For years, governments, industry, and TV ads told us natural gas is the safe bridge fuel while we move away from dirty coal and oil.
Cornell University scientist Robert Howarth wondered "Is that true?". When Howarth found no science to back up big claims for the gas industry, he and a team from Cornell went to work.
GECO Media Release Monday 21 November, 2011
Rainforest logging breach:
Protesters on site at Survey Road
This morning conservationists have again halted logging in rainforest on Survey Road in far East Gippsland. Five logging machines have been cabled off to a treesit in the forest canopy.
“As if it wasn’t enough that VicForests had sent their logging contractors into a coupe containing precious old-growth forest; conservationists have now verified that rainforest has been logged on site as well”, said spokesperson Amelia Young.
The BBC has relegated the seventh and final episode of the Frozen Planet series presented by Sir David Attenborough to an optional extra. The seventh episode - On Thin Ice - deals with how climate change and global warming is impacting the polar regions and how it affects us all. The final episode is heavily narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
GECO Media Release 14/11/11
Tree-sit stops old-growth logging
Conservationists highlighting the ongoing destruction of old-growth forests in East Gippsland have stopped logging on the Errinundra Plateau by attaching a tree-sit to five logging machines.
The tree-sit is suspended 40 metres high in the tree canopy and is held up by interwoven rope that is tied to the equipment.
Victorian Environment groups gathered to protest the Environment and climate actions of the Baillieu Victorian State Government on Sunday November 13, 2011 on the steps of State Parliament. To highlight the direction the Government is taking Victoria's environment, the protesters marched backwards to the Treasury Gardens.
Related: Melbourne Protests report | Flickr Photos from Friends of the Earth | Takver
Background: Coalition’s 2km wind farm veto sets a risky precedent | Retreating on climate policy - Victorian Government stops discussions on Hazelwood closure | Victorian Government needs to come clean on plan to achieve 20 percent emissions cut by 2020
A Bold change of direction is needed to limit global average temperature rise to a 2 degree limit as per the commitment made in Copenhagen in 2009 and re-affirmed in Cancun in 2010, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Outlook for 2011.
Scientists have been studying the climate change impact on ice shelfs and glaciers for some time in Antarctica, and particularly around the Antarctic Peninsula where there is substantial warming occurring increasing ice shelf melt and the speed and discharge of glaciers. The most recent studies predict a faster retreat for the Thwaites Glacier and that warm ocean currents are already speeding the melting of the Pine Island Glacier and Ice Shelf and Getz Ice Shelf. A NASA Icebridge flight detected a major new rift in the Pine Island ice shelf on October 14 - the start of the calving of a massive iceberg. A recent paper in Nature Geoscience discusses the Stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet in a warming world and the likelihood of collapse that would raise sea level by more than three metres over the course of several centuries or less.
Related: Record Increase in Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2010 | The Wilkins ice Bridge collapsed in April 2009 as Polar regions felt the heat of climate change. I reported as far back as 2004 that warming in Antarctica was cause for concern with ocean food chain crashing due to Antarctic warming. More recently in April 2011 I discussed Penguin numbers suffering with krill decline due to Global Warming.
Greenhouse gases increased 6 per cent during 2010, one of the largest annual increases on record according to the US Department of Energy. In 2010 about 512 million metric tonnes more of carbon was emitted to the atmosphere than in 2009. Total emissions for 2010 were 30.6 Gigatonnes, 5% higher than the previous record year in 2008, according to an International Energy Agency report in June 2011. The latest figures put global emissions on track with the worst case projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007 report.
Related: Carbon Emissions need to peak this decade to meet 2 °C temperature goal warns new study
When I spoke to Patrick Bond, it was very hot in Durban. But it was 36 degrees C in neighboring Zambia. Bond predicts another wave of "heat refugees" will flee Zimbabwe into South Africa.
Durban is the site of the next Conference of the Parties, known as COP-17, starting November 28th, 2011. It is the grand gathering of the countries of the world, under the United Nations, trying to prevent serious climate damage on Planet Earth.
Media Release - Opinion - Environment updated
28 October 2011
Ya Want Koala Chips with That Ms Parker? Whaddaya mean hold the Quoll Paste?
By now everyone knows of NSW Minister for Environment and Heritage, Robyn Parker's Budget Estimates Committee alleged gaffe on Thursday 27 October 2011 that koalas are 'protected by logging'.
The "Logging saves Biodiversity" line is not unfamiliar. Forests NSW has run similar arguments frequently for decades. Take a look at this story they ran on ABC radio 6 days ago:
