………………

Professor Henry Daniell of the University of Central Florida led his research team to blaze new grounds in producing ethanol through the study funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.

According to an article in the university’s Web site, Prof. Daniell’s study claims to be more environment friendly than current methods as they use plant-derived enzyme cocktails to break down the waste material such as orange peels.

Orange peels are broken down into sugar, and then the sugar is fermented into ethanol. The process can also be applied to non-food materials such as straw, switchgrass and sugarcane.

The role of tobacco:-
Prof. Daniell’s team identified the genes in wood-rotting fungi or bacteria that produce the necessary enzymes to break down the waste materials. The team isolated and cloned the genes and produced the enzymes in tobacco plants.

The team believes tobacco is an ideal facilitator and system to produce the enzyme because it is not a food crop. An estimated 40 metric tons of biomass are produced yearly in every acre of tobacco plants.

Utilizing tobacco for enzyme production, rather than for smoking, may also provide a more attractive alternative us for the non-food crop.

Prof. Daniell added that tobacco-produced enzymes have a higher probability of decreasing production cost by a thousand times, rather than if these enzymes were synthetically manufactured. In effect, the cost of producing ethanol production may also decrease.

The better alternative

To date, the current and more popular form of acquiring ethanol lies on corn starch. Corn starch is fermented and converted into ethanol but corn-derived ethanol produces more emissions than gasoline.

The tobacco method will also consume waste materials that are undeniably abundant, thus not needing to reduce food supply like corn starch would. Prof. Daniell said Florida’s throwaway orange peels will supply 200 million gallons of ethanol annually.

Through a less expensive but greener process, Prof. Daniell and his team aims to demote gasoline to secondary fuel.

“This could be a turning point where vehicles could use this fuel as the norm for protecting our air and environment for future generations,” he said.

The study suggests that fuels sourced from locally available materials trump fuels from fossils that usually have to be imported and shipped from more distant locations.

However, the study, which will be published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal this month, still needs to be developed to become marketable.

Prof. Daniell was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences in 2007.

His research team includes Dheeraj Verma, Anderson Kanagaraj, Shuangxia Jin, Nameirakpam Singh and Pappachan E. Kolattukudy from the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences at the university’s College of Medicine.

Source:ECOSEED :March.4. 2010

Related articles by Zemanta

• Orange Peels, Newspapers May Lead to Cheaper, Cleaner Ethanol Fuel (usnews.com)
• Researcher finds new, cheaper way to produce ethanol fuel from waste (crunchgear.com)
• Scientist Discovers Fruit Peel and Newspaper Can Be Turned Into Ethanol Fuel [Science] (gizmodo.com)
• New Enzymes Turn Waste into Fuel (eon.businesswire.com)
• Remember Tobacco? (seeingtheforest.com)
• Genetically engineered tobacco plant cleans up environmental toxin (scienceblog.com)

……………….

The two-seater Porsche 918 Spyder runs with a 500-horsepower, V8 combustion engine, as well as electric motors on the front and rear axles that add approximately 218 horsepower.

The hybrid electric car boasts of a top speed of 198 miles per hour and can accelerate from zero to 60 miles in under 3.2 seconds.

It has beaten the Carrera GT, Porsche’s top of the line racer, on the Nürburgring track with a lap time of about 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

Despite its tremendous speed, the Spyder only generates 70 grams of carbon dioxide emissions per kilometer, the equivalent of a small compact car with a mileage of 78 miles per gallon.

The Spyder is equipped with lithium-ion batteries that could be recharged through a standard socket. Kinetic energy from the car’s regenerative brakes can also be fed into the battery to give the car a momentary boost of speed.

Power is transmitted to the wheels through a seven-speed transmission that feeds the power of the electric drive system to the rear axle.

The Spyder has four different running modes available. The e-drive mode lets the car run on electric power alone, with a range of up to 16 miles, while the hybrid mode allows the vehicle to use both the electric motors and the combustion engine much like in a Toyota Prius.

Meanwhile, the sport hybrid mode also uses both drive systems, although it uses the electric power more as a boost to assist the combustion engine for better performance.

On the other hand, the race hybrid mode gives the highest driving performance ready for the race track by maximizing the hybrid drive system’s capabilities assisted by an electric motor boost system used for overtaking.

The Spyder is one of three Porsche (FSE: PAH3) hybrid cars that will make their world debut at the motor show running from March 4 to March 14. The rest of the trio includes the new Cayenne S hybrid sports utility vehicle and the GT3 R hybrid race car.

Source: ECOSEED :2ND. March.2010

Related articles by Zemanta

• Geneva Auto Show: Porsche 918 Spyder Plug-In Hybrid (wheels.blogs.nytimes.com)
• 2010 Geneva Motor Show Preview: Porsche 918 Spyder Concept (thecarconnection.com)
• Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid concept gets 78 mpg, hits 62 mph in 3.2 seconds (autoblog.com)

Worldwide natural gas production will need to rise 70 percent in order to reach a carbon emissions peak by 2015, after which the risk of even more damaging climate change rises.

The IGU estimates world gas demand will rise to 4.8 trillion cubic meters per year by 2030 from 2.8 trillion cubic meters today.  The report calls for more low-carbon fuels, such as natural gas, to replace coal and to provide reliable back-ups for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar that depend on the weather.

Source: Clean Skies.10/07/09

Related articles by Zemanta

• Facebook data center critic isn’t entirely green either; Greenpeace, whose San Francisco office uses natural gas, doesn’t like how much energy in Prineville comes from coal (bendbulletin.com)
• Teryn Norris: Make Poverty History: Make Clean Energy Cheap (huffingtonpost.com)
• ActionAid: E.U. biofuel targets could lead to widespread hunger (green.venturebeat.com)
• A stable, low-emissions future with gas | Alexander Medvedev (guardian.co.uk)
• Support the American Clean Energy & Security Act (thepetitionsite.com)

Top researchers agree, the world will get fewer but stronger and more damaging hurricanes in coming years, thanks to global warming.

In a new study, a World Meteorological Organization panel of 10 experts on hurricanes and climate change reached consensus, published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

The study projects that there will be 6 to 34 percent fewer tropical cyclones worldwide by the end of the century.  However, their strength will rise 2 to 11 percent because of warming resulting from man-made greenhouse gases.

MIT professor and study co-author, Kerry Emanuel, says an 11 percent increase in strength means a 60 percent increase in damage.

James Lee Witt, a former FEMA director, says the study “should be a stern and stark warning that America needs to be better prepared and protected from the devastation that these kinds of hurricanes produce.”

Source: Clean Skies.22.nd.Feb.2010

Related articles by Zemanta

• Study: Warming to Bring Stronger Hurricanes (usnews.com)
• Global Warming To Bring Fewer, But Stronger, Hurricanes (alan.com)
• Global Warming To Bring Stronger Hurricanes, Scientists Predict (huffingtonpost.com)
• Climate change to bring fewer, stronger storms (cbc.ca)
• Study: Warming to bring stronger hurricanes (msnbc.msn.com)
• Study: Warming to bring stronger hurricanes (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Fewer hurricanes, but much stronger due to climate change (americablog.com)
• More Frequent, Less Strong Storms… (myfatherlylife.blogspot.com)
• Climate panel, under attack, seeks review (msnbc.msn.com)
• Signs of Life, and Change, in Climate Inquiry (dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com)

The plant will process palm fruit abundant in the region into palm oil. Biomass digesters will be added to convert leftover agricultural waste into biogas, which would then be used to produce electricity.

The proposed plant will be constructed in the town of Mile 18, where Tseai Energy intends to buy parcels of land for the project.

“In cooperation with stakeholders here and in Sierra Leone, this is an opportunity to bring jobs, electricity, a good school and a medical clinic to a community that needs it,” says Trevor Young, chief executive of Tseai Energy.

Tseai Energy is set to meet with Sierra Leone stakeholders to finalize project plans. The company intends to set up a cooperative for the farmers who will provide the palm feedstock.

Tseai Energy will also meet with contractors who will build the plant and several schools and renovate a clinic, part of the company’s overall plant proposal for the town.

Tseai Energy said it will further consult Njala University’s agronomists, the country’s education and agriculture ministries.

Earlier this month Sierra Leone’s President Ernest Bai Koroma praised another $400 million, 30-megawatt ethanol project from Swiss-based Energy Corporation and Addax & Oryx Holdings B.V. Should it push through, the project would be the largest in Sierra Leone.

Source: ECOSEED. Feb.25.2010

Related articles by Zemanta

• Sierra Leone link to India medics (news.bbc.co.uk)
• A Song Sparks a Debate in Sierra Leone (mydd.com)
• Sierra Leone: radical £20m scheme to end health emergency (telegraph.co.uk)
• We Go Able Group : Sierra Leone (socialactions.net)

The team found that if every roof across the world were entirely painted white, the urban heat island effect could be reduced by 33 per cent.

This would cool the world’s cities by an average of about 0.7 deg Fahrenheit, with the cooling influence particularly pronounced during the day, especially in summer, Oleson said.

Asphalt roads, tar roofs and other artificial surfaces absorb heat from the sun, creating an urban heat island effect that can raise temperatures on average by 2 to 5 deg F (about 1 to 3 deg Celsius) or more compared to rural areas.

In the study, the team used a newly developed computer model which provided scientists with an idealised view of different types of cities around the world, Science Daily reported.

However, the team cautioned that there are still many hurdles between the concept and actual use of white roofs to counteract rising temperatures.

Source : The TimsOf India

Researchers at University of California, Davis, said many scientists are looking for the warning signs that herald sudden changes in natural systems, in hopes of forestalling those changes or improving our preparations for them but unfortunately that regime shifts can happen without warning.

“It is harder than thought to predict when sudden shifts in earth’s natural systems will occur. Our new study found, unfortunately, that regime shifts with potentially large consequences can happen without warning — systems can tip precipitously,” senior author Alan Hastings said.

Hastings said, “This means that some effects of global climate change on ecosystems can be seen only once the effects are dramatic. By that point returning the system to a desirable state will be difficult, if not impossible.”

The current study focuses on models from ecology, but its findings may be applicable to other complex systems, especially ones involving human dynamics such as harvesting of fish stocks or financial markets.

The team led by Hastings, one of the world’s top experts, is using mathematical models (sets of equations) to understand natural systems, the Science Daily reported.

Scientists widely agree that global climate change is already causing major environmental effects, such as droughts, heat waves and rising sea level and they fear that worse is in store.

Source: The Times Of India

Related articles by Zemanta

• Warming Sea Temperatures Drive Cod Away From Cape (takepart.com)
• Invasive species on the march: variable rates of spread set current limits to predictability (scienceblog.com)
• 9 National Parks In Danger (PHOTOS) (huffingtonpost.com)
• Water hits and sticks: Findings challenge a century of assumptions about soil hydrology (scienceblog.com)
• Is There a Climate-Change Tipping Point? (time.com)
• Beer Is a Rich Source of Silicon and May Help Prevent Osteoporosis (dvorak.org)
• New Study: No Rise in Carbon Dioxide Fraction (dakotavoice.com)
• How You Know When Things Are Going to Break (paul.kedrosky.com)

…………………
A group of scientists tested how well silver nanoparticles stayed in treated fabrics under conditions similar to a washing machine. They considered mechanical stress and chemical factors such as bleaches, pH and surfactants.

First, they measured the silver content of several different brands and types of fabrics that used silver nanoparticles.

They then washed the fabrics in detergent, later adding steel balls to simulate mechanical stress that would be similar to normal washing conditions. Some of the fabrics were also treated with bleaching agents during washing.

When the fabrics were washed in water with detergent only, the silver generally stayed in the fabrics. However, several fabrics released silver quite readily once the steel balls were added to mimic mechanical actions of the washing machine.

Of the seven nanoparticle fabrics subjected to mechanical stress, four lost roughly 20 percent to 35 percent of their silver with the first wash.

One of the key tenets of nanotechnology is that materials can have different properties when clustered into small groups. With this in mind, there is some concern about unanswered questions concerning the toxicity of silver nanoparticles that aggregate into larger groups. Most of what is known about silver’s effects on human and aquatic health is based on exposure to free silver ions, which are the smallest, elemental form of silver. Will aggregates of silver particles – as released from the fabrics in this study – have similar or different effects from silver ions?

The one thing that is clear is that silver does not necessarily remain in the products to which it is added. Silver’s behavior and reactions “during wastewater treatment or in the environment needs to be studied,” the authors’ suggest.

Source:   Environmental Health News January 7, 2010

…….

Bisphenol A or BPA is a compound that is found in many plastic products around the world. It has been in use since 1891, and known to be toxic since 1930. Regulatory authorities all over the globe, however, had pushed the issue under the carpet, citing the absence of solid evidence of the material’s toxicity.

Now, at least one organisation — the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — seems ready to revise its opinion. Two weeks ago, the FDA issued a statement that read: “… recent studies provide reason for some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behaviour and prostate gland of foetuses, infants and children.”

In the last one year, a spate of studies has pointed to the serious toxicity of BPA. Children born to women exposed to BPA during pregnancy may show serious reproductive and neurological defects in adulthood. Even adults who are exposed periodically may develop heart disease, diabetes and liver ailments. Earlier studies in the US had shown that 93 per cent of the population is exposed to BPA. “Toxicologists proceed on the assumption that there is a safe level of BPA exposure,” says Frederick vom Saal, professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri. “That assumption is ludicrous.”

BPA is a common constituent of many feeding bottles. It could be present in plastic water pitchers, or any clear and stiff plastic. It is widely used to stiffen a type of plastic called polycarbonates. This is often present in food cans, beverage bottles, dental fillings and many other items. So common is BPA now in our world that it is one of most widely manufactured chemicals in the world. But so far, only a handful of people thought exposure to this chemical was dangerous. As evidence mounts, the minority voice is becoming louder.

Consider, for example, these studies. Two weeks ago, scientists at the University of Exeter in the UK published the result of a study that found a clear association between heart disease and BPA levels in the urine of adults. A month and a half ago, scientists at the University of Sherbrooke Hospital Centre in Quebec, Canada, published research that found that BPA can kill foetal cells at low doses. Another study — which is yet to be published — at the California-based Kaiser Foundation Research Institute and some Chinese institutions found that high levels of exposure can lead to sexual dysfunction and other reproductive problems. “We found several reproductive problems in adults exposed to BPA,” confirms Harvey Checkoway, professor of environmental health and epidemiology, University of Washington, a co-author of the study.

The Sherbrooke University study came up with an interesting, as well as troubling, finding. Placental cells exposed to BPA did not follow the normal patterns of toxicity that have been known so far. In other words, it was seen that the lower the dose, the more toxic is the effect. The university scientists isolated placenta cells and exposed them to low doses of BPA, at levels found in the blood of pregnant women. The compound damaged cell membranes and also produced a protein associated with cell death. This suggests that BPA in the blood can affect foetal development, lead to premature birth or even loss of pregnancy. This provides further evidence that BPA can affect reproductive health in low doses.

The science behind this association is not too difficult to understand. BPA is similar to the hormone oestrogen. Therefore, the human body recognises the molecule as oestrogen and acts as such. But the human body already has very high levels of oestrogen for there to be a “safe level” of BPA exposure. “Concepts of threshold levels (of BPA) have no meaning when the body already has high levels (of oestrogen),” says vom Saal. The body is very sensitive to this chemical and cells can detect even one molecule of BPA.

Higher than normal levels of oestrogen has been implicated in many diseases such as breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. Many endocrinologists now think that BPA could be responsible for the increase in the rate of breast cancer in the last few decades. The chemical could also be the reason for the rising incidence of many diseases in men, as everybody in the world is exposed to it at some level. It is now present everywhere — in the oceans, sewage, drinking water. And it is already disrupting the reproductive systems of many marine animals.

Two weeks ago, almost at the same time the FDA issued its notice, the US Department of Health came up with a set of guidelines for parents. According to these, one should not heat feeding bottles or put them in a microwave, as heat is known to release BPA. Also, they shouldn’t be put in dishwashers. And finally, scratched bottles must be discarded immediately.

Such measures, say scientists, will not eliminate the infant’s exposure to BPA, but will at least reduce it to some extent.

You may click to see:->PLASTIC BOTTLED WATER DANGERS

Source: The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

Related articles by Zemanta

• BPA in male workers linked to sex problems (ctv.ca)
• FDA On BPA: It Has “Some Concern.” But Not Much. (treehugger.com)
• FDA Backtracks on Potential Danger of BPA (abcnews.go.com)
• FDA Will Not Regulate BPA For Now (inquisitr.com)
• Lisa Kaas Boyle: Pink Washing the Dangers of Bottled Water (huffingtonpost.com)
• Chemical BPA in workers linked to sex problems (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Chemical in plastic bottles linked to impotence (msnbc.msn.com)
• Mother’s exposure to bisphenol A may increase children’s chances of asthma (scienceblog.com)
• Health Agencies Express Concern Over BPA (nlm.nih.gov)
• Second Study Backs BPA Link to Heart Disease (friendseat.com)

.....
Designed to fit in a garage, the charger can refuel a fuel cell electric vehicle eight hours overnight with around 0.5  kilograms of hydrogen.

Conventional solar hydrogen chargers required both an electrolyzer, a device that gathers hydrogen molecules from water, and a separate compressor unit to create high pressure hydrogen. The compressor is said to be the most expensive component in the device and also reduces system efficiency.

For its new charging station, Honda re-engineered the electrolyzer to eliminate the compressor and drive down costs and size while improving system efficiency by more than 25 percent.

Users can refill their vehicle overnight using less expensive off-peak electrical power, eliminating the need for hydrogen storage. During daytime peak power times, the smart grid-compatible charging station can export the electricity produced from its 6-kilowatt solar panels to the grid.

The array utilizes thin-film solar cells produced by Honda Soltec Company, a subsidiary of Honda.

In addition, the new charging station complements Honda’s FCX Clarity electric vehicles. With fast public charging stations for longer trips and the prototype’s nighttime slow charging for homes, the fuel cell vehicle will be more flexible on the road.

The solar hydrogen station is housed at Honda R&D Americas Inc. in Los Angeles.

Source:ECOSEED; jAN.29.2010

Related articles by Zemanta

• Honda takes the lead in hydrogen car game, tests fuel pump (green.venturebeat.com)
• Honda Begins Operation of New Solar Hydrogen Station (eon.businesswire.com)
• Honda Begins Operation of New Solar Hydrogen Station (newswire.ca)
• Horizon debuts H-Cell 2.0 hydrogen fuel cell system for R/C cars (engadget.com)
• Honda’s fuel cell vehicle gets free energy (reviews.cnet.com)
• Honda unveils new solar hydrogen station (ubergizmo.com)
• Honda Begins Operation of New Solar Hydrogen Station (shoppingblog.com)

......

Related articles by Zemanta

• Solar-Vacation Campaign Promising To Homeowners Looking For Solar Electric Solution (prweb.com)
• Solar in South LA: Honoring MLK with Clean Energy (Video) (treehugger.com)
• Best of Ecouterre: 7 Unbelievably Cool, Green Wearable Tech (treehugger.com)
• First Solar Buys Into Edison Mission – Analyst Blog (benzinga.com)
• First Solar acquires new solar project from Edison group (newstatesman.com)
• Solar Recovery In Haiti: Building Tough Solar Cities (worldchanging.com)
• World’s Largest Solar Audio System Delivers 105dB to 40,000 Spectators [Solar] (gizmodo.com)
• First Solar acquires private land for solar projects (newstatesman.com)
• SwissINSO Launches Solar Water Purification Product (eon.businesswire.com)
• Dog Solar Power Charging Station (neatorama.com)

To date, around 12 megawatts of energy has been used to produce ice equivalent to 11,000 tons of cooling used to cool schools during daytime.
Calmac’s IceBank thermal energy storage uses energy generated in off-peak hours to produce ice that can be used to cool buildings and houses during periods of peak demand.

To date, around 12 megawatts of energy has been used to produce ice equivalent to 11,000 tons of cooling used to cool schools during daytime.

The school district saves roughly 408,960 pounds of carbon dioxide per year for every 500 tons of cooling made. In 2008, the school district saved $729,000 alone with their energy storage systems.

The Sarasota County School system covers 50 public elementary, middle and high schools, as well as other facilities throughout the county.

Source:    Eco Seeds: Jan 22. 2010

The winning projects will avoid the emission of 546,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually..

The agency gave out the awards under the Landfill Methane Outreach Program, which has assisted over 450 landfill gas energy projects for the past 15 years.

The program is a voluntary assistance and partnership that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by supporting landfill gas energy project development. It also assists countries throughout the world in developing landfill methane reduction projects through the International Methane to Markets Partnership.

The winning projects will avoid the emission of 546,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. This figure represents annual greenhouse gas emissions from almost 100,000 passenger vehicles.

“These projects, and others like them, are helping us transition into a clean energy economy and make important greenhouse gas reductions,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for the agency’s unit for air and radiation.

Three categories comprised the awards – Projects of the Year, the State Partner of the Year and the Community Partner of the Year.

Altamont Landfill Resource and Recovery Facility in Livermore, California, one of the largest in the world, led the Project of the Year awardees.

Other winning partners are the University of New Hampshire’s EcoLineTM project in Rochester, New Hampshire; Jefferson City’s Missouri Renewable Energy Project in Missouri; Ox Mountain Landfill Gas Energy Project in Half Moon Bay, California; the Sioux Falls Landfill and Poet Landfill Gas Pipeline in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and the Winder Renewable Methane Project in Winder, Georgia.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment received the State Partner of the Year award, while the Kent County Department of Public Works in Byron Center, Michigan was declared the Community Partner of the Year.

At present, the United States has about 509 operational landfill gas energy projects with a capacity of 1,563 megawatts. These projects provide energy equivalent to powering over 920,000 homes annually.

Meanwhile, direct-use projects produce an additional 304 million standard cubic feet of landfill gas daily and provide energy equivalent to heating over 715,000 homes annually. Direct-use landfill gas energy projects use landfill gas as an alternative to replace another fuel, such as natural gas or coal, to produce electricity.

Methane is a primary component of landfill gas. At the same time, it is a greenhouse gas over 20 times more dangerous than carbon dioxide due to its greater global warming qualities.

Using landfill gas, therefore, capitalizes on methane as a significant energy resource, while preventing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing odors and other hazards associated with emissions.

Source: ECOSEED   January 14. 2010

Related articles by Zemanta

• Trash to gas: Landfill energy projects increasing (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Hilary Kramer: CNG and LNG for Me (huffingtonpost.com)
• E.P.A. Moves to Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions (nytimes.com)
• Some great news slipped under the radar last week (mydd.com)
• EU: U.S. Should Spell Out Long-Term Climate Goal (usnews.com)
• Trash to Gas: Landfill Energy Projects Increasing (abcnews.go.com)

The substance is a synthetic form of the mineral gypsum, and it also contains mercury, arsenic, lead and other heavy metals.

The Environmental Protection Agency says those toxic metals occur in only tiny amounts. But some environmentalists say too little is known about how the material affects crops, and ultimately human health.

Resources:
Washington Post December 23, 2009
Wall Street Journal January 9, 2010

Related articles by Zemanta

• EPA to Set Pollution Rules for Oil- and Coal-Fired Plants (takepart.com)
• U.S. to Place Limits on Power Plant Water Pollution (usnews.com)
• U.S. plans tougher smog standards (calgaryherald.com)
• Federal Study Shows Mercury In Fish Widespread, Inescapable (huffingtonpost.com)
• The weight and length of the chain of coal cars (jcwinnie.biz)

At a symposium here yesterday, physiologist Gretchen Hofmann of the University of California, Santa Barbara, reported that the combination can be deadly for the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, that she works on. DNA studies are also revealing details about how the urchins battle the stress. “This is cutting edge,” says marine ecologist Jane Lubcencko of Oregon State University in Corvallis.

The first step in the research was to see what damage is caused by simply altering acidity alone. Hofmann has several tanks that contain water with varying acidity. Some are filled with normal seawater, while others have the stronger acidity that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts will plague ocean waters in 2100. In the more acidic tanks, it became harder for sea urchin larvae to build their skeletons, Hofmann reported. DNA microarrays by postdoc Anne Todgham showed that genes involved in constructing calcium carbonate skeletons were 3 times more active than normal. “The larva is desperately trying to make its body,” Hofmann said.

The effort takes a toll on the larvae. Those in the most acidic water grow “short and stumpy” skeletons, according to unpublished work by graduate student LaTisha Hammond and postdoc Mike O’Donnell. Other students in Hofmann’s lab are modeling how those deformities might affect the distance larvae travel before settling down. It’s not clear what the impact might be on adults, but Hofmann suspects they could end up smaller than usual. That could hurt the valuable fishery for urchins, which are harvested for their eggs.

In other experiments, Hoffmann’s team added the additional stress of heat to the acidic water. Postdoc Nann Fangue found that larvae survive brief stints in warmer water just fine if they live in normal temperature or high acidity. But subject them to water 9 degrees warmer and about 7% of the larvae in higher acidity water die, compared to 2% of those with normal acidity. Double the temperature and roughly 29% of larvae in acidic waters keel over, compared to 16% of controls.

Although average ocean temperatures aren’t expected to rise that high, they can rise about that much in tidepools, for example. And the results show that even greater mortality can result from the effort to cope with greater acidity. “Gretchen has the story dead on with the urchins,” says Andrew Baker of the University of Miami in Florida, who is studying the effects of temperature and acidity on corals. “Clearly the effects are worse together than separate.”

Hofmann is now working with Victoria Fabry of the California State University, San Marcos to study the impact of acidity and temperature on another organism, Limacina helicina. This pteropod, roughly the size of a peppercorn, is a key part of the food web in the southern ocean. Hofmann and Fabry did experiments in Antartica last month, and the frozen samples are being flown back to her lab for DNA analysis

You may click to see also :-

Beautiful But Deadly: Marine Life is Best Untouched

The impact of ocean acidification on marine organisms

Source : The Science Magazine News Blog. dated:Jan 18th.2010

Related articles by Zemanta

• Acid oceans: the ‘evil twin’ of climate change (sfgate.com)
• May I Have A Little Acid In My Salt Water, Please? (cenblog.org)
• Acid oceans: the ‘evil twin’ of climate change (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• A Retrospective of Anthropogenic CO2 Concentrations (jcwinnie.biz)
• Scientists discover new coral species (guardian.co.uk)
• Best of the Web Today: A Courage of Failure (online.wsj.com)
• Pacific ocean “Dead Zone” may be forever (boingboing.net)

The CDC highlighted a few chemicals because they are both widespread — found in all or most people tested — and potentially harmful.

Here’s a look at what they are and how you can try to avoid them:

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers

Better known as “flame retardants“, PBDEs are used widely in all sorts of goods to reduce fire risk. They also accumulate in human fat, and some studies suggest they may harm your liver and kidneys as well as your neurological system. Some states have restricted the use of certain PBDEs, but short of such bans, avoiding them is difficult because the chemicals are integrated into so many products.

Bisphenol A
BPA, which is found in many plastics, in the lining of cans, and even coating many sales receipts, was found in more than 90 percent of Americans tested. The health concerns about BPA are many and growing. While BPA-free products are available, it can be difficult to find them unless you do research ahead of time.

PFOA

PFOA and other perfluorinated chemicals are used to create heat-resistant and non-stick coatings on cookware, as well as grease-resistant food packaging and stain-resistant clothing. Studies have linked these chemicals to a range of health problems, including infertility in women, and to developmental and reproductive problems in lab animals. Avoiding products that contain them is a first step towards avoiding them.

Acrylamide
Formed when carbohydrates are cooked at high temperatures, acrylamide and its metabolites are extremely common in Americans. High-level exposure has caused cancer and neurological problems in lab animals and workers, respectively. Avoiding it in food comes down to food choice, storage and preparation.

Mercury
The main source of mercury — a potent neurotoxin that can lead to permanent brain damage if young children or fetuses are exposed — continues to be contaminated fish. I do not recommend eating most fish for this reason.

MTBE
This gasoline additive has been phased out of use in the U.S. in favor of ethanol, but it still can be detected widely in American’s bodies; it has contaminated many drinking water supplies. Studies have linked it to a variety of potential problems, including neurological and reproductive damage.

Source: The Daily Green December 15, 2009

…………..
The National Retail Federation conducted a survey late last month in which it asked consumers about their anticipated spending over the Thanksgiving weekend.

The results showed that, on average, consumers would spend $343 inside stores and $104 through online purchases. Researchers used these numbers to calculate that the negative environmental impact of an in-store purchase made on Black Friday is 50 times that of an online purchase made on Cyber Monday.

In more general terms, the study found that carbon emissions related to purchasing an item inside a store represents an increase of more than 15 times that of an online purchase.

Source: Triple Pundit December 14, 2009

Emergency measures have been taken to stop the leak, with 23 containment belts set up downstream from the spill and up to 700 people scrambling to clean up the mess, the statement said.

Local government officials refused to reveal how much diesel had spilled into the river or comment on the spill when contacted by AFP.

The official Xinhua news agency reported that up to 150,000 litres (40,000 US gallons) had leaked into the river about 70 kilometres (42 miles) from the Yellow River, one of China’s longest watercourses.

Oil has already been detected 33 kilometres downstream from the spill, the report said.

“We must take thorough measures to handle the spill and the pollution and strictly prevent it from entering the Yellow River, while ensuring the safety of drinking water,” the Chongqing Evening News quoted Vice Premier Li Keqiang as saying.

Local environmental departments have warned residents not to use the river water as it may be polluted, the report said.

A preliminary investigation showed that the pipeline rupture was caused by a local construction project, CNPC, one of China’s biggest state-owned oil and gas companies, said in a statement.

The pipeline is used to transport diesel from northwest China’s Gansu province to the central parts of the nation, it said.

Around 30 years of unbridled economic growth have left most of China’s lakes and rivers heavily polluted while the nation’s urban dwellers also face some of the world’s worst air pollution.

More than 200 million Chinese currently do not have access to safe drinking water, according to government data.

In November 2005, a major oil spill on the Songhua river in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province resulted in a cut off of water supplies to up to four million people in the provincial capital of Harbin before flowing down river into Russia, causing a diplomatic crisis.

Source: The Times Of India. January 3,  2010

Meat production is estimated to account for 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation, and some scientists have cited lower meat consumption as a way of tackling climate change.

A campaign led by former Beatle Paul McCartney to get people not to eat meat one day a week has also drawn attention to the issue.

But OIE Director-General Bernard Vallat warned against oversimplifying the issue, stressing factors such as the carbon-stocking role of pasture land would have to be evaluated.

“It’s a question that needs to be studied with a lot of distance,” he told a news conference. “We want to make a modest and independent contribution.”

People also needed to be aware that livestock production generated milk and eggs as well as meat and so could not be sacrificed at a time of fast-growing protein demand among the world’s population, he said.

“There is not yet a scientific model that can prove that our planet could do without milk, eggs or meat.”

The study would thus likely recommend further research to find ways of limiting the direct effects of meat production on the environment, such as methane emissions, Vallat added.

Another focus for the OIE this year would be reducing cases of rabies, which kills 50,000 people worldwide annually, mainly following dog bites.

The body was notably calling for developing countries to devote more money to vaccinating dogs rather than just treating infected people which was much more expensive, Vallat said.

Source: The Times Of India

Related articles by Zemanta

• Climate change is drowning in populist politics (themoderatevoice.com)
• CLIMATE CHANGE: “We’re Not Finished Yet,” Civil Society Warns – IPS ipsnews.net (rendt.gorter.gen.nz)
• Climate Talks: India Appears to Soften Stance on Greenhouse-Gas Emissions (blogs.wsj.com)

Vestas Wind Systems, the world’s largest wind turbine company, is set to ship out 48 wind turbines to German wind farm developer Prokon which is building projects in Poland.
……….
The Danish wind giant will deliver 2-megawatt turbines from 2010 to 2012 to Schleswig-Holstein, Germany-based Prokon.

Prokon has been developing wind energy projects over 15 years, and has 32 wind farms in Germany. The company has previously worked with Vestas for German wind projects.

In July 2009, Prokon announced plans to sign up Vestas for the 105-meter-high V90 wind turbines for eight power plants it will erect in Poland.

The total capacity of Prokon’s initial venture into the Polish wind market will be 96 MW.

Copenhagen Stock Exchange-listed Vestas said the order will not affect its expectations for 2009 and 2010. In October, Vestas said it expects revenues for 2009 to reach around 7.2 billion euros ($10.4 billion).

You may click & see the Related Stories:->
•Gordon Brown says climate change agreement possible
•British youngsters join U.N.’s global tree-planting drive
•Minnesota Power buys transmission line to move wind power
•Copenhagen made gains, even if small, says top analyst
•France to propose new carbon tax says minister
•Harmonized conservation efforts could save billions of dollars
•French constitutional body rules against carbon tax
•Wind power leader Texas reaps huge payoffs
•Top ECOSEED stories for 2009: Weathering the storm
•Iberdrola completes job-producing wind farm in North Dakota
•China introduces law to boost renewable energ

Spain’s landowners told to think of energy efficiency
•Global smart grid investment to reach $ 200 billion by 2015

Source:EcoSeeds :5Th. Jan.2010

Around 110 MW of the power capacity will be sourced from land-based solar power plants while 5 MW will be produced through rooftop fixing, according to S.P. Gon Chaudhuri, managing director of West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation.

At present, the state produces only 15 MW of electricity from the sun.

The government has submitted a comprehensive proposal to the Indian New and Renewable Energy Ministry for the 15 billion rupee funding needed for the projects.

India has a 20,000-MW goal of solar power generation by 2022 set forth in its National Solar Mission. Of this, West Bengal aims to produce 2,000 MW, said Mr. Chaudhuri.
………………
The state also plans to make 500 MW of solar modules out of the 5,000 MW output expected in India by 2013.

West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation, Moser Baer, Reliance Industries Limited, Synergy Solar Limited, Astonfield and Videocon are said to have shown interest in making solar modules in the state.

Separately, West Bengal is also planning to light 100,000 homes through solar power by 2013 to the tune of another 20 billion rupees ($427.9 million). The solar mission aims to provide solar home lighting for 20 million homes in remote areas by 2022, with the state accounting for two million homes.

The program would cover areas including Sunderbans, West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, part of Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri districts.

The West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation was formed by the state government to boost private investments in nonconventional renewable energy sources.

You may click to look into more Related Stories:->
•India unveils first LEED platinum-rated hotel
•Long Island’s solar programs continue with $ 6 million grant
•Indian company first to make world’s first hybrid motorcycle
•LDK Solar goes for follow-on offering
•Tioga Energy armed with $ 20 million to expand solar pipeline
•Solar Energy Initiatives saw revenues soar
•Investment fund directs $ 73 million to developing Asian countries
•New study shows hot electrons can increase solar efficiency
•Alzheimer’s disease research leads to green tech wonder
•Carmanah sets up L.E.D. lights at Middle East air base
•Bergamo awaits first slice of $ 1 billion clean energy funding
•Commonwealth states to stage greenest sports games
•Solyndra partners with German roofing systems company

Source:EcoSeed 30Th. Dec.2009

Related articles by Zemanta

• Solar power from Sahara a step closer (guardian.co.uk)
• Go Green Solar Energy Launches New Site on the Advantages of Solar Energy (prweb.com)
• The Sopogy System (jcwinnie.biz)
• Jurriaan Kamp: There Is Plenty Renewable Energy to Fight Global Warming (huffingtonpost.com)

………………..
The new Eko ET-120 motorcycle is fitted with a high power electric motor with a 70 cubic centimeter four-stroke petrol engine that charges a battery while running.
The new Eko ET-120 motorcycle is fitted with a high power electric motor with a 70 cubic centimeter four-stroke petrol engine that charges a battery while running.

The motorcycle has a mileage of 120 kilometers per liter and can reach a top speed of 65 kilometers per hour, while reducing carbon emissions by half compared with its gas-powered counterparts.

The ET-120 is priced at 40,000 rupees ($854) with a five-year warranty and is expected to be on sale in the first half of 2010.

The company is also planning to launch a hybrid scooter called the Strike. The scooter costs 22,000 rupees ($427.3) and does not come with a road tax. The scooter’s batteries can also be customized to suit the specific needs of the commuters.

Source:http://www.ecoseed.org/en/general-green-news/green-business-news/green-business-news/5674-Indian-company-first-to-make-world’s-first-hybrid-motorcycle

Related articles by Zemanta

• Toyota unveils new hybrid-only model (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

…….

“We’re having a change in water chemistry, so 20 years from now the system we’re looking at could be affected dramatically but we’re not really sure how. So we see a train wreck coming,” said Andrew DeVogelaere, the sanctuary’s research director.

Nothing in the treaty negotiations specifically addresses the effects of carbon absorption in the oceans on marine life, which studies show is damaging key creatures’ hard shells or skeletons. Oceans absorb about 25% of the world’s greenhouse gases pumped into the atmosphere from human activities each year, says a new UN report released at the Copenhagen talks this week. That helps slow global warming in the atmosphere, the focus of the Copenhagen talks.

But carbon dissolving in oceans also forms carbonic acid, raising waters’ acidity that damages all manner of hard-shelled creatures, and setting off a chain reaction that threatens the food chain supporting marine life, including the lumbering sea mammals along the 276-mile coast of the California sanctuary and the rest of the US West Coast.

By 2100, the report said, some 70% of cold water corals — a key refuge and feeding ground for commercially popular fish that also are food for the seals and otters — will be exposed to the harmful effects. Ocean acidity could increase 150% just by mid-century, according to the report by the secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. “This dramatic increase is 100 times faster than any change in acidity experienced in the marine environment over the last 20 million years,” it said.

Source: The Times Of India

Related articles by Zemanta

• Acid oceans: the ‘evil twin’ of climate change (sfgate.com)
• Arctic seas turn to acid (guardian.co.uk)
• Conflicting Views on Climate Change (usnews.com)
• Acid oceans: the ‘evil twin’ of climate change (sfgate.com)

“These results show that the global project to fight climate change is doable,” the report quoted Alex Bowen, a climate policy expert at the London School of Economics, as saying. “It’s not such a big ask as people are making out.”

The model, assuming cuts in greenhouse gas emissions of 80 percent by 2050 in line with goals by major developing states, projected that prices of food, clothing and cars would rise by 1 percent by 2050 and tobacco, alcohol and electronics 2 percent. Phone bills would be unaffected.

But energy prices would jump, with a shift to renewable energies such as solar and wind power. Electricity prices would be up 15 percent and a return flight from London to New York would soar 140 percent.

“We can afford to go green,” New Scientist said of the findings. “Electricity and other forms of energy make up only a fraction of the price of most goods,” it said. “Other factors – raw materials, labor and taxes – are far more important.”

“The energy that goes into producing food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco, for instance, makes up just 2 percent of the consumer price,” it said, noting there were many uncertainties about the projection.

Source:http://www.ecoseed.org/en/general-green-news/features/green-living/5399-Green-future-affordable-with-deep-carbon-dioxide-cuts-–-study

The Reedsport wave energy station will utilize 10 PowerBuoy systems, with the nine remaining PowerBuoys to be constructed and installed under the second phase of the project.

Ocean Power expects the project to generate approximately 4,140 megawatt-hours annually based on the wave resource of the site, which is enough to power about 375 homes. Clean electricity generated by the device will offset 2,110 tons of carbon dioxide annually.

The Reedsport wave project will be financed by funding from the Department of Energy, federal and Oregon state tax credits and investment from Ocean Power Technologies and other companies.

Both Ocean Power and Oregon Iron expect the construction of the 150-kilowatt PowerBuoy P150 wave energy device to create approximately 30 jobs over the next nine months.

The device uses the rise and fall of waves to move the buoy up and down, which then powers an electric generator inside. The electricity is then transmitted ashore via an underwater cable.

Power purchase
PNGC Power, a regional generation and transmission public electric power cooperative, has signed an agreement with Ocean Power to purchase some of the electricity generated in the second phase of the project for its northwest customers. The cooperative also provided partial funding for the first phase of the project.

The completion of the two-phase project will create more than 150 jobs in fabrication, assembly, installation and maintenance of the Reedsport power station.

The Reedsport wave project springs from Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski’s commitment to the development of wave energy as a commercially viable renewable energy source.

Mark Draper, chief executive of Ocean Power Technologies, said they have identified the Oregon Coast as one of the world’s top sources for future wave energy development.

Ocean Power is also in the advanced stages of completing its first PB150 wave device in Britain, which is scheduled for deployment in the Orkneys, Scotland in mid-2010.

Ocean Power Technologies is traded on the Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market.

Source: http://www.ecoseed.org/en/general-green-news/renewable-energy/water-power/wave-and-tidal-energy/5431

………………..

The council calculated that global wind energy alone could contribute 34 percent of a 25 percent emissions reduction and 21 percent of a 40 percent emissions reduction.

The pledges, which include that of the United States, European Union, Norway, Japan and Russia, total 13 percent to 20 percent of aggregate emissions reductions by 2020. These developed countries must reduce their emissions reductions by 25 percent to 40 percent below 1990 levels to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

The council calculated that global wind energy alone could contribute 34 percent of a 25 percent emissions reduction and 21 percent of a 40 percent emissions reduction.

According to the council’s most ambitious scenario for wind energy development, the sector could produce 2,600 terawatt-hours of electricity and save 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, representing between 42 percent and 65 percent of pledges by developed countries.

The report also outlines emissions reductions potentials from wind power in Europe, the United States, India and China. If properly deployed, the wind sector could help these regions meet their climate goals.

Steve Sawyer, the council’s secretary general, pointed out that while the figures show that wind sector alone could contribute greatly to the emissions reduction targets, it also show how inadequate and lacking in ambition the pledges are to date.

“Industrialized countries can and must review their pledges for reduction targets and raise them very substantially, as well as assisting developing countries‘ often ambitious programmes to decarbonize their electricity systems with both public finance and private investment through the carbon markets,” he said.

Achim Steiner, United Nations under secretary general and United Nations Environment Programme executive director, stressed the importance of a serious and significant deal in Copenhagen to encourage more countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, generate clean energy and boost employment.

“The economics and the benefits of renewables, and in particular, wind power, are becoming increasingly convincing. Copenhagen is the moment for governments and world leaders to match this reality with convincing decisions on emission reductions, financing and technology,” he concluded.

You may click & see:->
•Helix Wind secures shares from divestment
•U.N.D.P.’s sustainable development support hits $ 408 million
•U.S. cities spur bike use for climate and health
*E-P-A-comes-down-hard-on-polluting-substances
•Japan leads global green I.C.T. list
•Investment fund directs $ 73 million to developing Asian countries
•Two U.S. senators unveil alternative climate bill
•Forests, parks, coastal wetlands store carbon best – U.N.-backed study
•Standard & Poor’s offers investors carbon efficient index
•D.O.E. opens up $ 100 million for green technology
•Volkswagen ventures into hybrid yachts
•Energy Star honors green building tenants
•Transport sector wants to have climate role

Source:http://www.ecoseed.org/en/general-green-news/renewable-energy/wind-energy/large-wind/5591

The new method has two major advantages: it recycles carbon dioxide which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and it uses solar energy to convert carbon dioxide to liquid fuel which can be used in automobiles.

James C. Liao, team leader of the researchers, said the new process will avoid biomass deconstruction which is a major economic barrier for biofuel production. The newly discovered process can lessen expenses and speed up the creation of an alternative fuel.

Biofuels are derived from plants or algae, and the process involves several phases before fuel is produced.

Mr. Liao and his group discovered the process by genetically increasing the quantity of the carbon dioxide-fixing enzyme RuBisCO in cyanobacterium Synechoccus elongates. They merged the genes from other microorganisms and created a strain that processes carbon dioxide and sunlight to produce isobutyraldehyde gas.

The bacteria can instantly produce isobutanol. However, Mr. Liao admitted that currently, it is easier to use the existing method of isobutanol conversion since the new method needs further testing.

The perfect use for this system is in a power plant that emits carbon dioxide as it will allow greenhouse gases to be confined and reprocessed into liquid fuel.

You may click & see:-
•Scrap tire recycler pumped up with new technology
•British innovation fund gets £175 million stretch
•D.O.E. opens up $ 100 million for green technology
•Volkswagen ventures into hybrid yachts
•Carbon consultancy firm sets up shop at Masdar
•U.S. E.P.A.’s moves to battle climate change
•M.I.T. develops cleaner natural gas power
•Philippines charges into renewable energy future
•Modern climate change: an unnatural natural phenomenon
•E.P.A. funds low-emission tugboats in Pennsylvania
•Philadelphia shows it pays to recycle
•U.S. greenhouse gas emission drop for the first time
•Computer chip maker recognized for halving emissions

Source:http://www.ecoseed.org/en/general-green-news/greentech-news/greentech-a-science-news/5551-Enhanced-bacteria-transform-carbon-dioxide-to-biofuel

Related articles by Zemanta

• Scientists find key to creating clean fuel from coal and waste (guardian.co.uk)
• A New Push to Use Existing Clean Energy Sources (prweb.com)
• China Unit Is Small Step for Clean Coal (online.wsj.com)
• Scientists hope to turn coal into clean energy (guardian.co.uk)

An initial meeting held on Wednesday gathered over 50 national and state experts in industry, science, education, agriculture, nonprofit organizations and government to begin drafting the plan.

“New Mexico is already a leader in developing next-generation biofuels like algae and we have tremendous expertise within our state’s business sector, universities, and national laboratories to expand on our success,” said state Senator Tom Udall.

“This initiative will create a statewide plan to grow both the jobs of the future right here in New Mexico and home grown fuel for the American economy,” he added.

Until April, the planners will work to finalize a strategy for areas such as sustainable feedstocks and energy markets, with a particular stress on biofuels research and development. Workgroup sessions will be opened to the public.

“The advanced biofuels of tomorrow depend on research and technological entrepreneurship in states like New Mexico, known for our wealth of opportunities for renewable energy development,” Representative Martin Heinrich pointed out.

Governor Bill Richardson and another state Senator Jeff Bingaman were also joined by Representative, Harry Teague in inviting experts to contribute to the plan.

Mr. Teague introduced the Biofuel Engineering Training Act and the Algae-based Renewable Fuel Promotion Act earlier this year to support the growth of the biofuels industry in New Mexico.

The plan will be made public at the Southwestern Biofuels Association biofuels policy summit in Albuquerque.

Source:http://www.ecoseed.org/en/general-green-news/Renewable-Energy/Biofuel/Algae-Fuel/5542

……………….
From coffins made of recycled cardboard to saying no to embalming chemicals that seep into the soil, people are increasingly searching for ways to make their final resting place a more environmentally-friendly one.

Now cremation, the choice today of a third of Americans and more than half of Canadians, is getting a green make-over. A standard cremation spews into the air about 400 kilograms of carbon dioxide — a greenhouse gas blamed for global warming — along with other pollutants like dioxins and mercury vapor if the deceased had silver tooth fillings.

Enter alkaline hydrolysis, a chemical body-disposal process its proponents call “bio-cremation” and say uses one-tenth the natural gas of fire-based cremation and one-third the electricity.

C0² emissions are cut by almost 90% and no mercury escapes as fillings and other metal objects, such as hip or knee replacements, can be recovered intact and recycled.

Matthews International Corp, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based company that makes caskets and other funeral products is planning the world’s first commercial launch of human alkaline hydrolysis in January at a funeral home in St Petersburg, Florida.

In alkaline hydrolysis the body is submerged in water in a stainless steel chamber. Heat, pressure and potassium hydroxide, chemicals used to make soap and bleach, are added to dissolve the tissue. Two hours later all that’s left is some bone residue and a syrupy brown liquid that is flushed down the drain. The bones can be crushed and returned to the family as with cremation.

Source: The Times Of India.Dec.3′09

Related articles by Zemanta

• Haggling over global warming (money.cnn.com)

………………

El Niño effect, the cyclical heating of the Pacific Ocean, is much weaker than it was in 1998, but the Met Office expects the warming effect of greenhouse gas emissions to more than make up the difference, ‘The Times‘ reported.

It predicts that the global average temperature next year to be almost 0.6 C warmer than the 1961 to 1990 average, and forecasts an annual average of 14.58 C.

The Met Office has also said that it expects half the years between 2010 and 2019 to be warmer than 1998. It sounded a note of caution, saying that a record year in 2010 was not a certainty, especially if the current El Niño began to decline earlier than normal or there was a large volcanic eruption.

However, experts are divided on the prediction. Ben Stewart of Greenpeace said: “If 2010 turns out to be the hottest year on record, it might go some way towards exploding the myth, spread by the climate conspiracy theorists that we’re experiencing global cooling. In reality the world is getting possibly a lot hotter, and humans are causing it.”

But, the Global Warming Policy Foundation, has accused the Met Office of making a “political intervention” in the international negotiations taking place in Copenhagen.

“Suggestions by the Met Office that a warming trend will resume in the next year or two should be treated with reserve in light of the recognised difficulties in making such confident predictions,” it said.

Source: The Times Of India.Dec.11.’09

Related articles by Zemanta

• Temperature may hit high in 2010 (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Copenhagen climate conference: Met Office predict 2010 will be warmest on record (telegraph.co.uk)
• Climate change ’sceptic’ Ian Plimer argues CO2 is not causing global warming (telegraph.co.uk)
• Global Warming May Dent El Niño’s Protective Shield from Atlantic Hurricanes (usnews.com)