RSS Feed
Archive for June, 2015
Hubbard Glacier defies climate change, continues advancing
Posted by CBC: Karen McColl on June 13th, 2015
CBC: A Yukon glacier is slowly advancing towards an Alaskan river, setting the stage for an awesome collision of natural forces. If the glacier that originates near Mount Logan in the Yukon continues advancing at its current rate, it could block access to a fiord in Alaska and "strongly impact" the nearby ecosystem. New research from the University of Kansas suggests the Hubbard Glacier could permanently dam the entrance to Russell Fiord, on the Gulf of Alaska, within 25 years. The timeline is the...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Hubbard Glacier defies climate change, continues advancingHere’s how global warming is affecting crop nutrient quality
Posted by New Kerala: None Given on June 13th, 2015
New Kerala: Researchers at the University of Gothenburg revealed that the concentration of nitrogen in plants' tissue is lower in air with high levels of carbon dioxide, regardless of whether or not the plants' growth is stimulated. The study examines various types of ecosystems, including crops, grasslands and forests, and involves large-scale field experiments conducted in eight countries on four continents. Researcher Johan Uddling said that the findings are unequivocal. The nitrogen content in the crops...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Here’s how global warming is affecting crop nutrient qualityAustralia prepares tax penalty attack environmental advocacy groups
Posted by Ecologist: Susan Laurance and Bill Laurance on June 13th, 2015
Ecologist: It's fine for 'green' groups to plant trees, or rescue baby flying foxes, write Susan & Bill Laurance. But when they campaign for the environment, right wing politicians see red, Moves are now afoot to strip advocacy groups of their charitable status, reflecting a broader clamp down on eco-activism across the Asia Pacific region in China, Cambodia, Lao and India.
This war of environmental attrition isn't just confined to Australia. There are alarming changes happening all over - most notably in...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Australia prepares tax penalty attack environmental advocacy groupsCongress, pay attention to this carbon tax bill
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 13th, 2015
Bloomberg: The challenge to prevent climate change is daunting for its scale. How can society change human behavior widely enough to stop the accumulation of atmosphere-warming gases -- without swelling the government or ruining the economy?
That's why a bill introduced Wednesday in Congress is important, even if its odds of becoming law in the current Congress are slim. The legislation, sponsored by Democratic Senators Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island and Brian Schatz of Hawaii, would impose a tax on...
Financial dominoes fall for coal as divestment trends gather steam
Posted by Daily Kos: None Given on June 13th, 2015
Daily Kos: Fossil fuel divestment news filled my newsfeed over the past week, adding to a growing list of impressive divestment stories from the past year. Again and again, we see young people convincing their colleges to divest, activists convincing banks to divest, and shareholders convincing companies to divest.
Financial dominoes just keep falling for the coal industry, which makes divesting from coal not just a smart move for the climate, but a prudent investment decision as well. SNL Energy just reported...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Financial dominoes fall for coal as divestment trends gather steamCalifor moves restrict water pumping pre-1914 rights holders
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 13th, 2015
LA Times: The receding waters of Lake McClure in Mariposa County can be seen. In a drastic action, California water officials on Friday ordered cuts in water diversions for some pre-1914 rights holders.
The receding waters of Lake McClure in Mariposa County can be seen. In a drastic action, California water officials on Friday ordered cuts in water diversions for some pre-1914 rights holders.
For the first time in nearly 40 years, state regulators are telling more than 100 growers and irrigation districts...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Califor moves restrict water pumping pre-1914 rights holdersRich nations in stalemate over coal subsidy phase-out
Posted by Reuters: Barbara Lewis on June 13th, 2015
Reuters: Talks on phasing out a form of coal subsidies ended in stalemate as Japan, the biggest user of the aid, led calls for more time in defiance of this week's G7 pledge on fossil fuel subsidies, sources said.
The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has been trying for a year to get an agreement from its 34 member nations on phasing out export credits for coal, the most polluting of the fossil fuels.
Sources close to talks in Paris on Wednesday and Thursday, speaking...
Environmental activism in the U.S. is popping up in a surprising place
Posted by Vice: Darren Ankrom on June 13th, 2015
Vice: A showdown between oil and gas companies, pro-drilling politicians, and a newly formed grassroots environmental group is brewing in South Carolina.
In late January, the Obama administration proposed to sell oil and gas leases for federally controlled areas in the Atlantic Ocean.
But in South Carolina opposition to offshore drilling quickly emerged. A group called SODA POP, short for Stop Offshore Drilling in the Atlantic -- Prevent Oil Pollution is active in the Grand Strand, a strip of coastal...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Environmental activism in the U.S. is popping up in a surprising placeCalifornia drought: Washington is fiddling as the Golden State burns
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 13th, 2015
Telegraph: In February 2014 farmer Joe Del Bosque stood in his field in drought-stricken California's Central Valley being personally reassured by President Barack Obama that Washington would not let his crops wither and die.
It was Mr Obama's one and only visit to this vast agricultural area, half the size of England, which provides half of America's fruit and vegetables.
Last week Mr Del Bosque, 65, ran out of water. He had to destroy a 70-acre field that was supposed to produce 300,000 lbs of asparagus....
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on California drought: Washington is fiddling as the Golden State burnsWildlife conservation: can white rhino escape extinction?
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 13th, 2015
Guardian: “The most wonderful thing about Tiggers is I’m the only one,” boasts AA Milne’s exuberant creation. But Hundred Acre Wood is the only habitat where devastatingly low population figures are a subject of joy and mirth. For species like the northern white rhino, with only five individuals left in the world, the struggle for survival is no laughing matter.
Smaller populations are more vulnerable to environmental catastrophes, the negative consequences of inbreeding and even sheer bad luck, such as...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Wildlife conservation: can white rhino escape extinction?