Friday, September 17, 2010

Smart Solutions to Climate Change

Smart Solutions to Climate Change: Comparing Costs and Benefits
Edited by Bjorn Lomborg
The failure of the Copenhagen climate conference in December 2009 revealed major flaws in the way the world's policy makers have attempted to prevent dangerous levels of increases in global temperatures. The expert authors in this specially commissioned collection focus on the likely costs and benefits of a very wide range of policy options, including geo-engineering, mitigation of CO2, methane and 'black carbon', expanding forest, research and development of low-carbon energy and encouraging green technology transfer.
413 pages, Cambridge University Press. Softcover ISBN-13: 9780521138567
'This book provides not only a reservoir of information on the reality of human induced climate change, but raises vital questions and examines viable options on what can be done to meet the challenge. In the introduction itself Bjorn Lomborg catalogues the impacts of climate change, highlighting the problem of sea level rise, pressure on water resources, and declining food production in some countries, 'possibly becoming a source of societal conflict'. It allows different authors to articulate their views on a range of solutions, and then leaves the book's readers to form their own conclusions on what might be the best set of actions to adopt. Even though its pages present a diversity of options, at the end the average reader would stand better informed, and would have formed his or her own compelling logic on the answer to this planet's problem of climate change. I would recommend this book as much for the fact that Lomborg supports the view that we have 'long moved on from any mainstream disagreements about the science of climate change', as for the rich diversity of analysis it presents on a range of possible solutions.' Rajenda K. Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Climate change, water security and developing countries

Water security and climate change: Facts and figures

Water insecurity and scarcity already affect large parts of the developing world. The past century has seen a sixfold increase in global water demand. Climate change will affect the water security of developing countries. Hydrologist Lucinda Mileham explores their priorities as they struggle to cope.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

NWF & SWCS Carbon Workshop Conclusions

Carbon Workshop Proceedings and Presentations Available
Carbon sequestration through agriculture could provide farmers and forest owners with a new revenue stream worth billions of dollars, concluded presenters, panelists and attendees at a National Wildlife Federation and the Soil and Water Conservation Society workshop held in July. Read more conclusions in the workshop proceedings, abstracts, and presentations. Click here...