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,

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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.

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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.

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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,

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Group says Romney-Ryan tandem not good for R.E. sector

A group has expressed concern about the selection of Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan as the vice presidential running mate of Republican candidate for president Mitt Romney, and its supposed effects on the renewable energy sector. “Mitt Romney has chosen a leading voice in the worst House of Representatives ever on environmental issues to be his running mate,”

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High temperatures drive food prices up – Earth Policy Institute

Rising temperatures have played a role in the recent increases of food prices, and all-time highs in prices are seen in the coming weeks due to crop damage, according to a report from Earth Policy Institute. Record high temperatures were seen to have caused the reductions, with the first half of 2012 being the hottest on record nationwide. Timing and distribution of rainfall also contributed,

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Extreme heat events becoming more common – NASA scientists

With the Philippines struggling to recover from record breaking rains and South Africa experiencing a rare snowfall, this week has shown many an example of what climate scientists call “extreme weather events.” Unusual, severe or unseasonal weather and an increasingly large number of catastrophes’ related to this are one of the hazards foreseen by scientists if emissions are not brought down to a level that would forestall dangerous climate change.

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Fossil fuel industry campaigning to discredit renewables growth – Sierra Club

The fossil fuel industry has been using various schemes to shift public opinion and discredit renewable energy over the past decade in an attempt to hinder the latter’s growth, a report from Sierra Club suggests. The report, Clean Energy Under Siege, claims that the fossil fuel industry is using tactics such as financial contributions to political campaigns,

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Oil companies have to be transparent with deepwater drilling – investor group

The world’s biggest oil companies fall short in providing investors with crucial information on climate change risks brought by deepwater drilling activities, according to a report by investor group Ceres. The report analyzed major oil and gas companies’ disclosures to the Securities and Exchange Commission concerning the risks involved in their oil explorations – information which they are obliged to produce based on the commission’s rules.

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India pioneers a ‘pivotal’ Climate Change Financing Unit

India wants to amplify its voice in the global climate talks and has created a new Climate Change Financing Unit to pave the way for this goal. “Climate change is a complex policy issue with major implications in terms of finance. All actions to address climate change ultimately involve costs,” said India’s Finance Ministry in a statement.

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