Mediterranean nations agree to combat climate change

Study: Space tourism could drive climate change
Researchers have some potentially troubling news for the nascent Space-tourism industry and for the planet. A new study finds that soot emitted from suborbital rockets the kind the Virgin Group hopes to fly commercially in Space soon could prompt important climatic Changes. The paper, accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters , explores the potential effects of high-altitude emissions from the 1,000 flights that could eventually occur every year. Rockets are the...

Seeking Crowd-Sourced Climate Pacts
A couple of years ago, the Center for Collective Intelligence (I wonder about the potential for this every day in running a blog) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology launched the Climate Collaboratorium. The goal was to split the Climate challenge — a “ super wicked ” lacework of science, policy, Diplomacy and economics — into manageable parts and foster productive online discourse aimed at distilling solutions. I included the project in a roundup of online...

Colorado Climate Scientists Tell Ken Buck: Global Warming Is Not A ‘Hoax’
Colorado Climate Scientists Tell Ken Buck: Global Warming Is Not A ‘Hoax’ Colorado’s Climate scientists — among the world’s leaders in the field — have sharply dismissed the assertions made by the state’s Republican Candidate for the U.S. Senate that Global Warming is a “Hoax.” Colorado is a hub of American Climate Science, home to the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the Natural...

Big Methane Biogas Blowout Planned for U.S. Farmers
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture are teaming up to help farmers invest in Methane biogas recovery , to the tune of $3.9 million over the next five years. The new funds represent a big push for a rapidly growing trend that enables farmers to reclaim a Renewable Energy resource, cut their utility costs, and take a big chunk out of their Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The new partnership aims to expand the existing AgStar program for reducing Methane...

Obama Administration Issues New Emission Standards For Trucks
The White House issued new rules for heavy vehicles like "tractor-trailers, buses, delivery vans, heavy pickup trucks, cement mixers." They will have to reduce fuel consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 10 to 20 percent, depending on the type of truck, over the next eight years. The rules were issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, and they don't need Congressional approval, which is good for Obama because Republicans have a tendency to not believe in man-made Global Warming....

Obama aims for tougher fuel economy rules for big vehicles
The Obama Administration has announced plans to develop more strict rules regarding the fuel economy of big vehicles such as school buses, garbage trucks, and delivery vans. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department are moving forward with a fuel economy concept for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The first models to be subject to the new rules will be those produced in 2014. Proponents of the Regulation hope for 20 percent less Greenhouse Gas Emissions and fuel...

LAT/USC Poll: Climate Change Bites eMeg's Backside
Long ago, Calbuzz suggested that Meg Whitman made a strategic blunder during the Republican Primary when, in an effort to look conservative enough to beat Steve Poizner, she came out swinging against AB 32 , Californias pioneering Greenhouse-gas reduction law. Our point was simple: she had alienated independent and moderate Voters who tilt the balance of power in California because, for them, protecting the environment is an important cause. Whitman tried to soften her outspoken...

EPA head: New carbon controls on big trucks and buses 'win for planet'
The Obama Administration on Monday continued its push to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Vehicles, proposing the first-ever Emissions limits for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses. The joint requirement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would require a 20 percent cut in Emissions and fuel use from long-haul tractor-trailer trucks for model years 2014 to 2018. This will be a win-win-win, for reducing oil...

Gov't Pushing More Fuel Efficiency for Trucks
Monday, October 25, 2010 By Ken Thomas, Associated Press Washington (AP) - Future generations of semi-trucks, school buses and large pickups will need to cut Fuel consumption and Emissions by 10 to 20 percent under first-ever Fuel Efficiency rules for trucks announced Monday by the Obama Administration. For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department released proposed Fuel economy requirements and reductions in tailpipe Emissions for medium- and...

Stinky Renewable Energy Source Creates Smog
California is the nation's largest Dairy state, which means that while cows there produce a lot of milk, they also produce something else — Methane gas. And Methane is a powerful contributor to Climate Change. Some farmers, at a great up-front cost, are capturing the gas and using it to create Renewable Electricity for their Farms. But by solving one environmental problem, they're running headlong into another. Double-Edged Sword For nearly 100 years, John Fiscalini's family has run a...

Reports: Turkey asked U.S. not to share missile defense intel with Israel
Last week, Defense Secretary Bob Gates told the American Turkish Council that the United States was not pressuring Turkey to accept NATO's plans to place Missile Defenses in Turkey. But he added, the United States is looking to Turkey to vote in favor of the Ballistic Missile Defense System at the NATO summit in Lisbon next month. "The U.S. has engaged Turkey in political and Military dialogue on its potential technical and operational contributions should NATO adopt this...

AP interview: Israeli general wants to revive Gaza without Hamas getting credit
Tel Aviv, Israel — The Israeli general who controls the gates of Hamas-run Gaza says he is pursuing a complex and delicate strategy: enable exports from and development in the impoverished Palestinian territory while somehow preventing the Islamic Militants who rule it from getting credit for any progress. In an interview with the Associated Press on Monday, Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot said Israel seeks to work with Hamas' rival, the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority of Prime Minister...

Video: And now an important message on climate change from James Cameron
Via Breitbart , to cleanse the palate, a salute from the makers of “Not Evil, Just Wrong” to the man responsible for “The Terminator,” “Aliens,” “Titanic,” “Avatar,” and a larger Carbon Footprint than you or I could produce in a thousand lifetimes. Consider this payback for Brave Sir Robin calling Climate Change skeptics “swine,” taunting them to put up or shut up in a debate, and then scurrying away once the debate...

Obama aims to toughen big-vehicle mileage rules
Washington — Future tractor-trailers, school buses, delivery vans, garbage trucks, and heavy-duty pickup trucks would have to use less Energy under Fuel-efficiency rules proposed by the Obama Administration — the first ever for such Vehicles. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department are moving ahead with a proposal for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, beginning with those sold in the 2014 model year and into the 2018 model year. The plan is expected to...

DOT, EPA Propose Nation's First-Ever Emissions, Fuel-Efficiency Standards for Trucks and Buses
Posted by Secretary Ray LaHood on October 25, 2010 at 02:22 PM EDT Today, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and I proposed the first national standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency for medium and heavy-duty trucks, vans, and buses. This is a historic first step to address categories of vehicles previously excluded from America's corporate average Fuel economy guidelines. Currently, the vehicles we propose covering account for 20% of the transportation sector's...

Obama aims for tougher fuel economy rules for big vehicles
The Obama Administration has announced plans to develop more strict rules regarding the fuel economy of big vehicles such as school buses, garbage trucks, and delivery vans. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department are moving forward with a fuel economy concept for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The first models to be subject to the new rules will be those produced in 2014. Proponents of the Regulation hope for 20 percent less Greenhouse Gas Emissions and fuel...

Government to propose truck fuel efficiency rules
Source: Associated Press Plan is expected to seek about a 20 percent reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel consumption Future tractor-trailers, school buses, delivery vans, garbage trucks and heavy-duty pickup trucks must do better at the pump under first-ever Fuel Efficiency rules coming from the Obama Administration. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department are moving ahead with a proposal for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, beginning with those sold in...

Pirates seize Greek tanker off Kenya
AFP A Greek-owned tanker with a German skipper and a crew of 16 has been seized by pirates off the Coast of Kenya, officials said on Sunday. The Singapore-flagged vessel MV York, a 5076-tonne tanker en route for the Seychelles, is carrying 17 crew, including a German master, two Ukrainians and 14 Filipinos, European naval forces in Brussels said in a statement. It was attacked about 50 nautical miles east from the Kenyan port of Mombasa and initially drifted before moving at around 10 knots...

Space tourism to accelerate climate change
Soot surprise The researchers ran global atmospheric models of an injection of about 600 tonnes of black carbon per year at a single location: Las Cruces. The results showed a soot layer in the stratosphere that stays within 10 latitude of the launch site, says Ross. Furthermore, around 80% of the black carbon remained in the Northern Hemisphere, spreading out to between 25 and 45 northern latitude. The black carbon layer caused the temperature to decrease about 0.4 C in the tropics and...

Space tourism to ACCELERATE climate change...
Is that alright? If you don't shoot it how am I supposed to hold it Is that alright? Give my gun away when it's loaded

The Times They are A'Changin'
President Obama signals a more ecumenical approach to Energy Policy , one that does not rely on any sort of Climate Science litmus test: Regardless of what you think about Climate Change, here are a bunch of things that are smart to do. It will save consumers money, it will save the country as much money going into Foreign Oil imports, so let’s concentrate on things that we just know are smart to do." If we do that, we can probably get a quarter of the way there in terms of where we need...

Obama desperate to please Netanyahu -
The Obama Administration is pursuing this paltry prize as if it was staving off another economic meltdown — even as hundreds of building projects have already been started . The Los Angeles Times reported: The U.S. has been wooing Netanyahu for weeks with offers including a squadron of F-35 fighters, support for a long-term Israeli troop presence in a new Palestinian state, and a pledge to Veto any anti-Israel resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council. The U.S. also is...

Abbas: Israel been taking unilateral measures for years
BETHLEHEM Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that Israel has been taking unilateral steps for decades by building Settlements, so the Palestinians might take one of their own asking the United Nations to recognize their independent state. Abbas was replying to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who said the only path to Peace is negotiations. The threat of unilateral action indicates the depth of the crisis over Peace Talks restarted just last month...

Women Still Kept Away From Peace Talks, Contrary to U.N. Resolution, Study Says
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 By Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press United Nations (AP) - The goal of a U.N. resolution adopted 10 years ago to put women in decision-making positions at every level of Peace-making and Peace-building is not being met, according to a year-long study in six countries. The study was released Monday, the eve of a ministerial meeting of the U.N. Security Council to review progress toward implementing the resolution on women, Peace and Security. U.S. Secretary of State...

The Catholic Bishops on Israel and the Palestinians
David Goldman’s Disappearing Middle Eastern Christians, Disappointing Bishops , has stirred up a vigorous discussion already. For those who are interested, the Vatican has issued the final statement of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops. Titled An Appeal to Safeguard the Faith , it includes this on Israel: We have evaluated the social situation and the public Security in all our countries in the Middle East. We have taken account of the impact of the...