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Sustainability Outlook Headlines
Survey finds majority of the businesses in the state adopting ‘green’ practicesDespite a slow-growing post-recession economy, the majority of Connecticut businesses have embraced sustainable business practices and most view their return on investment in green initiatives in terms other than dollars and cents. Upfront costs and lack of knowledge are the two primary obstacles companies face in their efforts to go green. Date : Jun 10 Source: Acorn Online
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Obama: Sitting Out the Climate WarTalking about the Gulf oil disaster in a speech last week at Carnegie Mellon University, President Obama said we need an energy-and-climate bill because the only way the transition to clean energy will ultimately succeed is if the private sector is fully invested in this future -- if capital comes off the sidelines and the ingenuity of our entrepreneurs is unleashed. And the only way to do that is by finally putting a price on carbon pollution. Date : Jun 10 |
No quick fix on warming, says new UN climate chiefThe UN's incoming chief on climate change cautioned on Wednesday it could take until 2050 to build the machinery that will ultimately tame greenhouse gases. In an interview with newswire reporters on the sidelines of UN talks in Bonn, Christiana Figueres said she was approaching her new job with optimism tempered by hard-edged realism. "I continue to be confident that governments will meet this challenge, for the simple reason that humanity must meet the challenge. We just don't have another option," said Figueres. But, she warned, political progress on climate change... Read more.. Date : Jun 10 Source: Google
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The Emissions Trading System – putting a price on carbonEuropean Commission production: “The EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is a world first and a major weapon in Europe’s fight against climate change. The innovative system has turned carbon dioxide emissions into a tradeable commodity. They can now be bought and sold like any other of the thousands of products traded on world markets today. The scheme works by placing a limit or a ‘cap’ on the amount of carbon dioxide participating installations – currently around 10500 across the European Union – can emit every year. If an installation emits more than its allowance, it must either... Read more.. Date : Jun 10 Source: Forex Chart
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EPA Sets New SO2 StandardsA new rule for sulfur dioxide (SO2) set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday sets a new one-hour health standard, changes monitoring requirements, and modifies the Air Quality Index. Full implementation of revised primary National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for SO2 by 2020 could cost the electric power industry nearly $700 million a year, the agency said. The final rule addresses only the SO2 primary standards, which are designed to protect public health. EPA will address the secondary standard-designed to protect the public welfare, including the... Read more.. Date : Jun 10 Source: Power News
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India, Sri Lanka consider energy cooperationSri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has proposed discussions on establishing a joint information mechanism on the possibility of oil and gasfields straddling the India-Sri Lanka maritime boundary. In a joint declaration, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured Mr. Rajapaksa that this proposal would receive his government's attention and the matter could be discussed further between the two sides. The two countries also agreed to promote dialogue on security and defence issues and step up high-level military exchanges and training of military personnel. Newly recruited Sri... Read more.. Date : Jun 10 Source: Hindu
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Mexico: Don't give up on CancunWarnings from representatives from the major economies that the U.N. climate change summit in Cancun won't produce a successful outcome have angered Mexican officials. "It is irresponsible and contrary to common objective to say that we can't achieve something in Cancun," Luis Alfonso de Alba, Mexico's ambassador for climate change, was quoted as saying by India's Economic Times. "The second mistake is to say that what we can't achieve in Cancun will happen in South Africa." The global community, he added, needs to be "ambitious yet pragmatic and realistic" in the run-up to... Read more.. Date : Jun 10 Source: United Press International
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India scores as US dilutes its stand.The US on Tuesday agreed to allow verification of supported voluntary domestic mitigation actions under the United Nations framework, in a major victory for India. The US had so far been insisting on the measurement, review and verification (MRV) regime outside the UN system under the World Bank or International Monetary Fund. India had been considered soft towards the US on MRV. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had repeatedly been questioned in Parliament by the CPM and BJP for allowing international verification of domestic mitigation actions. Date : Jun 10 Source: Hindustan Times
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Climate Change Identified as Biggest Issue for Global ConsumersA global study on consumer perceptions of green brands and corporate environmental behavior reveals global differences about their top environmental concerns. A key finding shows that while climate change is important across most countries, 30 percent of Brazilians and 26 percent of Indians cite deforestation as the top issue, and in Australia, 68 percent of consumers say it’s important that companies manage water efficiently. In the United States, energy use is the biggest green issue or problem, although economic concerns are taking precedence over environmental ones with 79... Read more.. Date : Jun 9 Source: Environmental Leader
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IPCC Report on Climate Change - Physical Impact (PDF)World nations have no choice but to join forces to stop global warming, but achieving a legally binding treaty this year should not be the only focus, the new U.N. climate chief said Wednesday. Christiana Figueres said that "governments will meet this challenge, for the simple reason that humanity must meet this challenge."
Date : Jun 9 Source: Associated Press
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New Type of Power from Oceans and Rivers Potentially More Valuable than Wind and SolarOsmotic power promises thousands of terawatts of the renewable baseload electricity that utilities crave, according to a new report from Kachan & Co. Osmotic power, a form of zero emission power that’s quietly evolving, is still years from commercial scale, but proponents think it holds the promise to provide thousands of terawatts. That’s one of the surprising findings from a new report called Osmotic Power: A Primer, which identifies the early leaders and commercial opportunities in osmotic power today for investors, entrepreneurs, utilities, large corporations and... Read more.. Date : Jun 9 Source: Earthtimes
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MoEF nod for three mega power projects in SikkimThe Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has given permission for continuation of survey and investigations for three mega power projects out of six projects in North Sikkim that had been put on hold following adverse reports submitted by Centre of Inter-Disciplinary Studies of Mountains and Hill Environment (CISME) last year. The MoEF has communicated its decision to private developers and the Sikkim Government for continuation of survey and investigations for Teesta stage I (280 MW), Teesta stage II (330 MW) and Lachung (99 MW) projects. The nod had been given after... Read more.. Date : Jun 9 Source: Business Line
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State agency to implement Rs 17,000-cr Climate Change Planhe Orissa government, which has come out with a draft Action Plan on Climate Change entailing an investment of around Rs 17,000 crore, has proposed to put in place a Climate Change Agency to ensure effective implementation of the plan. "A Climate Change Agency is proposed to be put in place to oversee the progress and liaise with the Government of India, external funding agencies and different sectors for the smooth implementation of the State Climate Change Action Plan", state chief minister Naveen Patnaik said after releasing the draft Action Plan on Climate Change on Saturday.... Read more.. Date : Jun 9 Source: Sify Finance
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Shyam Saran: India and the new Energy RevolutionThe world is on the threshold of a transformational energy revolution. Established patterns of energy resource extraction and use are changing rapidly. The cumulative impact of these as-yet-incipient developments will result in very different structures of production and consumption as well as lifestyle. In his address to the US Congress in 2009, President Barack Obama declared, “We know that the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the twenty-first century.” Date : Jun 9 Source: Business Standard
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India, US Discuss Climate Change & Clean Energy in First Ever Strategic TalksAs part of the first ever strategic talks between India and the United States, high-level officials discussed various issues including climate change, terrorism, nuclear technology and clean energy. The strategic talks which concluded last week are a sign of India's growing importance as a regional as well as global super power. Signaling further that the US recognizes India's growing stature as a major strategic player, the Obama Administration expressed support for a greater role for India within the United Nations. Date : Jun 9 Source: Ecopolitology
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PM announced restoration of cuts amounting to about Rs. 400 crores in J&K Planndian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Tuesday conveyed appreciation to Omar for comprehensive presentation and well made case for the central support to the State Government on new development initiatives. The Prime Minister was reviewing development activities in Jammu and Kashmir at a high level meeting at SKICC in Srinagar on Tuesday. The Prime Minister announced restoration of cuts amounting to about Rs. 400 crores in the State Plan outlay for 2009-10. He also announced the decision of central government to dispense with the cut on PP allocations of previous year. Date : Jun 9 Source: Ground Report
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Cement firms go green, to cut down on emissionLeading cement makers such as Binani Cement, Shree Cement and ACC Cement are embracing the use of alternative fuels, energy-efficient production and new technology to cut down the carbon footprint of an industry that globally releases 5% of man-made carbon emissions. Date : Jun 9 Source: The Financial Express
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Carbon Sciences Files Landmark Patent Application for Breakthrough CO2-Based Gas-to-Liquids Fuel TechnologyCarbon Sciences, Inc. , the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform greenhouse gases into gasoline and other portable fuels, today announced the filing of the first of a series of patent applications for its highly scalable clean-tech CO2 based Gas to Liquids (GTL) fuel technology for transforming a combination of natural gas and carbon dioxide (CO2) directly into gasoline. Date : Jun 8 Source: Yahoo! Finance
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Clean Energy Investment in Emerging Markets Is GrowingA study by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) finds that clean energy investment in Brazil, China, India, and South Africa is large, and is expected to grow as regulation evolves. In his foreword to a recently published report from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), James Cameron, the Executive Director of Climate Change Capital (CCC), wrote, “The increasingly absurd distinction between developed and developing countries has to some extent fallen away. All of the countries featured in this report have made pledges and they are not conditional on specific donations from the... Read more.. Date : Jun 8 Source: Social Funds
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Talks won't arrest global warming in next decade: UN climate chiefAddressing a press conference at the mid-point of the May 31-June 11 talks here to prepare for the next climate summit in Mexico this November, de Boer said: "I don't see the (negotiating) process delivering adequate mitigation targets in the next decade. But I see it 'ever' doing it." Date : Jun 8 Source: New Kerala
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Activists dig out climate policy gaps with India's Right to Information ActClimate activists in India have discovered a crucial tool in their battle to hold the government accountable on its climate policies: the country's landmark Right to Information (RTI) Act. Passed in 2005, the act requires all government bodies to respond to citizen requests for information within 30 days. Many bodies, threatened with legal action after initially failing to respond, are now delivering information that shows big gaps in the country's knowledge and planning on climate issues, activists say. Date : Jun 8 Source: Reuters AlertNet
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Use solar energy for telecom towersWith the diesel gensets powering 3 lakh telecom towers guzzling Rs 6,400 crore fossil fuel every year, the time has come to think about solar power replacing diesel gensets, said Farooq Abdullah, minister of new and renewable energy (MNRE). “While the need for tower powering is around 3 kw the companies install gensets with larger 15 kw capacity and there is a huge market in solar by replacing the fossil fuel usage,” he said. Speaking at the seminar on mainstreaming green energy organized by Assocham, Abdullah said government would extend the entire required fillip like capital... Read more.. Date : Jun 8 Source: The Financial Express
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India Inc eyes new strategies to help cut carbon emissions by 20-25%With a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 20-25% by 2020, as a part of India's commitments at Copenhagen, India Inc is trying its best to adopt newer strategies to reach that target. In the Financial Express-Emergent Ventures India Green Business Awards on Saturday, several industry associations discussed myriad ways to cut emissions and make the environment cleaner. Take for instance the metals and mining industry. Over 95% of the green house gas emissions are generated directly by the mining industry as a result of the fossil fuel use. In this industry, energy use represents 15-20... Read more.. Date : Jun 8 Source: Financial Express
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Sulabh toilets can help reduce global warmingAn Indian innovator who plans to promote cheap toilet technology in 50 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East region says his technologies could also help developed nations reduce global warming. Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of the Sulabh movement, told the World Environment and Water Resources Congress at Providence in Rhode Island last week how his technologies could help achieve the Millennium Development Goal on sanitation to provide toilets to half of the 2.6 billion people who are without toilets by 2015 and to all by 2025.
Date : Jun 8 Source: Deccan Herald
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Universal energy needed, U.N. saysAccess to reliable and affordable energy is a key part of addressing the A report from the Earth Institute at Columbia University said access to Date : Jun 7 Source: United Press International
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