Earth Activism

Hertz Says it needs More Electric Vehicles

Car rental company Hertz has been providing electric vehicles for a year and says it needs more to meet the demand of companies wanting to hire them. The head of public affairs and communication, Rich Broome, told GreenCarReports that they have around 50 electric cars at the moment and could use another 2,000 to 3,000.

Hertz has electric vehicle rental programs in New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and London, where they offer the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt and Smart Electric Drive. It has found consumer demand to be steady but corporations have been far keener than ...

Pork Most Consumed, Poultry Production growing Fastest

 Some further highlights from the research done by Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet project for Vital Signs Online

• Pork is the most widely consumed meat in the world, followed by poultry, beef, and mutton.
• Poultry production is the fastest growing meat sector, increasing 4.7 percent in 2010 to 98 million tons.
• Worldwide, per capita meat consumption increased from 41.3 kilograms in 2009 to 41.9 kilograms in 2010. People In the developing world eat 32 kilograms of meat a year on average, compared to 80 kilograms per person in the industrial world.
• Of the 880 million rural ...

China and Iran plan Solar, Wind and other Power Developments

The Deputy Governor-general of China's Hebei province Zhang Qingwei, following a meeting with the Governor-general of Iran's East Azerbaijan province Alireza Beigi, said that China was interested in joint venture projects with Iran in constructing solar, wind, gas and hydroelectric power plants.

Zhang told journalists, “In addition to cooperation in developing new energy sources in this province, China is also eager to invest in the mining sector and in the car manufacturing and construction industries in (northwestern Iran’s) East Azerbaijan province,” as well as cooperation with Iranian companies in railway construction and irrigation projects, including channeling water ...

Little Blue Penguins And the Rena Oil Spill in New Zealand

There is no 'good' time for an oil spill to happen. But for the little blue penguins of Mount Maunganui this is breeding season, and the timing of the Rena oil spill in the Bay of Plenty could not have been much worse.

Locals put the number of breeding pairs of little blue penguins in the area at around 200 to 300. Their burrows are being monitored daily by the Oiled Wildlife Response Centre to help the birds survive this environmental disaster.

Whilst these nocturnal penguins may not appreciate such close attention as they incubate their eggs, the monitoring is ...

Arctic Ice, How Low Can it Go?

Every year a new group of figures come out, and every year those of us who track global warming (aka climate change ) are a little bit more concerned about the loss of Arctic Ocean sea ice, and how that loss will affect populations in both the short- and long-term.

This year’s figures, courtesy of NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S.), show that ice continues to melt, this year reaching its second-lowest level since scientists began keeping records.

These records, which are kept at the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of ...

Rena's Latest Oil Spill off NZ May be heading Towards Protected Island

A wildlife team has been sent  to an offshore conservation haven feared to be in the path of the Rena's latest oil spill. Up to 10 tonnes of oil leaked from the ship overnight on Saturday and the likely path of that oil is Tuhua Mayor Island. The island is 36 kilometres away and the oil may reach there by Wednesday this week.

The island is protected and right now is when many marine bird species on the protected island are nesting or feeding chicks.

Aerial observation flights would today monitor the fresh spill and track its trajectory.

A ...

The Rise Against Keystone XL

A 10 minute video outlining some of the action and passion against the Keystone XL pipeline. The next step is November 6 in Washington, DC, where thousands of concerned citizens will gather to implore President Obama to say no to the pipeline and attempt a symbolically powerful encircling of the White House. For  more info on the November 6 action; or to find out more about  the Tar Sands;or join the Tar Sands Action Facebook page for updates; or organize a Tar Sands event in your community

Japan Can Replace Nuclear with Renewables -Schroeder

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, a leading proponent of Germany phasing out nuclear power, has said that in the wake of Japan’s disastrous 11 March Fukushima nuclear accident that the country can both phase out nuclear power and become a pioneer in sources of alternative energy.

In an interview with Mainichi newspaper Schroeder said, "Japan is in a position where it is technologically capable of forming different energy policies. Japan could become a pioneer in energy other than nuclear power. Even risks of less realistic dangers like terrorism or airplane accidents must not be ruled out if there is ...

Smoking As a result of Early Life Stress

Early childhood adversity increases the likelihood of developing nicotine addiction in later life, according to a study published online this week in Neuropsychopharmacology. The work suggests that this adversity may have a different effect on women and men, especially in the presence of a certain genetic alteration.

            The predisposition for nicotine addiction is known to be heavily influenced by genetics, but little is known about the combined effect of genetics and environment on cigarette smoking.

Joel Gelernter and team surveyed 2,206 European-American participants about smoking behavior and childhood trauma, such as physical abuse or witnessing a violent crime. They ...

Midland School at Bioneers Conference

Midland School, that small college preparatory boarding school in Santa Barbara’s back yard, that school where students bring axes rather than cell phones, splashed into the spotlight as a “school of our times” on the big stage at the 22nd Annual Bioneers Conference at the Marin Civic Center this past weekend.  Bioneers is a thriving network of  innovators and leaders working to make the human experiment on Earth sustainable, and grounded in biological, ecological, and indigenous wisdom. 

Bioneers is a nonprofit educational organization that highlights breakthrough solutions for restoring people and planet. Since 1990, Bioneers has acted as ...

Top California Strawberry Growing Regions See No Decrease in Banned pesticide

Despite a ban on the pesticide, according to an article from New America Media, levels of methyl bromide in many of California’s top strawberry-growing regions remain almost as high as they were ten years ago.  The fumigant was supposed to have been phased out by 2005, but in 2009, the latest year for which data is available, use of methyl bromide was down only 50 percent from 2000.  While a small amount of methyl bromide can still be used in situations where there is no alternative—a decision determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—the New ...

Belarus Wants to Construct Nuclear

Belarus has announced that it is seeking foreign tenders to construct two nuclear power plants within the next decade in a contract worth $9 billion.

Belarusian Ambassador Designate to South Korea Natallia I. Zhylevich told journalists, "These reactors will give us 25 percent of what we need by the time they are completed. Twenty-five percent is good but it's not enough, plus we are right in the center of Europe, all the countries around us need electricity. Today, people understand that without nuclear power plants we will not be able to develop. We are a developing economy and we ...

Sterile Male technology Used to Wipe Out Undesirable Species

Not so long ago a weapon the size of a hypodermic needle was released in Juazeiro, Brazil, in the state of Bahia.

The weapon operates under its own power. And in fact it looks more or less harmless, but once released it will spell the death of an entire species which has been on earth for the past four million years.

The weapon is a mosquito. A male mosquito, but he won’t complete his mission by killing, which is the usual method of waging war. He will complete it by making love. To female mosquitoes, who as a result ...

Rethinking Migration

 Human migration in response to environmental change can be beneficial and, in some circumstances, should be enabled, rather than constrained, say Richard Black, Stephen R. G. Bennett, Sandy M. Thomas and John R. Beddington in a Comment in Nature. The article is linked to the authors’ report on migration and environmental change — released on 20 October.

Investigating the likely movement of people both within and between countries over the next 50 years, the UK government’s Foresight report contends that migration will offer opportunities as well as challenges. Moreover, the greatest risks could be borne by those who are unable ...

Washing Machines -An Unexpected Source of "Microplastic" Pollution

Scientists are reporting that household washing machines seem to be a major source of so-called “microplastic” pollution — bits of polyester and acrylic smaller than the head of a pin — that they now have detected on ocean shorelines worldwide. Their report describing this potentially harmful material appears in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Mark Browne and colleagues explain that the accumulation of microplastic debris in marine environments has raised health and safety concerns. The bits of plastic contain potentially harmful ingredients which go into the bodies of animals and could be transferred to people who consume fish. Ingested microplastic can transfer ...

Thailand Another Flooding Victim After Pakistan- Who Will Be Next ?

According to Thai authorities the capital Bangkok is still facing a threat of flooding if it is hit with more heavy rains.  Intense relief efforts are underway after the worst flooding in decades swept two-thirds of the country, swamping farmland and factories and leaving 300 people dead.Thailand, like much of Southeast Asia, has been experiencing an unusually long wet season this year - the worst in 50 years.

Monsoon downpours that began in July have inundated two-thirds of the country, and some areas remain under more than 6 feet (2 meters) of water that is unlikely to dissipate for weeks ...

We are Smarter and Less Violent -says Stephen Pinker

Believe it or not, we are getting smarter ― and, as a direct result, less violent, argues Steven Pinker in a Comment in Nature this week, which is adapted from his new book "The Better Angels of our Nature- Why Violence has Declined"

        Even though it may feel as if we are constantly surrounded by violence, previous centuries had it much worse — then, collapsing empires, horse-tribe invasions, slave trades and annihilations of native peoples were not unusual. Life before civilization was even bloodier. Estimates suggest that about 15% of people living in non-state societies died violently — five times the proportion of ...

Pakistan's Power Minister's Job in Jeopardy

The ongoing energy crisis in Pakistan may lead to the removal of Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar over his seeming inability to resolve the situation.

Because of constantly rising demand and an obsolete power infrastructure increasingly severe electricity shortages are occurring, which are causing widespread rolling blackouts that have stifled industrial production and occasionally caused protests and rioting, as the outages can last 6–8 hours a day in the cities and many more in the rural areas.

Government sources speaking on condition of anonymity remarked that President Zadari and the Finance Ministry are increasingly annoyed over ...

Your Laptop? How does it do in the Green Stakes?

Ethical Consumer magazine today publishes the world's most comprehensive green and ethical buyers' guide to laptops and netbooks.

The buyers' guide ranks 26 leading IT brands across 23 ethical and environmental categories and presents them in a simple ranking format. The unique twist is that web users can customise the rankings to accurately reflect the issues that they personally feel passionate about.

The result is that for the first time consumers can easily identify and support those companies whose green credentials they agree with and avoid the companies that are falling behind on the green agenda.

The buyers' guide ...

New Condoms- A whole New Meaning to Brands

New Condoms,  is an interesting  blog where Max Wright,  has been photoshopping  the tag lines of well known brands onto condom wrappers with some interesting results. 

And as we look forward to a month when the seven billionth baby will be born on earth we thought they added a whole new dimension to condoms.

But mainly cos we just had a good laugh. Thanks Max.

EP certification Continues to Elevate the Environmental Profession

The environmental sector encompasses a wide range of professions with various backgrounds, bringing diverse talent to the industry, but also creating speculation around the qualifications of its workforce.  Industry leaders recognized that in order to separate the self-proclaimed experts from the real ones a third party certification process was needed.
Read the Original Article @ [Environmental News Network] - or

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Wins 2011 Rubber Dodo Award

TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity named the U.S. Chamber of Commerce the recipient of its 2011 Rubber Dodo Award on Friday. The award is given annually to those who have done the most to drive endangered species extinct.
Read the Original Article @ [Environmental News Network] - or

Conservation Groups' Statement on Court Ruling Regarding Endangered Species Act Protection for Polar Bears

WASHINGTON— A federal judge struck down a Bush administration rule Monday that exempted greenhouse gas emissions from regulation under provisions of the Endangered Species Act. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled that the Department of the Interior violated the environmental review provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act when it issued a special rule that excluded from regulation activities occurring outside the range of the polar bear, such as greenhouse gas emissions from polluting facilities like coal plants.
Read the Original Article @ [Environmental News Network] - or

Community Environmental Center to Celebrate Weatherization Day

Community Environmental Center to honor founder Richard Cherry at Weatherization Day Celebration on November 1 Queens, NY – October 18, 2011 – Community Environmental Center (CEC), the nonprofit organization that is the largest supplier of weatherization under New York State’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), will celebrate Weatherization Day on November 1 at its Long Island City headquarters.
Read the Original Article @ [Environmental News Network] - or

Illegal Fishing Threatens to Drive Eastern Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Extinct

WASHINGTON— An analysis of eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna trade data released Tuesday shows that harvests of the imperiled tuna are more than double the legal amount. This calls into question the National Marine Fisheries Service’s June decision, responding to a Center for Biological Diversity petition, that found bluefin were not endangered as long as there is a high degree of compliance with total allowable catch levels.
Read the Original Article @ [Environmental News Network] - or

Federal Judge Halts 42-Square-Mile Uranium Leasing Program in Colorado

TELLURIDE, Colo.— In a major victory for clean air, clean water and endangered species on public lands, a federal judge on Tuesday halted the Department of Energy’s 42-square-mile uranium-leasing program that threatened the Dolores and San Miguel rivers in southwestern Colorado.
Read the Original Article @ [Environmental News Network] - or

Report Outlines Top 20 Ways Obama Administration Should Improve Endangered Species Protection

TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity released a new report Thursday outlining the best ways to ensure that plants and animals protected under the Endangered Species Act get the help they need and that’s required by law.
Read the Original Article @ [Environmental News Network] - or

Suit Filed to Stop Sea Turtle Deaths From Shrimp Trawling

WASHINGTON— Conservation groups asked a federal court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to hold the National Marine Fisheries Service accountable for its role in the shrimp trawl-related deaths of endangered sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2011 alone, an extraordinary number of sea turtles — more than 1,400 — have washed ashore dead or injured in the Gulf and southeast Atlantic Ocean.
Read the Original Article @ [Environmental News Network] - or

McCain, GOP Launch Bill to Open 1 Million Grand Canyon Acres to Uranium Mining

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.— Republican lawmakers led by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) proposed legislation Wednesday to open 1 million acres of public lands that form Grand Canyon National Park’s watershed to new uranium mining.
Read the Original Article @ [Environmental News Network] - or

200-plus Miles of River Proposed to Protect Endangered Fish in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee

KNOXville, Tenn.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed Tuesday to protect 224 river miles as critical habitat for five endangered fish species in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. The fish were protected under the Endangered Species Act in August as the result of a landmark legal settlement reached earlier this year between the Center for Biological Diversity and the Fish and Wildlife Service to expedite protection decisions for 757 imperiled species across the country.
Read the Original Article @ [Environmental News Network] - or

In pictures: Images of research

Glimpses of science at work through the lens of a camera
Read the Original Article @ [BBC Science and Environment] - or

Energy inefficiency costing UK small businesses £7.7bn a year

business_green

E.ON survey suggests only a fifth of the country's 4.8 million small firms have energy efficient equipment in the workplace

Nissan says to launch plug-in hybrid in 2015

Nissan Motor Co will launch a plug-in hybrid vehicle developed in-house in 2015 as part of its new five-year environmental plan, Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said on Monday. Japan’s No.2...
Read the Original Article @ [Eco Business] - or

Report: Draft plan for global Green Climate Fund handed to UN

business_green

Reuters reports crucial draft funding proposals are ready for release at Durban summit

Tasmania better for solar power than you might think

When thinking about locations for solar farms, deserts often spring to mind – but colder climates can be just as good. A new study appearing in the American Chemical Society...
Read the Original Article @ [Eco Business] - or

Ocean Power Technologies to predict the waves for PowerBuoy

business_green

OPT announces EU-backed project designed to cut cost of marine energy and increase power supply

Public 'supports geo-engineering'

There is strong support among the public in the US, UK and Canada for more research on geo-engineering technology, a study suggests.
Read the Original Article @ [BBC Science and Environment] - or

Scotland promises funding to charge up public sector electric car adoption

business_green

Over £4m of new funding to support roll out of electric and hybrid fleets

Linn Duchaill

Uncovering an early Viking settlement in Ireland
Read the Original Article @ [BBC Science and Environment] - or

Nissan to sell plug-in hybrid by 2016

business_green

Japanese manufacturer unveils plan to sell 1.5 million electric cars and become world leader in zero-emission vehicles

Aussie farmers could fight world hunger

Australian farmers could be key to fighting global hunger and poverty, World Vision says. Releasing its latest policy report in Perth on Monday, the international aid organisation called on leaders...
Read the Original Article @ [Eco Business] - or

AUDIO: Quantum physics 'is not difficult'

Profs Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, authors of Quantum Universe, explain why we all need to know about particle physics.
Read the Original Article @ [BBC Science and Environment] - or

Scotland announces £18m investment surge for wave and tidal arrays

business_green

First minister says investment will help developers commercialise marine technology, and also unveils £2m skills boost

Epic wolf hunt caught on camera

The extraordinary endurance hunting of grey wolves has been recorded by BBC filmmakers in Alberta, Canada.
Read the Original Article @ [BBC Science and Environment] - or

Report: China to set regional energy caps

business_green

Xinhua details plan to impose regional energy consumption quotas

Controversial hydroelectric project to start construction without EIA

In Qinghai province, Yangqu county, a controversial hydroelectric station has already started preliminary construction work without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), despite potential...
Read the Original Article @ [Eco Business] - or

Mitsui to double power capacity in five years, add renewables

Mitsui & Co., Japan’s second-largest trading firm, plans to more than double its power-generating capacity within five years to profit from a global shift to spot electricity sales rather than...
Read the Original Article @ [Eco Business] - or

Immune system defect may cause ME

Researchers in Norway believe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also known as ME, may be caused by a wayward immune system attacking the body.
Read the Original Article @ [BBC Science and Environment] - or

Grow your own meat

How would you like your laboratory burger?
Read the Original Article @ [BBC Science and Environment] - or

VIDEO: Growing meat in a petri dish

Professor Mark Post of Maastricht University discusses his efforts to grow meat from stem cells under laboratory conditions.
Read the Original Article @ [BBC Science and Environment] - or