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Bear poops in woods, some observers say

Check out the "story highlights" on top of this CNN piece: • World’s poor are disproportionately affected by climate change, analysts say • Low-income groups have comparatively little influence on public policy • Burden of climate change rests with wealthy individuals, some observers say Interesting that "some observers" are the only support for that third […]

California vehicles to get global warming stickers

The following post is by Earl Killian, guest blogger at Climate Progress.

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Go shopping in 2009 in California for a new car and you'll notice some new information on the smog index window sticker. Next to the smog score will be a global warming score. The California Air Resources Board is putting the finishing touches on the program. You can see some of the details in the presentation (PDF) from their last meeting.

According to CARB, approximately 13 states have thus far adopted the California's Low Emission Vehicle regulations, which requires the smog labels. At least 11 of those states -- including New York, Connecticut, Oregon, and Washington -- are likely to adopt the new global warming labels.

Vehicles are assigned a score of 1 to 10 based upon their emissions, with 1 for the worst and 10 for the lowest greenhouse-gas emissions. However, calling it a "Global Warming Score" and having 10 be the best is likely to cause some confusion. Perhaps "Planet-saver Score" would be better?

This post was created for ClimateProgress.org, a project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

China will maintain one-child policy

Recent speculation that China was rethinking its one-child-per-family policy has been refuted by the country’s top population official, who says the family planning policy will not be altered for at least another decade.

Natural gas utilities are no friends of Big Coal

In the fight against coal, crucial support may come from another fossil fuel: natural gas. A price on carbon emissions, bane to the big coal utilities, will advantage gas utilities, at least in the short-term. As coal gets more expensive, nat gas is the cheapest alternative ready at hand. Will their contrary incentives lead them […]

Solar-panel manufacturers dumping toxic waste in China

Solar panels may look bright and shiny, but they have a dark underbelly: production of polysilicon for panels gives off a highly toxic byproduct called silicon tetrachloride. In China, where factories are rushing to alleviate a polysilicon shortage that’s cramping the global solar-panel industry, the bubbly white liquid is often just dumped in nearby villages. […]

Biodiesel company convinces B.C. restaurants to switch oils

Came across this piece about a biodiesel company in British Columbia that’s convincing restaurants to switch to a lighter, healthier cooking oil so it can buy the oil and turn it into biodiesel. And partly I’m just excited because the program, called Restaurant Green Zone, is finding the biggest success in Chilliwack! And that’s fun […]

Just ’cause

According to a new report from the Government Accountability Office ($ub. req’d), the Dept. of Defense has not yet made a good case for why it should be exempt from a suite of federal environmental laws. To hear the GAO tell it, in fact, the DOD has thrown out a bunch of broad claims without […]

Queen Elizabeth II encourages environmental protection

In her annual Commonwealth Day speech on Monday, Queen Elizabeth II had unusually pointed words regarding environmental protection. “The impact of pollution falls unequally,” she said. “It is often those who pollute the least — notably in the world’s least-developed nations — who are closest to the razor’s edge and most affected by the impact […]

Students create body paint images for anti-coal contest

Architecture and design students across the country were challenged by Architecture 2030, Metropolis Magazine, the USGBC and the AIAStudents to face it, literally. Students competed to produce the best body- and face-paint image that conveyed a "no coal" message.

Emily Bibler of Ohio Iowa State won the Face Color Award, Jackie Fabella of Cal Poly Pomona won the Face B+W Award, and Miles Courtney of Pratt Institute won the Body Award. Jackie Fabella's image will be featured in a full-page ad in the March issue of Metropolis magazine titled "Choose." These and other images will be used throughout the year to spread the word. A student's comment to Metropolis:

Geo-engineering: cooking up solutions just like nature used to make

Geoengineering may be an awful idea for reversing the warming effects of climate change, but it sure makes for a sweet subject of satire, à la this retro-style informational video. Like they say, “If you can’t fix the problem, techno-fix the problem!” After all, technology will save the world. Because we know everything there is […]