• Vitter of sea-rise-threatened Louisiana: “I do not think the science clearly supports global warming theory”

    Updated: 2010-10-31 13:55:32
    The state that stands to suffer the most from human-caused climate change has elected leaders who want to stop efforts to avoid its inundation (see “Sea levels may rise 3 times faster than IPCC estimated, could hit 6 feet by 2100“).  That’s true of the Governor and presidential hopeful (see “Jindal tries to block [...]

  • Weekend Open Thread

    Updated: 2010-10-30 01:26:54
    For two weekends in a row, this new CP feature has garnered 99 comments.  I’m hoping we can get to triple digits in this thread. It’s a chance for you to post links to interesting weekend news/links.  Or opine on whatever’s on your mind.  Or suggest topical topics that CP should cover [...]

  • Climate Hawk Baron Hill: ‘The science is overwhelming’

    Updated: 2010-10-30 01:20:30
    This is God’s green earth and we ought to respect it. Faced with relentless attacks on his vote for clean energy legislation, Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN) slammed his critics for questioning climate science and doing the bidding of special interests who are destroying the environment.  Brad Johnson has the story and the video. In [...]

  • Now is the Time to Move Beyond Petroleum

    Updated: 2010-10-29 19:24:55
    Thanks to Bianca Jagger, whom I met at the Peak Oil Conference for alerting me to her Huffington Post article. In her talk at the conference, she emphasized the problem of population growth, as you will see below. ———————- Today we stand at a crossroads in history. The warnings from our most respected scientists are [...]

  • World Series and Prop 23 update: Californians want to defeat both Texas Rangers and Big Texas Oil

    Updated: 2010-10-29 15:12:22
    So far, the San Francisco Giants are pounding the Texas Rangers in the World Series.  As a Yankee fan — there, I said it, but I was born and raised in a small town in New York — I wouldn’t normally care much who wins. But there is a delicious coincidence in this series that might [...]

  • Wolves masquerading as sheep: the fallout

    Updated: 2010-10-29 05:01:52
        Well, we’ve managed to stimulate quite a lively conversation after dropping the Open Letter about Scientific Credibility and the Conservation of Tropical Forests regarding the questionable tactics employed by Alan Oxley and his industrial lobbyist organisations. Mr. Oxley has responded with vitriol, hand-waving, red herrings and straw men, and failed to address even a [...]

  • 1 Million Children in Papua New Guinea Live with Violence

    Updated: 2010-10-28 20:05:08
    Population Media Center is developing 2 radio serial dramas for broadcast in Papua New Guinea as part of the UN’s Millennium Development Goal Campaign. We’re currently in the middle of our Writers’ Workshop, and within the next couple weeks we should be seeing the start of production. PMC’s formative research shows a critical need to [...]

  • U.S. Military: Peak Oil between 2012 and 2015

    Updated: 2010-10-28 19:16:30
    During October 7-9, I attended the International Peak Oil Conference of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas (ASPO). I expected that the presentations would be depressing, but they exceeded my expectations. One of the speakers was Rear Admiral Lawrence Rice, Director of Strategy and Policy, U.S. Joint Forces Command. He confirmed [...]

  • Can I water garden indoors for the winter? – Decorative Water Gardens Q & A – Week Ending October 30th

    Updated: 2010-10-27 19:52:01
    Your pond can be an outlet to be creative, a way to relax and a nice break from your day to day routine. Your life doesn’t take a break just because the weather cools down so why should your pond?

  • What benefits are there for aeration during the winter? – Ponds & Lakes Q & A – Week Ending October 30th

    Updated: 2010-10-27 19:41:32
    One of the best features of an aeration system is its ability to perform all season long. Your aeration system will play a major role in breaking down the leaves and debris that made its way into the pond during the fall which will promote a healthier pond throughout the winter and easier maintenance come spring.

  • Catholic bishops warn of ‘civil disobedience’ over contraceptives

    Updated: 2010-10-26 16:16:14
    Raising the ante against the use of contraceptives Roman Catholic bishops yesterday warned of “civil disobedience” against the administration should President Benigno C. Aquino III fulfill a promise to hand out artificial birth control methods. In a statement posted yesterday at the Web site of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the bishops [...]

  • Good News: US Solar Power to Double in 2010

    Updated: 2010-10-25 22:08:21
    Editor’s note: Not sure why this post got pulled back into the pending queue yesterday… apologies if you clicked through and got an error page. In light of mid-October’s Solar Power International Conference, there is some great news about the industry.  The Solar Energy Industry Association  (SEIA) is reporting that solar power in the US will [...]

  • The Politics of Birth Control

    Updated: 2010-10-25 16:48:37
    Pop Quiz: Match the country with its government’s birth control news: 1) In Country A, the president pledges to provide birth control to poor couples who want it. 2) In Country B, the legislature hedges on making any commitments to providing low-cost birth control to women who want it, in the face of loud opposition [...]

  • Wolves in sheep’s clothing: industrial lobbyists and the destruction of tropical forests

    Updated: 2010-10-24 22:30:46
        As of this morning, a group of distinguished scientists (which I have had the honour of being invited to join) has released an Open Letter to be published in various media outlets worldwide. The letter addresses some of our major concerns over the misinterpretation of facts, and openly misleading statements, by proponents of [...]

  • Water map shows billions at risk of ‘water insecurity’

    Updated: 2010-10-24 16:46:42
    About 80% of the world’s population lives in areas where the fresh water supply is not secure, according to a new global analysis. Researchers compiled a composite index of “water threats” that includes issues such as scarcity and pollution. The most severe threat category encompasses 3.4 billion people. Writing in the journal Nature, they say [...]

  • The New Oil

    Updated: 2010-10-24 16:45:33
    Sitka, Alaska, is home to one of the world’s most spectacular lakes. Nestled into a U-shaped valley of dense forests and majestic peaks, and fed by snowpack and glaciers, the reservoir, named Blue Lake for its deep blue hues, holds trillions of gallons of water so pure it requires no treatment. The city’s tiny population—fewer [...]

  • World’s Rivers in ‘Crisis State’, Report Finds

    Updated: 2010-10-23 16:43:06
    The world’s rivers, the single largest renewable water resource for humans and a crucible of aquatic biodiversity, are in a crisis of ominous proportions, according to a new global analysis. The report, published Sept. 30 in the journal Nature, is the first to simultaneously account for the effects of such things as pollution, dam building, [...]

  • Yangtze River, colossal dams and famous scientists

    Updated: 2010-10-22 16:34:57
        Apologies for the silence over the last week – I’ve been a little preoccupied with some business in China. I’ll devote an entire post to my recent trip there (actually, I’m still there – Beijing to be precise), but I thought I’d just explain my absence and provide a little post to sate [...]

  • Groundwater Depletion Raises Likelihood of Global Food Crises

    Updated: 2010-10-22 14:17:11
    Thanks to the Post Carbon Institute for this article. ——————— Out of sight, out of mind means deep trouble when it comes to the reserves of freshwater stored underground. New numbers are out on the rate of groundwater depletion around the globe, and if they hold up to further scrutiny, the world is almost certainly [...]

  • Should I use a heater or aerator in my water garden? – Decorative Ponds & Water Gardens Q & A – Week Ending October 23rd

    Updated: 2010-10-20 14:48:44
    So you already know that it is important to keep a hole open in the ice that forms over your water garden during the winter months. This provides an outlet for harmful gases and an inlet for new oxygen-rich air. The question now is which device do you choose to get the job done. The good news is if you have already made your purchase for the season either one will perform excellently.

  • Moving Truck Rental Not Required – Bikes to the Rescue

    Updated: 2010-10-19 17:26:12
    Moving by Bike is Contagious Inspired by this video of a Portland, OR bike move, Nicholas Whitaker decided to help his girlfriend, Jes Schultz move her apartment by bike. Taking only two trips and about three hours, they successfully relocated her 1 bedroom apartment including futon, dresser and numerous odds and ends. This was all done using [...]

  • Three Cool Solar Power Competitions That Could Change Our World

    Updated: 2010-10-18 18:13:23
    It seems that we are finding a new use for solar power everyday.  Whether it’s grid-tie applications*, lighting*, or backup power*, solar is rapidly becoming our green energy alternative of choice.  Solar is rapidly evolving as the technology and applications for it are changing daily.  In this light, here are 3 great contests that are [...]

  • How to Turn Sunlight into Water: the Portable Solar Desalination Plant

    Updated: 2010-10-15 17:26:24
    Editor’s note: This post is sustainablog’s contribution to Blog Action Day 2010; this year’s topic is water. When island nations experience disaster (think the Haitian earthquake), the victims are often faced with a cruel irony summed up (in a different context) by the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge: “Water, water, everywhere,/Nor any drop to drink.”  Sure, aid [...]

  • Blog Action Day 2010 – Water neutrality and its biodiversity benefits

    Updated: 2010-10-15 14:31:38
    In my little bid to participate in Change.org’s Blog Action Day 2010 – Water, I’ve re-hashed a post from 2008 on ‘water neutrality’. This will also benefit my recently joined readers, and re-invigorate a concept I don’t think has received nearly enough attention globally (or even in parched Australia where I live). So here we [...]

  • September 2010 Issue of Conservation Letters out

    Updated: 2010-10-12 18:30:55
    Conservation Letters‘ fifth issue (September) of Volume 3 is now out. Some good ones here. A mismatch of scales: challenges in planning for implementation of marine protected areas in the Coral Triangle (Mills et al.) Climate change: helping nature survive the human response (Turner et al.) Protecting degraded rainforests: enhancement of forest carbon stocks under [...]

  • How can I identify my koi? – Decorative Ponds & Water Gardens Q & A – Week Ending October 9th

    Updated: 2010-10-07 21:56:50
    Koi can be found with almost infinite color patterns which can make it hard to identify which type inhabit your pond and when studying the different Koi varieties it almost feels like they are speaking a foreign language. Actually, you are.

  • When do the bacteria say it’s too cold to eat? – Ponds & Lakes Q & A – Week Ending October 9th

    Updated: 2010-10-07 18:58:37
    You’ve counted on your bacteria to keep your pond clear and muck free throughout the summer but they may soon be taking a breather as winter approaches and water temperatures drop. Although you will see a dip in muck eradicating productivity rest assured that your microbial mates are not saying goodbye for good.

  • More rain forest regeneration opportunities

    Updated: 2010-10-05 04:50:23
    Last November I wrote about an exciting conservation research endeavour (see ‘How to restore a tropical rain forest‘)  in which I am involved called the Thiaki Rain Forest Regeneration Project taking place as we speak in the hinterland of north Queensland’s Atherton Tableland. I personally have done next to nothing on the project yet (UQ’s [...]

  • Quest for cheaper pineapples in Europe results in lower wages for workers in Costa Rica as well as various health and environmental problems for workers and local communities

    Updated: 2010-10-03 23:06:00
    Pineapples are nutritious and popular. But the cheap fruit comes at a high cost. Health and environmental degradation has affected both workers and local communities. Price cuts in European supermarkets has led to wage cuts for workers already earning very little. This new article looks at some of these issues further, including a video documentary from Consumers International the followed pineapple production in Costa Rica, a major exporter. Read full article: Pineapples

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