Energy & Climate Change

Temperatures could rise by 3C by 2050, models suggest
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17488450
DECC publishes Energy Futures Cost Calculator
DECC have published a 2050 Energy Futures Calculator on the DECC website, that allows you to calculate the costs of the energy strategy of your choice: from conservation to all-nuclear. Needless to...
Methane found bubbling on Russian Arctic shelf renews fears of global warming
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/methane-discovery-stokes-new-global-warming-fears-shock-as-retreat-of-arctic-releases-greenhouse-gas-6276278.html
Journalists left confused by Committee on Climate Change Report on future UK energy costs
Electricity bills to rocket by 25% because of 'green' targets, says Government - The Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2074299/Electricity-bills-rocket-25-green-targets-say-...
Fall in global Carbon Dioxide Levels preceded formation of Antartic Ice Sheet 32 million years ago
A paper published in Science reports on an analysis of molecules from algae deposited on the ocean floor. The team estimate that there was a 40 percent CO2 decrease over a three million year period,...
Global carbon emissions reach record 10 billion tons -- threatening 2 degree target
On average, fossil fuel emissions have risen by 3.1 per cent each year between 2000 and 2010 – three times the rate of increase during the 1990s. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/...
Major report by wold Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change
The Commission's Action points (Full details elaborated in "Summary for Policy Makers" document at http://www.ccafs.cgiar.org/commission) Integrate food security and sustainable...
Governments must plan for migration in response to climate change
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/uof-gmp102611.php
Each 1 degree centigrade rise in global temperatures eventually leads to a 20 metre increase in sea levels
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228352.200-climate-known-sea-level-is-going-to-rise-many-metres.html
Eco-Cities: Global Survey 2011
This report introduces and summarises the findings of the Global Eco-Cities Survey 2011, including information about 174 recent eco-city initiatives. This builds on and expands the first global...
Claim made that climate change sceptics are winning the battle for policy influence
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/global-warning-climate-sceptics-are-winning-the-battle-2368617.html
Global CO2 emissions rose 45% between 1990 and 2010 despite reductions by industrial countries
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-09/ecjr-sii092111.php
Britain falling behind in meeting greenhouse gas targets
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14949188
Government grants made available for domestic renewable energy retrofits
The grants will be set at £1,250 for a ground source heat pump; £950 for a biomass boiler; £850 for an air source heat pump; and £300 for solar thermal water heaters. On...
Rising world sea levels likely to continue long after greenhouse gas emissions are controlled
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-07/uoa-ro-071511.php  
Solar panels help to keep heat out by day and in at night.
"Rather than the sun beating down onto the roof, which causes heat to be pushed through the roof and inside the ceiling of the building, photovoltaic panels take the solar beating. Then much of...
Wind power efficiency increases when turbine spacings are reduced
This slightly counter-intuitive conclusion from research by the California Institute of Technology could mean there is potential for substantially less land take from wind farms, and a reduction in...
Re carbonising construction using wood to replace concrete and steel will help reduce overall carbon dioxide emissions
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-07-wood-products-carbon-emissions-equation.html
Breakthrough in nano-tube production may enable lossless power cables and international electricty distribution
Copper cable distribution systems around 5 percent of the energy for every 100 miles it is transmitted.   http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-07/ru-nm071411.php
Renewable Energy industry hits $200 billion
Wind farms in China and small-scale solar panels on rooftops in Europe were largely responsible for last year's 32 percent rise in green energy investments. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases...
Economic cost of weather may total $485 billion in U.S.
Routine variations in weather take a toll in specific sectors of the economy: mining economy of 14 percent each year, perhaps because of changing demand for oil, gas, and coal. agriculture ranked...
Potential for generating electricty from waste heat using the termoelectric effect
A general article here... http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-renaissance-year-technology-ease-21st.html And a specific discovery of a metal that generates electricity direct from waste heat http://...
Could Saharan solar power be the answer to Europe's energy needs?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=can-north-africa-light-europe-solar-power
Food output in hot countries will be badly affected by climate change
Study Reveals Future “Hotspots” of Risk for Hundreds of Millions Whose Food Problems are on a Collision Course with Climate Change Parts of Africa, all of India, and parts of South East...
Impact of rising sea-levels on communities receiving displaced populations overlooked
"Planning ahead for mitigation and adaptation will be crucial"  http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/uow-hio052711.php  
Biodegradable products contribute to greenhouse gas emissions when landfilled
http://news.ncsu.edu/releases/wms-barlaz-biodegradable/
Greenhouse gas levels reach record 394.97 parts per million
In 1974 levels between 327 and 333 were being recorded.  In just 40 years, measured carbon dioxide levels have increased by 20 percent. ftp://ftp.cmdl.noaa.gov/ccg/co2/trends/co2_weekly_mlo.txt
Melting of Artic risks climate "tipping point" over next 20 years
The frear is that plant material preserved in permafrost will decay if temperatures rise, releasing immense quantities of methane and carbon dioxide. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-...
2010 record 30.6 gigatonnes carbon dioxide emssions despite recession signals climate disaster
According to the International Energy Agency, emissions increased by 1.6 gigatonnes on 2009 - a 5 percent rise.   On the basis of past climate forecasts, this would mean around a 50% chance...
Localisation of food production has limited effect on carbon dioxide emissions
If all produce consumed in Santa Barbar County was grown in the county (100% localization), it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the agrifood system  by less than 1%, ...
“Nantenna” solar collector captures up to 95 percent of light energy
Currently solar photovoltaics achieve effeciencies of around 20 percent at best.  A new approach uses nano-technolgy to create tiny antenna or “nantenna” produced as a flexible sheet...
Estuarial cities at risk from sea level rises of 0.9 to 1.6 metres by 2100
According to a report issued by the Norwegian based Artic Monitoring and Assessment Programme: The past six years (2005–2010) have been the warmest period ever recorded in the Arctic. ...
Carbon Calculator published online by Berkeley University
Check out the calculator on.... http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu, It enables people to identify which changes to make to their lifestyles to have the greatest impact on reduce Carbon Dioxide...
Prospect of solar PV cell that uses full specturm of light
Scientists at Berkley Univsity (CA) have demonstrated a solar cell that responds to virtually the entire solar spectrum, that can be made using one of the semiconductor industry’s most common...