Nuclear power no green alternative to fossil fuels: Nuclear power is not an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, says a new study released Thursday by a Canadian environmental group.The Pembina Institute says the nuclear industry likes to promote itself as a solution to the problem of global warming caused by greenhouse gases, but its study suggests otherwise. CBC Canada

Climate change evidence heats up as 2006 sizzles: Evidence that the world is warming has been boosted by revelations that it has, yet again, experienced one of its hottest years on record. A report to be released today by the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organisation shows that the mean global temperature this year has been 0.42 degrees above average. SMH

At least the seals are happy: Climate change could be disastrous for some animals, but male gray seals are probably not complaining — it has improved their sex lives. Lower rainfall levels have forced female seals on the remote Scottish island of North Rona to travel further from their partners to find fresh water, giving the weaker males more opportunity to mate with them. Scientific American

Recalculating climate change costs: The figures in the Stern Report, released in October, were substantially higher than earlier estimates of the costs of global warming, and environmental economists have studied the report to try to figure out why the numbers are so large. Recently, one noted economist, William Nordhaus of Yale, wrote a critique of the Stern report to try to solve this puzzle. International Herald Tribune 

Sea levels to rise more than predicted: The world’s sea levels could rise significantly further than forecasts have suggested, scientists have warned. Current climate change predictions indicate rises of between 21cm (8in) and 70cm (2ft 4in) above 1990 levels by the end of the century, depending on the rate of global warming. But a new German study indicates that the true range may be wider, and the maximum figure higher. Metro (UK)