Trapped methane reservoirs beneath Antarctic could escape - study

Immense deposits of the potent greenhouse gas methane are found beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, a recent study suggests. Research by an international team of scientists found that ancient reservoirs of organic matter beneath the ice sheet could possibly have been turned into methane by microbes living under zero-oxygen conditions. The scientists warned that this methane, a harmful greenhouse gas that ranks...

Read more...

Earth biodiversity increase during warming – research

In a rather contrasting finding, scientists from the Universities of York, Glasgow and Leeds find that biodiversity on Earth generally increases as the planet warms. However, the increase depends on the evolution of new species over millions of years, and is normally accompanied by extinctions of existing species. "The previous findings always seemed paradoxical,” said Dr. Alistair McGowan of the University of Glasgow.

Read more...

Australia: Making its way toward a low-carbon future

Twenty-eight billion tons. That is the amount of carbon Australia pumps into the atmosphere every year. Consequently, with such an impact, the nation has been tagged as the world’s largest-emitting nation per capita. So much for this distinction, Australia has been trying to make a change. Especially for the past several months, the country has been making successive announcements about what it is going...

Read more...

E.P.A. sets fuel efficiency standard for model year 2025

In a move to nearly double the fuel efficiency of new vehicles, the United States Environmental Protection Agency set fuel efficiency standards to 54.5 miles per gallon for cars and light-duty trucks by model year 2025. The new standards, the agency said, will “encourage innovation and investment” in advanced technologies that “increase economic competitiveness” and support high-quality domestic jobs in the auto industry.

Read more...

Arctic sea ice hits lowest level

The Arctic sea ice cap hit the lowest level ever recorded, according to a satellite data from NASA and the research group National Snow and Ice Data Center. Sea ice cover was found to only extend up to 4.10 million square kilometers last August 26, lower then the previously recorded lowest level of 4.17 million square kilometers in September 18, 2007. Over the next two to three weeks of warm temperatures,

Read more...

Eyes on Australia in signing ‘Kyoto 2’

As the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change gears up for the second round of the Kyoto Protocol, all eyes as early as today are fixed on Australia on whether it will sign up or not for the climate change pact. Large-emitting Australian businesses will have to pay a higher carbon price if the country will refuse to support the next stage of the Kyoto Protocol,

Read more...

Shanghai vulnerable to extreme flooding – study

The city of Shanghai could be the next to find itself in a standstill by an extreme flooding event according to a study by a team of scientists from Britain and the Netherlands. In this new study, nine cities built on river deltas around the world were assessed to calculate their flood vulnerability. In addition to Shanghai these were, Dhaka. Bangladesh; Casablanca, Morocco; Calcutta, India; Buenos Aires,

Read more...

E.U. directive to increase collection and recycling of e-waste

To help promote recycling of electronic waste and reduce its dumping into landfills, the European Commission introduced changes to their decade-old Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive. The directive sets a collection target of 45 percent of electronic equipment sold that will apply from 2016, and 65 percent of equipment sold or 85 percent of electronic waste generated by 2020.

Read more...

Sustainable development network to solve global pressing problems - U.N.

As the world advances it is facing more and more pressing problems such as overpopulation, climate change, energy scarcity, poverty and so on. To help find solutions to the world’s most critical environmental, social economic problems, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has announced the launch of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Read more...

Rio+20 commitments vital to reducing transport emissions – report

With transportation being the fastest growing source of global greenhouse gas emissions, financial commitments made at the Rio+20 for more sustainable transportation in the coming decade will play a vital role in reducing emissions overall, according to a report from the Worldwatch Institute. The eight largest multilateral development banks pledged in the conference to commit 500 staff,

Read more...