Efforts to tacle accelerating drought and desertification take shape this year an Namibia

Worldwide Efforts to Combat Drought, Desertification to Take Shape in Namibia This Year

High-level representatives from 195 nations party to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification,, along with civic and environmental groups, will meet in Windhoek to assess progress and plan for future actions to address desertification, land degradation and drought, issues that now affect 168 nations at a cost of some $490 billion, not to mention the loss of lives, health, livelihoods, biodiversity and ecosystems.

New resiliency index announced with C40 Cities at the Clinton Global Initiative

Resiliency Index Will Assess Climate Risks for Cities

Working under the umbrella of C40 Cities, an international collaborative of cities working to assess and reduce their climate risk impacts, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg
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Global community risks catastrophic sea level rise if current fossil fuel and c02 emissions stay on track

Rising Temperature, Sea Level On Track to Wipe Out Major World Cities Former Shell Exec Tells UN

The global community of nations is headed for catastrophes on an unprecedented scope and scale if fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions continue on trend, according to the latest scientific evidence and research. Global average temperature is on a path toward a warming of 4 degrees Celsius, which could result in sea level rises of 70 meters (230 feet), wiping out major cities, including London, New York, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Climate change education is an essential part of a sustainable future for our children

Enviro News Wrap: The Sheen Comes off Natural Gas; the True Cost of Oil; At-Risk Species, and more…

By Anders Hellum-Alexander · Comments (0) · Monday, January 23rd, 2012

GlobalWarmingisReal contributor Anders Hellum-Alexander wraps-up the climate and environmental news headlines for the past week:

Another oil spill in the ocean threatens endangered species in Australia.
The anti-fracking movement is gaining momentum as the White House pushes for more natural gas extraction. The natural gas industry is dropping money on politicians to make sure they get their way, $1.34 million in the last four years in New York state is silencing the electorate and suppressing democracy.
A mild winter in the US has decreased the demand for natural gas, increasing supply and pushing prices down.
Scientists reveal that natural gas is not “clean” when compared to oil or coal, emitting just as much greenhouse gases as other fossil fuels. This article published in the Wall St. Journal highlight many of the myths promoted by the natural gas industry.
The Brookings Institute provides commentary on US energy policy. The analysis asserts that the price of renewable energy and dirty energy are what will drive positive change by means of a carbon tax – but what an unpopular word: “tax”.
Here is an article pushing the environmentalism kills jobs argument (or better characterized as a “myth”.
The New York Daily News argues that fracking has negative side effects but so do other sources of dirty energy so we should just “put up with it.”
Fareed Zakaria comments on the price of oil and how it defies the law of supply and demand, the real driver of the price of oil is OPEC and its member’s financial needs. Those needs include the price of a barrel oil staying above $100. Besides the price of oil being so high - the true cost is above $100/brl - and compared to renewable energy oil is a cost inefficient venture.
Speaking of the true cost of oil, here is a report on the most at-risk species caused by fossil fuel consumption.
ExxonMobile pays $1.6 million for spilling 63,000 gallons of oil in the Yellowstone river.
The oil from the BP Gulf oil spill is drifting back to the site of the spill where microbes are eating the oil.
Chevron can add yet another oil disaster to its list of atrocities inflicted on the people of Nigeria.
Bulgaria has said “NO” to Chevron and placed a national ban on fracking.
The amount of money invested in renewable energy is growing every year, $260 billion was invested last year. President Obama wants to continue supporting renewable energy and has an energy plan that includes nuclear in that category.
The majority of Ikea’s stores in the US are covered in PV Solar panels.
The EPA is studying adverse health effects of living next to wind turbines, and they are finding none.
Home Owner Associations (HOA) like to closely control any alterations to a member’s home, even when it comes to PV Solar. How much control should an HOA have?