Question Earthority!

“France, Germany and Austria called on Friday for an easing of EU climate ambitions to help industries facing an economic downturn, causing green groups to warn that the battle against climate change was in jeopardy. The European Union hopes other nations will follow its lead by agreeing a global deal, mindful of United Nations warnings that climate change will lead to droughts, floods and rising sea levels. But Austria said tumbling stock markets necessitated a cautious line on making industry pay to emit carbon dioxide, as this policy could raise costs and hand an advantage to rivals outside the bloc.” (10/10/08)

http://www.enn.com/business/article/38383

“In just four months the average price of a gallon of gas nationwide has plummeted 78 cents to $3.39. In some places, it’s even lower: In New Jersey, gas is $2.90 a gallon. In Texas, it’s $2.88, and in Kansas it’s a mere $2.83. It’s the flip side of global financial turmoil.” (10/09/08)

http://tinyurl.com/3th7fu

“The Energy Department moved ahead Thursday on further restricting the nation’s most dangerous nuclear material, part of a plan to scale back and modernize management of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. The department gave preliminary approval to an environmental impact study on the consolidation program, which includes limiting plutonium and highly enriched uranium to just five sites, compared with seven today.” (10/09/08)

http://www.abqjournal.com/news/ap10-09-08.htm

“Sedona’s character and identity may hinge on something as mundane as a low-pressure sodium lightbulb. That is why the Great Lamppost Debate of 2008 is raging. At issue is whether the Arizona Department of Transportation should illuminate Arizona 89A as it winds through town. Opponents of the lightbulbs say they would mean the destruction of Sedona’s stunning night sky, hurt the city’s identity as a place that embraces beauty and could possibly eliminate Sedona as a character that has stayed true to itself. Proponents of the lightbulbs think they would be a good way to light the road and keep pedestrians safe. They both may be right.” (10/09/08)

http://tinyurl.com/48fxjn

“All teams competing at this weekend’s Japanese Formula One Grand Prix will run on green-grooved tyres as part of an environmental initiative by the sport. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) recently introduced the Make Cars Green campaign into global motor sport. Launched in June, this involves a variety of targets for vehicle efficiency, alongside a range of new technical initiatives to areas such as engines and tyres.” (10/09/08)

http://tinyurl.com/4d4unr

“House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Energy and Air Quality subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-Va.) have released a new 461-page climate change bill that they are calling a ‘discussion draft.’ Environmental groups are praising the release of a new bill, but point out that the numbers are off, particularly on short-term targets. ” (10/09/08)

http://tinyurl.com/46yusw

“The Supreme Court was split on Wednesday over whether President George W. Bush can excuse the Navy from federal environmental laws. This case pits the safety of whales against the Navy’s military exercises. This is the most important environmental case of the current term. The court is evaluating a verdict that required the Navy to take a range of safety measures in order to reduce potential harm to whales and dolphins. The four liberal justices voiced apprehension over the administration’s decision not to submit an environmental impact account prior to sonar training exercises that were performed off the coast of California. … Justice Samuel Alito asked whether or not there was any proof that marine mammals would be harmed by the sonar waves, and mentioned that it ‘incredibly odd’ that a solitary judge could formulate a decision disagreeing with the Navy.” (10/09/08)

http://tinyurl.com/42hmdb

“The United Nations food agency on Tuesday called for a review of biofuel subsides and policies, noting that they had contributed significantly to rising food prices and the hunger in poor countries. With policies and subsidies to encourage biofuel production in place in much of the developed world, farmers now often find it more profitable to plants crops for fuel rather than for food, a shift that has helped lead to global food shortages. Current policies should be ‘’urgently reviewed in order to preserve the goal of world food security, protect poor farmers, promote broad-based rural development and ensure environmental sustainability,’ said a report released by the executive director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Jacques Diouf, in Rome on Tuesday.” (10/09/08)

http://www.enn.com/energy/article/38379

“Congressional investigators are looking at the government’s quick — and legal — approvals for oil and gas drilling in an investigation called long overdue by environmental groups. Industry executives condemn it as political. Two Government Accountability Office investigators are in Utah as part of a probe into the Bureau of Land Management’s practice of approving some drilling projects without a full environmental study of the consequences.” (10/07/08)

http://tinyurl.com/52fzxt

“Japan is looking to over 1,000 companies, including big firms, to join in a local over-the-counter market for carbon offsets that is being launched to spur voluntary efforts to cut emissions, a government official said. ‘We’re expecting major companies which currently take part in the voluntary action plan to join in,’ Yasuo Takahashi, director at Ministry of the Environment’s office of market mechanisms, said in an interview for Reuters’ global environment summit. Japan will start later this month to accept applications from companies joining in the new market, which will be floated on a trial basis.” (10/08/08)

http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/38365