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Archive for September, 2014
US mulls methane limits for fracking operations
Posted by BusinessGreen: None Given on September 4th, 2014
BusinessGreen: New rules forcing oil and gas producers to cut emissions of potent greenhouse gas methane could be introduced in the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief admitted yesterday.
Gina McCarthy told a New York Forum yesterday that officials will decide this year whether to bring in regulations to cut emissions or to rely on voluntary steps by the industry, according to news agency Bloomberg.
"We are looking at what are the most cost-effective regulatory and-or voluntary efforts that...
As Keystone awaits fate, other tar sands projects move forward
Posted by Al Jazeera: Peter Moskowitz on September 4th, 2014
Al Jazeera: The federal government has quietly approved major tar sands transportation projects with unstudied environmental effects -- managing to circumvent the executive branch’s impact analysis that paralyzed development of the Keystone XL pipeline and bolstered activists’ claims that the project is dangerous and damaging to the environment.
Over the past few years, the Keystone pipeline has become a household name. The controversy caused by Canadian pipeline company TransCanada’s project, which would...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on As Keystone awaits fate, other tar sands projects move forwardAustralia: Great Barrier Reef Avoids Muddy Disaster
Posted by Nature World: None Given on September 4th, 2014
Nature World: Conservationists have been slapping each other on the back this week after plans to dump 5 million metric tons of mud into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park has been cancelled. However, people are now asking where the mud will go, and aren't getting much of an answer.
The mud is expected to be drudged up from the ocean floor as part of a port expansion in northeast Australia. Last month Environment Minister Andrew Powell found himself at odds with reef conservationalists and activists after minister...
Global warming to heighten risk of Southwestern megadroughts
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 3rd, 2014
Washington Post: Exceptional drought, the most severe category, afflicts over 58 percent of California. The current drought may be a mere sneak preview of longer lasting and more devastating drought in the coming century, according to a study published in the Journal of Climate.
The study -- by Cornell University, University of Arizona and U.S. Geological Survey researchers -- examines the likelihood of so-called "megadroughts" and how they may change as the climate warms. Megadroughts are distinguished by their...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Global warming to heighten risk of Southwestern megadroughtsGeorge Bush: Climate Change Is a Threat
Posted by New Republic: Rebecca Leber on September 3rd, 2014
New Republic: George P. Bush, heir apparent in the family political dynasty, just acknowledged that climate change is real, linked it to sea level rise and extreme weather, and suggested we find ways of adapting to it. That’s pretty remarkable, given that Republicans almost never say such things--and that Bush, who is running for the office of state Land Commissioner, is already touted by some as the party’s future.
Here’s the key excerpt from the Texas Tribune’s Neena Satija interview with Bush published over...
Extinctions During Human Era 1000 Times Worse
Posted by Nature World: Jenna Iacurci on September 3rd, 2014
Nature World: Amid a world with advancing technologies, increasing land development and human-driven climate change, the world's species are becoming extinct 1,000 times faster than they used to, according to new research.
Extinctions are about 1,000 times more frequent now than in the 60 million years before people came along - that's 10 times worse than scientists previously thought.
"This reinforces the urgency to conserve what is left and to try to reduce our impacts," lead author Jurriaan de Vos, a...
Wildfire near California-Oregon border ‘extreme,’ firefighters say
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 3rd, 2014
Reuters: Firefighters battling a fast-moving Northern California blaze said Wednesday they expect a second day of extreme conditions, as heat and high winds spur a lightning-sparked wildfire near the Oregon border.
The so-called Happy Camp Fire has been burning in the Klamath National Forest since Aug. 11, consuming 72,000 acres and costing an estimated $41 million so far in firefighting costs.
"Yesterday, we had an increase in extreme fire behavior ... and we do expect the same extreme fire today,...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Wildfire near California-Oregon border ‘extreme,’ firefighters sayPro-fracking ad claiming UK suffered ‘near-catastrophic’ gas shortage is banned
Posted by Blue and Green: Charlotte Malone on September 3rd, 2014
Blue and Green: An advert from US fracking company Breitling Energy, which claimed that the UK suffered from a “near-catastrophic” gas shortage last winter and talked up the benefits of shale gas, has been banned.
The Advertising Stands Authority (ASA) received a complaint about the advert, which appeared in the Telegraph earlier this year, stating that the claims made were misleading, which has been upheld.
The advert was addressed to “citizens of the United Kingdom” and suggested that shale gas estimates...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Pro-fracking ad claiming UK suffered ‘near-catastrophic’ gas shortage is bannedExtinction rate increased 1000 times during human era
Posted by Blue and Green: Tom Revell on September 3rd, 2014
Blue and Green: The extinction rate of species around the world is now 1,000 times higher than it was before humans arrived on the scene, a new study has found.
The shocking report, published in the journal Conservation Biology, estimates the pre-human extinction to be 10 times lower than scientists previously thought, making mankind’s devastating impact all the more pronounced.
"We`ve known for 20 years that current rates of species extinctions are exceptionally high," said co-author Stuart Pimm, of Duke...
Mountain species & ecosystems face threats from climate change
Posted by Science World Report: None Given on September 3rd, 2014
Science World Report: As our climate changes, mountain species may be facing an uphill climb. Scientists have taken a closer look at mountain ecosystems and have examined the issues threatening wildlife in these systems in order to create better targeted conservation efforts.
Mountains cover about 27 percent of the earth's surface. Despite some degree of protection due to the fact that they aren't easily accessed, though, mountain regions are still fragile ecosystems that are threatened by human-related impacts such...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Mountain species & ecosystems face threats from climate change