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Archive for August, 2013
US government ordered to act on Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 13th, 2013
Reuters: A federal appeals court said on Tuesday that the US nuclear regulatory commission can no longer delay a decision on whether to issue a permit for the long-stalled nuclear waste project at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
On a 2-1 vote, a three-judge panel of the US court of appeals for the District of Columbia circuit ordered the commission to promptly decide to license the project or reject the application.
The Obama administration, which picks the Senate-confirmed commissioners, wants to abandon the...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on US government ordered to act on Yucca Mountain nuclear waste projectNorth Dakota oil boom seen adding costs for rail safety
Posted by Bloomberg: Jim Efstathiou Jr. and Angela Greiling Keane on August 13th, 2013
Bloomberg: Crude oil shipped by railroad from North Dakota is drawing fresh scrutiny from regulators concerned that the cargo is adding environmental and safety hazards, something that analysts say could raise costs.
The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration is investigating whether chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing are corroding rail tank cars and increasing risks. Separately, three pipeline companies including Enbridge Inc. warned regulators that North Dakota oil with too much hydrogen sulfide, which...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on North Dakota oil boom seen adding costs for rail safetyReport: Climate change already having major impacts on California
Posted by KQED: None Given on August 13th, 2013
KQED: Climate change poses an "immediate and growing threat" to California's water, vegetation and wildlife according to a report released Thursday by the state's Environmental Protection Agency. The report outlines the current effects, which include increased wildfires, rising sea levels along the California coasts and migration of plants and animals to higher elevations. We discuss the study, and examine state efforts to address the climate challenge. Host: Penny Nelson Guests: Christopher Field,...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Report: Climate change already having major impacts on CaliforniaFracking could accelerate global warming
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 13th, 2013
New Scientist: The row over fracking for natural gas has hit the UK, with protests over plans in the village of Balcombe. Could they have a point? Studies are suggesting fracking could accelerate climate change, rather than slow it.
The case for fracking rests on its reputed ability to stem global warming. Burning gas emits half as much planet-warming carbon dioxide as an equivalent amount of coal. That is why, after embracing fracking, CO2 emissions have fallen in the US.
But leading climate scientists are...
Unfair share: How oil and gas drillers avoid paying royalties
Posted by Pro Publica: Abrahm Lustgarten on August 13th, 2013
Pro Publica: Don Feusner ran dairy cattle on his 370-acre slice of northern Pennsylvania until he could no longer turn a profit by farming. Then, at age 60, he sold all but a few Angus and aimed for a comfortable retirement on money from drilling his land for natural gas instead.
It seemed promising. Two wells drilled on his lease hit as sweet a spot as the Marcellus shale could offer -- tens of millions of cubic feet of natural gas gushed forth. Last December, he received a check for $8,506 for a month`s...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Unfair share: How oil and gas drillers avoid paying royalties‘Swamp rats’ on the move as winters warm
Posted by Daily Climate: Brett Israel on August 12th, 2013
Daily Climate: As fans of "Duck Dynasty" can attest, hunting for nutria – big, water-loving rodents with bright orange front teeth – is hugely popular in Louisiana. This might not be exclusive to the bayou for long. As winters warm, nutria could migrate across the country, according to new research.
Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey found that during a recent string of mild winters, nutria populations expanded northward in the United States. Left uncontrolled, that trend could continue over the next...
Greenland Ice Melting Due to Heat from Below, Study Finds
Posted by Nature World: None Given on August 12th, 2013
Nature World: High heat flow from the mantle to the lithosphere is increasing the rate of ice melt in Greenland. Researchers said that although the rate isn't high, this process must be considered during calculations of ice-loss in the region.
Scientists from IceGeoHeat found the association between geothermal heating and Greenland ice sheet melting at an exceptionally thin lithosphere in Greenland. They said that coupling ice/climate models with those that explain the flow of heat in the region is a better...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Greenland Ice Melting Due to Heat from Below, Study FindsInvestors in agriculture ignore environmental risks at their peril
Posted by Guardian: Oliver Balch on August 12th, 2013
Guardian: Forget hi-tech stocks or shares in fast-growth pharma. Farming is where the clever money is heading these days. With the world enjoying the longest agricultural commodity boom since the second world war, billions of investment dollars are funnelling into farm-rich emerging markets such as Brazil, Nigeria and China. More established agricultural powerhouses such as North America and Russia are surging too.
Many investors are sitting pretty as a consequence. Global farmland asset values, for instance,...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Investors in agriculture ignore environmental risks at their perilPeru’s culture ministry supports Amazon reserves
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 12th, 2013
Guardian: Peru's Vice-Ministry of Inter-Culturality (VMI) is officially supporting proposals to establish five reserves for indigenous peoples living in "voluntary isolation" in the Amazon rainforest totaling almost four million hectares.
The VMI's support does not mean that the reserves will definitely be established, but they will now be discussed by a cross-sector government commission which is scheduled to convene with indigenous leaders in Peru's capital, Lima, on 26 and 27 August.
The VMI, the...
Why the World Bank Is Taking On Climate Change
Posted by National Journal: Coral Davenport on August 12th, 2013
National Journal: The World Bank, headquartered a block from the White House, was founded after World War II to combat global poverty. But over the past year, fighting climate change has become the bank's new guiding principal, as economic evidence indicates that global warming will be a driving cause of poverty worldwide in the 21st century. The bank has become a big player in climate policy, investing billions annually into climate-related programs--and blocking money from projects such as coal-fired power plants....