RSS Feed
Archive for July 8th, 2010
Soybean Yields to Drop on Climate, Ozone, US Researcher Says – BusinessWeek
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 8th, 2010
Bloomberg: Climate change and pollution may cut yields for soybeans and other crops by 2050 unless plants are adapted, the University of Illinois said, citing research. Tests showed crops grown in open fields benefitted less than expected from higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air, the university said in a report published yesterday. The yield increase was only half of that assumed by the United Nations' climate-change panel to predict world food supply in 2050, according to the ...
Posted in 
Map: Oil spill permeates the Gulf’s most productive environments
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 8th, 2010
Guardian
BP drilling ‘ahead of schedule’
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 8th, 2010
BBC: BP says its operation to drill a relief well to stop the Gulf of Mexico oil leak is "slightly ahead of schedule". A spokeswoman for the company told the BBC it was "ahead of the original schedule of completion in August". Asked about comments made by Bob Dudley, the man in charge, that finishing by 27 July was possible, she emphasised the caveats in what he said. Mr Dudley said completion between 20 and 27 July was possible but only "in a perfect world with no ...
Giant skimmer gets another shot at Gulf oil spill
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 8th, 2010
Associated Press: The giant Taiwanese oil skimmer known as 'A Whale' is getting another chance to prove its value in the Gulf of Mexico. But the leader of the federal response, Thad Allen, doubts the effectiveness of the "A Whale." The ship is supposed to suck up to 21 million gallons of oily water per day. Allen said Thursday it seems more useful in a huge pool of oil than in thousands of smaller slicks. Bob Grantham, spokesman for TMT Shipping, says the U.S. Coast Guard has ...
La Nina developing, could mean more hurricanes
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 8th, 2010
Associated Press: The climate phenomenon known as La Nina appears to be developing, threatening more bad news in the efforts to clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. When a La Nina occurs there tend to be more hurricanes than normal in the Atlantic and Caribbean regions, which include the Gulf of Mexico. The federal Climate Prediction Center said Thursday that La Nina conditions are likely to develop in July and August. La Nina is marked by an unusual cooling of the sea surface in ...
Taking The Sizzle Out Of Summer In The City
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 8th, 2010
National Public Radio: As the mercury soared into the triple digits this week along the East Coast, you can bet it was even more stifling in the asphalt and concrete jungles of cities like New York and Washington than in nearby rural areas. It's a phenomenon known as the "urban heat island" effect, and it's getting increased attention nationwide from planners, architects and building manufacturers searching for ways to cool sweltering cities, save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The ...
6 Ways You’re Wasting Water Right Now
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 8th, 2010
U.S. News and World Report: Americans have plenty of reasons to conserve water. Efficient water use helps maintain reservoir and groundwater supplies at levels that support a healthy public and a thriving environment. Meanwhile, smarter water use reduces the amount of energy needed to treat and transport the supply. What's more, conserving water saves money. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that homeowners can save roughly $170 a year simply by making a few minor changes to their water use. To help ...
US demands BP detail next steps to cap oil slick
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 8th, 2010
Agence France-Presse: The US government Thursday gave BP 24 hours to outline its next steps to contain the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, saying efforts to cap a fractured well were entering a "critical stage." The US pointman in the crisis, Thad Allen, wrote to BP managing director Bob Dudley saying that after talks to be held in Houston on Friday the British energy giant must hand over "detailed plans and timelines." BP is preparing to replace the containment cap on the ruptured wellhead with a more ...
United States: Can Lake Pontchartrain Handle Another Threat?
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 8th, 2010
National Public Radio: The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has made its way inland to Lake Pontchartrain. The salt water lake sits north of New Orleans and it's a place where people live, fish and enjoy the water. The lake was cleaned up a few decades ago and survived Hurricane Katrina. Now local authorities worry the oil spill will be more than the lake can handle.
Beach cleaners only skimming oil off surface sand
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 8th, 2010
Associated Press: A problem lurks under the sand on the Gulf Coast, but some argue the best thing to do is -- nothing. Walk to a seemingly pristine patch of sand, plop down in a chair and start digging with your bare feet and chances are you'll walk away with gooey tar between your toes. So far, workers hired by BP to clean oil off beaches have skimmed only the surface, using shovels or sifting machines. The oil underneath is sometimes buried by the tides before workers can get to it. Now the ...