Climate change could cause ‘zombie weeds’ | Grist

The study in PLoS ONE, conducted by some forward-thinking researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), found that as CO2 levels rise, weeds fare better than their domesticated crop counterparts. That’s because the weeds adapted. But that’s not all: It turns out exposure to CO2 also makes them behave a little like zombies. In other words their weed-like qualities were also contagious (via gene transfer), and the actual crops began behaving more like weeds.

Rio+20 organisers struggle to untangle new world disorder | Environment | guardian.co.uk

"There is strong fragmentation," do Lago told the Guardian. "Everyone is saying there is a north-south divide, but in fact there are many more divisions. Once you had developed and developing countries, or the eastern bloc and the rest. But the complexity of the negotiations now are much more difficult to grasp."

This is largely the result of a global power shift since the last Rio Earth summit 20 years ago. "In 1992 we had a very strong feeling that there was a right way to do things. Today, we don't have that feeling," said do Lago.

Instead of a single binding blueprint, this suggests the final text may be more like a menu of options and desirable outcomes that countries can choose from according to their circumstances.

Many NGOs and diplomats are frustrated that this will allow governments to avoid difficult but important decisions, but do Lago argued the experience of the past decade had shown that countries who mapped out their own development path – like China and Brazil – had been more successful in reducing poverty than those that followed a prescribed course.

Twitter / GreatDismal: "June-uary". Vancouver wel

"June-uary". Vancouver well on its way to coldest recorded June. No doubt will be used as argument against climate change. ‪#tiredofboth

World Coal Demand Growing Fastest Of All Fuels

Coal is the fastest growing fossil fuel; it now accounts for 30.3% of global energy consumption, the highest share since 1969. Renewables still accvount for just 2% of the global total.