It can be hard to get back into the swing of things at work after the cheer of the holiday season. But we have some tips that might help get your creative juices flowing again during the dark, cold weeks of winter. You can become a new office hero by suggesting ways for your employer to save money while helping out the planet. Continue reading →

The action now shifts to the House of Representatives, where a vote on its version of the budget reconciliation bill could occur as early as tomorrow. The current text of the bill would open the Arctic Refuge, as well as coastal areas, to drilling and sell off public lands to the highest bidder. If enough representatives threaten to vote against the bill if it contains these harmful provisions, however, House leaders may be forced to remove them, or to abandon
the bill altogether.

== What to do ==
Send a message *right now* urging your representative to vote No for the budget reconciliation if Arctic or coastal drilling is included.

== Contact information ==
You can send a message to your representative directly from NRDC’s Earth Action Center at [url=http://www.nrdc.org/action]http://www.nrdc.org/action[/url]

Phone calls are also very important right now, so if you have a moment to call your representative, the Capitol switchboard number is 202-224-3121.

Russia handed official ratification papers to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in Nairobi on Thursday.

Russia’s accession gives Kyoto support from countries that emit at least 55% of the world’s greenhouse gases.

The protocol commits 55 industrialised nations to making significant cuts in the emission of gases such as carbon dioxide by the year 2012.

Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, Andrei Denisov, handed Russia’s accession papers to Mr Annan in Nairobi, where the Security Council is holding a special session.

Mr Annan described Russia’s accession to the Kyoto Protocol as a "historic step forward in the world’s efforts to combat a truly global threat".

The formal ratification of the protocol ended years of uncertainty over the future of the agreement, Mr Annan added.

<b>International disagreement</b>

The US, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, withdrew from the protocol in 2001, saying it would gravely damage the US economy.

The Bush administration also criticised the protocol for not forcing developing nations including India and China to cut emissions immediately.

Australia, which has a large coal industry, has also refused to ratify Kyoto.

The protocol was first agreed in 1997, but required the agreement of countries responsible for at least 55% of global emissions measured in 1990.

After the US pulled out, the protocol could not be ratified without Russia, responsible for 17% of emissions.

Industrialised countries will have until 2012 to cut their collective emissions of six key greenhouse gases to 5.2% below the 1990 level.

But some experts have claimed that a drastic cut of around 60% is needed to avoid the worst effects of global warming.

The ship had around 15 to 20 tons of oil in its tanks when it went down for reasons as yet unclear.

A spokeswoman from the Serbian Weather and Water Institute said inspectors were on the spot and experts had set up a floating screen to contain any oil spill.

Bush’s top energy priority _ opening an Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling _ is shaping up as an early test of GOP gains in Congress. “This is going to be a definitional battle, and we’re ready,” said Deb Callahan, president of the League of Conservation Voters. Though the election didn’t emphasize such issues, administration officials believe the results validated their belief that many environmental decisions are better made by the marketplace, landowners and state and local governments. Continue reading →

The course will cover standard and specialized statistical procedures, all from an
environmental perspective. Topics include regression, ANOVA, control charts, bioequivalence, time series, risk assessment and more. There will be four weekly sessions, focusing on (1) Sampling, (2) Environmental Data Analysis, (3) Monitoring and Impact Assessment, and (4) Spatial & Censored Data, and Risk Assessment. Continue reading →

Support from this Programme will target the priority areas from the Sixth Environment Action Programme:
- limiting climate change
- nature and bio-diversity – protecting a unique resource
- health and environment
- ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources andwaste.

In addition to the abovementioned areas, implementation and enforcement of Community environmental legislation and environmental education will also remain of interest. Continue reading →

It is also a new way for communities who once hunted the world’s largest animals to earn a living, say the environmentalists who helped to set up the biggest whale sanctuary in the Mediterranean.
“When I saw my first whale some 10 years ago, it changed my life completely,” said Paolo Guglielmi, head of the marine unit at the WWF Mediterranean Program.

As if to prove his point, dozens of people on board the tourist boat rushed to get a glimpse of the gray back of a whale arching for a few seconds above the waves before disappearing again, leaving the crowd momentarily speechless. Continue reading →