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Archive for May 14th, 2013
US budget cuts to make wildfire season tougher
Posted by Associated Press: Todd Dvorak on May 14th, 2013
Associated Press: After another dry winter across much of the West, fire officials are poised for a tough wildfire season that will be even more challenging because federal budget cuts mean fewer firefighters on the ground, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Monday.
Jewell, who is just five weeks into her new job, said automatic budget cuts mandated by Congress will force fire managers to make choices as they prioritize resources.
They also will have fewer resources to use on strategies designed to reduce...
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Peru spares Amazon rainforest from oil and gas push
Posted by Guardian: David Hill on May 14th, 2013
Guardian: Peru has announced a bidding round for new oil and gas concessions but, contrary to what was initially expected, none of them are in the Amazon rainforest.
Nine concessions are to be auctioned, energy company Perupetro declared recently, but all of them are offshore along Peru's Pacific Ocean coast.
This constitutes a significant change of plan by Perupetro which last September issued a statement that before the end of 2012 36 new concessions would be established.
According to a presentation...
Tropical trees keep turbines turning
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 14th, 2013
BBC: Deforestation in the Amazon region could significantly reduce the amount of electricity produced from hydropower, says a new study.
Scientists say the rainforest is critical in generating the streams and rivers that ultimately turn turbines.
If trees continue to be felled, the energy produced by one of the world's biggest dams could be cut by a third.
The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Many countries in tropical regions are turning to hydropower...