/
/

Sign Up for Free NewsLetter

ENN Community

ENN Community

Featured Affiliate

ClickGreen

View all the featured contributing content by this source


/


Top Stories

The Environmental Benefits of Cloud Computing
November 9, 2011 03:03 PM - David A Gabel, ENN

A new report released by the Carbon Disclosure Project in London has found that blue-chip companies can reduce their carbon emissions by 50% if they move their data storage operations to the cloud. The study focused on major IT companies in France and the United Kingdom. These are the same companies which are also developing such "cloud" technologies and services. The release of the report follows an announcement that the use of cloud services may well triple within the next two years.

» Read Full Article
» Read More from Sci/tech Topic

ADVERTISEMENT

/

Why Population Matters to the environment
October 31, 2011 07:14 AM - Simon Ross, Chief executive, Population Matters

Environmentalists agree on the issues facing us, including collapsing diversity, climate change and resource insecurity. We also agree on the causal factors, including pollution, invasive species, resource over-exploitation, waste, population growth, global industrialisation, unsustainable consumption and poor business practices. Solutions are harder. None will solve all our problems and all face obstacles and opposition. Technological solutions, such as biofuels, fracking, shale oil, GM foods and nuclear have side effects, while renewables have limited scope. Environmentally conscious lifestyles, including less waste, travel and consumption, are increasingly adopted, but the impact may by limited given the billions seeking to improve their low living standards. Changes to corporate and governmental practices have occurred, but are far from universal, particularly in the developing world. In my lifetime, human numbers have grown from 3 billion in 1960 to 7 billion today. By 2085, they are projected to grow to 10 billion. One can argue about the impact this makes, but it clearly does not help. We believe that a smaller population would help us to preserve the environment and live within the limit of renewable resources, as part of a comprehensive approach to the environment and sustainability. Most would agree that improving living standards for the poor, women's rights and access to health, including family planning, are desirable and they all tend to lead to women choosing to have smaller families. We would argue that aid for family planning to developing countries should be prioritised, both for environmental reasons and because it contributes to poverty alleviation, women’s empowerment and better health. While individual consumption in those countries is low, growing populations do affect the environment and they will not always be poor as the world industrialises.

» Read Full Article
» Read More from Ecosystems Topic

SPOTLIGHT

Everything you might want to know about Carbon Offsets

R Greenway, ENN
Companies, and individuals concerned with their impact on climate try a number of measures to reduce their emissions of air pollutants which impact the greenhouse effect of our atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is the reality that our atmosphere traps a portion of the heat we get from the sun, and from fires (both natural and man made) and other anthropgenic heat sources. Some of the gasses released by our industrialization, home heating and cooling, and transportation activities contribute to the atmosphere trapping more heat than would occur in the absence of these activities. There are emissions which CANNOT be eliminated or reduced as much as we would like. For these, companies turn to Carbon Offsets. What are Carbon Offsets? When companies or individuals purchase Carbon Offsets they are paying someone else to reduce THEIR carbon emissions (a major contributor to global warming). There are companies which assist other companies and individuals in purchasing Carbon Offsets. As in any new market, there is a learning curve for participants. Are the offsets real, are the being sold more than once? These and other questions illustrate how much needs to be learned.
» Read Full Spotlight
» Read More Spotlights

What's new on our Community Blog



Saving the Environment One Spoon at a Time

November 8th, 2011
Take-out food and sustainability - Is it even possible? Whether you pick up fast food for lunch or ice cream for dessert, the point of takeout is easy acquirement and disposability, not environment sustainability. But what happens to all the waste? If the waste is a plastic spoon it could take hundreds of years to [...]
To read the full post and comment, visit the ENN Community Blog

Study finds Americans have become more environmentally-conscious

November 3rd, 2011
When reading about environmental news, you are  likely to find unhappy, unsettling and worrisome news much of time. Whether it be about a natural disaster that killed and/or injured thousands of people (did you hear about the man who lost his mother, wife and four children in Turkey’s earthquake? My heart breaks.) or about the annihilation of [...]
To read the full post and comment, visit the ENN Community Blog

Greener Machines Saving People Money

November 3rd, 2011
When people are cooking at home, one would think that all you are paying for is the groceries to make the home-cooked meal. But, have you ever thought about how it actually costs to run your microwave or favorite espresso machine? Maryland-based firm Savenia Labs shows that some household technology cost more money to operate [...]
To read the full post and comment, visit the ENN Community Blog

Member Press Releases

More Press Releases

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

2011©. Copyright Environmental News Network