By Zachary Shahan •
September 3, 2009
The United Nations (UN) released a report on September 1 that gives their strongest criticism of climate change funding to date. They say that rich, developed nations really need to step it up in the battle to control and reduce climate change. They say that funding should be about 27 times higher than it currently is ($500-600 billion compared to $21 billion annually).
The UN states that it does not “shy away… from insisting that the advanced countries will have to deliver resources and leadership on a much larger scale than has been the case to date.” This is a bold statement and a humungous lead-in to the Copenhagen climate conference in December.
By Michael Ricciardi •
August 10, 2009
The legendary glaciers of the Himalayan and Hindu Kush mountain ranges have been losing volume at an increasing rate over the past twenty to thirty years. And over this same time period, much data has piled up confirming the role of increased CO2 emissions in global warming trends. Given this, it would be “natural” to assume that CO2-induced warming was also to blame for the glacial melting. But it turns out that much stronger evidence points to the [...]
This population growth, on the surface, would seem to be a matter of great concern. To be sure, it is indeed a concern in those countries as they seek to insure the survival needs of more and more people. But, as population and economic researchers have shown, population size alone is not the real problem; the real problem is the rate of consumption per capita. Put in this light, we immediately see a dramatic difference between first and third world [...]
By Mridul Chadha •
July 1, 2009
Mot of the developing countries have refused to accept emission reduction goals but with the proposed financial help from developed nations they can certainly set renewable energy targets for themselves.
By Mridul Chadha •
May 7, 2009
With mounting pressure from US and promise of assistance by EU, China has indicated that it is ready to cooperate on an international deal to reduce carbon emissions.
By Jim Witkin •
November 5, 2008
How do you create effective organizations focused on sustainable social impact? For those who believe in combining social mission with the efficiency of a market-based approach, the answer is: “Social Enterprise.”
By John-Paul Maxfield •
October 12, 2008
As the demand for biofuels increases, so too will food prices around the world. The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s recent report notes that “the historic linkages between agriculture and the energy sector are becoming stronger and are changing in character. Biofuel demand will continue to exercise upward pressure on agricultural prices for considerable time to come.” Biofuel production based on agricultural commodities increased more than threefold from 2000 to 2007, and now covers nearly two percent of the world’s consumption of transport fuels.
By Maria Surma Manka •
October 31, 2007
Renewable energy is big, big, big: Josh just wrote about the world’s largest wind farm possibly going up in South Dakota (yahoo!), California could see the world’s largest solar power plant, and now Singapore is in the foray with landing the largest solar manufacturing facility the world’s ever seen.
A Norwegian company called Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) will build the complex, which will be completed in different stages to incorporate wafer,
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By Elizabeth Redmond •
October 19, 2007
Last night, Thursday, October 18th, at the National Design Awards Gala in New York City was the announcement of the Peoples Design Awards. As part of National Design Week, Copper-Hewitt supports an annual competition where people nominate great design.
Voting has been open to the public online since mid September. As it is too late to cast your vote, it isn’t too late to congratulate the winner and find
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By Gavin Hudson •
October 16, 2007
Warning: the online "edutainment" game at www.freerice.com is addictive. Side effects include the ability to sound smarter, increased levels of altruism and good karma, and the possibility of warm tingly feelings in your stomach.
What’s unique about the vocabulary-building game at Freerice.com — and the reason we think you should give it a gander — is that as you play you’re donating rice to feed hungry people through international aid agencies. A sister site
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By Alicia Erickson •
October 11, 2007
Several contests launched this month in honor of Fair Trade month. From free chocolate to trips, there’s a chance for everyone to win.
Divine, a delicious Fair Trade chocolate company, has a tasty deal for all the top chefs out there. They’re looking for recipes that have "heaps of creativity, Divine appeal, and powerful statements about why contestants are hungry to change the world through Fair Trade." The sweetest
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