Industry News

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:35:09 GMT

This week our activists, Junichi and Toru, spent two very long and intense days in court, defending the honourable actions they took to expose the corruption within Japan's whaling industry. As the prosecution fumbled its desperate attempt to cast the 'Tokyo Two' as criminals, it became obvious that whaling really is on trial in Aomori.

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:25:55 GMT

Just when we thought the threat to our environment couldn't get any worse after world leaders failed to secure a deal to save the climate in Copenhagen - we're now stunned to discover that the EU Commission is exploiting a 'backdoor' loophole to get genetically manipulated crops onto the supermarket shelves in the EU - and into our mouths.

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Greenpeace activists constructed a giant whale tail statue at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in St. Pete Beach, Florida to call on President Obama to reject any proposal that would overturn the ban on commercial whaling.

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:22:04 GMT

The Vermont State Senate voted to retire the Vermont Yankee Nuclear plant, owned by the Louisiana based corporation Entergy. Despite Entergy’s efforts to renew the license for the 40-year-old reactor, the Vermont Senate voted to shut down the nuclear plant as scheduled in 2012. The final vote was 26-4.

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A new movie out in theaters, The Crazies, is a story of a small town of innocent people who are mysteriously infected with a fictitious bio-warfare agent Trixie. Unfortunately, for these people, the infection makes them go crazy and the ensuing horror is enough to make you jump out of your seat. Luckily, for us, this is only a movie and the story is pure fiction.

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:04:00 EST

China has no intention of capping its greenhouse gas emissions even as authorities are committed to realizing the nation's target to reduce carbon intensity through new policies and measures, the country's top climate change negotiators said yesterday. The negotiators also warned that rich and developing countries have little hope of overcoming key disagreements over how to fight global warming. China "could not and should not" set an upper limit on greenhouse gas emissions at the current phase, said Su Wei, the chief negotiator of China for climate change talks in Copenhagen, at a meeting in Beijing on China's climate change policies in the post-Copenhagen era.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:30:00 EST

Last year's disappointing climate summit in Copenhagen demonstrated if not proved two important things about "saving the earth": 1. Sustainability is a very emotional topic for some 2. Sustainability is a financial topic for most Unfortunately, what transpired in Copenhagen is probably the rule, rather than the exception. It was disheartening to realize the events probably represent and reflect the domestic and world population's perspective on saving the environment. Perhaps due to decades of protesting, a wide array of real or perceived injustices, unruly public demonstrations have for the most part become unproductive. Even the nightly news has lost interest in well meaning protesters being hauled away by force. I recall the first time I saw an eco activist chained to a tree in the seventies, and thinking "how cool is that." It did not matter what the cause was, I really admired the commitment.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:59:00 EST

Less than two months after it was hastily drafted to stave off a fiasco, the Copenhagen Accord on climate change is in a bad way, and some are already saying it has no future. The deal was crafted amid chaos by a small group of countries, led by the United States and China, to avert an implosion of the UN's December 7-18 climate summit. Savaged at the time by green activists and poverty campaigners as disappointing, gutless or a betrayal, the Accord is now facing its first test in the political arena -- and many views are caustic.

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 09:31:00 EST

Gold medals are not handed out for architectural design, but the environmentally friendly speed skating arena built for the Vancouver Olympics is being called a winner by the bladed athletes who will compete there this month. The Richmond Olympic Oval, considered the signature building of the Games, contains salvaged wood damaged by a pine-beetle infestation and has a massive roof shaped like a wave. "We compete in some nice ovals that have been built as Olympic facilities in the past," defending 5,000 meters champion Chad Hedrick of the United States told Reuters. "This one here obviously outdoes all of them. They went big on this.

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:18:00 EST

Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil or animal fat based diesel fuel consisting of long chain alkyl is typically made by chemically these oils with an alcohol. Biodiesel is meant to be used in standard diesel engines and is thus distinct from the vegetable and waste oils used to fuel converted diesel engines. Biodiesel can be used alone, or blended with petrodiesel. There was a recent White House’s announcement calling for expanded production of biofuels (36 billion gallons by 2022 to be exact). But more biofuels is only part of the equation when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and our reliance on petroleum carbon based fuels. Vehicles must be ready and sometimes converted to this usage. Enterprise Holdings just announced that it will convert its entire fleet of Alamo Rent A Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental airport shuttle buses to biodiesel by spring of this year. That’s more than 600 buses throughout more than 50 North American markets.