We're getting smarter about using it. (Photo Illustration by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

By Mark Memmott

Americans are using less water than they did 35 years ago and that's "remarkably good news," an expert on such matters just told Morning Edition's Renee Montagne.

Peter Gleick of the nonpartisan Pacific Institute, which studies the environment and related issues, said that word from U.S. Geological Survey about a 5% decline in water usage since the late '70s and early '80s is "astonishing."

What it shows, Gleick said, is that "in fact, we can grow our economy, we can have a growing population ... and not necessarily put more and more demand on water resources."

Here's a clip of Gleick expressing his pleasant surprise:

The major factors behind the decline in usage include boosts in efficiency by industrial and agricultural users. Gleick worries, though, that the welcome trend could end as the nation's population continues to grow in parts of the country -- such as the southwest -- where lawns and gardens require more watering.

Much more from his conversation with Renee is due on tomorrow's Morning Edition. Click here to find an NPR station near you.

And we're wondering:

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, left, and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt address media at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Friday Oct. 30, 2009. (Virginia Mayo / AP Photo)

By Frank James

In an effort to show unity as they approach global climate change talks in Copenhagen in December, the European Union reached agreement Friday on how much would be needed to help developing countries reduce greenhouse gases enough to meet international goals.

The EU member nations meeting in Brussels agreed that $148 billion would be required annually by 2020 to help developing countries.

In a press release, the EU said:

Heads of state and government meeting in Brussels on 29 and 30 October clinched a deal on climate financing. "The EU now has a very strong negotiating position when the countdown to Copenhagen has started," declared Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, current President of the European Council. The EU continues to take the lead in this process...

Before 2020 however, the EU agreed that $7.4 billion to $10.4 billion would be needed annually to fund the developing nations efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions. EU members would contribute their "fair share to this goal on a voluntary basis," the EU agreed. The EU conditioned this on the U.S. and other major nations doing their part.

Continue reading "EU Reaches Climate-Change Financing Deal" >

By Mark Memmott

Though 57% of those polled said they believe global temperatures are on the rise, that's down from 71% who felt that way in April 2008, the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press reports today.

And, Pew says, "fewer also see global warming as a very serious problem -- 35% say that today, down from 44% in April 2008."

The researchers' overall conclusion: "There has been a sharp decline over the past year in the percentage of Americans who say there is solid evidence that global temperatures are rising."

Why has that happened?

Pew's research director, Andrew Kohut, tells the Associated Press that:

"The priority that people give to pollution and environmental concerns and a whole host of other issues is down because of the economy and because of the focus on other things. ... When the focus is on other things, people forget and see these issues as less grave."

The national telephone survey of 1,500 adults was done from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4. Pew says the margin of error on each result is +/- 3 percentage points.

By Mark Memmott

In less than 20 minutes the Reuters news agency just went from reporting what would have been major news -- a reversal by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on its opposition to major climate change legislation -- to saying that the scoop was a "hoax."

At 11:10 a.m. ET, Reuters issued this "alert":

US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SAYS WILL NO LONGER OPPOSE CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION, WANTS CARBON TAX IN SENATE BILL

That would be quite a surprise, given the Chamber's high-profile opposition to the Waxman-Markey and Kerry-Boxer bills -- opposition that has led some high profile members, including Apple and Levi Strauss, to leave the organization in recent weeks.

At 11:29 a.m. ET, though, Reuters followed with this:

CORRECTED-US CHAMBER SAYS STATEMENT THAT CHAMBER HAS DROPPED OPPOSITION TO CLIMATE CHANGE BILL A "HOAX"

Earlier this month, Chamber President/CEO Thomas Donohue laid out the Chamber's thinking on climate change. He said then that the Chamber believes the Waxman-Markey Bill would drive up the cost of doing business and end up costing the nation jobs. The nation needs "sensible regulation," he said:

Update at 11:45 a.m. ET: It looks like someone put together a very convincing website and press release that are not actually from the Chamber.

Two things that have tipped off skeptics: The fake "press release" misspells Donohue's name; and the phone number for contact information doesn't match any of the phone numbers at the real Chamber.

By Mark Memmott

At a United Nations-sponsored climate change summit this hour, President Barack Obama is making the case that the U.S. is taking action and will work with other nations to avoid catastrophe. We're following his address and will post highlights below. Just click the "play" button and our updates should flow in automatically. You can also submit comments in the player. We'll post as many as we can:

By Mark Memmott

Back in May, the Obama administration said it would propose national rules that would lower carbon emissions and boost the average vehicle's fuel efficiency to 35.5 miles per gallon.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson just unveiled those rules. NPR's Scott Horsley reports that:

Continue reading "Plan For 35.5 MPG Average Unveiled" >

Mountains near Kayford, W.Va., seen in this Jan. 2, 2000 file photo, show how mountaintop removal mining has flattened many mountain peaks.(Bob Bird / AP Photo)

By Frank James

Life just got a little harder for coal-mining officials wanting to get at coal by blasting the tops off mountains in Appalachia.

The Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it identified 79 applications for projects in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee to which it will give more scrutiny. That means it's effectively stopping those projects from moving forward until further notice.

According to an EPA press release:

"The administration pledged earlier this year to improve review of mining projects that risked harming water quality. Release of this preliminary list is the first step in a process to assure that the environmental concerns raised by the 79 permit applications are addressed and that permits issued are protective of water quality and affected ecosystems," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "We look forward to working closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, with the involvement of the mining companies, to achieve a resolution of EPA's concerns that avoids harmful environmental impacts and meets our energy and economic needs..."

...The 79 pending permit applications on which EPA focused are for proposed surface coal mining operations in 4 Appalachian states. EPA's initial review concluded that all of the projects would likely cause water quality impacts requiring additional review under the Clean Water Act. The initial reviews were conducted in light of available project-specific information, the existing environmental condition of the watershed in which the project is proposed to be located, and the nature of environmental impacts predicted to result from construction and operation of the proposed mine.

The EPA's decision is another attempt by the Obama Administration to reverse some of its predecessor's more controversial decisions.

The Bush Administration angered environmentalists as well as activists in Appalachia for easing rules on the technique called mountain-top removal which is like a more extreme version of strip mining.

Continue reading "EPA Puts Brakes On Scores Of Mountain-Top Removals For Coal Mining" >

A fisherman hauls his catch in July 2007 near the port in Anadyr in northern Russia. (NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP/Getty Images)

By Frank James

You don't often hear people talk up the benefits of global warming but there appears to be at least one upside -- commercial ships traveling the Arctic waters above Russia can now make the voyage sans icebreakers.

According to Reuters:

Two German ships set off on Friday on the first journey across Russia's Arctic-facing northern shore without the help of icebreakers after climate change helped opened the passage, the company said.

Niels Stolberg, president and CEO of Beluga Shipping GmbH, said the "Beluga Fraternity" and "Beluga Foresight" left the Russian port of Vladivostok on the historic and cost-saving journey with cargo picked up in South Korea bound for Holland.

The melting of Arctic ice as a result of climate change has made it possible to send Beluga's multi-purpose heavy lift ships along the legendary Northeast Passage, Stolberg said.

Beluga got Russian authorities' clearance to send the first non-Russian commercial vessels through the route on Friday.

The Northern Sea Route trims 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) off the usual 11,000-mile journey via the Suez Canal -- yielding considerable savings in fuel costs and CO2 emissions, he said.

So global warming, which CO2 contributes to, leads to fewer CO2s being emitted, at least in this one example. Strange but true.

Inside Hannaford Supermarket's new top-rated 'green' store in Augusta, Maine. (Hannaford Supermarkets © 2009)

By Frank James

Here's some news that may make the crunchy granola types at Whole Foods Market green with envy, so to speak.

Hannaford Supermarkets, a mostly New England-based chain, opened over the weekend the first supermarket in the nation to earn the highest "green" rating a building can get.

Hannaford's new supermarket in Augusta, Maine received platinum LEED status, the only supermarket among the nation's roughly 85,000 to receive the top rating. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

In a statement, Ronald Hodge, Hannaford's CEO, said:

"We're thrilled to receive this certification and serve as a role model for other businesses in the retail community. We've been working to improve the environmental performance of our stores for many years."

The store's top green design includes solar cells on its roof as well as a green roof with plants that reduce rainwater runoff and keep the roof surface within a narrower temperature band than more common roof surfaces which can get much hotter than the surrounding air temperature.

Continue reading "Nation Gets First Top-Rated 'Green' Supermarket " >