White House threatens greenhouse gas bill veto
The White House Tuesday cited the specter of the Gulf oil spill as it threatened a presidential veto of a Republican bid to block the government’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Officials said that the bill, designed to crimp the power of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would prevent the implementation of 2007 decision by the US Supreme Court, requiring the government to decide whether carbon dioxide gas emissions pose a threat to human health. The White House said the legislation, expected to face a vote in the Senate... Lire la suite
HSB launches green equipment breakdown product
Leading engineering specialist insurer HSB Engineering Insurance Limited has launched an equipment breakdown product which addresses the green issues faced by businesses, helping them reduce their carbon footprint and gain energy efficiency savings. In the event of a failure, HSB’s policy will contribute towards the additional costs of replacement equipment that is more efficient and better for the environment. The enhanced policy covers the spectrum of machinery from standard items such as boilers, lifts, air-conditioning and other electrical... Lire la suite
M&S home insurance helps householders reduce their envrionmental impact
M&S is the first home insurance provider in the UK to offer policyholders two unique features which help householders reduce their impact on the environment if they make a claim. From 4th January 20101, at no added cost to the policyholder, M&S Home Insurance will offer the following elements which help households reduce energy costs and carbon emissions: Sustainable reinstatement of kitchen appliances: when a customer makes a claim for a fridge freezer, refrigerator, washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher, they will be offered a replacement... Lire la suite
World climate summit in Copenhagen
The world climate summit in Copenhagen is the 15th annual meeting of the 192 signatory states of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Kyoto Protocol, the first international agreement on the reduction of greenhouse gases, was negotiated at the third Conference of Parties in Kyoto in 1997. In the Kyoto Protocol, the industrialised nation signatories agreed to achieve an overall reduction in emissions of 5.2% on 1990 levels by 2012. In Copenhagen, agreement is to be reached on the main constituents of a follow-up protocol, due to enter... Lire la suite
Munich RE shows that in particular poor countries are severely affected by climate change
Bangladesh, Myanmar and Honduras were the countries most severely affected by extreme weather events from 1990 to 2008, according to a climate change risk study published on Tuesday. When only 2008 is considered, the top three worst-hit countries were Myanmar, Yemen and Vietnam, said the paper which was published on the sidelines of the ongoing UN talks in the Danish capital. The so-called Global Climate Risk Index aims at giving a pointer of a country’s vulnerability to violent weather events stoked by global warming. It is derived from a... Lire la suite
