ENN Network News - ENN

Reuseit.com's Top Ten Holiday Gifts That Help People Consume Less

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:15:02 EST

CHICAGO, Nov. 10-- Modern culture's gift-giving often comes at the expense of our environment (during the month of December, it's been estimated that households generate and extra 1 million tons of garbage per week). The holidays are the perfect opportunity to make a significant, long-lasting difference for the environment - by giving gifts that actually help people consume less, preserve natural resources and save money. "We pioneered the concept of gifting reusables five years ago," stated Vincent Cobb, founder of Reuseit.com. "With each reusable you gift, you effectively empower the recipient to reduce thousands and thousands of disposables.

41 Nations Join Island Effort for Fast Phase-down of Super Greenhouse Gases Under Ozone Treaty

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:15:02 EST

10 November 2009, Port Ghalib, Egypt. On Sunday, 8 November, two small islands fighting rising seas and growing storm surges driven by climate change were joined by a growing army of nations in their battle to phase down super greenhouse gases.

The Copenhagen Conference on Food Security

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:15:02 EST

"For the 193 national delegations gathering in Copenhagen for the U.N. Climate Change Conference in December, the reasons for concern about climate change vary widely," says Lester R. Brown, President of the Earth Policy Institute, in a recent release, "The Copenhagen Conference on Food Security." "For delegations from low-lying island countries, the principal concern is rising sea level. For countries in southern Europe, climate change means less rainfall and more drought. For countries of East Asia and the Caribbean, more powerful storms and storm surges are a growing worry."

Breakthrough in Energy Efficient Desalination Technology

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:15:02 EST

Saltworks Technologies, a Vancouver, BC cleantech company, is positioned to revolutionize the desalination industry with a breakthrough technology that uses far less energy than current commercial processes. GLOBE-Net (November 7, 2009) - Saltworks' proof-tested process employs an innovative thermo-ionic energy conversion system. The energy reduction is achieved by harnessing low temperature heat and atmospheric dryness to overcome the desalination energy barrier.

Obama Issues Endangered Species Performance Review: Has Only Listed One Species in 10 Months

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:15:02 EST

WASHINGTON- The Obama administration Friday issued its first review of species that are candidates for protection as endangered species, identifying a total of 249 species in need of protection. The review also describes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's progress in listing these species, showing that the administration has, to date, only listed one species - a Hawaiian plant reduced to a handful of individuals.

As Climate Negotiations Slow, Forests Won't Wait

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:15:02 EST

New York - Experts warn that any international climate treaty or national climate legislation that fails to address forest and land use issues thoroughly and without delay will not be effective. To drive that point home, representatives of the nonprofit sustainability group the Rainforest Alliance will attend the Copenhagen climate treaty conference December 7-18.

Effective Green Building Policy- The City of Vancouver Case

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:15:02 EST

Governments at the federal, provincial and municipal levels are increasingly adopting green building initiatives in an effort to meet several challenges, including the fluctuating cost of energy as well as the looming prospect of climate change.

Coal Company Destroys Last Intact Mountain in Coal River Valley

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:15:02 EST

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.- A subsidiary of Massey Energy has begun mountaintop-removal coal-mining operations on Coal River Mountain in West Virginia, the only peak in Coal River Valley that hasn't been blasted away for mining. Blasting for the mine is taking place 200 yards from the Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment, which holds 8 billion gallons of toxic coal sludge above the Coal River community.

Over 200 Leaders Expected at Annapolis Banquet Showcasing Maryland Environmental & Scientific Leadership

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:15:02 EST

Baltimore, November 2, 2009. Over 200 leaders from Maryland government, business, and academia are expected to gather on the evening of December 3 at the Miller Senate Office Building in Annapolis to pay tribute to The Maryland-Asia Environmental Partnership's (MD-AEP) 2009 Environmental Leadership Series hosts. The evening program will showcase Battelle; Coca-Cola Enterprises; I.M. Systems Group; Spiralcat of Maryland; University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES); University of Maryland's ESSIC (Climate Change Center); and Zephyr Environmental Corporation.

Three Models of Social Change

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:15:02 EST

"Can we change fast enough? When thinking about the enormous need for social change as we attempt to move the world economy onto a sustainable path, I find it useful to look at various models of change.," says Lester R. Brown, President of the Earth Policy Institute, in a recent release, "Three Models of Social Change" "Three stand out. One is the catastrophic event model, which I call the Pearl Harbor model, where a dramatic event fundamentally changes how we think and behave.