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climate change

George Soros Plans Billion-Dollar Climate Change Investment

Filed under: Big Givers

george sorosBillionaire George Soros has made a big move for climate change. Recently in Copenhagen he announced that he will commit more than $1 billion of his estimated $13 billion fortune to clean energy investments and political efforts which help to benefit the environment. The money could help startups with an eco focus get much needed money to go forward at a time when venture capital is at a major low. Analysts say that Soros will likely focus on "mezzanine" investments helping relatively mature startups with some proven success get to the next level. Soros is a savvy investor and this isn't strictly an altruistic move. He says that he is looking for opportunities that will be both profitable and "make a real contribution to solving the problem of climate change." Soros also pledged $100 million over a 10-year period to the Climate Policy Initiative, a foundation created "to protect the public interest against special interests."

Paint For The Planet Auction Today

Filed under: Auctions, Art, Charity


The art may be from children and teenagers but the cause is one that affects us all. Today the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is holding their "Paint for the Planet" art auction in New York City showcasing 26 paintings from kids all around the planet. The painting all have the theme of climate change and money raised will go to help the children most adversely affected by global warming.

CNN reports that pre-bids indicate that all 26 paintings will be sold for at least the opening bid of $500 apiece. Some painting express the damage caused by global warming while others, like the one above by Daniela Melendez, 14, of Colombia are more optimistic about the future of alternative energy. Live bidding starts tonight at 8 p.m. ET at the Harvard Club in New York and you can also bid online through eBay.

Is Your Favorite Luxury Brand Unethical?

Filed under: Green


When you buy expensive luxury items are you helping to kill the planet? Depending on your favorite brands you just might be. In a recent study done for WWF it came to light that many luxury brands are making use of environmentally damaging materials and practices, and although some did worse than others none of them did very well. The study looked at the top ten luxury brands and found them all seriously lacking in some way. The solution? Some say getting this information out to the public (you can download the entire report for free here) and calling for celebrities to use their endorsement powers for the greater environmental good is the first step. What's your take?

Reporting From The Unifed Wine & Grape Symposium: Climate Change and Wine

Filed under: Wine


Although I have fretted quietly (and sometimes not so quietly my friends can report) about climate change for some time, I've never actually been in a room with a climatologist before. It's one thing to hear Al Gore or scientists on the Discovery Channel talk about it but it is another thing altogether to hear it live from people who studied it and to hear it related specifically to one of my favorite subjects, wine.

The consensus among the Climate Change panel members at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium was that change is imminent, indeed it is already happening. How that change will continue to manifest remains uncertain. The one constant that I took from the panel is that temperatures will continue to rise over the next few years and this will directly affect at least some of the wines we love. If you have been following the tribulations of ice wine producers during this season, you may already be aware that some wines are changing. Without question, the future of winemaking will be different than it is today.

Global Warming And The Future of Wine

Filed under: Wine

With yesterday being Earth Day, there has been much talk about the future of the environment. One thing I hadn't seen discussed until I read this Observer article is the effect of global warming on wine.  A recent conference called  'Global Warming and Wine'  looked at the issue in depth. Grape growing may, in the next 40 to 70 years, may no longer be possible in the Catalonian wine regions of Spain. The Bordeaux region could also be in peril. Water restrictions will also change the future of wine making. If you like wines that grow in warmer climates ( Petit Verdot, Grenache, Touriga, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Viognier and Muscat among others) then you are in luck. The article also points out that red wines may be able to be grown in areas that are traditionally too cold for red grapes.


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