Japan’s new government seeks deeper cuts in greenhouse gases

October 6th, 2009 Activists sue Texas to restrict greenhouse gasesDALLAS — Environmental activists sued the Texas environmental agency Tuesday in an effort to force the state to regulate greenhouse gases, asking that coal-fired power plant projects be halted until that happens. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issues air pollution permits that set limits on toxic releases, but the agency says there is no need to regulate carbon dioxide.

October 6th, 2009 Obama: Government to set global warming exampleWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama wants the federal government to set the example when it comes to global warming. In an executive order signed Monday, Obama required all agencies to do what he wants companies operating power plants, running refineries and making automobiles to do: reduce heat-trapping gases.

October 5th, 2009 Obama puts government on greenhouse-gas dietWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is putting the federal government on a greenhouse-gas diet. In an executive order signed Monday, Obama directed all agencies to set the first-ever targets for reducing climate-altering pollution from government buildings, fleets and federal workers' commutes.

September 30th, 2009 EPA moves to regulate smokestack greenhouse gasesWASHINGTON — Proposed regulations would require power plants, factories and refineries to reduce greenhouse gases by installing the best available technology and improving energy efficiency whenever a facility is significantly changed or built. The Environmental Protection Agency proposal announced Wednesday applies to any industrial plant that emits at least 25,000 tons of greenhouse gases a year.

September 24th, 2009 Planned emission cuts still means far hotter EarthWASHINGTON — A United Nations update says Earth's temperature is likely to jump nearly 6 more degrees by 2100 even if every country cuts greenhouse gas emissions as planned. Scientists looked at emission plans from 192 nations and calculated what would happen to global warming.

September 22nd, 2009 Japanese PM pledges deep greenhouse cutsUNITED NATIONS — Japan's new prime minister is pledging a deep cut in greenhouse gases blamed for climate change. Yukio Hatoyama told world leaders gathered Tuesday a United Nations climate change summit that his nation aims to make a 25 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020.

July 28th, 2009 Greenpeace: China power companies hurting climateBEIJING — China's three largest energy suppliers emitted more greenhouse gases than all of Britain last year, environmental watchdog Greenpeace China said in a report issued Tuesday. The report reflects the heavy reliance on coal that is hampering China's efforts to tackle climate change.

July 20th, 2009 Top UN climate expert faults G-8 goal without deedUNITED NATIONS — The chairman of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said Monday that the Group of Eight nations had "clearly ignored" taking any concrete action to accomplish its new goal of limiting climate change.

July 8th, 2009 Obama administration agrees on greenhouse gas cutsL'AQUILA, Italy — The Obama administration says it agrees that industrialized nations should sharply reduce their greenhouse gas emissions over the next four decades. White House officials said Wednesday that the administration supports a goal of an 80 percent greenhouse gas reduction from industrialized nations by 2050.

June 27th, 2009 House rejects GOP energy alternativeWASHINGTON — The House has rejected a Republican alternative to a Democratic climate bill. The vote set the stage for passage of a bill that for the first time would limit U.S.

June 18th, 2009 NYC billboard monitors rising greenhouse gasesNEW YORK — New Yorkers have long been able to keep tabs on the national debt, but they now have a highly visible counter to track greenhouse gas emissions. A 70-foot-high billboard outside Madison Square Garden and Pennsylvania Station, not far from the Empire State Building, features a carbon counter.

June 18th, 2009 New York City billboard monitors greenhouse gasesNEW YORK — How are those greenhouse gases doing? New York City residents and visitors will be able to monitor the situation, thanks to a giant billboard in Manhattan. A widget also will be provided to Web sites and blogs around the world.

June 5th, 2009 SYDNEY - Massive volcanic eruptions in ancient times triggered rapid climate change and mass extinctions, by ejecting colossal volumes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. We have carefully dated minerals contained in the volcanic rocks and shown that only the fastest sequences of eruptions caused significant species extinctions, said Fred Jourdan of Curtin University, Australia.

May 1st, 2009 Island nations want treaty to cut greenhouse gasesUNITED NATIONS — Two small island nations, worried by rising sea levels, proposed drastic global cuts Thursday in the use of hydrofluorocarbons, a class of powerful greenhouse gases commonly used as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners. Micronesia and Mauritius urged 195 nations that signed on to the U.N.

January 22nd, 2009 TOKYO - Japan Friday launched a rocket carrying a satellite aimed at studying the concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. Seven small satellites, including those developed by university students, were also launched.