© Athit Perawongmetha / Greenpeace
Top news: Obama scores points for vehicle efficiency; Puma takes on “Detox” challenge; Germany’s state railway chugs toward a greener future; ancient lizard found in China.
#Obama’s 'green' record: US President Obama‘s environmental record is under fire today by environmentalists and energy experts in a report by Yale Environment 360. Two and a half years into his first term, he hasn’t kept his promise to fight global warming argues Phil Radford, Greenpeace USA’s executive director. But it isn’t all bad. Obama administration’s major achievement so far has been in advancing energy efficient vehicles. His requirement that new cars get 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 will cut annual carbon emissions by more than 220 million tons.
#Puma detoxifies: Sportswear company Puma responded yesterday to pressure from Greenpeace by committing to cut out the release of hazardous chemicals from its entire product line and from across its global supply chain by 2020. This would put it firmly ahead of competitors Nike and Adidas in the race for a toxic-free future. In order to ensure transparency, Puma will review this plan annually.
#Chugging toward a greener future: Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s state railway company is rushing towards a greener future! They are investing 1.3 billion Euros in hydroelectric energy. Currently, the company generates 49% of its electricity from lignite and hard coal. According to Andree Boehling, an energy expert in Hamburg, the company should invest in additional types of renewable energy such as wind power, if it is to generate 35% of its electricity from renewables by 2020. Baby steps to a greener future!
#Oldest pregnant lizard…ever: A 120-million-year-old fossil of a pregnant lizard has been found in China. According to researchers from University College London, the 30cm-long lizard had more than a dozen embryos in its body and was just days from giving birth when it died during the Cretaceous period. The fossil is of special interest to scientists because only 20% of living lizards and snakes produce live young, and this shows that this is an ancient, if unusual, trait.