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Archive for May, 2014
Fracking: To save the climate, the gas must remain buried
Posted by Ecologist: Biff Vernon on May 26th, 2014
Ecologist: The fracking industry has a blind spot the size of an elephant, Biff Vernon wrote in this Open Letter to Mark Abbott, the MD of Egdon Resources - climate change, and the huge rises in sea level it will cause. 'Only carrying out orders' is no excuse.
Next year we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the completion of the church spire. In another 500 years it will only be visible to the jellyfish.
And thank you for having the patience to listen to me politely for over half an hour while I told...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Fracking: To save the climate, the gas must remain buriedClimate issues require clear policies
Posted by NewsDay: None Given on May 26th, 2014
NewsDay: The climate change debate comes full circle for Africa today as African Climate ministers descend in Harare for a crucial meeting occasioned by severe weather and extreme climate events which are exacerbating multiple stresses such as food insecurity and spread of diseases on the continent.
In 2012 alone, an estimated 37,3 million Africans were negatively affected by hydro-meteorological hazards; a 43,3% increase in annual average over the last decade.
So the meeting under the banner of African...
U.S. Wars in the Middle East: Imperialism and the Battle for Water
Posted by Global Research: None Given on May 26th, 2014
Global Research: Water is to the twenty-first century what oil was to the twentieth century: the commodity that determines the wealth and stability of nations.
People who think that the West’s interventions in Iraq, Libya and Syria are only about oil are mistaken. Broadly speaking, Western interest in the Middle East is becoming increasingly about a commodity more precious than oil, namely water.
According to the U.S.-based Center for Public Integrity, Western nations stand to make up to a US$1 trillion from...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on U.S. Wars in the Middle East: Imperialism and the Battle for WaterNigeria to build Africa’s largest gas industrial park in Delta state
Posted by Worldstage: Adesanya Alao on May 26th, 2014
Worldstage: The Federal Government of Nigeria has revealed plans to construct Africa's first multi-billion dollar gas industrial park in Delta State, it was learnt yesterday.
Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who spoke at the opening session of a three-day National Conference/Exhibition on Gas Resources in Abuja, said that the dedicated gas industrial park is part of a comprehensive strategy for gas processing in the country.
The conference with the theme: "Deepening domestic...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Nigeria to build Africa’s largest gas industrial park in Delta stateSea-level rise is already eating our coasts
Posted by Grist: None Given on May 26th, 2014
Grist: “We are a coastal country,” says Susanne C. Moser, a convening lead author for the National Climate Assessment’s Coasts chapter. The U.S. has 94,000 miles of coastline and more than $1 trillion in coastal infrastructure. Coastal lifelines, such as water and energy infrastructure, and nationally important assets, such as ports, tourism, and fishing sites, all are increasingly vulnerable to sea-level rise, storm surge, erosion, flooding, and related hazards.
United Kingdom: Govt launches consultation allow freedom frack private land
Posted by Blue and Green: Ilaria Bertini on May 26th, 2014
Blue and Green: The government has launched an official consultation to change and simplify the rules on access to land for energy companies, which would allow drilling below 300m from the surface and would offer compensation to communities.
Under the new rules, companies will have to pay £20,000 per well to those living above the land and will have to clearly notify local people. In exchange, they would have the right of access for oil, shale gas and deep geothermal operations below 300m.
Energy minister...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on United Kingdom: Govt launches consultation allow freedom frack private landMexicans are dealing with the same drought as their northern neighbors, but with less water
Posted by PRI: None Given on May 26th, 2014
PRI: Ruth Valenzuela lifts a plastic sheet off the top of a small water barrel on her tiny back patio. She fills it up -- along with the washing machine when possible -- on the rare days that her taps flow.
She says the family has running water maybe two days a week. And when there is water, it’s usually just a trickle, not even enough for a shower.
Valenzuela lives in the port city of Ensenada in the Mexican state of Baja California. It’s a fast-growing place that’s popular with tourists and American...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Mexicans are dealing with the same drought as their northern neighbors, but with less waterDry Conditions Fuel An Alaska Wildfire That’s Bigger Than Chicago
Posted by ThinkProgress: None Given on May 26th, 2014
ThinkProgress: Alaska is battling a huge wildfire this Memorial Day. In the last 24 hours the fire has spread to become bigger than Chicago, prompting officials to issue an order for about 900 people as it threatens Alaska`s Kenai Peninsula, a region south of Anchorage. With just 30 percent of the fire`s 243 square miles contained, 1,000 structures have been evacuated.
Large wildfires are familiar to the region, where 1 million acres burn annually, and yet it is unusually early in wildfire season to see a fire...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Dry Conditions Fuel An Alaska Wildfire That’s Bigger Than ChicagoDredging at Bahamas resort halted by court
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 26th, 2014
Independent: A court has ordered a resort company to stop dredging off the Bahamian islands of Bimini, granting at least a temporary victory to critics who say the project is damaging the delicate underwater environment prized for its marine diversity.
Known for its warm, clear water, Bimini is a world-famous destination for diving and research on its many shark species, including the great hammerhead, which can grow up to 6m in length.
The London-based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the ultimate...
How climate change is altering environments as small as your backyard garden
Posted by Living on Earth: Adam Wernick on May 26th, 2014
Living on Earth: Barilla is an associate professor of creative writing at the University of South Carolina and the author of My Backyard Jungle: The Adventures of an Urban Wildlife Lover Who Turned His Yard into Habitat and Learned to Live with It.
Until recently, Barilla says, climate change seemed “theoretical and futuristic, and really kind of disconnected from what I was doing ... in my own yard. But recently I've started to see tangible changes that make me question whether this is kind of the new normal.”...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on How climate change is altering environments as small as your backyard garden