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Archive for August 10th, 2015
Spill turns Colorado river yellow
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 10th, 2015
BBC: A toxic leak of wastewater that has turned a Colorado river mustard yellow is three times larger than US officials had originally estimated.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now says that three million gallons of wastewater spilled from an abandoned mine last week.
The EPA does not believe wildlife is in significant danger because the sludge moved so quickly downstream.
Local authorities took steps to protect drinking water supplies and farms.
The spill began on 5 August when...
With Climate Change, A Terrifying New Normal for Western Firefighters
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 10th, 2015
Yale Environment 360: To many people, climate change is a distant, abstract concept. But to the men and women who battle wildfires in Colorado and throughout the American West, evidence of a warming world is something they face on a daily basis. In recent years, these fire crews have fought blazes that are larger, more frequent, faster-moving, longer-lasting, and increasingly unpredictable — the result of rising temperatures, diminishing snowpack, and more frequent droughts. This e360 video, “Unacceptable Risk: Firefighters...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on With Climate Change, A Terrifying New Normal for Western FirefightersStudy shows some permafrost carbon transported by river to the ocean
Posted by Environmental News Network: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on August 10th, 2015
Environmental News Network: As temperatures rise, some of the organic carbon stored in Arctic permafrost meets an unexpected fate—burial at sea. As many as 2.2 million metric tons of organic carbon per year are swept along by a single river system into Arctic Ocean sediment, according to a new study an international team of researchers published today in Nature. This process locks away carbon dioxide (CO2) - a greenhouse gas - and helps stabilize the earth’s CO2 levels over time, and it may help scientists better predict how...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Study shows some permafrost carbon transported by river to the oceanEPA Says It Released 3 Million Gallons Of Contaminated Water Into River
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 10th, 2015
National Public Radio: In an event that has led to health warnings and turned a river orange, the Environmental Protection Agency says one of its safety teams accidentally released contaminated water from a mine into the Animas River in southwest Colorado.
The spill, which sent heavy metals, arsenic and other contaminants into a waterway that flows into the San Juan National Forest, occurred Wednesday. The EPA initially said 1 million gallons of wastewater had been released, but that figure has risen sharply.
Las...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on EPA Says It Released 3 Million Gallons Of Contaminated Water Into RiverTMT Protesters Hope to Reach Visiting Astronomers Waikiki March
Posted by Civil Beat: None Given on August 10th, 2015
Civil Beat: Should construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope be a formal topic of discussion at the world’s largest astronomical gathering?
For leaders of the International Astronomical Association, the answer so far has been a resounding “No.”
Controversy surrounding the TMT is a local problem and must be addressed at a local level, IAU Deputy General Piero Benvenuti said this week. If protesters wanted to make a presentation at the conference, which started Monday at the Hawaii Convention Center, they...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on TMT Protesters Hope to Reach Visiting Astronomers Waikiki MarchThousands Turn Out Aloha Aina Unity March
Posted by Civil Beat: None Given on August 10th, 2015
Civil Beat: Thousands of Hawaiians mobilized in Waikiki on Sunday for the “Aloha Aina Unity March” -- a massive show of strength that organizers hope to translate into ongoing political actions. “This is about political pressure,” said organizer Tiare Lawrence, pointing to volunteers collecting information and helping register voters at the event. “I think next year a lot of people’s seats are going to be up for grabs. This is about getting people into office who are committed to protecting our land and sacred...