Climate Change

Blair Urges Dialogue with U.S. on Climate Change

Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday urged a new international dialogue with the United States on climate change, weeks before Britain takes over the presidency of the G8 group of industrialised nations.

Global warming thawing Qinghai Plateau

The frozen landscape on the Qinghai Plateau in northwest China has been thawing, and the reason is global warming, according to scientists there. The frozen earth has lost 50 meters in thickness compared with decades ago, one official said. Xinhuanet.com (China) (1/10)

Climate change: Uncharted waters?

The last decade has seen the warmest average temperatures in recorded history, and there is a consensus among environmental scientists that the warming trend will lead to changes in weather patterns and the world's water supply. However, the consequences of climate change may not become apparent for centuries to come. BBC (12/6)

British Minister Opens International Conference on Climate Change

Two weeks before the Kyoto Protocol takes effect, Britain -- currently hosting an international conference on climate change -- put pressure on the U.S., not a Kyoto member, to do more to fight global warming. Some experts said the meeting likely will have little effect on the White House's policies, but added that some individual U.S. states and cities are taking action to cut greenhouse gases. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (2/1)

Africa 'makes excuses on climate'

Nobel Peace Prize winner and environmental champion Wangari Maathai told a group of African journalists that governments throughout Africa are lagging when it comes to taking responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The founder of the Green Belt Movement, who also serves as Kenya's deputy environment minister, said more needed to be done to educate ordinary Africans "in simple terms" about the value of preserving trees and reducing emissions. BBC (11/30)

Australia on track to meet Kyoto target

Environment Minister Ian Campbell has announced Australia is showing a drop in carbon emissions well in line with its targets under the Kyoto Protocol. Australian Financial Review/Dow Jones (12/6)

IPCC

References and articles related to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Global heat on Bush increases

The Bush administration will likely face growing pressure in his second term to tackle climate change as grassroots groups in the U.S. and allies abroad increase their focus on the issue. International Herald Tribune (1/28)

It's much too late to sweat global warming

It's not only late to start preventing global warming -- it's really too late, as the effects of human-caused rising temperatures at this point are irreversible, argues author Mark Hertsgaard. Still, he urges a wide range of actions to reduce the potentially devastating effects, including planting trees, which absorb carbon dioxide. San Francisco Chronicle (2/13)

VIEW: Africa, climate change, and the G-8 summit —Jeffrey Sachs

Economic and social development in Africa and climate change may seem to be two separate issues, but they are in fact linked, Columbia University economics professor Jeffrey Sachs writes in this opinion piece. Sachs, the lead author of the recent United Nations Millennium Project report, notes much of sub-Saharan Africa sees much less rain than it did decades ago, likely due in part to man-made global warming, resulting not only in famine and poverty but also in increased violence. Daily Times (Pakistan) (3/2)

A Warming Climate

The Bush administration stubbornly has refused to accept the growing consensus that much of global warming is man-made and needs to be halted because it will have dire consequences, but finally the White House may just have a "realpolitik" reason for joining the world on this issue, according to this Washington Post editorial. Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair presented the issue clearly this week when he said that if "America wants the rest of the world to be part of the agenda it has set, it must be part of their agenda, too," the newspaper writes. The Washington Post (free registration) (1/28)

Eco-clock ticking for Canada

Former Toronto Star environment reporter David Israelson writes that nations like Canada, which have spoken loudly against the dangers of global warming, are set to face enormous challenges in 2005, when the Kyoto treaty comes into effect and begins to hold nations accountable for their words. Particularly troublesome, writes Israelson, will be measuring the effectiveness of emissions goals set for 2012 and maintaining public faith in Canada's commitment to protecting the environment. The Toronto Star (12/29)

Carmakers Fight Calif. CO{-2} Limits

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents most of the major car companies except for Honda and Nissan, said yesterday it will join a group of California auto dealers in a lawsuit challenging a state law requiring cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent over the next 12 years.

Undeniable Global Warming

Scientists largely agree that global warming is real, despite the widespread and inaccurate impression that there's a lack of consensus, Naomi Oreskes of the University of California writes in The Washington Post. Instead of "repeating nonsense" about whether global warming really exists, the U.S. must start taking real action to tackle this growing environmental threat, she argues. The Washington Post (free registration) (12/26)

Climate Talks Bring Bush's Policy to Fore

The White House's focus on technology to address global warming contrasts with the course embraced by most U.S. allies.

Bush disappoints Europe with climate change ideas

U.S. President George W. Bush spoke to European leaders in Brussels yesterday, but has showed no signs yet of changing his stance on global environmental policy. The issue will likely be touched on again in private talks during this week's visit, Reuters reports. AlertNet.org/Reuters (2/21)

Earth's 'Lung,' the Amazon Forest, Breathes Uneasily in a Time of Climate Change

Climate change may be hurting Amazon rain forest Brazil's Amazon rain forest, often called "the lung of the Earth" for its oxygen-producing qualities, is suffering from global warming, experts warn. The relationship between climate change and the health of the rain forest is far from clear, but scientists strongly suspect the vast forests are suffering from more emissions of greenhouse gases. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (2/14)

Let logic join the global warming debate

Opinion: Let logic have a say on climate change It's easy to understand those who are confused by the global warming debate, as advocates on both sides make passionate claims, columnist Kathleen Parker writes in USA TODAY. While there is a growing consensus that global warming is real, the skeptics in the U.S. "nevertheless hold sway among legislative and regulatory bodies," she writes, arguing that it's crucial to use logic and possibly error on the safe side by taking real measures to fight climate change. USA TODAY (4/24)

As Bush Stands Firm, States Flirt with Europe on Carbon Controls

Efforts to force the U.S. to get involved in more substantive talks on dealing with global warming issues appeared to fall short over the weekend as the United Nations conference on climate change drew to a close in Buenos Aires.

Climate change talks heat up as clean technology emerges

As the Kyoto treaty on global warming goes into effect, Britain is already looking to hatch a new agreement that would help up-and-coming industrial countries develop technologies that pollute less. U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair plans to invite China, India and Brazil to the G8 meeting this summer to get them on board. This is also part of Blair's effort to get the U.S. more involved in global efforts to halt climate change; so far, the White House's reaction to the plan has been positive. The Times (London) (2/16)

US Forests Cost-Effective against Global Warming, Study Concludes

It would cost the U.S. about the same to grow and manage big forests to absorb greenhouse gases as it would cost to reduce emissions through means such as fuel switching, according to a new report. The study by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change urges the U.S. to take forest management into account as one way to combat climate change. Environmental News Network/Reuters (1/20)

Earth's 'Lung,' the Amazon Forest, Breathes Uneasily in a Time of Climate Change

Brazil's Amazon rain forest, often called "the lung of the Earth" for its oxygen-producing qualities, is suffering from global warming, experts warn. The relationship between climate change and the health of the rain forest is far from clear, but scientists strongly suspect the vast forests are suffering from more emissions of greenhouse gases. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (2/14)

Climate: EU leaders agree to flexible targets for 2020

EurActiv.com, 24 March 2005 - EU leaders agreed to aim for a 15-30% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, subject to future cost-benefit analyses and international negotiations. But the targets have created confusion among some environmentalists.

Update 1: Investors at UN Talk About Climate Change

Meeting at a summit on climate change co-sponsored by the United Nations Foundation and held at the UN, investors in charge of managing roughly $3.2 trillion called for companies to disclose the financial risks of global warming. To manage the growing risks associated with climate change and achieve business breakthroughs, "creative, innovative uses of capital are critical," said UN Foundation President Timothy Wirth. Forbes/Associated Press (free registration) (5/11)

Global warming may be making rivers too hot

If regional temperatures continue to rise, one-fifth of rivers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest by 2040 could become too warm to host such fish as salmon and trout, Northwest Wildlife Federation says in a new report. Global warming may soon have such effects on rivers as causing spring flows to occur earlier and limiting flows in the summer, the group says. Seattle Post-Intelligencer/Associated Press (3/24)

Benefits of Cutting Emissions

In its refusal to join the Kyoto Treaty, the Bush administration has said it would cost too much and hurt competition to force companies to scale down greenhouse gas emissions. But a string of forward-thinking big companies have already proved that it can actually be profitable to cut emissions, argues Michael Northrop of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The Washington Post (free registration) (2/28)

Big biz warms up to climate change

As much of the world -- either by mandate or voluntarily -- moves to rein in greenhouse gas emissions, some companies are better positioned than others to take advantage of this trend, CNNMoney reports. General Electric, for example, hopes to reap profits by becoming a major player in the growing wind power market. CNNmoney (3/1)

Illegitimate son of Kyoto?

Writing in the Washington Times, Steven Milloy questions U.S. Senator John McCain's, R-Ariz., proposal for a second international treaty that would require countries not party to the Kyoto Treaty to reduce greenhouse emissions, including China, India and the U.S. Citing the "scientific shortcomings of global warming hysteria," Milloy claims that the "Son of Kyoto" would do nothing more than bring economic ruin to the world's most industrious countries. The Washington Times (3/24)

Ocean tells the story: Earth is heating up

Researchers tout discovery of global warming "smoking gun" Researchers studying Earth's "energy imbalance" -- the difference between the amount of heat absorbed by Earth and the amount radiated out into space -- say the planet has warmed by about 1 degree Fahrenheit over the past 100 years. With regard to the debate about global warming, James Hansen, one of NASA's top climatologists and the leader of the research team, says, "This energy imbalance is the 'smoking gun' that we have been looking for." San Francisco Chronicle (4/29)

U.S. Must Address Global Warming, Bush Ally Says

Though he called the Kyoto Protocol a "lousy" treaty, Bush ally and former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker said in a recent speech to oil executives that the U.S. should be doing more to understand and curb global warming. Calling for an "orderly" shift to alternative energies, Baker, describing himself as an avid outdoorsman, said policymakers ought to listen to oil companies and others who warn of the dangers of carbon dioxide emissions. Environmental News Network/Reuters (3/4)

Senate Approves Weaker, Voluntary Climate Change Plan

The U.S. Senate passed a landmark amendment to a pending energy bill that would require voluntary reductions of emissions thought by many to contribute to global warming, though critics say it does not go far enough in tackling the problem and are hoping for tougher legislation to be attached to the bill later this week. Still, many praised the amendment as a step in the right direction that shifts the debate from "whether we should do something to what we intend to do," said Fred Krupp of Environmental Defense. Environmental News Network/Reuters (6/22)

Forests could be key to curbing global warming

Better management of the world's forest fires could be a key factor in curbing the release of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, greatly reducing the impact of global warming, Canadian Forest Service experts said. From Indonesia to Canada and Russia, the number of human-induced forest fires has risen in the past decade, a trend that can be reversed by closer surveillance of forests and increased response times by firefighters in remote regions. AlertNet.org/Reuters (3/3)

Before the Flood

A painless, humanitarian way for rich countries to deal with the imminent wave of "climate exiles" who will be flooded out of their homes.

Photos show climate change as ministers meet in UK

LONDON, March 14 (Reuters) - A photo of Mount Kilimanjaro stripped of its snowcap for the first time in 11,000 years will be used as dramatic testimony for action against global warming as ministers from the world's biggest polluters meet on Tuesday.

Ministers from 20 Countries Meet in London to Discuss Climate Change

Environment and energy ministers from 20 countries are meeting today and tomorrow in London to discuss the environmental agenda for Britain's presidency of the Group of Eight rich countries. Among the evidence that will be presented to support the idea that climate change is a real and urgent issue is a photo of Mount Kilimanjaro, which has been stripped of its snowcap for the first time in 11,000 years. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (3/15)

Airlines look to climate change

Facing pressure from environmental leaders seeking a jet fuel tax to encourage the reduction of emissions, airline officials this week said they need to find ways to do so on their own lest they continue to be viewed as an "easy target for taxes to fund non-aviation projects." The announcement, delivered at an Aviation and Environment summit in Geneva, comes weeks after European finance ministers called for a "humanitarian" tax on airlines to help raise funds for international development. CNN (3/18)

Carbon trade-off

Analysis: The flip side of Kyoto's carbon development mechanism This Guardian piece analyzes the Kyoto Treaty's carbon development mechanism, which lets rich countries meet their own emission reduction targets by investing in projects that cut greenhouse gas emissions in poor countries. Latin American countries have been quick to embrace this new source of revenue, but many in the developing world are also questioning the morality of the mechanism, asking whether it's right to let developed countries off the hook without reducing greenhouse gases in their own backyard. The Guardian (London) (5/13)

Odd Man Out

Editorial: Bush is half way there: Instead of mandating limits for carbon dioxide emissions, President Bush wants the G8 countries to invest in alternative energy sources to fossil fuel; the right way would be to do both, the Los Angeles Times writes in this editorial. Los Angeles Times (free registration) (7/7)

Ford to prepare global warming report

Ford Motor Co., responding to some investors' complaints that it's not doing enough to fight global warming, said it will write a detailed report on the emissions from its factories and vehicles. The No. 2 U.S. automaker said it would consult climate change experts as it aims to complete the report before the end of the year. MSNBC/Associated Press (4/1)

NZ, Australia to debate climate change

Environmental ministers from New Zealand and Australia kicked off a summit on climate change in Sydney this week, saying they hope to prove the Kyoto Treaty is not a barrier to alternative discussion on global warming. Officials said a new greenhouse gas reduction scheme could help integrate the U.S. and developing countries like China and India that are not party to the Kyoto Treaty into the process of curbing climate change. Stuff (4/8)

How to prepare a planet for global warming

As they prepare reports for the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, set for 2007, an increasing number of scientists and researchers have moved beyond the public debate over the existence of global warming to examine how the world might cope with a phenomenon they say is here to stay. From changing air temperatures to rising sea levels, participants argue that preparation, as well as prevention, will help sustain Earth as more is learned about climate change. The Christian Science Monitor (3/18)

Global warming: The meaning of success

What a successful deal would have meant: U.K. President Tony Blair was right and brave in pursuing G8 action on global warming, but real success would only have been accomplished if each G8 country had agreed to meaningful emissions reductions, write Frank Loy, who served as climate negotiator for the Clinton administration, and David Sandalow of the Brookings Institution. International Herald Tribune (7/7)

G8 Agree on Need for Climate Action but No Targets

The G8 leaders ended their meeting in Scotland by issuing a joint statement that admits humans play a role in contributing to global warming and calls for the use of cleaner technologies, but stops short of mandating any specific targets to rein in climate change. Although Britain pointed to progress, since the U.S. at least agreed to the notion that climate change is linked to human activity, the summit's action failed to come close to what environmentalists had been demanding Environmental News Network/Reuters (7/8)

Bush Aide Softened Greenhouse Gas Links to Global Warming

A White House official repeatedly edited climate reports in ways that play down links between emissions and global warming.

Schwarzenegger unveiling global warming plan at U.N. conference

Schwarzenegger unveils plan to combat global warming Saying climate change is a serious danger that must be dealt with forcefully, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday unveiled an ambitious plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions and make the state "a leader in the fight against global warming." The plan, unveiled on the first day of the United Nations World Environmental Day Conference in San Francisco, would cut gas emissions to 2000 levels by 2010, 1990 levels by 2020, and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. San Francisco Chronicle/Associated Press (6/2)

Derrick Z. Jackson: Hot air and global warming

Columnist Derrick Z. Jackson chides James Connaughton, senior environmental advisor to President George W. Bush, for his work casting doubt on the credibility of global warming while also lobbying to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. "The science," Jackson writes, "continues to choke under the White House effect." International Herald Tribune (3/25)

AFRICA: Climate change becoming a matter of life and death

Experts say climate change is set to take a particularly harmful toll throughout Africa, where reliance on agriculture for survival and a dearth of technological innovation put millions of people at risk. Citing the melting ice caps of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, this IRIN report looks at the dramatic impact global warming is likely to have on the continent's farmers and others. IRINNews.org (4/5)

Global warming’s pace could devastate Africa

Africa, where so many families are directly dependent on rain-based farming, is the world's most vulnerable region to human-caused climate change, scientists warn. Global warming may not only cause further food shortages in Africa but may also contribute to more armed conflicts as deforestation, shrinking water resources and rising sea levels could prompt mass migrations, provoking ethnic conflict. The Economic Times (India) (6/27)

THE CLIMATE OF MAN—I

Feature: The harsh realities of climate change Elizabeth Kolbert searches for proof of climate change by examining the disappearance of an island-village, thawing permafrost and melting polar ice in the first part of a New Yorker series on the global phenomenon. Traveling in Alaska and throughout the Arctic, Kolbert digs deep into the findings of scientists who have long warned against waiting for such signs before forging sound policies to combat the issue of climate change. The New Yorker (4/25)

UK fails to pay global warming dues

The U.K. has failed to provide money for a special United Nations fund created to help developing countries deal with global warming, The Guardian writes. Environmentalists called the failure to fund the Global Environment Facility "embarrassing," especially since Britain has declared fighting climate change and aiding poor countries to be top priorities. The Guardian (London) (5/12)

Why the US could turn green

While the U.S. opposes mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, economic factors may push the country in a greener direction, the BBC reports. For instance, the U.S. market is increasingly interested in cleaner technology, so President George W. Bush may respond with tax incentives in that area. BBC (7/9)

Greenhouse Gas Games

The Washington Post laments the moral and political shortcomings of the administration's former chief of staff for the President's Council on Environmental Quality, Philip Cooney, who is accused of altering official administration documents to play down the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Cooney, who was a lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute before joining the administration, has further eroded any remaining U.S. credibility on issues related to climate change by accepting a position with Exxon Mobile -- which is against mandatory limits on emissions -- after leaving the White House this month. The Washington Post (free registration) (6/23)

New Zealand first to levy carbon tax

New Zealand is preparing to become the first country in the world with a carbon tax aimed at fighting climate change, imposing extra costs on polluting energy sources such as oil and coal. "If New Zealand does nothing, our emissions will continue to rise as will the future cost of reducing them," a government spokesman said. The Guardian (London) (5/5)

2005 Climate Champion Awards Presented at NY Conference

Clean Air - Cool Planet yesterday announced the winners of the 2005 Climate Champion Awards, given every two years to individuals and organizations for actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the threat of global warming.

Greenhouse Hypocrisy

As groups and governments up the rhetoric on global warming, columnist Robert Samuelson argues in the Washington Post that most of the political furor over the issue amounts to "exhibitionism," as countries are unlikely to cut energy use to significantly stave off global warming. Rather, Samuelson writes, those concerned with climate change should first reexamine energy policies, acknowledge what we don't yet know about the long-term relationship between emissions and climate change, and continue to develop technologies to curb greenhouse gases. The Washington Post (free registration) (6/29)

U.S. Pressure Weakens G-8 Climate Plan

Language surrounding a joint proposal for action against climate change as part of next month's G8 summit in Scotland has been watered down following pressure from Bush administration officials seeking to downplay the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, The Washington Post reports. Critics say the move serves as another example of the administration's editing of scientific documents to meet its own criteria, which are increasingly at odds with growing global consensus on climate change. The Washington Post (free registration) (6/17)

U.S. an environmental slacker

Feinstein, D-Calif., calls for greater American participation in the fight against global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, as Congress continues its debate on how to act on climate change. Los Angeles Times (free registration) (7/25)

Bush may agree pollution plan if rivals also sign up

Chinese support for climate change initiative could bring U.S. on board: This week's announcement from Chinese President Hu Jintao in support of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's G8 initiative on climate change could help bring the U.S. administration -- which fears looser standards for developing countries like China and India -- on board ahead of the upcoming Scotland summit. The Times (London) (6/22)

Shore Losers

Buckle your seatbelts: it's going to be a wet 'n' wild ride. That's the prediction -- or, rather, the certainty -- that today's global warming carries.

Report says climate change could undermine MDGs

Climate change could lead to a rise in cases of malaria, cholera and dysentery and threaten clean water supplies, particularly in Africa, according to a new report commissioned by the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme and the UN Environment Programme. The report also said changes in Africa's weather patterns could lead to greater food shortages and seriously impact Africa's economic growth. AngolaPress (Africa) (6/16)

Future climate could be hotter than thought -study

Scientists this week said global temperatures could rise higher and more quickly than previously predicted if new computer models are accurate. "This new way of integrating the aerosol, greenhouse gas and biosphere effects changes the picture from one where climate change most likely is a fairly tolerable thing to one where there is a fairly high risk of change sooner, and to a higher degree," a researcher said. Reuters (6/29)

Feeling the Heat

The global warming issue is gaining traction at home and abroad, inspired partly by President Bush's incorrigible stubbornness.

India Can't Commit to Kyoto Targets, Says U.N. Climate Head

Top United Nations climate expert Rajendra Pachauri, an Indian, said India would not be able to meet requirements outlined in the Kyoto Treaty that mandate countries to curb greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% of 1990 levels by 2012, claiming the country's fast-growing economy makes the task impossible. Although developing countries like India and China are exempt from Kyoto's targets, India's may face international pressure to rein in its greenhouse gas emissions; Pachauri, however, said it was unacceptable for "developed countries do nothing and expect us to take the burden." Environmental News Network/Reuters (7/15)

Blair Fights to Unite U.S., G-8 Partners behind Call for Action on Global Warming

As Group of Eight leaders prepare to discuss climate change at this week's meeting in Scotland, environmental organizations are encouraging British Prime Minister Tony Blair to leave the U.S. behind if it fails to join a growing consensus on the scientific relationship between global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. While President George W. Bush has called the issue "significant," he has repeatedly questioned the wisdom behind limiting emissions, a goal many G8 leaders wish to reinforce at the summit. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (7/4)

Blair may snub US on climate

U.S. vs. rest of G8 on global warming: For next week's G8 meeting in Scotland, U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair is considering an ambitious initiative to battle global warming that has all of the group's countries on board except the U.S., The Guardian reports that leaked papers show. The documents show that the U.S. does not accept the climate change science that the other countries have embraced, and officials from the eight countries are now meeting to try to resolve differences ahead of the summit. The Guardian (London) (7/1)

World Bank wants new climate plan

The World Bank is hoping to bridge divisions within the international community on global warming and help design a climate change deal the world can rally behind beyond the Kyoto Treaty's 2012 expiration date. It makes sense for the World Bank to play an active role in climate change because of how global warming will affect the developing world, Ian Johnson, the bank's top environmental official, said in an interview. The Australian/Reuters (7/21)

Let the Real Climate Debate Begin -- A Guest Commentary

Pacific Institute President Peter Gleick urges those who dispute the connection between human activity and global warming to "stop playing politics with climate science" in this commentary for the Environmental News Network. Citing misinformation campaigns, special interest lobbying and unfounded economic fears, Gleick calls for a real debate over what to do about global warming, citing American innovation as proof the world can meet its energy needs in a way that puts less pressure on the environment. Environmental News Network (7/21)

Climate change in Egypt 'to force millions to migrate'

If global warming continues unchecked, millions of people living in Egypt's coastal areas could be flooded out of their homes by rising sea levels, Egypt's environment ministry warned in a report released last month. Based on Egyptian research institutions' predictions that sea levels could rise by more than 1.6 feet by 2050, the report instructed the government to prepare for climate change while reducing domestic greenhouse gas emissions. Science and Development Network (6/28)

Confront climate change, urges BP chief

BP Australasia president Gerry Hueston called for the Australia business community to wean itself off fossil fuels in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He said multinational conglomerates like BP have a responsibility to show leadership on global issues, adding "we are running out of time to deal with the environmental consequences of fossil fuels much faster than we are running down our stocks of them." The Age (Melbourne, Australia) (free registration) (8/3)

Houses Divided on Warming

It's going to be hard enough to find common political ground on global warming without the likes of Representative Joe Barton harassing reputable scientists.

Differences remain over global warming

Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair today made clear he has abandoned hopes to get the U.S. on board with the other G8 countries to set specific targets for reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases believed to cause global warming. "There is no point in going back to the Kyoto debate," Blair said after meeting with President George W. Bush, the only leader at the meeting who does not support the international climate change treaty that took effect earlier this year. The following stories also deal with the climate change debate and environmental issues being discussed at the G8 meetings. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/Associated Press (free registration) (7/7)

Paleoclimate or paleopolitics?

Chicago Tribune columnist Derrick Jackson blasts what he calls the "Paleolithic position" on climate change held by House Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton, R-Tex., who ranks third among politicians who receive large contributions from the energy lobby behind President George W. Bush and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Barton, Jackson writes, has harassed and questioned top scientists who increasingly agree on the relationship between human activity and global warming in a campaign Jackson calls a threat to "sound science" in Washington. Chicago Tribune/The New York Times News Service (free registration) (8/1)

Houses Divided on Warming

A New York Times editorial examines the widening philosophical gap over climate change between Rep. Joe Barton, R-Tex., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and his Senate counterpart Pete Domenici, R-N.M. While Barton has waged a questionable inquiry into the scientific findings of three American scientists indicating a growing relationship between human activity and climate change, Domenici -- a one time climate change skeptic -- "has been open to new information," and encouraged enlightened debate on how to deal with the issue, the Times opines. The New York Times (free registration) (7/23)

Buzz Builds Around Global Warming Ads

Nothing short of remarkable. That describes the media’s reaction to the launch of our powerful new TV spots to wake up America on global warming. More than 300 press outlets have covered our new global warming ad campaign in just the first two weeks of the campaign! Unbelievable.

Climate change no-shows

To find a level of government in the U.S. that takes real action against climate change it is best to look to the state of California, The Boston Globe argues in this editorial. Neither the White House nor Congress are taking actions such as requiring automakers to make vehicles more fuel-efficient, and unfortunately neither of the two leading potential Democratic presidential candidates has shown any encouraging activism on global warming, the paper writes. The Boston Globe (4/17)

U.S. Senate Panel Begins Work on Greenhouse Gas Cuts

Republican Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee Pete Domenici said this week his group would begin considering legislation that may one day lead to mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, despite opposition from those who worry such a move would be counterproductive for the U.S. economy. Domenici told Reuters he believes human activity is contributing to climate change, but that any legislation putting government caps on industry emissions would face an uphill battle, as economic concerns must be addressed. Environmental News Network/Reuters (7/22)

Clinton Warns of Global Warming Dangers

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton sent the world a stern warning on global warming during a visit to South Africa. "Not very far from you in the South Pole in the last 10 years, 12 chunks of ice the size of Rhode Island have broken off," he told youth volunteers in Johannesburg. "If this continues for another couple of decades, part of South Africa will be under water, and we will lose 50 feet of Manhattan Island in New York." Environmental News Network/Associated Press (7/20)

Ecosystem Marketplace's V-Carbon News

The Ecosystem Marketplace's V-Carbon News Carbon beyond Kyoto... Carbon for the Rest of us Winds of Change The last two weeks have been fast-paced for those following the world’s voluntary carbon markets. Wall Street Investors gathered on both shores of the United States to discuss corporate involvement in the fight against climate change, while a national cap-and-trade scheme was debated by Senators in Washington D.C. Londoners, meanwhile, joined Al Gore at an event sponsored by The Climate Group, a non-profit that just released a draft of new voluntary carbon standards for comment to its members and partners. And Cape Town’s Design Indaba launched in South Africa as Africa’s first carbon neutral event. Food & Trees for Africa used the event to announce their new Carbon Standard, which will allow individuals or companies to go carbon neutral by planting fruit trees in disadvantaged communities across South Africa. Amidst all this hustle and flow, The Ecosystem Marketplace took time to check back in with the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance about the inclusion of forestry credits in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Forestry carbon, it seems, has come a long way since it was originally ruled out of the EU ETS in 2003. Is it time to bring forestry projects in from the cold? And, if yes, how they should they be included in emerging standards for voluntary carbon projects? The Ecosystem Marketplace gives you the low-down on the hot developments, the hot money and the hot issues driving the voluntary carbon market today.

When it comes to the carbon crunch

European companies that emit greenhouse gases and their consumers are increasingly likely to suffer financially as a result of the recently launched emissions trading scheme designed to prompt compliance with the Kyoto Treaty, The Guardian reports. Under the trading system, companies that produce more-than-allowed carbon dioxide -- a big contributor to global warming -- must buy allowances from those emitting less. The Guardian (London) (7/28)

Australia, U.S. Plan New Emissions Pact as Alternative to Kyoto Protocol

The U.S. and five other countries that account for nearly half of the world's greenhouse gas emissions have signed an agreement aimed at reducing emissions through the use of technology and other voluntary measures. While representatives from the U.S., China, India, Australia, South Korea and Japan said the pact was meant to complement, not compete with the Kyoto Treaty, critics say it can only undermine the most widely adopted deal on greenhouse gas emissions in place today. Environmental News Network/Associated Press (7/27)

Australia, U.S. Plan New Emissions Pact as Alternative to Kyoto Protocol

The United States will join India, China and Australia in announcing a new pact to limit greenhouse gases as an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol, Australia's environment minister said Wednesday.

The New White House Orthodoxy: Green Is Good

Frazer Nelson writes in The Business that the joint environmental pact spearheaded by the U.S. and Australia as an alternative to the Kyoto Treaty differs from the 1990s treaty primarily in its creed that growth can be good for the environment if used to create cleaner and more accessible energy. Faster and more widespread economic growth, Nelson argues, will allow the much-needed "green tools" to develop and take on serious environmental issues like emissions that Kyoto only "seeks to defer." Environmental News Network/The Business, London (8/4)

A needless toll of natural disasters

Why is it that natural disasters -- floods, hurricanes and earthquakes -- seem to do so much more damage in the poor world? Migration to coastal areas, rapid urbanization, poverty and population growth all increase the risks when nature turns violent, writes Eric Schwartz, the UN Secretary General's deputy special envoy for tsunami recovery. The Boston Globe (3/23)

ANALYSIS-U.S.-led climate plan won't supplant Kyoto-experts

While the six-country accord aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions led by the U.S. and Australia is commendable, most experts say there is little chance the agreement will replace the Kyoto Treaty as the preferred framework for emissions reductions. The accord was met with mixed reactions following its announcement yesterday, as many in Europe and elsewhere questioned the timing of its release just months ahead of talks in November aimed at discussing the long-term future of Kyoto. AlertNet.org/Reuters (7/28)

U.S. To Announce 'Beyond Kyoto' Climate Pact

The U.S. is expected to release a plan that will support creating energy technology to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The details of the pact are expected to be formally announced tomorrow at a forum in Laos. The New York Times/Reuters (free registration) (7/27)

Debate on Climate Shifts to Issue of Irreparable Change

Now that most scientists agree human activity is causing Earth to warm, the central debate has shifted to whether climate change is progressing so rapidly that, within decades, humans may be helpless to slow or reverse the trend. (By Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post)

America's Shame in Montreal

The battle against global warming will never be won unless America joins it, urgently and enthusiastically.

Americans Willing to Fight Global Warming

An overwhelming majority of Americans think they can help reduce global warming and are willing to make the sacrifices that are needed, according to a new poll.

UN Talks Adopt Kyoto Rules on Global Warming