BERLIN, Dec 30 (TierramГ©rica) - With the chance for a global climate change treaty
on hold, a tax on greenhouse gases could be an effective
alternative for discouraging the activities that create
emissions, say economists and environmentalists.
TAGUIG CITY, Philippines, Dec 30 (IPS/IFEJ) - Days after the New Year’s Eve revelry dies down,
expect colorful lanterns or
wreaths to remain hanging on the
windows of many Filipino homes – part of a
tradition in this
South-east Asian country known to have the longest Yuletide
celebration in the world.
ROME, Dec 26 (IPS) - Lake Chad was bigger than Israel less than 50 years
ago. Today its surface area
is less than a tenth of its earlier
size, amid forecasts the lake could disappear
altogether within
20 years.
Postings will be very light/minimal over the Christmas/New Year period. Regular postings will resume on January 12. Please take some time during this period to dig into our voluminous archives and reread some of our classic articles from 2009. Happy Holidays to all our EB readers and contributors from the Energy Bulletin co-editors, Simone, Kristin, and Bart!
WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (IPS) - From the Arctic sea ice to the Antarctic interior
and the mountainous peaks of Peru, Alaska, and Tibet, ice is
melting at an alarming rate. The accelerating loss of ice sheets,
sea ice, and glaciers is one of the most powerful and striking
indicators of a warming climate.
“Though far from perfect, the Copenhagen Accord is a hard-fought political agreement. With most countries likely to sign, it is a breakthrough towards collective international action to limit global emissions and help build cleaner, more resilient economies”, said OECD Secretary-General Angel GurrГa.
REYKJAVIK, Dec 23 (IPS) - Iceland already gets over 72 percent of its energy
from renewable, hydroelectric and geothermal sources, but
Icelanders are ambitious when it comes to energy and scientists
are now looking at osmotic and tidal power to meet future energy
needs.
Thanks to all who took the time to take part in our recent survey. We promised you a summary of the results…and we like to keep our promises!
BERKELEY, California, Dec 21 (IPS) - As countries failed to reach a substantive climate
change pact at Copenhagen last week, action at the subnational
level has emerged as one of the likeliest paths toward
significant climate action.
It’s the end of the decade 2000-2009, and there has been progress as well as potential disaster for sustainability. In chronological order, I’ve chosen these ten stories to show a range of relevant global and national issues and events on climate, business, government, media, design, technology, language and demographics.
NEW DELHI, Dec 21 (IPS) - The world supped on an alphabet soup of acronyms
over the nearly two weeks of climate change talks that just ended
– UNFCCC, COP-15, IPCC, CDM, LDCF, MEF, CCS. But did any of these
filter down to reach the average citizen?
COPENHAGEN, Dec 19 (IPS) - The climate change summit proved to be a
“spectacular failure even according to its own terms,”
but civil society had “some successes,” such as the
inclusion of certain issues on the climate agenda, and making the
voice of the South heard loud and clear.
COPENHAGEN, Dec 18 (IPS/TerraViva) - The roof of our house is on fire but our leaders,
our economic system and we ourselves are ignoring the alarms and
continuing to add more fuel. There are no exit doors in our
house; there is nowhere else to go.
-President Obama warns leaders over climate summit deal
-Obama’s Copenhagen Speech: Some Reactions
-Copenhagen climate summit: talks to go on overnight
-Copenhagen heading for meltdown as stalemate continues over emission cuts
-Obama as White Knight: Naked Ambition at COP15
-Better to have no deal at Copenhagen than one that spells catastrophe
COPENHAGEN, Dec 18 (IPS/TerraViva) - Unless the world comes to its aid, Bangladesh says
the vulnerability of its
agriculture sector to climate change
could spell severe consequences for its
millions of people, who
stand to lose their main source of livelihood.