Ethanol-blend auto emissions no greener than gasoline: study
An unpublished federal report appears to undermine the belief that commercially available ethanol-blended fuel produces cleaner emissions than regular gasoline.
Many Canadians believe filling up with ethanol-blended gasoline reduces the emission of greenhouse gases that damage the environment.
Advertising sponsored by the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association encourages the idea, telling Canadians renewable fuels are "good for the environment," and even some provincial governments, including Manitoba and Saskatchewan, say the fuel "burns cleaner" than gasoline.
The federal Conservative government committed $2 billion in incentives for ethanol, made from wheat and corn, and biodiesel in last week's budget.
But based on Ottawa's own research, critics say the investment is based more on myth than hard science.
www.cbc.ca Added on: June 4, 2009
3 More Birds Close To Extinction
An Ethiopian lark, a Galapagos finch and a hummingbird are added to the "Red List" and are another step closer to extinction www.huffingtonpost.com Added on: May 15, 2009
Obama names nominee to oversee national forests
The Obama administration's pick to be the new agriculture undersecretary in charge of the U.S. Forest Service breaks a long-standing tradition of someone with a forest policy background. www.seattlepi.com Added on: May 6, 2009
US Water Contaminated By Pharmaceutical Companies, Hospitals, Consumers
U.S. manufacturers, including major drugmakers, have legally released at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways that often provide drinking water _ contamination the federal government has consistently overlooked, according to an Associated Press investigation. www.huffingtonpost.com Added on: April 20, 2009
Wordie Ice Shelf Is Gone, Extinct, No More, Melted Away
Yep, we've known it was gonna go, and now its gone. 3,200 square miles of what was once a glacier of Antarctica, has now disappeared. What is next? www.twilightearth.com Added on: April 20, 2009
EPA applies Clean Air Act to greenhouse gas emissions
Two years after a Supreme Court decision ordering the EPA to decide how to approach greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, the Agency has finally issued proposed findings that the gasses endanger public health, and that emissions from automobiles contribute to this form of pollution. Ars Technica Added on: April 18, 2009
Spam Is Killing The Planet
the energy required to send, route, and filter spam e-mail each year could power 2.4 million homes and release as much greenhouse gas as 3.1 million cars. informationweek.com Added on: April 16, 2009
One-third of Leatherback Turtles have plactics in them
A recent study of 400 turtles that have died since 1885 showed that 1/3 had plastics in them ranging from plastic bags, spoons, balloons, and candy wrappers Discovery Channel Added on: April 9, 2009
Stimulus Appears to Be Sparking Alt-Energy Revival
There are signs that the federal stimulus might be pumping a little life into the alternative-energy industry.
Financiers and law firms specializing in renewable energy say they see growing interest in reviving moribund projects and breaking ground on new deals. www.sciam.com Added on: March 27, 2009
Omnibus lands bill likely to pass Congress this week
The Omnibus lands bill, which made up of almost 170 bills has lassoed longtime foes and has a great chance of getting through Congress. www.politico.com Added on: March 24, 2009
Algal blooms dump toxins on the ocean floor
Far from degrading soon after the bloom, as previously assumed, new research suggests that the neurotoxin that causes shellfish poisoning, domoic acid, sinks to the ocean floor and could poison marine mammals, birds and humans.The team also compared the peak of domoic acid levels from the sediment with those of algae blooms at the surfaces. Their findings indicate that the toxin reaches the bottom of the ocean in only three days but stays there for much longer – at least several weeks. www.newscientist.com Added on: March 22, 2009
Climate change messes with the food chain
Scientists concerned with the biological effects of climate change are focusing on what some call “the grass of the sea.” These are tiny water plants known technically as phytoplankton. Like the green grass on which cattle feed, these little plants are at the base of many food chains in lakes and the ocean. Other tiny animals feed on them and, in turn, become food for larger critters. Knowing how phytoplankton’s abundance is changing in different locations is crucial to understanding what climate change may be doing to life on our planet. csmonitor.com Added on: March 18, 2009
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DID YOU KNOW
Every year, Desertification claims a surface area as great as that of Belgium.
