NASA: Global warming caused mostly by humans USA Today, 1/31 The space agency published new calculations showing that the Earth absorbed more energy from the sun than it returned to space despite the low solar activity from 2005 to 2010. Availability of better measurements of ocean temperatures helped the research team improve their estimates of [...]
Progress Seen on Forest Scheme, Tehran Times Germany joins a 60-country and multi-billion dollar effort to stave deforestation in developing and tropical countries. The plan was initially discussed during the Copenhagen summit this December. However, the details were finally fleshed out Thursday at an all-day conference in Paris, where representatives gathered to decide how to [...]
Obama Putting $3.4 Bn Toward a ‘Smart’ Power Grid, Associated Press President Obama pledges $3.4 bn in government support for 100 different research projects in “smart” grid engineering, ranging in size from $400,00 to $200 million. Speaking Tuesday at the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in west Florida, Obama likened the search for power [...]
WWF: We Have Until 2014 to Stop Global Warming, Popular Science The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) publishes a new report concluding that by 2014 the world must fully embrace low-carbon technologies. By “embrace” they mean a minimum growth of 22% in green industries, which they estimate could translate into a 63% reduction in emissions by [...]
Memo Calls for Reversing Law to Phase Out German Nuclear Plants, The New York Times German Chancellor Angela Merkel moves to reverse legislation that gradually phases out nuclear power by 2022. The proposed reversal, contained in a working document sent to Merkel’s political coalition partner, the Free Democrats, calls nuclear power the crucial “bridge” to [...]
Food Prices May Rise 121% by 2050 Due to Climate Change, Business Standard A report released on Wednesday by the International Food Policy Research Institute outlines the threats to agricultural security posed by climate change. Food prices, already expected to increase significantly by 2050, could rise further as the effects from climate change continue to [...]
Gordon Brown’s $100 bn Climate Aid Proposal is ‘Only First Offering‘, guardian.co.uk Prime Minister Gordon Brown proposes $100 billion in future aid to countries struggling to adapt to climate change. The compensation, which could rise to a higher number as international negotiations continue, would be supplied by “rich” nations in a timeframe extending to 2020. [...]
Denver to Barcelona: Global Cities and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, ScienceDaily ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology is publishing a new study in October identifying which cities are producing the greatest levels of greenhouse gases. Denver was number one on the list, followed by Los Angeles, Toronto, Cape Town, and Bangkok. Researchers identified high electricity and heating [...]
Schwarzenegger Boosts Clean Energy Plan, Reuters Governor Schwarzenegger issues executive order S-21-09, directing the California Air Resources Board to adopt regulations that would increase California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to 33% of its power from renewable resources by 2020. Although the 33% standard was first established last year, S-21-09 aims to streamline the regulatory process and [...]
State of the Planet is a forum for discussion on varying viewpoints. The opinions expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Earth Institute or Columbia University.
