Countering Copenhagen’s Carbon Footprint - Science News

For those who want to whine about carbon use for the Copenhagen conference: Offsets are being set in place. The estimated 40,000 tons of carbon used by the convention will be offset by 100,000 tons of savings annually by replacing energy-inefficient brick kiln units around the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka. They'll be replaced with efficient kilns called hybrid Hoffman kilns. - td

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The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC, has tentatively estimated that energy expenditures associated with the meeting will likely lead to emissions of around 40,000 tons of CO₂.(or its equivalent). So the Danish Energy Agency and World Bank are working with a Bangladeshi investment bank (Industrial and Infrastructure Development Finance Company) to arrange financing for the replacement of 20 dirty and very energy-inefficient brick kiln units around the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka.

Only four of the new kilns are currently in place. “But when all 20 are up and running they’ll reduce an estimated 100,000 tons of CO₂ annually,” says Christian van Maarschalkerweerd. He’s the chief program coordinator on climate and energy with the Danish Energy Agency in Copenhagen.

Countering Copenhagen’s Carbon Footprint - Science News

"Climategate" exposed: Conservative media distort stolen emails in latest attack on global warming consensus | Media Matters for America

I wish I could find the tongue-in-cheek rant directed from a scientist to the skeptics...maybe in NYT?
td

"Climategate" exposed: Conservative media distort stolen emails in latest attack on global warming consensus

December 01, 2009 7:20 am ET — 156 Comments

Since the reported theft of emails from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia, conservative media figures have aggressively claimed that those emails undermine the overwhelming scientific consensus that human activities are causing climate change, dubbing the supposed scandal "Climategate." But these critics have largely rested their claims on outlandish distortions and misrepresentations of the contents of the stolen emails, greatly undermining their dubious smears.

"Climategate" exposed: Conservative media distort stolen emails in latest attack on global warming consensus | Media Matters for America

How to achieve affordable health care

For the libertarian in me...

How to achieve affordable health care By John Silveira

Despite all the hubbub about health care, the United States can have affordable health care tomorrow if we want it. There have been real solutions available, solutions that have been right under our noses for decades, but you don't often hear about them and the prospects of getting them are rather grim unless the public is apprised of them. Today's debates and town hall meetings have not been about reducing the overall cost of health care, but about who's going to pay for it.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/silveira120.html

Meat grown in laboratory - Telegraph

Meat grown in laboratory in world first - Telegraph

Man...there's something a bit "Soylent" about this...

No one has yet tasted their produce, but it is believed the artificial meat could be on sale within five years.

It's a Brave New World and I'm not sure I want to go there...

Vegetarian groups welcomed the news, saying there was “no ethical objection” if meat was not a piece of a dead animal.

Wonder what the energy inputs to the vat of meat will be...that is what's the calories in/out vs. live critters?

“This product will be good for the environment and will reduce animal suffering. If it feels and tastes like meat, people will buy it.

Meat grown in laboratory in world first - Telegraph