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Archive for July 15th, 2010
Illegal logging of tropical rainforests down by up to 75%
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 15th, 2010
Guardian: Efforts to tackle illegal destruction of the world's rainforests have been a success, according to a new report that details a significant fall in unauthorised logging. The Chatham House study, released today, says that illegal logging has dropped by between 50 and 75% across Cameroon, Indonesia and the Brazilian Amazon over the last decade; globally it has dropped by one-fifth since 2002. The study credits actions taken by governments and pressure groups for the improvement, ...
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India: Fighting Drought With Check Dams
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 15th, 2010
Inter Press Service: Gazing out at the lush greenery that surrounds the village of Salaita in northern India, a smile of satisfaction appears on retired army general A.P.S. Chauhan's face. "Hard to imagine now, but these were dusty ravines just two or three years ago," he told IPS. In recent years, large tracts of land along the river Yamuna had eroded so much that they appeared like a series of deep serrated ravines. The cover of vegetation that would have retained rainwater and held intact the ...
China seizes eight tonnes of endangered pangolins
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 15th, 2010
Agence France Presse: Chinese customs said they have seized nearly eight tonnes of frozen pangolins -- an endangered species of scaly anteater -- from a fishing boat off the southern coast. The vessel was intercepted in June carrying the huge haul of animals and nearly two tonnes of their scales, said a statement on the website of customs authorities in Jiangmen in Guangdong province. The pangolin is designated as endangered in China, and anyone found guilty of smuggling the rare animals or their ...
Doors Wide Open for Renewable Energy
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 15th, 2010
Inter Press Service: Heavy reliance on petroleum imports, the need for electricity in rural areas, and the ongoing effort towards sustainable development have focussed Central America's attention on renewable energy. But that doesn't mean there isn't opposition. This year, Honduras plans to have one of the largest wind energy farms in Latin America up and running, with an output of 100 megawatts of electricity. Located in the municipality of Santa Ana, 24 kilometres from the Honduran capital, it ...
BP: New Cap Has Stopped Flow Of Gulf Oil
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 15th, 2010
National Public Radio: BP says a new cap has stopped oil from leaking into the Gulf of Mexico for the first time since April. The energy giant has been slowly dialing down the flow as part of a test on a new cap, and engineers are now monitoring the pressure to see if the broken well holds. "The test is looking at the condition of the well under the sea and if it turns out that the well is in good shape, this could well be the beginning of the end of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe," NPR's Richard ...
Analysis: U.S. drill ban casts shadow over Gulf prospects
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 15th, 2010
Reuters: Oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico will be curtailed far beyond the end of November, when the U.S. moratorium on drilling is set to end, putting dozens of planned energy projects at risk. Drillers are beginning to make good on their threat to move equipment and people out of the Gulf to work at overseas projects, even though they will receive lower rates at those jobs. That could also have long-lasting impact on output from the Gulf, which contributes 30 percent of U.S. ...
U.S. green groups attack Alberta tourism industry
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 15th, 2010
Reuters: Environmentalists are taking aim at Alberta's C$5.6 billion ($5.4 billion) tourism industry in the latest battle over the impact of developing the Canadian province's oil sands. Alberta is the largest supplier of crude oil to the United States and the environmentalists say their "Rethink Alberta" campaign is in response to pro oil-sands lobbying and advertising in the United States by the Alberta government and the province's oil industry. The campaign, led by San ...
BP stops oil leak in Gulf of Mexico for first time since April
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 15th, 2010
Guardian: The gush of oil from BP's spewing well in the Gulf of Mexico was stopped for the first time in three months yesterday, raising hopes that it could be sealed off for good. The Obama administration immediately warned that a cap sealing off the well might only be a temporary fix. "We're encouraged by this development, but this isn't over," said Thad Allen, the US Coast Guard commander. But for the first time in 87 days, it appeared last night that BP had control over the ...
BP Says Cap Has Stopped Flow Of Oil Into Gulf
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 15th, 2010
National Public Radio: The flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico was halted this afternoon as BP began an "integrity test" of a new cap on the Deepwater Horizon well. Scientists are watching the pressure that is building up under the cap to make sure that no oil is leaking into the rock below the well. The test will last anywhere from six to 48 hours. Robert Siegel speaks with NPR's Richard Harris, who has the latest.