Obama in Gulf as BP reports progress |
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President Obama visits one of the worst-affected areas from the spreading spill, while BP says success of latest effort to stop the flow still uncertain.... |
 US President Barack Obama en route Port Fourchon, Louisiana, May 28, 2010 Image Pete Souza, Official White House Photo |
UN warns rare metal shortage could derail clean tech boom |
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Failure to improve recycling rates of metals such as lithium and gallium could leave them "essentially unavailable" for use in solar panels, electric cars and other clean technologies The UN yesterday issued a stark warning that the adoption of low carbon technologies such as solar panels, electric cars and energy efficient lights could stall unless the recycling rates... |
 Image courtesy of BusinessGreen |
Nature loss 'to damage economies' |
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Earth's ongoing loss of biodiversity and ecosystems losses may soon begin to hit economies, a major UN report warns.... |
  Elephants, Lake Manyara national park, Tanzania. Image by Fanny Schertzer |
US faces environmental catastrophe after oil slick |
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Despair and resignation reigned among fishermen and other seafaring residents of the southern Louisiana shoreline yesterday as the vast Gulf of Mexico oil slick began to slide silently into fragile... |
 Image by Pete Souza, courtesy of The White House |
Global business leaders reassert commitment to environmental action |
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Top executives from some of the world's largest businesses meet in South Korea to reiterate commitment to more sustainable business models A UN-backed meeting of some of the world's top business leaders kicked off in Seoul earlier today with a reassertion of the commitment by many of the world's largest firms... |
 Preservation of the environment! Image by Danilo Prudêncio Silva |
US State Department report makes case for climate action |
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Environmental groups shine spotlight on draft State Department report warning of severe climate impacts A draft report from the US State Department has emphasised the urgent need to take action to curb greenhouse gas emissions, arguing that human activity is unequivocally leading to global... |
 Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State Image provided by BusinessGreen.com |
Obama's gambit to marry US policies on environment and energy |
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The president has integrated energy security goals with environment policy, focusing on renewable power. But his effort won't succeed, analysts say, unless Congress agrees to put a price on carbon emi... |
 U.S. President Barack Obama Image by by Pete Souza, courtesy of The White House |
 Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Image courtesy of Business Green |
Post-Copenhagen clear-the-air summit kicks off in Bonn |
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Weekend talks expected to focus on procedural issues, but subject will inevitably turn to post-Copenhagen fall out and race to replace Yvo de Boer Negotiators from more than 170 nations meet in the German city of Bonn today at the first round of international climate change talks since last year's Copenhagen Summit ended in... |
 Image by Roger Taylor, courtesy of Renewable Energy World |
Developing Nations Eye Renewable Energy |
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Developing countries are ramping up renewables after Copenhagen. About 151 developing countries took part in the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. Of those, 25 submitted Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) in February, many of which call for new renewable energy policies, laws and projects.... |
 Image courtesy of Business Green |
US confirms delays to EPA emission crackdown |
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Watchdog says new permitting rules for power stations and industrial plants will not come into effect until next year The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday confirmed that it will phase in new rules governing greenhouse gas emissions from power stations and industrial facilities in a move designed to... |
Kerry backs cap-and-trade plans for US utilities |
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But it won't be called cap-and-trade One of the Senators leading a bi-partisan effort to agree a compromise version of the climate change bill currently stalled in the Senate, yesterday confirmed that the bill was likely... |
 U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) |
Tax break to flip switch on US smart grid roll out |
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Smart grid projects expected to get underway after US Treasury confirms tax breaks for federal grants The emerging US smart grid industry has vowed to accelerate the roll out of new intelligent grid systems, after the government this week confirmed the sector will not be taxed... |
 Image provided by BusinessGreen.com |
 Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA Image by dcJohn |
Discovery Communications and United Nations join hands in biodiversity campaign |
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Discovery Communications Inc. leaders announced a new partnership with the United Nations Wednesday evening, even as the Silver Spring company was living “Life” to the fullest during the Washington premiere of its new 11-part natural history saga.... |
 United Nations headquarters in New York City Image courtesy of Steve Cadman |
Climate change shareholder actions hit record high |
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Number of climate-related resolutions soar as investors praise SEC's new guidance on carbon risks The number of climate change-related shareholder actions has soared 40 per cent during the 2010 proxy season to a record 95 resolutions, according to new figures from sustainable investment lobby... |
 New York Stock Exchange Image provided by BusinessGreen.com |
US EPA says to ease carbon rules on small business |
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The Obama administration will give small businesses a break on coming carbon dioxide emissions rules but big emitters like coal-fired power plants will face a crack-down, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said on... |
 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
John Kerry says compromise climate bill coming |
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Contrary to what he called "conventional wisdom," the Massachusetts Democrat says a bipartisan climate change bill will emerge soon in the U.S. Senate.... |
U.S. Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA) |
Corporations Cause $2.2T in Environmental Damage Every Year |
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A new, unpublished report from the United Nations calculates the actual cost of pollution from business operations as part of a long-term plan to make companies accountable for their environmental impacts.... |
 Image provided by GreenBiz, by James Jordan |
Yvo de Boer to step down as UN climate chief |
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De Boer will leave the UNFCCC in July to take up a role at KPMG Faltering negotiations to agree an international climate change treaty received an unexpected blow today when the UN's top climate change official, Yvo de Boer, announced he is to step down... |
 Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Image courtesy of Oxfam International |
Effort to trace 'conflict minerals' in electronics |
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Hewlett-Packard is one of a few companies seeking certification that ensures metals used in their products do not fund the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.... |
 Tungsten, 120 gramms Image by Jurii |
US Government Budget Proposals Increase Clean Energy Funding |
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President Barack Obama unveiled on February 1 a $28.4 billion budget request for DOE for fiscal year (FY) 2011, including $2.36 billion for the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The proposed budget aims to reduce unnecessary energy use, boost renewable energy sources, and strengthen clean energy research as the United States moves toward a clean energy economy.... |
 &tU. S. President Obama giving his State of the Union address Image by White House Photographer Pete Souza, provided by Renewable Energy World |
Obama may drop cap and trade to squeeze climate bill through congress |
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But horse trading to keep carbon trading goes on President Obama acknowledged this week that Congress may have to abandon carbon trading measures to force an energy bill through to his desk.... |
 &tU. S. President Obama speaks at the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center Image by White House Photographer Jesse Lee |
Copenhagen's failure should force firms to ask what they can do next |
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Lisa Ashford at EcoSecurities argues that the failure to deliver a robust deal in Copenhagen should spur businesses on to take greater voluntary action to curb emissions Six weeks on from the end of Copenhagen and everyone is still dusting themselves down and trying to figure out what the outcomes mean in terms of the impact on... |
 Lisa Ashford of EcoSecurities Image provided by BusinessGreen.com |
Researchers warn algae biofuels could prove worse than existing alternatives |
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Biofuels industry slams "outdated" research For years algae-based biofuels have been regarded as the Holy Grail for transport industries, a means of producing low carbon fuel on an industrial scale without impacting food supplies while... |
 Algal bloom in village river in mountains near Chengdu, Sichuan, China Image provided by Felix Andrews (Floybix) |
Senator Murkowski introduces “Dirty Air Act” |
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Yesterday U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski continued her campaign to undermine the Clean Air Act and to distract the country from real efforts to fix our economy and fight the climate crisis. Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, along with 35 other cosponsors including three Democrats ... |
 U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Image courtesy of United States Senate |
UK returns nuclear waste to Japan |
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The first shipment of highly-radioactive nuclear waste from the UK is leaving later on Wednesday bound for Japan, the BBC learns.... |
  Sellafield in Cumbria, England from a gyrocopter Image by Simon Ledingham, www.nwgyro.co.uk; courtesy of www.visitcumbria.com |
US to tighten geothermal drilling rules amidst earthquake fears |
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Leaked documents suggest geothermal energy developers will be forced to monitor seismic activity more closely The US Department of Energy (DoE) is to impose new safety regulations on geothermal energy projects designed to address fears that drilling deep holes in order to access energy released... |
Image provided by BusinessGreen.com |
Alpha Energy Completes One of the Largest Continuous Elevated Solar Energy Racking Structures in the US |
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A national leader in turnkey photovoltaic systems, and member of worldwide power systems provider The Alpha Group, Alpha Energy recently completed the construction and commissioning of a 1MW Elevated Solar PV Grid-tied Structure for the Manheim NJ National Auto Dealers Exchange (NADE) auction facility in Bordentown, NJ.... |
 Manheim NJ NADE Solar Installation Image provided by Renewable Energy World |
CES: Obama awards $2.3 billion clean energy tax credits |
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U.S. president unveils a tax credit, from funds earmarked under a stimulus package he signed last February, to boost jobs by promoting clean energy.... |
 Image provided by Pete Souza |
 Eco-friendly Gift Bags Image provided by citymama |
Copenhagen green lights plan to streamline CDM |
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But expert warns UN offset market could still be heading for investment crisis Reforms agreed at the Copenhagen Summit last week should make it easier for emission reduction projects in developing countries to qualify for the UN's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) carbon offset... |
 UN Building in New York City Image provided by Andy C |
Attention turns to 2010, as negotiators close in on final Copenhagen deal |
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Brown defends compromise agreement; plans emerge for 2010 climate change meetings Talks at the Copenhagen Summit were on-going this morning as negotiators from rich nations attempted to convince poorer countries angry at the deal between the US and large emerging economies... |
 Image provided by BusinessGreen |
DOE's Chu kicks off green-tech transfer fund |
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As part of climate negotiations in Copenhagen, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announces program to accelerate use of solar-powered LED lighting in poor countries.... |
 United States Secretary of Energy Steven Chu Image provided by Department of Energy |
100,000 rally in Copenhagen for a real climate deal |
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Today an estimated 100,000 people rallied in the streets of Copenhagen for a strong and just climate deal. The rally, at the site of the international climate negotiations, was one of hundreds across the world on this global day of climate action.... |
 Copenhagen candlelight march for a real climate deal. Image provided by tcktcktck.org |
The NSBA is the first and oldest national small-business advocacy organization in the U.S. Founded in 1937, this nonprofit represents America's Small Business Companies and Entrepreneurs, reaching more than 150,000 small businesses.
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