Inspirational and good news.
The GM Hy-wire is a leap forward for a car manufacture insofar that it is a total rethink of the automobile. The main factor is that the engine is non internal combustion and can power half a block of houses with its hydrogen engine.
Here’s a video of the fun auto show Top Gear describing the neatness of the car (fast forward to the 1 min mark).
I was shocked when I read that the United State’s supreme court is set to hear a case about global warming. Of course this obviously good because it forces some accountability on Bush’s administration, especially since he promised to curb CO2 emissions, but has failed to deliver. The court case basically concerns whether or not the government has the responsibility to ensure clean air, particularly the Environmental Protection Agency.
“The decision to hear the case sets up a legal showdown over President George W. Bush’s controversial position on global warming and his apparent reversal on the issue of regulating carbon dioxide.
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The plaintiffs believe that the environmental and economic threats from climate change merit aggressive action by the federal government.
The Clean Air Act gives the EPA ample authority to regulate any air pollutant that threatens human health, they argue, and carbon dioxide – as the leading greenhouse gas linked to global warming – clearly fits into that category.”
We’ve mentioned the World Urban Forum eariler, and it looks like the forum was a success. A group of mayors from the around the world have pledged to support the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.
“The mayors have been filmed during the Forum at the Millennium Campaign’s mobile television studio to commit publicly to the global effort to fight poverty and to meet the Millennium Development Goals.
“We firmly believe that local authorities, as the sphere of government closest to the people, can support the United Nations, both in the achievement of the MDGs and in raising awareness among citizens,” said Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, Councillor in Tshwane, South Africa and co-President of UCLG. “
It looks like environmental awareness amongst consumers is growing based on a recent survey of PC buyers. People feel bad for producing so much waste from electronics, or e-trash. The BBC has a good article covering computers and waste.
“The nine-nation research found that UK computer users were willing to pay an extra £64 ($117), while people in China were prepared for spend up to £108 ($197) for a more environmentally sound PC.”
What’s more, some companies are responding to pressure.
“The environmental group has long campaigned for the sector to move to cleaner production methods.
Dell says it will eliminate the use of all brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in its products by 2009.”
Although the new Conservative Federal government in Canada is shying away from the Kyoto Protocol, that isn’t stopping Canada’s mayors and some provinces from taking action anyway! Two weeks ago an annual meeting was held by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, representing 1,400 municipal leaders across Canada. At that meeting a policy statement was adopted that supports Canada’s ratification of Kyoto.
“Municipal governments commit themselves…to implementing policies and operational changes that will achieve a global reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 30 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050, based on 1990 levels,” the statement reads.
Municipal governments realize that they have the power to make a difference in Canada’s greenhouse gas emmisions, since they have a say in things such as transit and landfill regulations.
“In Canada, close to 55 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions can be influenced by decisions made by municipal governments,” the statement says.
Combine this with the latest news of, Quebec’s Provincial Government aiming to become the first province to levy a “carbon tax” in the fight against global warming, and it’s hard not to wonder…….who really needs the Feds anyway???