Tag Archives: global
Sweeping intel report sounds alarm on climate threats
The Hill: A new U.S. intelligence community report finds that climate change will fuel new conflicts and competition for resources in coming decades. Continue reading
Emissions of Carbon Dioxide Hit Record in 2011, Researchers Say
New York Times: Global emissions of carbon dioxide were at a record high in 2011 and are likely to take a similar jump in 2012, scientists reported Sunday — the latest indication that efforts to limit such emissions are failing. Emissions continue to grow so rapidly that an international goal of limiting the ultimate warming of the planet to 3.6 degrees, established three years ago, is on the verge of becoming unattainable, said researchers affiliated with the Global Carbon Project. Josep G Continue reading
Corn a sign of Brazil’s growing clout
Guardian: As US cornfields withered in drought conditions last summer, Brazil’s once empty Cerrado region produced a bumper crop of the grain, helping feed livestock on US farms and ease a drought-related spike in prices. US imports of Brazilian corn were small by world standards. Continue reading
Ignoring natural capital could see countries’ credit ratings downgraded
BusinessGreen: Countries’ credit ratings may be rated as stronger than they actually are because of the lack of emphasis placed on national policies aimed at preserving natural resources. Degradation of a country’s so-called natural capital could exacerbate the sovereign debt crises that have helped trigger, and deepen, the global economic downturn, the UN warned yesterday. A report by the UN Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) says loss of soils, forests, and fisheries, as well as rising… Continue reading
For Champions of Degrowth, Less Is Much More
Inter Press Service: The concept of degrowth is not a very comfortable one in overdeveloped countries such as the United States. But with the planet`s resources stretched to the limit, many argue that an action plan is needed to prevent the world`s largest economy from getting any bigger, especially with the global population projected to grow by another two billion by 2050. Burgeoning population, flourishing economies and unsustainable consumption are putting a lot of pressure on Earth, disrupting ecosystems and the… Continue reading
Half the Global 500 facing water stress, says CDP
BusinessGreen: More than half the world’s largest listed companies are affected by water stress, but many are failing to set targets to improve water stewardship, a new Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) survey has found. In a report published yesterday in partnership with Deloitte, CDP reveals 53 per cent of the 185 Global 500 companies participating in the poll have experienced water-related challenges, including scarcity, flooding, rising compliance costs, regulatory uncertainty and poor water quality in the… Continue reading
Climate Change, the Taboo Phrase in U.S. Electoral Politics
Inter Press Service: The United States endured its hottest summer in history this year, with droughts and wildfires ravaging the country. And according to a new report from the global reinsurance giant Munich Re, insurance losses related to extreme weather have nearly quadrupled in the U.S Continue reading
Mangrove conservation is ‘economic’ CO2 fix
BBC: Protecting mangroves to lock carbon away in trees may be an economic way to curb climate change, research suggests. Carbon credit schemes already exist for rainforests; the new work suggests mangroves could be included too Continue reading
Arctic ice caps may be more prone to melt
ClimateWire: Today, the Arctic is synonymous with “cold.” But a new study suggests the polar region has experienced periods of intense warmth over the past 2.8 million years that may have been hot enough to melt the Greenland ice sheet. Scientists already knew that the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the global average. But the new study, based on a sediment core drilled from a Russian lake, suggests the far north’s climate is even more sensitive than researchers suspected Continue reading
