TOP STORY

Coal and Oil Limits Assessed

To stay "within safer climate limits," the world can burn only one quarter of known oil, gas, and coal reserves. "People could burn no more oil, gas and coal in their homes, cars and factories after 2024, at current rates, to limit to one in five the chance of exceeding 2 degrees Celsius warming worldwide." [Reuters]

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Swine Flu In Perspective

"But 150 deaths -- the swine flu grand total to date -- is just a bad day on the highways of the US and Canada. Day and in day out, North America racks up an average of about 1 traffic fatality every 12 minutes, to total about 42,000 in the US and approximately 3,000 in Canada annually."  -Eric de Place [Worldchanging]

RECOMMENDED READING

Bringing Efficiency to the Infrastructure

Mimicking the early years of the internet, "a pattern is emerging today...for what is being called smart infrastructure — more efficient and environmentally friendlier systems for managing, among other things, commuter traffic, food distribution, electric grids and waterways."  Big technology companies like IBM, Cisco, and General Electric are taking major initiative in the space.  [New York Times]

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Rain Forest Residents and Texaco Face Off In Ecuador

A judge in Ecuador "is preparing to render a decision in a long-running, multibillion-dollar lawsuit filed by residents of Ecuador's Amazonian rain forest against Texaco for fouling their land."  The lawsuit, originally filed in 1993, has been strengthened by a report issued last year that found that the pollution caused by the oil company's operations in the region led to 1,401 cancer deaths, and assessed damages at up to $27.3 billion.  [Morning Edition - NPR]

Related:

• In Ecuador, High Stakes in Case Against Chevron [Washington Post]
• Photo slideshow: Legal Battle in the Amazon  [Washington Post]

ON THE BLOGS

• Icebergs Starting to Break Away From Ice Shelf  [Accuweather]
• A Dozen Things the Smart Grid Can Learn from the Internet [Earth2Tech]