tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18334115766826472722024-03-12T21:10:39.187-07:00Campaign For GreenThis blog emphasizes the need for alternative energy sources and environmental responsibility for the good of everyone on earth and the earth itself.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-43986019151513657092010-04-13T14:44:00.000-07:002010-04-13T14:48:59.757-07:00We Can Do More Now!Things haven't been going well, so leaders have been refocusing their priorities, and are now concentrating on preserving rain forests and helping developing countries deal with climate change (Eilperin, Juliet. "Climate Treaty Realities Push Leaders To Trim Priority Lists." Washington Post, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/0210/04/12/AR2010041203822.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/0210/04/12/AR2010041203822.html</a>).<br /><br />But there's so much more we can do now! Please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-54164796946482206722010-01-27T07:54:00.000-08:002010-01-27T08:02:20.400-08:00Climate Action Day?<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QLs2uKKBBqE/S2Bi38V-yiI/AAAAAAAAAA4/oodyJkujy9o/s1600-h/wicklow-one-lcox.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 176px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431449863839468066" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QLs2uKKBBqE/S2Bi38V-yiI/AAAAAAAAAA4/oodyJkujy9o/s320/wicklow-one-lcox.gif" /></a><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QLs2uKKBBqE/S2BipFHvU0I/AAAAAAAAAAw/vSfg9z9lVdo/s1600-h/red+leaves.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 209px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431449608497615682" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QLs2uKKBBqE/S2BipFHvU0I/AAAAAAAAAAw/vSfg9z9lVdo/s320/red+leaves.jpg" /></a></p><div><br /><br /></div><div align="center">Something I read on the 'net--today's been designated, by at least some people, as Climate Action Day. And we can do something about it. For more information, please see</div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a>.</div><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div>We don't want to lose places like these above.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-54993810086375082352009-12-08T14:29:00.000-08:002009-12-08T14:33:08.310-08:00CopenhagenI'd like to go to Copenhagen. Yep, go to Copenhagen and tell them in person about the information that's on <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a>, that there's something better,<br />something with zero-carbon emissions, something that won't add to global warming<br />or climate change, something that'll bring energy independence, something that'll help everybody everywhere. But I don't think I'll be going to Copenhagen, so all I can do is<br />to encourage readers to see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a> and tell everyone else.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-76358194679398687542009-11-18T12:03:00.000-08:002009-11-18T12:05:25.061-08:00Something has GOT to be done!Something has GOT to be done!<br />And it CAN be done!<br />Please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-83582103750447318142009-11-02T13:57:00.000-08:002009-11-02T13:58:35.438-08:00Energy IndependenceSubject line says it all.<br />See <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a><span style="color:#006600;">.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-13508351305323348672009-10-28T08:40:00.000-07:002009-10-28T08:47:43.472-07:00Climate Damage and HealthDavid A. Fahrenthold's October 27, 2009 Washington Post article "Ailing Planet Seen As Bad For Human Health" discusses a study of how climate change hurts human health and that the "warming planet is likely to leave more people sick, short of breath or underfed" (<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/26/AR2009102602402.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/26/AR2009102602402.html</a>. Even if emissions are capped, the damage is already done (ibid).<br /><br />But even if the damage is already done, we can do something to prevent more damage: use totally green, emissions-free energy. With no emissions, there's no more pollution to add to the problems. It can happen. It will help. For more information, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-19312610091891283022009-10-26T14:42:00.000-07:002009-10-26T14:48:01.278-07:00Biofuels and Carbon EmissionsStudies have been done that show how biofuels will actually increase carbon emissions because of deforestation for growing land and fertilizers (<a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N2225048.htm">http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N2225048.htm</a>).<br /><br />We don't need any kind of biofuels. For more information, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a><span style="color:#006600;">.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-27853043033002534322009-10-12T14:35:00.000-07:002009-10-12T14:40:22.464-07:00350 PPM"350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide--measured in "Parts Per Million" in our atmosphere. 350 PPM--it's the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change" (<a href="http://www.350.org/understanding-350#2">http://www.350.org/understanding-350#2</a>).<br /><br />We can change even more with totally clean energy. Please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a> for more information.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-42779577226852015342009-10-07T11:45:00.000-07:002009-10-07T11:49:47.840-07:00Five YearsAccording to Dave Chameides' October 6, 2009, article "The Road To Copenhagen: Now Is The Time To Speak Up About Climate Change," if we do not do anything now, in five years it will be too late and we "will not be able to do much of anything about climate change."<br />(<a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-road-to-copenhagen-now-is-the-time-to-speak-up-about-climate-change.html">http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-road-to-copenhagen-now-is-the-time-to-speak-up-about-climate-change.html</a>).<br /><br />We can do something now. For more info, please see<br /><a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-86371502836007662662009-09-28T14:28:00.000-07:002009-09-28T14:30:41.817-07:00Good Climate ChangeIs there such a thing as good climate change?<br />Well, there would be if there were no emissions to pollute the air and make global warming worse.<br />For more information, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-7926342578406207482009-09-24T13:48:00.000-07:002009-09-24T13:52:54.238-07:00Get It Done!What we need to get done that will help everything else is switch to totally green, totally clean energy. Without emissions from fossil fuels, the air will be cleaner and there will be less respiratory problems. With new technology comes an expansion to the green economy.<br />And that's a lot but that's not all--we won't have to depend on anyone else, anywhere, ever.<br />It's past time.<br />We can do this.<br />And so can everyone else.<br />Please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a><span style="color:#006600;">.</span><br />Thank you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-77022683793027860412009-09-11T13:45:00.000-07:002009-09-11T13:53:51.112-07:00Exciting News!Exciting news about progress in alternative energy!!!<br /><br />Please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a> <strong><em>today</em></strong>!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-54294332820676812152009-08-19T14:11:00.000-07:002009-08-19T14:17:00.618-07:00Algae as BiofuelResearchers seek to turn algae into biofuel ("Entrepreneurs Wade Into the 'Dead Zone,' Dow Jones & Company, Inc. 2009). There is, however, something easier, something free of emissions. For more information, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-49083257382131893662009-08-10T13:48:00.000-07:002009-08-10T13:56:32.061-07:00According to the BBC News article "UK food research 'needs a boost,'" by Pallab Ghosh,<br />global food production needs to double by 2050 (Ghosh, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8192628.htm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8192628.htm</a>). Some barriers to progress include climate change, change in the land, and less access to water (Ghosh). Scientists are working on how to produce plants without upping greenhouse emissions (Ghosh). They are also concerned about genetically modified foods which are not accepted in some places, including Europe (Ghosh).<br /><br />More can be done by everyone when we have emissions-free energy technology that will also help get clean water to people all over the world. For more information, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-70826148006502174952009-07-28T14:50:00.000-07:002009-07-28T14:53:02.715-07:00Alternatives To Hydroelectricity"Boom in hydropower pits fish against climate<br />The renewable energy could ease global warming, but the dams and turbines could result in mass killings..<br />By Kim Murphy<br />July 27, 2009 <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-hydro-power27-2009jul27,0,2321552.story">http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-hydro-power27-2009jul27,0,2321552.story</a><br />Reporting from Wenatchee, Wash. -- The Rocky Reach Dam has straddled the wide, slow Columbia River since the 1950s. It generates enough electricity to supply homes and industries across Washington and Oregon.<br />But the dam in recent years hasn't produced as much power as it might: Its massive turbines act as deadly blender blades to young salmon, and engineers often have had to let the river flow over the spillway to halt the slaughter, wasting the water's energy potential.<br />The ability of the nation's aging hydroelectric dams to produce energy free of the curse of greenhouse gas emissions and Middle Eastern politics has suddenly made them financially attractive -- thanks to the new economics of climate change. Armed with the possibility of powerful new cap-and-trade financial bonuses, the National Hydropower Assn. has set a goal of doubling the nation's hydropower capacity by 2025. . . ."<br /><br />We can have all the electricity we need without emissions and without hurting wildlife. For more information, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-83639578559897534712009-07-22T14:22:00.000-07:002009-07-22T14:24:50.087-07:00Congress Approved Research For Natural Gas VehiclesResearch approval for natural gas vehicles is all very well, but there is a better way: totally clean, emissions-free energy. For more information, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-88033176297367458912009-07-10T08:27:00.000-07:002009-07-10T08:30:12.634-07:00“G8 pledges to boost food supplies<br />Leaders of the G8 developed nations have pledged $20bn (£12bn) for efforts to boost food supplies to the hungry, on the final day of a summit in Italy.<br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8143566.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8143566.stm</a> <br />The investment, which is $5bn more than had been expected, will fund a three-year initiative to help poor nations develop their own agriculture.<br />US President Barack Obama said the issue of food security was of huge importance to all nations in the world.<br />Richer nations had a moral obligation to help poorer nations, he said.<br />Mr Obama added that the G8 nations had agreed to commit $15bn for the new initiative going into Friday's meeting, but had then promised an additional $5bn in "hard commitments" during the talks.<br />"We do not view this assistance as an end in itself," he said.<br />"We believe that the purpose of aid must be to create the conditions where it's no longer needed, to help people become self-sufficient, provide for their families and lift their standards of living."<br />***<br />Kanaya Nwanze, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, told the BBC that he welcomed the announcement of more investment in agriculture in the developing world.<br />"It is time for us to switch because food security is not just food aid," he said.<br />"It is the ability of people to produce food locally and for them to be able to have access to local markets.""<br /><br /><br />With new technology it will be possible to help people get access to clean water and other things to help them farm successfully, feed themselves, and sell their product locally. For more information, please see <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnRlcnJhaHVtYW5hZm91bmRhdGlvbi5vcmc=" mce_href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnRlcnJhaHVtYW5hZm91bmRhdGlvbi5vcmc="><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-61900618949684599712009-07-08T13:37:00.000-07:002009-07-08T13:39:16.044-07:00New Thinking"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins121993.html">Albert Einstein</a><br /><br />For an example of new thinking on alternative energy, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#009900;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-15587880734859236222009-07-07T10:05:00.000-07:002009-07-07T10:08:07.984-07:00Climate Policy Change"'Time to ditch climate policies'<br />By Roger Harrabin<br />Environment analyst, BBC News<br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8138429.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8138429.stm</a> <br />An international group of academics is urging world leaders to abandon their current policies on climate change.<br />The authors of How to Get Climate Policy Back on Course say the strategy based on overall emissions cuts has failed and will continue to fail.<br />They want G8 nations and emerging economies to focus on an approach based on improving energy efficiency and decarbonising energy supply.<br />Critics of the report's recommendations say they are a dangerous diversion.<br />The report is published by the London School of Economics' (LSE) Mackinder Programme and the University of Oxford's Institute for Science, Innovation & Society.<br />LSE Mackinder programme director Gwyn Prins said the current system of attempting to cap carbon emissions then allow trading in emissions permits had led to emissions continuing to rise.<br />He said world proposals to expand carbon trading schemes and channel billions of dollars into clean energy technologies would not work.<br />"The world has been recarbonising, not decarbonising," Professor Prins said.<br />"The evidence is that the Kyoto Protocol and its underlying approach have had and are having no meaningful effect whatsoever.<br />"Worthwhile policy builds upon what we know works and upon what is feasible rather than trying to deploy never-before implemented policies through complex institutions requiring a hitherto unprecedented and never achieved degree of global political alignment."<br />The report has drawn an angry response from some environmentalists, who acknowledge the problems it highlights but fear that the solutions it proposes will not work.<br />Tom Burke, from Imperial College London and a former government adviser, said: "The authors are right to be concerned about the lack of urgency in the political response to climate change.<br />"They are also right to identify significant weaknesses in the major policy instrument currently being negotiated.<br />"But nothing could be more harmful than to propose that the world stop what it is doing on climate change and start again working in a different way," Professor Burke contested.<br />"This is neither practical nor analytically defensible - and it seems to have been born more out of frustration than understanding of the nature of the political processes involved.<br />"This is a far more complex, and urgent, diplomatic task than the strategic arms control negotiations and will require an even more sophisticated and multi-channel approach to its solution. Stop-go is not sophisticated."<br />G8 leaders will discuss climate change on Wednesday before joining leaders of emerging economies on Thursday for a meeting chaired by President Obama.<br />Story from BBC NEWS:<br />http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/8138429.stm<br />Published: 2009/07/07 13:46:39 GMT<br />© BBC MMIX"<br /><br />I've never liked the cap 'n trade rationale or practice. I agree with the people in the article who said that cap ' trade just makes things worse. There is another way, though, and for information, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#009900;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-5770744799491676962009-07-06T20:28:00.000-07:002009-07-06T20:32:42.935-07:00Global Emissions Goals"G8 leaders to set emissions goals<br />By Roger Harrabin<br />Environment analyst, BBC News<br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8135261.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8135261.stm</a><br />The G8 leaders are set this week to deliver their strongest statement so far on global warming.<br />They are likely to agree that the world ought to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050 - with rich nations reducing them by 80%.<br />The group will probably also say that any human-induced temperature rise should be held to 2C - a level considered to be a danger threshold.<br />The US has previously objected to such a clause.<br />But it looks as though the G8 will fall short of agreeing the short-term targets scientists say are essential to ensure that the 2C threshold is not breached.<br />Environmental campaigners accuse the G8 of willing the ends on climate change but not willing the means.<br />***<br />On Thursday, US President Barack Obama chairs a meeting of the G8 members with the leaders of the emerging economies, including India and China, under a process known as the Major Economies Forum (MEF).<br />That meeting will produce a declaration separate from the G8. Opinions among the emerging economies vary widely. India opposes commitments on cutting emissions. It has millions living in poverty and considers that the problem should be solved by rich nations. India is suspicious of signing up to the 2C warming threshold because it implicitly puts a cap on Indian growth.<br />China is committed to achieving a low-carbon economy, but slowly so as to cause minimum social and economic upheaval.<br />"We have to persuade China that it is in China's interests to move quickly to a low-carbon economy - that will be be key," a western diplomatic source said.<br />Brazil is the most significant of the emerging nations to sign up to the 2C threshold. "This is extremely significant," said the source. "It is an acknowledgement from political leaders to their peoples that there are scientific limits to how far we can push the planet."<br />***<br />A group of 22 leading climate scientists has written to G8 and MEF leaders calling for policies that would see global emissions peak by 2020, and shrink by at least 50% by 2050.<br />"Unless the burden of poverty in developing nations is alleviated by significant financial support for mitigation, adaptation, and the reduction of deforestation, the ability of developing countries to pursue sustainable development is likely to diminish, to the economic and environmental detriment of all," the scientists said.<br />Story from BBC NEWS:<br />http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/8135261.stm<br />Published: 2009/07/06 01:18:02 GMT<br />© BBC MMIX"<br /><br />We've got the technology, a technology that will create jobs, not emissions. We want everyone everywhere to benefit. For more information, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a><span style="color:#006600;">.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-29919520141514960182009-07-02T13:19:00.000-07:002009-07-02T13:27:11.669-07:00Global Warming and the Global EconomyGlobal Warming and the Global Economy Global Warming and the Global Economy<br />"Will The Global Warming Bill Cool The Global Economy?<br />Nouriel Roubini, 07.02.09, 12:01 AM ET<br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmZvcmJlcy5jb20vMjAwOS8wNy8wMS93YXhtYW4tbWFya2V5LWNhcC1hbmQtdHJhZGUtZ2xvYmFsLWVtaXNzaW9ucy1iaWxsLW9waW5pb25zLWNvbHVtbmlzdHMtcm91YmluaS5odG1s">http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/01/waxman-markey-cap-and-trade-global-emissions-bill-opinions-columnists-roubini.html</a><br />*****<br />How the Bill Works<br />At the heart of the bill is a cap-and-trade system, a market-based system that caps emissions at a certain level and allows large emitters to buy permits for additional emissions from other companies that emit less than the upper limit. The legislation calls for the number of permits to be reduced over time to encourage lower emissions. In practice, establishing a market for these permits will increase the cost of using carbon-based energy (especially electricity from coal), which will in turn reduce demand.<br />The revenue earned through auctioning would be distributed among households to offset the negative effect on their purchasing power from the higher cost of energy. Initial plans called for all, or at least a majority, of the permits to be auctioned, but the vote-getting process increased the number allocated. The bill passed by the House calls for 85% to be allocated and 15% to be auctioned. Some of the allocated permits will go to utility companies, the idea being that they will either invest the proceeds in renewable fuels or temper price increases for consumers. This change reduces the potential revenue generation of the policy and runs the risk that low electricity costs could actually encourage greater usage.<br />Cost Estimates<br />Estimates of the total economic costs of the U.S. cap-and-trade program have varied widely. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the net annual economic cost of the program in 2020 would be $22 billion--or about $175 per household. Analysis of the CBO results suggests that the implicit tax is relatively progressive. While this estimate has been accused of being understated (and it is worth noting that the Environmental Protection Agency came to an even lower estimate), it presented a baseline for analysis.<br />Other estimates put the ultimate cost much higher. An analysis from the Heritage Foundation concludes that the cap-and-trade system described in the bill would cost the economy $161 billion by 2020--or about $1,870 per household. Such estimates do not necessarily account for changes in the price of energy that would occur naturally as a lack of investment limits production of fossil-fuel-based energy.<br />Furthermore, they may not fully include the technological and efficiency gains that the current legislation hopes to encourage. For example, some of the allocations to utilities are granted with the expectation that they will be auctioned off and the proceeds will be used to fund renewable energy development. It's worth noting, however, that there's no guarantee the utilities will do this in practice. ****Nouriel Roubini, a professor at the Stern Business School at New York University and chairman of Roubini Global Economics, is a weekly columnist for Forbes.<br />(Analysts at RGE Monitor assisted in the research and writing of this piece.)"<br /><br />It's progress that the government is more interested and more willing to do something about global warming and climate change. But there's something that can render worries about cap 'n trade null: an emissions-free energy that's renewable and less expensive to run. For more information, please see <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnRlcnJhaHVtYW5hZm91bmRhdGlvbi5vcmc=">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-80572880974935607712009-06-30T21:26:00.000-07:002009-06-30T21:27:47.852-07:00Crops and Climate Change"Crops face toxic timebomb in warmer world: study<br />Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:45am EDT<br />By David Fogarty, Climate Change Correspondent, Asia<br />SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Staples such as cassava on which millions of people depend become more toxic and produce much smaller yields in a world with higher carbon dioxide levels and more drought, Australian scientists say.<br />The findings, presented on Monday at a conference in Glasgow, Scotland, underscored the need to develop climate-change-resistant cultivars to feed rapidly growing human populations, said Ros Gleadow of the Monash University in Melbourne.<br />Gleadow's team tested cassava and sorghum under a series of climate change scenarios, with particular focus on different CO2 levels, to study the effect on plant nutritional quality and yield.<br />Both species belong to a group of plants that produce chemicals called cyanogenic glycosides, which break down to release poisonous cyanide gas if the leaves are crushed or chewed.<br />Around 10 percent of all plants and 60 percent of crop species produce cyanogenic glycosides.*****<br />At double current CO2 levels, the level of toxin was much higher while protein levels fell.<br />The ability of people and herbivores, such as cattle, to break down the cyanide depends largely on eating sufficient protein.<br />Anyone largely reliant on cassava for food, particularly during drought, would be especially at risk of cyanide poisoning.*****"There's been this common assumption that plants will always grow better in a high CO2 world. And we've now found that these plants grew much worse and had smaller tubers."<br />At the 550 ppm level, the problem was not as serious and this meant scientists had a bit of breathing space.<br />"We've got 20 to 30 years to develop cultivars, which is going to be absolutely essential because by then about 1 billion people will probably be reliant on cassava."<br />Gleadow's group looked at a type of sorghum commonly fed to cattle in Australia and Africa and found it became less toxic at the highest CO2 level. But under drought conditions, leaf toxin levels rose.<br />She said her team was looking at creating mutations to get rid of the toxin response to drought.<br />"If we're going to adapt in the future to a world with twice today's CO2 we need to understand how plants are working, how they are responding and what cultivars we need to develop."<br />Her team plans to carry out additional research in Mozambique and study other tropical crops such as taro.<br />(Editing by Alex Richardson)"<br /><br />It's good that people are doing research to combat existing climate change. But there's a way we can change the climate for good by using emissions-free energy. For more information, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a><span style="color:#006600;">.<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-10603478402973827292009-06-23T12:44:00.001-07:002009-06-23T12:45:53.488-07:00Progress Has Been MadeProgress has been made, but more is needed.<br />For more information, please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/"><span style="color:#006600;">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</span></a><span style="color:#006600;">.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-90427820548474101572009-06-19T10:29:00.000-07:002009-06-19T10:30:59.464-07:001 Billion Hungry People“World hunger reaches the 1 billion people mark<br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090619/ap_on_re_eu/eu_un_world_hunger">http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090619/ap_on_re_eu/eu_un_world_hunger</a><br />By ALESSANDRA RIZZO, Associated Press Writer Alessandra Rizzo, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 16 mins ago<br />ROME – One in six people in the world — or more than 1 billion — is now hungry, a historic high due largely to the global economic crisis and stubbornly high food prices, a U.N. agency said Friday.<br />Compared with last year, there are 100 million more people who are hungry, meaning they receive fewer than 1,800 calories a day, the Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report.<br />Almost all the world's undernourished live in developing countries, where food prices have fallen more slowly than in the richer nations, the report said. Poor countries need more aid and agricultural investment to cope, it said.<br />"The silent hunger crisis, affecting one-sixth of all of humanity, poses a serious risk for world peace and security," said the agency's Director-General Jacques Diouf.<br />Soaring prices for staples, such as rice, triggered riots in the developing world last year.<br />Hunger increased despite strong 2009 cereal production, and a mild retreat in food prices from the highs of mid-2008. However, average prices at the end of last year were still 24 percent higher in real terms than in 2006, FAO said.<br />The global economic crisis has compounded the problem for people dealing with pay cuts or job losses. Individual countries have also some lost flexibility in handling price fluctuations, as the crisis has made tools such as currency devaluation less effective.<br />The report predicted the urban poor would likely be hit hardest as foreign investment declines and demand for exports drops, and that millions would return to the countryside, which in turn could put pressure on rural communities and resources.<br />Globally there are now about 1.02 billion people hungry, up 11 percent from last year's 915 million, the agency said. It based its estimate on analysis by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.<br />Asia and the Pacific, the world's most populous region, has the largest number of hungry people at 642 million.<br />Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest hunger rate, with 265 million undernourished representing 32 percent of the region's population.<br />In the developed world, undernourishment is a growing concern, with 15 million now hungry, the report said.<br />The crisis also affects the quality of nutrition, as families tend to buy cheaper foods, such as grains, which are rich in calories but contain fewer proteins than meat or dairy products.<br />Diouf urged governments to immediately set up social protection programs to improve food access for those in need. He said small farmers should be helped with seeds, tools and fertilizers.<br />He urged structural, long-term changes, such as increasing production in low-income countries, noting that world hunger had been increasing before the financial downturn.”<br /><br />Lower-priced sustainable energy will help people everywhere so that they can use the money they don't have to spend on energy for irrigation, clean water, manufacturing, etc. We can help with this: please see <a href="http://www.terrahumanafoundation.org/">www.terrahumanafoundation.org</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1833411576682647272.post-16673495707722673182009-06-15T13:20:00.000-07:002009-06-15T13:23:55.802-07:00Economy, Environment, and Energy"Conservation groups feel the strain<br />Richard Black 15:17 UK time, Monday, 15 June 2009<br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/richardblack/">http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/richardblack/</a><br />About nine months ago, I spent a fascinating (and very agreeable) week on a research boat in the Canary Islands, attempting to study the elusive family of beaked whales.<br />Lucky for me it happened last year; because the boat in question, Song of the Whale, is now being taken off such operations, for at least a couple of years, for financial reasons.<br />The group that runs Song of the Whale, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw), appears to have been hit particularly hard by the world's financial troubles. Mothballing the boat's research is one of several cuts it's had to make, including staff cutbacks.<br />Ifaw is certainly not alone. According to the head of one major UK conservation charity, most organisations in the field are feeling the pinch.<br />Over the past year, I'm told, UK green groups have seen their income fall by an average of 10-20% - some by more.<br />You might assume this was down to people withdrawing their membership or being less generous with their gift donations.<br />These trends are real; but they are regarded as minor compared with declining legacy income and adverse foreign currency movements.<br />The main component of a legacy donation is often the sale of a house; and often the legacy is worded along the lines of "person X gets so much and person Y so much, with the remainder going to charity Z" - in which case a fairly small dip in house prices can have a large proportional impact on the amount going to the charity.<br />It shouldn't come as any surprise to find the global financial situation impacting conservation groups - why should they be exempt from the general mayhem? - but it's worth having a quick think about what it might mean.<br />True, there's a strong propaganda element to much that environmental groups do, and you might either bemoan or applaud a decline in its intensity, depending on your political stance.<br />But projects such as Song of the Whale generate data that could prove important in understanding - and thus protecting - little-known species.<br />In developing countries, wildlife protection regimes often struggle for money and resources, certainly when compared to the poachers of valuable species and the industrialists who would expand the human footprint without restraint.<br />I came across a particularly stark example this week from India - wardens in tiger reserves working without simple equipment such as torches, without proper shoes, with meagre salaries often paid in arrears.<br />It's a common tale. And sometimes, Western-based groups fill this kind of funding gap, paying the human costs without which there can be no effective conservation.<br />The links between the world's ecological crisis and its economic woes are manifold and complex; and you can certainly argue that any slowing in the breakneck pace of human economic development is good news if it retards the rise in greenhouse gas emissions, the expansion of human habitat into areas occupied by other species, and the depletion of shared resources such as water.<br />But conservation projects such as Song of the Whale will be casualties; and in a world where we are often struggling to understand what is already on the verge of being destroyed, they are losses we can ill afford."<br /><br />We can have economic development without the rise in carbon and greenhouse emissions, without hurting wildlife and plantlife, and without using up resources. There is an alternative, totally green energy source. For more information, please see <a href="http://www.campaignforgreen.com/"><span style="color:#003300;">www.campaignforgreen.com</span></a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0