Beijing pollution risky for endurance athletes
BEIJING (Reuters) – Endurance events at the Beijing Olympics could pose a health risk if they are staged on heavily polluted days, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday, although it was prepared to reschedule such events.

Renewable Energy Hedges
The pursuit of sustainability in the 21st century will equate economic growth with ecological improvement, not ecological destruction. The ecosphere is humanity’s home, not a temporary hotel that we trash with impunity before moving on. Sustainability means equilibrating human conduct with the health and dynamics of the ecosphere, to maintain conditions favorable for life. Humanity’s existence and future depend upon it.

Viruses, oxygen and our green oceans
Some of the oxygen we breathe today is being produced because of viruses infecting micro-organisms in the world’s oceans, scientists heard today… About half the world’s oxygen is being produced by tiny photosynthesising creatures called phytoplankton in the major oceans. These organisms are also responsible for removing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere and locking it away in their bodies, which sink to the bottom of the ocean when they die, removing it forever and limiting global warming.

Australia opens carbon burying plant
CANBERRA, Australia – Australia on Wednesday began pumping carbon dioxide underground to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, using a technology that locks dangerous gases deep in the Earth.

Algae Could One Day Be Major Hydrogen Fuel Source
Scientists at U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are answering that call by working to chemically manipulate algae for production of the next generation of renewable fuels — hydrogen gas. “We believe there is a fundamental advantage in looking at the production of hydrogen by photosynthesis as a renewable fuel,” senior chemist David Tiede said.

Malaysia scraps coal plant plans on environment worries
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia has scrapped plans to build a 1.3 billion ringgit ($408 million) coal-fired power plant in eastern Sabah state on Borneo island due to worries it would pollute the environment, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Bank of America Adopts the Carbon Principles
NEW YORK, April 2, 2008 — Bank of America plans to adhere to the guidelines developed by Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley to assess carbon-related risks in the financing of utility-sector projects, such as coal-fired power plants.

Wal-Mart Expands Sustainability Efforts With Coffee, Trucks
BERKELEY, Calif., April 2, 2008 — The retailer is supplementing its long-range, ambitious goals for zero waste and renewable energy with new products, fleet improvements and solar experiments.

Toyota denies Prius govt funding report
TOKYO – Toyota Motor Corp. denied on Wednesday it had received any funding from the Japanese government to develop its hit Prius gas-electric hybrid car.

Bloggers, Consumers Quick to Spot Greenwashing: Report
NEW YORK, April 2, 2008 — Greenwash doesn’t fly with consumers and bloggers, and can set tongue wagging online, according to a new report.

Coral reefs and climate change: Microbes could be the key to coral death
Coral reefs could be dying out because of changes to the microbes that live in them just as much as from the direct rise in temperature caused by global warming, according to scientists

Official: 50 major Philippine rivers polluted
Manila – Fifty major rivers in the Philippines have become polluted due to abuse and neglect, the country’s top environment official said Wednesday.

Germany to help Central Asian nations cure water waste
Berlin – Germany hosted a conference Tuesday aimed at helping Central Asian nations to cure water wastage. The European Union has been prodding the land-locked republics to talk about sharing river and ground water instead of arguing over who owns it.

Killing of Ore. sea lions postponed
PORTLAND, Ore. – The authorized killing of California sea lions at a dam on the Columbia River would be postponed under a proposal reached Tuesday by the Humane Society of the United States and federal and state governments.