How major cities should fight global warming

September 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Roofs full of green plants could help fight global warming, say scientists. Kristin Getter, Michigan State University (MSU) horticulturist and colleagues, who conducted the study point out that green roofs are multi-functional.

September 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has determined that Denver, US, released the largest amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) and Barcelona, Spain, the smallest amount this year. The study documented how differences in climate, population density and other factors affect GHG emissions in global cities.

September 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists in Michigan, US, have reported that "green" roofs, which are popular urban rooftops covered with plants, could help fight global warming. The scientists found that replacing traditional roofing materials in an urban area the size of Detroit, with a population of about one-million, with green roofs would be equivalent to eliminating a year's worth of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by 10,000 mid-sized SUVs and trucks.

September 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study by scientists has predicted the effect of global warming on spring flowers by the year 2080. Data, taken from records dating back to the late nineteenth century, has been used to demonstrate the impact of global warming and to predict the effect further warming will have on plant life by 2080.

August 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research has determined that global warming threatens the existence of tropical species, the ecosystem and its by-products. The research was done by herpetologist Laurie Vitt, curator of reptiles and George Lynn Cross Research Professor at the University of Oklahoma's Sam Noble Museum of Natural History.

August 8th, 2009 LONDON - In a new research, scientists have determined that the use of geo-engineering to slow global warming may increase the risk of droughts. Methods put forward include reflecting solar radiation back into space using giant mirrors or aerosol particles.

July 22nd, 2009 Study calculates warming threat to Colorado RiverBOULDER, Colo. — University of Colorado researchers say global warming increases the chances that the Colorado River system's reservoirs could be depleted by mid-century.

July 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The accidental discovery of a bowl-shaped molecule that pulls carbon dioxide out of the air paves the way for exciting new possibilities to deal with global warming. These possibilities include genetically engineering microbes to manufacture those carbon dioxide "catchers", said J.A.

June 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new scientific study has found that as global warming whips up more powerful and frequent hurricanes and storms, the world's coral reefs face increased disruption to their ability to breed and recover from damage. "We have found clear evidence that coral recruitment - the regrowth of young corals - drops sharply in the wake of a major bleaching event or a hurricane," said lead study author Dr Jennie Mallela of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and Australian National University.

June 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research has indicated that an increase in temperature of only a couple of degrees may increase the dispersal of plants in Northern forests and the spread of plant species into forest clearings after felling or forest fires. The research, in the impact of global warming on seed and pollen dispersal, was led by University of Helsinki researcher Anna Kuparinen.

June 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, a team of scientists has found a direct relationship between carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and global warming. The study was done by Damon Matthews, a professor in Concordia University's Department of Geography, Planning and the Environment, along with colleagues from Victoria and the UK.

May 27th, 2009 LONDON - US President Barrack Obama's energy adviser has suggested that as part of efforts to slow global warming, all the world's roofs should be painted white. According to a report in the Telegraph, Professor Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary, said that the unusual proposal would mean homes in hot countries would save energy and money on air conditioning by deflecting the sun's rays.

April 19th, 2009 LONDON - Soot from mud cooking stoves in tens of thousands of villages in India is emerging as a major source of global warming, according to a leading climate scientist Veerabhadran Ramanathan. Soot, also known as black carbon, is the second most hazardous gas, after carbon dioxide and is responsible for 18pct of the planet's warming.

March 24th, 2009 LONDON - A new report has indicated that the greenhouse gas emissions of large cities are far below those of rural areas, which means city dwellers harm climate less. According to a report in New Scientist, David Dodman at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London, who led the study, said previous claims that cities contribute disproportionately to global climate change are unfounded.

March 12th, 2009 LONDON - Climatologists have warned that rising sea levels caused by global warming could destroy the Norfolk Broads and Thames Estuary in the UK within a hundred years. According to a report in the Telegraph, low-lying areas of the UK are under threat because the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are melting faster than previously thought.