Published on April 13th, 2008
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Among the many other ill effects it is causing, global climate change may also be contributing to failures of hops and barley crops. Without these two essential ingredients, the supply of beer will be reduced, and prices for what remains will rise dramatically.
According to Jim Salinger, a climate scientist at New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, the warming globe will likely cause a decline in the production of malting barley, which, when combined with the scarcity of hops right now, stands to have a profound and negative impact on the world’s beer supply starting now, and for decades to come.
More information at Treehugger.
Image Source: Tnarik - via Flickr CC photo
Published on April 10th, 2008
While watching video of Al Gore’s recent talk at TED (which is quite good), I was struck by a particular slide he showed. The slide had a list showing all of the countries that attended the Kyoto climate talks. Highlighted on that list was the single remaining country yet to sign on to the Kyoto Protocol. Guess which one it was!
Wikipedia
Published on April 8th, 2008
Pretty cool: two separate groups of researchers at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society have outlined a way to use carbon dioxide emissions as a starting material for making CDs, DVDs, beverage bottles and other polycarbonate plastic items. “Using CO2 to create polycarbonates might not solve the total carbon dioxide problem, but it could be a significant contribution,” says researcher Thomas E. Müller.
Published on April 8th, 2008
The 2008 Olympic torch relay will cover more than 85,000 miles and visit 23 cities before reaching Beijing. Covering that kind of ground (and ocean) will require the help of Air China, burning an estimated 464,400 gallons of fuel and emitting 5,500 tons of carbon dioxide in the process.
See the story from Wired’s Autopia.
Published on April 7th, 2008
The Blue Man Group has a great video warning about climate change. It is nice to have artistic expression on this topic.
Published on March 31st, 2008
Climate change is altering Pacific gray whales’ migration patterns. According to Rob Davis, “The whales’ fall migration south past San Diego is peaking five days later than it once did. Once they get to Baja, they’re staying two weeks less than they did in the late 1970s.”
Image source: Voices of San Diego
Published on March 31st, 2008
Can selling carbon credits to finance “ocean fertilization” solve global warming?
Greenpeace calls it “irresponsible” but, a variety of companies including, Climos, a San Francisco start-up, have raised a enough venture capital to give it a try. By drizzling an iron slurry across a stretch of ocean the company will leave a bloom of phytoplankton in its wake and hopefully take a small step toward solving global warming.
Read the rest of this entry »
Published on March 29th, 2008
Did you celebrate earth hour by turning off the lights? This event lasted from 8-9 pm tonight, with the purpose of raising awareness about climate change. Sydney, Australia was the pioneer of this day, starting the annual tradition in 2007 and creating a 10% drop in electricity use. 24 cities around the globe participated, with many iconic structures like the Sears Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge turning off their lights. What occurred in your local area?
Published on March 8th, 2008
The southern portions of Scandinavia can no longer rely on the climate to provide temperatures cold enough for outdoor ice skating rinks. Instead, plastic rinks made of a thin layer of polyethylene coated with propylene glycol are being used to reduce carbon emissions and lessen upkeep costs. The rinks are 100% recyclable.
Image and story source: Treehugger
Published on February 26th, 2008
Pretty darn funny satirical video - at least I hope it’s satire!
