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Japan Citizens Favor Zero Nuclear in Debate Over Energy Option

Posted by plantitfilm on Thursday, 23 August 2012 in General Environment

TOKYO -- Japan's public wants the government to phase out nuclear power according to the results of town hall-like forums to give the public a say in the debate on the nation's energy supply post-Fukushima. The forums brought together 286 citizens for two days in early August in Tokyo from...

Another Record Melt For Artic Melt

Posted by plantitfilm on Thursday, 23 August 2012 in Climate Change

Sea ice extent in the Arctic is very near to beating the previous record low set in 2007, according to the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center. Researchers told Reuters that they expect the record to be beaten by the end of month, well over a week before the melt season ends in the frozen north. ...

Top 10 states for clean energy jobs

Posted by plantitfilm on Wednesday, 22 August 2012 in Clean Technology

By Barbara Vergetis Lundin of fierceenergy.com According to research from Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), up to 37,409 jobs could be created from the more than 70 major clean energy projects launched across the U.S. in the second quarter of 2012 alone. Public transportation, electric vehicle manu...

Scientists Score Ocean Health 60 out of 100

Posted by plantitfilm on Monday, 20 August 2012 in Ocean/Seas/Coastlines

STANFORD / UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Scientists have assessed the state of the ocean and its ecosystems, and the global average is 60 out of 100. If thought of as a school report card, 60 out of 100 looks like a failing grade, but that’s not quite how the assessment should be read. “It’s better to t...

2012 World Cities Scientific Development Forum

Posted by plantitfilm on Saturday, 18 August 2012 in Sustainable Development

Promoting Sustainable Urban Development Through Urban Agriculture and Tourism The multi-stakeholder 2012 World Cities Scientific Development Forum (WCSDF) will take place 12 – 14 December 2012 in the historic city of Xi’an, China under the theme “Promoting Sustainable Urban Development through Urba...

The real question about local food

Posted by plantitfilm on Tuesday, 14 August 2012 in Buy Local

“Which is better for the environment and the economy — a tomato grown nearby or one from the supermarket?” That’s how USA Today starts off a recent piece titled “Local food is trendy, but is it really more eco-friendly?,” discussing two new books that claim to debunk the idea that it is. This argum...

Long stretch of above-normal ocean temps off NJ spawn fish tales but no jellyfish, algal bloom

Posted by plantitfilm on Saturday, 11 August 2012 in Ocean/Seas/Coastlines

Ocean temperatures along and near the New Jersey coast have averaged between five and 10 degrees above normal since late last year, a phenomenon that has intrigued some scientists and has excited area residents and fishermen. The mild winter meant that water retained much more heat than usual. When...

Studying gas drilling's effect on health suffers from lack of funding

Posted by plantitfilm on Thursday, 02 August 2012 in Human Health

Is gas drilling ruining the air, polluting water and making people sick? The evidence is sketchy and inconclusive, but a lack of serious funding is delaying efforts to resolve those pressing questions and creating a vacuum that could lead to a crush of lawsuits, some experts say. A House committee ...

Indigenous Peoples International Declaration on Self-Determination and Sustainable Development

Posted by plantitfilm on Sunday, 29 July 2012 in Sustainable Development

Indigenous Peoples from all regions of the world met at the “Indigenous Peoples International Conference on Sustainable Development and Self Determination,” from June 17 – 19, 2012 at the Museu da República in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is the declaration that will be delivered to worl...

A New Generation of Sustainable Investment, Trade and Development

Posted by plantitfilm on Monday, 09 July 2012 in Sustainable Development

Sustainability wasn't always a hot theme, particularly in the world of finance. But looking at the new UNCTAD World Investment Report, that's quickly changing. Every year, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) publishes the World Investment Report, which looks at "non-equi...

Green Design Needs Style, Not Just Substance

Posted by plantitfilm on Wednesday, 04 July 2012 in Green Design

By Andrea Newell Can green be beautiful? Logically, it would seem like green and beauty would go hand-in-hand, yet sustainable design is widely considered unattractive. Sustainable Brands 2012 emcee Lance Hosey, CEO of GreenBlueand author of The Shape of Green, a...

Pond scum gets top billing as future fuel source

Posted by plantitfilm on Thursday, 28 June 2012 in Biofuels

Algae, known to most of us as pond scum, is the most promising sustainable source of energy to meet the growing demand for juice to power everything from cars to factories, according to a major technical organization. “There is not an infinite amount of oil in the Earth and we are using it qu...

Green future for algae bio-fuel

Posted by plantitfilm on Thursday, 28 June 2012 in Biofuels

The clear sunny days and ready access to water offered by Karratha in Western Australia make it an ideal place to grow algae, it's such a good spot that Aurora Algae has just tripled the amount of money it wants to spend on a commercial algae bio-diesel plant in the town. The company announced a $1...

Ocean Protection and Rio+20

Posted by plantitfilm on Sunday, 10 June 2012 in Ocean/Seas/Coastlines

Promises made at previous summits have not delivered enough protection for the oceans — campaigners are pushing for better results from Rio+20, writes Prime Sarmiento. This month, scientists, campaigners and many developing nations are optimistic they will set in motion a deal on the conser...

Hawaii Bans Plastic bags

Posted by plantitfilm on Monday, 28 May 2012 in Sustainable Development

The Big Island of Hawaii is joining the islands of Maui and Kauai and banning the use of plastic bags. The bill won't take effect until next year and gives businesses and additional year to adjust to using paper bags. Plastic shopping bags are a complicated issue. One one hand, they're much...

Apple data center to run entirely on clean energy

Posted by plantitfilm on Monday, 28 May 2012 in Clean Technology

Apple’s massive 500,000 square-foot Project Dolphin data center in Maiden, N.C., is taking clean energy to a new level. Apple has confirmed its commitment to environmentally responsible business practices with the announcement that the facility will be powered completely by clean, renewable energy b...

G8 Declarations on Short Lived Climate Pollutants

Posted by plantitfilm on Monday, 21 May 2012 in Sustainable Development

President Obama announced Saturday at the conclusion of the G8 Summit at Camp David, Maryland that the G8 leaders have committed to cutting short-lived climate pollutants to mitigate near-term climate change, save lives, and improve crop yields, and have joined the new Climate and Clean...

Our view: Protect earth year-round

Posted by plantitfilm on Monday, 30 April 2012 in Sustainable Development

Hundreds of people from throughout McHenry County donated a little of their time on Saturday to clean up community parks, wetlands, roadways and other areas in honor of Earth Day. We commend everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to help make their communities a little clean...

Earth Day 2012: The Best and Worst

Posted by plantitfilm on Thursday, 19 April 2012 in Sustainable Development

April 22 marks the 42nd annual Earth Day observance. In recent years, the week running up to Earth Day has become increasingly filled with a riotous mix of news that ranges from inspired initiatives to thinly veiled partisanship and shameless exploitation. As a journalist wh...

Clammers on front lines of climate change

Posted by plantitfilm on Friday, 09 March 2012 in Fishing

ROCKPORT — When it comes to the acid-base balance in human blood or ocean water, a small change can mean a lot. That was the message presented at a March 3 seminar at the Maine Fishermen's Forum. The scale between acid and base conditions is expressed using the term pH, on a range fr...