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Archive for February, 2014
Germany to abstain in EU vote on new GMO maize
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
Reuters: Germany will abstain in a European Union vote on the cultivation of a type of genetically modified maize, a government spokesman said on Wednesday, which opposition politicians say may lead to EU approval to farm the new crop.
The vote covers an insect-resistant maize, known as Pioneer 1507, developed jointly by DuPont and Dow Chemical. If approved, it would end Monsanto's current monopoly in Europe's small market for GMO crops.
The EU has only ever approved two other GMO crops for commercial...
Optical trick made Amazon seem to grow more when dry
Posted by New Scientist: Fred Pearce on February 5th, 2014
New Scientist: It always seemed odd. A decade ago, NASA satellite data suggested that the canopy of the Amazon rainforest grew faster during a drought. Apparently, this was just an optical illusion.
In 2003, remote sensors showed that the forest canopy reflects more near-infrared light during a drought. Because young leaves are greener - and reflect more infrared light - than old foliage, analysts assumed this was evidence that rainforests grew better during dry years.
A new study suggests otherwise. Douglas...
Climate change threatens to cause trillions in damage to world’s coastal regions
Posted by TG Daily: Thomas Anderson on February 5th, 2014
TG Daily: New research predicts that coastal regions may face massive increases in damages from storm surge flooding over the course of the 21st century. According to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, global average storm surge damages could increase from about $10-$40 billion per year today to up to $100,000 billion per year by the end of century, if no adaptation action is taken. The study, led by the Berlin-based think-tank Global Climate Forum (GCF) and involving...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Climate change threatens to cause trillions in damage to world’s coastal regionsCalifornia lawmakers preparing $644 million drought relief bill
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
Reuters: California's senate leader is preparing a $644 million emergency drought relief bill designed to quickly fund shovel-ready projects to combat the state's severe water shortage, according to a draft of the bill.
The wide-ranging effort would fast-track water supply projects, speed up funding for expanded use of recycled water and stormwater capture projects, and better monitor and manage groundwater resources.
California is facing its worst drought in decades. State officials have said it is...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on California lawmakers preparing $644 million drought relief billAustralia: Drought-stricken Queensland town considers evacuating 3,000 residents
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
AAP: After two years with almost no rain, a Queensland town is planning for the possible evacuation of its entire population as water supplies run out.
The mayor of the inland community of Cloncurry, near Mount Isa, says evacuating its 3,000 residents will be a last resort. But that option is part of an emergency plan now being developed in response to dwindling water supplies.
Mayor Andrew Daniels says residents are now on the toughest water restrictions, with domestic use restricted to the bare...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Australia: Drought-stricken Queensland town considers evacuating 3,000 residentsPower off across parts of Brazil; govt dismisses blackout fears
Posted by Reuters: Leonardo Goy on February 5th, 2014
Reuters: Some of Brazil's most populous regions suffered sporadic power outages on Tuesday, raising election-year fears of shortages in a country with a long history of blackouts. The shortages, which occurred during record heat and low reservoir levels at the country's hydroelectric plants, were caused by short circuits in transmission lines in the north-central state of Tocantins, said Brazil's national grid operator, ONS. The outages extended to as many as 6 million consumers and industrial users in...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Power off across parts of Brazil; govt dismisses blackout fearsThe Great Lakes may be drying up
Posted by Grist: Sarah Laskow on February 4th, 2014
Grist: On Earth, cycles are the norm. Tides, carbon, water, life - they ebb and flow. Change, by itself, isn`t necessarily strange. What is strange is when cycles are broken.
In other words, it`s not strange on its own that the level of the Great Lakes is dropping. It is strange that, when the lakes` levels normally change over a 13 year cycle, they`ve now been going down for 16 years straight. That`s 10 more than they should have been dropping for.
LiveScience:
Water levels have been declining...
Greenland Glacier Races to Ocean at Record Speed
Posted by National Geographic: Jane J. Lee on February 4th, 2014
National Geographic: A Greenland glacier named Jakobshavn Isbrae, which many believe spawned the iceberg that sank the Titanic, has hit record speeds in its race to the ocean. Some may be tempted to call it the king of the glacier world, but this speedy river of ice is nothing to crow about.
A new study published February 3 in the journal Cryosphere finds that Jakobshavn's averaged annual speed in 2012 and 2013 was nearly three times its rate in the 1990s. Its flow rate during the summer months was even faster.
"We...
BP rules out UK shale gas drilling – for now
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 4th, 2014
Guardian: BP has ruled itself out of drilling for shale gas in the UK, at least for now – indicating it fears its damaged safety record from the Gulf of Mexico spill would make it a target for protesters.
Bob Dudley, chief executive of the oil group, claimed BP invented the technique of fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, in the 1940s.
Despite being involved in shale fracking in North America and elsewhere, Dudley said BP would not get involved in Britain. "We think we would attract the wrong kind of...
‘Worse than useless’: Flood-affected locals on the Somerset Levels blame plight on Environmental Agency
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 4th, 2014
Independent: Like most of the residents of Muchelney, farmer Graham Walker has had enough of the floods that have left his fields underwater and his sheep scattered for six weeks.
The village in the middle of the Somerset Levels has been cut off from the “mainland” since the New Year and, like most of his fellow residents, Mr Walker puts the blame squarely with the Environment Agency (EA) for its “failure to dredge... local rivers”.
“[It] has been worse than useless,” he said. “We’ve told them for years...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on ‘Worse than useless’: Flood-affected locals on the Somerset Levels blame plight on Environmental Agency