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Archive for May, 2015
How the U.S. West Can Live with Fire
Posted by Climate Central: John Upton on May 28th, 2015
Climate Central: Homes and stables were evacuated during a rattling evening southeast of Los Angeles last month, as tall flames licked property lines while they chewed through pine needles, dead leaves and other fuels that had built up in scrub and forest during a decades-long absence of fire.
Firefighters eventually prevailed against the Highway Fire--so-named because it began near a highway--by corralling it and watching as it burned out. But the 1,000-acre conflagration was an anxiety-inducing prelude to what's...
Norway fund could trigger wave large fossil fuel divestments, say experts
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 28th, 2015
Guardian: Norway’s decision to dump all coal-focused investments from its $900bn sovereign wealth fund could unleash a wave of divestment from other large funds, according to investment experts. The fund, the largest in the world, is one of the top 10 investors in the global coal industry.
The move, agreed late on Wednesday, is one of the most significant victories to date for a fast-growing and UN-backed fossil-fuel divestment campaign. It will affect $9bn-$10bn (£5.8-£6.5bn) of coal-related investments,...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Norway fund could trigger wave large fossil fuel divestments, say expertsBill Nye Under Attack for Linking Texas Floods to Climate Change
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on May 28th, 2015
EcoWatch: Bill Nye took to Twitter to call out meteorologists for failing to link the floods earlier this week in Texas with a warming climate, and the backlash in the Twitterverse was intense.
Billion$$ in damage in Texas & Oklahoma. Still no weather-caster may utter the phrase Climate Change. pic.twitter.com/9J10deVQ7S
-- Bill Nye (@BillNye) May 26, 2015
Houston received more than 10 inches of rain in a 24-hour period, "bringing America’s fourth-largest city to a standstill," reports Scientific...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Bill Nye Under Attack for Linking Texas Floods to Climate ChangeOil lobby group recruited Canadian minister secret strategy meeting
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 28th, 2015
Guardian: An oil industry lobby group successfully recruited a Canadian cabinet minister to deliver a pep talk and dispense strategic planning advice at a closed door meeting in a luxury Rocky Mountains resort, the Guardian has learned.
In the 21 October 2014 session, Greg Rickford, the natural resources minister, urged the 40 to 50 assembled executives to work harder to spread the oil industry’s message.
“You are fighting an uphill battle for public confidence,” he said. “Our messages are not resonating.”...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Oil lobby group recruited Canadian minister secret strategy meetingWhat Australia Can Teach the World about Surviving Drought
Posted by ClimateWire: Brittany Patterson on May 28th, 2015
ClimateWire: From 1997 to 2009, Australia faced the worst drought in the country's recorded history. In Melbourne, a city of 4.3 million people located in southeastern Australia, water levels dropped to an all-time low capacity of 25.6 percent before the drought eased.
Despite the dire situation, the city reduced water demand per capita by almost 50 percent by implementing a slew of policies and programs.
The actions taken in Melbourne can be used as a road map for water-stressed places around the world,...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on What Australia Can Teach the World about Surviving DroughtIndia: More heatwaves in offing due to global temperature rise
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 28th, 2015
Times of India: The intense heat wave sweeping across India could be another manifestation of an extreme weather event, a green body on Thursday said, warning that more heat waves were in the offing due to rise in global temperatures.
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) also noted that about 2,000 people have been killed in India by this weather condition with the worst-affected states being Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where maximum temperatures have hovered around a searing 45 degrees Celsius.
It said...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on India: More heatwaves in offing due to global temperature riseAcross U.S., heaviest downpours on the rise
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 28th, 2015
Climate Central: Record-breaking rain across Texas and Oklahoma this week caused widespread flooding, the likes of which the region has rarely, if ever, seen. For seven locations there, May 2015 has seen the most rain of any month ever recorded, with five days to go and the rain still coming. While rainfall in the region is consistent with the emerging El Niño, the unprecedented amounts suggest a possible climate change signal, where a warming atmosphere becomes more saturated with water vapor and capable of previously...
Texas, Oklahoma Floodwaters Contain Sewage, Other Pollutants
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 28th, 2015
National Geographic: Rains that have flooded portions of the middle part of the United States have damaged buildings, swept away cars and houses, and killed at least 18 people in Texas and Oklahoma. And with a chance of more rain forecast this week, these hard-hit areas aren't out of the woods yet.
In Texas, the enormous amount of stormwater has overwhelmed some treatment facilities, washing chemicals and toxic substances into the mix, including raw sewage, crude oil, and pesticides.
"Anything you would find on...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Texas, Oklahoma Floodwaters Contain Sewage, Other PollutantsStorms ease in Texas, but runoff could mean more flooding
Posted by Associated Press: Juan A. Lozano and Seth Robbin on May 28th, 2015
Associated Press: This week's record rainfall in Texas eased the state's drought and swelled rivers and lakes to the point that they may not return to normal levels until July, scientists said Thursday.
Just weeks ago, much of the state was parched with varying levels of drought. But the same drenching rainfall that paralyzed parts of Houston and swept away a vacation home with eight people inside also offered relief from a long dry spell.
Many cities were still in danger of flooding as heavy rain from earlier...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Storms ease in Texas, but runoff could mean more floodingNorway oil fund to slash coal investments
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 28th, 2015
Associated Press: Norway's parliamentary parties have agreed that the country's $900 billion sovereign wealth fund should stop investing in coal companies because of their impact on climate change.
Under new rules to be presented by Parliament's finance committee on Thursday, the fund - also known as the oil fund - would exclude companies that get at least 30 percent of their revenue from mining coal or burning it.
The move is expected to be formally approved by the full Parliament on June 5 because both government...