Environmental Leader reported that Living Cities has released its Green Cities report that provides an assessment of how cities in the United States are trying to limit their carbon footprint, and identifies areas where environmental efforts lag. The report shows that cities have not waited for federal or state governments to initiate green policies that help combat climate change.
The Wall Street Journal’s “Environmental Capital” blog reported that the long-term outlook for oil supply isn’t getting any better, which means the prospects for a price spike when demand finally recovers is increasing. OPEC Secretary-General Abdalla Salem El-Badri said even more oil drilling projects in cartel member countries are being put on hold or axed altogether. Early this year, Mr. El-Badri said 35 upstream projects had gotten yanked in member states because of weak oil prices and an uncertain, longer term demand outlook.
As they say, what is measured is managed. SustainableBusiness.com reported that this spring, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will conduct the first-ever, wide-scale survey of organic farming in the nation. The survey will look at many aspects of organic farming during the 2008 calendar year–from production and marketing practices, to income and expenses. It will focus not only on operations that are currently engaged in organic production, but also on those making the transition to organic agriculture. The results will help shape future decisions regarding farm policy, funding allocations, availability of goods and services, community development and other key issues, USDA said.
The New York Times’ “Green, Inc.” reported that just days after declaring that carbon emissions were a threat to human health, the Environmental Protection Agency has given high marks to a wide-ranging energy and climate bill that was recently put forward by the House Energy Committee. The Waxman-Markey bill, also known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, will “drive the clean energy transformations of the U.S. economy,” and substantially reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, according to the E.P.A.’s review.
Hill Heat reported on the verbal fireworks that ensued as a week of hearings got underway on the Waxman-Markey climate bill. But the real attention on Capitol Hill was tuned to a few moderate Democrats who have the power to make or break the bill. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman acknowledged their concerns this morning as EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood were being questioned by the committee. Praising one of those moderates, former committee chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.), Waxman said he had hoped to see his legislation pass with something like the committee’s 42-1 vote that had secured amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990. But he added, “I have my suspicions after listening to the opening statements here that we may not be able to succeed in the same way.”
The Sustainability Ninja reported that the National Center for Atmospheric Research has released a new report detailing finding that indicate rivers in world’s most populated areas are losing their water as a consequence of climate change. Researchers have determined that the descending level of water in rivers is in many cases associated with global warming, and that this trend could cause reduction of water supplies in some of the world’s most major cities. Studies showed that Colorado River in the United States, the Yellow River in China, the Ganges in India and the Niger in Africa are steadily losing their water. “Reduced runoff is increasing the pressure on freshwater resources in much of the world, especially with more demand for water as population increases,” says NCAR scientist Aiguo Dai. “As climate change inevitably continues in coming decades, we are likely to see greater impacts on many rivers and water resources that society has come to rely on,” said Kevin Trenberth, also of the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
Tim Woodall at FD Element