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Archive for January 15th, 2014
Alaska’s Bristol Bay Region could be devastated by mining, EPA report finds
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 15th, 2014
Guardian: A large-scale gold and copper mine in Alaska's Bristol Bay region would devastate the world's largest salmon fisheries, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday.
The EPA report on Pebble Mine was the agency's final word on the potential risks to wildlife and traditional lifestyles of native Alaskans of siting one of North America's largest mines in the remote and pristine region, said Dennis McLerran, regional administrator for EPA Region 10.
"Our report concludes that large-scale...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Alaska’s Bristol Bay Region could be devastated by mining, EPA report findsAustralian heatwaves getting hotter and longer, says Climate Council
Posted by Guardian: Oliver Milman on January 15th, 2014
Guardian: Heatwaves in Australia are becoming more frequent, are increasing in intensity and are lasting longer, according to an interim report by the Climate Council.
The report, which will be released in full in February, finds that climate change is having a key influence on a trend that has seen the number of hot days in Australia double and the duration and frequency of heatwaves increase in the period between 1971 and 2008.
South-eastern Australia has baked in extreme temperatures this week, with...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Australian heatwaves getting hotter and longer, says Climate CouncilNorth Dakota’s top oil regulator is also its top oil promoter
Posted by Grist: John Upton on January 15th, 2014
Grist: In North Dakota, where an oil boom is leading to spills and explosions, the top oil regulator also serves as a cheerleader for the oil industry. And some Democrats think it`s time for the pom-poms to change hands.
The Forum News Service reports that state`s Senate and House minority leaders have asked the North Dakota Industrial Commission, which oversees industries including oil and gas, to separate the oil regulation and promotion responsibilities of the Department of Mineral Resources`s boss....
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on North Dakota’s top oil regulator is also its top oil promoterThe Meat Atlas: Facts and Figures About Industrial Food Production
Posted by EcoWatch: Vicki Hird on January 15th, 2014
EcoWatch: They say every cloud has a silver lining, and since the horsemeat scandal in 2013 it has become much easier to talk about meat--more people seem to know and care about the impact of meat production and consumption and the benefits of cutting down. They’re increasingly keen to do their bit and politically speaking meat is a hot potato.
With more stories in the news about the negative impacts of industrial meat--pollution, dietary diseases and farmers losing livelihoods and lands--the topic is also...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on The Meat Atlas: Facts and Figures About Industrial Food ProductionRapid Thinning of Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier May be Irreversible
Posted by Nature World: Tamarra Kemsley on January 15th, 2014
Nature World: The rapid thinning of Pine Island Glacier, located on the West Antarctic ice sheet, may be irreversible, an international team of scientists warn.
Spanning more than 160,000 square kilometers, the PIG, as the ice mass is known, is the largest single contributor to sea-level rise in Antarctica, contributing 25 percent of the total ice loss from West Antarctica, according to the new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
The report states that melting has become so excessive, the...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Rapid Thinning of Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier May be IrreversibleMore West Virginia customers cleared to drink tap water after spill
Posted by Reuters: Ian Simpson on January 15th, 2014
Reuters: West Virginia's top law enforcement officer on Wednesday vowed a full investigation of a chemical spill that contaminated tap water for hundreds of thousands of people.
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said there was a lot of speculation surrounding the spill into the Elk River at Charleston, the state capital, on Thursday that shut off water to more than 300,000 people.
"We had an absolute unmitigated disaster here for six days now where people are without water. This is not only utterly...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on More West Virginia customers cleared to drink tap water after spillNorth California drought threatens farmers, ag workers, cities – and you
Posted by Al Jazeera: None Given on January 15th, 2014
Al Jazeera: The 20 people who work full time for Fresno County farmer Joe Del Bosque are on winter break now. But he is not sure they will have jobs to return to, let alone the 300 temporary workers he usually hires to harvest melons.
“I’m worried about my workers,” said Del Bosque, who farms 2,000 acres in a region known as the nation’s food basket because it produces almost half the fruits, vegetables and nuts on America’s tables.
“Right now we’re not sure if we’re going to bring them back or how many...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on North California drought threatens farmers, ag workers, cities – and youAustralia dithers as another heatwave strikes
Posted by New Scientist: Michael Slezak on January 15th, 2014
New Scientist: Australia is trying to cut deaths from heat stress by educating the public about the risks, says Liz Hanna of the Australian National University in Canberra. But this isn't enough. "With a warming planet, no longer are these rare events," says Hanna. "So it is time that Australia got serious about heat and how we are going to manage these events."
In an as-yet-unpublished study, Hanna and her colleagues found that older suburbs in Canberra with more trees were up to 7 °C cooler than newer, less...
Climate change threatens economy 4 PH cities
Posted by Rappler: None Given on January 15th, 2014
Rappler: The worsening effects of climate change can cripple the economy of 4 Philippine cities, a study conducted by Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines and BPI Foundation found. The latest chapter of the Business Risk Assessment and the Management of Climate Impacts assessed the climate change preparedness of Tacloban City in Leyte, Naga City in Camarines Sur, Batangas City in Batangas, and Angeles City in Pampanga. The results were released on Tuesday, January 14. Based on 20 years of data from...
Canada Support for Keystone Pipeline Falls, Nanos Says
Posted by Bloomberg: Theophilos Argitis on January 15th, 2014
Bloomberg: TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline is losing popular support in Canada, a development that could embolden opponents of the project, according to a poll released today by Nanos Research Group. Canadian support for the $5.4 billion link between Alberta’s oil sands and U.S. Gulf Coast refineries has declined to 52 percent in December from 68 percent in April, while opposition has increased to 40 percent from 28 percent. The survey of 1,000 Canadians taken between Dec. 14 and Dec....