Talk of Climate “Tipping Points” Could Backfire
Andrew Revkin reports that the uncertainty inherent in making specific predictions concerning global climate change have led some climate experts to question use of such terms as “tipping point,†arguing that they could backfire, fueling criticism of alarmism and undermining public support for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Poll: Increasing Number Think Global Warming Threat Exaggerated
Supporting Revkin’s argument may be the recent Gallup poll, showing that an increasing number of Americans now say that global warming is exaggerated.
Producing Methane Fuel from Microbes and CO2
Engineers at Penn State have outlined a new process called electromethanogenesis that uses microbes and electric current to produce methane fuel from water and carbon dioxide. If a non-fossil source of electricity is used, the process could be carbon-neutral, extracting from the air the same CO2 it emits when burned.
Reducing Methane Emissions from Rice Paddies
Switching to atmospheric methane… A new study from the Chinese Academy of Sciences indicates that methane emissions from rice paddies may have been previously overestimated. The study also found that release of the greenhouse gas was highly dependent on management techniques and could be reduced by 30 per cent annually.
Could biofuel from canal algae power Venice by 2011?
Friedman Calls for “Climate Bailout”
NY Times columnist, Thomas Friedman, draws parallels between the world’s economic troubles and global climate change, and calls for a “climate bailout.â€
World Population: Key to Global Warming
Australian health expert, Roger Short, warns that halting the world’s rocketing population growth is the key to solving global warming — a solution that has been ignored or overlooked by leading climate change advocates.
World Population: Exceeding Limits of Sustainability
Dr. Nina Fedoroff, science and technology advisor to the US secretary of State since 2007, tells BBC One Planet that humans have exceeded the Earth’s “limits of sustainability.â€
U.S. Congressmen Propose Stricter Environmental Standards than Obama
Huffington Post reports on a draft proposal by U.S. congressmen Ed Markey and Henry Waxman calling for stricter environmental standards than outlined by President Barack Obama, including a cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide.
The NY Times adds. “But the bill leaves critical questions unanswered and has no Republican support. It is thus the beginning, not the end, of the debate in Congress on how to deal with two of President Obama’s priorities, climate change and energy.â€
Global Legislators Organization Discuss Climate Action Plans
Members of the Global Legislators Organization from 17 countries met in Washington, D.C., to discuss their role in shaping climate action plans as world leaders continue to hash out the details of a new international climate treaty.
Climate Research Must Address Society’s Needs
A February 26 report from the National Research Council (NRC), the policy-advice arm of the US National Academy of Sciences, calls for a shift in climate research, recommending that “climate research should be designed from the outset to address the needs of society rather than being driven by the unanswered questions in science.â€
A new, biodegradable substance for patching potholes uses plant oils in place of petroleum and costs less than the conventional, toxic material it replaces. Sounds like a great idea, although, being biodegradable, one assumes these are temporary patches.
NASA Unveils Mock-Up of Orion Spacecraft
NASA unveiled a full-sized mock-up of the Orion spacecraft designed to take 6-crew members to the International Space Station (2015), the moon (2020) and Mars (2030’s).
Idaho is taking on the quagga mussel, a fingernail-sized Ukrainian species notorious for hitching rides in the ballast tanks of ships, disrupting food supplies for native fish populations, clogging water intakes and generally destroying aquatic ecosystems.
In the Market for a New Laptop?
Ecogeek looks at 5 green machines.
…Anything to add?
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