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Archive for July, 2014
Your Cheeseburger Is Leaving a Giant Environmental Footprint
Posted by LiveScience: Laura Geggel on July 21st, 2014
LiveScience: Beef production takes a big toll on the environment, according to one of the most comprehensive studies to date on livestock management in the United States.
To make one steak, 28 times more land, 11 times more irrigation water, five times more greenhouse-gas emissions and six times more fertilizer is needed compared to what's required for other sources of commonly eaten protein, like pork and poultry, the researchers found.
"We were trying to see how many resources we take from planet Earth...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Your Cheeseburger Is Leaving a Giant Environmental FootprintWashington state wildfire claims first fatality, weather improving
Posted by Reuters: Victoria Cavaliere on July 21st, 2014
Reuters: Cooler weather and lower winds aided firefighters on Monday as they battled a week-old wildfire in Washington state that has destroyed up to 150 homes, scorched a wide swath of wilderness east of the Cascade Mountains and left one person dead.
Several miles of containment lines have been put in place around the perimeter of the Carlton Complex Fire, which has burned through 243,000 acres since it was sparked by lightning on July 14, fire officials said.
A drop in temperatures on Sunday, with...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Washington state wildfire claims first fatality, weather improvingBeef’s greater environment burden
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on July 21st, 2014
BBC: A new study suggests that the production of beef is around 10 times more damaging to the environment than any other form of livestock.
Scientists measured the environment inputs required to produce the main US sources of protein.
Beef cattle need 28 times more land and 11 times more irrigation water than pork, poultry, eggs or dairy.
The research has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
While it has long been known that beef has a greater environmental...
Climate Change Already Profound Impacts on Lakes in Europe
Posted by National Geographic: Lisa Borre on July 21st, 2014
National Geographic: For perspective on how climate change is affecting lakes, those of us here in the U.S. can just look across the pond, where scientists and the agencies involved in meeting the European Union’s Water Framework Directive have amassed an impressive body of research on the topic.
Not only are extreme weather events such as droughts and intense rainstorms becoming more common, climate warming is leading to increased algal growth and more frequent toxic algal blooms. It also affects the entire aquatic...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Climate Change Already Profound Impacts on Lakes in EuropeIndonesia: What is peat swamp, and why should I care?
Posted by Mongabay: Loren Bell on July 20th, 2014
Mongabay: Long considered an unproductive hindrance to growth and development, peat swamp forests in Southeast Asia have been systematically cleared, drained and burned away to make room plantations and construction. Now, as alternating cycles of fires and flood create larger development problems, while greenhouse gas emissions skyrocket, it is time to take a closer look at peat, and understand why clearing it is at best a very bad idea.
What is a tropical peat swamp forest?
Peat swamp forests form in...
Despite California’s Drought, Taps Still Flowing In LA County
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 20th, 2014
National Public Radio: This January, after the driest calendar year in California history, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency. He called on residents to reduce their water intake by 20 percent.
But downtown Los Angeles doesn't look like a city devastated by the state's worst drought in decades. The city is green with landscaping, and fountains are running. People still water their lawns, wash their cars and fill their pools.
Earlier this week, Gov. Brown announced that, compared to last year, water use...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Despite California’s Drought, Taps Still Flowing In LA CountyDrought hinders California’s clean energy goals
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 20th, 2014
Associated Press: California's ongoing drought could complicate the state's effort to combat global warming. The San Francisco Chronicle reports Sunday (http://bit.ly/1qTT5Ej ) that a drought stretching on for years could slash the amount of clean energy collected from the state's dams and send emissions spewing from other sources. State officials are pushing utility companies by 2020 to obtain 33 percent of their electricity from renewable sources that also include wind and solar power. California is in its third...
Rain-fed farms common, but India unique in letting bad rains wreak economic havoc
Posted by Quartz: None Given on July 20th, 2014
Quartz: Last week’s rains helped dispel some of the gathering economic clouds?. Though the storm has yet not passed, there is a collective sigh of relief, because poor rains would have meant higher inflation, lower GDP, commodity price swings and widespread human misery among India’s vast number of farmers and farm hands.
India might nurse delusions of becoming an economic superpower, but monsoons are still the final arbiter of our GDP. With all the progress in technology and weather forecasting in the...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Rain-fed farms common, but India unique in letting bad rains wreak economic havocCrews make progress in calming massive Washington state wildfire
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 20th, 2014
Reuters: A massive wildfire raging east of Washington state's Cascade Mountains showed some sign of calming Sunday, with fire crews saying they had slowed the expansion of a wind-whipped blaze that destroyed about 100 homes and displaced hundreds of people.
The Carlton Complex blaze did not grow overnight, the first time since the fire was triggered by lightning strikes six days ago that it showed any sign of abatement, local officials said.
By early Sunday, the fire was still burning over 280,000 acres...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Crews make progress in calming massive Washington state wildfireBRICS: $100bn sustainable development bank launched by world’s largest developing economies
Posted by Blue and Green: None Given on July 20th, 2014
Blue and Green: The BRICS group, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, have established their own international bank, to promote sustainable investment and to act as an emergency reserve.
The bank will be based in Shanghai and its first president will be from India, the group announced. In a declaration, the nations said, “BRICS continue to face significant financing constraints to address infrastructure gaps and sustainable development needs.
“With this in mind, we are pleased to announce...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on BRICS: $100bn sustainable development bank launched by world’s largest developing economies