S Asia in climate change ‘crisis’
BBC
A Greenpeace report warns that South Asia faces a major human crisis if greenhouse gas emissions grow at present rates.

Ice shrinks in Arctic sea
Yahoo! News
Winter sea ice around a Norwegian Arctic island has thinned to less than one metre (3 feet) since the 1960s, according to a study on Tuesday of a region that may be more attractive to oil firms because of climate change.

Ireland announces forestry schemes
Environment Data Interactive Exchange
The Irish government has announced details of a new set of forestry schemes aimed at improving and growing Ireland’s woodland areas.

PlasticsEurope: Reversing the traditional ways of lobbying – EurActiv.com | EU – European Informatio…
EurActiv
Trying to convince policymakers of your arguments can only be successful to a certain extent, says Wilfried Hansel of PlasticsEurope. To positively influence outcomes, you want to address the needs of society as a whole, he says in an interview with EurActiv.

Northern Irish homes reduce energy consumption
Environment Data Interactive Exchange
New figures have indicated that energy efficiency in Northern Ireland homes has improved by 20% over the last decade.

Livingstone puts environment at heart of campaign
Guardian Unlimited
Tory rival Boris Johnson would be ‘disaster’ for fight against climate change, claims London mayor

Are we ready to track carbon footprints?
International Herald Tribune
People are not good at making immediate sacrifices for an abstract benefit in the future, especially when they have a hard time understanding the problem.

Australian wine industry feels heat from climate change
Reuters
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australian grape growers reckon they are the canary in the coalmine of global warming, as a long drought forces winemakers to rethink the styles of wine they can produce and the regions they can grow in.

EU Environment Chief Backs Green Tax Plan – Report
Planet Ark
BRUSSELS – The European Union’s environment chief on Friday backed a Franco-British proposal to cut sales tax on green products to fight climate change, despite opposition from some countries and within the EU executive.

Australian Carbon Should Be Auctioned – Govt Adviser
Planet Ark
CANBERRA – Australia’s farmers, coal miners and power generators should have to bid at auction for carbon permits when carbon trading starts in 2010, the government’s top climate adviser said on Thursday.

Top scientists warn against rush to biofuel
Guardian Unlimited
Brown intends to resist EU plans for increased biofuels quotas as doubts over their use multiply

Biofuels: a solution that became part of the problem
Guardian Unlimited
Alarm expressed by top government expert about the use of biofuels is the latest in a series of comments from senior figures that have shaken Whitehall

Drought forces wine makers in Australia to think again
International Herald Tribune
Industry groups estimate that of the 7,000 or so Australian wine growers, 1,000 may be forced to leave the industry this year because their vineyards are no longer financially viable.

70 percent of Afghans without safe drinking water: government
Yahoo! News
About 70 percent of Afghans do not have access to safe drinking water, a government minister said Tuesday at the opening of the first of a chain of hydrological stations to monitor water supply.

Wild Elephants Fall Victim To Sri Lanka War Strategy
Planet Ark
PIMBURELLEGAMA, Sri Lanka – Shaking his head at an elephant carcass rotting by a lush paddy field in north Sri Lanka, park warden J.A. Weerasingha counts the cost of a state initiative to arm villagers against Tamil Tiger rebels.

Cameron’s home turbine energy plan puts the wind up neighbours
Daily Mail
His first one lasted only a week before a gale of criticism forced him to take it down. But, undaunted, David Cameron is to re-install a wind turbine on the roof of his house. Mr Cameron first placed the turbine on top of his £1million five-bedroom home in Kensington in 2006, but locals derided it as an eyesore while environmental groups dismissed it as a gimmick

Cameron’s home turbine energy plan puts the wind up neighbours
This is London
His first one lasted only a week before a gale of criticism forced him to take it down. But, undaunted, David Cameron is to re-install a wind turbine on the roof of his house.

Information day will alert firms to eco-funding
Environment Data Interactive Exchange
An information day is taking place in Brussels in May to show businesses how they can gain funding for eco-friendly projects.

Biofuel demand ‘will increase GHGs’
Environment Data Interactive Exchange
Growing demand for biofuels could actually increase greenhouse gas emissions as farmers clear forests and grassland to create more cropland, according to a new US study.

S Asia in climate change ‘crisis’
BBC
A Greenpeace report warns that South Asia faces a major human crisis if greenhouse gas emissions grow at present rates.

Scientists warn against biofuel rush
Guardian Unlimited
Brown intends to resist EU plans for increased biofuels quotas as doubts over their use multiply

Kansas Governmant Vetoes Plan For Coal-Fired Power Plants
Planet Ark
WASHINGTON – In a big win for environmentalists, the Democratic governor of Kansas Friday vetoed legislation that would have allowed a huge coal-fired power plant to expand in the state and spew 11 million more tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year.

Australian animals threatened by climate change: report
Yahoo! News
Native Australian animals are at increased risk of extinction due to climate change, according to a report released Tuesday which found invasive species could benefit from rising temperatures.

Wind power breaks records in Spain
Yahoo! News
Wind power is breaking new records in Spain, accounting for just over 40 percent of all electricity consumed during a brief period last weekend, the country’s wind power association said Tuesday.

UAE Says To Explore Nuclear Energy For Electricity
Planet Ark
DUBAI – The United Arab Emirates says it will establish a $100 million agency to look into developing nuclear energy to satisfy rising electricity demand in the Gulf oil exporter on Iran’s doorstep.

Russia-Georgia air links to resume, but storm clouds grow
Yahoo! News
Russian-Georgian relations were set for a symbolic thaw Tuesday with the first passenger flight in eighteen months between Tbilisi and Moscow, but tensions over Georgia’s pro-Western course and NATO ambitions were only growing.

Explosions as battery plant burns
BBC
More than 50 firefighters are tackling a large blaze at a battery recycling plant in the Black Country.

Pennon buys waste firm for £23m
BBC
The company which owns South West Water, the Pennon Group, buys a recycling firm in a deal worth about £23m.

Waste facility praised by environment minister
Environment Data Interactive Exchange
A Newtonabbey-based recycling and waste firm has been praised by Environment Minister Arlene Foster for the large role it is playing in tackling Northern Ireland’s waste problem.

Second incinerator plan discussed
BBC
Surrey County Council’s executive approves plans for a second energy-from-waste incinerator.

Japan Plans to Cut Garbage by 60 Pct
Time Magazine
Japan will urge citizens to carry their own chopsticks instead of using disposable ones and go shopping with their own bags instead of using plastic ones, in a bid to more than halve the garbage it produces

Yard gears up for tidal power
Belfast Telegraph
Harland & Wolff was gearing up today for a heavy lift operation with a difference – as the Belfast shipyard bids farewell to a 300 tonne tidal generating machine.

Wind power key to Scotland reaping gains from next data wave
The Herald
The Scottish head of Cisco, one of the world’s largest technology companies, said Scotland can attract more than £18bn of inward investment over the next few years by applying its commitment to wind power to the technology sector – but stressed it must act quickly to seize the opportunity.

Mexico plans water supply boost
BBC
Mexico says it will invest $21bn to ensure at least 95% of people have access to clean drinking water by 2012.

Better Sanitation Has Huge Economic Spin-Offs-UN
Planet Ark
OSLO – Spending $10 billion a year would enable the world to reach a 2015 goal of improved sanitation in developing countries with huge spin-offs such as less poverty and better health, UN experts said on Thursday.

MoD criticised for objecting to 44 wind farms
Daily Mail
Defence chiefs were accused yesterday of prolonging Britain’s reliance on fossil fuels by objecting to the development of dozens of wind farms. The Ministry of Defence has protested about 44 schemes because it says they interfere with radar and obscure the vision of low-flying aircraft

Scientist’s ‘green fuel’ warning
Yahoo! News
The Government’s top environment advisor has urged ministers to reconsider the use of biofuels.