In Context: 5 Web Perspectives On A Story In The News

Climate Change: moving faster than we think?

(CNN) An impending heat wave has prompted Australian authorities to ask for the evacuation of residents in the state of South Australia. The Code Red "Catastrophic" warning was issued for the Eastern Eyre Peninsula and West Coast districts. The intense heat wave, with temperatures climbing to 104 F (40 C), is expected to hit south Australia until weekend. The warning system put in place intends to better alert residents after a devastating fire ravaged Victoria in February, which killed 170 people and devastated 2,000 homes. The region is already in the midst of a severe drought. Coupled with low humidity and strong winds, the soaring temperatures will make it ripe for fires to ignite which, according to the fire service, will be incontrollable.

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Climate Change “our fault,” says Gwynne Dyer: geopolitical analyst

Gwynne Dyer
That's what Gwynne Dyer, a Canadian geopolitical analyst, said at a conference he held at Dalhousie University about climate change, Nov.12. Gwynne Dyer recently published a book called Climate Wars. He says that climate change is moving faster than we thought and will provoke a series of political and economic struggles for survival. In this website you can find podcasts of his CBC Radio series Climate Wars where he talks about his ideas on climate change. You can also take a look at Dyer's published books.

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Geo-engineering, a man-made solution

Wikipedia
Is there a solution to stop global warming? Apparently geo-engineering is. Geo-engineering is the science of manipulating climate to stop global warming. Geo-engineering is thoroughly explained in this wikipedia entry. You can find about the projects that have been proposed to end global warming through this new science, like using pale-coloured roofing and paving materials and fine sea water spray to whiten clouds and increase cloud reflectivity. It also exposes geo-engineering's political viability and the risks and issues it implies. It also features a series of links that can broaden your knowledge about geo-engineering, such as opinion articles or related news.

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COP 15: a meeting of the nations to find solutions about climate change

Copenhagen Conference 2009
In 2012 the Kyoto Protocol to prevent climate changes and global warming runs out. To keep the process on the line there is an urgent need for a new climate protocol. At the conference in Copenhagen 2009 the parties of the UNFCCC meet for the last time on government level before the climate agreement need to be renewed. This is the official website for the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. It features climate news and blogs, interesting facts, campaigns and an insight to the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.

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What are Canada’s actions on climate change?

Environment Canada
Canada is known for being a climate change-aware country. But what is Canada as a government doing to counteract climate change besides recycling? Canadian government's official website displays Canada's actions on the matter as well as their short and long-term goals. One of them is a plan they've developed to tackle climate change by taking "realistic and responsible action" to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 20% from 2006 levels by 2020, placing Canada on the path to achieve reductions of 60 to 70% by 2050. Canada's new comprehensive environmental agenda also includes ecoTRansport strategy Initiatives, as well as home retrofits grants and funding for renewable power, adaptation measures, action to expand the production and use of biofuels, among others.

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Hot ideas for cooling the planet: a competition to find ways to save the planet

Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is a professional engineering institution in the UK. It has 80,000 members who work in the country's most important and dynamic industries. The Institution tries to help engineers build their careers and take on the challenges that, when solved, "will make a difference to all," this time around by creating a competition to find ways to save the world from global warming. Teams around the world compete to present feasible engineering alternatives to reverse the effects of global warming. Each team had to make initial technical assessments to prove the engineering feasibility and sustainability of their potential geo-engineering solution. This website allows you to learn more about the competition and the winners. It also features articles written by engineers about climate changes, as well as news, events and training on the matter.