In The News

Logging Boreal Forest Could Detonate Massive “Carbon Bomb,” Says Report

April 14, 2008
The boreral forests of Canada store more than 25 times carbon dioxide that is currently released in world’s annual fossil-fuel emissions, reports an article from the Canadian Press. “About 80 percent of the carbon is stored in the soil as dead organic matter. The rest is stored in the forest's evergreen trees, moss and peat.” Older trees tend to store more carbon than younger trees,...

Arid Barcelona Forced to Import Water

Elizabeth Nash April 14, 2008
Spain’s second largest city must cope with a water shortage resulting from extreme drought. Now, the city must import water by ship and rail. Barcelona has a reputation for efficient infrastructure, reports Elizabeth Nash for the Independent, but climate change and water shortages disrupt city life. The city has turned off public fountains and pools and plans to conserve the imports by lowering...

A Small Stove With Big Ambitions

Margot Cohen April 7, 2008
The invention of a tiny stove in India demonstrates the link between reduced carbon emissions and improved health – and how technology can contribute to slowing climate change. Global energy giant BP is producing and marketing Oorja, which means energy in Hindi, a small pellet stove that produces substantially fewer emissions than the traditional wood-burning stoves so common throughout India. In...

Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear

Donald L. Barlett April 7, 2008
Relying on genetics and biotechnology, the Monsanto Company creates and patents specialized seeds with built-in protections against insects, fungus and disease as well as tolerance for heat, drought and other stresses – all of which can increase crop yields. The catch with Monsanto patents is that farmers can no longer collect seeds from their own crops at the end of the season. Donald L. Barlett...

Demands for Crackdown on Biofuels Scam

Terry Macalister April 2, 2008
Traders have a knack for finding loopholes in subsidies and other policies to gain more profits. The European Biodiesel Board has uncovered a trading scheme that exploits US agricultural subsides, designed to encourage biofuel products made from corn and soy beans, reports Terry Macalister for the Guardian. The schemers ship biodiesel from Europe to the US, add a dash of US fuel to their mixture...

Food Miles Are Just a Form of Protectionism

Dominic Lawson April 2, 2008
Proposals to decertify organic crops grown in foreign nations amount to protectionism, argues Dominic Lawson in the Independent. Assumptions that local products require less energy and include fewer chemicals are not always valid. Despite the need for air transport, the vegetables grown in Kenya, without tractors or organic fertilizers, account for fewer carbon emissions than crops grown in the...

On Carbon, Tax and Don’t Spend

Monica Prasad April 1, 2008
The idea of a tax on carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to global warming, is gaining attention worldwide, but there’s little agreement on the best design. Monica Prasad, sociology professor at Northwestern University, notes that for the past two decades, the countries of Scandinavia have had carbon taxes in place. Success in reducing emissions depends on how countries spend that revenue...