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Arctic Climate Report Finds Dramatic Changes Underway

A new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists about climate change impacts in the Arctic region sounds yet another urgent warning that human-induced climate change will have a profound and likely near-term effect on communities around the world. The study, released yesterday, was authored by close to 300 climate experts and commissioned by eight Arctic nations and six indigenous peoples organizations. The study finds that North American glaciers are melting at an accelerating rate and air temperatures across Alaska and Siberia are rapidly warming, with substantial impacts to Artic communities and wildlife. It also finds that the Greenland Ice Sheet and crucial Alaskan glaciers will likely melt at a faster rate than previously anticipated, accelerating global sea-level rise. The report uses the latest state-of-the-art global climate models and moderate, internationally recognized assumptions of future emissions. "This study is a thorough synthesis of years of peer-reviewed research by leading Arctic scientists," said Dr. Walter Oechel, director of the Global Change Research Group at San Diego State University. "Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the report is the rapid changes projected over the next century using an average greenhouse gas emissions climate scenario. The maps and figures are not the worst-case […]

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Companies Get Ready for Greenhouse Gas Limits

by John J. Fialka and Jeffrey Ball, October 26, 2004 Some major corporations, anticipating that they may soon be facing government regulations on so-called greenhouse gas emissions at home as well as abroad, are already taking steps to reduce the financial risks of tighter controls and searching for ways to make money on them. A new study of nine corporations by World Resources Institute, a nonprofit, environmental group based here, concludes that "proactive work" by companies to measure emissions and minimize the costs of the coming rules could be much less expensive than "reacting to events at a later date." The Kyoto Protocol, the international treaty that will regulate carbon dioxide and other emissions believed to be causing global warming, could be imposed on U.S. multinationals operating in other industrial nations early next year after Russia, as expected, ratifies the treaty. Meanwhile, efforts by state and regional officials in the U.S. Northeast and in California could result in new regulations on power-plant and vehicle emissions. The bulk of U.S. industry remains opposed to the notion of mandatory government limits. Next week, officials from the utility, auto and oil industries are expected to file a legal brief supporting the Bush administration's […]

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South Korea Plans World's Largest Solar Power Station

According to BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific, the world's largest solar power station will be built in South Korea by 2006, a provincial government said today. Representatives from Sun Power and Geothermal Energy Co, a solar systems design company from the U.S. and Sharp Electronics Corp of Japan came to South Korea to map the final details. The station will be located in the coastal county of Sinan, about 420 km southwest of Seoul. Construction of the 15 MW solar power station will begin next February and is expected to be completed in October 2006. "South Cholla Province is a blessed region, which receives the largest amount of solar radiation in the country," Park Joon-young, South Cholla Province governor, said. "The Sinan station will be the world's largest." Sun Power will design and install the solar power systems and Sharp will supply the cells needed to generate solar energy. 12 companies are seeking to establish solar power stations in the province to produce a combined 37 MW of solar energy.

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New Jersey Writes Nation's Strictest Mercury, Arsenic Rules

PRINCETON, New Jersey, November 5, 2004 (ENS) – New Jersey has adopted new rules that establish the strongest mercury and arsenic standards in the country. These rules will reduce mercury emissions from certain facilities by up to 90 percent by the end of 2007 and will cut in half the acceptable limit of arsenic in drinking water by 2006. "If New Jersey's mercury rules were enacted nationally, annual emissions from coal fired power plants alone would decline from approximately 48 tons to about five tons," said Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley Campbell, announcing the new standards on Thursday. "At the same time," he said, "through existing technologies we can provide greater health protections, reducing the risk of cancers from arsenic in drinking water." The measures are the last environmental rules to be put in place by the administration of Governor James McGreevey, who is leaving office on November 15 over a scandal involving his homosexual relationship with an aide. Senate President Richard Codey, a fellow Democrat, will to take over as acting governor and serve the remaining 14 months of McGreevey's term. He is expected to uphold and enforce the new mercury and arsenic rules. The regulations call […]

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Metabolix & Archer Daniels Midland to Commercialize Plastic from Corn

Metabolix, Inc. and Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) (ADM) have entered into a strategic alliance to commercialize a new generation of high-performance natural plastics. They plan to establish a state-of-the-art 50,000-ton production facility and a 50/50 joint venture to manufacture and market natural PHA polymers for a wide variety of applications, including coated paper, film, and molded goods. Natural PHA polymers are produced using a fully biological fermentation process that converts agricultural raw materials such as corn sugar into a versatile range of biodegradable and compostable plastics. ADM will obtain exclusive manufacturing rights and certain co-exclusive marketing rights to Metabolix proprietary PHA technology. Metabolix will receive upfront and milestone payments for transfer and scale up of the technology. The agreement also provides for royalty payments and profit sharing by the joint venture partners. "This agreement is a major advance toward our goal of making an array of renewable, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional petrochemical plastics widely available to the global marketplace," said Jim Barber, Metabolix's President and CEO. "ADM is a world leader in industrial fermentation, and we are delighted to combine Metabolix's groundbreaking technology with ADM's global strengths in agricultural products processing, fermentation, and logistical networking." PHAs are a […]

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