Author: postMigrator

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” … the rise in carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels can be
kept below harmful levels as long as emissions from coal are phased out globally within the next few decades.”
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NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Public release date:
10-Sep-2008

Contact: Lynn Chandler
lynn-chandler-1@nasa.gov
301-286-2806

NASA study illustrates how global peak oil could impact climate

The burning of fossil fuels — notably coal, oil and gas — has
accounted for about 80 percent of the rise of atmospheric carbon
dioxide since the pre-industrial era. Now, NASA researchers have
identified feasible emission scenarios that could keep carbon dioxide
below levels that some scientists have called dangerous for climate.

When and how global oil production will peak has been debated, making it difficult to anticipate emissions from the burning of fuel and to precisely estimate its impact on climate. To better understand how emissions might change in the future, Pushker Kharecha and James Hansen of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York considered a wide range of fossil fuel consumption scenarios. The research, published Aug. 5 in the American Geophysical Union’s Global Biogeochemical Cycles, shows that the rise in carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels can be kept below harmful levels as long as emissions from coal are phased out globally within the next few decades.

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The following two press releases were sent from the Global Justice Ecology
Project office this week:

International Biochar Conference Uses False Claims to Promote
Dangerous Technology in the name of Climate Change Mitigation

Joint Press Release by Global Forest Coalition, Biofuelwatch (UK) and
Global Justice Ecology Project

Campaigners today warn that an international conference on biochar,
which will be held in Newcastle, UK from 8 to 10 September, will be
misleading governments and the public with claims that biochar – a
by-product of second generation agrofuel production – can curb
climate change and improve soil fertility.

The International Biochar Initiative (IBI), which is organising the
conference, promotes the idea that disastrous climate change can be
prevented of we use enormous amounts of biomass for bioenergy, obtain
charcoal as a byproduct and use that charcoal as a fertilizer. They
claim this is a “carbon negative” process, and that the charcoal
improves soil fertility and carbon sequestration. Unfortunately,
their claims are unfounded and they fail to account for the fact that vast
areas of land would have to be turned over to monoculture plantations to
produce enough biomass. [1]

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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-roofs10-2008sep10,0,2976609.story
Los Angeles Times
September 10, 2008

To slow global warming, install white roofs
By Margot Roosevelt – Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Builders have known for decades that white roofs reflect the sun’s
rays and lower the cost of air conditioning. But now scientists say
they have quantified a new benefit: slowing global warming.

If the 100 biggest cities in the world installed white roofs and
changed their pavement to more reflective materials — say, concrete
instead of asphalt-based material — the global cooling effect would
be massive, according to data released Tuesday at California’s annual
Climate Change Research Conference in Sacramento.

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