Good Food is First Food. It is not junk food. It is the food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. This food is good for our health; it comes from the rich biodiversity of our regions; it provides employment to people. Most importantly, cooking and eating give us pleasure. …
U.S. AUTO SALES continued to slump in September despite customer incentives and falling gas prices, with Ford Motor Co. posting a 35% drop. Hyundai Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG also reported sharp declines in the U.S. "Consumers and businesses are in a very fragile place," Ford marketing executive Jim Farley …
Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and cement manufacturing are rising faster than the worst-case scenario drawn up by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). According to the latest worldwide carbon budget, released by the Global Carbon Project, CO2 levels rose by 3.5% a year between 2000 and 2007, …
Wind developers in the United States could be the first among the energy sector to fall victim to the global financial meltdown emanating from Wall Street. The banking crisis that began with bad loans in the US housing sector has now brought down several commercial banks, one of the world's …
The turmoil in the financial markets could lead to severe cost-cutting by governments, but US politicians would do well to note the benefits of continued support for clean energy and climate policies. (Editorial)
The occurrence of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in human blood is known to be widespread; nevertheless, the sources of exposure to humans, including infants, are not well understood. In this study, breast milk collected from seven countries in Asia was analyzed (n = 184) for nine PFCs, including perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and …
According to recent statistics, U.S. motorists have responded to record-high prices at the pump by driving less. Any hope that this cutback will significantly restrain global oil prices is misplaced, however: fundamental factors of supply and demand in the world economy will keep oil costly for years to come. The …
This brief examines policy options for addressing competitiveness concerns arising from the establishment of a mandatory domestic program to limit greenhouse gas emissions. These concerns center on energy-intensive industries that compete globally and could face higher costs under a domestic climate program while key competitors do not. Studies find little …
On 25 July 2008, WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy suggested compromise figures for the key stumbling blocks that threatened to derail the Geneva mini-ministerial. The document raises a number of questions with regard to market access for sensitive agricultural products.
This brief outlines the motivation for and key features of a tax designed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The two most commonly discussed market-based instruments for reducing GHG emissions are a cap-and trade system and a GHG (carbon) tax. These mechanisms function in a similar way by establishing …
The Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Guidelines effort was initiated to develop a set of preliminary guidelines and recommendations for the deployment of CCS technologies in the United States, to ensure that CCS projects are conducted safely and effectively. As such, the CCS Guidelines are written for those who may …
This brief describes the potential role of government in facilitating widespread and more rapid deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage through a number of means including: providing financial incentives for initial CCS projects through the use of bonus allowances under a cap-and-trade program, or a fund generated by charges on …
This brief presents the key issues and identifies options for the incorporation of greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets into emerging U.S. climate change policy. A GHG offset represents a reduction, avoidance, destruction, or sequestration of GHG emissions from a source not covered by an emission reduction requirement. The elimination of GHG …
This brief describes issues relevant to the timetable for reducing U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) under a cap-and-trade program. The first issue is whether reductions are sufficiently deep to have a meaningful effect on the global climate. Scientific evidence suggests that global reductions of 50 to 85% by 2050 …
The scale of investment needed to slow greenhouse gas emissions is larger than governments can manage through transfers. Therefore, climate change policies rely heavily on markets and private capital. This is especially true in the case of the Kyoto Protocol with its provisions for trade and investment in joint projects. …
“Wasteland” conjures up visions of dusty desolation where life is fleeting and harsh—if it exists at all. Oceans, too, have their inhospitable pockets. Scientists are discovering that climate change—and not just fertilizer from farm use—may be spurring the emergence of barren underwater landscapes in coastal waters. Expanding dead zones not …
The success of responsible public policies to tackle climate change will depend on public support and the full involvement of civil society in both Europe and America, as well as in other parts of the world which contribute significantly to global GHG emissions. As new policy proposals are currently being …
