1. Reduce your plastic consumption. The most frequently collected items during beach cleanups are made of plastic—think reusable shopping bags, water bottles and utensils.
2. Make informed seafood choices. Keep a copy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s seafood guide in your wallet or text Blue Ocean’s FishPhone to help you choose sustainable seafood at the grocery store or a restaurant.
3. Dispose of chemicals properly. Never pour chemicals, pharmaceuticals, oil or paint into the drain or toilets. Check with your county’s household hazardous waste program to properly dispose of or recycle chemicals and keep them out of rivers and oceans.
4. Choose green detergents and household cleaners—or make your own! Besides being better for your own health, these products are safer for the environment since what goes down the drain can end up in our oceans.
5. Get the dirt on your beachside retreat. Before you stay in a hotel on the coast, ask staff what happens to their sewage and swimming pool water, and if they source their restaurant fish from sustainable sources.
6. Find out the source of your food. Buying local, organic food reduces your carbon footprint, supports the local economy and reduces the amount of pesticides and fertilizers that end up not just in your stomach, but as run-off in rivers and oceans, too.
7. Fill your yard with native species. Reducing the amount of grass in your lawn by planting native shrubs and flower beds will provide a better habitat for birds and other wildlife and require far less water and fertilizer, which can seep into the oceans.
8. Keep your beach visit clean. When visiting the beach, stay off fragile sand dunes, take your trash with you and leave plants, birds and wildlife for everyone to enjoy. Find a Conservancy coastal preserve near you.
9. Choose alternatives to coral. Whether shopping for jewelry, household décor or accessories for your fish tank, do your part to leave fragile coral reef habitats untouched by buying products that aren’t made of real coral.
10. Celebrate our oceans. Whether you live inland or on the coast, we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to organize or participate in activities that restore and celebrate the ocean, and help support The Nature Conservancy’s ocean conservation work.
    • Donate online now to support The Nature Conservancy’s work to protect and restore marine habitats in your area and around the world.
    • Rescue a Reef to help protect some of the most threatened corals in the world.
    • Sign up for the Conservancy’s Great Places Network, a free online membership program, to learn more about what the Conservancy is doing in your state and around the globe.
    • Test your oceans knowledge with our online quiz.
    • Send an ocean e-card to friends and family.

But scientists estimate that 70% of all corals reefs could be lost by 2050 if current rates of destruction continue — from factors ranging from overfishing to climate change.

That’s why The Nature Conservancy is supporting three major policy efforts by island nations around the world to conserve marine diversity — the Micronesia Challenge, the Coral Triangle Initiative and the newly launched Caribbean Challenge, which is being aided by a $20 million Conservancy pledge.

Together, these regions contain 83% of Earth’s coral species, according to James Robertson of the Conservancy’s Center for Global Trends.

“The threats to coral reefs are huge and occur across the globe, so coral conservation has to be at a scale that matches those threats,” explains Lynne Hale, director of the Conservancy’s Global Marine Program.

“The Caribbean Challenge is a perfect example of how the Conservancy is working with governments and people who depend on coral reefs to catalyze bold and immediate conservation action,” says Hale.

Caribbean Nations Launch Challenge

The Caribbean Challenge will accelerate marine conservation in the region — with the aim of protecting 20% of the region’s marine and coastal habitat by 2020.

The Conservancy announced its support for the challenge when it was launched by Caribbean leaders at a U.N.-sponsored conference in Bonn addressing worldwide threats to biodiversity.

The Caribbean Challenge will enable the Conservancy to help participating nations do essential marine conservation work, such as:

• Create new marine protected areas (MPAs);
• Hire, equip and train park managers and other staff;
• Reduce destructive fishing practices;
• Incorporate protection strategies that mitigate the impacts of climate change; and
• Establish a sustainable funding source for future marine conservation.

“The Caribbean Challenge is a broad and collaborative effort,” says Rob Weary, the Conservancy’s senior conservation finance and policy advisor for the Caribbean. “By supporting island nations with funding, scientific expertise and training, we can help them achieve their goals.”

It’s an approach that’s already working in two of the world’s most significant coral areas — Micronesia and the Coral Triangle.

Protecting Marine Resources in Micronesia and the Coral Triangle

Launched in 2006, the Micronesia Challenge is a commitment by five governments to conserve 30% of their marine resources and 20% of their terrestrial resources by 2020.

In less than two years, the Micronesia Challenge has already spurred the creation of new protected areas and new legislation for the support and management of such areas. Heralded by the President of Palau and supported by the Conservancy, the Micronesia Challenge is the inspiration and model for the Caribbean Challenge.

The Conservancy is working similarly in Southeast Asia’s Coral Triangle region — where an astounding 76% of the world’s coral species are found.

“The Coral Triangle is the global epicenter of marine biodiversity,” says Rod Salm, the Conservancy’s director of marine conservation in Asia Pacific. “The world’s coral diversity hinges on the health and survival of this area.”

In the Coral Triangle, Salm and other marine scientists are pioneering the identification and protection of resilient coral communities — those that are most likely to survive bleaching and other traumatic events. They are hopeful that this effort will help save corals from the impacts of climate change.

“It’s critical that we begin incorporating principles of climate change resilience to protect corals and all of our marine resources,” says Salm. “The Conservancy is leading the way in helping marine resource managers to do this worldwide.”

Now, a new report co-authored by Nature Conservancy scientists says that biofuel crops could also become invasive species — and that the risk needs to be evaluated before these crops are planted.

The Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) and Conservancy scientists have identified all the crops currently being used or considered for biofuel production and ranked them according to the risk they pose of becoming invasive species.

GISP calls on countries to:

• Carry out risk assessments before they plant biofuel crops,
• Use low-risk species of crops for biofuels, and
• Introduce new controls to manage invasive species.

Major Findings of the Report

• Damage from invasive species costs the world more than $1.4 trillion annually — 5% of the global economy. The United States alone spends $120 billion annually on the control and impacts of more than 800 invasive species infestations.
• The giant reed (Arundo donax) is a proposed biofuel crop from West Asia which is already invasive in parts of North and Central America. Naturally flammable, it increases the likelihood of wildfires — a threat to both humans and native species in places such as California.
• The African oil palm is another example of the havoc an invasive species can wreak. Recommended for biodiesel, it has already become invasive in parts of Brazil, turning areas of threatened forest from a rich mix of trees and plant life into a homogenous layer of palm leaves.
• The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 9) represents the best chance in a decade to take global action against invasive species. The Conservancy and GISP are calling on delegates to recognize the dangers invasive species cause and recommend risk assessments before biofuel crops are planted. The two groups also call on the scientific community to conduct more desperately-needed research into this topic.

The Bottom Line

“Prevention is better than the cure,” says Stas Bugiel, The Nature Conservancy’s senior global invasive species policy advisor, “We need to stop invasions before they occur. The biofuel industry is a relatively new concept so we have a unique opportunity to act early and get ahead of the game — we mustn’t throw that away.”

No, contrary to the hopes of men across Korea, actress Kim Tae Hee will not be there wrestling in fruit salad to save the Earth. And though the celebration is on April 20 (420 to cannabis lovers), smoking a joint will get you swiftly arrested in South Korea. No fun? Don’t dispare.

There’s a great lineup of events planned to generate awareness of environmental issues and bring Koreans more in touch with their green side.

Here’s a schedule of events that will take place this Sunday in Seoul Plaza, outside Seoul City Hall.

Read more of this story »

Europe — World’s first commercial tidal turbine installed (EcoGeek)

“The world’s first commercial tidal turbine has been installed in its home in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough.

Though it has yet to be turned on, it will be the first commercial power-producing tidal generator when it is (sometime later this year). The turbine has two 16 meter-wide rotors and will be able to run for 18-20 hours a day. The turbine was installed off the coast in an area known for fast moving waters, and because the rotors will only spin 10-20 times in a minute, it is unlikely to disturb marine life.”

Source: EcoGeek. Hot in media: Digg EcoGeek, Digg TimesOnline.

Africa — Tree-Nation (Tree-Nation)

“Tree-Nation is an ecological project with a focused objective: To plant 8 million trees in Niger, Africa to fight desertification! Large-scale plantation of trees will increase the land’s productivity and re-generate the soil.

Read more of this story »

]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/13/top-10-environmental-news-headlines-of-the-week-no-3/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/10/the-spy-who-was-plane-stupid/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/10/the-spy-who-was-plane-stupid/#comments Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:56:22 +0000 Mark Seall http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/10/the-spy-who-was-plane-stupid/ It’s been an intriguing week for British environmental activists, with the discovery of a spy in the camp at UK aviation protest group Plane Stupid.

Ultimately the spy, an employee of C2i International who specialize in ’special risk management’ (otherwise known as industrial espionage) was little match for Plane Stupid, who described him as “more Austin Powers than James Bond”.

Accounts of the episode reveal that Ken Tobias (real name Tobias Kendall), made a number of basic errors, including:

• • Wearing expensive designer clothes (which he attempted to disguise by wearing a Palestinian scarf to give some environmental credibility)
  • Turning up to meetings consistently early
  • Demonstrating an unusual eagerness to reap mayhem on British airport infrastructure by suggesting the grandest and most aggressive schemes
  • Allowing information on planned activities to be published almost immediately in the press

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/10/the-spy-who-was-plane-stupid/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/05/10-top-environmental-headlines-of-the-week-2/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/05/10-top-environmental-headlines-of-the-week-2/#comments Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:49:25 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/05/10-top-environmental-headlines-of-the-week-2/ In case you missed them the first time around, here are the top 10 international environmental headlines that made news in the blogosphere for the week of March 31 - April 6.

1. Asia — United Nations Climate Change Talks: “Kyoto II” climate talks open in Bangkok

“The first formal talks in the long process of drawing up a replacement for the Kyoto climate change pact opened in Thailand on Monday with appeals to a common human purpose to defeat global warming.

‘The world is waiting for a solution that is long-term and economically viable,’ U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon said in a video address to the 1,000 delegates from 190 nations gathered in Bangkok.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/05/10-top-environmental-headlines-of-the-week-2/feed/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/04/05/spring-crushes/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/04/05/spring-crushes/#comments Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:26:28 +0000 Lucille Chi http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/04/05/spring-crushes/ In my experience as an eco-fashion and textile design instructor I have always been in awe of the trend reports and style forecasting that move this growing field forward. One of the first steps designers take when starting off a new line for a season is clip what inspires them and create a “vision”, “mood”, or “inspiration” board. Here is a simple one I made with a few eco-designs that inspire me this spring:

going clockwise:  
1. Love tube dress by Katherine Hammett. She is a clothing activist by placing her messages in bilboard letters on tees for men and women. Very well known for her activism in the fashion industry. With her profits she worked on and commissioned research to find out the real impact the clothing industry has on the planet and discovered a complete disaster. Tens of thousands of deaths a year from accidental pesticide poisoning from growing cotton, millions with long-term acute poisoning, slavery type conditions across the industry, pollution and long-term contamination to rivers and aquifers. Katherine’s long held vision has powered into this century with new campaigns and these hopeful slogan tees, dresses and gear now sold on her re-invented site.
2. Darling designs like this moon-swing top from William Good  are so cute! Go Good Will with the new initiatives to re-sell by re-vamping the reject piles that mostly go to landfills. William Good is the name for this start-up that will sell styles to the masses.

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   ]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/04/05/spring-crushes/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/04/01/bush-administration-seeks-endangered-species-protection-for-elusive-climate-skeptics/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/04/01/bush-administration-seeks-endangered-species-protection-for-elusive-climate-skeptics/#comments Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:58:12 +0000 Timothy B. Hurst http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/04/01/bush-administration-seeks-endangered-species-protection-for-elusive-climate-skeptics/

   In a stunning reversal of direction, the Bush administration has officially requested a new addition to the Endangered Species list. What threatened species could elicit this drastic change of course for the Bush Administration? It is, of course, the elusive Climate Change Skeptic (dubium mundus fervesco), whose habitat is being threatened by rational thinking, increased rates of deforestation, low gas-mileage standards, and the abundance of “cheap” coal. The stunning news comes just after a story in the Washington Post reported that the current administration has never requested that an animal be protected by the Endangered Species Act. Of the current administration’s 59 listed species, none of them were requested by the administration themselves.

   But the Bush administration is not alone in wanting to protect such skeptics as Fred Singer and Patrick Michaels, in fear that the breed may die out completely in the coming years. Fortunately, the skeptics have received significant funding from coal and oil companies, including ExxonMobil.

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   ]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/04/01/bush-administration-seeks-endangered-species-protection-for-elusive-climate-skeptics/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/01/bush-and-chavez-adopt-fair-trade-policies/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/01/bush-and-chavez-adopt-fair-trade-policies/#comments Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:00:44 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/01/bush-and-chavez-adopt-fair-trade-policies/ George Bush and Hugo Chavez, former political enemies, announced plans this morning to dismantle the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, replacing it instead with the North American Fair Trade Agreement, also NAFTA.

   “The new agreement marks a turning point in US-Venezuela relations,” said Juan Johnston of the North American Monitor of Bribery in Latin America (NAMBLA). “It also underscores the magnitude of recent growth in demand for ethically produced goods.”

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   ]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/04/01/bush-and-chavez-adopt-fair-trade-policies/feed/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/31/talking-fashion-with-wearing-the-future-editor-and-writer-kyeann-sayer/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/31/talking-fashion-with-wearing-the-future-editor-and-writer-kyeann-sayer/#comments Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:12:02 +0000 Victoria Everman http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/31/talking-fashion-with-wearing-the-future-editor-and-writer-kyeann-sayer/ Ever wonder what fashion bloggers are really like? We have! While it would be difficult to try and analyze ourselves, we jump at the chance to chat with other eco-minded online writers to get their perspective on sustainable fashion and its place in the entire green movement.

   Launched a month and a half ago as part of the new EcoGeek blogging network, Wearing the Future is all about “straight talk as much as style, so you won’t have to worry about fluffy, PR-soaked, greenwashing nonsense.”

   I recently had the pleasure of chatting with the blog’s chief editor and head writer, Kyeann Sayer (pronounced like “cayenne” pepper). As a long-time writer for Treehugger.com, Kyeann has an impressive media resume - she has been featured on CNN, MSN, I.D. Magazine, Domino, Spin, Outside, and Women’s Wear Daily … just to name a few.

   In our lively conversation, Kyeann and I talk about the beginning of Wearing the Future, her favorite eco-fashion brands, personal style’s place in the world of green living and more - read on for all the juicy details!

   Victoria Everman: How did you get connected with Hank Green of EcoGeek? Did the two of you come up with the idea for Wearing the Future together or was he on the look-out for an editor and writer already? 

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   ]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/31/talking-fashion-with-wearing-the-future-editor-and-writer-kyeann-sayer/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/30/10-top-environmental-headlines-of-the-week/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/30/10-top-environmental-headlines-of-the-week/#comments Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:20:43 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/30/10-top-environmental-headlines-of-the-week/ The top 10 headlines in international environmental news for the week of March 24 - 30.

   1. World — Earth Hour 2008

   As the clock struck eight in the evening, people across each time zone turned off their lights on March 29. It’s activism en mass and it’s called Earth Hour. The purpose: to inspire people to take action on climate change and to demonstrate that massive and immediate action is possible.

   Earth Hour began as a city-wide voluntary blackout in Sydney, Australia, in 2007. This year, they’ve moved the date ahead two days and invited the world to join in. Even Google’s joined in. People from roughly 35 countries participated in this global event, which has become a yearly call to action. Read more: EcoWorldy, CNN.

   2. Asia — Japanese Man Crosses Pacific with Wave-Powered Boat

   A Japanese man named Kenichi Horie is attempting to be environmentally friendly by boating across the Pacific without sails and without fossil fuels.

   How does he do it? With a wave-powered boat. Wave power has been discussed quite a bit recently, with a lot of applications including traditional grid energy generation. However, Kenichi is taking things to the next level by powering his ocean going vehicle with the very thing it bobs atop. Read more: Gas 2.0.

   Read more of this story »

   ]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/30/10-top-environmental-headlines-of-the-week/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/30/urine-for-a-good-time-what/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/30/urine-for-a-good-time-what/#comments Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:00:49 +0000 Pem Charnley http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/30/urine-for-a-good-time-what/

   Amy Winehouse

   If you appreciate irony, as I’m sure you do, then you’ll understand there’s something quite beautiful about the fact that Amy Winehouse will shortly be securing a $700,000 deal to sing at the opening of a nightclub in Rotterdam, Holland.

   Irony, yes, because the club will be powered by widdle and Amy’s career is going down the pan due to a vicious circle of relapses. (Rehab? No thanks.)

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   ]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/30/urine-for-a-good-time-what/feed/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/28/bikini-season-on-the-horizon/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/28/bikini-season-on-the-horizon/#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 23:33:03 +0000 Lucille Chi http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/28/bikini-season-on-the-horizon/ I simply love this new recycled and reversible swimsuit out now by Victoria’s Secret. I’m really impressed with how the company is shaping up and evolving from their troubled past.A fresh start for them was making their catalog green a couple years ago (thanks to the amazing activists and the will inside the organization) thank goodness. The guest designer for this adorable green suit is Aaron Chang. Chang is a well known surf photographer turned swim wear designer. Aaron is creating sexy swimsuit lines from 100% recycled plastic soda bottles. He started off with organic cotton.Swimsuit themes are inspired by the natural world with sunsets, oceanscapes, botanicals, and animals, all of them brilliant and colorful.. They are also reversible so it is like getting two suits for the price of one. Such a smart, sweet and simple concept.

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   ]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/28/bikini-season-on-the-horizon/feed/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/28/viridis-luxe-hemp-sexy-and-sustainable/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/28/viridis-luxe-hemp-sexy-and-sustainable/#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:47:20 +0000 Lucille Chi http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/28/viridis-luxe-hemp-sexy-and-sustainable/ I’ve been admiring luxurious hemp fabrics and found this Virdis Luxe interview to share here :: Focused mainly on sheer silk hemp, “Viridis Luxe creative team of Hala Bahmet and Amadea West designed a collection of fashionable sweaters, skirts, wraps and tunics… Their hands-on approach to beautiful, sustainable creation involves long fiber hemp harvested by hand, along with the use of all-natural dyes and routine supervision to ensure healthy factory working conditions.’

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   ]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/28/viridis-luxe-hemp-sexy-and-sustainable/feed/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/27/welcome-to-feelgood-style/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/27/welcome-to-feelgood-style/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:07:11 +0000 Lucille Chi http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/27/welcome-to-feelgood-style/ Feelgood Style is a weblog about beauty with integrity. Our site is devoted to the future of sustainable fashion, beauty and health that balances substance with style. Style is and has always been a reflection of our dreams, imagination, and aspirations for our selves and our world. And in a time of growing consciousness about how our choices literally do change the world — style is more important than ever. Because ultimately it is not simply awareness and concern that matters — it is our inspiration and our willingness to embrace intriguing new ways of caring, living, and being that will create our future. This blog is about sharing that inspiration and dreaming with joy about that future.

   We’re about caring for the earth while caring for yourself. We’ll share the best in beauty, fashion, and style that is on the path to making a more sustainable and elegant world.

   Every season, new trends, patterns, colors, and styles, arrive, but nowadays even “new” has a new meaning. Because new inventions like solar textiles, smart wearables, and design printing, promise to make our future both stylish *and* smart, while new materials like organic fibers and new practices for their creation strive for ever greater harmony with our environment and society.

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   ]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/03/27/welcome-to-feelgood-style/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/22/melting-glaciers-mean-grain-and-water-shortages/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/22/melting-glaciers-mean-grain-and-water-shortages/#comments Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:27:46 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/22/melting-glaciers-mean-grain-and-water-shortages/ In a press conference on Thursday, Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute, shared his concern that greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere will lead to grain and water shortages in India and China as well as rising grain prices in the United States.

   “The world has never faced such a massively predictable potential reduction in grain harvest as we are now looking at with the melting of the glaciers in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau,” said Mr. Brown. “Keep in mind, this is not based off of a climate model with somewhat theoretical projections. This analysis is based on what is already happening–on a trend that’s very well established in both India and in China.”

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   ]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/22/melting-glaciers-mean-grain-and-water-shortages/feed/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/03/18/top-5-must-have-diy-crochet-tomes/ http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/03/18/top-5-must-have-diy-crochet-tomes/#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:12:03 +0000 Victoria Everman http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/03/18/top-5-must-have-diy-crochet-tomes/ Often the second banana to the world of knitting, crochet is steadily gaining more followers thanks to just how easy it is to pick up the hobby. Instead of using two needles, all you need is a ball of yarn and a crochet hook to create everything from toys and toaster covers to sweaters and stylish accessories.

   For the first book on our Top 5 Must-Have DIY Crochet Tomes list, most knitters will recognize Debbie Stoller as the editor-in-chief of Bust Magazine and the writer of all three Stitch ‘N Bitch books. Crafters were both surprised and delighted when she released Stitch ‘N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker in 2006.

   Similar to her first Stitch ‘N Bitch book about knitting, The Happy Hooker is an introduction to the history and process of crochet as well as a kick-ass pattern book. Whether you are an experienced knitter or new to fiber crafts all together, The Happy Hooker is the perfect first crochet book for everyone.

   Crochet shares some similarities with knitting. One major likeness is that the more you know, the more likely you are to make a mistake. No crocheters’ bookshelf would be complete without The Crochet Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You’ll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You’ll Ever Ask by Edie Eckman.

   With line illustration, charts, details on tools, specific techniques, standard crochet abbreviations, common crochet terms and phrases, standard body measurements and sizing, suggested sizes for accessories and household items, and yarn care symbols; this is the only book you will need when your loops and hooks don’t look right.

   Answers to detailed questions about all aspects of crochet is the feature element of the book, with chapters on gauge, circles, edges, and finishing. Thanks to Edie’s support, you will feel more confident to progress into more detailed crochet patterns and projects.

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   ]]> http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/03/18/top-5-must-have-diy-crochet-tomes/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/17/eu-agrees-a-deadline-for-climate-action/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/17/eu-agrees-a-deadline-for-climate-action/#comments Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:00:38 +0000 Mark Seall http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/17/eu-agrees-a-deadline-for-climate-action/ The fight against climate change has moved on considerably in the past year. Today, the debate is less about if, and more about what.

   But concrete action has been slow, and whilst the world continues to talk, emissions continue to rise. However, another small but significant step has been made during the past week with an agreement between EU leaders to commit to legislation setting firm targets for a 20% reduction in Co2 emissions before 2020.

   Janez Jansa , Prime Minister of Solvenia who currently holds the rotating EU presidency told reporters that EU leaders have taken a “huge step forward” with this agreement.

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   ]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/17/eu-agrees-a-deadline-for-climate-action/feed/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/10/climate-change-barometer-the-swiss-decide-on-global-warming/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/10/climate-change-barometer-the-swiss-decide-on-global-warming/#comments Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:00:49 +0000 Mark Seall http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/10/climate-change-barometer-the-swiss-decide-on-global-warming/ “People are getting fed up with a situation where everyone’s talking about doing something about climate change but no one’s actually doing anything,” says Thomas Vellacott, director of Switzerland’s WWF and the man behind a petition for a national vote on climate change.

   Under the Swiss system of direct democracy voters have a right to challenge parliamentary laws or pass constitutional amendments by collecting a minimum of 100,000 signatures to force a ballot. In just 18 months, a coalition of green organizations have collected over 150,000 signatures, enough to force a vote on increasing Switzerland’s current 20% Co2 reduction targets to a slightly more ambitious 30%. The initiative has been so popular that people have reportedly been queuing up to sign the petition.

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   ]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/03/10/climate-change-barometer-the-swiss-decide-on-global-warming/feed/