Climate Climate & Energy
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Humanity faces the fight of a lifetime against heavyweight climate change
Suppose you’d been invited to go into the ring with Muhammad Ali at his prime, for a 15-round bout. You’d almost certainly have said, “No thanks.” Climate change: down for the count. Photo: iStockphoto But what if you had no choice? Say someone had a gun to your head, and you’d be killed if you […]
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What climate scientists have learned from Western wildfires
Many wildland firefighters carry an instrument called a sling psychrometer. It consists of two encased thermometers, and is swung above the head on a short rope — making the firefighters appear not unlike David readying to slay Goliath. The instrument gives a quick field reading of relative humidity, one of the most important factors in […]
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Hot Air Act
Canadian Clean Air Act meets icy reception Canada’s newly proposed Clean Air Act — hyped as the centerpiece of the Conservative government’s green agenda — is getting booed right off the stage. The bill sets a far-out goal of cutting greenhouse-gas emissions 45 to 65 percent by 2050, making no mention of the country’s commitment […]
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How the legendary ski town is going green
Vail, Colo., is a town that’s defined by winter, when tourists from around the world descend on the area’s snow-covered slopes to ski, ride, and soak up the laid-back yet glitzy mountain lifestyle. But as the threat of global warming has begun to creep closer to the Colorado high country, Vail has been forced to […]
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Add it to the list
I know Pombo's in thrall to the energy industry and all, but this is really un-effing-believable:
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We Ain’t Got the Power
Electricity demand outpacing supply in North America Demand for electricity in the U.S. is increasing three times faster than power plants and lines are being built, says a new report from the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC). U.S. energy demand is predicted to increase about 19 or 20 percent in the next decade; in […]
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A guide to offsetting your carbon emissions
Taking a vacation to the other side of the planet is the ultimate luxury, but it’s one laced with guilt. On top of developed-country remorse, a new form of shame is beginning to stalk those of us taking “unnecessary” airplane rides: What about all that carbon dioxide spewing into the friendly but beleaguered skies? That’s […]
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The New College Try
Maine college is first to pledge carbon neutrality College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, has pledged to become the first college in the U.S. to go carbon neutral. New president David Hales announced in his inauguration speech Sunday that the tiny college will avoid, reduce, or offset all greenhouse-gas emissions generated by campus […]
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Well’s Hells
Faulty natural-gas well drowns Indonesian villages in mud and water An Indonesian natural-gas well drilled using faulty practices has become a huge human-made disaster. In May, mud began seeping through the unprotected walls of the well at a depth of about 6,000 feet; drillers plugged the well hole, but the pressure of the mud eventually […]
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Talk About the Wither
Extreme drought will spread widely over coming century, report predicts Millions of lives will be endangered by droughts affecting half of the planet’s land surface by 2100, top British climate scientists predict in a study to be published in the Journal of Hydrometeorology. And on nearly a third of the land surface, that drought could […]
