|
Carbon Output Must Near Zero To Avert Danger, New Studies Say |
|
By Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post, March 10 2008
The task of cutting greenhouse gas emissions enough to avert a
dangerous rise in global temperatures may be far more difficult than
previous research suggested, say scientists who have just published
studies indicating that it would require the world to cease carbon
emissions altogether within a matter of decades.
Their findings, published in separate journals over the past few
weeks, suggest that both industrialized and developing nations must
wean themselves off fossil fuels by as early as mid-century in order to
prevent warming that could change precipitation patterns and dry up
sources of water worldwide.
Using advanced computer models to factor in deep-sea warming and
other aspects of the carbon cycle that naturally creates and removes
carbon dioxide (CO2), the scientists, from countries including the
United States, Canada and Germany,
are delivering a simple message: The world must bring carbon emissions
down to near zero to keep temperatures from rising further.
Read more.
|
|
|
Antarctic glaciers surge to ocean |
|
By Martin Redfern, BBC News, February 24, 2008
UK scientists working in Antarctica have found some
of the clearest evidence yet of instabilities in the ice of part of
West Antarctica.
If the trend continues, they say, it could lead to a significant rise in global sea level.
The new evidence comes from a group of glaciers covering
an area the size of Texas, in a remote and seldom visited part of West
Antarctica.
The "rivers of ice" have surged sharply in speed towards the ocean.
Read more.
|
|
|
Beijing petrol stations to close |
|
By BBC News, February 15, 2008.
China is closing 10% of Beijing's petrol stations to improve air quality ahead of the Olympics in August.
By the end of May, 144 will shut because they are not
expected to meet higher environmental standards, according to state
media.
The remainder are to be fitted with devices to reduce the level of fumes which escape when vehicles fill up.
Read more.
|
|
|
Biofuels Deemed a Greenhouse Threat |
|
By Elisabeth Rosenthal, The New York Times, February 8, 2008
Almost all biofuels used today cause
more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels if the full
emissions costs of producing these “green” fuels are taken into
account, two studies being published Thursday have concluded.
The benefits of biofuels have come under increasing attack in recent
months, as scientists took a closer look at the global environmental
cost of their production. These latest studies, published in the
prestigious journal Science, are likely to add to the controversy.
These
studies for the first time take a detailed, comprehensive look at the
emissions effects of the huge amount of natural land that is being
converted to cropland globally to support biofuels development.
The
destruction of natural ecosystems — whether rain forest in the tropics
or grasslands in South America — not only releases greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere when they are burned and plowed, but also deprives
the planet of natural sponges to absorb carbon emissions. Cropland also
absorbs far less carbon than the rain forests or even scrubland that it
replaces.
Together the two studies offer sweeping conclusions:
It does not matter if it is rain forest or scrubland that is cleared,
the greenhouse gas contribution is significant. More important, they
discovered that, taken globally, the production of almost all biofuels
resulted, directly or indirectly, intentionally or not, in new lands
being cleared, either for food or fuel.
Read more...
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next > End >>
|
| Results 33 - 40 of 45 |
News