Reuters: German carbon project developer Ecolutions, which aims for a stock listing in December, wants to invest the proceeds from its flotation in carbon-cutting projects in China and India, it said. "The funds we raise will go completely into our product pipeline and into the development of climate protection projects," Chief Executive Ralf Jungebloed told a news conference in Frankfurt on Monday. Ecolutions aims to raise up to 48 million euros ($70.05 million) by selling up …

Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp on Friday detailed plans to study US consumer demand for a version of its hot-selling Prius hybrid that could be recharged at a standard outlet and run on electric power only. A senior Toyota executive declined to say when a plug-in Prius would be launched or whether it could beat rival General Motors Corp to market with a technology seen as capable of slashing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Bob Carter, who heads the Toyota brand in the …

Associated Press: Developing countries with booming economies and a growing contribution to climate change must accept flexible and fair commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the European Commission president said Monday. While countries like China and India cannot be asked to make the same commitments as developed nations, they must still pitch in to global efforts to reduce carbon emissions, Jose Manuel Barroso said in a speech at the World Energy Conference in Rome. The fight …

Associated Press: The U.N.’s top climate official challenged world policymakers Monday to map out a path to curb climate change, charging that to ignore the urgency of global warming would be "nothing less than criminally irresponsible." Yvo de Boer issued his warning at the opening of a weeklong conference that will complete a concise guide on the state of global warming and what can be done to stop the Earth from overheating. It is the fourth and last report issued this year by the …

Age: SOUTH Korea makes no secret that it has serious designs on the renewable energy industry. Its latest "Invest Korea" promotional material invites foreign investment in many sectors, but not alternative energy. The Government is "not overly friendly" about attracting overseas companies to tap attractive feed-in electricity tariffs aimed at fostering long-term growth in the local renewable energy industry. While barriers to entry "are likely to remain …

Innovations Report: A study, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), and conducted by biologists at the University of Reading and computer scientists at the University of Cardiff, has revealed large gaps in data available to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) – the world’s largest single data network which gives access to millions of current digitised biodiversity records. The paper was published in the November 7 issue of the online, open-access …

Sydney Morning Herald: THE cost of the controversial Kurnell desalination plant is likely to top $2 billion as costs are again forced higher by changes to construction of the massive pipeline at the heart of the project. The latest estimates have pushed the price of the pipeline, needed to pipe water from the plant to the city’s water main, to more than $750 million - nearly $200 million more than the original price of $570 million indicated in May when the State Government finalised details of the pipeline …

Having recently won the Nobel Peace Prize, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) [search] is meeting in Spain Monday to finalize the landmark Fourth Synthesis Report on global warming. Scrutiny and criticism of the IPCC’s processes is growing [ark] despite their new found fame, and we share these concerns. The synthesis report may be badly out of date before it is even printed, past IPCC reports have been shown to be too conservative in their assessment of the climate threat, some current trends are already at the upper range of current IPCC projections, and even these conservative outdated finding will not be updated in 5 years.

The IPCC scientific process, like international and national government’s policy making processes, is falling dangerously behind with what’s happening to Earth’s climate systems and what must be done in response. Consider that:

The new report notably fails to take into account a batch of dramatic recent evidence, including the shrinkage of the Arctic ice cap, glacier loss in Greenland, a surge in levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and an apparent slowing of Earth’s ability to absorb greenhouse gases… Taken together… these phenomena suggest climate change is be occurring faster than expected — and may even unleash “tipping points” that could uncontrollably accelerate the damage.

The IPCC must get more involved in policy than generally concluding “to get ready for a warmer world and reduce emissions”. They must stop shying away from controversy, and resist relentless political pressure to water down drafts as they are finalized. Policy-makers need the best science truthfully and powerfully presented them, in order to set mid-term sizable emission reductions.

I concur that while the panel’s caution and rigor has built awareness and given credibility to climate change, it is now “time for the IPCC to move to a faster and more assertive track.. The issue now is what to do and how fast it needs to be done.” And first and foremost is to build the case for immediate and mid-term emissions reductions, rather than putting off the pain. It is rather nonsensical to speak boldly of far-off 80% GHG reduction targets for 2050, when in fact we need ambitious yet achievable carbon and other GHG emission reductions of 25% by 2015 and/or 35% by 2020. The longer we wait, the more change and possibility of a truly catastrophic outcome.

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A new poll finds mllions of people around the world are willing to make personal sacrifices [ark] to help address climate change. Ecological Internet has long noted there is little chance of addressing climate change and related global ecological crises without some degree of personal and societal sacrifice [search]. For this we have often been ridiculed and called naive — as many asserted there is no way the public would support this. A new BBC poll suggests otherwise [ark]. They found that substantial majorities in all countries (83% overall) are ready to make personal sacrifices in their lifestyle and behavior, including paying more for their energy, to help address climate change. And some 50% supported taxes on energy such as oil and coal — 77% if the revenues was used to promote energy efficiency or developing cleaner fuels. Approximately 22,000 people were polled across 21 countries.

Why are our leaders including Mr. Gore [search] not picking up on this sentiment and leading by example while asking for shared sacrifice to address climate change and achieve global ecological sustainability? Important personal sacrifices that need to be encouraged immediately are a willingness to pay more for renewable energy, to consume less and more equitably, and to have smaller families. Societally it is clear that clearing and burning — that is first-time logging of ancient forests and the burning of fossil fuels that emit into the atmosphere (particularly coal) — must end as soon as possible. Anyone that suggests that much of the world can continue to live wasteful excessive lifestyles (while the others aspire to do so) is either dangerously misinformed or a charlatan, and regardless, doing great harm to the Earth and humanity’s prospects.