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Reuters: NY Seeks to Take Lead in Clean-Energy Policy
US: April 20, 2007
NEW YORK - New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer unveiled a new energy policy Thursday which aims to make the state the most aggressive in the nation in conservation and cut power demand by 15 percent by 2015.
The Democratic governor hopes to attract private investment in clean energy, wind, solar and hydropower by enacting a new environmentally sound and speedy siting law.
However, he ruled out nuclear power, telling reporters after a breakfast meeting, "There is simply no tolerance in New York State for additional nuclear plants."
Entergy Corp.'s Indian Point nuclear plant also should be shut once alternatives are built, Spitzer added, explaining that its location just north of New York City makes it impossible to evacuate residents in the event of an accident.
"That is simply not a smart location for a nuclear power plant ... We simply cannot turn it off until we have replacement power."
Saying he wished to break with former Republican Gov. George Pataki's policies, Spitzer added he would encourage utilities to sign long-term contracts. This should help them win private investors by strengthening their forecasts and cut their borrowing costs, Spitzer said.
In addition, he sees no need for public authorities to sell more tax-free bonds to fund the new plants.
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The Independent:Britain's beaches blighted by rising tide of litter By Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor Published: 20 April 2007
The throwaway society is taking an increasing toll on Britain's coastline. Litter on bathing beaches has nearly doubled in just over a decade, according to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) in its annual Beachwatch survey, published today.
Items of rubbish littering the sand, from cotton-bud sticks to crisp packets, have gone up from 1,045 items per kilometre in 1994, when the survey was first conducted, to 1,988 items of litter per kilometre last year - an increase of more than 90 per cent. That gives a current average of nearly two items of litter for every metre of beach.
The increase parallels the rising tide of domestic rubbish, which is growing by about 3 per cent a year in a society where virtually every commodity is packaged.
Beach users are the worst culprits, says the report, identifying four key litter sources: beach visitors (who are responsible for 33.9 per cent of the detritus), fishing debris (which accounts for 11.2 per cent), sewage-related debris/sanitary waste (10.4 per cent) and shipping litter (2 per cent).
Medium-sized pieces of plastic are the single biggest scourge, according to the report, which is based on data collected by more than 4,000 volunteers on 358 UK beaches on 16 and 17 September 2006. The survey involved 187 kilometres (116 miles) of the UK's coastline, and during the survey and clean-up more than 370,000 litter items were removed, filling more than 3,000 bags and weighing nearly 20 tonnes. South-west England had the worst litter problem, with nearly 4,000 items per km on the 61 beaches surveyed. Northern Ireland was the cleanest, with 625 items per km on six beaches.
Cotton-bud sticks are the second most common item, while crisp and sweet wrappers rank fourth. Cigarette stubs have also increased steadily since 1994 and are now the eighth most common item, with the potential to climb even higher as smoking moves outdoors.
The report also shows that levels of sewage-related debris are still unacceptably high, with Scotland having the most. Sewage-related debris or sanitary waste is made up of tampons, panty liners and condoms. Eighty-four per cent of the litter in this category was cotton-bud sticks.
"Cotton bud sticks and other sewage-related debris on our beaches are not just unsightly, but the majority of these products are made of plastic which persists in the marine environment for many years," said Emma Snowden, the MCS litter projects co-ordinator.
"This should be such an easy environmental issue to resolve and yet the message is still not getting across; bag it and bin it - never flush it."
She went on: "Cigarette stubs were not among the top 20 items in 1994, but they are now the eighth most common item on UK beaches, and with the smoking regulations coming into force, this problem is likely to increase.
"Dropping cigarette stubs is illegal as an act of littering and you can be fined anywhere from £50 to £80. It is up to everyone to act responsibly by not dropping litter in the first place."
MCS is calling for an environmental education campaign to change people's behaviour.
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Guardian Unlimited :British Gas launches green energy unit
Hilary Osborne
Thursday April 19, 2007
British Gas today launched a green business arm to drive its offer of low carbon products for customers who want to reduce their carbon footprints.
British Gas New Energy will advise homes and businesses on how to become greener and provide the necessary products and services.
Around 25% of the UK's CO2 emissions come from homes, and a combination of increased environmental awareness and rising energy prices has lead many householders to try to make their properties more energy efficient.
The new business, headed up by Gearóid Lane, will look to tap into what it believes could become a multi-billion pound market in years to come.
On top of the energy saving reports and insulation-fitting services already on offer, British Gas's 12 million domestic customers will be able to buy solar panels to heat water in their homes, and have them fitted for around £4,300.
A partnership with six local authorities means customers living in some areas of the country, including Salford and Taunton, will qualify for a one-off reduction of £300 off their council tax bill if they have the panels installed.
Photovoltaic solar panels that produce electricity can also be bought and installed for around £11,000.
British Gas has also trained 500 of its engineers to put together the new energy performance certificates, which from June 1 will have to be provided by anyone selling a property as part of a home information pack.
Andrew Turpin, a spokesman for British Gas, said: "We think that given the market is going to be starting from a standstill and we have got a workforce that is already familiar with looking at the energy efficiency of homes, it made sense for us to train some of them to put together the certificates."
He said that while some in the industry estimated that homeowners would pay around £100 for a certificate, the company had not yet decided how to price its offering.
Mr Turpin added that the company was also looking to expand in the boiler market, which it estimates could soon be worth between £3.5bn-£4bn a year. It currently installs approximately 100,000 A-rated boilers a year, around 7% of the market.
Green focus
Keen to boost its green credentials. British Gas already claims that in supplying customers with gas and electricity last year it emitted less CO2 per customer than other major UK electricity providers.
The company contributes £100m a year to the government's energy efficiency commitment, under which energy suppliers invest in programmes to make people's homes more energy efficient, for example by funding council tax rebates for households who install insulation.
It also said it had given 1.5 million customers advice on energy efficiency through its energy saving report scheme.
Geoff Slaughter, energy product manager at price comparison website uSwitch.com, said he hoped other energy providers would follow British Gas's lead.
"The message coming through from consumers is absolutely clear - they are ready, willing and able to do their bit to help tackle climate change, but are sorely in need of a helping hand from suppliers," he said.
"By establishing a new business to drive this, British Gas is flexing its green muscles and showing that it is taking this issue seriously."
However, he said the industry needed to do more to educate customers about green energy and boost take-up of green tariffs, which currently only 1% consumers were on.
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New York Times: Fossilised trees mystery solved
A Cardiff fossil expert has identified a pair of 385-million-year-old trees, thought to be among the world's oldest.
American researchers found fossilised remains in New York state two years ago, but their identity was unknown.
They called in Dr Christopher Berry from Cardiff University, who confirmed the remains are from the Genus Wattieza, a fern-like plant which formed earth's first known forests.
Dr Berry described the discovery as a "spectacular" find.
The upright stumps of fossilised trees were first uncovered after a flash flood in Gilboa, New York, more than a century ago.
But until two further fossils were found two years ago, which had fallen sideways with their trunk, branches, twigs and crown still intact, no-one knew what the entire trees looked like.
The American team called in Dr Berry, who has 17 years of tree fossil expertise, to help.
Dr Berry, of Cardiff university's School of Earth, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, said it was a "spectacular find" which had allowed scientists to recreate early forest ecosystems.
"This was also a significant moment in the history of the planet," he said.
"The rise of the forests removed a lot of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This caused temperatures to drop and the planet became very similar to its present-day condition.
"Branches from the trees would have fallen to the floor and decayed, providing a new food chain for the bugs living below."
Dr Berry worked with colleagues from Binghamton University, New York and from New York State Museum.
Their findings are published in the 19 April edition of the scientific journal Nature.
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Environment News Service: Kindness to the Earth Focus of Dalai Lama's Australia Tour
SYDNEY, Australia, April 19, 2007 (ENS) - When His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, travels Australia in June as part of his ongoing world tour, many of his talks will have an environmental focus, and for the first time, a portion of the tour will be carbon neutral.
The spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people and 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner says, "This planet is our own home. Taking care of our world, our planet, is just like taking care of our own home. Our very lives depend upon this Earth, our environment."
Both the Australian Conservation Foundation and Greening Australia, specialists in native vegetation management, will be involved in the tour events scheduled to take place in the Domain, Sydney.
Greening Australia will be conducting a carbon audit for the Domain segment of the tour, providing the organizers with a neutral carbon output result for the events. Included in the calculations will be the details for the Dalai Lama's flights, as well as those of his entourage.
Trees will be planted to neutralize the greenhouse gas emissions, making this the first carbon neutral tour ever undertaken by the Dalai Lama.
At a time when Australia is tackling issues such as water shortages and the challenges of climate change, the Dalai Lama brings teachings of kindness, compassion and tolerance.
The Dalai Lama has long considered environmental issues to be among the key challenges currently facing humanity.
"There is suffering on this planet and there is a need to strengthen our love for our planet and our service to the living Earth," says His Holiness. "We think we can control nature, which is a false perception."
During the 11 days from the opening of the Open Arms – Embracing Kindness tour in Perth June 6 to the final events in Sydney June 16, free public events will be held across the country, allowing all Australians an opportunity to hear the Dalai Lama’s messages.
With concern for the environment at an all time high across Australia, the Dalai Lama will address issues of environmental consciousness and the challenges of climate change.
Organized by the Australian Conservation Foundation, ACF, in collaboration with the Dalai Lama, a free Sustainability and Spirituality Forum will take place from on the morning of June 6 at the Burswood Dome in Perth.
His Holiness and ACF president Professor Ian Lowe, joined by other community and business leaders, will discuss the moral imperative to act on climate change.
The forum will conclude with a GreenHome workshop helping participants take the first steps towards reducing their own eco-footprints.
On June 13, the Dalai Lama launches Kindness Week at the Australia Zoo near Brisbane, Queensland with a talk on "Kindness To Animals and The Environment."
In Sydney on June 15, ACF will participate in the One Earth Forum tribute concert featuring some of Australia’s finest acoustic talent.
This free concert will be held in Sydney’s Domain in celebration of the Dalai Lama as a living example of the power of compassion and non-violence, the ACF said.
The Dalai Lama will speak at the event on the subject of "Peace through Inner Peace."
The ACF said, "His Holiness sees the planet and its peoples as interconnected, a view that is increasingly compelling in the 21st century, and resonates deeply with millions of people worldwide."
The Dalai Lama has been concerned about environmental protection for decades. To mark World Environment Day on June 5, 1986, he said, "Peace and the survival of life on earth as we know it are threatened by human activities which lack a commitment to humanitarian values. Destruction of nature and nature resources results from ignorance, greed and lack of respect for the earth's living things."
"This lack of respect extends even to Earth's human descendants, the future generations who will inherit a vastly degraded planet if world peace does not become a reality, and destruction of the natural environment continues at the present rate."
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Enviroment News Service:Indigenous Peoples on Climate Change Front Lines
OXFORD, UK, April 19, 2007 (ENS) - The Inuit of the Arctic can no longer hunt safely as the ice is breaking up around them. Pacific Islanders are losing coral atolls beneath rising seas. Caribbean islanders are battered by violent storms. Tribes in Borneo watch as their rainforests catch fire. Tibetans wonder why their sacred glaciers are melting and why the alpine medicinal plants are disappearing.
The threat of climate change to the world’s indigenous peoples was under the spotlight April 12 and 13 at an international symposium at Oxford University.
Participants agreed that communication among indigenous peoples and with scientists and policymakers is critical in adapting to the climate changes already underway and averting the worst consequences of global warming.
Visiting Fellow at Oxford University Dr. Jan Salick, host of the Oxford Indigenous People’s Symposium, said, "Both ethnoecological researchers and indigenous people themselves need to network and initiate comparable climate change research and action."
"Indigenous peoples must be integrated into discussions of climate change and policy formation," he said.
Scientists presented new research on the impacts of climate change on the indigenous Peoples of the Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Himalayas, North America, South America, Africa and Europe where they depend directly on natural resources threatened by global warming.
The recent climate change summary report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, only mentioned "detrimental impacts ... to traditional indigenous ways of life’ in the Polar regions."
Yet according to the symposium organizers from Oxford's Environmental Change Institute, "Indigenous Peoples are in the immediate frontline of vulnerability to climate change.
"Although they have a global geographic spread and broad cultural diversity, there is a risk that the international climate change forum has lost sight of the immense collective danger they face," the organizers said.
Pablo Eyzaguirre from Bioversity International, an international agricultural research center, said, "Indigenous and traditional communities should be supported in their unique adaptation to marginal areas and ecosystem boundaries. We need to respect ecosystem buffers that also provide livelihoods, sacred spaces, and pathways for traditional peoples."
The symposium's opening session consisted of a general overview of climate change impacts and implications on the global scale. Director of the Environmental Change Institute, Professor Diana Liverman reviewed recent publications, such as the Stern and IPCC reports, global, British and EU policy developments, and initiatives developed by non-state actors such as corporations, cities and nongovernmental organizations.
Presentaters stressed the multifaceted nature of climate changes, not only in the wide variety of impacts, but also in the interplay with other processes such as inter-annual variation, habitat fragmentation, loss of biodiversity, disempowerment, insecurity, and lack of understanding.
Recurrent topics were the role that indigenous and local peoples play in maintaining and strengthening the resilience of healthy ecosystems, as well as the spiritual, emotional and moral implications of climate changes to local peoples.
Many indigenous peoples are showing how resourceful they are in applying their traditional knowledge to create strategies for lessening the impacts of natural disasters.
Some use strips of mangrove forest to absorb the force of tidal surges and tsunamis, others apply genetic diversity in crops to avoid total crop failure, and some communities migrate among habitats as disaster strikes, participants heard.
The symposium ended with a continuing planning session on conjoined research and action for and by indigenous and local peoples to afford them more prominence in the international climate change discussion and action.
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