ADB warns of carbon emissions from vehicles

October 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - A strict global carbon budget between now and 2050 based on a fair distribution between rich and poor nations has the potential to prevent dangerous climate change and keep temperature rise well below two degrees Celsius, a new WWF report shows. The report, called 'Sharing the effort under a global carbon budget' and released worldwide Friday, is based on research, calculations and analysis by the consultancy Ecofys and shows different ways to cut global emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050 and by 30 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

September 24th, 2009 Duke, FPL to switch to hybrid, electric vehiclesCOLUMBUS, Ohio — Two of the nation's largest power generators said Thursday that they plan to begin switching their company cars and trucks to plug-in hybrid vehicles or all-electric vehicles starting Jan. 1 to help cut greenhouse gas emissions.

September 24th, 2009 TORONTO - Capturing carbon directly from the air is the only way to prevent dangerous climate changes, says a pioneering Canadian scientist. University of Calgary scientist David Keith says governments need to earmark more research funding for technologies to capture carbon dioxide in surrounding air to save the planet.

September 23rd, 2009 UN offsets climate summit's carbon footprintUNITED NATIONS — Striving to underscore the importance of efforts to reduce global emissions, a team of U.N. officials figured out the amount of carbon dioxide generated by a daylong climate conference — about 450 tons — and purchased offsets to neutralize its carbon footprint.

September 11th, 2009 SYDNEY - Australia has overtaken the US as the country that produces more carbon dioxide per person than any other, the British risk assessment company Maplecroft Ltd said Friday. Canada, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia rounded out Maplecroft's list of the top five per-capita emitters of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels.

September 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, said on Wednesday that India is looking forward to a fair and equitable agreement at Copenhagen meet on climate change. "We are definitely looking forward to Copenhagen.

August 10th, 2009 New Zealand sets greenhouse gas emissions targetWELLINGTON, New Zealand —New Zealand announced on Monday that it will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 10 to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, the country's climate change minister said. The target, confirmed by the Cabinet, will be presented later Monday at an international climate change meeting in Bonn, Germany, Nick Smith said.

July 20th, 2009 Campaigners say EU carbon trading is flawedBRUSSELS — Climate change campaigners claimed Monday that flaws in the European Union's carbon trading program could allow major polluters avoid any real reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during the economic downturn. Cap-and-trade forms the main plank of EU efforts to slash carbon dioxide output by a fifth by 2020.

July 15th, 2009 US urges China to set 2050 emissions targetsBEIJING — China and other developing countries should join the United States in setting mid-century targets to cut carbon emissions in the battle against global warming, the U.S. energy secretary said Wednesday.

July 15th, 2009 Britain presents plans to cut emissions, add jobsLONDON — The British government detailed ambitious plans Wednesday to cut carbon emissions substantially by 2020, and said 40 percent of the country's electricity by then would come from renewable sources. The proposal on fighting climate change envisions expansions in wind energy as well as continued use of nuclear power and clean coal.

July 8th, 2009 SYDNEY - A researcher has converted waste ash, a by product of coal-fired power stations, into fireproof concrete. The concrete could be used to build fireproof bunkers in rural areas, and could prevent tonnes of fly ash from being dumped.

June 25th, 2009 Dutch study: slowdown, oil prices slow CO2 growthAMSTERDAM — Dutch researchers say the global recession, high oil prices and more use of wind and other renewable energy sources cut the growth of carbon emissions by half last year. The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency says emissions increased by 1.7 percent in 2008, compared to 3.3 percent in 2007 and an average annual growth of 4 percent since 2002.

May 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The level of carbon emissions into the Earth's atmosphere will surge nearly 40 percent by 2030 if the governments can't force more limits on pollutants blamed for global warming, a US report said Wednesday. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected that energy consumption will increase 44 percent between 2006 and 2030, mainly because of higher demands from the developing world.

May 11th, 2009 Scientists' group gives green travel adviceWASHINGTON — A scientists' group has put together a guide to green travel to help you determine which modes of transportation have the smallest carbon footprint, and the group, the Union of Concerned Scientists, says some of the greenest choices can also save money. UCS researchers compared the amount of carbon dioxide — the chief heat-trapping gas that drives global warming — from driving, flying, traveling by train or bus, and also compared per-person emissions for solo travelers versus those traveling in pairs or as a family of four.

April 23rd, 2009 Calif. expected to adopt low-carbon fuel rulesSACRAMENTO — California air regulators are considering first-in-the nation rules to require low-carbon fuels as part of the state's wider effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The California Air Resources Board on Thursday is expected to adopt standards that could serve as a template for a national policy.