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Archive for September, 2014
Officials warn of potentially toxic algae on major Portland river
Posted by Reuters: Courtney Sherwood on September 17th, 2014
Reuters: Public health officials in Oregon warned recreational boaters and swimmers who on warm days flock to a river that bisects Portland to stay out of the water on Wednesday after detecting what they suspect is a potentially dangerous toxic algae. Oregon Health Authority officials said they believe the unusual film found at the Willamette River is the result of toxic blue-green algae, which is dangerous to touch, drink or inhale. Filtering the water won't make it safe, and fish from the river could be...
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Comments Off on Officials warn of potentially toxic algae on major Portland riverCalifornia wildfire in national forest threatens at least 1,600 homes
Posted by Reuters: Alex Dobuzinskis and Steve Gorman on September 17th, 2014
Reuters: Fire crews in California's rugged Sierra Nevada battled to gain the upper hand on Wednesday against a blaze that threatened 1,600 homes and has displaced 2,100 residents as flames roared for a fifth day through dry timber and brush west of Lake Tahoe.
The so-called King Fire, the most menacing of 11 major wildfires across the drought-parched state, has scorched at least 18,500 acres (7,490 hectares) of the El Dorado National Forest since it erupted Saturday, fire officials said.
As of Wednesday,...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on California wildfire in national forest threatens at least 1,600 homesClimate change means rate of growth of trees has gone up by 77%
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 17th, 2014
Independent: The speed at which trees grow has accelerated considerably since the 1960s – by as much as 77 per cent in the case of the beech – as climate change increases the temperature and lengthens the growing season, according to new research.
The rising concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that is accelerating global warming is also playing a role in enhancing tree growth, as is the growing prevalence of nitrogen that has resulted from increasing car numbers, scientists said.
A study by...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Climate change means rate of growth of trees has gone up by 77%Amid Drought, New California Law Will Limit Groundwater Pumping for Fi
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 17th, 2014
National Geographic: Despite California's reputation as an environmental policy leader, its regulation of groundwater extraction has long been among the weakest in the nation. That changed Tuesday, when California Governor Jerry Brown signed a package of three bills designed to regulate the pumping of water from underground aquifers.
While many observers say the rules are too little and too late to protect the state's rapidly depleting aquifers, the new laws are still a major shift in a long-deadlocked political battle....
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Amid Drought, New California Law Will Limit Groundwater Pumping for FiNatural disasters displaced more people than war in 2013, study finds
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 17th, 2014
Guardian: Natural disasters displaced three times as many people as war last year – even as 2013 was a horrific year for conflict – with 22 million people driven out of their homes by floods, hurricanes and other hazards, a new study has found.
Twice as many people now lose their homes to disaster as in the 1970s, and more people move into harm’s way each year, the study by the Norwegian Refugee Council found.
“Basically, the combination of mega natural disasters and hundreds of smaller natural disasters...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Natural disasters displaced more people than war in 2013, study findsAntarctic sea ice set for record high as Arctic heads for sixth lowest extent
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 17th, 2014
Guardian: The extent of sea ice in Antarctica is set to reach a record high, scientists said on Tuesday, as they announced that Arctic sea ice appeared to have shrunk to its sixth lowest level ever.
The NSIDC said that satellite data was expected to shortly confirm whether the maximum extent of sea ice at the opposite pole, in Antarctica, had set a new record.
“Antarctic sea ice is poised to set a record maximum this year, now at 19.7 million sq km (7.6m sq m) and continuing to increase,” the centre,...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Antarctic sea ice set for record high as Arctic heads for sixth lowest extentAustralia not prepared for effects of climate change
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 17th, 2014
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: A report on the effects of climate change on Australia's infrastructure calls coastal flooding the sleeping giant of risk to future prosperity.
And the Climate Council of Australia says so-called "once-in-a-lifetime natural disasters" could become regular occurrences.
Hamish Fitzsimmons reports.
HAMISH FITZSIMMONS, REPORTER: More than three-quarters of the population lives near the coast but Australia's love affair with the beach will come at a future cost.
That's...
Mark Ruffalo calls on Obama to ban fracking ahead of UN climate summit
Posted by Guardian: Amanda Holpuch on September 16th, 2014
Guardian: Actor and activist Mark Ruffalo called on US president Barack Obama to ban fracking and make the US the renewable energy capital of the world on Tuesday.
Ruffalo made the plea in a press call hosted by Food & Water Watch, which released a report on Tuesday tying the controversial practice of fracking to climate change. The report comes days ahead of next week’s UN climate summit in New York.
“By stopping this fracking, it doesn’t mean that we have to go backwards – we don’t have to take an...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Mark Ruffalo calls on Obama to ban fracking ahead of UN climate summitClimate Change Forces Tropical Lizards Swiftly Adapt
Posted by Nature World: None Given on September 16th, 2014
Nature World: Climate change is affecting all sorts of animals, from sharks to polar bears to birds, but new research has focused on tropical lizards, which have learned to swiftly adapt in order to survive.
Previous research has found that tropical species, because they're already tolerating extreme heat, are most vulnerable to changing ecosystems as a result of climate change. But scientists from Dartmouth University in New Hampshire and the University of Virginia believe some reptiles might be able to evolve...
New York state denied federal funds for flagship bridge project
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 16th, 2014
Reuters: The U.S. federal government has rejected most of a $511 million loan request for the renewal of New York state's Tappan Zee Bridge, dealing a blow to one of governor Andrew Cuomo's most prominent infrastructure projects just weeks ahead of state elections. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said that the $3.9 billion project was ineligible for funds from a federal clean water fund because "construction activities arising from transportation projects do not advance water quality." The authority...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on New York state denied federal funds for flagship bridge project