In The News

Health of Oceans “Declining Fast”

Roger Harrabin October 7, 2013
The International Programme on the State of the Ocean reports rapid deterioration and multiple threats: heating up from climate change, becoming more acidic by absorbing carbon dioxide, expanding dead zones from fertilizer runoff, as well as overfishing and pollution. The report suggests that the world’s oceans have shielded humans from the worst effects of climate change by absorbing so much...

Climate Panel Says Upper Limit on Emissions Is Nearing

Justin Gillis September 27, 2013
A UN panel that assesses and advises on climate change reports the phenomenon is well underway and likely to get worse, with human emissions as the cause. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has also listed a carbon budget for the globe: “To stand the best chance of keeping the planetary warming below an internationally agreed target of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above preindustrial levels...

New Challenges for Global Food Security

Marion Guillou September 25, 2013
New stresses have emerged in recent years that threaten global food security, writes Marion Guillou of INRA for ParisTech Review. The globe produces, on average, 800 more calories for each person than needed. Yet climate change contributes to price volatility which in turn destabilizes developing countries. Poor nations tend toward younger populations, and the young require more calories than...

Global Warming Slowdown Complicates IPCC's Job

The Associated Press September 19, 2013
Scientists preparing the much-awaited report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are in a quandary over data that go against the body’s broad conclusions on carbon emissions and a warming planet. In an exclusive report based on leaked documents the Associated Press says that scientists are puzzled by data suggesting that “global warming has slowed in the past 15 years even though...

The Politics of Palm Oil

Pavin Chachavalpongpun September 17, 2013
Palm oil is Indonesia’s most valuable agricultural export and the industry employs nearly 2 million people. Indonesia has laws prohibiting the slash-and-burn method of clearing fields for large plantations, explains Pavin Chachavalpongpun, of Kyoto University’s Centre for Southeast Asian Studies. Yet allowances for small farmers and a regional culture of patronage politics may hamper enforcement...

Boat's Voyage a Shining Example of Solar Potential

Richard Anderson September 16, 2013
An international team of engineers, investors and designers created and launched a solar-powered vessel that circled the globe. The boat traveled close to the equator to maximize its exposure to the sun. “The Turanor uses energy harnessed from more than 500 [square meters] of solar panels to drive two, 60kW electric engines, each in turn driving a standard propeller,” reports Richard Anderson for...

Ecuador Approves Yasuni Park Oil Drilling in Amazon Rainforest

September 13, 2013
Ecuador is moving to open an Amazon national park, one of the most biodiverse areas in the world, for oil drilling. Developed nations balked at a UN-backed conservation plan that included international payments for not drilling in Yasuni National Park, reports BBC News. “Oil is Ecuador's main export,” reports the article, adding that drilling could start in weeks. President Rafael Correa...