positive Climate and Energy news
Bicycling and Walking Benchmarking Report 2012: Bicycling is on the RiseThe Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2012 Benchmarking Report shows that bicycling is getting more popular as a method of transportation; the number of commuters who bicycle to work increased by 57% from 2000 to 2009. |
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California orders hike in number of super clean carsCalifornia, long a national leader in cutting auto pollution, pushed the envelope further Friday as state regulators approved rules to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars and put significantly more pollution-free vehicles on the road in coming years. |
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Swedish Cities Close to Building a Bicycle SuperhighwayWith all the handwringing over aging infrastructure, rising energy costs, high speed rail and other public transportation projects that are spiraling in costs, cities and towns could look at solutions that can improve mobility and do not the bust the budget: bicycles and bicycle paths. |
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European Carbon Regulation for Airlines Takes Off2012 started with some good news. On Sunday, the European Union began charging all airlines flying into and out of Europe for their carbon emissions. Covering a third of all global flights, this new scheme is one of the widest-reaching measures adopted lately by any country or regional bloc to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. |
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Solar’s Best Quarter EverFor the third quarter of 2011, solar installations in the U.S. broke a record: 449 megawatts of new capacity in just three months, according to a report by the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA). |
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Victory! Facebook ‘friends’ renewable energy
via Green Peace |
Mon December 19, 2011 |
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US Coal Plant Pollution DownBreathe easier, sulfur dioxide pollution from coal plants in the eastern United States dropped by nearly half compared to 2005 levels, reported a team of researchers in Geophysical Research Letters. |
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Harnessing desert sun to power EuropeIt is a beguiling idea - harvest sunshine, and a little wind, from the empty deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, and use it to produce clean power for the region and for Europe. |
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Australian carbon tax passes into lawAustralia's carbon tax has finally received approval from the country's Senate after years of bitter political wrangling. The Australian prime minister Julia Gillard called it one of the most important environmental and economic reforms in Australia's history. |
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Obama Administration bows to pressure, delays tar sands pipelineIn what can only be described as a major victory for green activists, the Obama Administration has announced it will delay a decision on TransCanada's controversial Keystone XL pipeline for 12-18 months. |
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Is Greener Air Travel on the Horizon?Technological progress is impossible to predict, but it's safe bet that we won't be flying solar- or wind-powered airplanes anytime soon. So the best hope of flying without emitting large volumes of greenhouse gases lies with biofuels. |
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Rating Your Toaster’s Lifetime CostsWhen shopping for appliances, it’s easy to compare prices, but what about the cost to actually run a toaster, coffee maker or blender? A new testing service aims to do just that. |
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Skeptics catching up on climate scienceA vocal global warming skeptic UC Berkeley professor Richard Muller is surprised to learn he was wrong. |
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Virgin claims its new jet fuel will have half the carbon footprint of othersVirgin Atlantic Airways is planning to capture gases from steel mills, to create a new low-carbon jet fuel. |
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Environmental news headlines
- EU to ban pesticides in bee scare
- New law to protect Puerto Rico leatherback turtles
- China, world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, will tax carbon
- New wind power cheaper than coal or gas in Australia
- Gorillas to Be Protected with New Congo National Park
- From the brink of extinction: elephant seals stage remarkable comeback
- Nations agree on legally binding mercury rules
- Six million turn out for global garbage clean-up
- Obama triples area of protected California coastline
- Swiss Parliament Passes Plastic Bag Ban
- This week, a shark sanctuary the size of Australia has been established
- French move boosts shark sanctuaries
- Canada introduces new rules to curb future vehicle emissions
- Brazil says Amazon deforestation at record low
- Australia outlaws illegally-logged wood from abroad
- Tokelau islands shift to 100% solar energy
- Another city in BC bans shark fins
- EU on track to exceed Kyoto emissions goal
- Victory for Forests: Disney Stands Up for Endangered Forests and Animals
- new mammal menagerie uncovered in remote Peruvian cloud forest
- more