New York, Nov 18 (PTI) Greenhouse gas emissions of 40 industrialised countries rose by 2.3 per cent between 2000 and 2006 but were still about five per cent below the 1990 level, UN figures released two weeks before a major review conference on the issue, show.

BEIJING (Reuters) - A three-kilometer thick cloud of brown soot and other pollutants hanging over Asia is darkening cities, killing thousands and damaging crops but may be holding off the worst effects of global warming, the U.N. said on Thursday.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The need to build high-voltage power lines to link growing electric supply from renewable sources, such as wind and solar, to homes and businesses is the biggest challenge facing the power grid, the North American Reliability Corp (NERC) said in a report to be issued Thursday.

(Guardian) There's more than enough fresh water in the world to sate our thirst. The problem is getting it to where it is desperately needed.

(Radio Australia) The head of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has called for a worldwide move towards vegetarianism to combat climate change. Speaking in London last night, Rajendra Pachauri made a serious call for people to stop eating red meat. Not surprisingly, the idea has been attacked by Australian farmers.

(Guardian) They are plucked off pizzas and discarded from caesar salads across the country, but somebody, somewhere has been eating too many anchovies. The fish that has divided food fans for years is today named on a list of unsustainable fish and shellfish that ethical consumers should not eat.

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Talks on a new global warming agreement have begun to resolve some major sticking points, the U.N. climate chief said Wednesday, sounding a promising note after months of sluggish negotiations often marked by confrontation among industrial and developing countries.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) Melting Himalayan glaciers, rising sea levels and depleting fresh water sources as a result of global climate change are posing grave threats to food production and economic development in the populous South Asia region, experts said Monday.

(Guardian) Vast amounts of water are often used to produce the food and drink we eat, frequently in countries already suffering from drought. See the volumes of water needed for coffee, beef, bread and more. Data source: waterfootprint.org

(Business Green) New research claims impact of shipping pollution far higher than previously thought, paving way for tighter regulations

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just months before President Bush leaves office, his administration is antagonizing environmentalists by proposing changes that would allow federal agencies to decide for themselves whether subdivisions, dams, highways and other projects have the potential to harm endangered animals and plants.