Climate change

Global CO2 emissions increase slowed down in 2012

What better kind of news than good ones ? So let’s start this month of November by something that will cheer you up as the fight against climate change and rising temperatures may well soon be reaching a turnaround moment. To a brand new report from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, global carbon dioxide emissions […]

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United States emissions decreased by 3.8 percent in 2012

According to new data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA, how confusing…), the national energy-related carbon dioxide emissions declined by 3.8 percent last year, thus reaching their levels of 1994 while the economy grew. Many factors contributed to this drop in emissions. Among them are a warmer winter, a more efficient economy (notably new

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European Union already close to its 2020 climate goals

Here is another post on Cleantechies, this time focusing again on how the European Union is succeeding in cutting its greenhouse gases emissions, and this without even trying that hard. Here is the introduction : ” According to the European Environment Agency, the European Union is already close to its 2020 climate objectives as it

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Cleaning Chinese skies won’t be cheap

If you like me you are wondering sometimes what it would cost China to clean its air, here is the answer, and it is quite astounding. To a Chinese official, it would cost a mere 5 trillion yuan, or around $820 billion ( around 600 billion euros). For the capital city of Beijing alone, it

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The IPCC latest report is out

You must have heard or read about it : Friday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has published the first part of its latest report. The results are even more frightening than in 2007 and stress how urgent action is needed. Now the IPCC is between 95 percent sure that most of the warming is

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China coal consumption could peak soon

The People’s Republic of China is in the middle of a very serious situation as it is struggling with horrendous air pollution which in the Northern provinces cut life expectancy by over five years. To avoid this from worsening even more, the local government has been investing heavily in the past and will invest more

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Climate change endangers tea

It seems every single thing we enjoy in our daily lives is endangered by unchecked climate change. We have seen here that chocolate, coffee and wine will see their productions alter and decrease by warming temperatures. Climate Progress published last month a list of 16 of your favorite things that climate change is totally screwing

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The carbon tax works : British Columbia edition

We have  seen in previous articles on how taxing carbon makes a lot of sense. Ireland and Australia have already implemented them with resounding successes. Both China and South Africa are planning to enact one by 2015. Now the Economist and Grist published articles on a third example of a successful carbon tax implementation, and

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Don’t say climate change, prefer ” climate crises “

To a recent study, global warming could cause a 50 percent increase in violent conflict. To another, a warming arctic could cost the world economy around $60 TRILLION.

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Could we really reverse climate change ?

Given how we are on our way to warming global average temperatures by no less than 4 to 6 °C by the end of the century, stopping climate change seems already a huge ordeal and a tall order. It’s not a question of solutions, but of political courage. Now according to Grist, a team of

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