Nitrous Oxide’s Global Warming Impact No Laughing Matter

Thawing permafrost in the Northern Hemisphere releases "large amounts" of greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, according to a new study from the journal Nature Geoscience. The study found that under certain conditions thawed permafrost can release as much nitrous oxide as tropical forests, one of the main sources of the gas.

Masdar: Abu Dhabi’s carbon-neutral city

The oil-rich United Arab Emirates is the last place you would expect to learn lessons on low-carbon living, but the emerging eco-city of Masdar could teach the world. At first glance, the parched landscape of Abu Dhabi looks like the craziest place to build any city, let alone a sustainable one. The inhospitable terrain suggests that the only way to survive here is with the maximum of technological support, a bit like living on the moon.

Lithuania shuts Soviet-era nuclear plant

Lithuania shut down its nuclear power plant in Ignalina last week, raising fears of increased energy dependency on Russia and of a further blow to an already recession-hit economy. The Baltic state shut down the last reactor at the Ignalina plantexternal on Thursday (31 December). It agreed to shut the plant, which has the same kind of reactors as at Chernobyl, the site of the worst nuclear accident in 1986, under its agreement to enter the European Union. Some analysts have forecast rising power prices, dealing a further blow to the economy, and more dependence on power supplies from Russia.