Since moving fulltime to NIMONIK, I am now a guest writer here at ÉEM, so my posts may be less frequent. 

Just came across an interesting visualization of CO2, "that displays the daily average of CO2 concentration through a chemical reaction in which chalk particles are formed, which in turn changes the opacity of water encapsulated in plastic tubes. The "Statlab" installation samples air direct from a local area, so that the differences in water clarity creates an analogue graph in which the difference in the amount of chalk particles per tank is a global measure for the fluctuating CO2 concentration within one 1 week."

The lab has lot's of other great installations, so be check out their site. 

[Read More]

Here is a new presentation by Al Gore at the annual TED Conference. He makes the case that the climate crisis is worse than our most conservative estimates and then calls for dramatic action not seen since the race to the moon.

The Tar Sands are the largest industrial project in Canadian history. We are seeing increasing demands by Canadians (read: stakeholders) to slow down the expansion and impose more stringant environmental regulations. Most of these demands are coming from Albertans (read: local stakeholders).

Compounding this rising tide; a new federal report by Environmental Defence labels the tar sands as "The Most Destructive Projecty on Earth" was just released. The report outlines how our nation's rivers and skies are being polluted at an ever increasing rate.

For the long-term future of Alberta and Canada, it is imperitive that we place strong environmental restrictions, not just for greenhouse gases, but also for water contaminants, acid rain and local community impacts. 

[Read More]

Here is a great summary of a recent UN Environment Report which outlines the current state of the world's ecosystems.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/629/629/7056601.stm

 

[Read More]

A great talk was given at the recent TED Conference with regards to the future of geo-engineering. David Keith: A surprising idea for "solving" climate change . The talk raises important questions of not wether or not we should do geoengineering, but rather makes the argument that we should at least study it.

A particularly convincing argument is the rise of China and the likelyhood that they (or another country) may unilaterally do geoengineering. With such a risk, we must eveluate the benifits and risks that geo-engineering poses.

We must also create a international treaty to bind countries to a series of protocols, not unlike the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Such a treaty will help countries work together and reduce the risk of unilateral action.

[Read More]