Winemakers mull climate change at Barcelona conference: Carbon dixoide storage — rather than grapes and vintages — was on the agenda at a wine-makers conference in Barcelona Saturday, as vintners mulled ways to reduce the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. Not everyone is aware that wine production emits large quantities of CO2, the main gas responsible for climate change. But that problem, along the potential impact of global warming on the wine industry, faced the more than 350 producers, scientists, winemakers from 36 countries who participated in the two-day conference that ended Saturday. AFP

Seeking sustainability in a world of instability: For most northern indigenous people, the roughly 3 million caribou in the world are their most important terrestrial subsistence resource, and while hunters and scientists alike have long expressed concern about the on-going availability of caribou, their perceptions of the causes of change have differed. Science Centric

Oases in the sky are a growing trend in our concrete jungles: Rooftop gardens in Australia are still considered the domain of inner-city greenies and pinot grigio drinkers. But now a more sober set wants to grow plants in the sky. Scientists and property developers say green roofs on commercial buildings are good for the environment and good for the soul. “Green roofs reduce energy through insulation, reduce stormwater run off and benefit individuals and communities,” says Green Roofs Australia president Geoff Wilson. “But Australia is behind the rest of the world. We have to act soon. Climate change is a fact.” The Age

GM crop trial locations may be hidden from public: Genetically modified crops may be grown in hidden locations in Britain amid fears that anti-GM campaigners are winning the battle over the controversial technology, the Guardian has learned. Officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed they are looking at a range of options to clamp down on vandalism to GM crop trials, after intense lobbying by big crop biotech companies. The firms have warned that trials of GM crops are becoming too expensive to conduct in Britain because of the additional costs of protecting fields from activists. Guardian

For ‘EcoMoms,’ saving earth begins at home: The women gathered in the airy living room, wine poured and pleasantries exchanged. In no time, the conversation turned lively — not about the literary merits of Geraldine Brooks or Cormac McCarthy but the pitfalls of antibacterial hand sanitizers and how to retool the laundry using only cold water and biodegradable detergent during non-prime-time energy hours (after 7 p.m.). Move over, Tupperware. The EcoMom party has arrived, with its ever-expanding “to do” list that includes preparing waste-free school lunches; lobbying for green building codes; transforming oneself into a “locovore,” eating locally grown food; and remembering not to idle the car when picking up children from school (if one must drive). Here, the small talk is about the volatile compounds emitted by dry-erase markers at school. New York Times