UN: Tar Sands Send Canada’s Emissions Soaring (CanWest)
The latest greenhouse-gas inventory shows that after a dip in 2004-2006, Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions are back on a significant growth trajectory – thanks largely to Alberta’s tar sands.
Climate Change Will Overload Humanitarian Aid, Oxfam Warns (Guardian)
An Oxfam International analysis of climate-related disasters recorded since 1980 shows the numbers of people affected by extreme weather events has doubled in just 30 years and is expected to increase a further 54% by 2015.
Study: Shortages Likely on Colorado River by 2050 (Chronicle)
If the West continues to heat up and dry out, odds increase that the mighty Colorado River won’t be able to deliver all the water that’s been promised to millions who rely on it for their homes, farms and businesses, according to a new study.
Climate Debate Brings ‘Clean Coal’ Advocates Out of the Woodwork (Politico)
The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, a collection of 48 mining, rail, manufacturing and power-generating companies, has become a juggernaut shaping the terms of the climate change debate on Capitol Hill. So who’s in charge?
California Takes on King Corn (Daily Climate)
California regulators, trying to assess the true environmental cost of corn ethanol, are poised to declare that the biofuel cannot help the state reduce global warming
Miami to Tap Stimulus Funds for Smart Grid (CNet)
The City of Miami announced a proposal to install 1 million two-way "smart meters" in Miami residences over the next two years. The meters will allow consumers to monitor their home energy use on the Web.
South Korea Goes Green with £23B Stimulus (Guardian)
Seoul’s huge financial stimulus package pledges 81% for a swath of environmental projects. So where is the money going? Activists fear a wave of construction may increase the country’s carbon footprint.
Shift to Renewables Could Save Britain £13B a Year (Guardian)
Britain could save up to £12.6bn a year in imports of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal by 2020 if it embarks on a large- scale programme of energy efficiency and renewable technologies including wind power and biomass, a study shows.
Indigenous Peoples Demand Greater Role in Climate Debate (Tierramérica)
While indigenous peoples from around the world are meeting in this Alaskan city to seek a greater role in global climate negotiations, the rapidly warming Arctic is forcing some Inuit villages to be relocated.
Green Tech to Watch (CNet)
From a technology perspective, things have changed a lot since the first Earth Days of the 1970s. Here are some green technologies that bear watching.
Winning the War of Energy Words Takes Repetition (New York Times)
To find the leaders of energy and environment speak, check the new Web site CapitolWords.org. It put the bulk of nine years worth of the Congressional Record into a database.
Has Earth Day Lost its Edge? (New Yorker)
Even more than in 1970, what’s needed now is an outpouring of environmental activism that organizes itself—with millions of people and, for good measure, some stinky dead fish in the streets.
