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Archive for February, 2014
Winter Olympics In Sochi, Russia Highlights Dangers Of Climate Change
Posted by redOrbit: Lee Rannals on February 5th, 2014
RedOrbit: The 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia is just around the corner and not only will the event feature some of the best classes of athletes the world has to offer, but it also showcases how climate change is affecting Earth. The US Geological Survey (USGS) is using this year’s Olympics to bring awareness to climate change and how the Arctic Ocean is being affected by it. Over the years, the USGS has studied changes in accumulated snowpack and snow cover, and this research has shown recent...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Winter Olympics In Sochi, Russia Highlights Dangers Of Climate ChangeObama Administration Announces Climate Hubs To Aid Farmers
Posted by redOrbit: Brett Smith on February 5th, 2014
RedOrbit: On Wednesday, the Obama administration announced the creation of seven “climate hubs” located throughout the United States to help farmers and rural communities react to the threats of climate change. White House officials said the move is among multiple executive decisions that President Obama will take on climate change that do not require action from Congress.
Overseen by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the hubs will be tasked with investigating fires, intrusive pests, flooding and...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Obama Administration Announces Climate Hubs To Aid FarmersCalifornia Is So Dry, Some Diners Won’t Get Water Unless They Ask
Posted by National Public Radio: Eliza Barclay on February 5th, 2014
National Public Radio: California's drought is getting very serious — so serious that even those water refills you didn't ask for at restaurants are now under scrutiny. "We have not had this dry a time period in all of California's history since we've been keeping records — that's how bad it is," Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., who represents a district in the Central Valley, told reporters on Tuesday. Across the state, towns and cities are looking for ways to prod businesses and consumers to cut back on water use. Some cities'...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on California Is So Dry, Some Diners Won’t Get Water Unless They AskChemical Study Becomes A Tale of Conspiracy And Paranoia
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
National Public Radio: Tyrone Hayes, a biology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has spent the past 15 years to studying the adverse effects of atrazine, a common herbicide used in the U.S. For much of that time, Hayes believed he was being watched and closely followed by Syngenta, the Swiss company that produces the chemical, in an effort to discredit his findings. Audie Cornish talks to New Yorker reporter Rachel Aviv for more.
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Chemical Study Becomes A Tale of Conspiracy And ParanoiaForest emissions, wildfires explain why ancient Earth was so hot
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
ScienceDaily: The release of volatile organic compounds from Earth's forests and smoke from wildfires 3 million years ago had a far greater impact on global warming than ancient atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, a new Yale study finds.
The research provides evidence that dynamic atmospheric chemistry played an important role in past warm climates, underscoring the complexity of climate change and the relevance of natural components, according to the authors. They do not address or dispute the significant...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Forest emissions, wildfires explain why ancient Earth was so hotWhite House threatens to veto Republican-backed California water bill
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
Reuters: The White House threatened to veto legislation on Wednesday that would curtail federal rules limiting the amount of water pumped out of California's San Joaquin-Sacramento River delta while the state struggles with its worst drought in decades. The Obama administration said the bill would "undermine years of collaboration between local, state, and federal stakeholders to develop a sound water quality control plan for the Bay-Delta." The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Republican-backed...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on White House threatens to veto Republican-backed California water billDavid Cameron overrules Environment Secretary Owen Paterson to order urgent dredging in Somerset to c
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
Independent: David Cameron has seized control of the flooding debacle, ordering the Environment Agency to abandon its opposition to river dredging as he pledged to spend an extra £100 million on flood defences this year.
In a bid to reassure voters that he would get the flooding under control, Mr Cameron sidelined his Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, replacing him at the helm of the Government’s emergency flood committee. He also strongly criticised the Environment Agency’s response to the disaster. ...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on David Cameron overrules Environment Secretary Owen Paterson to order urgent dredging in Somerset to cUnited Kingdom: David Cameron takes personal control as flooding crisis worsens
Posted by Guardian: Rowena Mason on February 5th, 2014
Guardian: David Cameron has taken personal control of emergency efforts to help households stricken by floods and promised "no restrictions" on help, as Labour accused the government of leaving people isolated and unable to cope with homes under water.
The prime minister led a meeting of Cobra, the government crisis response committee, moving aside Owen Paterson, the environment secretary, amid criticism of the official response to weeks of flooding, power outages and transport chaos.
The Environment...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on United Kingdom: David Cameron takes personal control as flooding crisis worsensArctic Ice Season Shortens by 24 Days as Fewer Lakes Freeze to the Bottom
Posted by Nature World: James A. Foley on February 5th, 2014
Nature World: The winter ice season in the Arctic is 24 days shorter today than it was in the 1950s, according to new research led by University of Waterloo scientists.
Writing in the journal The Cryosphere, the researchers report that not only is the ice season shorter now than it was more than six decades ago, the ice is also thinner - by 38 centimeters at its thickest point.
"We've found that the thickness of the ice has decreased tremendously in response to climate warming in the region," said Cristina...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Arctic Ice Season Shortens by 24 Days as Fewer Lakes Freeze to the BottomCosting 21st Century coastal flooding
Posted by Earth Times: JW Dowey on February 5th, 2014
Earth Times: So many cities worldwide are threatened by sea-level rise, resulting from greenhouse gas effect. It's likely that the threat could help energise people to try and prevent the floods before they actually happen this time; City image; Credit: © Shutterstock
The likelihood of damage from rising sea levels is linked to the extent of global warming. The oceans have risen by around 2.5 cm over the last decade, emphasising just how warm the seas and the atmosphere have become already As ice caps glaciers...