Fact Sheet: Increasing Fuel Supply in the Aftermath of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike

Today, President Bush discussed Federal actions his Administration is taking to increase fuel supply in the aftermath of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. These storms have disrupted our energy sources, and the Federal government is leading the effort to minimize the impact on American families. This recovery effort will take time, but the Administration is acting quickly to help the millions of residents in Texas and Louisiana who have been affected by Hurricane Ike. We are coordinating with State and local governments to help restore power, remove debris, and get water and sewage plants back up and running. Tomorrow, President Bush will visit Texas to support the rebuilding and recovery efforts following the storms.

President Bush Has Directed His Administration To Take The Necessary Steps To Ensure An Adequate Supply Of Energy

The Energy Department stands ready to release crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) when and where it is necessary to ensure refineries are capable of maintaining operations. In the wake of Hurricane Gustav, Secretary Bodman released crude oil from the SPR. This oil was released at the request of two companies – Marathon Petroleum Company (500,000 barrels total; two deliveries of 250,000 each) and Placid Oil (130,000 barrels total). To date, these three deliveries of emergency exchange SPR oil are complete. Yesterday, the Energy Department approved the release of an additional 309,000 barrels of crude oil to two companies – ConocoPhillips (200,000 barrels total) and Placid Oil (109,000 barrels).

Valero restores partial power at Texas City plant

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Valero Energy Corp. has restored partial power to some production units at its 245,000-barrel per day Texas City, Texas oil refinery on Monday after power was lost due to Hurricane Ike.

Thompson urges state of emergency

INDIANAPOLIS – Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson said today the state should be doing more to investigate price gouging by gas stations and oil companies, even though the attorney general’s office is already probing several complaints.

...The criticism was part of her ongoing call for Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels to declare an energy emergency and suspend the state’s 7 percent sales tax on gasoline purchases.

Nigeria militants 'raze' Shell oil complex

LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- A day after declaring war in Nigeria's oil-rich delta region, the country's main rebel group said Monday it was continuing its "destructive sweep" against oil facilities in Rivers State.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said its militant forces "stormed" the Alakiri flow station complex, operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company, set fire to the facility and "razed it to the ground."

A day earlier, MEND had warned all international oil workers to evacuate their staff from their facilities because it planned to "bring these structures to the ground."

Retailers may cut prices of diesel

Abu Dhabi: Dubai oil retailers, Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc), Emirates Petroleum Products Company (Eppco) and Emarat may again cut the price of diesel at the pumps following a steep decline in global oil prices, Gulf News has learnt from officials.

Global crude price may fall to $90/barrel

International crude oil prices have fallen over 33 per cent from their recent record highs and are projected to fall further towards $90 per barrel with the second hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico not causing as much loss of production as was initially estimated.

Analysts expect oil prices to decline further in the next couple of months as production remains robust and demand for oil and oil products falls, especially in big consumers such as the US, China and Europe, in the face of global economic slowdown.

Iran's oil, nuclear ambitions pose risk to next president

Iran has approximately one-tenth of the world’s proven oil reserves, plus more than one-tenth of the world’s reserves of natural gas.

The government of Iran may also be developing nuclear weapons.

American Petroleum Institute criticizes energy proposals in both House, Senate

American Petroleum Institute President Red Cavaney on Sept. 12 criticized recent efforts in both the U.S. Senate and House that could open up more areas of the Outer Continental Shelf to drilling, but would also increase taxes on the oil and natural gas industry.

Bush: Ike brings 'upward pressure' on gas prices

WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush said Monday that deadly Hurricane Ike's trail of devastation through key US oil refining areas would bring "upward pressure" on already soaring gasoline prices.

"And so there's going to be a pinch. I wish it wasn't the case, but it is," he said after top aides briefed him on recovery efforts as well as Ike's impact on the US energy sector, much of it in his adoptive home state of Texas.

"Our drivers, our folks at the pump are going to have to expect some upward pressure on price because the storm disrupted the supply of gasoline as a result of shutting down refineries and pipelines," said Bush.

At the same time, the US president said electricity was coming online again and that the two major pipelines got up and running more quickly than he had expected, but that refineries were not yet "running full blast."

Exxon Sends Teams to Gulf Production Facilities After Storm

(Bloomberg) -- Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest oil company, said it is sending ``post-storm assessment teams'' to Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production facilities that were in the immediate path of Hurricane Ike.

``Once we ensure that our systems are both safe and operational, we will begin the process of returning to normal operations,'' Exxon Mobil said in a release today.

Gas Prices Climb Quickly as Refineries Remain Closed

HOUSTON — Oil companies were warning motorists on Sunday that they would not be able to produce adequate supplies of gasoline in the days ahead because so many of their refineries were still not operating in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. As a result, prices at the pump began soaring again.

...At least 14 Texas refineries, representing nearly a quarter of the nation’s refining capacity, will probably remain shut for the next week or more. Three more Louisiana refineries may be damaged from widespread flooding.

“It may not be possible for us — and other manufacturers — to maintain normal supplies in the coming days,” Chevron stated in a bleak assessment on its Web site on Sunday, warning of “severe supply disruptions in the wake of Hurricane Ike.”

IEA Needs More Time to Assess Ike Oil Disruption

The International Energy Agency is still assessing the impact of Hurricane Ike on U.S. oil and gas output and a decision on whether it needs to release strategic stocks could take some time, the IEA said on Monday.

Two major Plaquemines levee breaches endanger refinery

In flood-plagued Plaquemines parish, the west bank continues to struggle.

Oil transfers from strategic reserve OK'd

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has agreed to deliver 239,000 barrels of emergency exchange oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the Placid Oil Co.

Department spokesman Andrew Beck said the oil will be moved using a Shell Oil. Co. pipeline.

ENSCO Unable to Locate One Jackup After Ike's Passage

The rig that is not accounted for is ENSCO 74, a MLT Super 116-C that had been located in approximately 230 feet of water 92 miles from shore in South Marsh Island Block 149. Aerial reconnaissance and a boat dispatched to the location failed to locate the rig.

Diamond's Ocean Tower Jackup Loses Drilling Equipment

Diamond Offshore Drilling reported today that tracking devices indicate all of the Company’s rigs maintained station during Hurricane Ike, and 10 of 12 units most impacted by the storm appear to have suffered relatively little or no damage according to reports from start-up crews and visual air inspections.

Of the remaining two, visual inspections by air indicate the 350-ft. IC jack-up rig Ocean Tower, which was directly in the path of the storm, lost its entire drilling package, including the derrick. An assessment team will fly to the Tower today, weather permitting. The jack-up unit Ocean Drake is in a Galveston shipyard, but due to access issues has not been inspected.

Conoco says Belle Chasse refinery still down

NEW YORK (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips said on Monday its 195,000 barrel per day Alliance oil refinery in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, remained down after shutting more than two weeks ago prior to Hurricane Gustav.

The refinery has power and is preparing for restart, the company said in a press release.

Hotline for gas gouging concerns

State officials are aggressively monitoring gas prices over the next several days. Gov. Jodi Rell asked the Department of Consumer Protection to monitor prices, and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says his office sent out investigators to check prices over the weekend and into the coming week to make sure prices stay fair.

"Why should the gas prices go up if there is no shortage," Andrea Danetiu of New York said. "I don't think anyone should take advantage of the people."

Connecticut is no stranger to gas gouging in the wake of major disasters. In 2006, six retail gas stations paid nearly $45,000 for profiteering after Hurricane Katrina.

Governor Sonny Perdue's gas saving tips

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue is asking drivers to do their part to help curb the gas shortage. He wants people to carpool and use mass transit, drive slower, and fuel up only when they need to.

Time For A Real Investigation Into The Price Of Gas

How can you say that the storm in the southern USA has resulted in residents of Prince George finding ourselves short of gasoline when one; the pipe line comes right into the city and two; the refinery that we get most of our fuel from is operating just as it was before the price of crude dropped from $150 a barrel to right around $100.

Price Controls Hurt Everyone in the Long Run

Understanding economics has never been a requirement to be a reporter or a politician. With gas prices moving back toward $4 a gallon, "price-gouging" seems again to be everyone’s favorite phrase these days. With the price of gasoline already Americans’ greatest concern, more so than the economy or taxes, it is a message that many people will be primed to hear. Presumably that is why a majority of Americans want higher taxes on oil companies.

Yet, if political threats of price controls and price-gouging lawsuits prevent prices from rising now, it is the consumers nationwide who will suffer in the long run. In the coming weeks, as people living in the disaster area try to get everything from fallen trees removed to food, the outcry against higher prices will only get worse.

Fuel surcharges are the top concern for many shippers

Imports from Asia via all-water routes to U.S. East Coast ports remain strong despite the weak U.S. economy, while exports continued to fill ships thanks to the boost from the weak dollar.

As a result, exporters and forwarders often find themselves scrambling for containers to carry their cargo.

But for many shippers and carriers, bunker fuel surcharges are the top concern. The surcharges are designed to offset the difference between a base cost for fuel built into a carrier’s official rate and the actual cost paid by the carriers when they fill up their ships.

Yemen Consumes 10 Million Barrels of Oil in Half Year

A report issued recently by the Central Bank of Yemen revealed that the country consumed over 10 million barrels of oils during the first half of 2008.

The report also noted that the domestic consumption of oil increased markedly to reach 10.9 million barrels of oil by the end of June 2008, some 31.5 of Yemen's total production of oil.

Shell reduces staff at Nigeria fields after attacks

ABUJA (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell has reduced the number of employees at some of its Nigerian oil fields after militants attacked several of its facilities in the last three days, a spokeswoman said on Monday. Militants attacked a Shell-operated flow station and gas plant in Alakiri in Rivers state earlier on Monday, killing at least one security guard and injuring four others.

Chevron says oil output not hurt by Nigeria attacks

ABUJA (Reuters) - Chevron Corp said on Monday that its oil production in Nigeria has not been affected by three days of heavy clashes between militants and security forces in the restive Niger Delta.

Iraq's oil exports reduced to 860,000 bpd

Iraq shipped oil exports at less than half the typical rate on Monday as bad weather slowed the main southern Basra terminal and a blast idled the northern pipeline to Turkey, officials and shippers said.

Oil exports flowed at around 860,000 barrels per day (bpd), down from average rates of close to 2 million bpd, shipping agents said.

United doubles second-bag fee to $50

CHICAGO (AP) -- United Airlines on Monday doubled its fee for a second checked bag to $50, citing volatile fuel prices.

Unlimited mpg? The great Volt debate

At some point, the EPA will have to give GM's new electric car a fuel-economy rating. It won't be easy.

Small glaciers -- not large -- account for most of Greenland's recent loss of ice, study shows

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The recent dramatic melting and breakup of a few huge Greenland glaciers have fueled public concerns over the impact of global climate change, but that isn't the island's biggest problem.

A new study shows that the dozens of much smaller outflow glaciers dotting Greenland's coast together account for three times more loss from the island's ice sheet than the amount coming from their huge relatives.

Kurt Cobb: The net energy cliff

Charles Hall, the father of the energy return on investment (EROI) concept, once told me that our current society would probably not be able to function if the EROI for the entire society slipped below five.

What does that mean? First, a quick review. It takes energy to get energy. EROI is a measurement of how efficient a process, an enterprise or a society is in obtaining energy. EROI is usually expressed in a ratio, say, 20 to 1. That would mean that the process being studied produced 20 units of energy for every one unit expended. As it turns out, that's about what conventional crude oil returns.

Hall estimates that the United States is currently running on an EROI of just under 40 to 1. This looks like a fairly substantial margin of safety over the 5 to 1 that might lead to societal breakdown. But worrisome developments in the oil, natural gas and coal fields may send us rushing toward that figure.

EPA Approves Hurricane-Related Fuel Waivers for Virginia and Ohio

As the result of the disruption in the supply of fuel caused by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, EPA is exercising its authority under the Clean Air Act to temporarily waive certain gasoline requirements in the states of Ohio and Virginia. The waivers were granted by EPA, in coordination with the Department of Energy, at the request of Ohio and Virginia, and will allow greater flexibility for fuel distribution systems in these areas.

Pakistan: Angry people take to streets protesting power cuts

KARACHI - Scorching summer-stricken people Sunday took to streets after the continued and unscheduled loadshedding here in City.

The temperature remained around 40 C all the day and the relentless power outages by KESC added to the heat Karachiites faced Sunday.

Enraged people, after Iftar, came to different City roads and protested against the power-cuts, they chanted slogans against the government and pelted stones on the passing-by vehicles.

Edmonds calls for UK immigration ban

Edmonds insisted his views are not racist, adding that his fears centre on a looming energy crisis.

"Please be clear. I do not have an agenda that involves where people come from, the colour of their skin or what their religion is. But it is a fact that there is a finite number of people who can fit into a lift. This is an island and we have a situation now where we are going to run out of energy," he said.

Travel Green Wisconsin Was First, Now is the Largest, Program of Its Kind

For Hugh and Alicia Mulliken, proprietors of the charming Lodgings at Pioneer Lane in Ephraim, qualifying for certification by Travel Green Wisconsin came naturally.

Hugh, who designed the building about eight years ago as a replica of a historic store in the Door County village, included extra energy-efficient, two-by-six walls, high energy-efficient windows, lowvolume showerheads and extra efficient water heaters to save money and as a reaction to the energy crisis of the 1970s.

Adding to these features, Alicia wrote educational materials encouraging guests to turn off the air-conditioning when not in the rooms and to opt out of having all towels changed daily. Two bicycles are provided for guests to pedal to the sights.

High Costs Could Prompt Premature End to Oil Production

Consider what's now happening at the major mining companies as a harbinger of what we can expect to see with oil production companies. According to a recent article appearing in The Wall Street Journal (link below), a number of mining companies are curtailing certain of their operations, in some cases shutting them down completely. The explanation, which at first blush seems strange, especially given the run up in commodity prices over the last few years, has to do with operating and investment costs. The cost of energy to run mining trucks and other equipment has skyrocketed. In addition, certain materials needed to make mining buildings and related infrastructure, materials like steel, have also become considerably more expensive.

Carl Etnier: Survival 101

Can a young person risk going to college these days?_ That's a question nagging me after reading Zachary Nowak's "Crash Course: Preparing for Peak Oil." Nowak urges us to apply home-insurance reasoning to a future with less energy. Homeowners generally think the likelihood of their house burning down is tiny, but they pay thousands of dollars to have the resources for rebuilding in case it is destroyed by fire.

Iran, Venezuela must stop crying over falling oil prices

Iran and Venezuela are the two price hawks in the 13-member Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), which are virtually openly vowing to defend $100 a barrel as the benchmark price for oil. Such aggressive posturing, triggered, no doubt, by oil prices sinking to a five-month low, betrays a lack of their appreciation of an all-round fall in demand under the weight of credit crunch and high prices.

The price of oil has nowhere to go but up

It's amazing how quickly we've become accustomed to expensive oil. But what is expensive? When oil climbed to an all-time high of $147 (U.S.) a barrel in July, our oil-addicted planet seemed on the verge of economic suicide. Then came the selloff. The current price of $100-and-change seems a bargain, even though it's quadruple 2003's level and almost 30-per-cent higher than a year ago.

Oil bull still snorting

"Almost all of the world's largest oil fields were discovered over 30 years ago and have been lifting crude oil for 30, 40 or more years. So crude oil output from many of the world's oil fields is either flat (such as in Saudi Arabia) or falling (such as in Mexico). Even Russian oil output is dropping this year. No less an authority than the head of Gazprom recently stated that oil should sell for $250 or more per barrel."

Senate's 'Gang Of 10' Gains Another 10 Members, Pushes For Compromise On Offshore Drilling

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - A bipartisan group of senators known as the "Gang of 10" that is pushing for a compromise energy bill grew to 20 members last week ahead of a vote on offshore drilling.

Ten Reasons Not to Expand Offshore Drilling

The House of Representatives tomorrow will consider the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act. The bill is expected to give states the option of allowing offshore drilling 50 miles off the coastline. The bill does include some positive measures, such as “use it or lose it” language that would force oil companies to develop existing leases and a requirement that royalty payments be invested in alternative energy sources.

Yet allowing offshore oil drilling in areas that have been off-limits since 1982 is not the way to solve our energy crisis. There are many reasons that offshore drilling in sensitive coastal areas is a bad idea. These 10 are only the beginning:

Wind tunnel

The answer to America’s ever-increasing need for energy may indeed be blowing in the wind.

At least 20 percent of America’s electricity can come from the wind using the giant wind farms that are already becoming more prevalent across Texas, according to the Department of Energy.

Outspoken scientist delivers shots with book

When Environment Canada scientists were ordered to refer all media calls to Ottawa earlier this year, climatologist Andrew Weaver denounced the Harper government for "muzzling" federal researchers.

After the Conservatives announced "aspirational" targets for reducing Canada's greenhouse-gas emissions, the University of Victoria researcher said he could see no scientific rationale for the numbers. "Maybe they have a Ouija board or something," he suggested.

Now the colourful and outspoken academic has a new book, Keeping Our Cool, Canada in a Warming World, coincidentally published by Viking Canada the same week Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the election.

Oil Falls More Than $7 as Lehman Fails, Ike Spares Refineries

(Bloomberg) -- Crude oil fell more than $7 to a seven-month low as Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. filed for bankruptcy and refineries along the Gulf of Mexico escaped major damage from Hurricane Ike.

Futures dropped on speculation turmoil on Wall Street and the worsening credit crisis may slow the global economy, cutting energy demand. ICE Futures, the exchange for Brent oil, suspended Lehman's access. Refiners said preparations are under way to restart plants in the Houston area, home to more than 20 percent of U.S. refining capacity.

``Oil has fallen because Ike's legacy will not be long- lasting, but also because of the carcasses on Wall Street,' said Rob Laughlin, senior broker at MF Global Ltd. in London. ``The ramifications of the Lehman fallout will be felt for some days.''

Hurricane Hangover, Shortages Ahead

Ike's sudden left turn just before it made landfall meant that the 13 refineries in Houston escaped the brunt of the hurricane's force. All are reporting they sustained no material damage and will begin the restart process as soon as power is restored. That could be a week to ten days before power is stable and another 2-3 days to restart. This suggests there could be a serious problem for refined products like gasoline and diesel.

Florida slaps gas sellers that raised prices with subpoenas

Florida's attorney general issued subpoenas Sunday to four companies that have reportedly raised gasoline prices dramatically as Hurricane Ike threatened oil supplies in the Gulf of Mexico.

Flying J, Dodge's Gas Stores, Valero and Pilot Travel Centers will have to provide invoices and other documents to prove that the costs they passed on to Florida consumers were justified, said Attorney General Bill McCollum.

Oil Is Down, So Why Is Gas Going Up?

So how do oil prices fall but gasoline prices rise in many parts of the country?

Shell finds "moderate damage" offshore after Ike

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Shell Oil said it found "moderate damage" at some of its Gulf of Mexico offshore production platforms in the wake of Hurricane Ike.

Morales struggling to control Bolivia

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) -- President Evo Morales struggled to assert control over a badly fractured Bolivia on Sunday as protesters set fire to a town hall and blockaded highways in opposition-controlled provinces, provoking gasoline and food shortages.

Nigerian Militants Launch Attack on Shell Oil Installation

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigerian militants attacked a Royal Dutch Shell-operated oil installation on Monday in a third day of heavy fighting with security forces in the Niger Delta region.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta declared an "oil war" on Sunday and warned all oil workers to evacuate the delta immediately, threatening to further disrupt production in the world's eighth largest oil exporter.

MEND: Twenty-seven oil workers trapped in fighting zone in S Nigeria

The militant group in fight with Nigerian government forces said on Saturday that 27 hostages, including five foreign oil workers, have been trapped in a fighting zone in Eleme-Tombia, a riverside community in the Degemacouncil area of Rivers State.

International vs. national oil companies

IOCs offer technological expertise, operational capacity and project management as core strengths in striking oil and gas deals, yet they are finding it more difficult to provide a value proposition that is acceptable to the owners of natural resources and in terms of shareholder return.

Officials address Kashagan field delays

Astana has hosted the Third Eurasian Energy Forum Global Challenges and Energy Solutions sponsored by the Association of Oil Producing Companies of Kazakhstan KazEnergy. The main news discussed in the lobbies of the forum was possible further production delay at Kazakhstan’s giant oil field Kashagan. The Kazakh President’s advisor for the Caspian Region and the former head of Kazakhoil and the former prime minister, Nurlan Balgimbaev, believed that a likely time for the first Kashagan oil would be 2014, considering that “it is a technically and geologically complex project.”

Iran says oil prices down on stronger dollar

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's oil minister said on Sunday the stronger dollar was behind falling oil prices, and said the market was still oversupplied with oil as OPEC's decision to cut output had not been fully implemented.

Kuwait Oil Min to face MP questions over refinery

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait's oil minister will face another round of questioning when he briefs a parliamentary committee on Tuesday about tenders for a giant oil refinery project some politicians say broke the law.

It is the second time that Mohammad al-Olaim has been summoned to parliament in a two-month-old row over the awarding of contracts in a $15 billion tender to build the 615,000 barrels per day al-Zour refinery.

Iraq to host fair for oil giants

Iraq is to host a giant conclave of the worlds biggest oil companies in London next month in a bid to open its vast reserves to long-term drilling contracts and counter impressions that it aims to shut out Western firms, it was reported here Monday.

Uganda: Norway Warns Country Over Oil

Uganda risks losing Norwegian money meant to support oil extraction and management if government does not consider environmental concerns in the areas near the oil wells, a Norwegian minister has said.

Physicists to Unveil Major Energy Efficiency Plan Addressing U.S. Energy Security, Global Warming at NPC "Newsmakers"

The American Physical Society (APS), representing 46,000 physicists in academia, industry and national laboratories, including nearly 60 Nobel Laureates, will release a major new study, Energy Future: Think Efficiency, that provides a roadmap for reducing America's dependence on foreign oil and its contribution to global warming through dramatic improvements in energy efficiency.

DARPA Eyes Cheaper, Greener Fuel from Coal

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has unveiled an "aggressive" program to demonstrate economical and environmentally friendly conversion of coal-to-liquid (CTL) fuels.

DARPA has issued a broad agency announcement (BAA) soliciting research proposals and plans to award 12-month contracts totaling $4.56 million to demonstrate the feasibility of alternative coal to liquid (CTL) technologies. Already investigating biofuels, the agency says its CTL program is intended to demonstrate processes that could meet Defense Department demand for JP-8 jet fuel from U.S. coal reserves at a cost-competitive price compared with petroleum-based fuels.

Critics claim deception in Calif. energy measures

Supporters say the measures on the Nov. 4 ballot would help combat global warming and make California a leader in the alternative energy industry. Like most initiatives that wind up on the state's ballot, however, they're more complicated and contentious than advertised.

Opponents say they actually would undermine state efforts to promote alternative energy, add to California's already bloated budget deficit, saddle taxpayers with billions in debt and potentially benefit a handful of companies, including one linked to Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens.

Don't put all your eggs in one food basket: experts

In an era of climate change leading to more unpredictable rainfall, the way to food security is to diversify what one grows on the field, say international experts.

Singapore ready for rising seas

ENVIRONMENT and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim has revealed some preliminary findings of a two-year government study on the impact of climate change.

The good news: Singapore is well placed to deal with the threat of rising sea-levels.

Global warming creating ‘environmental refugees’

Sunderbans: Global warming and consequent rise in the sea level is posing a threat to the population, turning them into ‘environmental refugees,’ in the Sunderbans, the largest delta region in the world.

Ocean scientists say the islands of Lohachara and Suparibhanga have been submerged . Erosion and submergence have been taking place in 12 sea-facing southern islands of the Sunderbans, putting at risk the lives of thousands of people and wildlife.

UK: Kindest cut

Let's face it – the 60% cut in CO2 envisaged in the original climate change bill is not enough. We need 80% well before 2050.

Lowest Ever Sea Ice in Arctic - WWF

Dr. Sommerkorn said the continuing loss of older, thicker ice, means that the Arctic ice cover is following a trend of becoming younger and thinner each year. The area of ice that is at least five years old has decreased by 56 per cent between 1985 and 2007. The oldest ice types have essentially disappeared. Taken together, the new figures clearly show the Arctic is experiencing the continuation of an accelerated declining trend.