The New Scientist Environment webpage and blog are worth checking out. The stories are so timely, international and well-written. There is a good blog too. (Why am I doing this?!)
Monthly Archives: March 2007
Global Warming Is Not a Crisis
Click here for summaries of the debate: “Global Warming is Not a Crisis”, by David Malakoff for NPR. One can also listen to the whole 1.5 hour debate. It was sponsored by Intelligence Squared U.S. — bringing “Oxford-style debating” to the United States.
There is a link also, to brief profiles of the debaters: Michael Crichton, Richard S. Lindzen, Philip Stott, Brenda Ekwurzel, Gavin Schmidt, Richard C.J. Somerville. The moderator was Brian Lehrer.
Bill Blakemore’s most laudable effort
Mar. 26
The David Bradford Seminars in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy
Wallace Hall, Room 300
12:00 noon – 1:00p.m.
“Climate Consilience and Surreal Story: Popper, Profession, and Media Engage the Science and Psychologies of Global Warming ”
Bill Blakemore, News Correspondent, ABC News
Science & Technology for Sustainability — STS at NAS
The National Academy of Sciences has created a program, STS, Science & Technology for Sustainability, in the division of Policy and Global Affairs “to encourage the use of science and technology to achieve long term sustainable development.” Their various projects are linked and there are also links under the Sustainability Gateway:
Sustainability – The Issue
People and Their Communities
Life Support Systems-Air & Water
Life Support Systems – Food
Economy, Business & Industry
Natural Systems
Institutions and Indicators
Global Change
World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision
World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision
In the next 43 years, world population is expected to increase by our total population statistic in 1950, 2.5 billion.
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Population Division provides this direct link to tables.
“The world population continues its path towards population ageing and is on track to surpass 9 billion persons by 2050, as revealed by the newly released 2006 Revision of the official United Nations population estimates and projections.” (From the press release).
Global Warming & Climate Change — Research Guide
Library of Congress “Tracer Bullet” 06-6 from September, 2006, is a research guide that lists recommended books, journals, articles, conference proceedings, government documents, websites, dissertations, reference sources, etc. on the topic Global Warming and Climate Change. Such research aids are from the Science, Technology and Business Division of the Science Reference Services of the Library of Congress. Princeton University Library will probably have most of the sources, but we will provide through Interlibrary Loan or Document Delivery services those resources which we don’t have. For books, conferences, journals, etc, use the Main Catalog, and for articles, start with the database listings under Articles & Databases from the Princeton University Library Homepage.
Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Combustion Processes Research Guide
Librarians at the Library of Congress periodically create research guides on timely topics. They are dubbed “Science Tracer Bullets Online” (Historically, they were in paper format.) This latest was released on March 17th.
This is what the ResourceShelf.com announcement reads:
“Web and print resources compiled by the Science, Technology and Business Division at the Library of Congress. This guide lists relevant sources of information on alternative fuel vehicles and includes electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and personal transportation vehicles, as well as the technology of fuel economy and alternative fuels. It also includes advanced autoignition and lean-burn combustion processes for improving engine fuel economy.”
These research guides include books, conference proceedings, technical reports and papers, dissertations, key journals, and databases (abstracting and indexing services).
A caveat: Princeton does not necessarily have all the resouces listed, but our call numbers are likely to be the same as in the Library of Congress, and of course, we will be happy to obtain any resources lacking at Princeton, via Interlibrary Loan, or Document Delivery. Princeton will have most of the databases accessible electronically via the Main Catalog or under Articles and databases from the Library’s homepage.
World Water Day — March 22, 2007
“Coping with Water Scarcity” is the theme of this year’s World Water Day, promoted by the United Nations. The link:
World Water Day
The UN’s Water Portal can be a valuable resource.
“UN-Water’s work encompasses all aspects of freshwater and sanitation. Over the years, agencies within the United Nations have developed specific expertise on an array of themes within this wide remit.” The thematic index provides access to specialist resources on many water topics, linkable from the “UN-Water” page.
Via UNESCO, there are many water issues with numerous, world-wide links:
http://www.unesco.org/water/waterlinks/WaterIssues/
G8 Environmental Ministers meeting, mid-March, 2007
Germany hosted G8 Environment Ministers Meeting
15 -17 March, 2007 – Potsdam
The G8 Environment Ministers, plus the Environment Ministers from the leading emerging economies (Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa) discussed strategic issues of climate protection and energy policy in order to give political impetus to the international climate protection negotiations planned for 2007.
From the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change:
http://unfccc.int/2860.php
For more on the G8 and International Environmental Policy:
http://www.bmu.de/english/internationalenvironmentalpolicy/g8presidency2007/doc/38335.php
International Polar Year Begins
From What’s New @ the National Academies:
The U.S. opening ceremony for the International Polar Year took place at the National Academies with over 400 people in attendance. Guests viewed recent video from the polar regions and heard from polar scientists about research to begin under this initiative. High-level government officials also participated in the event.
Here is the link for the PDF Overview of the projects:
http://dels.nas.edu/dels/rptbriefs/IPYfinal2.pdf