Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Well, I Guess This Ain't The Answer to Global Warming


It appears that "biofuels" are not the long-awaited answer many thought they were to our problem of how to generate power without adding to the global warming problem...

A team of researchers led by Nobel-prize winning chemist Paul Crutzen has found that growing and using biofuels emits up to 70 percent more greenhouse gases than fossil fuels. They are warning that the cure could end up being worse than the disease.

Biofuels, once championed as the great hope for fighting climate change, could end up being more damaging to the environment than oil or gasoline. A new study has found that the growth and use of crops to make biofuels produces more damaging greenhouse gases than previously thought.

The findings come in the wake of an OECD report earlier this month, which warned against rushing to grow reneweable energy crops because they cause food shortages (more...) and damage biodiversity while producing limited benefits.

The growth of corn for ethanol in the United States has already overtaken its cultivation for food.

Monday, October 08, 2007

Fashion Industry Bows To Climate Change Reality



Maybe now that the fashion industry is reacting to global warming, some other folks can start to take their heads out of the sand.....


Unpredictable and typically warmer weather worldwide is wreaking havoc on the industry. It is forcing fashion houses to ditch traditional seasonal collections for transeasonal garments that may lead to a drastic overhaul of fashion show schedules and retail delivery dates.


The fashion system must adapt to the reality that there is no strong difference between summer and winter any more. . . You can't have everyone showing four times a year to present the same thing. People are not prepared to invest in these clothes that, from one season to the other, use the same fabrics at the same weight."


US fashion retailer giants, including Target and Kohl's, have also started using climate experts to plan their collections and schedule end-of-season sales. And from January, Target will sell swimwear year-round.