Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars Arrive
| EDF Puts Faces On Climate Action EDF launched a photo contest today inviting concerned citizens to submit photos of themselves, their family, even their pets wearing their favorite hat and holding a sign calling for a national cap on carbon pollution.This is a fun way to deliver a serious message: Our planet is in crisis and we need to act now.A [.] |
| Show Us Your Carbon Cap! We’ve invited you to show us your carbon cap by picking your favorite hat and sending us a "Cap Carbon" picture.Check out what we’ve gotten so far, and comment below to let us know what you think makes the best picture. Is it the funniest hat? The best slogan?And don’t forget to upload a picture [.] |
| The Superb Grid vs. the SuperGrid Please see the article by Sam Carana on how a larger and simultaneously more local grid can be implemented, to capture as much of the electricity being generated as possible. Read about how many parts of Europe already have surplus electricity and countries are linking their grids together toimprove efficiency.  |
| REACHing for nano Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.In a previous post, I argued that the European Union’s REACH Regulation for chemicals goes a long way to address the regulatory needs for nanomaterials - despite the fact that REACH never mentions nano and was not developed with nano in mind. I also noted, however, that REACH will [.] |
| Jackson: EPA Seeks Clarity in Rules, May Regulate Animal Waste Lisa Jackson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator, asserted at a forum for the PBS Frontline documentary Poisoned Waters that new legislation is needed to strengthen EPA’s authority to control pollution and protect local rivers, streams, and wetlands. Jackson, speaking at the National Press Club, said that court decisions had left “murkiness” about EPA’s authority to enforce some mandates of the Clean Water Act. She said EPA would seek new legislation to “clarify” its authority to take action on smaller waterways. |
| Open Source Treadle Pump Treadle Pump PrototypeA team of students from the University of Michigan BLUELab produced their first prototype of a treadle pump in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala last week. There are currently many treadle pumps patented and manufactured by NGOs, but the BLUELab pump is unique in that all the drawings and specifications are available online for free. [.] |
| The race to reinvent energy Less than a year ago, candidate Barack Obama promised an about-face in the nation’s environmental policies. The economic stimulus bill passed in February, with its intention to slash America’s dependence on fossil fuels, represents the government’s biggest commitment to environmental protection in years. But major hurdles still lie ahead.“This is a stunning departure from the past eight years,” says Environmental Defense Fund president Fred Krupp. “Between the stimulus bill and the climate legislation taking shape in Congress, we’re opening a new chapter in the fight against global warming.” EDF helped shape the final stimulus package, which includes the following:
Now we and our allies must win support from Congress for strong climate action. We’ve enlisted strategic partners in labor and manufacturing to help show Congress that a cap on global warming pollution will create vibrant industries and jobs.Pennsylvania steelworker, Pagan was looking for more job stability. With a little training, he easily stepped into a new career assembling the structural backbones of wind turbines. “It’s a new industry,” he says. “There’s opportunity here.” “Our nation is rich with a skilled workforce that is waiting for the economic opportunity that cap-and-trade legislation will bring,” says Krupp.How climate action will affect jobs is the subject of a pitched battle that may determine the fate of climate legislation. Opponents in the oil industry and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are again spending millions to mislead Americans with the falsehood that climate policy is too expensive in a recession. Similar arguments about gas prices stymied a climate bill in 2008.This time, however, we are in a position to win. “In the fight for climate change legislation, we have advantages we’ve never had before,” said Krupp. “We have solid majorities supporting legislation in both houses of Congress. We have sympathetic committee chairs to guide the action. And we now have a president who understands the nature of the emergency. The stars are aligning at just the right time.” |
| Toyota has the most fuel efficient line of cars in the US Toyota, as reported by Jamie Lendino of ExtremeTech, has the most fuel efficient line of cars in the US, with an average of 29.7 mpg for actual vehicles sold. Results are based on the 2007 model year. Discussion in the forum goes into upcoming offerings from Honda and VW, but they have to [.]  |
| Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars Arrive Hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars are now in the hands of consumers, with more on the way. These custom-made cars from Chevrolet, Honda and BMW are paving the way for production models of the future.  |
| Press Release: Environmental Defense Fund Welcomes Shift in Tone as Bonn Climate Talks End, U.S. Returns to Talks FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
Andrea Welsh, 011-202-297-7723, awelsh@edf.org
(Bonn, Germany – April 8, 2009) The debut of the Obama administration’s negotiating team brought a welcome tone of seriousness to climate talks ending here today, but delegates must return in June with concrete proposals to allow for a new global deal in 2009, U.S. NGO Environmental Defense Fund said on Wednesday.
“The new U.S. climate envoy brought a gust of fresh air to the talks, when he declared in the opening plenary that the United States is 100 percent committed to reaching a global deal,” said Jennifer Haverkamp, EDF’s international climate policy managing director.
“Now what we’re seeing is nations getting very serious very fast; negotiators are putting their real concerns on the table and engaging in earnest about what they need to sign a deal in December. By June we expect the U.S. to follow its welcome words with concrete proposals and positions.”
Reflecting the sense of urgency to complete a deal in 2009, negotiators agreed in Bonn to add two additional sessions before the December climate summit in Copenhagen, where they expect to sign a new global agreement.
EDF’s international counsel Annie Petsonk noted there are still substantial differences in positions to resolve and big decisions to be made before governments can strike a deal ambitious enough to avoid dangerous global warming.
“Resolving the many and large outstanding differences among countries will require homework and also some flexibility,” said Petsonk. “Negotiators absolutely must go home and develop concrete proposals so when they return to Bonn in June they are prepared to make some decisions. Otherwise we could run out of time before Copenhagen.”
There is no longer any question that global climate regulations are coming,” Petsonk added. “The Obama administration has called a meeting of 16 major economies in April to consider how heads of state can support U.N. climate negotiators. Now is the time for negotiators to show the world they have the knowledge and the commitment to get this job done.”
Petsonk said she was encouraged by some concrete developments seen during the two-week Bonn climate session. Delegates from dozens of nations stood up to insist that reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries (”REDD”) have a central place at Copenhagen, sharply increasing the pressure to include forests in the next global climate deal.
And in the United States, Representative Henry Waxman last week submitted draft legislation to cap U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, showing that the U.S. Congress is serious about supporting President Obama’s call to action on climate.
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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org
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