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Archive for May, 2013
Tar sands supporters suffer setback as British Columbia rejects pipeline
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 31st, 2013
Guardian: Efforts to expand production from the Alberta tar sands suffered a significant setback on Friday when the provincial government of British Columbia rejected a pipeline project because of environmental shortcomings.
In a strongly worded statement, the government of the province said it was not satisfied with the pipeline company's oil spill response plans.
The rejection of the pipeline – which was to have given Alberta an outlet to Pacific coast ports and markets in China – further raises the...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Tar sands supporters suffer setback as British Columbia rejects pipelineStudy: Climate change a death knell for most Californian fish
Posted by Grist: John Upton on May 31st, 2013
Grist: Cold-water-loving fish will find California`s rivers and streams to be increasingly inhospitable - and deadly.
A study published in the online journal PLOS ONE finds that rising water temperatures may drive many of the state`s native species extinct, while helping invasive fish flourish. From the study:
Most native fishes will suffer population declines and become more restricted in their distributions; some will likely be driven to extinction. Fishes requiring cold water [less than 72 degrees]...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Study: Climate change a death knell for most Californian fishCourt orders feds to review oil dispersant risks
Posted by Grist: None Given on May 31st, 2013
Grist: A legal victory for environmentalists this week means that sea turtles, whales, and other endangered species may be sheltered from the use of oil dispersants off the California coastline.
Dispersants, which are used to dissolve oil spills, can cause crippling injuries to cleanup workers and wildlife, but regulations governing their use are extremely lax. The EPA successfully fended off a lawsuit recently that tried to force it to regulate where dispersants can be used and in what quantities. ...
British Columbia Government Rejects Plans for Enbridge Tar Sands Pipeline
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on May 31st, 2013
EcoWatch: News broke today that the British Columbia government in Canada has rejected a proposal from Enbridge to build the Northern Gateway pipeline which would pump tar sands through the province for export. Government officials cited a lack of evidence that the company has the ability to transport the heavy crude safely, nor could Enbridge prove that they would have a sufficient response to a spill should one occur.
According to Environment Minister Terry Lake, “British Columbia thoroughly reviewed...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on British Columbia Government Rejects Plans for Enbridge Tar Sands PipelineTransCanada in Damage Control Mode Over Flaws in Newly Laid Southern Leg of Keystone XL Pipeline
Posted by EcoWatch: Public Citizen on May 31st, 2013
EcoWatch: Dozens of anomalies, including dents and welds, reportedly have been identified along a 60-mile stretch of the southern segment of the Keystone XL pipeline, north of the Sabine River in Texas.
In the past two weeks, landowners have observed TransCanada and its vendor, Michels, digging up the buried southern segment of the Keystone XL pipeline on their properties and those of neighbors in the vicinity of Winnsboro, TX. Some of the new pipeline has been in the ground on some owners’ land for almost...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on TransCanada in Damage Control Mode Over Flaws in Newly Laid Southern Leg of Keystone XL PipelineB.C. Rejects Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Proposal
Posted by CBC: None Given on May 31st, 2013
CBC: The B.C. government has officially expressed its opposition to a proposal for the Northern Gateway pipeline project, saying it fails to address the province's environmental concerns. Special Report: Northern Gateway Pipeline The province made the announcement in its final written submission to the Northern Gateway Pipeline Joint Review Panel. "British Columbia thoroughly reviewed all of the evidence and submissions made to the panel and asked substantive questions about the project, including...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on B.C. Rejects Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline ProposalU.S. soybean acreage to rise due to planting delays
Posted by Reuters: Mark Weinraub on May 31st, 2013
Reuters: U.S. soybean plantings are set to rise above expectations following lengthy planting delays across the Midwest that have forced farmers to adopt new acreage plans.
The changes will be costly, as soybeans typically provide lower returns than corn that is seeded in a timely manner. The lengthy delays have pushed farmers right up to key insurance deadlines that hit on Friday, forcing them to make a decision about what to do with acreage they hoped would have been seeded weeks ago.
In northern...
Getting More ‘Crop-per-Drop’ In World’s Driest Agricultural Regions
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 31st, 2013
Yale Environment 360: Improvements in irrigation in the world’s driest regions could significantly boost food production and water sustainability, according to a new study. In an analysis of how water is used for 16 staple food crops worldwide, including in regions with similar climates, a team of researchers identified specific areas where major efficiency improvements can be made in the so-called “crop per drop” -- or the amount of food produced per liter of water. According to their findings, published in the journal...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Getting More ‘Crop-per-Drop’ In World’s Driest Agricultural RegionsMichigan’s Common Ground Against Fracking
Posted by EcoWatch: Maryann Lesert on May 31st, 2013
EcoWatch: In May of 2012, when more than 108,000 acres of Michigan’s state land went up for bid, including unprecedented offerings of state game and recreation areas for oil and gas leasing, members of the public crowded into a 60-seat room (and lined the hallway outside) as 15 protestors rose from the public seats that rimmed the bidder’s tables, standing to voice their opposition to oil and gas development--particularly to fracking--on state land.
A press conference featuring speakers from several Michigan...
Tokyo prepares for a once-in-200-year flood to top Sandy
Posted by Bloomberg: Chris Cooper and Kiyotaka Matsuda on May 31st, 2013
Bloomberg: Tokyo, the world’s most populated metropolis, is building defenses for the possibility of a flood in the next 200 years that could dwarf the damage superstorm Sandy wrought on the U.S. East Coast.
Japan’s capital, flanked by rivers to the east and west, as well as running through it, faces 33 trillion yen ($322 billion) in damages should the banks break on the Arakawa River that bisects Tokyo, according to government estimates. That’s more than five times the $60.2 billion aid package for Sandy...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Tokyo prepares for a once-in-200-year flood to top Sandy