CANNES, France, November 7, 2011 (ENS) - The leaders of the G-20 group of major economies wrapped up their two-day annual meeting on Friday with promises to finance the fight against climate change through the Green Climate Fund, protect the marine environment from oil spills, and promote low-carbon development strategies. "Financing the fight against climate change is one of our main priorities," the G-20 leaders declared. They said climate funding will come from public and private, bilateral and multilateral sources. >>more

WASHINGTON, DC, November 6, 2011 (ENS) - On Sunday, an estimated 12,000 people surrounded the White House in circles at least three deep, demanding that President Barack Obama deny a permit for the TransCanada's Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline to cross the U.S.-Canada border. Some demonstrators carried a long, black imitation pipeline with "Stop The XL Pipeline" painted on it. About 4,000 protesters wore orange safety vests to symbolize the threat of oil spills. Some dressed as polar bears. Others carried signs demanding the President live up to his campaign promises. >>more

SHANGHAI, China, November 4, 2011 (ENS) - Toyota Motor Corp. plans to sell Chinese-made hybrid cars from 2015. General Motors and Daimler AG are building Chinese-branded EVs and Ford is thinking it over. Toyota Motor Corp., a company based in Japan, is aiming to sell Chinese-made hybrid cars from 2015. To make that happen, the company has announced plans to invest US$689 million in a new R&D center for low-emission vehicle technology in the eastern China city of Changshu. "Importance will also be placed on the development of environmental technologies," said Toyota. >>more

PRETORIA, South Africa, November 3, 2011 (ENS) - A total of 214 suspected rhino poachers were arrested in South Africa between April 2010 and March 2011, and 16 were killed in armed conflicts with wildlife officials during that period, according to the government's 4th National Compliance and Enforcement Report released today in Pretoria. But statistics released today by SANParks shows that more rhinos have been killed in South Africa in the past 10 months than were killed in all of 2010. >>more

GENEVA, Switzerland, November 2, 2011 (ENS) - "Prevention is the heart of public health. But equity is its soul," said Dr. Margaret Chan on Tuesday, opening a special session of the World Health Organization's Executive Board devoted to reforming the organization. She told the board members, "The next three days are an unprecedented opportunity for you, the Member States, to shape the future of WHO and, implicitly, our ability to improve health and reduce some of the misery in this complex, interdependent world." >>more

WASHINGTON, DC, November 2, 2011 (ENS) - Carbon emissions from coal use in the United States dropped 10 percent over the four years between 2007 and 2011, and emissions from oil use dropped 11 percent during that time, according to a new report from the nonprofit Earth Policy Institute. In contrast, carbon emissions from natural gas use increased by six percent. The net effect of these trends was that U.S. carbon emissions have fallen by seven percent in four years. "This is an new historical trend we're seeing, this reversal in carbon trends," said Lester Brown, the institute's founder and president. >>more

PARIS, France, November 1, 2011 (ENS) - A global blue carbon market that would create direct economic gain for those who protect ocean habitats is the main feature of a plan issued today by five United Nations agencies to improve the management of the world's ocean and coastal areas. The "Blueprint for Ocean and Coastal Sustainability" says that the agencies intend to work with existing international carbon markets to define and implement a blue carbon market for protecting marine and coastal carbon sinks. >>more