Climate 411

This post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

Memorial Day is the start of the summer travel season. With gas prices approaching $4 per gallon across the country, you might want to think carefully about how you get where you’re going. Should you take one, big, packed car, or two smaller, half-empty cars? How much gas can you save by driving slower and making sure your car engine is properly tuned?

For answers to all these questions and more, check out our Eight Ways to Green Your Road Trip.

This post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

Last week I posted links to some ads we’re running on the importance of passing climate change legislation. We have a new group of ads running now in Florida, and they’re really interesting to watch.

Each of the nine new ads features a different business person in Florida who is either manufacturing something green or using green technology in his or her business. The spots are interesting and encouraging – and short (it won’t take you long to look). What do you think?

Today’s post is by Derek Walker, deputy director of the State Climate Campaign at Environmental Defense Fund.

On June 3rd Californians will vote on two competing ballot initiatives that purport to prevent abuse of "eminent domain" – the power of a government to take private property for public use.

But only one of these – Proposition 99, the Homeowners Protection Act – would limit the government’s ability to use eminent domain to take a home to transfer to a private developer.

The other – Proposition 98 – is a deceptive scheme financed by wealthy landlords that would make it easier to evict people from their homes to make way for new developments. Plus Proposition 98 is filled with hidden provisions that would seriously harm the environment.

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This post is by Sheryl Canter, an online writer and editorial manager at Environmental Defense Fund.

Ideas for businesses, and hope for everyone concerned about global warming – that’s what you get with our just-published, first annual Innovations Review. This new report highlights innovative processes, products, and technologies in a range of different industries.

Green business practices can drive cost savings and create new markets, giving companies a competitive advantage. But what’s next after the basics, like switching to energy-saving light bulbs and printing double-sided?

Here’s one example that caught my eye – a southern California Web hosting company powered entirely by the Sun.

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This post is by Lisa Moore, Ph.D., a scientist in the Climate and Air program at Environmental Defense Fund.

In IPCC‘s Third Assessment Report (2001), scientists reported that carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane levels were higher than at any time in the past 420,000 years. In their latest report (2007), IPCC scientists raised the number to 650,000 years.

Last week, scientists again revised the number upward. New research shows that CO₂ and methane levels are higher today than they have been in at least 800,000 years.

Here’s how they know.

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