Trees kill odors and other poultry farm emissions, study says
Posted on Thursday, August 21, 2008 Planting rows of trees around poultry farms can cut emissions of dust, ammonia, and odors from poultry houses and aid in reducing neighbor complaints, according to scientists from the University of Delaware. Planting vegetation could reduce ammonia and particulates that may degrade surrounding air and water quality, as well as provide farms with the added benefit of reducing energy consumption.
Cap-and-trade plan proposed by Western Climate Initiative
Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2008The Western Climate Initiative has released a draft strategy to "cap and trade" releases of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases by 2010. The plan allows for polluters to pay for offsets to compensate for emissions. Forestry is identified as a key area for offsets, specifically for saving and planting trees. Supporters see the plan as a model for a national strategy once President Bush leaves the White House.
From the forest to your wallet: how carbon offsets work for consumers
Posted on Wednesday, July 2, 2008A reporter for the San Jose Mercury News wanted to gain a better understanding of how buying carbon offsets actually affected the environment; the resulting article provides a useful explanation of the process, from the figures on his energy bill to the consultant that measures how much carbon is captured by a tree.
Climate warming causing plant species to move up in elevation, leaving trees behind
Posted on Friday, June 27, 2008An analysis of forest species in six French mountain ranges shows that more than two thirds of plant species moved at least 60 feet higher on the mountainsides per decade during the 20th century. Previous research has shown that plants at the highest elevations on mountains (and in the polar regions) have been shifting to adjust to global warming. But this is the first confirmation that entire ecosystems in lower, more temperate regions are moving as well.
Understanding of plant and soil chemistry crucial to predicting climate changes
Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2008Scientists are gaining a better understanding of the subtleties of plant and soil chemistry; a new appreciation for nitrogen fixation is enhancing global estimates of forest productivity and how much CO2 forests can remove from the atmosphere.
New report on designing carbon offset policies
Posted on Thursday, May 22, 2008The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University recently released a new report designed to inform federal policy related to carbon offset markets. Titled "Designing Offsets Policy for the U.S.", the report can be accessed online at http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/institute/products.html.
Advancing boreal forest could further heat the already warming climate
Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2008Conifer for ests encroaching on Arctic tundra threaten to further accelerate warming in the far North. Ecologists and climatologists are concerned because the emerging for est data suggest that the albedo, or reflectivity, of large regions across the Arctic could change. Most sunlight hitting snow and ice bounces back into space.
CA study suggests fire-free forests store less carbon
Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008Quenching forest fires leads to more carbon in the air, says new research carried out in Californian forests. The discovery suggests that forests spared from fire may release more of the greenhouse gas into the air than they absorb. The results of the study will be published in Geophysical Research Letters.
NOAA chief urges creating National Climate Service
Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008Conrad C. Lautenbacher, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency in charge of weather research and forecasting, said the creation of a new National Climate Service within his agency could combine data from the research and analysis work done by several agencies, as well as coordinate climate information for the government.
Charcoal in burned forests ineffective carbon store
Posted on Friday, May 2, 2008Results of a 10-year experiment published in the journal Science shows that trees turned to charcoal may release mo
