Wind Power Solutions » environment

Eco-toilets help save hippos and birds in Kenya

Jeremy Hance — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:09:00 +0000

It may appear unintuitive that special toilets could benefit hippos and other wetland species, but the Center for Rural Empowerment and the Environment (CREE) has proven the unique benefits of new toilets in the Dunga Wetlands on Lake Victoria's Kenyan side. By building ecologically-sanitary (eco-san) toilets, CREE has managed to alleviate some of the conflict that has cropped up between hippos and humans for space.

Environment: Climate change aid up to USD 22.9 billion in 2010, says OECD’s Gurría

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:00:01 +0000

New data show that the member countries of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) allocated up to USD 22.9 billion, or 15% of total official development assistance (ODA), to climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries in 2010.

Environment: Transforming the energy sector to deliver greener growth

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:00:10 +0000

Rising global energy demand and the need to drastically cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions require a transformation in the way we produce, deliver and consume energy, according to a new joint report from the OECD and IEA.

Environment: Political courage in Durban needed to combat climate change, says OECD’s Gurría

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:00:17 +0000

According to OECD’s latest analysis, global greenhouse gas emissions are projected to double in the next 40 years. This would result in a 3-6 degree increase of the average global temperature by the end of the century unless governments take decisive action, says OECD Secretary-General.

Environment: The Slovak Republic should integrate environment into its economic development

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:01:10 +0000

As the Slovak Republic strives to increase productivity and competitiveness in the recovery from the financial crisis, the OECD Environmental Performance Review of the Slovak Republic recommends that it strengthen environmental policies.

Environment: OECD supports Israeli initiative to develop a green growth plan

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:00:39 +0000

In recent years Israel has strengthened its environmental policies and now should develop a green growth plan that combines environmental, economic and social policies.

The hidden costs of gold: mercury poisoning blights mining communities

Jody Clarke — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:30:00 +0000

The high price of gold has sent thousands into the informal mining sector and exposed workers and the environment to the devastating effects of mercury poisoning. Trembling and irritable, at times psychotic, the hat makers of 19th  century England were know to be a bit odd, at best. Separating fur from animal skins, they washed them in a compound  called mercury nitrate a process that released vapors into steaming  air already choked with fumes.

The Use of Whiskers on Mammals

Andy Soos, ENN — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:14:00 +0000

Whiskers, are specialized hairs usually employed for tactile sensation. Research from the University of Sheffield comparing rats and mice with their distance relatives the marsupial, suggests that moveable whiskers were an important milestone in the evolution of mammals from reptiles. Using high-speed digital video recording and automatic tracking, the research team, which was led by Professor Tony Prescott from the University´s Department of Psychology, have shed new light on how rodents such as mice and rats move their whiskers back-and-forth at high speed and in varying ways to actively sense the environment around them in a behavior known as whisking. Whisking allows mice or rats to accurately determine the position, shape and texture of objects, make rapid and accurate decisions about objects, and then use the information to build environmental maps.

Indigenous technicians scour Amazonia to help researchers track wildlife populations

Rhett Butler — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:26:00 +0000

Scientists only have so many hands and eyes. That’s why ecologists enlisted hundreds of Makushi and Wapishana villagers to record the sights and signs of animals across 48,000 square kilometers of the Amazon basin near the Brazil-Guyana border. In the ongoing project, scientists seek to describe the interactions between indigenous peoples, their environment and the native fauna.

Hydroelectric dam still a greenhouse gas source after 10 years

Jeremy Hance — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:14:00 +0000

Hydroelectric power is often promoted as green energy, yet dams, especially in the tropics, can be significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. When built, reservoirs trap vegetation, which, as it rots, emits both methane and carbon into the atmosphere. A new study in Science of the Total Environment found that a dam in Lao PDR remained a significant source of greenhouse gas emission even a decade after construction.

NASA snaps tens of millions of fires on Earth in decade-long study

Click Green Staff — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:25:00 +0000

NASA has released a series of new satellite images that show tens of millions of fires detected worldwide from space since 2002. The US space agency maintains a comprehensive research program using satellites, aircraft and ground resources to observe and analyze fires around the world. The research helps scientists understand how fire affects our environment on local, regional and global scales.

ENVIRONMENT: The Forest for the Trees

NYT > Environment — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:42:07 +0000

In Arizona, trees are cut down to save forests from massive fires and to combat climate change.

A Pipeline Divides Along Old Lines: Jobs Versus the Environment

By KIRK JOHNSON and DAN FROSCH — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:14:24 +0000

Hearings over a $7 billion Canadian oil pipeline have pitched supporters who crave jobs against critics who fear a spill would be an environmental disaster.

Indonesian president vows to dedicate remainder of term to protecting rainforests

Rhett Butler — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:54:00 +0000

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday vowed to dedicate the last three years of his presidency to 'deliver enduring results that will sustain and enhance the environment and forests of Indonesia', reports the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), which hosted his speech. President Yudhoyono emphasized the importance of forests in mitigating climate change, safeguarding biodiversity, and helping alleviate poverty. He said conserving and sustainably managing Indonesia's forests is not necessarily at odds with growing the economy.

Dot Earth Blog: A Passing: Wangari Maathai

By ANDREW C. REVKIN — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:52:34 +0000

The passing of an African campaigner for a thriving environment and women.

Europe should lift duty on RSPO-certified palm oil to encourage use, says Dutch group

Rhett Butler — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:32:00 +0000

To encourage uptake of palm oil that is less damaging to the environment, the European Union (EU) should lift the import duty on palm oil certified under Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), said a Dutch industry group.

From Red to Green? How the Financial Credit Crunch Could Bankrupt the Environment – a book review

Rhett Butler — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:16:00 +0000

Paul Donovan and Julie Hudson, CFA argue in From Red to Green? How the Financial Credit Crunch Could Bankrupt the Environment that twin credit crunches – both environment and financial – have been underway for some time. With chapters on food, water, energy, infrastructure, housing, consumer durables, health, education, work and leisure accompanied by a thorough economic analysis regarding both credit and environmental debts driving supply and demand of these goods and services, the authors discuss at length how global economics may be impacted in an environmentally constrained future.

Post-Irene Cleanup May Damage Environment

Brian Mann, NPR Topics: Environment — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:28:00 +0000

Scientists are beginning to get a picture of the environmental impact of Tropical Storm Irene, which ripped through some of the East Coast's most pristine rivers, triggering hundreds of oil, chemical and sewage spills. Now, some environmental groups worry that the cleanup could cause even more harm.

Madagascar may authorize exports of illegally-logged rosewood

Rhett Butler — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:44:00 +0000

A meeting scheduled for August 25th between rosewood traders, the Ministry of Forest and Environment, and other government officials may determine the fate of tens of millions of dollars' worth of rosewood illegally logged from Madagascar's rainforests parks.

Madagascar may authorize exports of illegally-logged rosewood

Rhett Butler — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:18:00 +0000