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Archive for April 16th, 2010
Canada: Speculation rampant B.C. to green-light Site C hydroelectric dam
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 16th, 2010
Globe and Mail: The B.C. government will make a major energy announcement at the Peace River on Monday, fuelling speculation that it will give a green light to the long-shelved plans to build the Site C hydroelectric dam. BC Hydro is inviting officials to what is being billed as a "clean energy workshop" at the W.A.C. Bennett Dam on Monday, near the proposed location for Site C on the Peace River. In the town of Hudson's Hope -- the closest community -- the airstrip is being prepared for the arrival ...
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Namibia: Banking Water for the Future
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 16th, 2010
Inter Press Service: In the driest capital city south of the Sahara, water engineers are "banking" ground water to meet future demand, but the enormous costs might sink the project before water can be harvested. Albertina Hameva lives in a "kambaschu", a corrugated iron dwelling in an informal settlement on the outskirts of Windhoek. There is no power, no water and no sanitation. Asked where she goes to the toilet, she points to the little veld meandering through the hundreds of shacks that perch uneasily ...
Ice cap thaw may awaken Icelandic volcanoes
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 16th, 2010
Reuters: A thaw of Iceland's ice caps in coming decades caused by climate change may trigger more volcanic eruptions by removing a vast weight and freeing magma from deep below ground, scientists said on Friday. They said there was no sign that the current eruption from below the Eyjafjallajokull glacier that has paralysed flights over northern Europe was linked to global warming. The glacier is too small and light to affect local geology. "Our work suggests that eventually there will ...
Solar-powered geese to tackle offshore wind risks
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 16th, 2010
Business Green: Migrating geese at risk of crashing into offshore wind turbines have been tagged as part of a project designed to help guide the positioning of the UK's next wave of offshore wind farms. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) has fitted five migrating barnacle geese with solar-powered GPS backpacks, which can store enough battery power to keep the device running at night. The data will show the birds' altitude and whether they spend time resting on the sea. It will then be used ...
Brazil: Judge overturns Amazon dam decision
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 16th, 2010
Telegraph: The judge in the capital of Brasilia reversed a decision to suspend contract bidding scheduled for next week and also overturned the suspension of the environmental license for the 11,000-megawatt Belo Monte dam, according to a statement from Brazil's solicitor general. A spokesman for Brazil's electricity regulator, known as Aneel, said that plans were being made to hold the auction as planned for Tuesday but that the latest decision could be appealed. She spoke on condition of ...
EPA seeks to cut mercury from gold production
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 16th, 2010
Reuters: The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday proposed rules to cut mercury air emissions from U.S. gold ore processing and production facilities. The proposal would affect about 20 facilities in the United States that extract gold ore, the EPA said. Mercury can damage children's developing brains and nervous systems. The agency's proposal would slash annual mercury emissions to about 1,390 pounds a year - a 73 percent reduction from 2007 levels. The federal policy will build ...