Global Warming Battle Hits Malibu Beach

Orlando Bloom, Miley Cyrus do Earth proud

(NEWSER) - Celebs may not be known for living simply, but a new generation of eco-friendly stars is taking a stand for the planet. Grist rounds them up:

• Orlando Bloom owns a solar-powered house, drives a hybrid, and is a founder of Global Cool, which campaigns against climate change.
• Rachel McAdams keeps a blog called Green Is Sexy, gets around on a bike, and says she’s putting her house on green power.

Top rental fetches $150K per month

(NEWSER) - US real estate is hurting, but the top price for a beachfront summer rental in Malibu hit $150,000 this year. The area is flush with homes valued at or above $10 million—a bracket unaffected by the housing slump. And Tinseltown's elite is happy to pay. "Recession? What recession?" one Malibu real estate agent asked the Los Angeles Times. More»

(NEWSER) - Arnold Schwarzenegger says he'll take the Environmental Protection Agency to court if California doesn’t get a green light for its tough new auto emissions laws within six months. "The clock is ticking. If we don't see quick action from the federal government, we will sue the EPA," Schwarzenegger said yesterday. More»

Carbon dioxide emissions take biggest jump on record

(NEWSER) - Carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases continued to build in the atmosphere last year, a federal report finds: Between 2009 and 2010, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s yearly index of greenhouse gases—which measures said gases' combined heating effect—jumped 1.5%, to 1.29. It has climbed 29% since 1990, the Los Angeles Times reports. That number isn't the equivalent to a change in our temperature in degrees, but as it rises, so too does our warming potential, says a NOAA director. More»

Farmers already hit by hurricanes, new rainfall patterns

(NEWSER) - Melting ice caps, unpredictable weather, and ... no more coffee? Starbucks says climate change could put your morning joe in jeopardy. Global warming creates "a potentially significant risk to our supply chain, which is the Arabica coffee bean," the company's sustainability director tells the Guardian . Coffee farmers are already grappling with devastating hurricanes, shifting rain patterns, and more intense bug threats, which Jim Hanna says are associated with the changing climate. More»