Good News
- Camels are making a comeback in India, as oil prices rise and farmers turn to alternatives for gas-guzzling tractors. Good news for India's camel populations and breeders and our atmosphere.
- The EU plans to further restrict carbon emissions permits on airlines flying to and from its borders by auctioning 25% of available permits. The goal is to reduce the number of free permits allocated, making it more expensive for airlines to pollute.
- A new study shows that low-external-input farming systems are able to match or exceed the crop yields and profits of conventional farming systems, while bringing significant environmental benefits from the minimized use of agricultural chemicals. Food Futures Now, anyone?
- According to China, the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be "basically" carbon neutral. Although I am not quite sure what "basically" is supposed to mean, I'm happy enough they will be using green energy and planting trees.
- A new "crispy noodle" polymer shows promising potential for carbon capture and hydrogen storage.
Bad News
- Dead zones in the the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are fast expanding, as ocean temperatures increase with global warming, threatening fisheries and other marine life. And as a result, giant squid are invading.
- Most of the US west coast is closed to salmon fishing, after the sharp population declines in recent years. Favorite quote: "experts cit[e] a variety of reasons including climate change and hungry sea lions." Not pollution or over fishing or collapsing ecosystems... Thank you, Reuters, it was them hungry sea lions. No wonder they got whacked.
- Tropical insects risk extinction with global warming, as a higher sensitivity to temperature changes means that a temperature increase of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius will sharply decrease tropical species' fitness.
- The loss of coastal mangrove forests to coastal development is being implicated in the devastation caused by the cyclone in Burma. "Encroachment into mangrove forests, which used to serve as a buffer between the rising tide, between big waves and storms and residential areas; all those lands have been destroyed."
- Climate Counts released a new scorecard rating 56 corporations according to their environmental commitment.
- The Asia Times on the "Blame China and India" attitude, from global warming to food shortages.
- CNN on carbon sequestration: "Catch them if you can".
- The case of the Heartland Institute list of 500 climate skeptic scientists, dozens of who demand to be removed from it.
