Algirdas Semeta, taxation commissioner of the European Union, says the time is right to introduce a tax on carbon emissions. A draft bill might be submitted to the European Commission next month.

Jones' book begins with the problem. Melting ice caps, an economy in the toilet, and many more different awful things that are transpiring around the world. He is U.S. -centric in the sense that he focuses even more on the role that U.S. politics plays in the lack of momentum surrounding climate change. And he is absolutely passionate about this.

Executive Summary

In recent years, a growing concern has been expressed throughout the EU regarding drought events and water scarcity. For an increasing number of EU Member States not limited anymore to Southern Europe as it was traditionally the case, the occurrence of seasonal or longer term droughts and water scarcity situations have become a noticeable reality in recent years.

A decade after four governments agreed to work together to establish a “green corridor” along the entire length of the Lower Danube River, Europe’s most ambitious wetland protection and restoration programme is well ahead of targets for creating protected areas.

Croatia and Hungary signed today a declaration to establish a Trans-Boundary UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that will protect their shared biodiversity hotspot along the Mura, Drava and Danube Rivers. This paves the way to create Europe's largest river protection area. The ceremony in the presence of the Prime Ministers of Croatia and Hungary, Mrs Jadranka Kosor and Mr Gordon Bajnai, took place in the border city of Barcs, Hungary.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Energy hosts the Solar Decathlon in which 20 teams from around the world compete to design, build and maintain the most attractive and energy-efficient house.  College students aim, not only to win the competition, but to educate the public about eco-friendly household alternatives using different sustainable technology. Houses are judged on architecture, market value and engineering.  Below is a look at the 2009 standings.

Poland agreed to sell emissions permits assigned under the Kyoto Protocol to a Japanese buyer for 30 million euros ($41 million) to raise money for spending on schools and hospitals, reads Bloomberg's Business Week.

Anthony Giddens says that all the books about climate change that he read proposed revolutionary solutions.

Although, with his latest book - The Politics of Climate Change, Polity Press 2009, the prestigious sociologist brings into the public sphere new concepts and original approaches climate policy or risk society, he records numerous positive steps.

A new climate treaty is unlikely to be inked this year, UN climate chief Yvo de Boer says, citing that there is no time for both rich and poor countries to recover from last December's failed Copenhagen summit.

European Commission issued 5 authorizations for 4 new genetically modified organisms (GMO) in Europe. The 4 GMOs are: 1 variety of potato and 3 varieties of maize. All the 4 new GMOs contain antibiotic resistance marker genes.

Green collar economy can be promoted and can function on a bicycle. RideAcross.eu aims at donating mountain bikes to secondary school students in remote mountain areas in the Transylvanian Alps. Bikes are locally produced by local workers, in a factory that enjoys quite a big commercial success. In order to promote this pilot-project, the organizers will tour Europe in what is called RideAcross.eu.

The University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership has published “The Top 50 Sustainability Books.” This volume contains descriptive summaries of influential books, many on the role of the contemporary business model on our living environment. This list was developed via a survey given to over 2,000 senior leaders that regularly engage on issues of sustainability.