Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak, and used to be covered in snow throughout the year despite its proximity to the equator. The ill-effects of global warming however, have put up a drastic picture of the mountain, whose slopes went ice-free this year; probably for the first time in 12,000 years.
(more…)

If you're new here and you like our articles, how about subscribing free for our updates via RSS feed.

On Saturday, October 24, people in 181 countries are coming together for what many are describing as the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet’s history.They’re gathering to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis.

Specifically, the web-based campaign called “350.org” is calling on people from around the world to organize an action that in some way incorporates the number “350″ at an iconic place in their community.  Then, 350.org wants people to upload a photo of their event to the 350.org website.

(more…)

If you remember in Part 1, I set the table and server up the hors d’oeuvres, appetizer plates, and salads of harnessing Herricanes (If you don’t remember, STOP!  Go back and read Part 1 before continuing).  Now I will serve up heaps of real meat and continue the anger management presentation. (more…)

India currently is the fourth largest emitter of carbon in the world, and has so far resisted any binding emission targets under an international agreement. India, and the Group of 77 developing nations have been opposing such binding targets unless they come tied with financial and technological support from developed nations which have so far led in carbon emissions.

(more…)

Kathryn Siranosian published a blog entry about Hurricane Rick and she got me to thinking.  While I believe it should be named Himmicane Rick and that has nothing to do with this article, hurricanes could be good for the energy business.

(more…)

Here’s a statistic that I bet will surprise you:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that for every one barrel of residential trash, 71 more were created before the products that produced that waste reached consumer households.

What’s more, a new report from the EPA shows that ordinary consumer products and packaging account for 44% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Can you imagine how much waste and GHG emissions could be eliminated from the production-consumption cycle if products could be re-designed to use less material, be longer life, repairable, reusable, and safer?
(more…)

I can see it now.  I wait in the airport security line, carrying my shoes, and then having to discard my $5 bottle of water I had purchased in that same airport because it was opened.  Then I go through the full body scan which can count the hairs on my butt (163 hairs last time) and 5,784 hairs… oh, never mind.

Then I get a tap on my shoulder and an attendant takes me behind a screen of another scanning machine aimed at my private parts.  Well, they were private before the last two scans.  “I am sorry, sir, but you will have to relieve yourself before you board.  Go through that door and you will find a urinal.”  After a sigh of relief, I get an automated voice from the urinal saying “Thank you for during your part to save zero point zero one two pounds of carbon emissions on this flight.”  The person next to me saved 0.02 pounds; his bladder must have been close to bursting for that reduction.

Science fiction?  Not really.  Nippon Airways is asking all passengers to relieve themselves of bodily fluids before flying on 42 flights in a month-long experiment.  They are trying to see if people will follow their instructions in hopes of saving around 11,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per month.

(more…)

The Industrial Technology Research Institute in Taiwan has developed an interesting atomic-powered source of electricity.

They have actually used this to power a touch screen hand-held video player/cell phone.

Now before you start protesting the use of atomic power (that will be a debate in future multi-part series), I am talking about using the protons (I know it still sounds like an atomic reactor) in the methanol molecule and removing the hydrogen to create power.

What you are left with is water and a little carbon dioxide.

(more…)

The article mentioned in part one, suggests you not eat meat in an attempt to reduce the greenhouse gas (methane) caused by cows.  I propose that human emissions of methane could eclipse that of the cows raised for meat if we follow that advice and limit our intake to non-meat food.

(more…)

I came across an interesting article on combating global warming.  Aside from a picture of a cow with a gas-mask device to capture cow belches, another picture (see after the jump) shows another methane capture device.  Intended to capture cow farts, I can just feel sorry for the cow.  That hose feeding the pink plastic methane storage balloon has to be uncomfortable for the cow.

(more…)