In The News

7-Square-Mile Ice Sheet Breaks Loose in Canada

August 1, 2008
A seven mile long Canadian ice sheet has broken off an ice shelf in the Arctic, which is the largest piece shed by one of Canada's ice shelves since the Ayles shelf broke loose in 2005 from the coast of Ellesmere. Ice shelves, formed by snow and freezing water, are large platforms of thick, ancient sea ice that float on the ocean's surface. Research suggests that the current Arctic...

Trade Talks' Failure Weighs on Other Issues

Bob Davis July 31, 2008
The collapse of the Doha trade talks suggest that the motivation for global cooperation is waning. The goal of the Doha round was to eliminate special subsidies and tariffs on agricultural products to boost economies of the world’s poorest nations. WTO rules require that all 153 members reach consensus on such trade decisions. But the emerging economies of China and India looked to protect their...

Beijing Olympics: Emergency Anti-Smog Plan Announced for “Greyjing”

Jonathan Watts July 28, 2008
A choking haze smothers the host city for the Olympics and China is taking drastic new steps to eliminate the smog before the games begin. The city has already removed more than a million cars from its streets and closed hundreds of factories, reports Jonathan Watts from Beijing. Sporting organizers express concern about the pollution’s effect on the health and capabilities of athletes...

California Adopts Stiff Pollution Rules for Ships

Margot Roosevelt July 25, 2008
Almost half of all freight headed to the US passes through California, and starting in 2009, large ships operating within 24 nautical miles of the state’s coast will be required to burn a special low-sulfur diesel rather than cheaper fuels. The ruling applies to container ships, oil tankers and cruise ships. “Because prevailing winds blow from west to east in California, ship exhaust accounts for...

Parallel Universe

Nayan Chanda July 22, 2008
At the Tallberg Forum in late June, it became apparent that politicians and scientists are often on different wavelengths. Scientists accept with much certainty that the Arctic ice sheet is melting and that temperatures are rising. Others worry about the increasing amounts of fossil fuels being emitted into the atmosphere. Scientists recognize that the current situation will lead to droughts,...

The Furor Over Genetically Modified Foods

Laura H. Kahn July 22, 2008
With the world's population booming and the food prices skyrocketing, biotechnologists suggest that genetically modified foods could boost supplies. However, genetically modified foods are greeted with wariness in many regions, particularly Europe, for many reasons. Some question whether such food products pose a safety hazard for humans, while other critics express concern about the...

McCain, Obama and Hot Air

Bjorn Lomborg July 17, 2008
Both John McCain and Barack Obama have focused their climate-change policies on efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The controversial Bjorn Lomborg, however, argues that reducing carbon emissions will cause great harm to the world economy while doing little to stop global warming. Instead, Lomborg proposes increasing investments in alternative energy until carbon emissions can be replaced, and...