Story Source: Dvice.com

Sure, having an electric car would be great because you’d be able to skip past all those stupid gas stations that you’re loathe to stop at whenever your tank is empty, but what if you could do more? That’s just what some researchers from the University Delaware are trying to create.

They’ve developed a prototype electric car that actually feeds energy back into the grid while not in use. At night, while parked, it can send energy back to the grid, which during the day it can use energy while driving. It has settings so it doesn’t go below, say, a 50% charge at night so you don’t get screwed with a dead battery.

Even with these features, it can reach 60 miles per hour in seven seconds with a top speed of 95 miles per hour. It’s got a range of 120 miles on the highway or 150 miles in the city. Not too shabby. We’ll see if this sort of thing catches on when electric cars become more of the norm.

By Jonathan Wheatley in São Paulo
Published: November 26 2007 22:20

Rabobank, the Dutch bank that is the world’s biggest provider of finance for agriculture, is preparing to launch a carbon credits scheme to encourage replanting of forests illegally cleared in the Xingu region of the Brazilian Amazon.

Read the Entire Article at FT.com

IUCN Press Release

Six out of the world’s eight species of bears are threatened with extinction, according to recent assessments by the IUCN Bear and Polar Bear Specialist Groups. Asia and South America are revealed as the areas most in need of urgent conservation action

Gland, Switzerland, 12 November, 2007 (IUCN) – The world’s smallest species of bear, the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), has been classed as Vulnerable, while the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) remains in the Endangered category on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The sun bear’s new status has been accepted for inclusion in the 2007 IUCN Red List. The sun bear lives in mainland Southeast Asia, Sumatra and Borneo and was previously listed as Data Deficient, meaning that not enough was known about the species to give it a status on the IUCN Red List.

Rob Steinmetz, co-chair of the IUCN Bear Specialist Group’s sun bear expert team, said: “Although we still have lot to learn about the biology and ecology of this species, we are quite certain that it is in trouble. We estimate that sun bears have declined by at least 30% over the past 30 years (three bear generations), and continue to decline at this rate. 

“Deforestation has reduced both the area and quality of their habitat. Where habitat is now protected, commercial poaching remains a significant threat. We are working with governments, protected area managers, conservation groups and local people to prevent extinctions of the many small, isolated sun bear populations that remain in many parts of Southeast Asia.”

The only bear presently considered Endangered is the giant panda. That status remains unchanged despite enormous efforts in China directed towards its conservation, including the establishment of nearly 60 panda reserves, a ban on logging, and widespread reforestation programmes.

Dave Garshelis, co-chair of the IUCN Bear Specialist Group, said: “Quite a bit is now known about the ecology of giant pandas and substantial work and expense has been aimed at trying to estimate total numbers of these animals. However, these estimates are imprecise and prone to significant error. 

“Even though some people have claimed that panda populations are on the rise, we still consider them Endangered because too much uncertainty exists to justify changing their status to Vulnerable. It would be unwise to assume that in less than 10 years under the new habitat improvement policies in China that panda populations could have dramatically increased.”

Although hunting bears is illegal throughout Southern Asia, bears suffer heavy losses from poachers, who risk the small chance of being caught against lucrative gains from selling parts.  Bile from the bear’s gall bladder is used in traditional Chinese medicine and their paws are consumed as a delicacy. Additionally, bears are often killed when they prey on livestock or raid agricultural crops. Bears simply roaming near a village may be killed because they are perceived as a threat to human safety.

Dave Garshelis said: “Although we do not have any reliable population estimates for the sun bear, or any of the other Asian bears for that matter, we fear that bears in Southeast Asia are declining at a particularly rapid rate due to extensive loss of forest habitat combined with rampant poaching.” 

The Bear Specialist Group concluded a meeting in Monterrey, Mexico, on November 10 and has updated the status of the seven species of terrestrial bears.

Vulnerable species include Asiatic black bears and sloth bears, both inhabitants of Asia, and Andean bears (formerly called spectacled bears) from the Andes Mountains of South America.

Sloth bears live on the Indian subcontinent, where habitat loss has been severe. They have found sanctuary mainly in reserves set up to protect tigers. The IUCN Bear Specialist Group indicated that this species might have disappeared entirely from Bangladesh during the past decade.

Brown bears, the most widespread ursid, are not listed as threatened globally because large numbers still inhabit Russia, Canada, Alaska and some parts of Europe. Nevertheless, very small, isolated, and highly vulnerable populations exist in southern Europe and central and southern Asia. Several brown bear populations are protected under national or provincial laws.  Grizzly bears – brown bears living in interior North America – are considered Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act outside of Alaska.

In 2006, the polar bear was listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Technically a marine mammal, the polar bear is distinct from the other seven terrestrial bears and has a different specialist group.

Among the eight species of bears, only the American black bear is secure throughout its range, which encompasses Canada, the United States and Mexico. At 900,000 strong, there are more than twice as many American black bears than all the other species of bears combined. They are legally hunted in most parts of their range.

Bruce McLellan, co-chair of the IUCN Bear Specialist Group, said: “An enormous amount of effort and funding for conservation and management continue to be directed at bears in North America where their status is relatively favorable. It is unfortunate that so little is directed at bears in Asia and South America where the need is extreme. We are trying to change this situation but success is slow.”

UK Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has announced tougher legislation to help tackle climate change. He made the announcement shortly after members of parliament had called for a special climate change minister to be appointed.

The bill aims to spread carbon trading further, will create an independent committee to look, among other things, at controlling greenhouse gases other than CO₂. While some have been critical of the new legislation, saying it still doesn’t do enough, the general reception appears to be cautiously optimistic.

Read more from the BBC

According to a study by the German-based Energy Watch Group (EWG) global oil production reached its peak in 2006. The report also predicts that oil production will now fall by 7% per year, meaning it will fall by half as soon as 2030. The report’s author has described the steep fall after the peak as particularly worrying.

The report contrasts sharply with other projections, most notably those of the International Energy Agency. This is because the EWG report is based on actual production data which, according to EWG, makes it more reliable than other reports based on industry estimates of remaining oil reserves.

The authors of the report warn that a steep decline in oil production could lead to massive global unrest. They predict that falling supplies of fossil fuels will trigger a structural change to the world’s economic system, which will influence almost all aspects of human life.

Read more from The Guardian

by Heather O’Neill, CNN

ILULISSAT, Greenland (CNN) — From the air, Greenland’s ice sheet, the second largest on Earth, appears to be perfectly still.

But below the surface, the ice sheet is in constant motion, as ice built up in the interior pushes toward the coast in the form of massive glaciers. During warmer months, ice from these glaciers melts into the ocean.

It’s an age-old process that scientists say has speeded up in recent decades because of global warming.

The fear is that melting ice from Greenland and other Arctic areas could cause sea levels to rise enough to flood low-lying cities, such as Shanghai, China, and New York City, displacing millions of people in the process.

article highlights:

* Greenland’s ice melt area increased 30% in 30 years, one scientist says
* The island is now losing more ice each year than it gains from new snow
* This melting ice is causing sea levels to rise around the world
* Scientists fear low-lying areas could be flooded if seas continue to rise

Read the entire article at CNN

PARIS, France (AP) — Stamping camembert with a “carbon footprint” rating. Charging Parisians for the empty Bordeaux bottles they discard. Banning high speeds through the pasture-lined highways of the Loire Valley.

France is trying to clean up its act, readying measures this week aimed at reversing its image as environmental laggard and making it a pioneer in the fight against global warming and other threats to the Earth’s well-being.

Yet environmental groups fear the measures, to be finalized at a conference Wednesday and Thursday, will be too watered down to make a difference in France’s carbon emissions and have little impact on worldwide efforts to reduce the pollution that is warming the planet.

Read more at CNN

A pilot project in Costa Rica has been converting sawdust and other residues from wood industries into wood pellets, which can be used as an energy source and replace fossil fuels.

The project actually eliminates greenhouse gas emissions in two ways. It reduces fossil fuel consumption, and it keeps the wood residues from decaying on their own. When the residues do decay on their own they release methane, a more agressive greenhouse gas than CO₂.

The project came about through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol. CDM schemes give carbon credits to those who invest in them, whether they are public or private entities, and are part of the global trade in carbon credits.

Read more from the FAO here

The shrinking of the arctic icecap appears to be leading to a mass migration of walruses. Thousands of them have appeared on the northwest coast of Alaska. Normally the walruses are mainly found on the arctic ice in summer and autumn.

This year however the ice has retreated quickly and left the shallow seas over the continental shelf. Outside of this area the walruses’ nearly 200 (over 600 feet) diving range doesn’t suffice to allow them to feed sufficiently.

However it also remains to be seen whether the coastal waters they’ve now moved to will offer walruses sufficient nutrition. And their new coastal habitat brings with it new risks for young to be killed in stampedes.

Read more from the International Herald Tribune

WWF Press Release

Tripura, India – A new method to grow rice could save hundreds of billions of cubic metres of water while increasing food security, according to a study by WWF published today.

With a focus on India – a country which faces a major water crisis, yet has the world’s largest rice cultivated area – the study found that the system of rice intensification (SRI) method has helped increase yields by over 30% — four to five tonnes per hectare instead of three tonnes per hectare, while using 40% less water than conventional methods.

The system is based on eight principles which are different to conventional rice cultivation. They include developing nutrient-rich and un-flooded nurseries instead of flooded ones; ensuring wider spacing between rice seedlings; preferring composts or manure to synthetic fertilizers; and managing water carefully to avoid that the plants’ roots are not saturated.

The method was initially developed in the 1980s in Madagascar and has been demonstrated to be effective in 28 countries.

“Although the system of rice intensification has shown its advantages, the scale of its use leaves much to be desired,” said Dr Biksham Gujja, Senior Policy Adviser at WWF International.

“It is time to start large-scale programmes to support a method that could make a lasting global impact with far-reaching benefits to people and nature.”

The report suggests that major rice-producing countries — such as India, China and Indonesia — convert at least 25% of their current rice cultivation to the new system by 2025. This would not only massively reduce the use of water but also help ensure food security. In addition, this will reduce significant amount of methane emissions. SRI fields do not emit methane as is the case with the more conventional system of growing rice.

For example, if the SRI method was applied to 20 million hectares of land under rice cultivation in India, the country could meet its food grain objectives of 220 million tonnes of grain by 2012 instead of 2050.

Authorities in the Indian state of Tripura have already committed to move in that direction.

“Our farmers proved that the system of rice intensification improves productivity and we will convert at least 40% of our rice cultivation using this method over the next five years,” said Manik Sarkar, Chief Minister of Tripura State.

“We urge this as a model for rice cultivation elsewhere as it represents one hope for the water crisis affecting so many billions of people.”

Demand for a water-intensive crop such as rice is expected to increase by 38% by 2040, deepening the water crisis during the same time. However, less than 6% of rice is traded internationally and savings in water have potential for mitigating domestic water conflicts, especially in poor, rural areas where water is scarce.

Already 1.2 billion people have no access to adequate water for drinking and hygiene.

WWF is focusing on sustainable agriculture efforts for cotton, sugar and rice, some of the most consuming crops for which alternative techniques can result in a strong yield and water savings.

Submitted by: John Lambert (FG Staff Journalist)

Newswise.com reported that plastic pipes can affect the odor and taste on the water we drink. At the 234th meeting of the American Chemical Society, Andrea Dietrich, Ph.D. reported her findings that plastic pipes can affect the taste and smell to water. Dietrich reported that her panel stated the water had a “fruity plastic” taste. Dietrich noted, “Although water is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic chemicals, most people expect their drinking water to have little or no flavor.”

Dietrich used two methods to test for odors. She had a “Sensory Panel” smell the water that has been sitting in plastic pipes. The panelists described the water of having a “waxy plastic citrus” or “burning plastic” odors. Second, Dietrich had the water tested chemically for metals and other organic materials.

Dietrich did report to the ACS that various styles of plastic piping had different effects. “We found that cPVC has a low odor potential and it doesn’t seem to release many organic chemicals,” Dietrich said. “HPDE actually had the highest odor production, although it didn’t release very many organic materials. The PEX-b pipe had a moderate amount of odors and also a moderate amount of organic chemicals that were released into the air. PEX-a had fewer odors and organics release than the PEX-b pipe.”

When asked about any potential heath affect, Dietrich just answered that is still under investigation and she doesn’t have any answers at this point.

More of this story can be found from Newswise.com

The European Union has banned bluefin tuna fishing in the Mediterranean  by its memberstates for the rest of 2007. The year’s permitted catch quota for the threatened fish species has already been reached. The EU hopes to prevent overfishing and underreporting by moving to a complete ban right away.

In recent years overfishing and underreporting have been two of the main causes of bluefin tuna stocks dwindling in the Mediterranean. Because of this the species is now in danger of collapse.

Read more on this story from the BBC

IUCN Press Release

20 September 2007

As the rate of biodiversity loss accelerates worldwide, civil society organizations and governments are joining forces to fight the global extinction crisis.  On September 7 in Beijing, twenty Chinese and international organizations signed the Countdown 2010 declaration, committing themselves to additional efforts to reduce biodiversity loss by the year 2010.

According to the 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, China has a “particularly large number” of species in danger of extinction.  China is also one of the world’s biologically richest countries.  At the Countdown 2010 Launch, organizations ranging from local Chinese NGOs to international organizations active in China to government-affiliated institutions joined together to declare their commitment to saving biodiversity in China.  With this decision, they honor the global 2010 biodiversity target, a commitment made by state representatives at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 to significantly reduce biodiversity loss by 2010.

Countdown 2010 is a network of active partners working together towards the 2010 biodiversity target.  Each partner commits to additional efforts to tackle the causes of biodiversity loss. The secretariat – hosted by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) – facilitates and encourages action, promotes the importance of the 2010 biodiversity target and assesses progress towards 2010.  Countdown 2010 now has hubs in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America, and the establishment of a Countdown 2010 hub in China has been spearheaded by the IUCN China Program.
“We’re excited to be bringing Countdown 2010 to China, one of the world’s greatest storehouses of biodiversity,” said Wiebke Herding, of the Countdown 2010 secretariat.  “Countdown 2010 is starting with an impressive array of organizations here.  I’m sure that by 2010 we’ll see the positive impact of this network on China’s biodiversity.”

Prior to the Launch, a consultation was held with key partners to discuss how best to promote the 2010 biodiversity target in China. IUCN Chief Scientist Jeffrey A. McNeely led discussion on monitoring progress towards the 2010 biodiversity target, while others discussed communications challenges, civil society capacity needs, and the necessity of effective information exchange, offering concrete suggestions for potential actions to be taken by Countdown 2010 and partners.

At the Launch ceremony, McNeely underscored the global importance of China’s unique natural heritage, calling on the audience to consider a number of potential responses to the challenge of conserving this natural heritage on the road to 2010.  The Countdown 2010 in China website, a bilingual platform for sharing information on China’s biodiversity and partners’ conservation efforts, was also made public.

A Northwest passage through the artic, running from the Atlantic along the North American north-coast to the pacific, has long been sought as a quick traderoute between Europe and Asia. Historically the route has always been impassable, but satellite images taken by the European Space Agency show that with the Arctic icecap at a record low a fully navigable route now exists.

The Northeast passage, a similar route along the Russian arctic coast, remains closed for now, but experts say it may be open much sooner than expected. In fact the ESA says that the Arctic ice may be gone altogether by 2040.

Read more from Yahoo! News

The recovery of the eastern Pacific gray whale population probably isn’t as successful as it was thought to be. Since the end of commercial whale hunting the population has risen to 20,000 whales.

When scientists observed some whales arriving at their breeding grounds malnourished they first thought this meant the population had risen to its pre-hunting numbers. The malnourishment serving as an indicator that the number of whales was as high as the ecosystem could sustain.

But new genetic research suggests that there were more whales pre-hunting than there are now. While malnourishment is still a sign that the ecosystem can’t support a larger population scientists now believe this is because climate change may be altering the whales’ food supply.

Of the three original grey whale populations, Atlantic, eastern Pacific and Western Pacific, only the eastern Pacific stock could be called numerous today. The Atlantic stock has been extinct for centuries while the western Pacific stock may down to as few as 120 animals.

Some hunting quotas exist for the easter Pacific gray whales, given to Russian and Native American tribes. The fact that the population isn’t as robust as previously thought may lead to lower quotas in future.

Read more from the BBC

WWF press release

12 Sep 2007

Nairobi, Kenya / Gland, Switzerland – WWF is working closely with UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, to prevent encroachment into the World Heritage-listed Virunga National Park by displaced people after several weeks of civil unrest in the area, and to help them meet the huge demand in fuelwood.

About 35,000 people have fled the heavily armed conflict near Sake in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo over the past week, according to the UN.

People fleeing the fighting in Sake, west of Goma, the largest town in the region, have spontaneously set up three camps for internally displaced people in Mugunga, a small town next to Virunga National Park. However, one of them – the Lac Vert Camp – is partly located within the park.

“With so many internally displaced people near Goma looking for food, shelter and fuelwood, we are facing a very difficult situation,” said Marc Languy of WWF’s Eastern Africa Regional Programme Office.

“One of the challenges is to avert a fuelwood crisis that would put the park’s forest under pressure while ensuring the displaced people have all the necessary commodities they need.”

WWF is working closely with UNHCR and ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature) to find solutions to the problem, under a programme funded by the European Union.

While collection of wood within the park is being regulated to meet the immediate demand, several alternatives have already been identified, such as sourcing of wood from nearby plantations. Most of them are located among the 10 million trees WWF has planted in the past 20 years around Virunga National Park.

“With an average of 12kg of wood per family per day, we are looking at about 50 tonnes of wood to be collected every day; it is a real challenge for both humanitarian and conservation NGOs,” explained Languy.

During meetings with UNHCR, WWF also provided maps showing the park’s boundaries so that the most suitable areas for settlements can be identified.

While recent threats to mountain gorillas — nine of them have been killed in the past few months — seem to be coming slowly under control, habitat destruction, and in particular deforestation, remains the most important concern, as it has far-reaching and long-lasting effects on the park’s biodiversity.

“We don’t want history to repeat itself, when in 1994-1995, in the face of another humanitarian disaster, hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing Rwanda invaded Virunga National Park and destroyed the forest. It still has not recovered,” added Languy.

UNHCR is urging the displaced people to move from the Lac Vert Camp to a new camp that could accommodate up to 5,000 families. This is an encouraging sign that will help reduce the damage to the park, according to WWF.

However, WWF is concerned that some other humanitarian NGOs are discouraging people to move from the problematic camp to the new one set up by UNHCR. WWF urges these NGOs to respect national and international law and not to build any infrastructure within the protected area.

Adaptation strategies needed to build resilience

10 September 2007, Rome – Climate change is emerging as one of the main challenges humankind will have to face for many years to come. It could become a major threat to world food security, as it has a strong impact on food production, access and distribution.

Abnormal changes in air temperature and rainfall and the increasing frequency and intensity of drought and floods have long-term implications for the viability and productivity of world agro-ecosystems.

This was the main message delivered today by Alexander Müller, FAO Assistant Director General, to over 140 world experts convened in Rome for a workshop on “Adaptation Planning and Strategies.” While continuing to deal with the causes of climate change — by reducing emissions and increasing greenhouse gas sinks — it is crucial, Müller said, to also take immediate action to cope with its effects. Ways must be found to build up peoples’ resilience as well as that of food production systems, he added.

Read the full story from the FAO

Life around volcanic deep-sea vents thrives in an environment radically different from any other. Yet even these enclaves of life in the deep may not be immune to the effects of climate change. But even life that survives the great pressure, near total darkness and blazing temperatures of the deep-sea vents turns out to be linked to the rest of the ecosystem.

British research has found that some of the creatures around the deep-sea vents rely on food that drifts down from the sea surface level. Therefore climate change at the surface could have a knock on effect on life around the vents.

Read more from the BBC

Leaders for the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) group of Pacific Rim countries reached an agreement on Saturday on a long-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. All 21 APEC countries together are responsible for some 60% of all greenhouse gas emissions. But the group didn’t set any binding targets for reductions.

A target of reducing energy use 25% per dollar of gross domestic product by 2030 was mentioned, but only as a non-binding goal. The declaration also includes a call to increase forest cover in the region by 2020.

According to the New York Times the developing APEC nations, led by India and China, were the main opponents of any binding targets. Because of the lack of firm targets the declaration has come in for criticism from environmental organizations.

Read more from the BBC or the New York Times (free registration may be required)

A full list of APEC member countries is available from Wikipedia here

Even though the EU is urging people to switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs(CFLs) it will likely retain import tariffs on CFLs made in China for as much as another year. Cost is often cited as a major reason for people to keep using old incandescent light bulbs, and the tariffs can add up to 66% to the price of CFLs.

Continuation of the tariffs has been proposed by the European Commission and will have to gain a majority backing of EU member states. The Commission has defended the the tariffs as needed to give European manufacturers time to adjust, even though only one of Europe’s four major producers of CFLs has called for the tariffs to be extended.

Read more from the BBC