Nilima Choudhury
Sea levels set to rise for centuries
Each degree of global warming may raise world sea levels by more than two metres, a new scientific study concludes
Australia Prime Minister Rudd pledges to scrap carbon tax by 2014
Morning summary: Prime Minister announces plans to replace the carbon tax with a market-based trading system a full year ahead of schedule
India’s government urged to back faltering ‘solar cities’ plan
Proposals for 60 cities to invest in renewable technologies in danger of stagnating as red tape slows planning and implementation process
Coca-Cola sets 25% carbon reduction target
Drinks giant renews partnership with WWF with pledge to cut emissions and address natural resource challenges impacting fresh water
Air pollution linked to two million deaths a year
Morning summary: New study also found that 470,000 deaths a year are linked with human sources of ozone
UK reveals plans for world’s largest offshore wind farm
Plans for giant onshore and offshore windfarms unveiled as government seeks to meet ‘Saudi Arabia of wind’ tag
EU votes to cut carbon emissions from biofuels
The EU will cap the use of some biofuels but accelerate the production of “advanced” biofuels, which has not pleased some critics
Scientists say dangerous global warning can be reversed
Morning summary: Scientists encourage capturing and storing carbon dioxide underground by burning trees and crops for energy
MIT pioneers world’s thinnest solar cell
The next step in solar development: cheaper, thinner cells will open up the market
Wildfires shoot climate warming tar balls into atmosphere
Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists reveal small carbon balls created in wildfires are 10 times as warming as conventional soot
Google to host fundraiser for Congress climate change denier
Morning summary: Google is wooing climate change denier Jim Inhofe at a fundraiser.
Congress tells NASA to prioritise Mars exploration over climate change
US lawmakers back plans for deep space exploration but slash investment in agency’s climate research programmes
Records set to be smashed as Germany’s solar output soars
Germany will continue to break records for solar output despite a struggling manufacturing sector, confirm analysts
Poorly planned hydropower plants linked to North India floods
Floods in Uttarakhand that killed over 1000 and left many more homeless could have been exacerbated by inappropriate hydropower plants
Solar Impulse designers say new plane will be ready by 2014
Engineers have completed several tests for the second aircraft which is due to circle the globe between April and June 2015
Smart air conditioning could save business $100k a year
Office sensors could save business millions if deployed across USA, scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory report
Mayor of London could make fracking decision by 2014
Boris Johnson’s environmental advisor Matthew Pencharz on shale gas, air pollution, lessons from the 2012 Olympics and climate adaptation planning
Global warming could wipe out microbes that ‘make life possible’
Scientists warn tiny microbes known as cyanobacteria are under threat from radically changing temperatures
Desertec’s collapse unlikely to affect EU energy plans
Collapse of €400 billion plan will not affect Brussels energy strategy, but it does highlight the growing cost effectiveness of solar photo voltaic panels
Apple to construct new 20MW farm in Nevada desert
Morning Briefing: Apple is constructing its third solar farm, following the two currently in construction next to its North Carolina data centre