Remove Climate Change Remove Environment Remove Mercury
article thumbnail

Final session on international mercury convention this week expected to culminate in agreement; UNEP Global Mercury Assessment 2013 finds industrial source Hg emissions may be rising

Green Car Congress

The fifth and final session of negotiations on the establishment of an international mercury convention—International Negotiating Committee on Mercury (INC5)—is taking place this coming week in Geneva. UNEP produced its first Global Mercury Assessment in 2002 and a subsequent study in 2007.

Mercury 262
article thumbnail

PCAST suggests 6 key components for climate change strategy to President Obama; adaptation and mitigation

Green Car Congress

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a letter to President Obama describing six key components the advisory group believes should be central to the Administration’s strategy for addressing climate change. —PCAST letter to the President. The six key components are: 1.

article thumbnail

EEA says industrial air pollution cost Europe up to €169 billion in 2009; some 37% attributed to CO2

Green Car Congress

Air pollution from the 10,000 largest polluting facilities in Europe cost citizens between €102–169 billion (US$135–224 billion) in 2009, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) which analyzed the costs of harm to health and the environment caused by air pollution. Log scale) Source: EEA.

Pollution 268
article thumbnail

Shouldn’t We ALL Be Going to PowerShift 2009?

Creative Greenius

And I know I should especially be there on March 2 for the Capitol Climate Action when thousands will participate in the largest mass civil disobedience on behalf of the climate in U.S. Maybe you didn’t know there was a coal-fired power plant spewing greenhouse gases, mercury and a very bad vibe just blocks from Capitol Hill.

Al Gore 150
article thumbnail

Study from Thuringia shows 50% of harmful soot comes from local sources, 50% from long-distance transport

Green Car Congress

Aerosol particles in the atmosphere affect global climate, human health and ecosystems. The chemical composition of atmospheric particles at a given location depends not only on the local environment and sources, but is also influenced by the history of the particles reaching the sampling location.

article thumbnail

Berkeley study finds renewable portfolio standards insufficient to meet 2030 GHG emission targets; new policy required

Green Car Congress

Burning coal, a non-renewable resource, produces about 20% of the world’s greenhouse gases, but also releases harmful chemicals into the environment such as mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfuric acid, responsible in some areas for acid rain and respiratory illness. —Daniel Kammen.

Renewable 231
article thumbnail

Stanford launches major new natural gas research initiative

Green Car Congress

The new program will expand Stanford’s research on energy and the environment by focusing additional resources on the growing importance of natural gas. Compared with burning coal, natural gas emits about half the carbon dioxide and substantially less soot, mercury and sulfur.

Gas 150