| Ocean acidification in the Arctic: What are the consequences of carbon dioxide increase on marine ecosystems? Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions not only lead to global warming, but also cause another, less well-known but equally disconcerting environmental change: ocean acidification. A group of 35 researchers of the EU-funded EPOCA project have just started the first major CO2 perturbation experiment in the Arctic Ocean. ScienceDaily, Friday 4 June 2010 |
| Bio-energy can replace petroleum in Kenya Think about this: producing 1300 million cubic metres of methane annually from agriculture waste in Kenya. A third of such agriculture residue could be fermented directly. Kenya would have enough to replace the fossil fuels which it now imports.
Wageningen UR, Thursday 3 June 2010 |
| Commission sends final warning to UK over levels of fine particle pollution The European Commission is pursuing legal action against the UK for failing to comply with EU air quality standards for dangerous airborne particles known as PM10. These particles emitted mainly by industry, traffic and domestic heating, may have negative effects on health leading to asthma, cardiovascular problems, lung cancer and premature death. European Commission, Thursday 3 June 2010 |
| Twelve member states warned over missing river basin plans The European Commission is sending a first warning to twelve Member States for failing to submit their plans for managing Europe's river basins, as required by EU water legislation. The river basin plans are the cornerstone of the Water Framework Directive and essential for achieving the EU's objective of 'good status' for European waters by 2015. European Commission, Thursday 3 June 2010 |
| EU greenhouse gas emissions: more than half way to the '20 % target by 2020' The European Union's greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory report, compiled by the European Environment Agency (EEA), shows that emissions have not only continued their downward trend in 2008, but have also picked up pace. The EU-27's emissions stood 11.3 % below their 1990 levels, while EU-15 achieved a reduction of 6.9 % compared to Kyoto base-year levels. European Environment Agency , Wednesday 2 June 2010 |
| Biomass Sweden’s primary energy source Biomass energy has now surpassed oil to become Sweden’s number one source for energy generation. Biomass now generates 32 per cent of all energy in Sweden, causing increased competition for pulpwood, WRQ reports in its latest market update. CarbonPositive, Sunday 30 May 2010 |
| Discovery simplifies view of atmospheric aerosols, a factor in climate change The large number of tiny organic aerosols floating in the atmosphere, emitted from tailpipes and trees alike, share enough common characteristics as a group that scientists can generalize their makeup and how they change in the atmosphere. ScienceDaily.com, Wednesday 26 May 2010 |
| Better way to calculate greenhouse gas value of ecosystems Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a new, more accurate method of calculating the change in greenhouse gas emissions that results from changes in land use. The new approach takes into account many factors not included in previous methods, the researchers report.
ScienceDaily.com, Wednesday 26 May 2010 |
| A round-up of the Energy Efficiency Package Climate change and energy security are high on the European agenda. Fluctuating oil prices, uncertain energy supplies and fears of global warming have reinforced the fact that secure and safe supplies of energy can no longer be taken for granted. This spring MEPs backed 3 proposals aimed at making energy use more efficiently. European Parlaiment, Tuesday 25 May 2010 |
| Ocean stored significant warming over last 16 years The upper layer of the world’s ocean has warmed since 1993, indicating a strong climate change signal, according to a new study. The energy stored is enough to power nearly 500 100-watt light bulbs per each of the roughly 6.7 billion people on the planet. NOAA, Wednesday 19 May 2010 |