year.New York investigative journalist Eli...

US GETS SERIOUS ON GLOBAL WARMING

2008-07-02

It's taken two recurring severe floods in 15 years - destroying thousands of homes in the US Midwest - but the signs are now clear that the Whitehouse is getting serious about the clear and present dangers of global warming and the prospects of s...

TRIGGER SET FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

2008-07-02

Earth's ability to absorb carbon will decline as global warming increases, accelerating the rate of temperature change.And far greater emission cuts than currently planned worldwide will be required if the planet's temperatures are to be kept bel...

G8 SPENDS BIG ON COAL TECH

2008-07-01

The rich G8 countries will invest billions of dollars on CO2 capture and storage (CCS) to take the heat off the power industry that is heavily dependent on coal.A $10 billion dollar clean energy fund is set for approval at the next G8 meeting 7-9...

COUNTRIES SCRAMBLE MELTING ARCTIC

2008-07-01

The summer meltdown of the North Pole has intensified international interest in the Arctic region.Canada and other nations that border the Arctic - including Russia and the United States - are aggressively laying claims to vast tracts of the Arct...

BRITAIN EMBARKS ON GREEN REVOLUTION

2008-06-30

As the news spreads that human-made global warming will soon render the North Pole iceless during summer, the British Government has announced the biggest changes to power generation since the Industrial Revolution.Great Britain will spend $200 b...

ARCTIC ICE IN FAST MELTDOWN

2008-06-30

It's official. The North Pole has lost its thick old ice due to global warming and very soon all the young thin ice - that has formed the Arctic cap - will melt away.Satellite images shown to Daily Planet Media revealed a dramatic thinning of ice...

CLIMATE CHANGE SECURITY CONCERNS

2008-06-29

US intelligence agencies have issued a warning on the national security implications of global warming. Fallout from global climate change over the next 20 years will boost global instability and may place new burdens on U.S. military forces, ...

WORLD VERGING ON ENERGY SCRAMBLE

2008-06-29

Oil giant Shell has warned of a world energy scramble and a "dash for coal" in the coming decade, along with a sharp increase in CO2 emissions. Thirst for energy was likely to double in the first half of the century, but increased biofuels pro...

EARTH NEEDS A CARBON REVOLUTION

2008-06-28

What the Earth needs now is a "Carbon Revolution" of the same magnitude as the Industrial Revolution that changed the way people lived on the planet. That's the conclusion of a study carried out by the McKinsey Glob...

SKILLS WANTED FOR CARBON ECONOMY

2008-06-28

Carbon trading schemes will lead to a new "green collar" workforce, according to a report by Australia's chief scientific research body, the CSIRO. The report said that while measures to be taken to curb emissions will not affect jobs overall,...

US BAULKS ON G8 BINDING CUTS

2008-06-27

The US is baulking at agreeing to a binding global pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2050.The "50 by 50" framework to avert serious climate change caused by human-made emissions will be discussed at the next G8 leader...

THE GREEN WAY AHEAD FOR CALIFORNIA

2008-06-27

California's bold plan to curb global warming is likely to become the blueprint for the US after next year's presidential election.The new measures and initiatives include implementing a cap-and-trade program on CO2 emissions that require buildin...

BRITAIN LEADS IN CARBON TRADING

2008-06-26

Britain has emerged as the world leader in carbon emissions trading spending billions of pounds to offset CO2 atmospheric pollution.Estimated value of carbon trading in the UK will be worth around US$800 billion by 2020.When, as expected, Japan a...

GREEN TECH EXCHANGE PUSHED GLOBAL

2008-06-26

A open framework for global exchange of green technology will come under the spotlight when the rich Group of Eight nations next meet.World Bank sources told Daily Planet Media that tariffs were hindering the spread of green tech with over 40 new...

BIOFUELS BLAMED FOR HIGH FOOD COSTS

2008-06-25

Fierce competition between biofuels for cars and food to eat is dragging more than 30 million people into poverty. Biofuels were heralded as a means to fight climate change and provide energy security, but there is now growing concerns that ...

CARBON COPS ARE COMING

2008-06-25

Britons fear that carbon cops will soon be coming to enforce new legislation being mooted to reduce human-made carbon emissions.A survey by Britain's Energy Saving Trust showed that 41 percent of Britons think the country will need its own Carbon...

ACCELERATING ARCTIC ICE MELTDOWN

2008-06-24

The Arctic sea ice meltdown - due to global warming - is accelerating much faster than the worst-case predictions. "What we've found is the oceans are in fact warming substantially faster than estimates," asserts John Church from Australia's l...

NEW SATELLITE CHECKS CLIMATE CHANGE

2008-06-23

Changes to Earth's climate caused from human-made global warning greenhouse gas emissions will be more accurately accessed, following the successful launch of a US-French satellite equipped with advanced technology.The satellite - programmed to m...

OIL CRUNCH PRESSURES ARCTIC DRILLING

2008-06-22

The oil-rich and ecologically fragile Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will be a prime drilling target if the US congress agrees to President's George Bush call to end the ban on offshore oil drilling that includes areas near the northern ice cap....

CHINA RACES TO TOP CO2 LEADER

2008-06-22

China's CO2 emissions raced 14 percent ahead of the total emitted by the United States last year, according to a report from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. The Dutch report ranks India, with a population of more than one bill...

NUCLEAR OPTION FACES OPPOSITION

2008-06-21

Nuclear power is the most contentious option for widening a UN mechanism for rich nations to invest and get credits for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. "It's one of the issues that needs to be considered," Yvo de Boer, head of the U.N. Clima...

UN ACTION PLAN TO SAVE ASIAN FORESTS

2008-06-20

The UN has agreed on a plan of action to stop deforestations in greater Asia by the year 2020.As well as causing large-scale land degradation, the removal of forest trees is regarded by land-care experts as being a primary cause of global warming...

CRITICS CONDEMN CO2 GO SLOW

2008-06-20

Environmentalists have accused the United States, Canada and Australia of being deliberately slow in taking action in the fight against climate change. "The agenda has never been bigger, progress has never been slower," said Bill Hare of Green...

CLIMATE DEAL COMING SOON

2008-06-19

A new deal to prevent the implosion of severe climate changes is likely to be in place by December 2009 ahead of the termination of the non-binding Kyoto Protocol in 2012. Kyoto caps greenhouse gases of some 37 industrialized countries. In Bal...

CALL FOR ENERGY TECH REVOLUTION

2008-06-18

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for an energy technology revolution to reverse the dangerous build up of atmospheric CO2 that threatens to trigger severe climate change. The energy watchdog for industrialized nations warned th...

ETHIOPIA DROUGHT SPURED BY WARMING

2008-06-17

A devastating drought in Ethiopia blamed partly as a consequence of climate change has caused food shortages affecting 5 million people. An estimated 4.6 million people require immediate aid, United Nations Humanitarian Affairs sources told Da...

ACADEMIES DEMAND CO2 CAPTURE

2008-06-17

Science academies worldwide are collectively urging that power stations be fitted with carbon dioxide capturing technology to avoid "dangerous and irreversible" climate change. The academies have issued warning documents over rising CO2 as a p...

10 YEARS AND THEN IT GETS HOT

2008-06-16

While La Nina conditions have brought unseasonably cold weather to Europe Earth's temperatures are expected to rise quickly within 10 years, according to a new computer model developed by German researchers.Climate scientists have welcomed the fo...

HYDROGEN FORUM SEEKS BREAKTHROUGHS

2008-06-16

An international forum on hydrogen that begins in Australia today is expected to provide new breakthroughs in energy technology.The forum in Brisbane will be attended by car manufacturers and engineers, who have been examining ways of supplying e...

GREEN TECH EXCHANGE TO GO GLOBAL

2008-06-15

A framework for an open global exchange for green technology will come under the spotlight when the Group of Eight rich nations meet next month.Senior World Bank executives told Daily Planet Media that tariffs were hindering the spread of green t...

DISPOSABLE CHOPSTICKS GET CHOPPED

2008-06-15

Taiwan's hungry take away consumers are being encouraged to join an environmental push by declining disposable chopsticks when they take away meals from 10, 000 convenience storesUntil 1 July four convenience store chains will provide wooden sing...

CLIMATE IMPACT FASTER THAN EXPECTED

2008-06-14

A prominent group of Australians - including leading scientists and health experts - issued an urgent statement today claiming that global warming was happening much faster than expected and the chances of avoiding severe climate change were fast...

$BILLIONS TO TURN COAL TO OIL

2008-06-14

US, China, Australia and India are poised to spend billions of dollars to turn vast coal reserves into liquid oil.While environmentalists condemn the coal-to-liquid (CTL) process for creating excessive global warming greenhouse gases, more than 1...

US TURNAROUND ON EMISSIONS CAPS

2008-06-13

In an unexpected turnaround, the US will tell a July meeting of the Group of Eight rich nations that it will support big cuts in emissions of planet-warming gases by 2020.Contradicting chief climate negotiator Harlan Watson statement that it's "n...

HYDROGEN TEST CARS ON LA ROADS

2008-06-13

A major hydrogen refueling station will be established in Los Angeles that is likely to be the first of many.General Motors Corp is developing fuel cell-powered vehicles, which run on hydrogen and emit only water vapor, and GM is partnering with ...

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON AFRICA

2008-06-12

Before and after satellite images show a dramatic change in Africa's landscape as a direct result of more recent climate change.The latest images shot from space show that the glaciers in the Rwenzori Mountains straddling Tanzania and Uganda have...

DOLPHINS "MASS SUICIDE" IN CORNWALL

2008-06-12

British pathologist Vic Simpson has diagnosed 26 deceased dolphins that died after beaching in Cornwall as "mass suicide".After examining some of the 26 dead mammals on behalf of the Zoological Society in London Simpson told Daily Planet Media th...

NEW GERMAN CAR TAX LINKED TO CO2

2008-06-12

Germany will have a new green car tax linked to CO2 emissions from 2010 - measure that is likely to be followed by other other European countries to curb global warming.The coalition parties headed by Chancellor Angela Merkel determined all new c...

GREAT LAKES LOSING WATER

2008-06-11

Global warming over the next century will lower the Great Lakes and expose toxic sediment that has been buried threatening water quality, a report from he Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has revealed.Climate change would melt all the win...

WASHING WITHOUT WATER

2008-06-11

A washing machine that uses plastic chips instead of water will go on sale next year and is being touted as valuable possession in country's that have long dry seasons.The technology uses only one a cup of water for a washing load has been develo...

CHINA'S CARBON FOOTPRINT DOUBLES

2008-06-10

China's ecological footprint had doubled in size since the 1960's with the demand for resources twice as much as the country's ecosystems could sustainably supply, according to a report from WWF International.And the next 20 years would place eve...

USA LEADS CLIMATE LIVING INDEX

2008-06-10

The United States has taken the lead position as the largest consumer of natural resources on the planet, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Finland, Canada, Kuwait and Australia.The annual Climate Living Index, which measures humanity's deman...

HALF OF CHINA'S COAST POLLUTED

2008-06-09

Serious pollution to half the coastal waters of China has resulted in the destruction of large swathes of coastal wetlands and mangrove forests, according to marine specialist Professor Luan Weixin of the Economics and Management College at Dalia...

HEAT'S ON FOR NEW CLIMATE PACT

2008-06-08

Expectations are rising that a new climate pact can be sealed at the UN-led world gathering in Copenhagen next year.According to the UN climate change secretariat Yvo de Boer the deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol would be done by the end of next...

HIGH COST OF CONVERTING COAL

2008-06-08

While converting coal to diesel type fuels would help nations be more energy independent it would be extremely counterproductive for global efforts to decrease the rising volume of CO2 atmospheric emissions that climate science contends cause glo...

US SENATE REJECTS EMISSIONS BILL

2008-06-07

The US Senate has rejected a carbon-capping bill aimed at cutting emissions by 66 percent by 2050.A coalition of green groups - including the Natural Resources Defence Council, Environmental Defense Fund and the National Wildlife Federation - iss...

CALL FOR ENERGY TECH REVOLUTION

2008-06-06

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for an energy technology revolution to reverse the dangerous building up of atmospheric CO2 that threatens to trigger severe climate change.The energy watchdog for industrialized nations has warned...

SKEPTIC CONCEDES EMISSIONS WARMING

2008-06-06

One of the world's most prominent climate change skeptics and US army scientist, Dr. Bruce West has conceded that human-made greenhouse gases are contributing to rising temperatures on Earth by as much as 70 percent.According to Dr West average t...

WARMING EARTH THE DEFINING ISSUE

2008-06-05

Global warming has become the defining issue for humanity in the 21st century, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said in statement for World Environment Day to mark global green issues."Our world is in the grip of a dangerous carbon habit," Ban sa...

PUSH IS ON TO TURN COAL TO OIL

2008-06-05

US, China, Australia and India are poised to commit billions of dollars to turn vast coal reserves into liquid oil.While Environmentalists condemn the coal-to-liquid (CTL) process for creating excessive global warming greenhouse gases more than 1...

CAMPAIGN TO HALT US EMISSIONS BILL

2008-06-04

A powerful US business lobby - led by the coal industry - is spending tens of millions of dollars to halt support for a cap and trade bill that is being debated by the Senate.Under the proposed bill before the Senate, big polluters will be able t...

Oil, FUEL, FOOD & SPECULATORS

2008-06-04

George Soros, the billionaire fund manager who made a fortune betting against Southeast Asia currencies in the 90's is now betting that an oil price "bubble" could trigger a stock market crash and long recession.Soros claims that oil speculators ...

US CLIMATE CHANGE BILL STONEWALLED

2008-06-03

Threats of a presidential veto and passive opposition from a large number of uncommitted senators have stonewalled the climate change bill being debated for the first time this week in the US Senate.Whitehouse insiders told Daily Planet Media tha...

FOOD SIDETRACKS CLIMATE TALKS

2008-06-02

Climate talks led today by the United Nations in Germany were confronted by a new twist - consumer outrage at high food prices fuelled by biofuels.The gathering of country representatives was meant to focus on a new global climate pact to be fina...

PNG PRESTINE RAINFORESTS DECLINING

2008-06-02

Satellite images taken over the past 30 years show that Papua New Guinea (PNG) has lost 15 percent of its previously listed unspoiled rainforests.And a study by the University of Papua New Guinea shows a 24 percent change in the Southeast Asian c...

WARMING WORLD ON PERILOUS COURSE

2008-06-01

The world is on a perilous course for temperature rises in excess of the dangerous level of 2C degrees, according to the head of the UN Climate Panel Rajendra Pachauri."If you want to stabilize the increase in temperatures to between 2.0 to 2.4 c...

USA LEADS CLIMATE LIVING INDEX

2008-06-01

BRAZIL TO EXPAND ETHANOL CROPS

2008-05-31

The Brazil Government has backed sugar producers that claim the huge and growing Brazilian ethanol industry does not suffer from the main criticisms of biofuels - the displacement of food crops and the destruction of ecosystems such as rainforest...

US READY FOR CARBON TRADING ECONOMY

2008-05-30

The United States is ready to embrace a new economic order based on carbon trading, following the release of a climate change assessment report linking human-made global warming to longer drought periods and more extreme hurricane seasons.After f...

5.5 BILLION DOLLAR CLIMATE FUND

2008-05-29

The rich G8 countries and the World Bank are close to signing off on a US$5.5 billion fund to kick-start a new economic trading structure based on the price of carbon.World Bank President Robert Zoellick has been selling the value of the fund to ...

SUDDEN COOLING OF 1945 SOLVED

2008-05-29

The mystery of how the planet had an abrupt cooling in 1945 - that went against the trend of global warming - has been explained following research by US and British scientists.Apparently, the so-called cold snap of 1945 that recorded a 0.3C drop...

EMISSIONS TRADING GOES GLOBAL

2008-05-28

More governments and multi-national companies are using emissions trading as a business weapon to fight climate change.The carbon market was worth $64 billion last year and is expected to double this year.Cap and trade schemes enable energy-inten...

SUMMIT ON WHO GETS ARCTIC OIL

2008-05-27

USA, Russia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Russia will hold a summit in Greenland tomorrow to thrash out who has the rights to Arctic oil.The summit follows concerns by Denmark that the ongoing squabbling for the Arctic's oil and gas reserves could...

BIG SPLIT ON CLIMATE APPROACH

2008-05-26

The Group of Eight rich nations have baulked at setting short and mid-term caps on human-made emissions, effectively hosing down expectations for global warming solutions at the UN-led climate change summit in July.The G8 grouping of the world's ...

NANOTUBES NEW MIRACLE MATERIAL

2008-05-26

Carbon atoms rolled into cylinders called nanotubes are fast becoming the new miracle material of the 21st century.Nanotubes are extremely efficient at conducting heat and electricity and they're already being used in sports equipment because of ...

G8 AGREES ON URGENT CLIMATE ACTION

2008-05-25

The United States has called for a global fund - expected to raise more than one trillion dollars - for new clean technology to overcome global warming.Delegates attending a meeting of government environmental ministers and representatives agreed...

BUSH BANKS ON NEW GREEN TECHNOLOGY

2008-05-25

US President George Bush is banking on new green technology to slow the growth of emissions over the next decade, stop by 2025, and then begin to reverse the effect human-made greenhouse gasses are having on Earth's environment.Bush said in...

WORLD'S RICH DISCUSS EMISSIONS CURBS

2008-05-24

The world's richest countries - along with the two Asian economic tigers China and India - have gathered in Japan to work out a framework of action to tackle the twin interdependent issues of global warming and imploding climate change.G8 delegat...

BILLION DOLLAR CO2 STORGAGE TESTS

2008-05-24

A demonstration carbon capture and storage plant will be built at a lignite power plant in Germany for an investment cost of US$1.57 billion.Swedish state-owned utility Vattenfall confirmed to Daily Planet Media that the trial plant would be full...

UNUSUAL HURRICANE SEASON PREDICTED

2008-05-23

The United States top climate agency has forecast an unusually active Atlantic hurricane season throughout 2008 with up to 16 named storms expected to develop into from six to nine destructive hurricanes.The hurricane season officially starts on ...

ENERGY AGENCY PUSHES CAPTURE

2008-05-23

The world must persist with finding new carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to fight global warming, according to the International Energy Agency's chief economist Fatih Birol.Carbon capture has become a contentious issue in recent weeks,...

SCRAMBLE FOR ARCTIC OIL

2008-05-22

Denmark has renewed its call for Arctic coastal nations to avoid scrambling for the region's resources as crude oil futures rose more than $4 in overnight trade to reach a new record high of $US133.17.The big jump in oil prices came as the US Fed...

SENATE PRESSED ON EMISSIONS

2008-05-21

The United States Senate is preparing to vote on a benchmark bill aimed at reducing the carbon emissions that spur climate change.The bill - known as America's Climate Security Act - includes a provision that would require companies to disclose m...

RICH COUNTRIES MEET ON EMISSIONS

2008-05-20

The world's richest counties will gather in Japan this weekend to lay down the groundwork for the July leaders' summit on climate change.But government representatives hosed down any talk that the latest climate gathering would reach an agreement...

SKY TO CHANGE COLOUR

2008-05-19

Prominent environmentalist Professor Tim Flannery has proposed pumping sulphur into the atmosphere as a last ditch solution to curb global warming.The Australian climate change activist who has written books on environmental issues says the proce...

CARBON CAPTURE FRAMEWORK COMPLETED

2008-05-18

Australia has completed the world's first framework for carbon dioxide capture and geological storage, as a means to reducing global warming.The process for geo-sequestration involves capturing greenhouse gas emissions before they are released in...

ONE IN FOUR SPECIES EXTINCT

2008-05-18

Over the past 35 years one in four species on planet Earth have become extinct.And, according to the latest scientific evidence, humans are eliminating about 1 per cent of all animal species each year.The new census of wildlife found that polluti...

BRAZIL RAINFORESTS CAN BE SAVED

2008-05-17

Brazil?s man in charge of managing the Amazon rainforest says deforestation can only be stopped if the region's 25 million people are given economic opportunities.The Amazon's planning minister, Roberto Mangabeira Ungar, said the government autho...

NASA WANTS AN EMISSIONS MISSION

2008-05-16

NASA has called for an "Apollo-type moon mission" to overcome the looming crisis of imploding climate change caused by human-made carbon emissions. NASA and US Air Force are co-ordinating a gathering of the world's top scientists to come...

LAKES ARE FEELING THE HEAT

2008-05-15

The world's lakes are feeling the heat of global warming and are vulnerable to climate change, according to Marianne Moore, a biology professor at Wellesley College (Massachusetts). Commenting on the latest research that showed Siberia's giant...

CLIMATE PACT GATHERS MOMENTUM

2008-05-14

China and Japan have agreed on an historic greenhouse strategy to slash emissions by more than 50% by the year 2050.Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japan's Prime Minister, Yasuo Fukuda in Tokyo finalized the framework for the post-Kyoto greenhous...

A NEW ERA FOR SUPER CYCLONES

2008-05-13

More powerful and frequent cyclones are a sign of what's to come, according to Indian Meteorological Department director-general Ajit Tyagi of the Indian advocacy group that monitors climate change in Asia.Tropical Asia can expect more intense we...

NORTH POLE IN RECORD MELTDOWN

2008-05-12

Latest satellite data and temperature records forecast a 59 percent chance the annual minimum Artic sea ice record would be broken again this year.Over the past decade the Arctic sea ice has declined by 10 percent with a record drop in 2007. The ...

CLIMATE CHANGE TO SPUR CONFLICTS

2008-05-11

If climate change is not slowed - and critical environmental thresholds are exceeded - then the situation will become a primary driver of world conflicts, according to a report from the British Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).Towards 2050,...

ELECTRIC "WHEELS" FOR THE RICH

2008-05-10

While petrol guzzling SUV's remain distinctly uncool in the 21st century global warming environment the new electric vehicles - known as EV's - are fast becoming the preferred "wheels" for the nouveau riche.Boutique companies building electric sp...

WARMING FUELS FOOD SHORTAGE

2008-05-09

While farmers are struggling to produce enough rice to feed the world's rapidly rising population, scientists warn that global warming will make the task of growing more crops a lot more difficult over the next three decades.As a consequence, far...

ALCHEMY TECH FOR CO2 STORAGE

2008-05-08

Science is turning to alchemy to find new ways to solidify greenhouse gases for safe storage.Analysts say the search for a suitable technology could become a $US150 billion-plus market. But the main concern is that dangerous gases may leak in the...

$5 BILLION TO GREEN BAGHDAD

2008-05-07

War-torn Baghdad City will become a green haven if a five-year development "dream list" comes true.Under the $5 billion plan the US -protected Green Zone will become the centerpiece for Baghdad's future.The plan - that has the backing of the Pent...

TOUGH GRASS TO FIGHT WARMING

2008-05-06

Tough drought-tolerant perennial grass could complement tree planting as the major weapon in the fight against global arming.Some grass pastures appear to have an exceptional ability to build up carbon in the soil, according to Tim Wiley, a pastu...

WORLD CLIMATE DEAL IN 2009

2008-05-05

A climate change pact will be a done deal by 2009, according to United Nations leaders.Head of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Rajendra Pachauri heralded the 2009 agreement to cap greenhouse gases while speaking at the Asi...

NORTHERN ICE CAP MELTING FASTER

2008-05-04

The Arctic ice cap is melting faster than the southern Antarctic. Latest scientific research indicates that while the North Pole is undergoing a rapid meltdown the South Pole is being kept cooler by powerful winds resulting from a change in clima...

SEALS UNLOCKING CLIMATE SECRETS

2008-05-03

Scientists are using satellite seal research to unlock secrets about the species survival and what forces are behind global current patterns and climate change.Australian scientists have used tagged seals to explore the deep ocean around Antarcti...

OXYGEN LOW IN PACIFIC OCEAN

2008-05-02

A large area of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans has low amounts of dissolved oxygen that has been expanding over the past 50 years in line with global warming, according to the scientists based in Germany and the United States.And, If the process...

CLIMATE ADVISERS URGE BINDING CUTS

2008-05-02

Britain and Australia are being pressured to legislate stringent binding emissions targets, following advise from their country's appointed greenhouse policy advisers.Both governments have been advised to set "demanding and binding" emissions tar...

OCEAN MOVES A COOL REPRIEVE

2008-05-01

Accelerating global warming caused by human-made emissions might get a slight 10-year reprieve due to a natural shift in ocean circulations.While the anthropogenic (human-made) climate change will continue, according to German Professor Mojib Lat...

GREEN GE WANTS GOOGLE

2008-05-01

General Electric wants to partner with Google Inc on renewable energy investments as part of a plan to pour $6 billion into renewable energy by 2010. According to industry surveys sighted by Daily Planet Media renewable energy from mostly solar a...

WORLD FOOD CRISIS WORSENS

2008-04-30

The World Bank will set up a task force on food following an unheralded rise in food prices worldwide - fueled by record oil prices and demand for biofuels. Higher prices for wheat, rice, and other staples have left over 100 million people with i...

AUSTRALIA EXAMINES EMISSION AUCTIONS

2008-04-30

Australia is investigating holding weekly auctions of greenhouse gas emission permits as part of a greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme the new Labor Government wants to set up and be running by 2010.The auctions are seen as an alternative for...

TRADE WAR OVER BIOFUELS

2008-04-29

A worldwide trade war is brewing over biofuels as European biodiesel producers exert pressure on the EU to impose heavy duties on US biodiesel.Head of a US biodiesel group has accused the EU of trying to use litigation for protectionist ends that...

CO2 LEVELS NEARING DANGER ZONE

2008-04-28

Carbon dioxide levels for 2007 went "off the chart, " according to the annual index of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration based on data from 60 sites around the world.Atmospheric carbon dioxide - the greenhouse gas science bel...

WORLD NEEDS CARBON MARKET

2008-04-27

Global climate change talks must progress quickly if the planet is to avoid "deep trouble", according to the United Nations environment program. Head of the UN's environment program, Achim Steiner, in a report to Singapore businesses stated th...

UN SUPPORTS NUCLEAR OPTION

2008-04-26

The head of of the UN Climate Change Secretariat, Yvo de Boer believes that the world will be forced to embrace nuclear power - as a primary energy source - as the fight against climate change becomes more urgent. "If you look at the scale of...

CANADA LINKED TO CARBON CRIME

2008-04-25

Canada faces suspension from United Nation's supervised carbon trading following punishment handed down to Greece for violating greenhouse gas reporting rules that underpin attempts to curb global warming.Both the Canadian and Greek cases were re...

MISSINFORMATION ON CLIMATE SCIENCE

2008-04-25

A leading climate change scientist says there is there is too much misinformation being spread about the theory that is confusing to the general public.Professor Barry Brook from the University of Adelaide, Australia says those who deny climate c...

TREES OFFER URKS GOOGLE

2008-04-24

Google has barred a green search engine from using its search technology and advertising platform.Ecocho.com.au, an Australian green site launched a week ago, offered to plant two free carbon offsetting trees for every 1000 searches made through ...

NZ GLACIER MELTING FAST

2008-04-24

Scientists in New Zealand claim that most of their country's largest glacier could melt away within the next 20 years.A team of researchers calculates that the Tasman Glacier near Mount Cook is retreating by almost 200 meters a year.The research ...

USA POLITICS SWINGS TO GREEN

2008-04-23

Earth Day was marked yesterday with USA politics swinging into the green lane with the Democrat and Republican contenders all promising a new era of climate consideration after next year's presidential elections.Democrats Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. ...

CLIMATE INDEX TO COMBAT CHANGE

2008-04-23

An international climate index will be set by the United Nations to encourage governments to be more accountable on climate change.Under the plan, governments will declare tax incentives for business, introducing carbon efficiencies, or governmen...

WE'RE LOSING CLIMATE FIGHT

2008-04-22

Climate statesman and former US Vice-President Al Gore has warned that the widow for action to avert serious climate change on Earth is closing fast."What would it take to set off the alarm bells to make this a top-of-mind priority in the body po...

$1M PRIZE FOR ARTIFICIAL MEAT

2008-04-22

Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will pay a $US1 million prize for the creation of artificial meat.PETA announced the prize while supporting music legend Paul McCartney's call for the world to go vegetarian t...

CALL FOR INDO PALM OIL MORATORIUM

2008-04-22

Greenpeace has accused Anglo-Dutch food group Unilever of being behind the environmental destruction of the central Kalimantan province on Borneo Island through the sale of 1.3 million tonnes of palm oil with more than half coming from Indonesia....

EU TO BAN MANY BIOFUEL IMPORTS

2008-04-21

The European Union will heavily tax all US biofuel imports and is likely to ban palm oil made on plantations established after 2003.The EU laws - currently being drafted - are likely to mandate the banning of the importation of all biofuels grown...

BUSH BYPASSED ON CLIMATE

2008-04-20

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has joined world leaders and 18 USA states to bypass US President George Bush in setting tougher binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions.Schwarzenegger said all three presidential candidates - McCa...

WORLD SPLIT ON EMISSIONS TARGET

2008-04-19

The world is split over the need to halve human-made greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.The US supports less cuts and a reduced cap on carbon emissions while the European Union asserts that a 50% reduction is a necessary prerequisite to prevent an ...

GERMANY CALLS USA PLAN "NEANDERTHAL"

2008-04-18

Germany has accused US President George W Bush of turning the clock back to the "Neanderthal" extinction age with his plan to cap greenhouse gases by 2025.Bush unveiled his plan to halt the growth of USA emissions by 2025, which the US says is to...

USA FOCUS ON NEW TECHNOLOGY

2008-04-17

President George W Bush said the US would focus on new technology to reduce gas emissions - including "clean coal" - as the frontline weapon to fight against the advent of serious climate change.Bush said US greenhouse gas emissions would be capp...

COAL FUTURE TIED TO CARBON CAPTURE

2008-04-17

The Australian Coal Association, which represents the worlds biggest exporter of coal, is seeking government funding to develop and implement a plan to oversee rapid development and commercialisation of 10 million tones of carbon capture and stor...

UN SEEKS CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

2008-04-16

UN officials are now convinced that the only way to overcome the twin problems of global warming and climate change is for rich countries to come up with creative ways to finance clean energy and offset carbon emissions.The international carbon m...

WORLD BANK DECLARES FOOD CRISIS

2008-04-15

The World Bank has declared a worldwide food crisis that is likely to plunge another 100 million people over the poverty line.World Bank President Robert Zoellick said there was a shortfall in contributions for the World Food Program, as much mor...

NEW CONDITIONS FOR EU BIOFUEL

2008-04-15

The European Union will examine a list of biofuel standards including a condition that all biofuels must cut emissions by at least 35 percent, not threaten rainforests and take into account food prices.British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has call...

ELECTRIC CARS RECHARGED IN 5 MINS

2008-04-15

A breakthrough in battery storage could spur the arrival the electric car as a viable clear alternative to the combustion engine vehicles.According to retired Queensland scientist he has developed technology that will fast track electric cars as ...

IMF URGES LOW PRICE FOR CARBON

2008-04-14

Higher carbon prices could stagnate economies and make green products and technologies unaffordable for consumers, according to International Monetary Fund researchers.The latest IMF study into the effects of climate change on economies cautioned...

NASA CHIEF SAYS NO MORE COAL

2008-04-14

Dr James Hansen - NASA ?s chief climate scientist ? has written to Australia?s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd asking him to stop exports of coal to slow down global warming.Dr Hansen said Australia should show leadership in that "continuing mining of ...

MIDDLE EAST WATER CRISIS

2008-04-13

Overuse of limited water in the Middle East will reduce by half the amount of water available per head of population by 2050.The crisis will worsen more as the population continues to soar while climate change is expected to cut rainfall by 20 pe...

$600M CALIFORNIAN THINK TANK

2008-04-12

Californian electricity consumers will be charged $600 million over the next 10 years for a green think tank to find solutions to overcome global warming. The California Institute for Climate Solutions board will provide another $600 million in m...

CLIMATE AFFECTING HUMAN HEALTH

2008-04-12

Climate change has already begun affecting human health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on its 60th anniversary Changing weather patterns are leading to more flooding, higher temperatures and more severe storms, WHO said in a World He...

CLIMATE SKEPTICS "IRRESPONSIBLE"

2008-04-11

Australian Conservation Foundation director Don Henry has rebuked climate change skeptics for being "highly irresponsible."Henry's rebuke came after the former University of Canberra vice-chancellor Don Aitkin's claimed that the science of global...

GLOBAL WARMING KILLING BIRD SPECIES

2008-04-10

Unabated global warming could result in the extinction of up to 72 per cent of bird species this century.A study on migratory birds and penguins released at a United Nations conference in Kenya outlined how birds' behavior indicated that gl...

ASIAN HAZE EXPECTED TO WORSEN

2008-04-09

Heavy haze across Southeast Asia is expected to worsen as changing weather patterns attributed to global warming are causing more extreme dry spells.The situation is likely to worsen when tee effects of the La Nina weather phenomenon wear off in ...

CONSPIRACY TO COVER UP WORLD CRISIS

2008-04-08

NASA's top scientist James Hansen has accused the coal and oil industries of a conspiracy to cover up the world's global warming crisis.Hansen said the particle level of CO2 in the atmosphere had already gone beyond the climate change tipping poi...

MELTING ICE CAUSING STORM SURGES

2008-04-07

Melting Arctic ocean ice is causing larger than normal storm surges that are flooding the massive Mackenzi Delta in Canada's far north.Rapidly receding Artic ice is resulting in more storm surges moving into the delta. The polar ice cap acts as a...

WORLD BANK EYES RICH CLIMATE FUND

2008-04-06

The World Bank stands accused of trying to gain control of the billions of dollars of aid that will be used to tackle climate change.Friends of the Earth spokesman Tom Picken asserted that the World Bank's foray into climate change funding was a ...

US WIND POWER SURGE

2008-04-05

Wind energy capacity in the United States has increased by 45% over the past year - providing enough power for 4.5 million homes.But while wind power growth is soaring, the Texas electric grid operator reported that there was a cut in power servi...

UK PUSHES INTERNATIONAL NUKE POWER

2008-04-04

The United Kingdom is expanding its influence on the international nuclear market setting up a new corporate structure to decommission old nuclear power generators and build new modern sites.Central to the reorganization of Britain's nuclear ener...

SCIENCE TESTS THE OCEAN CONVEYOR

2008-04-03

A scientific voyage to Antarctica is carrying out tests to find out how fast the southern ice cap is melting due to global warming. One of the more important tests being carried out relates to the salinity of the water at the bottom of the sea...

ASIA BRACES FOR ERRATIC MONSOONS

2008-04-02

Continuing global warming will trigger erratic monsoons and break down agricultural systems in the vast and densely populated coastal areas of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan that has a total population of about 1.4 billion people. Rising sea...

HIGHWAY HURTS ASIAN ENVIRONMENT

2008-04-02

The United Nations warns there needs to be an environmental balance to counter the pace of development resulting from the new highway that links Singapore to Beijing. While the Great Asian Highway boosts tourism and trade through the region, t...

NEW TREATY TO SLASH EMISSIONS

2008-04-01

A new climate treaty will be in place by the end of next year to slash the world's emissions by 50 percent. The treaty to replace the Kyoto protocol has been occupying the attention of representatives form 160 nations attending the UN climate ...

AL GORE'S $300M CLIMATE CAMPAIGN

2008-04-01

Former United States vice-president Al Gore has launched a three-year campaign with US$300 million to mobilize Americans on climate change. "We can solve the climate crisis, but it will require a major shift in public opinion and engageme...

CLIMATE TALKS BEGIN IN BANGKOK

2008-03-31

Another round of United Nations climate talks has begun in Bangkok attended by representatives from nearly 200 countries. The main item being discussed is the framework for a worldwide agreement to cut emissions that are heating the planet to ...

SUPER SUMMIT ON CLIMATE EXPANDS

2008-03-31

Global warming has escalated to the stage where 16 countries will hold an urgent meeting on the sidelines of the G8 super summit in July. Japan - the next G8 host country - has invited Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, S...

BIG TURN OFF FOR EARTH HOUR

2008-03-30

Towns and cities in 35 countries switched off lights to support the fight against global warming for Earth Hour – a happening that started for the first last year in Sydney. Organizers of Earth Hour told Daily Planet Media that as many pe...

ASIA VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

2008-03-30

South and Southeast Asia is most vulnerable to climate change as 28,000 sq km of forests are disappearing from the region every year. According to the latest report from the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, land-use ...

LESS ICE EASY OIL

2008-03-29

New oil venture companies claim climate change has made the Arctic region less inhospitable and that prices around $US100 for a barrel of crude justify exploration despite high costs. Oil companies seeking new reserves want to push their claim...

BUSH BAULKS AT NEW EMISSIONS RULES

2008-03-28

The Bush administration is likely to "run down the clock" and exit from office in January next year before new rules are legislated to reduce emissions from coal plants, oil refineries and vehicle tailgates. The United States is the ...

CITIES TO SWITCH OFF LIGHTS

2008-03-28

What started in Sydney last year as a turn off to global warming has evolved into an annual global statement of support for the fight against climate change. When Australia's harbour city switched off the lights in 2007 the eyes of the world were...

BRITAIN EMBRACES NUCLEAR POWER

2008-03-27

Great Britain has announced an expansion of the country's nuclear power to generate up to 50% of its electricity needs. Business Minister John Hutton said nuclear power would help guarantee national security and combat climate change. Brita...

ANTARCTIC ICE SHELF SHATTERING

2008-03-26

A massive area of Antarctica measuring 415 square kilometers is melting fast and has started to collapse. Latest satellite images show the prominent Wilkins Ice Shelf that spans 13, 000 square km has already lost 314 square km as blocks of ice...

EU SUPPORTS LOW GREEN VAT

2008-03-25

Following a pledge by European leaders to cut global warming greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by 2020, support is gathering pace for a substantial cut in the sales tax on all green products across Europe. Removing value added ta...

OCEAN CO2 KEY TO CLIMATE CHANGE

2008-03-24

Some of the world's top climate scientists have begun an intensive survey of the Southern Ocean to find out whether oceanic CO2 levels are tipping Earth towards severe climate change. CO2 acts as a break on climate change. More recent surveys ...

HSBC BANKROLLS WORLD CARBON FUNDS

2008-03-23

Asia's banking giant HSBC will be a major player in billion dollar carbon trusts funds being set up worldwide to boost renewable energy projects. HSBC has set up its own environmental arm to negotiate funding deals for renewable energy techno...