global warming
What changes can the world expect if we allow global temperatures to rise by 4 degrees C? A new map unveiled today shows the global hot spots likely to see rising sea levels, increased risk of forest fires, dwindling water supplies and melting permafrost, among other dramatic impacts. With just
A new zero-emission, fuel-cell-powered scooter is set to make its debut tomorrow at the opening of the Tokyo Motor Show. The Suzuki Burgman Fuel Cell Scooter is a joint development of the Suzuki Motor Corporation and Intelligent Energy, a UK-based clear power systems firm. This isn’t the first the
sustainability
Businesses aren’t doing enough to prepare for potential threats to healthy soils, pollination and water (pdf), all of which are crucial “ecosystem services” for companies with agricultural supply chains, according to a report released today. The report — prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, conservation charity Fauna
Kids could be effective agents of change in the quest for a more sustainable future, but adults don’t give them enough credit, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The study finds that children already play a key role in becoming more sustainable by
biotechnology
Could beetles, butterflies and other bugs yield the next generation of antibiotics and biotech enzymes? That’s what a new German research programme aims to find out. The “Insect Biotechnology” programme is a joint effort of the Justus-Leibig-University Giessen and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. “Up to now, there has been no facility
greenhouse gases
The UK government’s accounting of carbon dioxide emissions reductions are “unsatisfactory” and likely to mislead non-experts about just how much Britain has actually cut its carbon footprint, according to Sir Michael Scholar, chairman of the UK Statistics Authority. In a letter to Tim Yeo, chair of the House of
fossil fuels
Never mind what your electric bill or receipt at the pump says … using fossil fuels is even more expensive than you think, thanks to “hidden” costs like air pollution’s impact on human health. Those costs amounted to about $120 billion for the US alone in 2005, according to a
electric cars
Toyota has become the first auto-maker to take part in a project aiming to create the first fully functioning smart grid-enabled city in the world. As part of Xcel Energy’s SmartGridCity™ project, Toyota will place 10 Prius plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) in Boulder, Colorado. The cars will be the
biodiversity
Both birds and the climate could benefit if rainforests cut down by loggers are properly restored, according to new research from the University of Leeds. In fact, a properly rainforest can — within just 15 years — support as much bird diversity as virgin forest, according to David Edwards with the university’
wind energy
A newly launched £5.15 million research effort aims to solve the problem of radar interference from wind turbines, UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband announced today. Objections from aviation radar operators are one of the largest reasons that wind planning applications are rejected or withdrawn in the
global warming
By releasing chemicals they’ve long stored in ice, melting glaciers are becoming a source of pollutants that have long been banned, Swiss researchers report. Writing in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, scientists from Empa, the ETH Zurich and Eawag describe how shrinking glaciers have for the past 10
Jurdy’s on the lookout for spare change …
