Wednesday 6 February 2008



LATEST GLOBAL WARMING NEWS

TIPPING EVENTS

Scientists have identified 9 events that might tip the Earth into a dangerous climatic state for many centuries. The disappearance of the Amazon rainforest is one..... read more from the following news link....

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/scientists-identify-tipping-points-of-climate-change-778027.html


CORAL REEFS

Some coral reefs in the worlds warmest oceans could be protected by natural ocean thermostat...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7234730.stm



BIOFUELS

New research reveals growing crops for biofuel production releases so much CO2 that it would take hundreds of years to offset the CO2 released by there initial cultivation, read more......

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/biofuels-make-climate-change-worse-scientific-study-concludes-779811.html

Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic becomes the first airline to fly a commercial jet partly fueled using biofuels..... read more....

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/first-biofuel-flight-dismissed-as-virgin-stunt-786847.html

Food prices soaring - posted 13th April 2008

The cost of certain foods are soaring as a result of biofuel production and population growth, which will only get worse as populations increase and global warming takes hold... read more..

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/the-other-global-crisis-rush-to-biofuels-is-driving-up-price-of-food-808138.html


FOSSIL FUELS/GREENHOUSE GASES





Carbon dioxide gas from burning fossil fuels may take hundreds of thousands of years to be scrubbed from the atmosphere, far longer than ever thought...posted 30.11.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/greenhouse-gases-will-heat-up-planet-for-ever-1041642.html



Contradictory reports over exactly how large the worlds oil reserves might be may affect the urgency to search for alternative energy sources...read more...posted 10.06.08





http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/oil-shortage-a-myth-says-industry-insider-842778.html

Peak oil...? Will oil production be able to keep up with World oil demand, or will the possibility of diminishing reserves create massive investment in renewable energy sources...read more...posted 13th June 2008.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/fade-to-black-is-this-the-end-of-oil-845092.html

Uk's greenhouse gas emission levels going up?

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/uk-accused-over-greenhouse-gases-883308.html

AL GLORE

Will Al Gore accept a job in Obama's new cabinet...? read more...posted 11.12.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/gore-rules-out-environment-job-with-obama-1059457.html


World should focus on global warming, not celebrities, says Al Gore... read more,

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/world-should-focus-on-global-warming-not-celebrities-says-gore-1064472.html




THE OCEANS

A new map of the worlds oceans show that humankind has environmentally damaged 96% of the worlds oceans...... read more at;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/7241428.stm


Worlds oceans have Been turned into rubbish dump. Massive accumulation of human rubbish found in Pacific ocean........ read more at;

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-worlds-rubbish-dump-a-garbage-tip-that-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan-778016.html

Rising ocean level threatens UK's coastline..read more..posted 18.08.08











http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/stark-warning-on-britains-shrinking-coast-900638.html



THE ARCTIC/ANTARCTIC AND MELTING ICE



See satellite images of Wilkins Ice Shelf break up here....

http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMWZS5DHNF_index_0.html



Climate change detected at both poles, blamed on mankind...posted 01.11.08



http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/climate-change-at-the-poles-is-manmade-980256.html






Serious implications could arise from large amounts of methane now seeping from the Arctic ocean as a result of melting permafrost/ice...posted 24th Sept 2008.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-the-methane-time-bomb-938932.html

Arctic ice melts to unprecedented levels. NorthWest and NorthEast passage now open for first time in 125,000 years...posted 08.09.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/for-the-first-time-in-human-history-the-north-pole-can-be-circumnavigated-913924.html


Latest....Wilkins Ice Shelf about to collapse...during Antarctic winter!.. Posted 14.07.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/antarctic-ice-shelf-collapse-imminent-866504.html

UK team of scientists reveal that West Antarctic ice sheet melt maybe accelerating.... read more.....

< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/7261171.stm >

Exposed boulders give clues to Antarctic ice melt rate.... read more.....

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/footballsized-boulders-provide-clue-to-antarctic-melt-790003.html

Massive section of Antarctic ice is about to break free.

The massive Wilkins ice shelf in Antarctica looks like it's about to break free from Antarctica. It's not clear when this might happen, but it appears to be just a matter of time. This wont add to sea level rise however as it is already made up of frozen sea ice rather than continental ice....read more.Posted 27.03.08


http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/cracking-up-the-ice-shelf-as-big-as-northern-ireland-800585.html

Siberian permafrost could begin melting three times faster than previously thought potentially releasing previously stable methane, a potent greenhouse gas






http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/arctic-thaw-threatens-siberian-permafrost-846951.html

It keeps disappearing...North Pole set to be ice free this summer, a clear indication of how quickly the area is warming up...read more....posted 28.06.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/exclusive-no-ice-at-the-north-pole-855406.html

A cold wind cure to melting alpine glaciers...?..posted 23.08.08



http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/how-catching-cold-mountain-air-could-save-europes-glaciers-902913.html


NUCLEAR FUSION



The holy grail of zero CO2 energy production is being researched, but it may be some time before scientists are capable of producing a functioning nuclear fusion limit-less energy power plant....read more...04.06.08


http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nuclear-fusion-the-final-energy-frontier-839903.html


RAINFORESTS AND DEFORESTATION

Tree houses to prevent Deforestation?


In an effort to slow down deforestation, people will be paid to live amongst the trees..... read more..



UN action to halt Deforestation.

UN climate change conference aims to halt rainforest destruction....



Saving the rainforests is imperative if climate change is to be challenged. Rainforests destruction is a primary source of CO2 emissions, more so than that given off by global vehicle use and around 8 times more than aviation...read more.... posted 11/03/08.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/deforestation-the-hidden-cause-of-global-warming-448734.html

New Deal to save Guyana's Rainforest.

A ground breaking deal will be struck in New York on 28.03.08 which will place a financial value on Guyana's rainforest, securing the future of 1 million acres. This is great news and raises hope that the worlds rainforests may not be destroyed after all.... read more at...

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/million-acres-of-guyanese-rainforest-to-be-saved-in-groundbreaking-deal-801239.html

Bad news for Amazon Rainforest ...


Brazil's environmental minister Marina Silva gives up in her bid to try and protect the Earth's most vital rainforest....read more....posted 17.05.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/i-give-up-says-brazilian-minister-who-fought-to-save-the-rainforest-828310.html

Indonesia pledges to slash it's carbon emissions by reducing it's rainforest destruction, and use of oil, but how will this be achieved...?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/indonesia-plans-drastic-emissions-cuts-by-2025-833595.html

Good news for African rainforest as spy satellites are trained on them to monitor illegal logging and deforestation...read more...posted 18.06.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/spy-satellite-will-monitor-illegal-logging-across-six-african-countries-848506.html


GLOBAL WARMING AND WAR

As global warming causes sea level rise, desertification, crop failure etc, conflicts may occur as humans fight for precious resources..... scientists believe the current crisis is Dafur is an example of things to come....read more;

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/climate-change-and-the-fight-for-resources-will-set-world-aflame-454011.html



GLOBAL WARMING AND POPULATION

Global warming and climate change will cause massive population migration over the next 40 years or so as upto 1 billion people become displaced as a result of sea level rise, drought, crop failure etc.... read more...posted 29th April 2008


http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/climate-change-could-force-1-billion-from-their-homes-by-2050-817223.html



RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES






UK windfarms given a boost by UK coal.... read more, posted 16.11.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/uk-coal-agrees-windfarm-venture-1018680.html



$45 trillion investment is needed by world governments in order to half CO2 emissions by 2050. 32 nuclear power plants a year needed in addition to carbon capture and storage on 35 coal fired and 20 gas fired plants....read more...posted 10.06.08


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/iea-calls-for-45trn-global-revolution-in-energy-technology-842130.html


Wind farms face a set-back as the Scottish Government reject planning permission for the UK's largest on-land wind farm....read more: Posted 22 April 2008

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/biggest-onshore-wind-farm-plan-rejected-813320.html

Wales leads the UK in deriving its electricity from renewable energy sources.... sets target to get all its energy from renewables by 2020...read more... posted 25.05.08



http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/welsh-energy-drive-turns-the-valleys-green-again-834039.html

Uk plans massive increase in electricity generation from off-shore wind farms...read more..posted 04.06.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/huge-increase-in-wind-power-planned-840115.html

UK plans for 700% increase in energy from renewable sources, which include plans to build an additional 1000 nuclear power stations across the globe to end reliance on fossil fuels...read more...posted 13 June 2008

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/brown-says-world-needs-1000-extra-nuclear-power-stations-846238.html

UK plans a further 7000 new wind turbines between now and 2020 to meet its target of achieving 15% of its energy from renewable sources. Two turbines will need to be erected daily between now and 2020 at a cost of around 60 billion pounds....read more...posted 28.06.08



http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/a-revolution-on-the-horizon-7000-more-wind-turbines-855422.html



TRANSPORT AND CO2 EMISSIONS

If the Americans are finding it difficult to fill up their SUV's because of the high price of fuel then people may finally be forced to switch to more economical cars, which will ultimately benefit the environment by reducing transport CO2 emissions.. read more...posted 04.05.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/high-petrol-prices-see-americans-ditch-suvs-820373.html

Airline CO2 emissions soar...read more...posted 12.05.08


http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/airline-emissions-far-higher-than-previous-estimates-821598.html

Drivers unaware of their own emission levels....posted 03.08.08


http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/drivers-unaware-of-emission-levels-875381.html











ENDANGERED SPECIES

Is overfishing about to cause the collapse of the Bluefin Tuna population?...read more....posted 29.11.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/is-this-the-end-of-the-bluefin-tuna-1040246.html

The USA has until 15th May to state whether the POLAR BEAR is officially threatened from global warming... read more... posted 11.05.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/white-house-vs-white-bear-judge-says-bush-must-decide-whether-to-save-the-polar-bear-as-the-ice-melts-825924.html

The USA recognises that the POLAR BEAR is under threat from extinction as a result of arctic ice loss caused from global warming. For the first time,The Endangered Species Act is used to protect an animal under threat from global warming.... read more...posted 15.05.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-enacts-law-to-protect-polar-bears-but-only-from-hunting-828369.html


Insects living in the Tropics, could be the most succeptible to global warming as they have adapted to living in a very narrow temperature band...read more...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/insects-will-be-climate-changes-first-victims-821616.html

Species are dying out at the fastest rate since the demise of the dinosaurs....mankind to blame.. read more...

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/an-epidemic-of-extinctions-decimation-of-life-on-earth-829325.html

Mobile phone masts linked to bee colony collapse.... read more, posted 07.09.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/electronic-smog-is-disrupting-nature-on-a-massive-scale-921711.html


ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Latest news on Chevrolets flagship electric vehicle... The Volt..posted 24.07.08



http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/gm-looks-to-an-electric-avenue-874877.html


Tesla's new electric 125mph sports car finally rolls of the production line...cost, around 50,000 pounds... read more...

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/05/03/electric.car.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch

General Motors closes 4 plants which currently produce SUV's/Trucks to concentrate on more environmentally friendly vehicles, including the new electric Chevrolet Volt, due out in 2010....posted 04.06.08.

**********
Sir James Dyson starts work on a new generation of fast electric cars, using solar power to re-charge them... read more...posted 23.06.08



http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/dyson-working-on-new-generation-of-fast-green-cars-852023.html

Tesla sports car on the way....but with a hefty price tag...posted 23.08.09

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/look-out-for-the-125mph-electric-car-because-you-wont-hear-it-905451.html




WEATHER- DROUGHTS, HEATWAVES AND HURRICANES

Barcelona feels what could be global warming related water stress, as drought takes hold of the Spanish city.... read more...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/spains-drought-a-glimpse-of-our-future-833587.html


SKEPTICAL?

Cooling sea arguement once used by the skeptics is proven wrong... read more...posted 29 May 2008.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/case-against-climate-change-discredited-by-study-835856.html


WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT..?

Polish city hosts battle for the planet summit.... read more...posted 11.12.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/climate-change-a-battle-for-the-planet-1059458.html



Environemental activists plan 48 hour protest against new UK coal fire plant.... read more,posted 29.11.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/environmental-activists-to-stage-48hour-protest-1039249.html

USA- new environmental policy announced...

The USA, under Barack Obama's Presidency promises to reverse 8 years of climate neglect by signing up to Kyoto and leading the way in Renewable energy.... read more, posted 21.11.08








http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/obama-brings-us-in-from-the-cold-1026303.html



Jury aquit clmate change campaigners who vandalise coal fired power station, after hearing NASA scientist James Henson give evidence about global warming. Lawful excuse defence succeeds on basis damage was caused to avert even greater damage from occuring...read more, posted 15.08.09









http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/cleared-jury-decides-that-threat-of-global-warming-justifies-breaking-the-law-925561.html


G8 countries agree to try to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by the year 2050, but the WWF call this pledge "pathetic"... read why...posted 09.07.08








http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/g8-plans-50-reduction-in-greenhouse-gases-862281.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/g8-accused-of-failing-the-world-on-carbon-cuts-862958.html

Measures to be taken to reduce climate change threat to London...posted 01.09.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/johnson-warns-of-climate-threat-to-london-912715.html

2012 Kyoto Protocol successor looking more hopeful...? read more..posted 01.09.08

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/new-co2-emissions-treaty-is-imminent-907305.html


































Monday 4 February 2008

A-Z of Global Warming- THE AMAZON


The Amazon Rainforest acts as a major store of Carbon and produces enormous amounts of oxygen. The Amazon has been referred to as "The lungs of the Earth" because of it’s effect on the climate. The way this is achieved is of course through photosynthesis, the process by which green plants/trees use the energy from sunlight to produce food by taking carbon dioxide (co2) from the air and water and converting them to carbon. The by-product of this is oxygen.
The Amazon therefore helps recycle carbon dioxide by turning it into oxygen, and its estimated that the Amazon produces about 20% of this essential gas for Earth’s atmosphere......


Why is the Amazon at risk? ( March 2008 )

A worrying trend is the fact that the Amazon has experienced two consecutive years of drought in 2005 and 2006.
The drought in 2006, left rivers dry, stranded thousands of villagers, and put regional commerce at a standstill, was the worst on record.
A second year of drought is of great concern to researchers studying the Amazon ecosystem. Field studies by the Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Research Centre in the USA, suggest that Amazon forest ecosystems may not withstand more than two consecutive years of drought without starting to break down....



A-Z of Global Warming- BIOFUELS ( April 2008 )

What are biofuels, are they really environmentally friendy...?

Biofuels can be described as any fuel that is derived from biomass ie
living organisms or their metabolic by-products. For example, crops such as corn and dung from living animals.

Although there is still somewhat of a scientific debate going on over the advantages of biofuels, it is thought that the main advantage over fossil fuels (coal,oil and gas), is that the burning of biofuels to release energy does not cause a net increase of CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

This is because the source of the biofuel, crops for example, have already taken a corresponding amount of CO2 out from the atmosphere during their
growth cycle when they photosynthesise. When this occurs, plants/crops release oxygen and retain the carbon to use as energy.The carbon is then released when the crop is eventually burnt in order to release its energy. As long as new crops are planted in place of the ones that are burnt, there will be no overall increase in the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. So, whilst crop based biofuels don't reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, they are thought to be more or less carbon neutral.

The difference with fossil fuel deposits such as coal is that the coal deposits have been formed in the earth over millions of years and are therefore considered to be energy deposits rather than part of the energy cycle. The burning of fossil fuels on a scale required to satisfy mankind's energy needs, over a relatively short period of time, hundreds of years as opposed to the millions of years it has taken the deposits to form, means that the burning of such fuels, adds considerably to the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. This in turn adds to the greenhouse gases already present in our atmosphere, and contributes to the warming of the Earth's climate.

Despite the benefits of using biofuels, there is a drawback however, which is the amount of land required to grow the crops necessary for the biofuel in the first place. There are already concerns that vast tracts of tropical rainforest like the Amazon in Brazil, are being cleared to plant sugar cane and other crops for biofuel production.

Another problem is the cost of corn, an essential ingredient for basic food is also escalating causing further problems as the cost of certain products become unaffordable to many. It would surely be counter productive if such a situation were to develop where the CO2 absorbing tropical rainforests were being destroyed to plant crops to turn into environmentally friendly biofuels!

There is also a concern that as a by-product of growing the corn or other crop used for biofuel production environmental damage is caused by the fossil fuelled tractors, processes, fertilisers etc used in the growing process, meaning that they are not truly carbon neutral at all.

Recent research indicates that prairie grasses actually take out more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during their growth than they emit when being converted to biofuel, meaning that they may well be truly carbon neutral.

It would seem more research is needed into biofuel production and use, but if grown responsibly, i.e not on land cleared of rainforest, a benefit may well be had for the environment by their use.


A-Z of Global Warming- CARBON DIOXIDE


Okay, so we are now well into our alphabetic A to Z journey on global warming. C for Carbon dioxide is one of the main players in the global warming problem. Carbon dioxide, chemical symbol co2 is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms.
CO2 is present in the Earth's atmosphere at a low concentration, around 0.038% by volume, and is one of many gases that make up Earth's atmosphere. CO2 is measured in parts per million by volume of air (PPMV). Atmospheric carbon dioxide derives from many natural sources including volcanic eruptions, the combustion of organic matter, the respiration of living aerobic organisms, and unfortunately from manmade (anthropogenic) sources, which we all know from the news is being linked to global warming and climate change.
Since the industrial revolution particularly the mid nineteenth century, the burning of fossil fuels for energy to provide electricity, power factories, homes and for all our transport needs has released massive amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Not only the burning of fossil fuels, but changes in the use of the land for agriculture and deforestation has further added to global manmade CO2 levels.
According to the World Wildlife fund some 29 gigatons which is 29 billion metric tons of CO2 was added to the atmosphere in 2004 alone from burning coal, oil and gas.
If we go back 250 years or so, to pre- industrial times, usually taken to be around 1750, CO2 levels in the atmosphere stood at around 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv). However levels of the gas have been increasing steadily ever since.
HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?
Well, pioneering scientist Charles Keeling (1928-2005) started taking atmospheric CO2 measurements in 1958 from Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. Those measurements have been recorded and are now known as The Keeling Curve. Charles Keeling was the professor of oceanography at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) which is in San Diego, USA, and he followed the work of another eminent scientist and director of the SIO, Roger Revelle. Dr Revelle was instrumental in creating the Geophysical Year in 1958 and SIO's first programme looking at atmospheric CO2 back in 1956.
Monthly CO2 measurements were collected from a height of 3397 metres (11,140 feet) at the Mauna Loa Observatory situated on the slopes of Earth's largest volcano, Mauna Loa in Hawaii which was chosen for its remoteness to populations and vegetation so as not to skewer the readings.
Measurements have been taken over a 50 year period between 1958 and present, which show an increase in CO2 levels of 70 ppmv from around 315 ppmv to around their current level of 385 ppmv. The effects of CO2 in the atmosphere can even be measured on a cyclical basis, and this can be seen in the saw toothed keeling graph. Because there is greater land area, and thus far more plant life in the Northern Hemisphere compared to the Southern Hemisphere, there is an annual fluctuation of about 5 ppmv peaking in May and reaching a minimum in October. This corresponds to the Northern Hemisphere growing season. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere drops towards spring when uptake by the plants and trees by photosynthesis is greatest. The opposite occurs in winter when the plants die off and CO2 levels rise again.
Continuous readings in this way have only been taken since 1958, however scientists have discovered that prior to the industrial era, circa 1750, CO2 levels stood at around 280 ppmv and this data has been revealed from air trapped in ice core records, taken from both the Antarctic and Arctic.
Perhaps most startling is the fact that CO2 levels are now around 85 ppmv higher than at any time during the last 650,000 years. Records from ice core records go back that far and have shown atmospheric CO2 levels to range from 180-300 ppmv during that period. The level of CO2 in our atmosphere now stands at 385 ppmv, and is increasing steadily.
The Keeling curve has become one of the most recognisable images in modern science as it shows with no uncertainty the effects of humankind's fossil fuel pollution of Earth's atmosphere.
CO2 levels have increased by 37% since pre-industrial times and have been increasing by an average of almost 1.4 ppmv a year since measurements began in 1958, although some months the figure has been higher, sometimes lower. In the last ten years however, the average increase appears to be around 1.9 ppmv each year, which indicates the rate of increase is increasing.
Whilst CO2 is a natural greenhouse gas, and important in natural concentrations to maintain Earth’s climate, anthropogenic CO2 is now pushing up Earth’s temperature. Earth’s natural sinks, like the Amazon rainforest and the oceans struggle to absorb the additional CO2 now being added to the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels. It is a know scientific fact that higher levels of greenhouse gases, of which CO2 is a component cause a warming of Earth’s atmosphere. If CO2 is not kept in check and continues to rise at current levels it will eventually cause Earth’s temperature to increase to levels which maybe critical to life on Earth.
Earth’s temperature has already increased by 0.74 degrees Celsius (1.33 Fahrenheit ) over the last 100 years……
Posted 04.05.08