The Guardian on Facebook

The Guardian on Facebook:"He also rejects any notion that Desertec carries with it even a whiff of neo-colonialism. Earlier this year such sentiments were raised by Daniel Ayuk Mbi Egbe of the African Network for Solar Energy. "Many Africans are sceptical [about Desertec]," he said. "[Europeans] make promises, but at the end of the day, they bring their engineers, they bring their equipment, and they go. It's a new form of resource exploitation, just like in the past." Other Mena-based speakers made similar points, not least that any electricity generated will first be desperately needed by local populations as they fight poverty."

'via Blog this'

Joint High-level Segment of the Seventeenth Session of the Conference of the Parties of the Climate Change Convention and the Seventeenth Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP 17/CMP 7)

Joint High-level Segment of the Seventeenth Session of the Conference of the Parties of the Climate Change Convention and the Seventeenth Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP 17/CMP 7): "4. Developing countries are now more than ever experiencing the very real impacts of climate change, which are undermining our development prospects and aggravating preexisting vulnerabilities.

5. This has been confirmed a few days ago by the Summary for Policy Makers from the Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) that was adopted by IPCC member governments, highlighting that fatality rates and economic losses expressed as a proportion of GDP are higher in developing countries.

6. That points to the fact that a higher ambition in emission reductions of Green House Gasses (GHG) is urgently needed. In this regard, and as you are aware, Madam President, raising the level of ambition of emission reductions is a twofold path, since Parties agreed to a two- track negotiation process in 2007, the Bali Roadmap."

'via Blog this'

Can today’s technology tackle climate change? Who cares? | Grist

Can today’s technology tackle climate change? Who cares? | Grist: The latest outbreak has come in the wake of a report from a panel of energy analysts in California that spent the last two years digging in to what it would take for the state to meet its ambitious climate goal (reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, even as its population grows from 37 million to 55 million and demand for energy doubles). It released its report earlier this year: California's Energy Future—The View to 2050. It's a fascinating read with some important insights; for instance, it totally rejects the use of biofuels for passenger vehicles (we need to save them for hard-to-electrify stuff like freight trucks and planes).

Societies with class structure expand faster than egalitarian ones, Stanford researchers say

Societies with class structure expand faster than egalitarian ones, Stanford researchers say: In environments where the availability of resources fluctuated from year to year, stratified societies were better able to survive the temporary shortages because the bulk of the deprivation was absorbed by the lower classes, leaving the ruling class – and the overall social structure – intact. That stability enabled them to expand more readily than egalitarian societies, which weren't able to adapt to changing conditions as quickly.

Global carbon intensity on the rise for first time in a decade - 07 Nov 2011 - News from BusinessGreen

Global carbon intensity on the rise for first time in a decade - 07 Nov 2011 - News from BusinessGreen: The combination of strong growth in the emerging economies of China, Brazil and South Korea, unusually cold winters in the northern hemisphere, a drop in the price of coal relative to gas, and a slowdown in renewable energy deployment was credited with driving the increase in emissions.

Droughts and Famines in East Africa: From man-made problems to man-made solutions | End Poverty

Droughts and Famines in East Africa: From man-made problems to man-made solutions | End Poverty: How can droughts and famines be avoided? This is the big question many conferences and summits have grappled with in recent weeks. Unfortunately, it will be very difficult to avoid droughts in future because climate change will put more pressure on scarce land and extreme climate events, both rains and floods, will likely occur much more frequently — and even more unpredictably.

Great Transition Initiative

Great Transition Initiative: A Great Transition to a future of enriched lives, human solidarity, and environmental sustainability is possible.

Carboun: Advocating Sustainability in the Middle East

Carboun: Advocating Sustainability in the Middle East: Following on Carboun’s recent article discussing the two trends of energy and carbon emissions in the Arab World. Carboun has recently released a visual guide to energy and emissions with the goal or explaining the fundamentals of energy use in the region and how it relates to carbon emissions, economic development, climate change, and renewable energy. It aims to explain the regional trends in local details but within the global context. Copyrights for all infographics are reserved for Carboun. No reproduction or republishing of any infographic or part thereof without prior written consent from Carboun.

Paul Van Son: Tapping Egypt's solar power potential | Al-Masry Al-Youm: Today's News from Egypt

Paul Van Son: Tapping Egypt's solar power potential | Al-Masry Al-Youm: Today's News from Egypt: "gypt also realizes that nuclear power is not so easy to implement. If they insist on developing a nuclear program, it will be very difficult to finance because of insurance and security costs, which are skyrocketing."

Climate Change: Doing Nothing Will Cost More Than Preventative Measures, New Report Shows

Climate Change: Doing Nothing Will Cost More Than Preventative Measures, New Report Shows: "“To do something is a choice, but to do nothing is a choice. And I believe the American people make good decisions -- I know they do -- when they have the facts in front of them. And the facts are, there are going to be costs.”"

Why You Won't Read This Earth Day Article (And Why That Doesn't Matter) - FoxNews.com

Why You Won't Read This Earth Day Article (And Why That Doesn't Matter) - FoxNews.com: "'The real opportunity for us isn't to further bolster public opinion,' Maibach said. 'The real opportunity is for us as a society to figure out how to make it easier to perform these behaviors.'"

Desertec concept gets boots in Tunisia - UPI.com

Desertec concept gets boots in Tunisia - UPI.com
Representatives of the Desertec project, an industrial initiative that plans to build giant solar and wind power plants in North Africa, last week met with officials from the interim Tunisian government.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Developing Countries Step In Where Richer Nations Fear to Tread - AlertNet

CLIMATE CHANGE: Developing Countries Step In Where Richer Nations Fear to Tread - AlertNet
"We need to hear [developed] countries say they are going to comply to the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol," asserted a visibly frustrated Pablo Solon Romero Oroza, the head of Bolivia's delegation here, during a discussion on the future of the protocol. "Developing countries are doing more to cut emissions without legal obligations than developed countries."

LES IMPACTS A LONG TERME DE LA RAR�FACTION DES �NERGIES FOSSILES SUR LE D�VELOPPEMENT DU NORD ET DU SUD. - a knol by Jelel Ezzine

LES IMPACTS A LONG TERME DE LA RAR�FACTION DES �NERGIES FOSSILES SUR LE D�VELOPPEMENT DU NORD ET DU SUD. - a knol by Jelel Ezzine: "LES IMPACTS A LONG TERME DE LA RAR�FACTION DES �NERGIES FOSSILES SUR LE D�VELOPPEMENT DU NORD ET DU SUD."

Dans cet article, nous nous proposons d'étudier les évolutions possibles des rapports Nord/Sud dans le contexte de l’épuisement des ressources énergétiques fossiles, sans recours aux énergies alternatives. En effet, si la plupart des modèles globaux traitent de problèmes globaux à échelle mondiale, très peu s’intéressent aux différences de niveaux de développement entre les régions. Dans cette étude, un modèle dynamique à feedbacks s’inspirant du modèle ELP de Lofdahl (2002) a été utilisé, afin d’étudier les rapports du système Nord/Sud régi par la théorie de la pression latérale (Choucri et North 1975) en s’intéressant plus particulièrement aux effets de la raréfaction des ressources énergétiques fossiles et des émissions de CO2. Les simulations révèlent que le modèle basé sur des ressources énergétiques purement fossiles n’est pas viable pour les deux régions à long terme.

Climate change: Scientist proves conservatism and belief in climate change aren't incompatible - latimes.com

Climate change: Scientist proves conservatism and belief in climate change aren't incompatible - latimes.com: "Scientist proves conservatism and belief in climate change aren't incompatible
MIT professor Kerry Emanuel is among a rare breed of conservative scientists who are sounding the alarm for climate change and criticizing Republicans' 'agenda of denial' and 'anti-science stance.'"

State study says climate change impacts are real

State study says climate change impacts are real: "DES MOINES, Iowa --- Climate change is affecting Iowans' lives and work in the form of longer growing seasons, increased precipitation and temperatures and transition in the state's prominent insurance industry, according to a report released this week.

Researchers from the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa conducted the report, 'Climate Change Impacts on Iowa,' and they hope it brings awareness and informs future discussions.

'We are already living with climate change, and we need to be aware of its ramifications for planning for the future,' Jerry Schnoor, a UI professor of civil and environmental engineering who helped author the report, said."

Consequences of Severe Climate Change Outweigh Partisan Agendas | The Daily Nexus

Consequences of Severe Climate Change Outweigh Partisan Agendas | The Daily Nexus: "Consequences of Severe Climate Change Outweigh Partisan Agendas

By Derek Palmer
Published on January 4, 2011

Public health and safety is not a partisan issue. Ensuring the welfare of American citizens is arguably the most important job of the federal government. Therefore, we should question why, when the Environmental Protection Agency sets out to regulate harmful greenhouse gasses, we let rhetorical attacks about economic devastation or job destruction influence the rational restriction of a proven health threat to not only U.S. citizens, but the entire world.

The Clean Air Act and 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA make the Obama administration legally responsible for protecting citizens from the harmful effects of greenhouse gasses and other pollutants. The upcoming EPA regulations are not a case of the president trying to force his agenda through a regulative agency when legislation has failed. Instead, this is a case of performing his obligation to protect health and safety through whichever agency is best equipped to do so."

Climate Change Media Coverage - Global Warming Media Coverage - The Daily Green

Climate Change Media Coverage - Global Warming Media Coverage - The Daily Green: "Media coverage of climate change in 2010 slipped to levels not seen since 2005, after spiking in in late 2009 in the run-up to the much-hyped United Nations climate talks in Copenhagen and the release of private emails from climate scientists stored on a English university server.

Analysis of DailyClimate.org's archive of global media coverage shows that journalists published 23,156 climate-related stories in English last year -- a 30 percent drop from '09's tally.

Those stories came from 8,710 different reporters, columnists and editorial writers at 1,552 different media outlets. Last year, according to the Website's database, more than 11,000 reporters tackled the subject -- a 22 percent drop for 2010."

NEWS RELEASE: Independent Global Network Launched to Track Countries' Climate Change Progress | World Resources Institute

NEWS RELEASE: Independent Global Network Launched to Track Countries' Climate Change Progress | World Resources Institute: "Open Climate Network (OCN), a global network that will track countries’ progress toward cutting emissions and providing climate finance, was launched this week at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Cancun, Mexico. Led by the World Resources Institute (WRI), OCN convenes independent research institutes around the world to provide consistent and peer-reviewed information on major economies’ actions on climate change."

November 16, 2010

November 16, 2010: "But, without the focus on storage devices, it will be difficult to meet proposed renewable electricity standards, the report asserts. Wind and solar energy are variable by nature: The sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow. The amount of electricity a consumer has available to complete household chores could change in a matter of seconds, hours or days—placing great importance on the need for robust storage methods."

Another challenge facing the grid involves the long-distance transmission of renewable electricity from places that receive a lot of wind and sun to those that do not. “We need to move faster to have storage ready to accommodate, for example, 20 percent of renewable electricity on the grid by 2020,” said George Crabtree, co-chairman of the POPA study panel and a senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. “And, by devoting the necessary resources to the problem, I am confident that we can solve it.”