The UK Information Commissioner's Office handed down a landmark ruling this week, requiring that the Queen's University Belfast must make public the data from 40 years of research on Irish tree rings dating back 7,000 years. Doug Keenan, a City banker and avid anti-climate change analyst, will be the recipient of the documents. Keenan has become well-known in the academic community for his pursuits of climate data from British academics. Just two years ago, Keenan accused Phil Jones from the Climatic Research Unit of fraud based on his analysis of weather stations in China. Keenan had requested the information from Queen's University ... Full Story

According to experts, the flight ban has kept up to 2.8 million tonnes of dangerous CO2 emissions from entering the Earth's atmosphere. Experts say the cooling effect of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano will not likely affect climate change, but has impacted a small decrease in carbon emissions. In 1991, Mount Pinatubo erupted enough volcanic ash to cool the planet shading it from harmful emissions. However, experts are saying that the ash from the current eruption at Eyjafjallajokull will not be enough to have any significant impact. The ash cloud has yet to reach high enough into the atmosphere to cause any ... Full Story

A panel of exports said Tuesday that genetically engineered crops can be profitable for farmers. The report also indicated that crops genetically engineered may also be able to protect people as well as the environment from overloads in pesticide use. However, the researchers indicated that risks are growing that weeds are developing increased resistance to Roundup, a popular weedkiller among genetically engineered crop farmers. David Ervin, from Portland State University, who sat on the panel, said that there is hard evidence that weeds are growing more resistant to glyphosate. He added that the issue would require serious attention. Glyphosate is used as ... Full Story

Maritime authorities in Australia are gearing up to move tonnes of fuel oil that has been sitting in a stranded Chinese ship in the Great Barrier Reef. The Shen Neng 1, which has already leaked some oil from a damaged hull, now has a floating boom around it in preparation for the unload. According to maritime authorities, the ship is currently stable, and chemicals had been released into the water to dissolve the spilled oil. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, has called the grounding 'outrageous' and says he will look into tightening shipping rules around the protected reef. The grounded ship was transporting ... Full Story

The Environmental Services Association (ESA) confirms that Dirk Hazell has resigned as CEO after more than a decade of service in the waste and recycling industry trade body. The MRW magazine reports that Hazell left the organisation on 30 March to pursue his political ambition as Liberal Democrat candidate for the Chelsea and Fulham constituency. Joining the association in 1999, he was mainly involved in helping ESA members achieve their vision of advancing the development of an economically sustainable waste and secondary resource management industry in Europe. The news about Hazell’s resignation comes as ESA Deputy CEO Barry Dennis has been designated as ... Full Story

The UK government has declared the waters surrounding Chagos Islands as marine reserve. The area, covering a 545,000-square kilometre body of water in the Indian Ocean, is considered as the largest marine reserve and one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world. David Miliband, the UK’s foreign secretary, said that establishing the reserve would help protect the world's oceans, including its marine wildlife. He commented that its creation is a key step forward for protecting not just around British Indian Ocean Territory itself, but also all over the world. Miliband added that the UK government’s recent move is a clear ... Full Story

The UK government is planning to establish a £2 billion Green Investment Bank (GIB) to deal with the ‘equity gap’ that threatens investments in low carbon projects. The scheme will be taking half of the needed fund from the sale of its Channel Tunnel assets. Meanwhile, the other £1 billion will be given by the private sector. The investment bank will be open to every green initiative, but it will mainly focus on transport and energy projects. Offshore wind energy is expected to be GIB’s most urgent priority, as the UK races to install £100 billion-worth of wind farms to meet ... Full Story

The growing airline industry is now responsible for the biggest increase in carbon emissions. As such, ministers in the European Union are due to come together to agree on the best strategy to cut the amount of greenhouse gasses being released into the atmosphere by the airlines. It is believed that ministers from throughout the Union will agree that emissions will have to be cut by 10 percent on 2005 levels by 2020. Some are however beginning to question whether such aims are practical. International Air Transport Association representative, Quentin Browell says that he does not think a figure of 10 ... Full Story

A three year study into how our cities will react to climate change has revealed some shocking truths. The report shows that CO2 emissions need to be cut dramatically and that we will all have to prepare for more extremes in the weather. Newcastle University’s Dr Richard Dawson is one of the authors of the study and he warns that as the earth warms up we can expect more heat-waves, flooding and droughts. The study used London as a model for how cities around the U.K. would have to adapt to the changes that will come with global warming. It said that ... Full Story

Reacting to a recent report by Friends of the Earth, the online travel company responsibletravel has said that it will no longer offer its customers the choice of offsetting their carbon emissions. The Friends of the Earth report says that the trend for offsetting ones carbon footprint was distracting people from actually reducing that carbon footprint. Managing director of responsibletravel.com, Justin Francis points out that offsetting is being used by people to justify their behaviour. People will use offsetting to justify taking a foreign holiday and that is distracting them from the primary aim of lowering carbon emissions. Saying that they ... Full Story

Evidence of the effects of an extended drought in Kenya is starting to compile in the most gruesome of ways.  Elephants and other wildlife in Kenya are thought to be dying by the dozens, as an extended drought has left much of the East African nation without water or food.  The drought, which has spanned more than three rainy seasons, is the worst that Kenya has suffered in over a decade.  It became apparent in a Kenyan airport that some hope to take advantage of the destruction, when a large amount of ivory was attempted to be smuggled out of ... Full Story

Three years of prolonged droughts have ravished Kenya leaving millions unable to find fresh water or food.  Kenya has seen very little rain during the prolonged drought, which many are calling the worst in over a decade.  Millions of Kenyans are now relying on foreign aid for survival.  However, it is not just the immediate survival that some are worried about but the prolonged future effects that the drought will have on Kenya's hope to progress in the future. The industry that has raised the most concern is the travel and tourism industry in Kenya, which supplies a large portion of ... Full Story