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Archive for December, 2015
Judge blocks Brazilian assets of Vale, BHP after dam burst
Posted by Reuters: Stephen Eisenhammer and Bruno Marfinati on December 19th, 2015
Reuters: A judge in Brazil's state of Minas Gerais has frozen the Brazilian assets of mining giants BHP Billiton and Vale SA after determining their joint venture Samarco was unable to pay for damage caused by the bursting of a dam at its mine last month.
In a ruling issued late on Friday, the judge ruled that Vale and BHP could be held responsible for the disaster at the iron ore mine in the state of Minas Gerais, for which the government is demanding 20 billion reais ($5 billion).
Vale and BHP each...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Judge blocks Brazilian assets of Vale, BHP after dam burstClimate change effects revealed in Montana
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 19th, 2015
Billings Gazette: What does climate change mean for Montana?
Nothing good, environmentalists warn.
Citing a study that concludes Montana's economy has more than $1 billion riding on hunting, fishing and wildlife watching, the National Wildlife Federation is sounding the alarm about climate impacts in the Treasure State.
Daniel Iverson, communications manager for Montana's Office of Tourism and Business Development, said that while he didn't know how much is spent on outdoor tourism overall, more than 80 percent...
TMT equipment removed; Protesters praise decision, express ‘joy & gratitude’
Posted by Tribune Herald: None Given on December 19th, 2015
Tribune Herald: Heavy machinery parked at the Thirty Meter Telescope construction site atop Mauna Kea for nearly nine months was removed Wednesday, two weeks after the state Supreme Court overturned the giant observatory’s land use permit.
Native Hawaiian opponents of the $1.4 billion project, who call themselves protectors of the mountain, gathered at the summit early in the morning to watch the removal of the bulldozers and other equipment they say desecrate sacred ground.
“There was a lot of joy and gratitude,”...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on TMT equipment removed; Protesters praise decision, express ‘joy & gratitude’U.K.’s last deep coal mine closes
Posted by Associated Press: Jill Lawless on December 19th, 2015
Associated Press: Coal once fueled the British Empire, employed armies of men and shook the power of governments.
On Friday, workers at Britain's last operating deep coal mine finished their final shift, emerging -- soot-blackened and live on television news channels -- to cheers, applause and tears.
Some of the men carried lumps of coal as mementos from the Kellingley Colliery, 200 miles north of London. The last haul of coal from the pit is destined for a mining museum as a once-mighty industry fades into...
Critics: Oil trains report underestimates risk
Posted by Spokesman-Review: Becky Kramer on December 19th, 2015
Spokesman-Review: The chance of an oil train derailing and dumping its cargo between Spokane and a new terminal proposed for Vancouver is extremely low, according to a risk assessment prepared for state officials.
Such a derailment would probably occur only once every 12 years, and in the most likely scenario, only half a tank car of oil would be spilled, according to the report.
But critics say the risk assessment - which includes work by three Texas consultants who are former BNSF Railway employees and count...
Actor James Cromwell arrested anti-nuclear protest
Posted by Telegraph: David Millward on December 19th, 2015
Telegraph: James Cromwell, the 75-year-old film and television actor has been arrested for his part in a protest power station which is being built in upstate New York. The star, who was nominated for an Oscar for his part in Babe, was one of six people apprehended by police for allegedly blocking an entrance to the Competitive Power Ventures plant. He was reported to have been leading the chanting by protesters who say that toxins from the power station will pose a health risk and lower property values....
Climate Change – Lakes Heating Up Threatening Fresh Water Supplies
Posted by Net News Ledge: None Given on December 19th, 2015
Net News Ledge: Climate change is rapidly heating up lakes around the world, threatening freshwater supplies and ecosystems across the planet, according to a study spanning six continents. More than 60 scientists took part in the research, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters and announced at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. “Our knowledge of how lakes are responding to global change has been lacking,” said Henry Gholz, program director in the Division of Environmental Biology...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Climate Change – Lakes Heating Up Threatening Fresh Water SuppliesGreenhouse gas emissions from Canadian Arctic aquatic systems dated for the first time
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 19th, 2015
ScienceDaily: For the first time, researchers have successfully dated the carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emitted by ponds and lakes on Bylot Island, Nunavut. The research team observed significant variability in age and emission rates of greenhouse gases (GHG) from aquatic systems located in a continuous permafrost zone. The study, whose lead author is Frédéric Bouchard affiliated to the INRS Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre and the Geography Department of Université de Montréal, appeared in the...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Greenhouse gas emissions from Canadian Arctic aquatic systems dated for the first timeSeveral new species of clawed frog discovered in sub-Saharan Africa
Posted by Mongabay: Mike Gaworecki on December 19th, 2015
Mongabay: African clawed frogs are characterized by their flat bodies and vocal organs which can produce sound underwater, as well as the claws on their first three toes that give them their name.
Despite being commonly used as a study subject by developmental biologists, researchers say we're still learning quite a bit about the species.
Researchers from Canada's McMaster University say they’ve discovered a wealth of new information on the frog’s evolution using new techniques for analyzing DNA.
There...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Several new species of clawed frog discovered in sub-Saharan AfricaAfter protests, construction equipment removed from giant telescope site
Posted by Ars Technica: Eric Berger on December 19th, 2015
Ars Technica: For astronomers seeking to build the world's largest telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, it will be anything but a Mele Kalikimaka. Hawaiian media reported that heavy machinery parked near a construction site atop the mountain since March was removed on Wednesday.
The removal marked another victory for native Hawaiians who are protesting construction of the 55-meter-tall facility on top of Mauna Kea, saying it desecrates sacred ground. “There was a lot of joy and gratitude,” said Hawane Rios of...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on After protests, construction equipment removed from giant telescope site