RSS Feed
Archive for January, 2015
Landslides, flooding menace rain-soaked western Washington state
Posted by Reuters: Eric M. Johnson on January 6th, 2015
Reuters: An unusual burst of heavy rainfall in western Washington state caused landslides and flooding early on Monday, knocking three homes off foundations and forcing the evacuation of a nursing home, officials said.
Several landslides in rain-soaked coastal Grays Harbor County pushed muddy floodwater and debris across key state highways, county and rural roads, most of which remained closed at nightfall in and around Aberdeen and Hoquiam, the county's largest cities.
"It's not one of these snow-melt...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Landslides, flooding menace rain-soaked western Washington stateAustralia: Fire Forces Thousands to Flee
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 6th, 2015
New York Times: More than two dozen homes have been destroyed or badly damaged and about 30 people have sought medical treatment as a result of a huge wildfire that has raged out of control for days in southern Australia, officials said Monday. The fire has forced thousands of residents to flee from their homes and has razed 31,000 acres northwest of Adelaide.
The people pushed out of Ethiopia’s fertile farmland
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 6th, 2015
BBC: The construction of a huge dam in Ethiopia and the introduction of large-scale agricultural businesses has been controversial - finding out what local people think can be hard, but with the help of a bottle of rum nothing is impossible.
After waiting several weeks for letters of permission from various Ethiopian ministries, I begin my road trip into the country's southern lowlands.
I want to investigate the government's controversial plan to take over vast swathes of ancestral land, home to...
Australian firefighters battle contain worst wildfires 30 yrs
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 6th, 2015
Reuters: Hundreds of firefighters are battling to contain Australia's worst wildfires in 30 years as the danger is expected to rise with soaring temperatures and changing winds on Wednesday.
The fires burning across a 240-kilometre (150-mile) perimeter in South Australia state have already swept across more than 12,000 hectares and destroyed at least 26 homes and 41 outbuildings. At least 29 people have been injured or hospitalized but no fatalities have yet been recorded.
The fires are the worst in...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Australian firefighters battle contain worst wildfires 30 yrsKeystone pipeline would have little impact on gas prices: White House
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 5th, 2015
Reuters: The White House said on Monday that U.S. President Barack Obama believes the proposed Keystone XL (TRP.TO) pipeline would have little impact on U.S. gas prices but a spokesman would not say whether he would veto Republican legislation related to the project.
Republicans want Obama to approve the pipeline, which would carry tar sands oil from Canada. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama would wait to see any legislation they propose before determining whether to veto it.
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Keystone pipeline would have little impact on gas prices: White HouseCongress will soon approve Keystone, say Republicans
Posted by Grist: None Given on January 5th, 2015
Grist: The new Republican Senate leadership seems to be holding true to its word: Approval for the Keystone XL pipeline will top the 2015 legislative agenda. The head of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), plans to hold a hearing on the pipeline on Wednesday and introduce a bill to approve it on Thursday.
A pro-Keystone bill came one vote short of passing in the Senate in November - and that was back when Democrats were still in control. This time, Republicans...
For California Salmon, Drought & Warm Water Mean Trouble
Posted by Yale Environment 360: Alastair Bland on January 5th, 2015
Yale Environment 360: Gushing downpours finally arrived in California last month, when December rains brought some relief to a landscape parched after three years of severe drought. But the rain came too late for thousands of Chinook salmon that spawned this summer and fall in the northern Central Valley. The Sacramento River, running lower than usual under the scorching sun, warmed into the low 60s — a temperature range that can be lethal to fertilized Chinook eggs. Millions were destroyed, and almost an entire year-class...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on For California Salmon, Drought & Warm Water Mean TroubleBushfires In Australia ‘Wake-Up Call’ For Abbott Government To Commit To Climate Action
Posted by Business Times: None Given on January 5th, 2015
Business Times: As firefighters continue to contain the fires raging in the two states, dozens of homes were lost to the blaze. Milne warned that Australia is going to suffer the same extreme weather events. She said that the Abbott government must stop its climate change "denial" and get on with creating a plan in the face of extreme weather, ABC News reported.
Milne said the government should look at the "suffering" of the people and commit to strong climate action. She recommended a number of actions in preparation...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Bushfires In Australia ‘Wake-Up Call’ For Abbott Government To Commit To Climate ActionGOP Agenda Promises Worst Attack on Environmental Protections in Decades
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on January 5th, 2015
EcoWatch: Last year, it often seemed like we were fighting attacks on the environment from all sides. But those of us pushing back against pollution and climate change enjoyed some significant victories in 2014, including the People’s Climate March in New York in September—said to be the largest environmental march in history—the dimming prospects for drilling in the Arctic, and of course, the fracking ban in New York state.
2015 is shaping up to be a year of even bigger environmental battles, with a new...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on GOP Agenda Promises Worst Attack on Environmental Protections in DecadesPakistan: Experts may draw a nought on predicting drought
Posted by Bangalore Mirror: None Given on January 5th, 2015
Bangalore Mirror: Looking back may no longer help predict future droughts, which would make it extremely difficult to estimate when the next one could occur. This, in turn, could affect the level of preparedness for such a threatening situation.
A study by researchers from Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) says the long-trusted historical data referred to by hydrologists and water resources managers may no longer help in reliably predicting droughts because of climate change caused by human activities....
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Pakistan: Experts may draw a nought on predicting drought