In these tough economical times, it is easy for consumers who had genuinely been trying to greenify their lifestyles to fall back on their old habits. The reason for this is simple—those products are cheaper for the time being. However, prices on green items have actually been nearing those of their less-green counterparts for some time.

Public demand for green items has done a lot to help bring the prices down, because sustainable and eco-friendly items are being more widely produced. Companies are actually adopting policies and procedures to help with the current environmental dilemma.

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Hosted by Digg’s Kevin Rose, viewers have a rare opportunity to hear from former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore. All interview questions have been selected by the Digg and Current.com communities

In the interview Al Gore shares his thoughts and ideas on energy independence, clean coal, GMO, a place in an Obama’s administration, alternative fuels etc. Well worth a look:

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Photo credit: World Economic Forum

During a meeting, with focus on development and transfer of technology that can help tackle climate change, in Beijing with 76 nations attending the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said that “developed countries have a responsibility and an obligation to respond to global climate change by altering their unsustainable way of life”.

“The developed countries have a responsibility and an obligation to respond to global climate change by altering their unsustainable way of life,” Wen was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Developed countries should also help developing countries respond to climate change, Wen said, according to the agency.

A senior Chinese climate policy official also warned that “a lack of firm funding commitments could derail efforts to cut emissions in developing countries, especially during times of economic turmoil”.

Photo credit: Яick Harris

A new environmental study ranks Canada as one of the worst developed countries in the world. The study has been done by the Conference Board of Canada, an independent and not-for-profit applied research organization in Canada.

According to the study Canada performed poorly and received D grades in the areas of waste generation, water usage, and greenhouse gas emissions. But the study still gave Canada an overall C grade because the country performed “better than average on other measures of environmental performance”. The study notes that “Canada is not taking the necessary steps toward environmental sustainability”, and that Canada “stands almost at the bottom of the pack” alongside with USA and Australia.

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Photo credit: patrick dentler

Newsweek has a good quote from Barack Obama when he was preparing for one of the debates:

The debates unnerved both candidates. When he was preparing for them during the Democratic primaries, Obama was recorded saying, “I don’t consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious. I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, ‘You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.’ So when Brian Williams is asking me about what’s a personal thing that you’ve done [that's green], and I say, you know, ‘Well, I planted a bunch of trees.’ And he says, ‘I’m talking about personal.’ What I’m thinking in my head is, ‘Well, the truth is, Brian, we can’t solve global warming because I f—ing changed light bulbs in my house. It’s because of something collective’.”

The quote pretty much speaks for itself. We need strong government actions now. It will be interesting to see what Obama can and will do during the climate talks in Poland, one month from now, and in Denmark, next year in December.

The people have spoken. And they have clearly chosen Barack Obama as the next President of the United States of America. Hopefully the election outcome will result in USA moving away from its current destructive climate and environmental politics and policies. Hopefully well-needed change will come to USA, and the world.

People, leaders and organisations from around the world hurry to congratulate Obama and his running mate Biden while hoping that this will be a new “fresh” chapter in U.S. relations and politics.

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Photo credit: Photo Mojo

John McCain, the Republican Presidential candidate, who failed to mention climate change in his acceptance speech, who picked a climate change denier as his running mate, who won’t regulate greenhouse gases, whose energy plan is mainly about offshore drilling and nuclear energy is continuing on his failed environmental and energy trail.

While campaigning in coal-rich Pennsylvania, the Washington Post reports, McCain promised he is a “coal booster” and that he would encourage the export of coal to other countries. He also claimed that coal will “create hundreds of thousands of jobs”.

“My friends, you know what Senator Obama said about a year ago, he said he had not been a, quote, coal booster,” he said, as the crowd booed. “My friends, I’ve been a coal booster and it’s going to create jobs, and we’re going to export coal to other countries and we are going to create hundreds of thousands of jobs. That’s going to help restore the economy of the great state of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

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Photo credit: soggydan

Joseph Romm, from the Climate Progress blog, writes on Huffington Post that John McCain won’t regulate greenhouse gas emissions if he and Sarah Palin get elected.

Romm writes that McCain does not support mandatory government control of greenhouse gases, something he supported before running for President. Romm also points out the fact that McCain picked a climate change denier as his running mate, that McCain failed to mention climate change in his acceptance speech and that McCain’s chief economic adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin recently said that “McCain does not agree with the Supreme Court decision that labels carbon dioxide a pollutant and requiring EPA to regulate it.”

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Photo credit: bunnicula

Al Gore writes that the next President of USA “must take immediate steps to deal with” climate change:

In one week Americans will go to the polls and elect our next President. Whoever wins, (and I certainly hope and believe it will be Barack Obama) must take immediate steps to deal with the climate crisis.

[…]

The challenges we face are immense – a global economy in crisis, and two ongoing wars. However, the solution to the climate crisis will also help us solve the economic crisis by putting people to work in green jobs and stimulating the economy with the large investment necessary to convert our energy infrastructure to renewable energy.

Read why Barack Obama should be the next President of the United States of America.

The time has come to decide who you will vote for in the 2008 U.S. election. Before I start it should be perfectly clear for everyone that reads this that I am not an American citizen and thus have no right to vote in the election. But, I do have the right to voice my opinion about the candidates and their political stances.

So, who should you vote for? Which one of the candidates is best fit to lead, Barack Obama or John McCain? For me, and the rest of the world, the choice is pretty obvious. Barack Obama should, and needs to be the next President of the United States of America.

When it comes to environmental, energy and climate issues, only Obama stands out as the strong and aggressive candidate with a detailed and comprehensive plan to tackle these problems.

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