Because climate change is seriously uncool.

Featured Blog Posts – June 2009 Archive (71)

Betraying the Planet

From the New York Times, Paul Krugman passes comment on the passing of the Waxman-Markey climate change bill in the US Congress House of Representatives. Like here, the bill still has to pass the Senate. Let us hope that the Obama team can garner sufficient votes; the US system is different to ours in that it is much more common for party members to cross the floor and vote according to self-interest. In other words, some Democrats can vote against the bill because they are protecting their… Continue

Added by Jim Norman on June 30, 2009 at 19:55 — 3 Comments

New wind farms in the offing in Hong Kong and Australia

The Silverton Wind Farm in New South Wales, Australia, which could be one the largest on-shore wind farms in the world, has been given the go ahead.

According to reports from the BBC, the first phase of the 1000 MW project has been granted planning permission. Once completed and operational, the wind farm will generate around 4.5% of the region’s power, sufficient for more than 430,000 homes.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s first offshore wind farm is a step closer to reality with the… Continue

Added by Michael Christie on June 30, 2009 at 19:14 — 4 Comments

Warning planet faces abrupt, irreversible climatic shifts (ABC Radio)

Researchers are warning the planet is facing a growing risk of abrupt and irreversible climatic shifts unless carbon emissions are reduced. The stark report, released late last week, says greenhouse gas emissions and other critical indicators are at, or near, the upper limits forecast by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change two years ago. Twelve researchers contribued to the report, including Sir Nicholas Stern and Australia's Professor Will Steffen, who heads the ANU's Climate… Continue

Added by Ronnie Wright on June 30, 2009 at 11:16 — No Comments

SHELL CLIMATE CRIMES EXPOSED IN NEW REPORT

SHELL CLIMATE CRIMES EXPOSED IN NEW REPORT

Environment groups criticize Shell CEO van der Veer for undermining Climate Policies

Brussels, Amsterdam, London, Washington - 29th June 2009

Fresh evidence of oil giant Shell’s colossal contribution to global climate change and its continued investment in carbon intensive fossil fuels has been revealed today in a new report.[1] The report also reveals new internal documents that show that Shell knew of the environmental… Continue

Added by Ronnie Wright on June 30, 2009 at 10:47 — No Comments

Recent Items of Interest

From Yale University’s Environment 360 web site:

A Plea To President Obama:

End Mountaintop Coal Mining

Tighter restrictions on mountaintop removal mining are simply not enough. Instead, a leading climate scientist argues, the Obama administration must prohibit this destructive practice, which is devastating vast stretches of Appalachia.

By James Hansen

In the US, as here in Australia,… Continue

Added by Jim Norman on June 29, 2009 at 16:31 — No Comments

Take the lead on climate change at The Body Shop

We've gotten together with The Body Shop to ask you to take the lead on climate change and help us to get a strong global agreement.

All you have to do is visit The Body Shop and pledge your interest in becoming a climate leader.

If you'd rather do something online, put yourself on the map at Who on Earth Cares.

Added by Aus Conservation Foundation on June 29, 2009 at 16:13 — No Comments

How smart can I be to find solutions on climate change…? Can you help me by answering my Questions?

As life move ahead, I realize with the passage of time the hard consequences of climate change and its effects on my people, my family, my friends and my places I belong to. I know the fact that climate change is a result of wide range of human activities that lead to the abrupt changes in life. With my personal observations, I also realize its effect in the pleasant lush green area I live it and belong to, such as melting of glaciers,… Continue

Added by Asif Iqbal on June 28, 2009 at 6:51 — 2 Comments

Climate Change Refugees - it's already happening

From The Economist, June 25, 2009 edition (yeah, yeah, I know we can bemoan the behaviour of many economists, but this is interesting...).

In an unattributed piece, so I assume combined editorial input, reporting from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Lokichoggio, Kenya, the authors note that "Victims of a warming world may be caught in a bureaucratic limbo unless things are done to… Continue

Added by Jim Norman on June 26, 2009 at 15:30 — No Comments

Vegetarianism

Before I outline the reasons why I choose to be a Vegetarian, I'd like to make one thing very clear, I'm a strong believer in free will and the individuals right to choose, eating is one of life's fundamentals, and what people eat is entirely up to them, in many cultures around the world eating meat is a way of life, and I respect that.

There are three main reasons why I choose a vegetarian lifestyle, and in no particular order they are as follows -

* The first reason is health, the… Continue

Added by Brad Homewood on June 25, 2009 at 23:30 — 4 Comments

Fighting Fashion - Recycled Mags and High Fashion Bags

I have an increasing interest in fashion and its effects on the environment, specifically what my purchases have gone through to get to me in terms of manufacture, transport, and materials. Fighting Fashion is a catchy little phrase for the little dilemmas that go on in my mind every time I duck into Target or Myer for a pair of stockings or a cheap purse and realise how many carbon emissions were released to get this poorly made product to me from China, not to mention the humane costs -… Continue

Added by Hannah Perkins on June 24, 2009 at 18:54 — 5 Comments

Is CO2 the only villain?

Interesting article in the Australian yesterday by Peter Schwerdtfeger, emeritus professor of meteorology at Flinders University in Adelaide, entitled Reason Clouded by Carbon Obsession. Now we all know that the Australian is fundamentally a carbon denialist newspaper, but there is certainly merit in this article.

Now my time studying meteorology was back in the mid-seventies in my… Continue

Added by Jim Norman on June 24, 2009 at 12:40 — 2 Comments

The Devil is in the detail

Climate change is the most complex issue the human species has faced. Executing change in regards to climate change is about knowing the detail about climate change economics, CC society and psychology, renewable energy and energy efficiency, CC ecology, CC meteorology, CC building and design, CC urban design, CC transport etc.

It may seem our Australian Senators are not up to the mark. While Rome (Canberra) burns below are examples of the level of detail in CC change other countries are… Continue

Added by Michael Christie on June 24, 2009 at 10:17 — 1 Comment

Report: Brazilian beef industry blamed for Amazon deforestation

A new Greenpeace report shows how the cattle industry in Brazil is feeding demand for raw resources and “Slaughtering the Amazon”

Boots and training shoes are not the first things that spring to mind when you think about the causes of rainforest destruction and climate change, but just because the connection isn't obvious doesn't mean it isn't real, says Greenpeace in a new report, Slaughtering the Amazon. Practically all Western world consumers have some by-product of Amazon… Continue

Added by Ronnie Wright on June 24, 2009 at 8:32 — No Comments

Sweden promotes climate-friendly food choices

Finally a government that is taking Climate Change seriously.

Guidelines for climate-friendly food choices developed by the Swedish authorities recommend citizens to reduce their meat consumption as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The first of their kind, the guidelines are now being sent out for reactions and inspiration from other EU countries.

"Meat – beef, lamb, pork and chicken – is the food group that has the greatest impact on the environment," state the… Continue

Added by Ronnie Wright on June 24, 2009 at 8:12 — No Comments

Safety and security of food supply

Veteran Microbiologist Shiv Chopra, is in the words of legendary environmentalist David Suzuki a modern day hero, along with his colleagues Margaret Haydon and Gerard Lambert he is responsible for the notorious 'Bovine Growth Hormone' not being approved in Canada, and thanks to that decision it was not approved in Europe either, only in the US was it approved, and as the documentary 'The Corporation' pointed out this occurred only through a blatantly corrupt process.

Shiv Chopra and his… Continue

Added by Brad Homewood on June 24, 2009 at 1:20 — No Comments

ABC Radio: Calls for rich nations to transfer green technology to developing ones

China believes the West is not transferring enough green technology when the technology could be used to help alleviate the dangerous effects that climate change is having on our environment. 'Technology transfer' is a process by which countries transfer or sell new technology to one another, with mutual benefits. But analysts say the West is worried about losing green jobs to China.

Listen to the show at… Continue

Added by Ronnie Wright on June 22, 2009 at 12:36 — 1 Comment

Can human society evolve to change our economic / environmental way of life to a clean tech base ?

Hi All,

I listened to a very interesting lecture broadcast last week on 'Background Briefing' on ABC Radio National on the overall analysis of climate change crisis and the capacity of and challenge to human society to evolve to change our economic / environmental way of life to a clean tech base etc. The presentation is similar in style of accessibility and dealing with the big ideas as some of Al Gore’s big presentations. See link to MP3 and transcript on the ABC Radio National web… Continue

Added by Grant Hill on June 22, 2009 at 11:05 — 1 Comment

Children and Natural Disasters...

Natural disasters have globally increased four times, growing from fewer than 100 in 1975 to more than 400 in 2005. The geographical location of Pakistan has made the whole country, especially the northern parts of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), more vulnerable to disaster. According to the recent studies conducted by the scientists of Quad-e-Azam University, Islamabad and NESPAK, the whole NWFP province, including the district Mansehra… Continue

Added by Asif Iqbal on June 20, 2009 at 23:55 — No Comments

An open letter to E-Monitor Super Star – Michael Christie

Dear Michael,

First of all, thank you for your engagement in this project! I am here in Bonn for you, for the people of Australia, to work as a conduit between the bubble of the UN negotiations and the Australian population. I would also strongly encourage you, and everyone else concerned about our future, to take your concerns as loudly and as widely as possible. Talk to your friends, colleagues and neighbours. Write to your MP, our PM and all ministers in between.… Continue

Added by UN Climate Trackers on June 19, 2009 at 15:00 — 2 Comments

Rising Ocean Temperatures and Senator Hanson-Young's baby

If you look at the Age's website today (19/6) you will find two interesting articles. One is about Senator Hanson-Young's child being ejected from parliament, the other is about rising ocean temperatures. Now, I don't know a great deal about the baby episode, but I'm not convinced that it's an event worthy of debate. What about sea temperatures warming 50 per cent faster than two years ago? I think that is something worth discussing, especially when key Senator's like Steven Fielding are having… Continue

Added by Tommystarr on June 19, 2009 at 11:51 — 1 Comment