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Archive for December 31st, 2012
Number of crocodiles in Australian waters soars
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 31st, 2012
Independent: A record haul of man-eating saltwater crocodiles was removed from waterways in the "Top End" of Australia last year, confirming that numbers of the feared reptiles are ballooning.
Wildlife rangers captured 314 of the estuarine crocodiles – or "salties" – in 2012, the equivalent of more than six a week in the northernmost section of the Northern Territory. Of those, 215 were fished out of Darwin Harbour, in the centre of a city that is home to nearly 130,000 people. The largest was a 16ft male,...
United Kingdom: Wettest year ends with downpours
Posted by Guardian: Maev Kennedy on December 31st, 2012
Guardian: Hours of rain continued across much of the country on New Year's Eve, from downpours in some parts to the merely miserable, meaning that as 2012 ended, Britain was on course for the wettest year since records began.
The Met Office said just 46mm (1.8in) of rain by midnight would make this year the wettest – and six steady hours of rain in some places should have ensured that. England, which had drought orders in place in many areas in the spring, has already set a record, with 1,095.8mm of rain...
How Fracking Impacts Local Economies
Posted by EcoWatch: Amy Mall, Natural Resources Defense Council on December 31st, 2012
EcoWatch: In addition to the environmental impacts of oil and gas production, including dangerous air and water contamination, and destruction of wildlife habitat, Natural Resources Defense Council is concerned about other impacts to communities that have been documented, such as increased crime, infrastructure burdens that require massive repair, and the growing demand for social and municipal services. Another serious impact is a large increase in the need for health care services. Communities with oil and...
When fracking came to suburban Texas
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 31st, 2012
Guardian: The corner of Goldenrod and Western streets, with its grid of modest homes, could be almost any suburb that went up in a hurry – except of course for the giant screeching oil rig tearing up the earth and making the pavement shudder underfoot.
Fracking, the technology that opened up America's vast deposits of unconventional oil and gas, has moved beyond remote locations and landed at the front door, with oil operations now planned or under way in suburbs, mid-sized towns and large metropolitan...
Mass. lawmakers OK bill to repair, remove old dams
Posted by Associated Press: Steve LeBLANC on December 31st, 2012
Associated Press: Massachusetts lawmakers have given final approval to a bill designed to make it easier for cities and towns to repair or remove crumbling dams and seawalls. The legislation approved Monday would set aside $17 million for the repair or removal of unsafe, abandoned or useless dams while also helping strengthen the state's coastal infrastructure. The bill would require the commissioner of conservation and recreation to issue a report on all dams in the state and require that emergency plans be drawn...
Global warming research eyes ‘runaway’ ice melt
Posted by Summit Voice: None Given on December 31st, 2012
Summit Voice: Most climate models are probably underestimating the rate of sea level rise expected during the next few decades, according to some of the latest research that tries to quantify how much ice may melt off the Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets.
A Dec. 26 update by James Hansen and Makiko Sato warns that melting of those ice sheets could increase sea level rise exponentially higher than most existing forecasts, potentially inundating coastal cities around the world with several feet of water by...
Colorado Oil, Gas Regulators Complete New Draft Rules
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 31st, 2012
Associated Press: A new draft of drilling regulations released by Colorado oil and gas regulators Monday would boost the minimum distance between wells and buildings to 500 feet, up from the 350 feet buffer it had floated earlier this year.
That's raising concerns from not just energy companies but also the real estate and agriculture industries, among others.
Homebuilders and farmers are among those pushing for a smaller distance, or setback, while some environmental groups and residents concerned about potential...
Judge Rules That Keystone XL Pipeline Lawsuit Can Proceed
Posted by Omaha World-Herald: Paul Hammel on December 31st, 2012
Omaha World-Herald: A district judge ruled Monday that the heart of a lawsuit seeking to nullify the state`s review of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline can proceed.
Lancaster County District Judge Stephanie Stacy left intact all but one allegation raised by three landowners who are affected by the high-pressure, crude-oil pipeline project. The judge rejected a request by the State of Nebraska to dismiss the entire case.
The landowners - Randy Thompson, Susan Luebbe and Susan Dunavan - are among the leading...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Judge Rules That Keystone XL Pipeline Lawsuit Can ProceedShale Gas Revolution Spurs Wave of New U.S. Steel Plants
Posted by Inside Climate News: Sonja Elmquist on December 31st, 2012
Inside Climate News: The U.S. shale-gas revolution, which has revitalized chemicals companies and prompted talk of domestic energy self-sufficiency, is attracting a wave of investment that may revive profits in the steel industry.
Austrian steelmaker Voestalpine AG (VOE) said Dec. 19 it may construct a 500 million-euro ($661 million) factory in the U.S. to benefit from cheap gas. Nucor Corp. (NUE), the most valuable U.S. steelmaker, plans to start up a $750 million Louisiana project in mid-2013. They’re among at...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Shale Gas Revolution Spurs Wave of New U.S. Steel Plants