| Lack of U.S. Climate Change Legislation Will Delay Global Treaty Talks President Obama's top climate diplomat acknowledged today that Capitol Hill delays over global warming legislation will likely push international negotiations to work beyond a December summit in Copenhagen on a new treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol."I think that we'll shape the thing to get as much done as can be done, and there are some pieces that need to get completed," Todd Stern , the State Department's climate envoy, told reporters. "But I think the mission is to get the most ambitious, most far-reaching accord that we can in Copenhagen, and to the extent there's some things that need to be completed after that, then that will happen." [More] rss.sciam.com |
At Año Nuevo Point The value of coastal protection can be seen north of Santa Cruz, Calif., where sea otters and the northern elephant seals have been saved from extinction. nytimes.com |
Downcast: Critically endangered bahaba caught and sold for $500,000 A critically endangered fish whose swim bladder is believed to cure illnesses has been caught and sold for more than $500,000 in China. [More] rss.sciam.com |
Where Do Old Appliances Go after They Die? Dear EarthTalk: What happens to major appliances that get carted off when new ones take their place? We have a dishwasher and a refrigerator that are both on the blink now and may need replacement. I’d rather fix them than buy new, even if it’s more expensive to do so, because I don’t want to add these big clunkers to the waste stream. What’s your take on this? --D. M., Westport, Conn. [More] Dishwasher - Major appliance - Appliances - Home & Garden - Kitchen and Dining rss.sciam.com |
How Wind Turbines Affect Your (Very) Local Weather The giant wind turbines cropping up on ridges, shorelines and other windy locales across the world affect more than the wind--they are also changing local temperatures, notes a new study. That's likely because the enormous blades chop up the incoming wind and thereby more thoroughly mix different layers of the atmosphere. According to temperature readings from one of the oldest wind farms in the U.S., near Palm Springs, Calif., the turbines make it warmer at night and cooler during the day, generally speaking. [More] Wind - Wind turbine - United States - Wind farm - Energy rss.sciam.com |