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Liberal carbon-tax plan splits NDP, Greens

Globe and Mail, May 9, 2008: A Liberal green plan that would levy taxes on carbon use while offering a matching cut on income taxes split the political parties yesterday, setting up a potential electoral battle for Canada's left-wing vote.

Arctic regions find common ground

Nunatsiaq News, May 9, 2008: When Warren Matumeak, an Iñupiat elder from Barrow, Alaska, took his first step out the airplane door on April 8, cheers rang out inside the Clyde River airport. The cheers celebrated the fact that 80-year old Matumeak, despite his limited mobility, had made the long trip to Clyde River from Barrow. The welcome also celebrated the reunion of a circumpolar research team – of which Matumeak is a member – who were meeting in Clyde River to start several weeks of work together.

Northern BC towns gang up on carbon tax

Globe and Mail, May 9, 2008: Dozens of northern BC communities challenged Premier Gordon Campbell's groundbreaking carbon tax yesterday by backing a resolution that says the levy is unfair to northerners.

SaskPower nuclear reactor report stirs up northern debate

CBC News, May 9, 2008: People in northern Saskatchewan are of two minds about a possible nuclear power station in their region. A consultant's report prepared for SaskPower and obtained by CBC earlier this week named Lac La Loche as one of two regions where a nuclear reactor might be located.

Canadian company nixes Idaho for ethanol plant, picks Saskatchewan

Associated Press, May 9, 2008: A Canadian biotechnology company has decided to build a cellulosic ethanol plant in Saskatchewan, rather than southeast Idaho.

Iceberg dead ahead!

Globe and Mail, May 9, 2008: A surge in the number of icebergs off Newfoundland has imperilled marine traffic and added work for the flight crews who monitor offshore. About 600 icebergs are currently on the Grand Banks, roughly double the total all last year, according to the US Coast Guard. Two years ago, the area had virtually none.

Go easy on biofuels until more clarity – World Bank

Reuters, May 9, 2008: A senior World Bank official said on Thursday that countries should not greatly increase biofuels production until there is more clarity about how much they have contributed to the global food price crisis.

For sale: machine to make home-made ethanol

Reuters, May 9, 2008: A new company hopes drivers will kick the oil habit by brewing ethanol at home that won't spike food prices. E-Fuel Corp unveiled on Thursday the "MicroFueler" touting it as the world's first machine that allows homeowners to make their own ethanol and pump the brew directly into their cars.

Problems plague Canada's emissions trading plans

Reuters, May 8, 2008: Just as Canada is set to launch a domestic carbon emissions trading scheme in a bid to curb its rising greenhouse gas emissions, a number of issues have surfaced, casting doubt on the country's plans.

Military scientists prepare for Arctic surveillance study

CBC News, May 8, 2008: Canadian defence scientists will be testing some surveillance technology in the High Arctic this year as part of a major study to help affirm Arctic sovereignty and security.

High fuel prices could slash US emissions

New Scientist, May 8, 2008: High gasoline prices could lead to a dramatic saving in US greenhouse-gas emissions. That's the conclusion of economists in the US, who suggest high fuel prices are turning consumers off SUVs and onto smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Biofuels backlash in US as food costs hit home

Agence France Presse, May 8, 2008: A biofuels backlash has erupted in major ethanol producer the United States, as lawmakers and experts debate the merits of converting food to fuel to support America's age-old love affair with the automobile.

Europe grapples over biofuels

Time Magazine, May 8, 2008: Like much of the rest of the world, Europe has invested heaps of money and even more hope in the promise of biofuels to provide secure supplies of environmentally friendly energy. But now rising food prices, trade tensions and social unrest are prompting a rethink of the EU's ambitious hopes for running its cars and trucks on biofuel.

China says Beijing Olympics "basically" carbon neutral

Reuters, May 8, 2008: This summer's Beijing Olympics will be "basically" carbon neutral thanks to a series of energy saving measures such as the use of solar power and an afforestation program, a senior official said on Thursday.

Canada facing Kyoto probe over greenhouse gases

Reuters, May 8, 2008: Canada will be investigated on suspicion of violating rules for registering greenhouse gases that are the mainstay of a UN-led fight against global warming, official documents show.

Dion touts carbon tax on fuels, billions in tax cuts

Globe and Mail, May 8, 2008: Stéphane Dion is poised to unveil a carbon-tax scheme and attempt to neutralize any political damage by offering corresponding personal income tax cuts of between $10-billion and $13-billion to working Canadians, senior Liberal sources say.

Fury over 'unethical' warming website

New Zealand Herald, May 8, 2008: New Zealand climate scientists are upset their names have been used by an American organisation wanting to challenge the increasingly accepted view that climate change is human induced.

Green groups urge upholding US tar sands fuel ban

Globe and Mail, May 8, 2008: A who's who of major US and Canadian environmental organizations is urging the US Senate to keep in place a rule banning the United States government from buying fuel from Alberta's tar sands on the grounds that it is too environmentally tainted.

Australia's koalas at risk from climate change

Associated Press, May 7, 2008: Koalas are threatened by the rising level of carbon dioxide pollution in the atmosphere because it saps nutrients from the eucalyptus leaves they feed on, a researcher said Wednesday.

Canada rapped over Kyoto registry

Agence France Presse, May 7, 2008: Canada's opposition on Wednesday accused the government of sabotaging its participation in the Kyoto Protocol, following a UN compliance committee's probing of its implementation in this country.

Poll suggests clear majority of Canadians support carbon tax

Canadian Press, May 7, 2008: A new poll suggests most Canadians support the idea of a carbon tax – but an overwhelming majority favour the broader principle of using the tax system to punish or reward environmental behaviour.

Global warming could help Greenland to independence

The Times, May 7, 2008: A new national anthem may soon be needed. Greenland has taken its first tentative steps towards becoming an independent state. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Danish Prime Minister, travelled to Greenland – which has been part of Denmark since 1721 – to present a report that sets out the road to full sovereignty.

Melting glaciers release toxic chemical cocktail

New Scientist, May 7, 2008: Decades after most countries stopped spraying DDT, frozen stores of the insecticide are now trickling out of melting Antarctic glaciers. The change means Adélie penguins have recently been exposed to the chemical, according to a new study.

Greed behind food price rises – development bank head

Reuters, May 7, 2008: The food price crisis is caused largely by greed and speculation rather than food shortages, the head of Southern Africa's development bank said on Tuesday.

Petrify, liquefy: new ways to bury greenhouse gas

Reuters, May 7, 2008: Turn greenhouse gases to stone? Transform them into a treacle-like liquid deep under the seabed? The ideas may sound like far-fetched schemes from an alchemist's notebook but scientists are pursuing them as many countries prepare to bury captured greenhouse gases in coming years as part of the fight against global warming.

Nunavut centres prepare for busy season of Arctic research

CBC News, May 6, 2008: This year is set to become one of the busiest years for Arctic research, as more than 1,000 researchers from around the world plan to converge upon Canada's North to carry out International Polar Year research.

Quebec spurs rush in wind power

Globe and Mail, May 6, 2008: Quebec, long a world leader in the generation of hydroelectric power, is now set to become one of the continent's biggest wind power developers. Premier Jean Charest yesterday approved 15 bids for $5.5-billion in projects that would provide 2,004 megawatts by 2015, calling the development "the largest tender for wind-powered energy ever awarded in a single block in North America."

Biofuels answer to climate change: UN, EU

Agence France Presse, May 6, 2008: Biofuels must be developed more selectively to prevent competition with food-related crops, but they are still an answer to climate change, United Nations and European Union officials said on Tuesday.

Airline emissions 'far higher than previous estimates'

The Independent, May 6, 2008: The aviation industry's failure to curb its soaring carbon emissions could lead to the "worst case scenario" for climate change, as envisaged by the United Nations.

Jeffrey Sachs explains how to save the world

The Telegraph, May 6, 2008: Never has the challenge of saving the world felt as simple as it does right now. Sitting on the sofa in front of me, Jeffrey Sachs is leaning back, gingerly sipping his coffee and sweeping away some of the most intractable problems facing our planet with the barest waft of his palm.

Climate link with killer cyclones spurs fierce scientific debate

Agence France Presse, May 6, 2008: Climate scientists have begun to debate whether global warming is producing more powerful storms, after Nargis smashed into Myanmar – brutally changing gear from a Category One to a Category Four cyclone just before it made landfall.

Alberta puts $55 million into pine beetle fight

Reuters, May 5, 2008: Alberta will spend $55 million this year to stem the spread of pine beetles, which have ravaged forests in neighboring British Columbia, the Alberta government said on Monday.

Environmentalists divided about burying CO2

Reuters, May 5, 2008: Greenpeace and more than 100 other environmental groups denounced projects for burying industrial greenhouse gases on Monday, exposing splits in the green movement about whether such schemes can slow global warming.

Climate change could hit tropical wildlife hardest

Reuters, May 5, 2008: Polar bears may have it relatively easy. It's the tropical creatures that could really struggle if the climate warms even a few degrees in places that are already hot, scientists reported on Monday.

Climate change warms Arctic, cools Antarctica

Reuters, May 5, 2008: The Arctic and Antarctica are poles apart when it comes to the effects of human-fuelled climate change, scientists said on Friday: in the north, it is melting sea ice, but in the south, it powers winds that chill things down.

Small ethanol plants key to efficiency – Canada

Reuters, May 5, 2008: Building more and smaller ethanol plants could help overcome concerns that production of the biofuel consumes more in energy than it provides, Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said on Friday.

Pachauri set to become IPCC head again

Times of India, May 5, 2008: Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that shared last year's Nobel Peace Prize with former US vice president Al Gore, is set to become its chairman for a second term, official sources said.

French scientists tweak carbon-storing powder

Agence France Presse, May 5, 2008: French-led technologists said they had beefed up the performance of a nano-powder that stores carbon dioxide in what could be a step forward in tackling global warming caused by road traffic.

Canadian schools sent brochures from climate change skeptics

National Post, May 4, 2008: An American think tank has sent out more than 11,000 brochures and DVDs to Canadian schools urging them to teach their students that scientists are exaggerating how human activity is the driving force behind global warming.

Russian scientist discovers gassy permafrost

Chicago Tribune, May 4, 2008: Sergei Zimov waded through knee-deep snow to reach a frozen lake where so much methane belches out of the melting permafrost that it spews out from the ice like small geysers. In the frigid twilight, the Russian scientist struck a match to make a jet of the greenhouse gas visible. The sudden plume of fire threw him backward.

Alaska legislature wants polar bear study

Anchorage Daily News, May 4, 2008: The state Legislature is looking to hire a few good polar bear scientists. The conclusions have already been agreed upon – researchers just have to fill in the science part.

World can reach climate change deal in 2009 – UN

Reuters, May 4, 2008: The world can reach a significant new climate change pact by the end of 2009 if current talks keep up their momentum, the head of the United Nations climate panel said on Sunday.

Farmers face climate challenge in quest for more food

Reuters, May 4, 2008: If farmers think they have a tough time producing enough rice, wheat and other grain crops, global warming is going to present a whole new world of challenges in the race to produce more food, scientists say.

Carbon emissions: Catch them if you can

CNN, May 4, 2008: Despite plans to slash carbon dioxide emissions, the world still faces a very basic, and very big, problem. There is already too much C02 sitting in the atmosphere, and put simply, it needs to be somewhere else. That extra carbon has been building up since the advent of the Industrial Revolution and continues to grow apace.

High petrol prices see Americans ditch SUVs

The Independent, May 3, 2008: America's love affair with sports utility vehicles and pick-up trucks is finally over. The gas-guzzlers that ply the country's freeways and clog its city streets and parking lots are falling victim to ever-rising petrol prices, rather than concern about the country's oversized carbon footprint. The fall-off in sales is dramatic however.

Climate change claims caribou calves: study

CBC News, May 2, 2008: Fewer caribou calves are being born and more of them are dying in West Greenland as a result of a warming climate, says a US biologist who believes the mammal may serve as an indicator species for climate change.

Canada biofuel mandate wins House support

Reuters, May 2, 2008: Canada's plan to ensure that gasoline contains 5 percent ethanol by 2010 won support in the House of Commons on Thursday despite increasing concern about the impact of biofuels on world food supplies.

Ethanol faces growing US backlash

Globe and Mail, May 2, 2008: The US Congress is rethinking its enthusiastic embrace of corn-based ethanol as food and fuel inflation pushes to the top of the political agenda.

'Dishonest, irresponsible': Shell lambasted for pulling out of world's biggest wind farm

The Guardian, May 2, 2008: Shell was accused last night of being greedy and irresponsible as it came under ferocious attack from politicians and environmentalists for its decision to drop a commitment to the biggest offshore wind farm in the world.

'Ocean deserts' are growing

Nature, May 1, 2008: Low-oxygen 'underwater deserts' in the tropical oceans have expanded over the past 50 years, according to new measurements. The most likely cause of the change is global warming, and climate models predict that the trend will continue, potentially threatening marine ecosystems.

Military expertise put to work in Canada's Arctic mapping research

CBC News, May 1, 2008: Canada's efforts to claim a vast area of the Arctic Ocean as its own are getting some help from the military, which has deployed its own devices to aid researchers in mapping hard-to-reach parts of the high Arctic seabed.

Affordable solar power may come in a year

USA Today, May 1, 2008: A Silicon Valley startup says it has developed technology that can deliver solar power in about a year at prices competitive with coal-fired electricity, a milestone that would leapfrog other more established players and turbocharge the fast-growing industry.

Next decade 'may see no warming'

BBC News, May 1, 2008: The Earth's temperature may stay roughly the same for a decade, as natural climate cycles enter a cooling phase, scientists have predicted. A new computer model developed by German researchers, reported in the journal Nature, suggests the cooling will counter greenhouse warming. However, temperatures will again be rising quickly by about 2020, they say.

Arctic sea ice forecast: another record low in 2008

Reuters, May 1, 2008: Arctic sea ice, sometimes billed as Earth's air conditioner for its moderating effects on world climate, will probably shrink to a record low level this year, scientists predicted on Wednesday.

Rich world must back 80 percent carbon cuts – Stern

Reuters, May 1, 2008: Rich countries must commit to cutting carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 and developing nations must agree that by 2020 they too will set their own targets, leading economist Nicholas Stern said on Wednesday.

Ethanol producer battles mounting skepticism

Globe and Mail, May 1, 2008: Amid a growing food-versus-fuel debate, the head of Canada's largest ethanol producer defended his embattled industry yesterday, arguing that rising ethanol use has had only a modest impact on food prices and is actually serving as a brake on the skyrocketing cost of gasoline.

Rockefeller's descendants tell Exxon to face the reality of climate change

The Independent, May 1, 2008: Descendants of John D. Rockefeller, America's first and biggest oil industry magnate, say that ExxonMobil, a company spawned from his 19th-century monopoly Standard Oil, faces becoming obsolete if it does not step up the search for alternative fuels.

Winds of change: Shell ditches renewable stake amid fears of a retreat to carbons

The Guardian, May 1, 2008: The future of the world's largest offshore wind farm and a symbol of Britain's renewable energy future was thrown into doubt last night after it emerged that Shell was backing out of the project and indicated it would prefer to invest in more lucrative oil schemes.

Native people warn UN of biofuels disaster

Inter Press Service, April 30, 2008: Growing demand for biofuels by the world's rich nations is propelling attacks on indigenous people and destroying their lands and forests, according to native leaders attending a three-week international meeting here.

Lake with 20% of Earth's fresh water is warming faster than air

Bloomberg, April 30, 2008: The world's largest lake is warming faster than the atmosphere, challenging the idea that large bodies of water can withstand global warming, according to US and Russian scientists.

'Small wind' power plants are blowing strong

Christian Science Monitor, April 30, 2008: On a recent sunny afternoon Bob Loebelenz pauses to gaze 72 feet into the air at the spinning blades of his wind turbine, a small "clean, free electricity" smile creasing the corners of his mouth.

Alberta residents decry plan for carbon storage

National Post, April 30, 2008: The way former Alberta premier Don Getty sees it, his company's plan for 250 greenhouse-gas-storing salt caverns will be huge. That's what people in the community of Two Hills fear.

'Eco-Judas' battles on

National Post, April 30, 2008: In the sometimes fractious world of Canadian environmentalism, few are as vilified as Dr. Patrick Moore. At one time a ragged, rugged activist who helped lead Greenpeace in the 1970s, he later left the movement, slamming his former colleagues on the way out and championing enemy causes such as genetically modified food, fish farming, and most vocally, nuclear energy.

Harper's biofuels policy sputters out on the Hill

Globe and Mail, April 30, 2008: When the Harper government made support for biofuels its biggest environmental policy, the aggressive push to produce gasoline from farmers' crops received broad support from opposition parties. A year later, that political consensus in favour of biofuels is suddenly breaking down on Parliament Hill.

Biofuels halt would ease food prices – ag group

Reuters, April 30, 2008: A moratorium on global grain- and oilseed-based biofuels would help ease raging wheat and corn prices by up to 20 percent in the next few years, a leading agriculture research group said on Tuesday.

Alberta seeks exemption from tough US restrictions on oil imports

Canadian Press, April 30, 2008: Alberta expects a US working group to classify the province's oilsands fuel as a conventional resource to exempt it from tough new restrictions on imports, provincial envoy Gary Mar said Tuesday.

Global tourism struggles to shrink environmental footprint

Associated Press, April 30, 2008: Citing green hotels, coconut oil fuel for airlines and even recyclable golf tees, executives in one of the world's largest industries say they are urgently trying to shrink tourism's oversized environmental footprint.

Russian climate plans show tough path to UN treaty

Reuters, April 30, 2008: Russia's opposition to new cuts in greenhouse gases means all of the world's top four emitters are against making quick reductions, complicating plans for a new UN climate treaty by the end of 2009.

Ottawa must reconcile oilsands' riches, environmental challenges: expert

Canwest News Service, April 29, 2008: The distinguished Canadian researcher who pioneered the development of the country's oilsands is warning Prime Minister Stephen Harper that the industry touted to make Canada an energy superpower will "hit a wall" unless the Conservative government urgently injects funding into projects aimed at solving the huge environment problems associated with the resource.

Judge orders federal government to decide polar bear listing

Associated Press, April 29, 2008: A federal judge has ordered the Interior Department to decide within 16 days whether polar bears should be listed as a threatened species because of global warming.

Preserving Arctic fisheries before harvesting them

Scientific American, April 29, 2008: In the wake of dramatically dwindling populations of salmon and other fish, US officials are grappling with ways to cut their losses – and stave off future damage. Overfishing and environmental damage have decimated ocean inhabitants – and climate change threatens to hurt them even more.

Climate change could force 1 billion from their homes by 2050

The Independent, April 29, 2008: As many as one billion people could lose their homes by 2050 because of the devastating impact of global warming, scientists and political leaders will be warned today.

Warming 'affecting poor children'

BBC News, April 29, 2008: Climate change is already affecting the prospects for children in the world's poorer countries, according to Unicef.

Sweden's carbon-tax solution to climate change puts it top of the green list

The Guardian, April 29, 2008: If there's a paradise for environmentalists, this Nordic nation of 9.2 million people must be it. In 2007 Sweden topped the list of countries that did the most to save the planet – for the second year running – according to German environmental group, Germanwatch.

Russia says it has no plans to cap carbon emissions

Reuters, April 29, 2008: Russia will not accept binding caps on its greenhouse gas emissions under a new climate regime, currently being negotiated to succeed the Kyoto Protocol after 2012, top officials said on Monday.

BC government introduces carbon tax on fossil fuels starting July 1

Canadian Press, April 28, 2008: The BC government introduced legislation Monday for its carbon tax that will see a cut in greenhouse gas output and an increase for those heating their homes or driving their vehicles.

Polar bear in trouble, not endangered – Canada panel

Reuters, April 28, 2008: The polar bear, a symbol of Canada's far north as well as the effects of climate change on the sensitive Arctic environment, is in trouble, but it is not endangered or threatened with extinction, a Canadian advisory panel said on Friday.

Liberals study use of carbon tax to fight emissions

Reuters, April 28, 2008: Liberal Leader Stephane Dion says he is "very seriously" considering a carbon tax to combat emissions if his party forms the next government. Ways to break Canadians' dependence on oil and gas are being studied now at the highest levels of the party, according to insiders.

Nature's carbon balance confirmed

BBC News, April 28, 2008: Scientists have found new evidence that the Earth's natural feedback mechanism regulated carbon dioxide levels for hundreds of thousands of years. But they say humans are now emitting CO2 so fast that the planet's natural balancing mechanism cannot keep up.

Canada slow to turn to offshore wind

Globe and Mail, April 28, 2008: Canada has been slow to develop its great potential for offshore wind power, and is probably at least four years away from having any large scale projects up and running, a new report says.

UN leaders to tackle world food crisis

Reuters, April 28, 2008: The United Nations' top brass gathered in Switzerland on Monday to chart a solution to the dramatic food price increases that have caused hunger, riots and hoarding in poor countries around the world.

Sparks fly over ethics of air travel

Christian Science Monitor, April 28, 2008: Travelers troubled by rising airfares, canceled flights, and overcrowded tarmacs are hearing yet another reason to reconsider air travel. Some say it's unethical to fly.

Trying to derail Alberta's mission in Washington

Globe and Mail, April 28, 2008: Conservationists will be rolling out an advertising campaign and dispatching polar-bear-suit-clad protesters this week in an attempt to derail Alberta's mission to Washington that is aimed at propping up the province's environmental image south of the border.

US air force calls for mission to combat climate change

The Guardian, April 28, 2008: The US air force will this week call for the world's top scientists to come together in a 21st-century Apollo-style programme to develop greener fuels and tackle global warming.

Clothesline bans leave environmentalists hanging

National Post, April 28, 2008: When Edmontonians Pam and John Northcott bought their new home in Sherwood Park six years ago, they signed a lengthy restrictive covenant that aims to prevent unsightly additions to the neighbourhood. No big TV dishes on the front lawn, no air conditioning equipment on the roof – and no clotheslines.

Narwhals more at risk to Arctic warming than polar bears

Associated Press, April 26, 2008: The polar bear has become an icon of global warming vulnerability, but a new study found an Arctic mammal that may be even more at risk to climate change: the narwhal.

Canada deaf to global food crisis, expert says

Globe and Mail, April 26, 2008: A key adviser to the United Nations has sharply criticized Canada for abandoning its leadership role in international development, and urged the country to step up its level of aid to poorer countries in the face of soaring food prices.

Baird has no plans to switch cars

Edmonton Sun, April 26, 2008: Environment Minister John Baird will continue to drive his ethanol-powered car despite a growing outcry that the demand for corn-based fuel is contributing to the world food shortage.

North Pole could be ice free in 2008

New Scientist, April 25, 2008: You know when climate change is biting hard when instead of a vast expanse of snow the North Pole is a vast expanse of water. This year, for the first time, Arctic scientists are preparing for that possibility.

Green to the end

CBC News, April 25, 2008: In an era when people spend more time sorting garbage than creating it, what better way to end your days on earth than in an environmentally friendly resting place? Instead of a metal casket placed in a vault lined with concrete, environmentally aware Canadians will soon have the opportunity to choose to be buried in biodegradable boxes or cloth shrouds. That's because green burials have finally arrived in Canada.

Climate 'fix' could deplete ozone

BBC News, April 25, 2008: Research has cast new doubt on the wisdom of using Sun-blocking sulphate particles to cool the planet. Sulphate injections are one of several "geo-engineering" solutions to climate change being discussed by scientists. But data published in Science journal suggests the strategy would lead to drastic thinning of the ozone layer.

Hunters, scientists polarized over polar bears

Nunatsiaq News, April 25, 2008: Polar bears in Baffin Bay are either thriving in record numbers or teetering on the edge of oblivion, depending on who you ask.

Food inflation the 'monster' around Canada's corner

Canadian Press, April 25, 2008: Soaring fuel and grain prices have some economic researchers warning of catastrophic food inflation and political unrest within a year, the likes of which hasn't been seen in Canada since the 1970s.

Tiny beetle tramps over emission targets

Globe and Mail, April 25, 2008: For a little bug, the pine beetle has an enormous carbon footprint. The pine beetle, the size of a grain of rice, has already destroyed British Columbia's forests and devastated the logging industry. Now, the insect threatens to upend the province's push to curb its greenhouse gases.

Man-made greenhouse gases have made Arctic a wetter place: study

CBC News, April 24, 2008: Climate change spurred by man-made greenhouse gas emissions has increased precipitation in the North, according to a study to be published Friday.

UN says Bush climate plan just a "first offer"

Reuters, April 24, 2008: The top UN official on climate change said on Thursday that he sees a US plan to cap rising emissions by 2025 as only a "first offer", adding that all three presidential candidates had promised a tougher stand.

Greenhouse gas levels rose in 2007: US agency

Agence France Presse, April 24, 2008: Global greenhouse gas emissions including main offender carbon dioxide rose in 2007 despite efforts to curb them, a US government agency said.

Hints of methane's renewed rise

BBC News, April 24, 2008: Levels of the greenhouse gas methane in the atmosphere seem to be rising having remained stable for nearly 10 years. Data from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in the US suggest concentrations rose by about 0.5% between 2006 and 2007.

WWF warns Arctic ice melting faster than predicted

Agence France Presse, April 24, 2008: Arctic sea ice is melting "significantly faster" than predicted and is approaching a point of no return, conservation group the World Wildlife Fund warned in a new study.

Beetle-infested forests spewing carbon

Canadian Press, April 24, 2008: British Columbia's pine-beetle-devastated forest is belching out enough carbon to equal Canada's average annual forest-fire emissions, says a new report from scientists at Natural Resources Canada.

Taking the blame for eco-woes

Globe and Mail, April 24, 2008: During the 1980s, Canadians typically blamed corporations for many of the world's environmental ills. But today, they have another target as eco-villain: themselves. A new survey of environmental attitudes, one of the most extensive undertaken in the country, has revealed a profound shift in public opinion on the causes of environmental problems: People now suggest harm to the planet is being driven by their own demand for consumer goods and wasteful activities, rather than by causes such as company-produced pollution.

Sun cycles not key to recent global warming – expert

Reuters, April 24, 2008: Satellite data show that changes in the sun are contributing to global warming but to a smaller extent than human activity, a space scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington told a group of petroleum geologists Wednesday.

Canada led G8 in greenhouse gas emissions growth

Reuters, April 23, 2008: Canada's greenhouse gas emissions increased by 25 percent from 1990 to 2005, the highest amount of any G8 nation, according to government figures released on Tuesday.

Pine beetle outbreak adds to greenhouse gas woes

CBC News, April 23, 2008: The mountain pine beetle's infestation in western Canada is turning forests into a new source of greenhouse gases, according to new research to be published Thursday in the journal Nature.

Alberta: $1.4B allocated for climate, water issues

Edmonton Sun, April 23, 2008: Alberta will spend nearly $1.4 billion over the next three years to address climate change and water issues, but critics say the plans accompanying that spending will leave the province playing catch-up.

Climate change 'may put world at war'

The Telegraph, April 23, 2008: Climate change could cause global conflicts as large as the two world wars but lasting for centuries unless the problem is controlled, a leading defence think tank has warned.

Japan, EU leaders call for 'highly ambitious' climate goals

Agence France Presse, April 23, 2008: Leaders of Japan and the European Union called Wednesday for "highly ambitious and binding" global targets to fight climate change, seeking a breakthrough at July's Group of Eight summit.

EPA scientists complain about political pressure

Associated Press, April 23, 2008: Hundreds of Environmental Protection Agency scientists say they have been pressured by superiors to skew their findings, according to a survey released Wednesday by an advocacy group.

Airline industry aims for 'carbon neutral growth'

Reuters, April 23, 2008: Aircraft makers, airlines, airports and air traffic controllers pledged on Tuesday to work towards "carbon-neutral growth" and reduce their industry's contribution to global warming.

Greece suspended from UN Kyoto carbon trading

Reuters, April 22, 2008: Greece has been suspended from UN carbon trading in an unprecedented punishment for violating greenhouse gas reporting rules that underpin a fight against global warming, officials said on Tuesday. A group of legal experts enforcing compliance with the UN's Kyoto Protocol also said it was opening proceedings against Canada for alleged violations of rules on accounting for heat-trapping gases.

Scientists study Arctic haze for clues to rapid melting

Associated Press, April 22, 2008: Visitors to Alaska often marvel at the crisp, clear air. But the truth is, the skies above the Arctic Circle work like a giant lint trap during late winter and early spring, catching all sorts of pollutants swirling around the globe.

Arctic explorer opens up on Earth Day

ABC News, April 22, 2008: Explorer Will Steger and six young adventurers in their 20s have been traveling across the Canadian Arctic for the past four weeks, following in the footsteps of other legendary polar explorers. As they journey across the ice, the team's goal is to chronicle the effects of climate change on the area.

Canadians world's third highest per capita polluters

National Post, April 22, 2008: Individual Canadians remain the third-highest per capita polluters in the world, according to new figures released by Statistics Canada on Tuesday. Each Canadian produces an average of 23 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year, trailing Americans who produce an average of 24.4 tonnes of emissions per year and Australians, who produce an average of 27.7 tonnes of emissions per year.

Awash in eco-dilemmas

Montreal Gazette, April 22, 2008: The supper dishes are piled up in the sink and Jason Hughes and Jen Auchinleck are debating how to wash them without harming the planet. Him: "I refuse to use the dishwasher. The dishwasher soaps all have phosphates in them." Her: "I don't feel any guilt. Are you going to spend an hour doing the dishes or spend an hour with the kids?" Who's right? The answer might surprise you.

Who's tracking the trackers?

Globe and Mail, April 22, 2008: With climate change dominating headlines and people increasingly concerned about the impact of their individual activities, more and more consumers are turning to so-called carbon offsets to assuage their enviro-guilt. But the burgeoning offset market still looks a little like the Wild West of yesteryear, and consumers are faced by a confusing mass of offset options vying for their money.

Polar bear at centre of conservation talks in Nunavut, NWT

CBC News, April 22, 2008: Two meetings are underway this week in Canada's North to decide what to do with the polar bear. In Yellowknife, the federal committee that assesses what species are at risk of disappearing is holding one of its annual meetings to discuss which of about 50 species – including the polar bear – should be considered for protection.

Iceland's energy answer comes naturally

The Guardian, April 22, 2008: For tourists relaxing in the hot springs of Iceland's famous Blue Lagoon, just outside the capital Reykjavik, the issues of climate change and energy security are not likely to be occupying most bathers' minds. But what many visitors may be surprised to know is that the hot water they are sitting in is part of a remarkable journey by one country from oil dependence to a world leader in harnessing renewable energy.

Emission caps won't hurt economy, study finds

Seattle Times, April 22, 2008: Americans won't pay huge electricity and heating bills, unemployment won't skyrocket and the US economy won't be damaged in the decades ahead if Congress passes legislation to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, according to a study released Monday.

Campbell vows to listen to carbon-tax concerns

Globe and Mail, April 22, 2008: Premier Gordon Campbell, mindful of northern complaints that the carbon tax is unfair to their region, has been talking with leaders from that area to hear their concerns, and is considering options to address them.

Climate change talks 'heading for trouble'

Agence France Presse, April 22, 2008: Governments negotiating a new climate change treaty, due next year, remain far apart on many issues, and this should be a "warning sign" that the world is facing trouble, a top UN environmental official said Tuesday.

Biofuels starving our people, leaders tell UN

The Guardian, April 22, 2008: The leaders of Bolivia and Peru have attacked the use of biofuels, saying they have made food too expensive for the poor. Speaking at the United Nations, the Bolivian president, Evo Morales, said the increased use of farmland for fuel crops was causing a "tremendous increase" in food prices.

Aviation heads to act on climate change, but set no targets

Associated Press, April 22, 2008: Aviation chiefs pledged Tuesday to address the industry's impact on climate change but shied away from setting concrete targets to reduce global-warming gases.

McCartney urges vegetarianism to fight climate ills

Reuters, April 21, 2008: Former Beatle Paul McCartney is urging the world to go vegetarian in a bid to fight global warming and is surprised more green groups don't promote it.

Canada's Arctic claim work challenged by ice, logistics

CBC News, April 21, 2008: Scientists are gathering data to help Canada stake a claim over an area of the Arctic Ocean, but they say ice conditions are adding challenges to their work. Researchers and officials with the federal government are working on ice camps off northern Ellesmere Island to gather extensive scientific data on the Arctic Ocean seabed and sedimentary rock.

Top native leader wants more action on climate

CTV News, April 21, 2008: Phil Fontaine, grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations, will tell a United Nations committee today that the government needs to engage natives more on climate change. "We're witnessing dramatic changes in the environment," he told Canada AM on Monday.

The new gold rush: Energy from the air

Financial Post, April 21, 2008: Stephen Cheeseman has cashed out 20 years of savings, left a successful career as a uranium and base metals geologist and begged his friends and family for as much money as they would invest in him. All to chase the breeze. Mr. Cheeseman is, like dozens of others in British Columbia, a wind prospector who is making it his life's work to grab hold of the choicest mountain ridges with the stiffest gusts before anyone else does.

Quebec joins US-Canada group to cut emissions

Reuters, April 21, 2008: A coalition of western US states and Canadian provinces eyeing a regional carbon credit trading market picked up an eastern member on Friday when Quebec said it would join.

Inuit hunters, scientists set to square off over polar bear quotas

Canadian Press, April 20, 2008: Inuit hunters are bracing for another showdown this week with government wildlife scientists, this time over how many polar bears they'll be allowed to kill from one of Canada's largest populations of the iconic predator.

Canada's polar bears in dire straits: WWF

Agence France Presse, April 20, 2008: Some of Canada's polar bear populations risk being wiped out within four decades because of climate change and human activity including hunting, the World Wide Fund For Nature warned Sunday.

US Department of Interior wants more time on polar bear listing

Associated Press, April 20, 2008: The Department of the Interior wants 10 more weeks to decide whether polar bears should be listed as threatened or endangered, a delay conservation groups condemned as tied to the transfer of offshore petroleum leases in one of the animals' two US habitats.

Glacier's retreat evident in a lifetime's measure

Boston Globe, April 20, 2008: I had always considered global warming an alarming, but strangely abstract concept, until the phenomenon took on a human dimension here in the Canadian High Arctic. Known as one of the great breeding grounds of northern seabirds, much of this eastern island is covered with a tongue of ice that remains from the Wisconsin glaciation, which gave up its grip on most of North America some 15,000 years ago.

Shell, Exxon face higher costs on carbon limits

Bloomberg, April 20, 2008: Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Exxon Mobil Corp. and the rest of the oil industry may face higher costs to exploit Canada's tar sands, the biggest deposit outside of Saudi Arabia, because of efforts to rein in climate change.

US climate talks advance, but split on 2050 goals

Reuters, April 19, 2008: Major economies made progress in defining the building blocks of a new UN deal to fight climate change on Friday but ended split over whether to set a goal of halving world greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Biofuels threaten agriculture, critics warn feds

Canadian Press, April 19, 2008: Biofuels derived from crops such as corn and canola might have the support of Canadian governments but activists say a growing reliance on the technology represents a real threat to the environment and the global agriculture sector – a warning they plan to take across the county.

Denmark invites Arctic nations to discuss claims to North

CBC News, April 18, 2008: Denmark has invited the four other countries with Arctic coastal waters, including Canada, to a meeting in Greenland next month on northern territorial claims. Denmark, Canada, Russia, Norway and the United States all lay claim to large swathes of underwater territory in the Arctic, which is thought to be rich in deep sea oil deposits and other commodities.

Wild fires likely to spread due to global warming

Reuters, April 18, 2008: Wild fires are likely to be bigger, more frequent and burn for longer as the world gets hotter, in turn speeding up global warming to create a dangerous vicious circle, scientists say.

Greenland's disappearing lakes leave giant ice sheets largely unmoved

The Guardian, April 18, 2008: Fears that the rapid draining of water from the top of Greenland's ice sheet may be contributing to the rise of global sea levels have been allayed by new research. Though scientists confirmed that the water can drain away faster than Niagara Falls, it did not seem to accelerate the movement of the ice sheet into the ocean as previously thought.

Freshening of deep Antarctic waters worries experts

Reuters, April 18, 2008: Scientists studying the icy depths of the sea around Antarctica have detected changes in salinity that could have profound effects on the world's climate and ocean currents.

Gaia straits: Planetary doctor says condition terminal

CNN, April 18, 2008: James Lovelock refers to himself as a "planetary doctor." As someone who has studied his patient for over 40 years, the 88-year-old scientist and originator of Gaia theory, has reached a bleak prognosis: the world as we know it is ceasing to exist.

Poll: Atlantic Canadians most worried about global warming

The Chronicle Herald, April 18, 2008: Atlantic Canadians are more scared of global warming than people anywhere else in the country, a new poll says. That 72 per cent of people in this region believe global warming is the single biggest threat to humankind is the most startling revelation contained in a poll of 1,015 Canadians released Thursday.

EU urges Bush to be more ambitious on CO2 curbs

Reuters, April 18, 2008: The European Commission urged US President George W. Bush on Thursday to be more ambitious in tackling climate change while welcoming his acceptance that the United States would need to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

US carbon emissions to rise 23 percent over UN benchmark: IEA

Agence France Presse, April 18, 2008: US emissions of greenhouse gases are poised to rise by nearly a quarter over a key UN benchmark by 2025, the date set by President George W. Bush for stabilising this pollution, an International Energy Agency expert said on Friday.

Alberta plans to satisfy world's oilsands concerns

Calgary Herald, April 18, 2008: Alberta must develop its energy resources in a responsible and sustainable way because the eyes of the world are closely watching, Premier Ed Stelmach said Thursday. In particular, they're eyeing the oilsands and how the second-largest reserve in the world is developed.

Ontario set to veto ban on clotheslines

Toronto Star, April 18, 2008: Ontarians will soon be able to air their linen in public. Premier Dalton McGuinty is to announce today that clotheslines can no longer be banned in subdivisions or almost anywhere else in the province.

World climate talks rattled by Bush speech

Associated Press, April 17, 2008: A new US call for curbing greenhouse gas emissions shook up climate talks Thursday in Paris among the world's biggest polluters, with some envoys welcoming the gesture and others calling it too little, too late.

Stern warns that climate change is far worse than 2006 estimate

The Independent, April 17, 2008: Lord Stern, the economist whose report on climate change helped galvanise world leaders behind the green energy movement when it was published 18 months ago, has admitted that the situation is far worse than the assumptions that formed the basis of his ground-breaking report.

Oceans absorbing less CO2 may have 1,500 year impact

Reuters, April 17, 2008: Global oceans are soaking up less carbon dioxide, a development that could speed up the greenhouse effect and have an impact for the next 1,500 years, scientists said on Wednesday.

G8 business chiefs spar over climate measures

Agence France Presse, April 17, 2008: World business chiefs gathered in Tokyo Thursday to discuss ways to tackle global warming as trans-Atlantic tensions emerged over how far industry should go to reduce emissions.

Industry curbs seen possible extra in climate deal

Reuters, April 17, 2008: Greenhouse gas curbs on industries such as steel and cement could help a UN-led drive to fight global warming despite fears they would be hard to implement, delegates at a US-led conference said on Wednesday.

Bush sets greenhouse-gas emissions goal for 2025

Christian Science Monitor, April 17, 2008: President Bush on Tuesday called on the US to set policies that stabilize greenhouse-gas emissions by 2025. To achieve that objective, the president said, emissions from the utility industry must peak within the next 10 to 15 years.

Bush's long-awaited call for curbing emissions falls flat abroad

Associated Press, April 17, 2008: At last, US President George W. Bush set a target date for reining in American pollution – and the bid fell flat in the international arena, where he has long lagged in tackling global warming.

How Earth Day became... so everyday

Christian Science Monitor, April 17, 2008: At 38 years old, Earth Day seems to be entering a midlife identity crisis. By one estimate, some 1 billion people around the world will do something to observe the anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970, a landmark in the history of the environmental movement. But attitudes and activities will vary widely. While some celebrate nature's beauty and wonder, others will protest environmental degradation and demand action.

A line in the yard: the battle over the right to dry outside

New York Times, April 17, 2008: Rob and Laurie Cook are not prone to breaking the law, but these days they have been given to a regular act of civil disobedience: hanging their laundry to dry out in the backyard. The deed to their home – like most in this upscale suburb – prohibits outdoor clotheslines as eyesores.

Bush to endorse 'intermediate' emissions goal

Washington Post, April 16, 2008: President Bush will endorse an "intermediate goal" today for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but he will not put forward any specific legislation or proposal on how the goal should be met, White House officials said.

Bush: US to halt greenhouse gas rise by 2025

Agence France Presse, April 16, 2008: President George W. Bush Wednesday outlined a goal to halt the growth of US greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, but did not spell out specific targets to enforce action against climate change.

UN report demands urgent action on soaring food prices

The Independent, April 16, 2008: The global food crisis became official yesterday when the UN called for urgent intergovernmental action and farming reforms to tackle the soaring prices that are plunging millions of people into potentially deadly poverty.

Rice may withstand climate change, top scientist says

Bloomberg, April 16, 2008: Rice, which rose to a record today, will increase in importance as a source of food because the crop can be grown in different conditions and may withstand the effects of global climate change, India's top agricultural scientist said.

Paris talks on global warming April 16-18

Reuters, April 16, 2008: Paris will host a meeting of 17 top national emitters of greenhouse gases from April 16-18 in a US-backed scheme to fight global warming and guarantee energy security while promoting economic growth.

Forecast for big sea level rise

BBC News, April 15, 2008: Sea levels could rise by up to one-and-a-half metres by the end of this century, according to a new scientific analysis. This is substantially more than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecast in last year's landmark assessment of climate science.

Melting mountains a "time bomb" for water shortages

Reuters, April 15, 2008: Glaciers and mountain snow are melting earlier in the year than usual, meaning the water has already gone when millions of people need it during the summer when rainfall is lower, scientists warned on Monday.

China 'now top carbon polluter'

BBC News, April 14, 2008: China has already overtaken the US as the world's "biggest polluter", a report to be published next month says. The research suggests the country's greenhouse gas emissions have been underestimated, and probably passed those of the US in 2006-2007.

Bush floating new climate proposal

Associated Press, April 14, 2008: The White House has told a group of House GOP conservatives it may be forced to support a limited cap on greenhouse gases and avoid a "train wreck" of regulations involving climate change, sources familiar with the meeting said Monday.

EU defends biofuel goals amid food crises

Agence France Presse, April 14, 2008: The EU Commission on Monday rejected claims that producing biofuels is a "crime against humanity" that threatens food supplies, and vowed to stick to its goals as part of a climate change package.

Soaring food prices now top threat, IMF says

Globe and Mail, April 14, 2008: The global food crisis has pushed aside fears of a recession and mounting banking woes as top priority for the world's economic leaders. Ministers representing 185 countries agreed on the weekend that soaring food prices threaten global calamity and pledged to co-operate on a solution to save the world's poorest people from starvation.

Financing crucial to next climate change pact – UN

Reuters, April 14, 2008: The global fight against climate change after the Kyoto pact expires will fail unless rich countries can come up with creative ways to finance clean development by poorer nations, a UN official said on Saturday.

China, India urged to avoid obsession with cars

Reuters, April 14, 2008: China and other big developing countries such as India need to take steps to avoid being over-reliant on private cars, the head of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN climate panel said.

Unlocking the warming Arctic's secrets

Toronto Star, April 13, 2008: For our understanding of the Arctic environment and its fate as the climate changes, one relationship is more important than all the others being studied by scientists aboard the Amundsen, a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker converted into a floating polar research base.

The other global crisis: rush to biofuels is driving up price of food

The Independent, April 12, 2008: The world's most powerful finance ministers and central bankers are meeting in Washington tomorrow; but as they preoccupy themselves with the global credit crunch, another crisis, far more grave, is facing the world's poorest people.

Hibernating grizzlies emerge early from dens

Calgary Herald, April 12, 2008: American scientists are hoping to determine if climate change is causing grizzly bears to hibernate later each fall and emerge from their winter slumber much earlier.

Manitoba's Kyoto bill will be a first in Canada

Globe and Mail, April 12, 2008: Manitoba will be the first province to legislate its commitment to reaching Kyoto targets for greenhouse-gas emissions by 2012, Premier Gary Doer announced yesterday.

Non-northern nations get more interested in Arctic Council

CBC News, April 11, 2008: Countries outside the circumpolar North are showing interest in northern issues, with China being the latest country to join the Arctic Council. China has obtained observer status with the intergovernmental council, which consists primarily of governments from eight countries with Arctic regions, including Canada.

Ward Hunt Ice Shelf destined to disappear

Canadian Press, April 11, 2008: New cracks in the largest remaining Arctic ice shelf suggest another polar landmark seems destined to break up and disappear.

Poor go hungry while rich fill their tanks

The Guardian, April 11, 2008: Rocketing global food prices are causing acute problems of hunger and malnutrition in poor countries and have put back the fight against poverty by seven years, the World Bank said yesterday.

"Clean coal" elusive as governments balk at cost

Reuters, April 11, 2008: Governments and the private sector are balking at the expense of kick-starting a technology to bury planet-warming gases underground, casting doubts on "clean coal" plans seen vital to help fight climate change.

Market alone can't halt CO2 emissions: British climate official

Agence France Presse, April 11, 2008: A top British climate change official backed an embattled European Union scheme Friday to tax industrial carbon emissions, but also allowed for exceptions in highly competitive sectors.

UN climate chief: US election may help

Associated Press, April 11, 2008: The UN climate chief said Thursday he is encouraged by the climate views of the three contenders in the US presidential election.

UK minister won't "preach" on Canada's emissions

Reuters, April 10, 2008: Britain's energy minister said on Thursday he will work with Canadian officials on technology for fighting global warming, and steered clear of criticizing Canada's less-ambitious targets for cutting emissions.

Boreal forest ticking 'carbon bomb' – report

Canadian Press, April 10, 2008: Canada's boreal forest is a ticking "carbon bomb" and its continued logging could trigger a massive release of greenhouse gases, says a new report.

Beaufort Sea polar bears starving to death, scientist finds

CBC News, April 10, 2008: Polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea are starving as they struggle to adapt to a warming Arctic climate, according to the latest research by a Canadian polar bear expert. Changing spring sea ice is making it more difficult for the bears to hunt their primary prey, the ringed seal, said Ian Stirling of the Canadian Wildlife Service.

Experts call for national carbon tax

Globe and Mail, April 10, 2008: The federal government should convert its 10-cent-a-litre excise tax on gasoline into a national carbon tax on all fuels that damage the environment, two of Canada's top public policy experts say.

Research suggests Canada has good claim on vast chunk of disputed Arctic seabed

Canadian Press, April 10, 2008: New research at remote camps on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean suggests Canada has good evidence for its own claim to a vast chunk of the increasingly disputed seabed – a claim that could go all the way to the North Pole.

Put more than one research station in Canada's North: study

CBC News, April 10, 2008: Scientists and people living in the North want more than just one northern research centre, according to the Canadian Polar Commission. The commission, a federal government agency specializing in polar research, is currently completing a one-year study on the status of research logistics and infrastructure in the North.

Let's do Earth Hour more often, survey finds

Canadian Press, April 10, 2008: A new survey suggests most Canadians think Earth Hour should happen more often. The Harris-Decima poll suggests more than a third of Canadians wouldn't mind flicking off their lights and appliances for an hour as often as once a month.

Enviros seek oilsands ally

Calgary Sun, April 10, 2008: Environmental activists will ask Great Britain's energy minister to pressure the Canadian government to slow development of Alberta's oilsands and enact more stringent environmental targets.

Climate change could lead to global food crisis, scientists warn

Associated Press, April 10, 2008: Scientists warned Thursday that climate change in coming decades will cause more floods in the Northern Hemisphere and droughts in the south and in arid areas, which may lead to a global food crisis.

Business leaders unite to sway UN climate talks

Reuters, April 10, 2008: Business leaders, scientists and policymakers from around the world have joined forces to try to influence politicians negotiating a post-Kyoto deal at next year's UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen.

Warming trends rise in large ocean areas: study

Reuters, April 9, 2008: Warming trends in a third of the world's large ocean regions are two to four times greater than previously reported averages, increasing the risk to marine life and fisheries, a UN-backed environmental study said.

Cap-and-trade push grows in US

Globe and Mail, April 9, 2008: Momentum is building in the United States for adoption of a national cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it won't come without a titanic fight.

Carbon tax worries cement makers

Vancouver Sun, April 9, 2008: British Columbia's plans for fighting climate change could pose "a significant threat" to domestic cement producers, who fear that new carbon taxes and greenhouse gas emission caps will give offshore competitors a huge price advantage in local markets.

US car makers try to copy green halo of Prius

Reuters, April 9, 2008: When Tom Weatherbee swapped his minivan for a Toyota Prius hybrid two years ago, he was mostly hoping to save money at the gas pump. But he was pleasantly surprised by both the requests from friends for a test drive and the grins its aerodynamic profile drew at the grocery store, and he basked in the attention.

Chemists say CDs, eyeglass lenses could help stem global warming

CBC News, April 8, 2008: Compact discs, beverage bottles and other products made from hard, clear plastics may have a role to play in slowing global warming, chemists said Tuesday. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans, chemists Thomas E. Muller and Toshiyasu Sakakura separately presented ways to manufacture polycarbonate plastics from waste carbon dioxide.

Canadian Rangers, scientists team up on High Arctic excursion

CBC News, April 8, 2008: Polar ice scientists are doing their research alongside Canadian Rangers in the High Arctic in a joint two-week excursion around Ellesmere Island. The three scientists are travelling on snowmobiles with 24 Rangers conducting Operation Nunalivut, the Canadian Forces' annual sovereignty patrol in the far North.

UN warns on food riots

Associated Press, April 8, 2008: The recent outbreak of food riots is a warning sign that rising food prices could cause unrest and instability across the world, the UN's top humanitarian official said Tuesday.

Scientist warns climate change will impact beer production

Associated Press, April 8, 2008: The price of beer is likely to rise in coming decades because climate change will hamper the production of a key grain needed for the brew – especially in Australia, a scientist warned Tuesday.

Post-Kyoto targets may not be same for all – Lagos

Reuters, April 8, 2008: The next deal to combat climate change may not set the same type of targets for developing nations as it does for the big polluting industrialized countries but everyone will have to be included in some way for it to work, a UN envoy said on Monday.

Slowing deforestation may be worth billions – study

Reuters, April 8, 2008: A slowdown of deforestation from the Amazon to the Congo basin could generate billions of dollars every year for developing nations as part of a UN scheme to fight climate change, a study showed on Monday.

CO2 map zooms in on emissions

The Guardian, April 8, 2008: US scientists have unveiled a new, high-resolution interactive map which tracks patterns of CO2 emissions coming from fossil fuels burned daily across the country.

NAFTA, US drought endanger Canada's water – study

Reuters, April 7, 2008: Increasing droughts in the United States and American unhappiness over NAFTA mean Canada could one day be forced to allow bulk shipments of water to its giant neighbour, a left-leaning think tank said on Thursday.

Inuit outfitters, US hunters in limbo over delayed polar bear decision

CBC News, April 7, 2008: Inuit outfitters in Nunavut and American sport hunters are calling on the US government to make up its mind about listing polar bears as a threatened species. Outfitters say the government's delay in announcing that decision – originally due Jan. 9 – has put the multi-million-dollar annual sport hunt in Canada's North in limbo while hunters wait to see if a listing would change their travel plans.

Climate target is not radical enough – study

The Guardian, April 7, 2008: One of the world's leading climate scientists warns today that the EU and its international partners must urgently rethink targets for cutting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because of fears they have grossly underestimated the scale of the problem.

Bangkok climate change talks close

Reuters, April 7, 2008: The first formal talks to draw up a replacement to the Kyoto climate change pact wound up in Thailand on Friday with plans for another seven rounds of negotiations in the next 18 months to tackle global warming.

Uncertainty surrounds BC carbon cap plan

Globe and Mail, April 7, 2008: For months now, managers of a Chevron refinery in Burnaby, BC, have known that the plant would fall under any carbon dioxide cap-and-trade regime put in place by federal or provincial authorities. With British Columbia unveiling a cap-and-trade bill last week, it's clear which government is moving first. But Chevron, along with other big greenhouse gas emitters in the province, remains in the dark on key aspects of the system and how much it will cost to comply.

Climate change debate: push emissions goals or technology?

Christian Science Monitor, April 7, 2008: A long-simmering debate has come to a boil among climate policy specialists over the most effective way to ensure humanity has the necessary hardware it needs to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to virtually zero over the course of this century.

Iceland: life on global warming's front line

Reuters, April 6, 2008: If any country can claim to be pitched on the global warming front line, it may be the North Atlantic island nation of Iceland.

US vote shadows world climate talks: green groups

Agence France Presse, April 6, 2008: For all the talk of urgency in fighting climate change, negotiators are putting off the hard part in drafting the next global treaty until the US election, diplomats and environmentalists say.

Indigenous groups seeking role in shaping climate policy

New York Times, April 6, 2008: Some wore traditional headdresses, and some traveled by riverboat or canoe. But the dozens of "forest peoples" who descended on this capital of Brazil's Amazonas state last week had a common goal of becoming bigger players in global climate talks.

Gore trains Canadians to teach his Inconvenient Truth

Montreal Gazette, April 5, 2008: Climate-change prophet Al Gore was in downtown Montreal Saturday to teach 220 Canadians how to host seminars adapted from his acclaimed documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth.

Tough road lies ahead for global climate deal

Agence France Presse, April 5, 2008: There have been numerous disagreements during a week of intense climate change talks in Bangkok but there is one point all sides agree on – a long, tough road lies ahead.

Thaw may attract 'rogue' fishermen to Bering Strait

Anchorage Daily News, April 4, 2008: For Arctic nations, one of the so-called "benefits" of global warming has been the promise of opening up new fisheries in a remote part of the world choked by ice much of the year. But many worry that the new territory is also an unregulated one, and that if the United States doesn't act in the next few years, rogue fishermen from other nations could begin plying areas north of the Bering Strait in the summer, looking for new, unexploited fisheries.

Global warming 'dips this year'

BBC News, April 4, 2008: Global temperatures will drop slightly this year as a result of the cooling effect of the La Niña current in the Pacific, UN meteorologists have said.

Canadian researchers warn of new Arctic worries

Reuters, April 4, 2008: Canada's massive Mackenzie Delta is feeling the impact of climate change faster than expected and could foretell of problems elsewhere in the Arctic, a Canadian researcher said on Thursday.

BC introduces Canada's first cap-and-trade law to fight climate change

Canadian Press, April 4, 2008: British Columbia became the first province in Canada on Thursday to introduce a cap-and-trade system that aims to fight climate change and allows the province to join an international green marketplace of 63 million people that's worth almost $3 trillion.

BC's 'pioneering' carbon rules worry industry

Globe and Mail, April 4, 2008: British Columbia has ratcheted up its campaign to reduce carbon emissions by introducing a cap-and-trade regime for large emitters, becoming the first province in Canada to formalize such a system and leading the way in North America.

UN climate meeting inches towards new draft treaty

Radio Australia, April 4, 2008: Scientists and environment officials from more than 160 nations are outlining a plan for drafting a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol, on the final day of a United Nations climate meeting in Bangkok.

Nations agree to look at planes, ships in climate deal

Agence France Presse, April 4, 2008: More than 160 nations agreed Friday to consider how to reduce rapidly growing emissions from air and sea travel as they worked toward drafting an ambitious new treaty on global warming.