Blog Posts
- A Look Back at Climate Promises: Why 2014 Must be the Year of Action on HFCs
A Look Back at Climate Promises: Why 2014 Must be the Year of Action on HFCs
Last year was the year of high-level promises on reducing emissions of Hydroflurocarbons (HFCs). From President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to bilateral agreements with China, statements by the G20 and demands...
- Take Action: Tell Rakuten to end elephant ivory sales!
Take Action: Tell Rakuten to end elephant ivory sales!
Internet retail giant Rakuten was selling both elephant and whale products – but recently committed to terminating all whale product sales! Great news for whales, but Rakuten is still carrying ads for elephant ivory products, many originating from illegal ivory poached in...
- Civil Society to Peruvian Government: “Maintain Environment Impact Assessments!”
Civil Society to Peruvian Government: “Maintain Environment Impact Assessments!”
Civil society in Peru has issued a letter decrying the proposed elimination of key environmental impact assessments on the heels of an announcement by Peru’s newest Minister of Energy and Mines. Read their letter...
- Costco: The Climate Scrooge to Tiny Tim’s Future
Costco: The Climate Scrooge to Tiny Tim’s Future
If the U.S. supermarket industry had a Scrooge, Costco Wholesale (“Costco”) would be a top candidate, while the increasingly damaged global climate our children will be forced to live with represents “Tiny Tim”. Issaquah based Costco is the second largest retailer in the United States...
- Crush the ivory trade, not just the ivory
Crush the ivory trade, not just the ivory
More than 30,000 iconic elephants are slaughtered annually to feed the world’s appetite for their ivory tusks – and this poaching crisis is escalating. In an effort to focus attention on the enormity of the wildlife trafficking crisis, the fourth largest transnational crime, the United States...
- Whole Foods needs to give the earth something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving
Whole Foods needs to give the earth something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving
For those of you heading to Whole Foods this Thanksgiving week, you may want to think twice. As it turns out, America’s so-called “healthiest grocery store” isn’t so healthy for the planet. The organic-grass-fed-gluten free-cold pressed turkey in your shopping cart is being refrigerated with some of the most potent greenhouse gases...
- Corporate control of the climate stalls negotiations
Corporate control of the climate stalls negotiations
The 19th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP19) is currently happening in Warsaw, Poland in an attempt to curb the devastating effects of our warming climate...
- US Ivory Crush
US Ivory Crush
On November 14th, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service destroyed nearly six tons of illegal ivory. By crushing the seized ivory stockpile, the United States government sent a strong signal to the rest of the world that we need to get serious now about saving elephants and ending the demand that is fueling ivory trafficking. Elephants can’t wait...
- Walmart is failing to honor its commitment to roll back greenhouse HFC gases
Walmart is failing to honor its commitment to roll back greenhouse HFC gases
Muhtar Kent, the CEO of Coca-Cola, is said to have telephoned Mike Duke, the CEO of Walmart, on Thanksgiving Day 2010 to ask him to sign the Consumer Goods Forum’s...
- World celebrates Ozone Day while the planet waits for action on HFCs
World celebrates Ozone Day while the planet waits for action on HFCs
As the world celebrates International Ozone Day to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has highlighted...
- Happy Ozone Day! (or why the Montreal Protocol is still vital)
Happy Ozone Day! (or why the Montreal Protocol is still vital)
Today, September 16, is World Ozone Day. Now, I’m the first to complain that the calendar these days is chock-a-block with somewhat questionable occasions to commemorate...
- Supermarkets can combat climate change: Maine grocery store adopts HFC-free refrigeration system
Supermarkets can combat climate change: Maine grocery store adopts HFC-free refrigeration system
Delhaize America, a Belgium company, is opening a state-of-the-art, climate-friendly grocery store this week in Turner, Maine. The Hannaford grocery store will be the first in the country to use a CO2 transcritical system that will use carbon dioxide (CO2) as a refrigerant...
- Three super wins against super greenhouse gases: Reasons why the US and India should join forces
Three super wins against super greenhouse gases: Reasons why the US and India should join forces
In his remarks on the US-India Partnership in Mumbai yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden said the United States is “anxious and willing” to work with India on climate change. He hopes that “India will join the United States, China and more than 100 other countries to work within...
- US-China agreement on super greenhouse gases–A real breakthrough?
US-China agreement on super greenhouse gases–A real breakthrough?
The landmark agreement between President Obama and President Xi on Saturday to curb super greenhouse gases, specifically hydroflurocarbons (HFCs), could be the best news we have heard in a while. It is the first time that the largest producers and consumers...
- Countries begin formal talks while HFC climate bomb ticks
Countries begin formal talks while HFC climate bomb ticks
The Montreal Protocol took a long-awaited, first step towards eradicating hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) last week in Bangkok, with the first formal discussions since a phase down was first mooted in 2009...
- Explosion of Super Greenhouse Gases Expected over Next Decade
Explosion of Super Greenhouse Gases Expected over Next Decade
China and India are expected to release vast amounts of the chemical hydroflourocarbon-23 (HFC-23) into the atmosphere, causing global greenhouse gas emissions to skyrocket, according to a new report launched today by...
- The Montreal Protocol in 2013
The Montreal Protocol in 2013
This year, the planet passed a dangerous milestone when atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide exceeded 400 parts per million, prompting the scientific community to advocate renewed vigour in efforts to combat climate change, and the UNFCCC’s Executive Secretary to call...
- US Congress presses Secretary Kerry to make super greenhouse gases (HFCs) a priority in India
US Congress presses Secretary Kerry to make super greenhouse gases (HFCs) a priority in India
As the nations of the world prepare to meet next week at the open ended working group of the Montreal Protocol in Bangkok, Thailand, Secretary of State John Kerry prepares to travel to India for the fourth U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue. Sec. Kerry should seize the overlap...
- Landmark Revision of Japanese Fluorocarbon Regulations: Make It Count
Landmark Revision of Japanese Fluorocarbon Regulations: Make It Count
On April 19, 2013, the Japanese Cabinet approved the revision of its fluorocarbon regulations that will fundamentally change the way high global warming fluorocarbons are produced, used and disposed in Japan...
- Let’s Get this Done; Decision at Warsaw on HFCs Needed to Bridge Gigatonne Gap
Let’s Get this Done; Decision at Warsaw on HFCs Needed to Bridge Gigatonne Gap
Parties met last week in Bonn, Germany to begin discussing the next legally binding agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. This is agreement is potentially the most significant global treaty that will ever be negotiated...
- Technology Now: Low-GWP technologies are bursting onto the Chinese market
Technology Now: Low-GWP technologies are bursting onto the Chinese market
Refrigeration 2013 kicked off two weeks ago, showcasing new and emerging products in refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pumps. One of the focuses of this exposition was on new lower global warming potential (GWP) technologies...
- China Agrees to Massive Climate Mitigation
China Agrees to Massive Climate Mitigation
China has agreed to accept up to US$385 million from the Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund (MLF) for the elimination of its industrial production of ozone depleting substances known as HCFC (hyrdochlorofluorocarbons) and associated by-product HFC-23 in accordance with best practices to minimize associated climate impacts...
- Holding Internet Giants Accountable for Appalling Sale of Whale and Ivory Products
Holding Internet Giants Accountable for Appalling Sale of Whale and Ivory Products
EIA and Humane Society International researchers were shocked to discover ads promoting the sale of elephant ivory and whale products on internet giant Google and Amazon.com websites. Both Google, the world’s largest...
- Reflecting on CITES CoP16: Elephants and Rhinos
Reflecting on CITES CoP16: Elephants and Rhinos
Poaching and trafficking of iconic species such as elephants and rhinos are recognized to be at crisis levels, devastating populations worldwide. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is an international...
- Call for Trade Sanctions to Halt Vietnam’s Vast Illegal Rhino Horn Trade
Call for Trade Sanctions to Halt Vietnam’s Vast Illegal Rhino Horn Trade
Environmentalists are today calling for trade sanctions against Vietnam for its failure to take action against its massive illegal trade in rhino horn. The 177 nations currently Party to the...