August 2009

These are news articles that we have featured on our home page from the month of August 2009:

Science looks for ways to engineer Earth's climate

Aug 31, 2009 - Winnipeg Free Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The same way technology got the planet into this climate-change mess, more than a few scientists figure modern know-how can get us out.

Canadian Solar to build 500 MW project in China

Aug 26, 2009 - Reuters

LOS ANGELES - Solar-cell maker Canadian Solar Inc said on Wednesday it obtained development rights for a 500 megawatt (MW) solar power plant system in China.

U.S. grants $300 million for alternative fuel vehicles

Aug 26, 2009 - Reuters

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Energy Department will award nearly $300 million to a clean cities program to help communities buy alternative-fuel vehicles, Vice President Joe Biden and Energy Secretary Steven Chu said on Wednesday.

History can no longer guide farmers, investors: U.N.

Aug 26, 2009 - Reuters

GENEVA - Climate change has made history an inaccurate guide for farmers as well as energy investors who must rely on probabilities and scenarios to make decisions, the head of a United Nations agency said on Wednesday.

Week-long environmental protest training camp begins in London

Aug 25, 2009 - Guardian

LONDON - Climate change activists will tomorrow attempt to construct a sustainable campsite at a secret location in London, kick-starting a week-long training camp for environmental protesters.

U.S. needs climate law before Copenhagen: officials

Aug 25, 2009 - Reuters

WASHINGTON - The United States needs to have a climate change law in place before international talks on a climate pact begin in December, two top Obama administration officials said on Monday.

Ottawa should pay attention to green issues despite recession: poll

Aug 24, 2009 - Canadian Press

OTTAWA - Canadians are telling governments not to let the recession become an excuse for easing up on efforts to protect the environment, a new poll suggests.

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World's ocean temps are warmest on record

Aug 20, 2009 - AP

WASHINGTON - July was the hottest the world's oceans have been in almost 130 years of record-keeping. The average water temperature worldwide was 17 degrees C, according to the National Climatic Data Center, the branch of the U.S. government that keeps world weather records.

World youth tell leaders to clean up

Aug 20, 2009 - Reuters

SEOUL - An international gathering of youth and children, billed as the largest ever of its type on climate change, Thursday pressed world leaders to do far more to curb damage to the environment.

Switzerland expands border into Italy as glaciers melt

Aug 19, 2009 - The Guardian

BERN - Switzerland has expanded its border at Italy's expense because of melting glaciers in the high Alps

Vancouver $2 billion transit line opens early

Aug 17, 2009 - Reuters

VANCOUVER - A new $2 billion rapid transit line that is expected to carry thousands of tourists during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver will start operations Monday three months ahead of schedule.

Canada loses out as U.S. ups green ante

Aug 17, 2009 - Reuters

VANCOUVER - The Obama administration's titanic $60 billion spending plan for the U.S. clean energy sector is luring investors away from green businesses in Canada, threatening the industry's growth here.

Warming of Arctic current triggers release of methane gas

Aug 16, 2009 - Science Daily

SOUTHAMPTON, UK - The warming of an Arctic current over the last 30 years has triggered the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from methane hydrate stored in the sediment beneath the seabed.

Oil lobby to fund campaign against Obama's climate change strategy

Aug 14, 2009 - The Guardian

WASHINGTON - The US oil and gas lobby are planning to stage public events to give the appearance of a groundswell of public opinion against legislation that is key to Barack Obama's climate change strategy, according to campaigners.

Chevy Volt hybrid giving local environmentalists a charge

Aug 14, 2009 - Winnipeg Free Press

WINNIPEG - Local environmental groups are hoping Winnipeg drivers will soon be turning the ignition of a new car that's a "perfect fit" to help usher in a new era of sustainable transportation in the city.

Rich nations offer 15-21% CO2 cuts by 2020 - Not enough: UN

Aug 11, 2009 - Reuters

BONN, Germany - Industrialized nations excluding the United States are planning cuts in greenhouse gas emissions of between 15 and 21 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 under a new U.N. climate pact, official data showed on Tuesday.

Homes go from 'superefficient' to zero carbon emissions in Europe

Aug 10, 2009 - New York Times

COPENHAGEN - When Kay Helt moved into his superefficient home on the outskirts of Copenhagen two years ago, he felt as if he had just stepped into the lifestyle of the future. His high-tech house uses five times less energy for heating than his old one, and it recycles rainwater for the toilets and shower.

Vast expanses of Arctic ice melt in summer heat

Aug 9, 2009 - Associated Press

TUKTOYAKTUK - The Arctic Ocean has given up tens of thousands more square kilometers of ice on Sunday in a relentless summer of melt, with scientists watching through satellite eyes for a possible record low polar ice cap.

Manitoba campaign to teach green motoring

Aug 6, 2009 - Winnipeg Free Press

WINNIPEG - This fall, three different environmental groups in the province will be telling Manitobans to use more fuel-efficient driving methods and do proper vehicle maintenance. They are the Manitoba Eco-Network, Resource Conservation Manitoba, and the Centre of Sustainable Transportation.

Winnipeg building earns green tribute

Aug 6, 2009 - Winnipeg Free Press

WINNIPEG - A grass parking area, door-size windows that open and a surrounding deck constructed of recycled materials have led to a Winnipeg building earning a LEED Platinum designation, the first in Manitoba.

Why buy-local campaigns make cents

Aug 6, 2009 - Winnipeg Free Press

OPINION - A study from Texas shows that for every $100 spent at the two local bookstores, $45 stayed in Austin in wages to local staff, payments to other local merchants and so on. When that sum went to a typical chain store, only $13 went back into circulation locally.

Psychological barriers hobble climate action

Aug 5, 2009 - Reuters

WASHINGTON - Psychological barriers like uncertainty, mistrust and denial keep most Americans from acting to fight climate change, a task force of the American Psychological Association said on Wednesday.

Nissan unveils zero-emission hatchback "Leaf"

Aug 3, 2009 - Reuters

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Nissan Motor Co took the wraps off its much-awaited electric car on Sunday, naming the hatchback "Leaf" and taking a step toward its goal of leading the industry in the zero-emissions field.

Most in Canada, US, and UK believe global warming is a fact

Aug 2, 2009 - Angus Reid Global Monitor

POLL - A majority of adults in Canada, the United States and Britain believe global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities, according to a poll by Angus Reid Strategies. At least 51 per cent of respondents in the three countries agree with this statement.

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