Tiempo Climate Newswatch

A new report warns that rapid global warming poses a variety of threats to the security of the Asia-Pacific region. "There is no longer much doubt that the world is facing a prolonged period of planetary warming," conclude authors Alan Dupont from the Lowy Institute for International Policy and Graeme Pearman, a fellow at Monash University. "Compressed within the space of a single century, global warming will present far more daunting challenges of human and biological adaptation" than previous, slower environmental shifts.

The report, from the Lowy Institute, based in Sydney, Australia, identifies sea-level rise as a major threat to the low-lying islands of the Pacific, heavily urbanized areas, such as the Yellow and Yangzi deltas in China, the east coast of Bangladesh, the deltas of Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar and parts of the Philippines and Indonesia. Weather extremes and climate fluctuations could "refashion" the region's productive landscapes and affect the incidence of disease. The authors call for a "fundamental transformation" in our approach to energy use, avoiding fossil fuels.

More information

• CNN
• ABC

• Comment from Alan Dupont, The Australian
• Download report (0.8Mb), Lowy Institute

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have announced an agreement to work together to fight global warming that could lay the foundations for a trans-Atlantic emissions trading system. They will collaborate on research into cleaner fuels and technologies. "The environmental and economic consequences of climate change and our dependency on fossil fuels compel both California and the United Kingdom to commit to urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote low carbon technologies," according to a joint statement.

"We see that there is not great leadership from the federal government when it comes to protecting the environment," Schwarzenegger said. "We know that there is global warming, so we should stop it." Both parties were, however, eager to dismiss the idea that the agreement undercuts the Bush administration's position on the climate issue. Kristen Hellmer, speaking for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, described the agreement as a "wonderful amplification" of last year's talks between President Bush and the British Prime Minister.

More information

• Seattle Times
• Guardian Unlimited

• Planet Ark

Participants at a recent European Science Foundation meeting have called for a long-term research programme to develop the "artificial leaf", harnessing the way in which biological systems convert solar energy in order to produce fuels on a commercial scale. The programme will tackle means of extending current photovoltaic technology to generate clean fuels directly from solar radiation, the construction of artificial devices mimicking photosynthesis and tuning natural systems to produce fuels such as hydrogen and methanol directly rather than carbohydrates that require further processing to generate fuels.

In the United Kingdom, electronics chain Currys is to sell solar photovoltaic panels in selected high street shops. Announcing the development, Currys said that rising electricity prices and a better understanding of environmental issues meant customers were now more open to purchasing these items. They intend to cut the cost to almost half that charged by specialist suppliers. Mike Childs from Friends of the Earth welcomed the move, but noted that insulation and double-glazing would be a cheaper starting point for many households.

More information

• Press release, ESF

• BBC
• in2perspective