Week's climate news stories through February 4
This page is updated each Saturday with selected items
from around the world covering global environment issues.
 Polar caps warming fastest. Researchers at Nasa’s Goddard Institute for Space
Studies have released their annual analysis of global temperatures,
noting that Earth’s land and ocean surfaces continue to experience higher
temperatures than several decades ago. Nine of the top 10 warmest years in the
modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000. Last year was
another one of them, coming in at 9th warmest since 1880. The map shows
temperature anomalies, or changes, by region in 2011 - Guardian |
- GOP aims to force Obama into Keystone decision all
over again – BusinessGreen
- Indiana's big bet on electric car manufacturing goes bust - ChicagoTribune
- SUV
loophole threatens outcomes of 54 MPG fuel economy standards - SustainableBusiness
- Europe’s 27 environment ministers calling for a 40% GHG
reduction by 2030 - Euractive
- Giant crack in
Antarctica about to spawn New York-Size iceberg, add to sea-level rise – NationalGeographic
California green lights tough low carbon car standards. 
California
approves some of the world's most ambitious green car standards, with
officials rubber-stamping a wide-ranging package of regulations that
promises to halve greenhouse gas emissions and deliver 1.4 million zero
emission vehicles to state roads by 2025. The standards are also expected to cut
greenhouse gas emissions by 52 million tons by 2025, equivalent to taking 10
million cars off the road for a year. - BusinessGreen
Two million in Mexico without water due to drought. A drought
that the Mexican government official called the most severe it had ever faced
has left two million people without access to water and, coupled with a cold
snap, has devastated cropland in nearly half of the country. The
government in the past week has authorized $2.63 billion in aid, including
potable water, food and temporary jobs for the most affected areas, rural
communities in 19 of Mexico’s 31 states. But officials warned that no serious
relief was expected for at least another five months, when the rainy season
typically begins in earnest - NewYorkTimes (Water trucked to nearly bone-dry Texas town - WISTV.com)
Quoted -
“Greenhouse gas emissions and global warming
are
among humanity’s most pressing concerns. Societal
expectations on climate
change are real, and our industry
is expected to take a leadership role.”
Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister
Ali Al-Naimi - ClimateProgress
