Reuters May 21, 2007 WASHINGTON - World emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide increased three times faster after 2000 than in the 1990s, putting them at the high end of a range of forecasts by an international climate change panel, scientists reported on Monday. At the same time, a trend toward cutting Earth's energy intensity — the ratio of how much energy is needed to produce a unit of gross domestic product — appears to have stalled or even reversed in recent years, the researchers reported. "This paper should be a rallying cry," said Chris Field,... Read more about "Study: World carbon emissions are speeding up"...
By Timothy Gardner, Reuters NEW YORK - President George W. Bush said his voluntary plan to cut greenhouse gases is on track, citing a 2006 dip in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, but environmentalists say the change is a temporary blip that goes against an overall trend. U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels dropped 1.3 percent last year, the Energy Information Administration said late on Wednesday, the third time in 16 years that these emissions fell. Total U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions have grown 17.9 percent since 1990. Read more about "U.S. carbon emissions slip seen separate from trend"...
By Andrew Ward in Washington Published: May 31 2007 President George W. Bush on Thursday committed the US for the first time to take part in negotiations on a successor to the Kyoto treaty and agreed to set goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The decision appeared to mark a landmark break by Washington from its longstanding opposition to global limits on carbon emissions, although the US plans still fall short of some European demands. A senior US administration official said Mr Bush would announce the new position in a speech in... Read more about "<i>Financial Times</i>: Bush unveils strategy on climate change"...
Jim Mateja, Chicago Tribune, June 12, 2007 While consumers look for relief from high gas prices, and Congress debates raising fuel-economy standards, comes word that this fall there will be one less gas/electric car to put on your shopping list. Honda will bring out a redesigned Accord sedan minus the hybrid version. Some insist Honda is waving a white flag to the much-better-selling Toyota Prius hybrid. Baloney! Honda will continue to offer its compact Civic hybrid and plans to add another hybrid smaller than Civic in 2009, a vehicle about the size of a... Read more about "<i>Chicago Tribune</i>: Hybrid Accord runs out of gas "...
By Frank Davies MediaNews Washington Bureau Article Launched: 06/13/2007 WASHINGTON - In a move denounced by state officials and others as improper lobbying on behalf of the auto industry, transportation officials in the Bush administration are making a pro-auto industry pitch to members of Congress, urging them to oppose California's efforts to enforce tough emissions standards on vehicles. One official, Heideh Shahmoradi, a special assistant to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, left a voicemail recently with a House staffer warning that if California gets the authority from the Environmental Protection Agency to enact those... Read more about "White House lobbying against state's emissions plan"...
Financial Times, June 12, 2007 World oil demand is rising faster than previously expected while non-Opec supply is growing more slowly, the International Energy Agency has said in its latest monthly assessment of the market. The rich countries' energy watchdog warned on Tuesday of growing tightness in oil supplies in the second half of the year, and urged the Organisation of the Petrolem Exporting Countries to raise its output. David Fyfe, an analyst at the IEA, said: "We would very much hope that Opec production is at its seasonal low at the moment... Read more about "Oil demand rising faster than expected"...
May 21, 2007 NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Gasoline prices have soared to levels never seen before as even the inflation-adjusted price for a gallon of unleaded topped the 1981 record spike in price that had stood for 26 years. And higher prices could be on the way as Americans get ready to hit the road for the Memorial Day holiday and the start of the summer driving season. Two different surveys found record high pump prices once again. The nation's retailers say soaring gas prices are prompting U.S. Read more about "Gas prices: Worse than '81 oil shock"...
The second day of the three-day Engine Expo continued its busy pace with morning meetings with engineering teams with one of the world's largest automotive manufacturers and continued at the booth engaging the hundreds of attendees that streamed through the expo. Visitors spent long periods of time watching the German and English editions of the Air-Hybrid Technology DVD and pouring through the Theory of Operation literature. Many of the automotive engineers and press were impressed with the break-through air-hybrid designs and the preliminary water injection capabilities featured in the literature. Read more about "Engine Expo Day Two"...
The Scuderi Group today completed its third and final day of Europe's biggest engineering trade show, Engine Expo, with another active day at the booth. Even though it was the last day of the event - and traditionally the slowest - many OEMs and media continued to visit the booth, eager to learn more about the Scuderi Air-Hybrid Engine. Automakers from France, Germany, Japan and the U.S. stopped by the booth to take in the DVD and digest the technical information of what will be the world's most fuel efficient internal combustion engine. ... Read more about "Engine Expo Day Three"...
By Noaki Schwartz, Associated Press Writer | May 1, 2007 LOS ANGELES --Los Angeles can continue being the butt of smog jokes now that it has once again topped the American Lung Association's bad air list of most polluted cities in America. The association found that the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside metropolitan area had the worst air based on 2003 through 2005 figures. The Pittsburgh area was ranked as the nation's second most polluted metropolitan area followed by Bakersfield, Calif., Birmingham, Ala., Detroit and Cleveland. Visalia, Calif., Cincinnati, Indianapolis and St. Read more about "LA tops list of nation's most polluted"...