Top Stories
Sharp decline in public's belief in climate
threat, British poll reveals.—reliability high.
"Public conviction about the threat of climate change has declined
sharply after months of questions over the science and growing
disillusionment with government action, a leading British poll has
found. The proportion of adults who believe climate change is
"definitely" a reality dropped by 30% over the last year, from 44% to
31%, in the latest survey by Ipsos Mori." More details in Guardian
story.
Air pollution 'may cause 35,000 premature
deaths a year in Britain'.—reliability high.
Particulate "Air pollution may be leading to the premature deaths of
35,000 people in Britain a year, nearly 50% more than has been
previously admitted by government, a committee of MPs has heard. The
figure was used for the first time by environment minister Jim
Fitzpatrick when giving evidence to the Commons environment audit
committee. The MPs were also told that air pollution - minute sooty
particles emitted by motor transport, ships and fuel burning in houses
and industry - may now be costing £7bn to £20bn a year." Also from The
Guardian.
Legal Challenges Pile Up Against EPA Climate
Regulation.—reliability high.
"A group of states, trade groups, politicians and companies have
headed to court in a bid to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency from regulating the greenhouse gas emissions most scientists
blame for climate change. The states of Alabama, Texas, and Virginia
have filed lawsuits in federal court arguing that the EPA used flawed
science when it concluded that greenhouse gas emissions and resulting
climate change endanger public health. They also contend such
regulations will wreak havoc on an already fragile economy. Joining
them in additional lawsuits are plaintiffs that include the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Motor Trucking Association, the
Southeastern Legal Foundation, Peabody Energy Co., the National Mining
Association, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and 15 members of the
U.S. House of Representatives." From GreenBiz.
Companies,
Industries, Markets and Supply Chains
Sustainability awardees at Informex.—reliability
medium.
"Informex announced last week its "Profiles in Sustainability"
awardees and the chosen ones were DSM, Lonza, Iolitec, Segetis and the
Wercs." See Green
Chemicals. [Interesting
selection of awards for advancing the sustainability of the chemicals
industry.]
China's green groups start year of the tiger
with consumer campaign.—reliability high.
Chinese "Shoppers have been asked to think twice before buying
products made by Carlsberg, Hitachi, Phillips, Motorola and more than a
dozen other firms linked with factories that have polluted or failed to
disclose emissions data. Supported by 34 prominent NGOs, the campaign
is seen as an important step towards a green consumer movement – a
long-awaited development in China, where the spending power of the
middle-class is an increasingly important factor for the global
environment. . . . Twenty companies have been named and shamed in the
first "green consumer choice report", including China's biggest instant
noodle maker, Master Kong, the detergent giant, Wipp Seagull Hallier
and Shineway meat products. Several foreign firms made the list, after
pollution spills or allegedly failing to meet legal requirements on
transparency about their emissions." From The
Guardian.
United, U.S. Airways Earn Fs in Airline
Recycling Report Card.—reliability high.
"While Delta and Virgin America topped the list, each received a score
of only B-, followed by Virgin Atlantic and Southwest, which each
scored Cs. Continental, JetBlue, American Airlines and British Airways
each received Ds. United and US Airways flunked with Fs." "Although the
U.S. airline industry generates millions of tons of waste each year,
the vast majority of it goes without being recycled, a new report
found. That's due in part to the fact that no major airlines in the
U.S. airlines recycle all the major recyclables or have programs that
minimize food and onboard waste, according to Green America.
Over-packaged snacks only exasperate the problem." Read more at GreenBiz.
Access report here.
[And illiterate
editors exasperate HaraBara.]
Government and
Regulation
Net Metering to Shine on in New York,
California.—reliability medium.
"Rooftop solar companies are breathing a sigh of relief – and are
getting ready to install more projects in New York and California.
That’s because legislatures in the two states have passed new rules
that boost net metering, an arrangement that allows customers with
small-scale solar and wind installations to get credit for the
electricity they deliver back to the grid. . . . Overall, the two net
metering wins are part of a trend toward net metering around the
country. According to a Vote Solar report released in November, 27
states have solid net-metering standards (which received A or B grades
from the group), up from 13 in 2007." From earth2tech.
[Crossposted from HaraBara.com courtesy of HaraBara, Inc. Copyright © 2010 HaraBara, Inc.]
