Global warming likely to exceed 2C threshold with no commitments in climate talks
Amid warnings from experts that global warming is likely to exceed an agreed 2C threshold if carbon emissions continue at the current rate, climate talks in Bonn ended Friday with no substantive movement on the issue of binding carbon targets.
Suu Kyi to address US Congress
Nobel laureate and Myanmar's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, will deliver her first ever address to members of the U.S. Congress this week.
Nepal is landmine free
Nepal is now landmine-free after the last of its landmines was detonated Tuesday.
Negotiations for Kyoto Protocol successor running out of time
Negotiations is running out of time to launch a binding successor to Kyoto Protocol before it expires by the end of 2012.
Japan PM Kan likely to quit in August
The leader of ruling coalition partner the People’s New party said Sunday Prime Minister Naoto Kan of Japan will step down in August.
No nuke for Germany by 2022
All nuclear power plants in Germany will halt operations by 2022.
G8 meeting all set amid tight security
Leaders of the 8 most powerful nations will be meeting on Thursday and Friday at the French seaside town of Deauville in Normandy for an annual summit amidst very tight security.
Japan, China, SoKor to facilitate programs to avoid over dependence on nuclear power
Leaders of China, Japan, and South Korea agreed on weekend to facilitate joint programs on renewable energy and energy conservation to avoid excessive dependence on nuclear energy even as they recognize nuclear power as a very important option for many countries.
Saudi women use Facebook and Twitter to fight for equal rights
A group of women in Saudi Arabia banded together to form a movement seeking to end the country's discriminatory laws particularly male guardianship.
Japan to review energy policy
In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear plant crisis and three days after a top official announced Japan’s commitment to atomic power for its energy policy, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the government will rethink its plan to increase reliance on nuclear power.
Limited number of Japanese evacuees allowed brief visit to no-go zone
About 100 residents from the village of Kawauchi, Japan were allowed to return home briefly on Tuesday to gather belongings left behind when they were asked to evacuate after the massive earthquake and tsunami damaged the nuclear reactors of the Fukushima Daichi nuclear power plant last March 11.
Nuclear still cheapest, low carbon energy for UK
A day after Japan announced its commitment to atomic power for its energy policy, the UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC) announced that nuclear power will remain the cheapest way for the UK to grow its low-carbon energy supply for at least a decade.
Japan will stick to nuclear power
Despite the ongoing nuclear crisis, Japan will stick to nuclear power for its energy policy, a top Japanese official said Sunday.
Millionaires boom in the next decade
The number of millionaires worldwide will grow more than 70% by 2020 with the U.S. expected to have double the total number of families with a net worth of over $1 million, according to a report by the Deloitte Center for Financial Services.
Little progress in UN Green Climate Fund meet
A two-day meeting of climate change finance negotiators in the United Nations sponsored summit in Mexico City resulted in little progress for the Transnational Committee (TC) of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the fund that will help poor and developing nations cope with the adverse effects of climate change.
China’s yuan broke past 6.50 against the US dollar
On Friday, China's currency the yuan, broke past 6.50 against the US dollar, its highest official level since a currency revaluation in 2005.
WB warns millions to face poverty due to soaring food prices
The World Bank has warned that soaring food prices has pushed 44 million people into extreme poverty since last June.
US-China economic talks set next month
Top US and China economic officials will meet in Washington on May 9 and 10 for the next round of bilateral strategic and economic talks.
World Donors pledge $785M to permanently seal Chernobyl
A high-profile gathering of international donors gathered in Kiev last week and came up with $785 million or roughly €550 million for the construction of a steel shield for the ruined nuclear reactor at Chernobyl to prevent further radiation leaks in 100 years
Toyota cuts production until yearend
The world’s biggest carmaker has announced it will have a drastic cut in production at its factories in Japan and overseas as it continues to face a shortfall in supply of parts after a massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan.
Asia could account 50% of global GDP by 2050 – ADB
An ADB report Asia-2050 said Asia could account for over 50 per cent of the world GDP by 2050, up from 35 per cent at present.
EU proposes new green energy taxes
The European Commission recently unveiled its proposal for minimum levels of fuel taxation for energy products of all European Union member states taking into account the correlation of the fuel's carbon emission and its energy content.
Tsunami ravage Sendai airport opens
For the first time in a little over a month, the first commercial aircraft landed in the airport of Sendai, the largest city in the northeast of Japan devastated by a powerful 10-meter high tsunami.
Experts say Fukushima crisis level 7 not parallel to Chernobyl
Nuclear and health experts said an increase in the crisis level of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident from level 5 to level 7 does not mean that the public health risk is any worse or that the disaster resembles Chernobyl in 1986, the worst nuclear power accident in history, which was also a 7.
Two major aftershocks hit Japan within a week
Exactly a month after the magnitude 9 earthquake followed by a massive tsunami hit the eastern coast of Japan, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake again shook its northeastern region Monday afternoon. The quake resulted to a landslide in Iwaki City.
Little headway on post-2012 GHGs reduction in Bangkok climate talks
International talks on climate change in Bangkok ended Friday with negotiators from 192 countries making little headway toward a post-2012 commitments to fight global warming.
Workers back at Fukushima Daiichi after 7.1 aftershock
Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station returned to the plant Friday after a 7.1 magnitude aftershock forced them to leave lateThursday night.
UK Study finds antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Delhi water
A world’s leading medical journal study reported that a gene that makes bacteria resistant to a large range of antibiotics has been found in water supplies of New Delhi.
After reactor 2 leak, reactor 1 heats up
Hardly had the operator of Japan’s damaged nuclear plant announced that they have stopped a leak of highly radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean early Wednesday morning from reactor 2, they are now preparing to inject nitrogen to the containment vessel of reactor 1 to prevent a possible hydrogen explosion.