Germany goes out against nuclear power

We are on the eve of two important regional elections, but government programs are discussed and crowded rallies are held.
e ability to mobilize German society turns spring Saturday in large anti-nuclear demonstrations across the country. Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, tens of thousands of people dance and sing the old songs of the 70 anti-nuclear struggle, carrying large banners with pictures of Fukushima and openly hostile slogans against E. On and RWE, two large energy companies that threaten to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit asking the State compensation for breach of the covenant which closed in the fall with Merkel, prolonging the active life of the reactors until 2040 and the atomic energy.

The German Government, in a radical shift in energy policy, caused by the disaster in Japan, has been disconnected seven of the 17 anti-nuclear reactors and today took to the streets to demand the permanent abandonment.

"Only a matter of time!" repeated again and again, protesters against the police lines protecting, if anything, the Bundesrat. The protest also passes by the headquarters of the CDU, the Christian Democratic Party, a supporter of nuclear energy until a couple of weeks and now heads the movement of "relinquishing control" of atomic energy.

Nuclear Energy


Only a few months ago, Greenpeace climbers hung down the front of the Konrad Adenauer House displaying giant posters against nuclear, but now walk past the main entrance with no hint of reproach, despite polls showing that nearly 80 % of Germans believe the conversion is finished Merkel to the anti-nuclear cause and consider it rather an electoral gimmick that will fade with time.
But there seems to be going back. At least not in this crowd is sure sign of victory. "Did not you hear the deafening noise? The collapse of the nuclear age sounds like your day sounded in the fall of the Roman Empire ... and we have to celebrate!" Says a man in his 50 years leading to his grandson perched on their shoulders, convinced that together we are living a historic day.

Many of the placards referred to Chernobyl. After Greenpeace has equated the two tragedies.

Atomic Energy

The large amount of radioactivity released Fukushima plant since the accident which started on March 11, radionuclides of iodine-131 and cesium-137, are evidence supporting that this incident be reclassified and placed in the same category the one at Chernobyl, which occurred in April 1986, reports Ingo Freschen, coordinator of the ecopacifista in Berlin and serving media in an impromptu press center, next to a hot dog stand on the porch of Sony Center.

"This has nothing to do with the election campaign. Do not be so myopic. This is a movement much bigger and more powerful regional elections, is the determination of several generations have been finally convinced that so far We lied. We were told we could not do without nuclear power if we wanted to maintain our lifestyle, our Western economies, with all our freedoms, would go to waste, and it was not true. I have in front of their noses. Germany offline seven reactors and not only we did not sink, but has barely noticed the quake and all that happens is that we are celebrating this great feast, instead of staying at home spending unnecessary energy, "insists Freschen.

As was the case this winter, in protests against nuclear waste transport Gorleben, the group that nurtures these manifestations is a cross section in terms of age, intention to vote and social stratum, which gives much greater potential to claims, they can no longer be ignored by any political force in Germany.

An hour of blackout for the planet's health

The  "Earth Hour 2011", an idea that is developed annually for five years to demonstrate the concern of humanity from climate change. How to join.
The blackout, which will take place today, March 26 by the end of an hour, will be developed with cascading effect on all countries, at their own time zone, between 20:30 and 21:30, and will involve, according to their organizers, more than one billion people.
Last year it began in the Chatham Islands, about 800 miles east of New Zealand, and covered step by step across six continents, from Mongolia to Antarctica, keeping pace with the rotation of the Earth.

The  Earth Hour

Globally, the action is coordinated by the World Conservation Organization (WWF, according to its acronym in English) and locally by the World Wildlife Fund.
The measure not only aims to save energy, though it entails-but above all, create a space for thinking about preserving the environment, getting people involved in these problems and promote personal actions, group and government, to curb their degradation.

"Earth Hour" was born in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 and then called two million people just in that country.
In 2008 were more than 50 million people in about 400 cities synchronized blackout, which left without lights in buildings like the Sydney Opera, the Coliseum in Rome, the City Hall in London, the Empire State Building in New York, the Tower of Sears in Chicago, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Golden Gate in San Francisco.
In 2009, more than 60 countries were involved in the blackout to combat global warming, with the message that they can act individually with small changes in everyday life, such as replacing ordinary light bulbs with fluorescent lights or low-power .

The Hour fot the Planet

2010, and had joined the blackout 1,500 cities in 128 countries on six continents, and were more than 1,300 monuments and landmarks of major cities in the world held in darkness for an hour. But this year, Earth Hour wants to beat his own record of participation and involve more than one billion people on six continents.

Environmentalists predict that, to continue the present status quo, the global warming could cause the extinction of 35% of terrestrial wildlife by 2050. Also, does carry deep floods and droughts, climate change increasingly threatening as the production performance and life of people.
For that reason and because it is necessary to engage world leaders in concrete policies to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, it is expected that this time more than one billion people will join the symbolic gesture of turning off the light on Saturday, eight and a half to half past nine p.m., in the certainty that the planet is well worth it.

The study 'final' report on climate change

"The climate change debate has been usurped by the 'exaggerated' and the 'deniers'," says physicist Richard A. Berkeley Muller. "It is time for scientists to return to put things in place: less distortion, more science."
In the midst of an ideological war on global warming, Professor Muller-author of "Physics for Future presidentes', has decided to stand in the middle and try even harder: to develop the most comprehensive, independent and 'final' on climate .
The study has been dubbed "The Berkeley Earth Project 'and aspires to be" a new starting point to set the record straight and try to build a consensus. " Muller, in a telephone conversation with the world, anticipates that the results will be ready in next April or May.

The Climate Change

"The scientist's work is to investigate, analyze results and in any case provide the information to the public to draw their own conclusions," says Muller. "Much of the problem has arisen at the time that scientists have tried to be too activist and have lost their credibility as researchers."
'Exaggerated' vs. 'Denial' adn the climate change.
In the bunch of 'exaggerated', Muller talks about everything from Al Gore, but has many more reservations about criticizing NASA climatologist James Hansen ("your work as a scientist has been very valid.") At the other end of the scale puts the 'deniers', who should not be confused with the 'skeptical' ("an appropriate dose of skepticism is always desirable in a scientist) and the ecology.
According to Muller, the tendency to distort climate science to incite to action "has seriously compromised the work of the UN Intergovernmental Panel (IPCC by its acronym in English). "I will be very difficult to regain credibility," he warns, "as long as the front Rajendra Pachauri."

Berkeley physicist intends to go even beyond the work done so far by the UN IPCC, by the NASA Goddard Institute or the UK Met Office, the three major global benchmarks, trapped in one way or another the "politicization" of climate science, especially after the publication of the emails from the University of West Anglia.

"We're not going to manipulate the findings, we find what we find," says Muller, who claims to be ranked along with many other scientists at an intermediate point of debate. "We are an independent, nonpartisan group. We will collect the data, we analyze and present the results.'ll Let people draw their conclusions."

The ecology and the Climate change

Muller has been proposed not only conduct the largest study to date on the evolution of the temperature on Earth since the eighteenth century, but also make measurements "more stringent climate today, with data from 39,340 stations worldwide.

With the support of the University of Berkeley (the 'laboratory' Energy Secretary Steven Chu), the study is being funded by groups of very diverse: from the Innovation Foundation for Climate and Energy Research (created by Bill Gates ) to the Charles Koch Foundation (linked to the oil magnate).

Richard Muller argues in any case the "autonomy" of the Earth Project has received funding on the grounds that "both the left and right" and trying to lend a ember researchers who have not taken a political party. His team included Professor of Statistics David Brillinger, climatologist of Georgia Institute of Technology Judith Curry, and physical Saul Perlmutter, Art Rosenfeld and Robert Jacobsen, University of Berkeley and the ecology.
According to Muller, the evaluation "independent" global warming may be used as a reference in the U.S. and worldwide, "although we assume that a minority opinion will never change even though the evidence is or is not on your side" .

"Can we reach the same conclusions as other groups, but we will do a new and different," says Berkeley driver of Earth Project. "If all we get is permir consensus on global warming-a true consensus, rather than one based on policy positions," it will be a major achievement. "

Ithaca the ecology city

There is no better way to take the pulse of the "other" America to return again and again to Ithaca. There, in that small city ambush between lakes and waterfalls, we started our "green route" for almost year and a half. Here we are closing the circle now in these times of crisis, with one of its most illustrious neighbors checking the possible future path with the ecology city.

     "Choosing a Sustainable Future" is the title of the book by Liz Walker, co-founder of the EcoVillage of Ithaca and explorer of the Arabian initiatives that converge in this vibrant city and "green" than most. While much of the country was mired in recession, social and ecological activism of Ithaca came just at boiling point, as we saw in our last visit.

The ecology city

"This city has become the meeting point for people willing to have another relationship with the land," says Walker. "And in recent years has accentuated what I call the" cluster effect ", thanks to the cooperative spirit and healthy competition. This much we value and support the local economy, and this allowed us to better cope with difficult times. "

       The Ithaca Farmers Market was one of the pioneers among the 5,000 that exist today in American geography. The hugely popular Greenstar was also the cornerstone of healthy food cooperatives. There you can can pay for some with "hours" of Ithaca ("time is money"), the colorful local currency and the ecology. Or subscribe to car sharing system (Ithaca Carshare). Or have the right to universal health insurance (Ithaca Health Alliance). Or make lines of credit and interest to small depositors would be unthinkable in any other place in America (Alternatives Federal Credit Union).

Ithaca, with a progressive tradition that goes back almost to the time of the Cayuga Indians (Liz Walker thinks he sees in them the roots of pacifism, feminism and sustainability), perhaps approaching that any member of the Tea Party disparagingly call a "socialist eco-city."

Socialist eco-city

      "In this country we are experiencing a political and cultural civil war," admits Liz. "Every time there is a larger hole between people who want to live in a manner respectful to the environment and the extreme right wants to eliminate all the environmental protections and the ecology."

      But now that most of the population lives in cities, we have no choice but to seek new models, and proposed this city of just 50,000 inhabitants (half of them students at the prestigious Cornell University or Ithaca College) is certainly encouraging and stimulating.

The summer of 2010 was the warmest in 500 years

The summer of 2010 was the warmest of the past 500 years and their temperatures are not exceeded until after 2050, according to a study by the University of Lisbon in Portugal which is published in the online edition of the journal Science.

The heat wave that hit large parts of Eastern Europe last summer was even hotter and more extensive than the European heatwave of 2003. The warm weather last summer led to a significant number of victims and the ecology.

The Climate change

In Russia alone, there were more than 55,000 heat-related deaths, major forest fires, loss of 25% in the collection of crops and a total economic loss of around 1% of gross domestic product of Russia.
More frequent heat waves.

The researchers, led by David Barriopedro, put into perspective the heat wave when compared to other temperature anomalies in the historical record dating back to 1871 in terms of duration, spatial extent and temperature and the ecology. The authors determined that this episode was more severe than in 2003.

The most warmest Summer

The scientists also found that at least two summers in this decade were probably the warmest in the past 510 years in Europe. An analysis of the results of climate models indicate that the major heat waves are likely to become 5 to 10 times more likely in the next 40 years, although an episode with a magnitude to reach the warmth of 2010 is unlikely to occur until after 205.

The melting of glaciers will significantly raise the level of the oceans

The vast majority of frozen water on Earth is found in large ice shelves in Greenland and, above all, Antarctica. Therefore, when studying the effects of global warming on the rise of the oceans, these places are the center of attention in the glaciers and the ecology.

However, an international team of researchers led by the American Marcus Meier believes that this approach is wrong. "We have shown that glaciers and ice sheets, not the two great ice shelves, are the main culprits of rising sea levels for at least the next generations," said Meier, who signed with colleagues an article published this week in Science and the glaciers.

According to estimates made by the team of scientists, the study shows that the contribution of glaciers and ice sheets is about 60% of the water entering the oceans as a result of global warming. The melting in Greenland contributes about 28% of the total and the Antarctic with only 12%. Paradoxically, the place on earth where there is more ice is the least contributing to rising sea levels, and vice versa.

The future of the Glaciers

Also, Meier and his colleagues believe that in future this trend will be reinforced. As glaciers and ice caps will melt faster and faster, Antarctica will at an increasing rate, but much slower. In fact, estimates suggest that the eastern half lose no ice. Consequently, the share of glaciers and ice caps in the rising seas will be even greater.

2100, and depending on the scenario chosen (with or without acceleration in the melt) rise in sea levels as a result of climate change will be 10 to 25 centimeters. To this must be added that from the other reserves of ice. According to the International Panel on Climate Change, for the year it is expected that sea level has risen between 20 and 50 centimeters.

The ecology and the Glaciers

There are two mechanisms by which global warming destroys the glaciers and ice sheets. On the one hand, the glaciers are moving faster, and throw more ice to the sea. On the other hand, the icebergs from these glaciers and ice caps are melting faster because the ocean water is warmer. In theory, if those ice to melt completely global sea levels would rise one meter.

Solar Energy, a sustainable alternative for the future

The sun is the source of energy for billions of people, if governments are committed to creating photovoltaic markets, the report "Solar Generation" by Greenpeace. (18/10/2001).

The sun is the source of energy for billions of people, if governments are committed to creating photovoltaic markets, the report "Solar Generation" by Greenpeace. (18/10/2001).

Solar power could provide electricity to more than one billion people, creating approximately 2 million jobs by 2020 and reach 26% of global energy needs by 2040, according to a report released today in Berlin by Greenpeace and the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA).

The solar energy in the future

The report "Solar Generation" shows that solar PV has the potential to make a large contribution to both the future of world energy supply security and to help avoid the danger of climate change. "It's a realistic and achievable goal, based on the state of the industry and market opportunities that exist today, but requires a clear political support from governments around the world," said Sven Teske, energy expert Greenpeace. "We need a massive boost to renewable energy sources if we are to eliminate fossil fuels that threaten our climate."

"We have a clear signal from governments that there is a political commitment to increase the role of solar electricity in the energy mix. In particular, the Commission should ensure that national innovation systems of incentives for solar electricity not be invalidated by the competition policy, "said Jose Luis Garcia Ortega, responsible for Spain Greenpeace Solar Project and the ecology.

"Greenpeace calls on governments to provide renewable energy to two billion poorest people the world over the next ten years. Even using conservative estimates, the report shows that solar energy can cover much of this demand, and create millions of jobs worldwide. "
EPIA, which represents 54 major European solar companies, is responding to this challenge to strengthen its role as global advocate for solar energy.

Ecology Solar energy

The report shows that by 2020 the global solar production would be 276 terawatt-hours, which could equal 30% of the energy needs of Africa, or 10% of the demand for European OECD countries, or 1% of global demand. This would replace the energy produced by 75 new coal power plants and prevent the emission of 664 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Solar infrastructure investment would be worth of 75 billion dollars a year, and lower the cost of solar modules, $ 1 per peak watt.

By 2040, global solar production could be over 9,000 terawatt-hours, or 26% of expected global demand, which would have increased from 27,000 to 35,000 terawatt-hours. This production exceeds the combined demand of the European OECD countries and North America in 1998 and the solar energy.

Renewable technologies, which use energy not only the sun but also wind and water, generate clean energy and will end or cause the accumulation of greenhouse gases that cause climate change.

The glaciers are melting faster than expected

The ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica in the south are losing mass at a rate faster than the predictions had been made so far, this will impact significantly on the rise in global sea level, according to a study released this NASA Wednesday.
The study report suggests that ice sheets are crumbling faster than the glaciers in the mountains and this will be the main factor that contributes to a global rise in sea level, much earlier than expected and the ecology.

The ecology and the glaciers

An example is the following case, in 2006 the Poles lost a combined mass of 475 gigatons per year on average, enough to raise global sea levels by an average of 1.3 millimeters per year compared to they lost 402 gigatons average of the mountain glaciers.

NASA has studied some information from satellites between 1992 and 2009 and subsequently obtained every year during the course of the study, the layers of polar ice caps have lost a combined average of 36.3 gigatons more than the previous year .

It is estimated that "The ice will be the main cause of rising sea level in the future is not surprising, since they have a much larger mass of ice that mountain glaciers," said study author Eric Rignot, University of California.

Glaciers are melting

"The bad news is that the greatest contribution of the ice is already happening," said the scientist who conducted research in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA.
The reports both show that "if current trends continue, it is likely that the increase in sea level is significantly higher than the levels projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007 and the ecology."

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The future of glaciers

The satellites have shown a more accurate picture of rapid weight loss that are suffering the ice off the coast of Greenland and Antarctica. This finding, published in the journal Nature, will enable more accurate predictions about future sea level rise that can cause this phenomenon linked to climate change and the ecology.

The deepest ice loss is due to accelerated melting of glaciers at the time that they meet the sea, according to a group of researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and the University of Bristol (Southern England) . In reaching this conclusion, the researchers analyzed millions of measurements of the huge ice sheets of both Antarctica and Greenland provided by NASA.

The glaciers and the ecology

The experts saw this "dynamic thinning 'glaciers experiencing now reaches all latitudes in Greenland, has intensified along the coast of Antarctica, is penetrating into the interior of ice sheets and is spreading in the form of thin layers ice due to melting of the ocean and the ecology.
The scientist Hamish Pritchard, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said that the "surprise" that these discoveries have led the researchers saw a pattern as strong thinning of glaciers in coastal areas as large. "

The Future of the Glaciers

"We think the most likely cause it has a faster flow on the glacier is due to the warm currents of the ocean when they reach the shores and melt the glacier," he says.
The expert admits that the phenomenon of melting is not yet well understood so it "remains the most unpredictable of the rise in sea level in the future and the ecology."

CiU proposed that the product labels indicate CO2 emissions

CiU parliamentary group will defend next week in the Environment Committee of the Congress of Deputies, a non-legislative proposal which proposes that products manufactured in a label detailing the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) associated with its development with the aim of measuring the impact of each product in global warming and the ecology.

Thus, the CiU spokesman at the Commission for the Study of Climate Change, Carles Campuzano, believes that if given such information, be sensitized to the citizens and will promote the responsible consumption, so if consumers have this information you can choose products based on their own criteria for environmental responsibility.

Product labels indicate CO2 emissions

"It's about raising awareness among citizens, and promote more responsible consumption by providing the consumer with information as the trace left by the product acquired in the emission of greenhouse gases," he said.

Campbell notes that in countries like Britain, France, Switzerland and Finland and is included in some products this type of information. In that sense, has become such a British supermarket chain Tesco, which includes the label of the carbon footprint of products such as chips or orange juice, for example, the associated CO2 emission, or the French supermarket Casino also include such information in some products, as well as Migros in Switzerland or oatmeal in Finland. Also referred to the phone company Orange, which has begun to explain the traces of mobile telephony and the ecology.

CO2 Emissions and the Ecology

"We must extend this practice in Spain. With this goal comes the CiU initiative," said Campuzano.

For this purpose the non-legislative proposal CiU is urging Congress to urge the government to move forward within the European Union to establish uniform criteria for measuring the environmental impact of products, in terms of CO2 emissions and the ecology, and cooperate with the regions to promote that product labeling include information on its impact in terms of emissions.

Environmental groups demanding an end to fossil energy investments

A group of activists with white masks and charcoal-stained today protested to the Ministry of Finance to demand an end to World Bank investments made in renewable energies with the support of the Spanish Government and the end to fossil energy.

Organizations, Ecologists in Action, InspirAction and Friends of the Earth have expressed their displeasure against the Minister of Economy and Finance, Elena Salgado, "for contributing to the financing of fossil fuels in poor countries by 116% over the previous year ".

Under the slogan "World Bank climate criminal, accomplice Spanish government" and a basket full of coal and deposited outside the Ministry, environmentalists have moved to the head of the Environment his concern for the future implementation of the new energy strategy World Bank from 2011 and the ecology.

Financing of fossil energy and the ecology

In a statement read during the ceremony, the group's spokesperson InspirAction, Isabel Ortigosa, explained that the World Bank's energy policy "is to finance private sector projects to large scale fossil fuels, an approach that has clearly failed to to provide energy for impoverished communities. ".

The head of Ecologists in Action Tom Kucharz criticized in recent years, "World Bank financing for coal power plants has increased by 40", to a record 3,300 million euros in 2010.

The ecology and the end to fossil energy

Also, the spokesman for Friends of the Earth, Alejandro González, has warned about the "inconvenience" to stand by while the World Bank borrows the South, making it totally dependent on fossil fuels in coming decades and the fossil energy.

Protests like these will be carried out throughout the day in various parts of the world as Zagreb, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Johannesburg, Washington or London.