Environmentalists and the Teamsters Union are fighting for newer, cleaner trucks at the Port of Newark, but most of the trucks are owned by independent drivers who can't afford to buy new ones.
One reason it is so hard to slash carbon emissions is that climate change occurs globally. The countries that produce the most greenhouse gas all need to take action to fix the problem. That raises a classic economic dilemma called the tragedy of the commons.
The Chinese government has announced plans to slow its greenhouse gas emissions, but the formula allows emissions to rise as China's economy expands. China already leads the world in greenhouse gases. The announcement raises questions of how effective the plan will be on cleaning up earth's atmosphere.
Scientists in California are experimenting with carbon banking. The idea is to manage forests so they absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and slow down global warming. Countries could, in essence, be paid to turn their forests into carbon banks. But first, climate scientists need to become climate accountants — to put hard numbers on how much carb […]
The commitment from the world's largest polluter builds momentum ahead of a widely anticipated climate conference in Copenhagen next month. China pledges to reduce emissions by up to 45 percent as measured against its economic output.