Climate change studies on volcano ash plane ban

Reuters reports that the recent European flying ban due to the Icelandic erupting volcano ash could help scientists understand the link between flight emissions and climate change.

The climate effects of jet fuel burned at high altitude are poorly understood, partly because scientists cannot often compare plane-free skies with days when many regions are criss-crossed by white vapor trails.

Scientists will pore over European temperature records, satellite images and other data from days when flights were grounded by ash -- trying to isolate any effect of a lack of planes from the sun-dimming effect of Iceland's volcanic cloud.

"The presence of volcanic ash makes this event much more challenging to analyze," said David Travis, of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, who found that an absence of vapor trails influenced U.S. temperatures after the September 11 attacks.

Read the full story: Like Sept. 11, volcano plane ban may hold climate clue

Photo from Emory Kristof / National Geographic

Flying thin is better for the environment

The New York Times reports on the problem of obese airline passengers.

This is always a delicate issue, but something that is a reality in the flights of today. Being thin, a healthy eater, and exerciser should be rewarded on a flight rather than having to be wedged next to someone who is fat and spilling over into your seat. Maybe airlines should also discount tickets for thin passengers as well as charge more for obese ones.

Although the article itself doesn't mention this, one of the comments says that overweight people use more fuel thereby being more responsible for greenhouse gas warming emissions. Thin people who fly are better for the environment.

Read the full story: Excuse me, is this seat taken?

Illustration by Leif Parsons

Icy Italian PM shows irony

Reuters reports on the ironic ice statue of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi unveiled today in the Roman Forum.

The statue is timed to melt by the start of the U.N. climate change summit on December 7 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

"Berlusconi don't be stupid -- save the climate," read the slogan on the ice sculpture, which stood next to an ancient stone statue of Roman emperor Julius Caesar.

Greenpeace said in a report accompanying its pre-summit stunt that 93 percent of Italy's energy still comes from fossil fuels. The government hopes to revive nuclear energy, which it quit two decades ago, to help cut emissions and energy bills.

Read the full story: Ice statue chides Berlusconi for being cool on CO2

Airline emissions to be halved by 2050

The Financial Times reports on the airline industry plans to halve carbon emissions by 2050.

The plan initiative set forth by British Airways chief Willie Walsh will be unveiled at the United Nations climate change forum today in New York.

"International aviation emissions were not included in the Kyoto Protocol 12 years ago," [Walsh] said. "Now we have a chance to rectify that omission -- and we must seize it."

The plan is unlikely to satisfy environmental campaigners, however. By choosing 2005 as the year from which to cut emissions, the aviation industry will be able to make its proposed reductions from a much higher base than if it had chosen 1990, the year used for comparisons by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Read the full story: Airline industry plans to halve carbon emissions

Photo by AFP/Getty images

By train, car, or bus?

The Associated Press via USA Today compiled a list to answer the question of "what's the greenest way to travel?"

It explains how to determine which form of transport leaves the smallest carbon footprint depending on distance, vehicle size and class.

Read the full story: What's the greenest way to travel?

content note: the AP now only allows subscribers to view and use their content; so that's why most of the AP stories we use here have been printed elsewhere.

Canada's boreal forest fate in government's hands

Reuters reports that Canadian politicians are saving the boreal forest on advice from environmental experts.

Only 10 percent of the forest is protected now and deforestation is a big concern. The forest covers 1.4 billion hectares (see picture above) and is "better than almost anywhere else on the planet at keeping climate-warming carbon out of the atmosphere."

The plan to preserve the boreal forest picked up momentum last year when 1,500
scientists from more than 50 countries called for its protection.

In July, the government of Ontario agreed to strictly protect half of its boreal lands and to sustainably manage the other half, with no extraction of minerals or other natural resources allowed.

Last week, Quebec Premier Jean Charest, now campaigning for re-election, pledged to do the same if he wins. Canadian businesses also have endorsed the plan, and Kallick said there is a good chance most provincial governments will as well.

Read the full story: Politicians persuaded to save Canada boreal forest

Funds infusion for electric-car company

The Christian Science Monitor's Horizons blog writes about the funding infusion of $40 million into the Tesla electric-car company.

Tesla didn't disclose the investors but hope the money will keep their eco-friendly cars in business.

"The new funding will accelerate production of the Roadster (pictured above), a sporty all-electric and heart-throb for alt-energy proponents. While there’s huge interest in the $109,000 car, Tesla has only been able to deliver on about 50 of the 1,200 orders."

Read the full story: Tesla hopes its cars can electrify industry

Wind turbines, low-flush toilets at nation's airports

USA Today reports on the eco-friendly measures some airports are adopting.

Boston Logan International (picture right) installed 20 wind turbines in July, that are expected to generate 100,000 kilowatt hours each year - about 3 percent of the airport's electrical needs.

"U.S. airlines emitted about 418 billion pounds of carbon dioxide in 2007, according to the Air Transport Association, the airline industry trade group.

But like many other industries, airports are embracing the green zeitgeist, triggered partly by better social awareness and improving technology, and made more urgent by rising fuel prices. 'If you're watching oil prices, it gives you more incentive for somebody like us to look at pilot programs for energy savings,' says Sam Sleiman, Boston Logan's director of capital programs and environmental affairs. 'The perception is that airports are pollutants, and we wanted to change the perception.'"

Read the full story: Airports go for green with eco-friendly efforts

Global warming's effects

Earth First has a poignant article detailing seven areas of the world that are being directly and direly affected by global warming.

As the global temperature increases, so does the severity of natural phenomena such as major storms like hurricanes and cyclones, insects are able to survive and prosper in climes that used to be too cold for them, and melting glaciers cause oceans to rise and create severe flooding.

Airline and car travel create greenhouse gas emissions that contribute greatly to the man-made problem of global warming.

Read the full story: 7 places global warming is smacking the crap out of the Earth right now

Offsets don't always erase carbon footprint

Reuters reports that people may be "fooling themselves" when they offset their air carbon footprint.

Critics of carbon offsetting claim that it is difficult to fully offset ones carbon footprint because different airplanes put out different amounts of carbon dioxide, the global warming greenhouse gas.

"Carbon offsetting has also had to contend with critics who say that it only creates an illusion of fighting climate change, focusing on marginal efforts such as planting trees or building wind turbines rather than tackling the underlying problem, for example by flying less or burning less coal."

A poll about the meaning of carbon offsetting by travel website Expedia found that only one third knew what it meant. One in ten thought carbon offsetting "meant to walk to work instead of driving."

Read the full story: Critics say air travel carbon offsetting too crude

Toronto to pay for green lifestyles

Environmental News Network reports that Canadian city Toronto has a new carbon emissions reducing program that will pay residents to be green.

The Live Green Toronto program is a citizen-driven project that will give grants based on people's own green initiatives:

"Activators [environmentalists working for non-governmental agencies] meet people with project ideas and collaborate with them through the first stages. If a project idea survives the idea development stage, citizens will have been granted $1,000 to $25,000 [Canadian]. They then can apply for full grants of between $25,000 to $250,000 for their projects to become reality."

Toronto's goal is to reduce their emissions by 6 percent by 2012, 30 percent by 2020, and 80 percent by 2050.

Read the full story: Toronto pays citizens hefty grants for projects reducing carbon footprint

Pope urges lifestyle changes to help environment... from his plane

Australia's The Sydney Morning Herald reports on Pope Benedict XVI's visit and urgent message to Australians (that he delivered from his plane before he landed) to save the environment by changing ones lifestyle.

This is just another ironic event (because as we all know that airplanes emit high amounts of carbon that is causing the climate to change) in the Pontiff's tenure.

Ecotravel News has previously pointed out that the Vatican has started their own airline and also have more honorably gone carbon-neutral.

The catholic leader has good intentions but he needs to start following his own advice too, even though the SMH does point out that Australia is becoming less energy-efficient.

Read the full story: Help to save the world, Pope tells Australia
and the sister story of: Nation of climate sinners

Low-cost Euro airlines + more flyers = carbon upsurge

The New York Times reports on how the popularity of low-cost European airlines has upped air travel across the continent and thus also the rise in carbon emissions.

Warm countries such as Spain are seeing the increase in weekend tourists from colder climes such as the U.K. and Germany, which although good for the tourist industry, just adds to the global warming conundrum.

The competitiveness of the budget airlines keeps the prices low as well as being much cheaper and faster than car or train travel:

"[For] many, the economics of flying cheap are proving more compelling than the environmental consequences. With prices for gas and hotels at all-time highs in Britain and Germany, it is, somewhat bizarrely, more economical to fly to Spain, even for a weekend, than to take a traditional driving vacation near home."

Read the full story: Air travel and carbon on increase in Europe

Rising CO2 threatens koala bears

Environmental News Network reports that rising CO2 levels are threatening koala bears.

The Australian Academy of Science found that high levels of carbon dioxide changes the composition of nutrients in the koalas' main diet of eucalyptus leaves:

"Koalas are fussy about the species of eucalypts that they eat as different species contain different ratios of nutrients to anti-nutrients. Some eucalypt species may have high protein content, but anti-nutrients such as tannins bind the protein so it can't be used by the koala"

Read the full story: Koalas under threat from climate change

SF Chronicle ponders green travel

The San Francisco Chronicle tries to answer the question of how to determine the "greenest" form of travel for your specific needs.

They compared and contrasted car, airline and train travel with various carbon footprint scenarios for all.

They determined that: "It's either cut back on carbon emissions in applications where it's relatively easy or decide that our only truly green alternative is to stay home."

Read the full story: No easy answer to "greener" travel mode

Sting and wife eco-hypocrites

Britain's tabloid Daily Mail reports on the apparent eco-contradictions of musician Sting and wife Trudie Styler. It would be one thing if the couple weren't so in-your-face about their do-goodiness, but these two are always leading the pack on eco-high-holiness.


In this ad for an organic yogurt, Styler lends her face and the words:

"I'm committed to protecting the rainforest and the people who live there..."

But according to the DM report they travel extensively by private jets and a "fleet of cars" between their - count 'em - seven homes. Their carbon footprint has even been estimated to be 30-times the average Briton's.

Their so-called environmental commitment sounds like robbing someone of $100 and giving them back $5...

Sting even admits to having "a huge carbon footprint."

An eco-hypocrite by any other name would smell just like - well - Harrison Ford.

Read the full story: 'It's true - we're hypocrites...'

Houston tops U.S. air pollution emission study

Reuters via the Environmental News Network unveiled the findings of a carbon dioxide emission study and named the top 20 worst offending U.S. cities.

Unsurprisingly cities with major traffic and/or oil business were the largest offenders.

The Vulcan report, funded by NASA and the Department of Energy (DOE), named the Houston area number one with CO2 emission at 18.6 million tons and Los Angeles area a close second with 18.59.

Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit complete the top 5.

Read the full story: Houston, LA named top CO2 polluters