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Archive for April, 2010
Obama causes contrast with Bush-era policies on climate change
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 20th, 2010
Gannett: For eight years, environmentalists cried foul as President George W. Bush used executive power to weaken air and water regulations, open public lands to increased oil drilling and block action to fight climate change. Now, President Barack Obama is using the same authority to reverse course. "Under the Bush administration, it was good news for polluters, bad news for the public," said Anna Aurilio of Environment America. "Under the Obama administration, it is good news for ...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Obama causes contrast with Bush-era policies on climate changeSpring comes 10 days earlier in changed US climate
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 20th, 2010
Reuters: Spring comes about 10 days earlier in the United States than it did two decades ago, a consequence of climate change that favors invasive species over indigenous ones, scientists said on Tuesday. The phenomenon known as "spring creep" has put various species of U.S. wildlife out of balance with their traditional habitats, from the rabbit-like American pika in the West to the roses and lilies in New England, the environmental experts said in a telephone news briefing. "The ...
Hong Kong’s rising conservationists fight to save pink dolphins
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 20th, 2010
Christian Science Monitor: The triangle of busy, brackish water that separates Hong Kong from the industrial belt of southern China seems an unlikely place to look for rare wildlife. But every week conservationist Janet Walker brings tourists out among the tall ships and container terminals, the refineries and one of the world's busiest airports, to get a glimpse of some unique creatures: bubblegum-pink dolphins. Few in Hong Kong knew of their existence here till the early 1990s when the government started ...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Hong Kong’s rising conservationists fight to save pink dolphinsIndia: Irrigation interfering with monsoons, says study
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 20th, 2010
SciDev.Net: Agricultural intensification and irrigation may decrease the Indian monsoon rains over the long term, a Purdue University and Indian Space Research Organisation study has found -- suggesting regional land surface feedbacks play an important role in climate change. The study analysed Indian Meteorological Department rainfall data of more than 50 years and tracked land use change using satellite imagery. Using a set of statistical tools, the researchers attempted to co-relate and then ...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on India: Irrigation interfering with monsoons, says studyCanada: VIDEO: why tar sands activists took on BP
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Ecologist: A report from BP's recent AGM where activists fought to raise awareness of the oil giant's investment in tar sands - includes an interview with George Poitras, member of Mikisew Cree indigenous First Nation At BP's AGM last week, a coalition of ethical investors forced a vote on whether the oil company should review its tar sands operations. This followed BP's decision to acquire a 50 per cent stake in the Sunrise Project, a tar sands extraction project near Alberta and has ...
United Kingdom: Scientists develop sensor to predict freak weather, from flash flooding to landslides
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Guardian: When the town of Cockermouth, Cumbria, was hit by floods late last year, the freak weather led to deaths and serious injuries, and caused huge damage to thousands of homes and businesses. People from all around the UK watched the disaster and called for greater prioritisation of flood defences. Now, a team of scientists from Southampton University has stepped up to the challenge. Led by Dr Kirk Martinez, a senior lecturer at the university's school of electronics and computer science, ...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on United Kingdom: Scientists develop sensor to predict freak weather, from flash flooding to landslidesUnited Kingdom: World water crisis warning to UK
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Scotsman: A POTENTIAL global water crisis in coming decades could cause UK food prices to "skyrocket" and damage the economy, experts warned today. A report from three engineering groups predicts that a rising world population, growing demand for water and the impact of climate change will make water more scarce in future. This could push up food prices, affect economic growth and even spark conflicts, posing a "serious threat to the UK", the study warns. Water is one of the most ...
United Kingdom: Frogs threatened by climate change
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Telegraph: Scientists looked at records of frogspawn over the last decade recorded by thousands of people in Britain, including viewers of BBC's Springwatch. The record of 50,000 sightings of frogspawn showed that the amphibians lay their eggs earlier as the temperature warms. Frogs in the south often spawn more than a week earlier to make sure their young have the best chance. But this sensitivity to the local environment makes frogs particularly vulnerable to climate change. Even modest ...
Report urges UK to tackle “virtual water” risk
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Business Green: The UK economy could be badly affected by droughts and water shortages in other parts of the world unless urgent action is taken to address the growing water risks faced by many firms' supply chains. That is the stark warning contained in a report released today by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Engineering the Future working group, which argues that the government and leading businesses are failing to adequately address water insecurity. The report, ...
Revival of Filthy River Flows from Changed Habits
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 19th, 2010
Inter Press Service: While more developed countries consider waterfronts prime property, most Filipinos have regarded rivers and creeks as their "backyard" and sewage system. Over 60 percent of the pollution of an historic and major waterway, the Pasig River, comes from untreated direct discharge of domestic waste, says the Philippine environmental department's Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC). As a result, the Pasig, which connects two bays in this South-east Asian country, was ...