UN Climate change panel concludes renewable energy will be key tackling global warming

The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that renewable energy in the coming decades will be widespread and could one day represent the dominant source for powering factories and lighting homes.

"It is likely that renewable energy will have a significantly larger role in the global energy system in the future than today," said the report. "The scenarios indicate that even without efforts to address climate change, renewable energy can be expected to expand."

The report found that renewable energy — including solar, hydro, wind, biomass, geothermal and ocean energy — represented only about 13 per cent of the primary energy supply in 2008. But its growth is picking up with almost half of new electricity generating capacity coming from renewables in 2008 and 2009.

That growth will continue through 2050 with 164 different scenarios predicting the use of renewables significantly increasing as the world shifts to a low-carbon economy.

The most ambitious projected it will represent 77 per cent of global energy sources in 2050.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jeb2u2w7pOJYtxYuXq9eOmKTBxiA?docId=6765062

Global warming doesn't pass wind

While carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases continue to fill the atmosphere and global warming is continuing its affect on the world, one of the key solutions to it — wind energy — isn’t likely to be very affected. Based on the output of several regional climate models,  the  stability of wind energy production in the US seem long term, and shows that over the next 30 to 50 years the industry will be largely unaffected. Wind energy currently accounts for about 2 percent of U.S. energy production; though the Department of Energy and wind industry backers say it could generate 20% by the year 2030.


http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/03/6577306-global-warming-doesnt-pass-wind

Teens Sue Federal Government for Failing to Protect Children from Global Warming

A collection of teenagers is suing the federal government, claiming it has not taken seriously enough its obligation to protect the Earth's atmosphere from global warming. The plaintiffs include Madeleine W., a 15-year-old from San Francisco, who co-founded the Environmental Action Committee at her middle school. Her mother  is representing her. Other plaintiffs include the organizations Kids vs. Global Warming and WidEarth Guardians. According to the claim, the plaintiffs accuse the feds of not maintaining and protecting the "public trust," or the Earth's natural resources. If the government does not take action now, "our children and our children's children will suffer," the claim states.


http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2011/05/global_warming_teens_lawsuit.php

Bamboo grass may hold key to fighting global warming

The Bulacan Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) emphasized the value of bamboo in Philippine culture as well as its ability to fight the adverse effects of global warming. Recent studies show that since bamboo has a cooling effect to its surroundings, massive planting of it may serve as a “thermostat” of the environment. The study showed that bamboo trees can absorb 33% more carbon dioxide and can emit up to 35% more oxygen as compared to other trees, making it the best solution for carbon sequestration. Another characteristic of the bamboo according to the research, is that it’s the most sustainable tree because in a span of three years, it can be harvested unlike others that will take 10 years.


http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/316976/bamboo-grass-may-hold-key-fighting-global-warming

Climate Change Hinders Crop Yields, Study Finds

Global warming is substantially cutting potential crop yields in some countries — to such an extent that it may even cause food price increases. Wheat yields in recent years were down by more than 10 percent in Russia and by a few percentage points each in India, France and China and Corn yields were down a few percentage points in China, Brazil and France. Some countries saw small gains from the temperature increases, however as the extra carbon dioxide that humans are pumping into the air acted as a fertilizer that encouraged plant growth. But still, the losses in some countries outweigh the gains in others.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/06/science/earth/06warming.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

America's concern over global warming declines

A poll indicates the U.S. residents are less concerned about global warming than they were three years ago.  Gallup's Environment poll indicated that 51% of Americans say they worry a great deal about climate change and global warming, when in 2008, it was 66%. This decline can be seen as a result of Americans' changed knowledge and opinions about global warming. The poll found 43% of Americans to believe that the news exaggerates the seriousness of global warming while 26% believed the news to be generally correct. Less agreement was found on what American's thought were causing global warming, but still coming in at more than half, 52% believed temperature increases are mainly caused by pollution from human activities.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20044283-501465.html

Global Warming putting Africa's vital maize crop at risk

Maize's vulnerability to global warming is much more severe than previously thought before. A staple food crop in many parts of the world, a rise in temperature of just 1 degree celsius (1.8 F) could ruin 20% of Africa's entire crop during drought season. Even with rainfall, scientists say that 65% of the maize crop would be damaged. Although maize is more heat tolerant that most crops, the quality declines the longer it is exposed to temperatures higher than 30 C (86 F). The effect worsens when drought and heat is combined, which is expected to be a frequent climate trend in Africa due to global warming. Even with rainfall, scientists say that 65% of the maize crop would be damaged.

Penguin Colony Vanishes

A colony of penguins on Emperor island, an island off the West Antarctic Peninsula has disappeared. This is the first time that a whole colony has disappeared and has been documented. The emperor penguin colony was first spotted in 1948 and has had a stable population until the 1970s. A severe drop in population was found is 1978, and the island was found empty in 2009.

It is a possibility that the penguins just relocated due to the changes in ice. Ice is crucial to penguins' living conditions as they breed on sea ice. Research shows that ice in the area has been forming later but melting earlier due to climate change. Warming has also caused a significant decrease in sea ice, which affects the penguins' lifestyle in eating and breeding.


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/07/scitech/main20040128.shtml

Could growing meat in labs reduce global warming?

A developmental biologist and tissue engineer at the Medical University of South Carolina has been working to grow meat in his lab for over ten years. He is among one of the few scientists in the world involved in bioengineering cultured meat. Developing cultured meat would significantly reduce the amount of livestock-based food production thus reducing greenhouse gases (20% of human caused CO2 comes from raising livestock.)

Global warming may increase water-borne diseases

Global warming could cause an increase in the growth of toxic algae and bacteria in the world's body of waters. The climate changes effect the ocean, sea, and lake environments, making them more susceptible to harmful microbes and bacteria growth. Alexandrium catenella, one specific bacteria that could develop effects shellfish, which then can cause symptoms like paralysis in humans who eat contaminated seafood. Some scientists say these impacts can be seen as early as 2040.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110219/hl_afp/scienceusclimatewarmingdisease_20110219162101

Warmer Arctic is Hindering Polar Bears

The unusual weather patterns in the winters of the Arctic has taken a toll on the wildlife there and will only continue to get worse if this climate change continues. Polar bears are enduring stress with the weather which is forcing the bears ashore sooner and delaying their return to the ice later than usual. The bears are also getting less time to fatten up, which means less energy stored in their bodies. This is particularly an issue for female polar bears; without enough energy stored up, they will not be able to reproduce. The polar bear population in Hudson Bay Canada has already decreased by 20%.

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/requiem-for-the-bears/?ref=globalwarming