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Archive for June, 2014
Northern California leaders ask for help in drought
Posted by Reuters: Sharon Bernstein on June 10th, 2014
Reuters: With California facing its worst drought in decades, farmers, environmentalists and government officials begged lawmakers Monday to invest in projects to shore up the state's water supply.
The demands from Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, The Nature Conservancy and Northern California water districts are an effort to help break a deadlock in the state legislature over how to prevent future water shortages.
The demands range from environmental restoration work for rivers and wetlands to building...
Ian Somerhalder ‘Vampire Diaries’ Actor Latest United Nation Goodwill Ambassador
Posted by IB Times: Jenalyn Villamarin on June 9th, 2014
IB Times: "Vampire Diaries" actor Ian Somerhalder excitedly shared on Twitter and Instagram about his latest achievement. Millions of fans can now support the 35-year-old actor not only as the vampire Damon Salvatore in the CW TV series but as the new United Nations Environmental Program Goodwill Ambassador.
It took Ian Somerhalder a number of attempts sharing the exciting news to his fans on his Twitter and Instagram accounts. On his Twitter account @iansomerhalder, the actor confirmed on Saturday, June...
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Comments Off on Ian Somerhalder ‘Vampire Diaries’ Actor Latest United Nation Goodwill AmbassadorNatural Resources minister back in B.C. as clock ticks down on pipeline decision
Posted by Canadian Press: Dene Moore on June 9th, 2014
Canadian Press: With the clock ticking down for his government’s decision on Northern Gateway, Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford said Monday there have been significant strides in pipeline and marine traffic safety in talks between Ottawa and First Nations.
For at least the fourth time in as many weeks, Rickford was in British Columbia. This time, he was speaking at an aboriginal summit on pipeline and marine tanker safety.
“Obviously, there are varied reactions. We’ve all, I think to a certain extent,...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Natural Resources minister back in B.C. as clock ticks down on pipeline decisionEgypt to destroy illegal buildings along Nile to help farmers
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 9th, 2014
Reuters: Egypt will destroy all buildings along the Nile River and its tributaries that were erected illegally, the water and irrigation minister said on Monday, seeking to protect canals needed to help grow food. The government will "not be complacent in the face of encroachment on the Nile River and its tributaries and streams", Minister Mohamed Abdel Motteleb was quoted as saying by the state news agency MENA. Egypt is the world's biggest wheat importer, a drain on its precarious finances. Officials...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Egypt to destroy illegal buildings along Nile to help farmersWater Quality Monitoring Stations Cleaning Up Indian River Lagoon
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on June 9th, 2014
Nature World: Officials will have a better idea of how healthy the Indian River Lagoon is in real time, thanks to five new water quality monitoring stations that were installed Friday.
The health of the lagoon - stretching along Florida's east coast from Volusia County to Martin County - has been a concern over recent years after toxic algae blooms wiped out 50,000 acres (60 percent) of seagrass, according to the Associated Press.
The sensors will collect data on temperature, salinity and plankton, as well...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Water Quality Monitoring Stations Cleaning Up Indian River LagoonHow much fertilizer is too much for the climate?
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 9th, 2014
PhysOrg: Helping farmers around the globe apply more-precise amounts of nitrogen-based fertilizer can help combat climate change.
In a new study published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Michigan State University researchers provide an improved prediction of nitrogen fertilizer's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural fields.
The study uses data from around the world to show that emissions of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas produced in the soil following...
Dust in the Wind Could Speed Greenland’s Ice Melt
Posted by Climate Central: Brian Kahn on June 8th, 2014
Climate Central: Despite it's name, Greenland is predominantly white, as snow and ice cover the majority of the country. New research indicates that Greenland's main color may be starting to fade and in fact darken, though, thanks to a widespread increase of dust across the ice sheets. That darkening could speed up surface melt, and with it, sea level rise around the globe.
More than three-quarters of Greenland is covered by a massive ice sheet that's up to 2 miles thick in spots. It contained 684,000 cubic miles...
Increased fracking without increased inspections puts the environment at risk
Posted by Washington Post: Editorial on June 8th, 2014
Washington Post: OVER THE past decade, a U.S. energy boom has cut oil and natural gas imports, revitalized manufacturing and enriched rural communities. But will the massive increase in oil and natural gas production mar the environment?
We believe that the risks are manageable, but success will depend on rules that limit air and water pollution from unconventional drilling, which the Obama administration is formulating, and on adequate enforcement of those rules. On that front, several reports from the Government...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Increased fracking without increased inspections puts the environment at riskMassachusetts beginning work updated food plan
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 8th, 2014
Associated Press: Massachusetts is beginning work on its first “Food System Plan” in more than three decades. The plan is intended to help Massachusetts be more self-sufficient in producing and consuming food, while also planning for ways to more equitably distribute food and prepare for climate change. The process is organized by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. The research will include reaching out to food growers and producers in the state over the next 18 months to create a new vision...
Not so cheap: Australia needs acknowledge the real cost of coal
Posted by Conversation: None Given on June 8th, 2014
Conversation: US President Barack Obama’s latest plan to reduce carbon emissions is a welcome one, and not just because it addresses climate change. In publicising the plan to cut emissions from old coal power stations, Obama put the emphasis on health. Now it is time for Australia to do the same.
Here we continue to ignore the real costs of coal, instead clinging to the myth that “coal is cheap”, justifying continuing expansion and subsidies for the industry.
In the immediate wake of last month’s budget,...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Not so cheap: Australia needs acknowledge the real cost of coal