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Archive for May, 2013
Frac-Sand Mining’s Promise of Economic Prosperity Fails to Materialize
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on May 15th, 2013
EcoWatch: The true economic impact of frac-sand mining on rural Wisconsin communities may fall short of industry claims promising sustained prosperity and economic opportunity, says a first-of-its-kind expert report, released today. By using currently available economic data, The Economic Benefits and Costs of Frac-Sand Mining in West Central Wisconsin offers a full, unbiased analysis of costs and benefits for communities affected by frac-sand mining. The report concludes by offering a list of questions to...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Frac-Sand Mining’s Promise of Economic Prosperity Fails to MaterializeGlaciers on Everest Disappearing as Temperatures Rise, Snowfall Declines
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 15th, 2013
Yale Environment 360: The glaciers on Mount Everest and the surrounding region have shrunk by 13 percent in the last five decades as temperatures have risen and snowfall has declined in that section of the Himalaya, according to a new study. Using satellite imagery and topographic maps, a team of scientists found that the majority of glaciers on Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, and in the surrounding Sagarmatha National Park are retreating at an accelerating rate. In the last 50 years, the snowline in the Everest...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Glaciers on Everest Disappearing as Temperatures Rise, Snowfall DeclinesIs Canada’s oil too dirty for Europe?
Posted by New York Times: Christopher F. Schuetze on May 15th, 2013
New York Times: As the debate over the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline continues in the United States, a Canadian trade delegation is insisting that Canadian oil extracted from tar sands - the product that would be transported by an expanded pipeline - should not be classified as being dirtier than other types of oil.
Last week Canada`s natural resource minster, Joe Oliver, threatened to take the European Union to the World Trade Organization over its plans to classify oil harvested from tar sands as...
‘Best estimate’ for impact of melting ice on sea level rise
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on May 15th, 2013
BBC: Researchers have published their most advanced calculation for the likely impact of melting ice on global sea levels.
The EU-funded team says the ice sheets and glaciers could add 36.8cm to the oceans by 2100.
Adding in other factors, sea levels could rise by up to 69cm, higher than previous predictions.
The researchers say there is a very small chance that the seas around Britain could rise by a metre.
The last Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report was highly detailed...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on ‘Best estimate’ for impact of melting ice on sea level riseSea levels are rising – but how quickly?
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 15th, 2013
BBC: A deep sea mission of genuine exploration Legacy of Britain's great flood Can UK science navigate around the Valley of Death Is graphene really a wonder-material?
Scientists are warning that the level of the sea may rise by slightly more than previously forecast - but they also say that the very worst predictions look much less likely.
Confused? If so, you're not alone.
The future of sea level rise is one of the most important questions in climate science because so many millions around...
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...
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...
Deforestation will undercut effectiveness of rainforest dams
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 13th, 2013
Mongabay: Deforestation may significantly decrease the hydroelectric potential of tropical rainforest regions, warns a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
The study, led by Claudia M. Stickler at the International Program at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM-International), used climate, hydrological, and land use models to forecast the impact of potential forest loss on hydropower generation on the Xingu River, a major tributary of the Amazon where the...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Deforestation will undercut effectiveness of rainforest damsClimate change to halve habitat for over 10,000 common species
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 13th, 2013
Mongabay: Even as concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere hit 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in human history last week, a new study in Nature Climate Change warns that thousands of the world's common species will suffer grave habitat loss under climate change.
"While there has been much research on the effect of climate change on rare and endangered species, little has been known about how an increase in global temperature will affect more common species," says lead author Rachel...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Climate change to halve habitat for over 10,000 common species