For the first time, the World Trade Organization (WTO) teamed up with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to release a report outlining the relationship between trade and climate change. The report describes the multitude of ways in which climate change and trade intersect.
The Climate Exchange: WTO and UNEP Team Up to Launch Climate Report Read More 👉
It’s in the papers and on TV. It spreads across the Internet (including this very post), and it is finding its way into the classroom. Global climate change is nothing new. And it certainly isn’t going away. Not yet, anyway.
New Report Shows that Climate Change "Literally Affects People in Their Backyards" Read More 👉
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has recently reported a link between genetically modified (GM) foods and adverse health effects. The AAEM is advising precaution because GM foods have not been properly tested for human consumption and because there is significant evidence of probable harm. Therefore they advise: Physicians to educate their patients, the
Report: Genetically Modified (GM) Crops are Harmful to Your Health Read More 👉
Leading experts at the 2009 Aspen Environment Forum called ocean acidification caused by high levels of CO2 emissions a “planet changer”, and predicted that all coral in the ocean would be in danger of dying off by mid-century if we continued to burn fossil fuel at our current rate. Ken Caldeira of Carnegie Institution, Martin
Experts Say Ocean Acidification is a "Planet Changer" Read More 👉
Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America today. As one of the first moves of his presidency, he has suspended all of former-President George Bush’s midnight regulations. The order was issued by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel directly following the swearing in of Obama. The
Bush's 11th Hour Regulations Put On Hiatus by Obama Read More 👉
Water contamination by toxic chemicals appears to be the cause of a mutation which resulted in the deaths of thousands of bass larvae in Australia. The two headed fish survived a mere 48 hours before dying off en masse. Dr. Matt Landos of the Australian College of Veterinarian Sciences specializes in aquatic animals, and says
Pesticides Cause Thousands of Fish to be Born With Two Heads Read More 👉
After completing its annual wolf population estimate, Yellowstone National Park has announced that the number of wolves inside the park has declined by 27% since the end of 2007. 124 wolves are now thought to reside in the park, down from 171. Is this a normal fluctuation?
Yellowstone National Park Wolf Population Dropped Sharply in 2008 Read More 👉
Thanks to a new program, New Yorkers will now have yet another way to compare the relative prestige of where they live within the city: air quality. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recently initiated what will be the city’s most comprehensive air quality monitoring effort to date. Rather than monitor air quality
New York City Rolls Out Comprehensive Air Quality Monitoring Program Read More 👉
[social_buttons] Nasa scientists have told government’s that a simple cut in worldwide emissions of soot could lead to a dramatic reduction in the effects of global warming, as well as preventing hundreds of thousands of deaths from air pollution. Soot contains black carbon, thought to be the second largest cause of global warming after carbon
NASA Says Cut in Soot Emissions Would Slash Global Warming Read More 👉
As coral reefs around the world continue to disappear, one Florida town has taken the initiative by investing $60,000 to stimulate coral reef growth using electricity. While there is not yet peer-reviewed evidence to suggest that using a low powered electrical current works, scientists are not dismissing the idea. The company that has been hired
Florida Town Wants to Grow Coral Reefs with Electricity Read More 👉
Living in Australia brings with it a wonderful set of environmental circumstances to live with. Not only do we have two weather patterns – El Nino/La Nina and the Indian Ocean Dipole – that are combining to lengthen our drought, but we’re one of the countries that suffer from the ever fluctuating ozone hole in
Ozone Hole Larger in 2008 than in 2007, not in 2006 Read More 👉
With the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere these days, comes the inexorable wait to see when the Arctic sea ice starts melting, and then waiting to see how far it’ll melt. If nothing else, it’s great for journalists looking for a story. For my money though, I’m a much bigger fan of
Arctic Sea Ice Annual Freeze-up Underway: thank heavens! Read More 👉
If it wasn’t bad enough that we seem to be pumping more and more in the way of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, we humans seem to be doing a pretty damn good job of eating away any chance of removing said emissions. The latest comes in a one-two punch. First of all experts are
Humans are Slowly and Steadily Destroying the Everglades and Amazon Read More 👉
Over the past few years we have sadly had to watch the Arctic ice concentrations drop significantly. Focus has been primarily centered on the Arctic Circle, but Greenland is also suffering from the increased global temperature. And now, thanks to researchers from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and the Center for Space
GRACE Acquires Accurate Picture of Greenland Ice Loss Read More 👉
This is a guest post by Meg Hamill, a freelance writer, also working at the environmental non-profit LandPaths in Sonoma County, California This summer at the University of Calgary in Canada, great strides were made in an air capture system, built to filter CO2 emissions from diffuse sources. Professor David Keith, director of the Institute
Air Capture System Can Filter Carbon Dioxide From Any Air, Anywhere Read More 👉
There is almost nothing quite as intriguing and interesting as learning of a new experiment. And while Bunsen burners and the like may be OK for some of you, for me, get me outside and in some dirt any day. A new experiment, being conducted at Imperial College London’s Silwood Park campus in Berkshire, will
British Experiments to Test Ecological Conditions in 2100, Today Read More 👉
According to a new study published in Restoration Ecology, the use of large experimental tests in the field of environmental restoration has been limited, at best. The study posits that, for restoration to proceed as a science as well as a practice, large scale experiments will have to be conducted on whole ecosystems. “Very few
More Progress Needed for Environmental Restoration Read More 👉
Sarah Palin has said many times that the polar bear habitat is safe, and there’s no need to classify them as a “threatened” species. Yet today comes word that as the Arctic sea ice melts, polar bears are finding less and less food sources and are beginning to cannibalize one another.
Palin Says Polar Bears are Secure. Science Says They're Eating One Another Read More 👉
American missiles are not the only threat to Iran’s physical stability. A geological study has found that the nation’s groundwater is running so low from decades of over-use that many parts of the country have sunk dramatically, causing damage in both agricultural and urban areas. [social_buttons]Fifty percent of the country’s water is sourced from the
Much of Iran is Sinking Due to Drained Aquifers Read More 👉
>> Welcome Readers! Did you know that Green Options has 15 sites? If you like this post, please subscribe for our main RSS feed or the Green Options Newsletter! Ever since I first saw Ernie and almost the entire felt-cast of Sesame Street do “The Rubber Duck, Duck” dance on Sesame Street, I have had
Rubber Ducks Help Track Melting Glaciers… Rubber Duck Duck Read More 👉
Under a scenario that is nothing short of fairy tale-optimistic and unrealistic, a pair of authors from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has predicted a minimum warming of 2.4° C (4.3° F) above pre-industrial levels. And even an increase that is seemingly that small, falls within the IPCC’s (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
New Analysis Predicts Planet Warming Will Lead to Massive Loss of Biodiversity Read More 👉
[social_buttons]Feral cat populations are increasing dramatically worldwide as climate change causes warm breeding seasons to stretch into winter months. Australia, the world’s Petri dish for the impacts of global warming, is reporting a rapid increase; in Melbourne alone the count of stray cats has increased to over 500,000, and the Royal Society for the Prevention
Stray Cat Population Thrives with Longer Warm Seasons Read More 👉
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), Arctic sea ice cover appears to have reached its minimum extent for the year, the second-lowest extent recorded since the dawn of the satellite era. While above the record minimum Arctic sea ice extent set on September 16, 2007, this year further reinforces the strong
Arctic Sea Ice Season Underscores Accelerating Decline Read More 👉
Friends report that Ike has TIVO-d every episode of Project Runway and refuses to change his sweatpants.
Ike Weakens to Tropical Depression, Prozac Read More 👉
By now, we’ve been well taught to view the steady decrease of Arctic ice as a bad thing; and for good reason, it is. But by now, I also hope that I have been able to teach you that, when dealing with the climate, nothing is simple. If that lesson has managed to make it
Could the Melting of the Arctic be a Good Thing for Planet Earth? Read More 👉
A new study focusing on the Southern Ocean by scientists from the University of New South Wales, Australia, in tandem with researchers from the University of Paderborn and the Technical University of Dresden in Germany, has found previously unknown gyres that could play a massive part in the planet’s climate. “The water in the gyres
New Discovery in Southern Ocean Could Have Profound Influence on World Climate Read More 👉
This is a guest post by Meg Hamill who works at LandPaths, in Partnership with The Open Space District of Sonoma County, California Monday evening, the UN’s top Climate Scientist, Rajendra Pachuari, will speak in London at a meeting organized by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), urging people to fight global warming by taking meat
UN's Top Climate Scientist Urges People to Combat Climate Change by Eating Less Meat Read More 👉
Nature has published a major analysis concluding that higher sea surface temperatures caused by global warming are creating stronger hurricanes. The net effect of global warming on the frequency of hurricane formation remains uncertain. Global warming causes sea surface temperatures to increase, but it also causes wind shear to increase, which disrupts hurricane formation. However,
New Study Concludes Hurricanes are Becoming Stronger Due to Global Warming Read More 👉
One of my passions in life is climate science and research, and I am a strong defender of the science proving anthropogenic global warming. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has long attempted to bring to the forefront the scientific facts about humanities effects on the environment. Naturally, there have been those who have
Global Warming Hockey Stick Still Viable Despite Attacks Read More 👉
According to one study released last week, your answer doesn’t matter much: even if you walk to the burger joint, your food will have its own set of wheels—and an exhaust pipe. While it’s now common knowledge that activities like driving conventional cars cause global warming, the environmental impact of what we eat continues to
How Far Would You Drive for a Cheeseburger? Read More 👉
For the first time in recorded human history, the Arctic has become an island to itself, completely separate from the landmasses that the Arctic ice normally stretches out onto. This distressingly historic event has been captured by NASA satellites, depicting both the Northwest and Northeast passages as ice free. For the past few years we
The Arctic Becomes an Island, Hurting Wildlife Read More 👉
Why is expanded offshore drilling not the lasting solution to the U.S.’s energy problems? Besides many of the other valid reasons (decades to get to market, potential environmental devastation, oil as a global commodity), Satish Nagarajaiah offers another one: Billions and billions of dollars in potential storm-related losses. A civil and mechanical engineering professor at
Expand Offshore Drilling? Three Words for You: Katrina, Rita, Gustav Read More 👉
Ever found yourself making it to the end of a week, hoping for a sunny weekend in which to lie outside or head to the beach or do some gardening, only to wake up on Saturday morning to overcast skies? I bet it’s happened before, probably more than once. Well it seems that, according to
Blame it on Yourself for a Rainy Weekend Read More 👉
A new study has shed light on the possible dangers being kept intact by the Arctic cold. According to the study, published in the British journal Nature Geoscience, climate change’s warming of the Arctic ice could end up releasing massive stores of carbon dioxide from the Arctic soil. In fact, the carbon stores have been
Arctic Cold Holding Carbon Explosion Intact… For Now Read More 👉
Fears about the Arctic melting away during northern summers are proving to be far from unfounded, with the latest reports rolling in from Alaska and Greenland showing disturbing trends. New shipping lanes are opening up through what were once icy seas near Alaska, and glaciers that have so far withstood much of what the environment
Arctic Breakup Growing Each Week Read More 👉
I am time and time again amazed at the far reaching implications that climate change is having on the environment. More than just melting ice, rising sea levels and warmer winters, looking two or three links down the chain – sometimes even more – the environment is suffering heavily. The latest consequence of climate change
Alaska’s Kenai National Forest Suffering from Climate Change Read More 👉
Since the late 1970’s, the winter storm track located above the western US has slowly been sliding north. The combination of global warming and the ozone hole have forced this change, making for fewer winter storms in the American Southwest. And according to new research from the University of Arizona in Tucson, the hotter and
Human Caused Wind Changes Drying Southwest Read More 👉
While much of the world is focused on the Arctic during this Northern Hemisphere’s summer, my own polar region is once again in the scientific news. Apparently, dramatic year-to-year temperature swings, as well as a century-long warming trend across West Antarctica, are not solely the fault of humans. Granted, we haven’t helped matters. And while
Antarctic Climate Affected by Humans and Nature Alike Read More 👉
The latest news concerning our oceans is not what you would label “good news.” Immediate and sweeping changes are necessary to slow or reverse the impact that human activity is having on our oceans. If we do not, then catastrophic problems will be unavoidable. Issues such as overfishing, pollution and climate change are just a
Oceans on the Precipice, ie, Totally Screwed Read More 👉
One of the biggest crises facing the human population is not a complete shocker. It affects countless nations across our planet, and is continually getting worse and worse. There are things that we can do, but so many of us fail to do anything. Governments are worse, prolonging worsening conditions and human lives in the
Westerners Cause Climate Change; Africans Suffer from It Read More 👉
One of the biggest problems facing meteorologists and climate scientists is the fact that we simply don’t have long term climate data. Sure, we’ve seen our planet get hotter and nastier in the last few decades, but, did it happen the same time a hundred years ago? What we’ve needed are data from the past,
16th Century British Navy Helping Modern-Day Climate Scientists Read More 👉
Probably you missed it, but last week there was a fascinating interview on the NPR program Talk of the Nation. The segment featured a scientist named David Goldberg, who answered questions about his research concerning the plausibility of storing massive amounts of carbon dioxide in basalt formations deep below the earth’s oceans. In a paper
The dead zone that grows and shrinks in the Gulf of Mexico, at the outlet of the Mississippi River, has long been on my radar. Hurricanes too, have long been on my agenda, for fear that global warming is increasing their intensity and frequency. However I never thought that I would report on both in
Hurricane Dolly versus Gulf's Dead Zone Read More 👉
Over the past 12 months there has been one big fear lingering over the environmental community. It was a year ago that we were watching the Arctic ice disappearing at a tremendous rate, and saw it slip to its lowest levels in recorded history. Subsequently, we also saw the complete opening of the Northwest Passage
Minimum Ice Record Unlikely for 2008 Read More 👉
Well, this may not be a hidden issue, but I think it is a highly under represented issue. Transportation is the leading contiributor to greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the country, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and is also the fastest growing contributor, at a time when we are supposed
The Hidden Giant #2: Transportation Read More 👉
Much has been made recently of the possibility that the Greenland ice-sheet could doom us all. Al Gore unwisely used it in his movie An Inconvenient Truth, without providing any references, saying that if the ice-sheet melted, it would raise sea-levels 6.5 meters. Of course, this is entirely true – Greenland’s ice-sheet could do this
Greenland (Probably) Won’t Destroy Earth Anytime Soon Read More 👉
It is one of the least discussed issues when we discuss solutions to the environmental crisis. It is not whether or not the food is organic or sprayed with synthetic chemicals, or whether or not it is grown locally. The underdiscussed issue is the importance of a vegetarian diet for addressing critical environmental issues. As
The Hidden Giant #1: "Food" — Vegetarianism Read More 👉
I’ve covered the fate of the Arctic sea-ice for almost a year now, watching as report after report came out spelling doom for our northern pole. At the beginning of September last year I wrote a post called “Summer Ice to Disappear by 2030,” in which I quoted Dr. Mark Serreze, an Arctic specialist at
First Ice-Free Summer Ever Predicted for Arctic Read More 👉