http://www.citytools.net Your news, your way. Stories on CityTools where either written by members or are existing stories shared by members. In the case of shared stories, all rights reside with the original creator. en 2008-10-07T21:16:12 2008-10-07T21:16:12 httpd:/www.citytools.net/essentials/rss_docs.html http://www.citytools.net/images/rss_logo.jpg http://www.citytools.net 182 35 citytools image http://www.citytools.net/showstory/EBDC1916-948F-11DD-B7D8-C7443B6935D1/ Britain must abandon using almost all fossil fuels to produce power in 20 years&#39; time, the government&#39;s climate change watchdog will warn today. The independent Climate Change Committee will publish its advice to the government that the UK should set a 2050 target of cutting all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% - including the emissions from aviation and transport, which were previously excluded. Because it is unlikely that emissions from aviation and shipping will be cut so dramatically, other sectors, particularly power generation, would have to reduce emissions by much more, with big increases in energy efficiency, wind and tide power, and probably new nuclear generators, Lord Turner of Ecchinswell, the committee chairman, told the Guardian. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/oct/07/carbon.emissions.targets">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/C5268A16-9432-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ CHICAGO -- Picture 100,000 wind turbines rising from the Great Lakes off Michigan&#39;s shores, casting spinning shadows on the water and producing electricity for the entire upper Midwest. This surreal image is conjured by a study released last Tuesday by the Michigan State University Land Policy Institute. It analyzed wind potential in the Great Lakes and found that 100,000 turbines off Michigan&#39;s coasts could produce 321,000 megawatts of energy. That scenario, however, is highly unlikely because of the cost and environmental and other considerations. But wind ...<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100602574.html"> (more) </a><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/06/AR2008100602574.html">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/4A8A88DC-942A-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Economic turmoil won&#39;t stop investments that help the environment, but the focus will be on saving energy and money rather than massive change, a top California environment official said on Monday. <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/Wu9aVd-bnUM/idUSTRE4960UC20081007">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/6507E666-9400-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ SYDNEY (Reuters) - Climate change threatens Australia&#39;s A$2.1 billion (US$1.6 billion) commercial fishing and aquaculture industry, but may create new wild fisheries as tropical marine species move south as sea temperatures rise. <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/7PQY4AIve6s/idUSTRE4951JW20081006">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/C3AF6CE0-9408-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ City joins race to be first urban reserve on Unesco environmental register<a href="http://www.earthwire.org/redirect.cfm?did=2000362616&cid=2100017&aid=0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fenvironment%2F2008%2Foct%2F06%2Fecotowns">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/DFD3C1B0-948E-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Influential EU lawmakers sought in a key vote on Tuesday to ease the cost for factories of meeting greenhouse gas emissions limits from 2013 as much of Europe heads for recession. <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/6GDOb3HQqcM/idUSTRE4965T120081007">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/EA32DDD4-9421-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department will designate within two years protected areas of the Arctic that are considered critical habitat for polar bears and cannot be harmed by oil development as part of a legal settlement with environmental groups on Monday. <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/Ga-6ICRq3s8/idUSTRE4960TN20081007">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/266678BC-9411-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ LONDON (Reuters) - Britain should increase its climate targets to an 80 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, compared to its present 60 percent goal, its chief adviser on climate change said on Tuesday. <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/AtHMMJBJBbc/idUSTRE49604020081007">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/004097A8-93F8-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union lawmakers will vote on Tuesday on whether to support sweeping cuts in carbon emissions from coal plants and tweaks to EU climate change proposals which would ease costs for industry. <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/ZJqvn0_zyYU/idUSTRE49586A20081006">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/9F81B238-93EF-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing&#39;s city authorities have raised pump prices by up to 4 percent to cover the cost of cleaner fuel, a bold gesture of support for efficiency and green growth on a day when global oil markets hit an eight-month low. <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/gyMuCNc7v6g/idUSTRE4957HS20081006">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/70597F32-9443-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ An &quot;extinction crisis&quot; is under way with one in four mammals in danger of disappearing forever because of habitat loss, hunting and climate change, a leading global conservation body warned Monday.<a href="http://www.earthwire.org/redirect.cfm?did=2000362663&cid=2100017&aid=0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iht.com%2Farticles%2F2008%2F10%2F06%2Feurope%2Fenviron.php">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/0E584E6A-943B-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ BIBLIS, Germany (Reuters) - The vat of still blue water containing enriched uranium rods at Germany&#39;s oldest nuclear plant looks as harmless as a public swimming pool. <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/o41Fy9L7VPM/idUSTRE4960AD20081007">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/67727514-94B0-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ BRASILIA (Reuters) - A global economic slowdown could help reduce destruction of the Amazon rainforest due to lower commodity prices and Brazil should set targets to limit deforestation, the country&#39;s environment minister said on Tuesday. <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/XNcxGVC-kEk/idUSTRE4967SE20081007">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/95ABEC84-945C-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ MEPs will tomorrow (7 October) vote on key legislation designed to slash the EU&#39;s CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020. But the vote comes amidst a worsening economic crisis,with several member states indicating that they want to put the brakes on any rapid adoption of the measures.<a href="http://www.earthwire.org/redirect.cfm?did=2000362948&cid=2100017&aid=0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.euractiv.com%2Fen%2Fclimate-change%2Fbrussels-readies-super-tuesday-climate-vote%2Farticle-176041%3FRef%3DRSS">[original story]</a> http://www.citytools.net/showstory/344EAD3A-9454-11DD-8240-F3337A10A9B7/ BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union lawmakers backed more domestic action to fight climate change, cutting import limits on carbon offsets from developing countries through 2020, in a vote on Tuesday which will carry into EU negotiations. <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/a7hAfJY_SG0/idUSTRE49586A20081007">[original story]</a>