The environment section covers issues which raise debate such as those concerning climate change, green living and nature. Here we take a look at the most popular articles of the year followed by an insight from our environment editor as he chooses his favourite story.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Top 12 environmental articles of 2011
Emissions from cattle equal to half of all cars in Britain
They estimate that the combined greenhouse gas emissions from the foods we eat in the UK are the equivalent of 167 million tons of carbon dioxide, and switching to vegetarian diets could cut this by between 22 and 26 per cent. If everyone in the UK went vegetarian or vegan it would have the same environmental benefit as talking half of all cars off the road, according to new research. Scientists have calculated the impact of 61 foods, with fresh meat and cheese topping the carbon footprint league.
The age of green bonds
“Institutional investors … have been busily shifting across to the bond market which is now worth $99 trillion compared to $55 trillion for equities, the reverse of a few years ago,” he said. But funds are still not flowing at scale into bonds that raise finance for climate change solutions, he added. We are entering “the age of bonds” as a result of current financial crisis, Sean Kidney, CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, told a side event at the World Economic Forum in Davos last Thursday.
Eco Love And Living: You can have it all
That was why when one of my close friends and colleague told me a few years back that he and his wife too were excited and serious about living their eco friendly dream and were relocating to France, I didn’t realize how serious he was. I always thought the dare devils who become celebrities on the TV were always a minority who you don’t meet in real life but, Les and Christine Sheldon really proved me wrong.
Algae IS A Bio-Fuel Game Changer!
Algae is one surprising potential energy source that is showing great promise. It has gained recent media attention as the U.S Navy has announced plans to test the use of algae biofuel in one of its cargo ships. Unlike oil which is only found in underground deposits in certain parts of the world, algae grows in abundance all over the globe. Approximately half of algae’s weight is comprised of lipid oil can be converted into biodiesel. Biodiesel burns more cleanly and efficiently than petroleum.
Topeka Kansas: Moving towards a sustainable community
The Environmental Protection Agency has chosen the city of Topeka to receive technical assistance in the areas of smart growth and sustainable urban development through the EPA’s Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program. City officials revealed in a news release Friday that Scott Alisoglu, the city’s sustainability coordinator, learned earlier in the week that the EPA had chosen Topeka to receive a focused, one-day technical assistance workshop.
Green Superbowl Parties Abound
The NFL has already promoted how much greener Superbowl XLVI will be in with the use of “green power” from Green Mountain Energy via the descriptive infographic (click here). They’ve even kept a tally about how much the local community has already saved in water and carbon emissions.
Super Bowl XLVI Green Initiatives
The Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium recently released a list of green initiatives that make any sports outing at their facility more eco-friendly than ever. The famous retractable roof with CPI lighting optimizes natural ventilation and light, while giant fans rather than air conditioners keep sports goers cool. Bathrooms are fully stocked with 100% recycled toilet paper, and timed water faucets preserve water. Even the parking lots are meticulously swept clean before the big day rather than sprayed with thousands of gallons of water.
Six Ways The Super Bowl Is Super Green
Sure, companies like Audi and GE like to take advantage of the Super Bowl’s huge viewing audience to promote their latest “green” message. Even Pepsi threw its hat in the game by saying it wasn’t going to advertise in this year’s game. But, just how sustainable is the event itself? Is the NFL taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of the Super Bowl? What is the league’s view of sustainability, in general?
For answers, I talked with Jack Groh, director of the NFL’s Environmental Program, and he described these six ways the NFL is greening Super Bowl XLIV:
- The NFL has teamed up with NextEra Energy Resources, the largest wind and solar energy producer in North America, to power the 2010 Pro Bowl and Super Bowl with renewable energy. NextEra Energy Resources, through its EarthEra initiative, will supply Green-e certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to match the electricity consumption during the NFL’s preparations leading up to both the Pro Bowl (held last Sunday) and the Super Bowl, as well as usage during both games at Sun Life Stadium. This is the fourth year in a row that the NFL will use RECs to match electricity consumption during the Super Bowl and its related events. It’s the first year the NFL has used RECs for the Pro Bowl. (Editor’s Note: Look out for an exclusive interview with EarthEra here on 3p in the coming weeks.) . . . . .
XLVI Super Bowl Is Super Green!
For the past 18 years, the NFL has been working to decrease the environmental footprint of the largest annual sporting event in the U.S. – the Super Bowl. Two years ago, we wrote about several initiatives aimed at reducing the events’ impacts. Last year, we covered how Super Bowl XLV was slated to be the greenest NFL championship game in history. This year, the NFL is trying to outdo itself yet again by working with the Green Mountain Energy Company and the Indianapolis community to make Super Bowl XLVI the greenest yet. I talked with Jack Groh, Director of the NFL’s Environmental Program, to get the details on this year’s efforts.
Sustainability gaining traction at universities
To some students, environmental sustainability means simply engaging in environmentally friendly practices. To Theresa Murphy, president of Student Action for Sustainability (SAS), sustainability means much more than that. "My personal favorite definition [of sustainability] is a kind of harmony between social, economic, and environmental sustainability," said Murphy, a senior Environmental Science and Management major. "Socially, people have to be healthy, the environment has to be healthy and the economy has to be healthy."
Will EU Airline Carbon Airline Laws Spark Biofuels Industry?
The dawn of 2012 ushered in the start of a new European Union emissions trading scheme (ETS) for jet fuels, and on Monday the next step was taken to bring airlines into compliance. Emissions from all domestic and international flights that arrive at or depart from an airport in Europe must now pay for the CO2 they emit or must adopt lower carbon advanced biofuels.
US will participate in planned 'anti-carbon tax talks'
NEW DELHI — India, Russia, the United States, China and other countries will meet in Moscow this month to decide whether to retaliate against the EU's decision to impose a carbon tax on air travel, a report says. The European Union (EU) imposed the tax with effect from January 1, but over two dozen countries, including India, Russia, China and the United States, have opposed the move saying it violates international law.
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