Kenya court halts $370m sugar, biofuels project

Press Release: Despite Weak Economy, New Poll Data Shows California Voters Strongly Support Policies to Implement Global Warming Solutions Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE             
Contact:
Derek Walker, (916) 492-7169, dbwalker@edf.org           
Sean Crowley, (202) 572-3331, scrowley@edf.org
 
(Sacramento, CA – June 23, 2008) Three days before the California Air Resources Board (CARB) releases its draft scoping plan for the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), a new poll shows nearly three out of four voters (73 percent) support state energy policies to reduce global warming pollution. Despite the weak economy, nearly six out of 10 voters (58 percent) support these energy policies even if they result in higher prices, according to the poll commissioned by the non-partisan nonprofit research organization Next 10 (http://www.next10.org/about/press.html) and conducted by Fairbanks, Maslin, Maullin & Associates.
 
“The message from voters in this poll is crystal clear: don’t delay implementation of the Global Warming Solutions Act,” said Derek Walker, Director of the California Climate Initiative at Environmental Defense Fund, which cosponsored the groundbreaking law. “Californians understand that immediate action is needed to transform California’s economy and protect our state from global warming. Any lawmaker who supports delaying AB 32 will hear strong opposition from their constituents and is risking a backlash at the polls in November.”
 
Support for the proposed state policy package ran strong across party and ethnic lines: 
  • Nine out of 10 Democrats (91 percent), more than eight out of 10 Independents (85 percent) and more than six out of 10 Republicans (61 percent) surveyed support the state’s package of policies to reduce global warming emissions
  • More than three out of four White voters (76 percent), more than eight of out 10 Latino voters (86 percent) and more than eight out of 10 of all voters of color (86 percent) polled support the proposed package
  • More than eight out of 10 voters (83 percent) say reducing global warming will require “action from all of us, and I am ready to make some changes”

EU executive to tackle eco impact of consumerism
The European Commission will launch a raft of proposals on Wednesday to curb the environmental impact of consumerism in the 27-nation EU by supporting eco-friendly products and technology. The plan comes as the European Union moves to cut energy consumption amid soaring fuel and power prices and as part of its ambitious mid-term goal of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by one fifth by 2020, compared to 1990 levels. “This will mainly be targeted at products that use a lot of energy, such as computers, televisions, water heaters and industrial fans,” a source at the Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, said on Monday.
US Court Slaps Down Pollution Law
A US appeals court struck down landmark air-pollution regulations on Friday, shocking both environmental and industry groups with a decision that could severely hamper efforts to curb smog and acid rain.
An unexpected pain of global warming.
A new study suggests that global warming could increase the incidence of kidney stones, causing physical pain for some and economic pain for the rest of us.
Rare hydrogen producing microorganism may help unlock tomorrow’s hydrogen economy
An ancient organism from the pit of a collapsed volcano may hold the key to tomorrow’s hydrogen economy. Scientists from across the world have formed a team to unlock the process refined by a billions-year old archaea. The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute will expedite the research by sequencing the hydrogen-producing organism for comparative genomics.
Kenya court halts $370m sugar, biofuels project
A Kenyan court has temporarily halted a $370 million sugar and biofuels project in a coastal wetland that conservation groups warned would threaten wildlife and local livelihoods. The government and the country’s biggest sugar miller, Mumias, wants to plant cane on 20,000 hectares in the Tana River Delta to create jobs and plug an annual 200,000-tonne sugar deficit.
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