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Archive for August 26th, 2010
Scientists create ‘dry water.’
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 26th, 2010
Telegraph: Scientists believe dry water could be used to combat global warming by soaking up and trapping the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Tests show that it is more than three times better at absorbing carbon dioxide than ordinary water. Dry water may also prove useful for storing methane and expanding the energy source potential of the natural gas. Dr Ben Carter, from the University of Liverpool, presented his research on dry water at the 240th National Meeting of the American ...
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Buckwheat crisis hurts Russian pride
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 26th, 2010
Guardian: I don't think I'm stretching the point too far when I say the British public doesn't know too much about Russian cuisine. When asked to name a popular Russian meal, most will probably pause for a second and brave the clutter of consonants in borscht. But the origins of this rich soup of beef, cabbage and beetroot are widely disputed, with Poles and Ukrainians vehemently claiming it as their own. Even in Russia few can name a typically Russian, not generic eastern European, dish. But there is ...
Fish Kills Worry Gulf Scientists, Fishers, Environmentalists
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 26th, 2010
IPS: Another massive fish kill, this time in Louisiana, has alarmed scientists, fishers and environmentalists who believe they are caused by oil and dispersants. On Aug. 22, St. Bernard Parish authorities reported a huge fish kill at the mouth of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet. "By our estimates there were thousands - and I'm talking about 5,000 to 15,000 - dead fish," St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro told reporters. "Different species were found dead, including crabs, ...
Changing climate prompts Ofwat review
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 26th, 2010
Business Green: The government has today announced a full review of the water regulator Ofwat designed to ensure the watchdog is fit for future challenges, such as those presented by climate change. "Ofwat has been successful in holding down household bills while water companies invest in their infrastructure," said environment secretary Caroline Spelman. "But we need to make sure the regulator is in good shape to help the industry prepare for a changing climate and a growing population, at the same ...
Surveying Rwanda’s water supply
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 26th, 2010
NYT: When I tell people I am going to Rwanda, I usually get the "are you kidding me?" look. Most people in the West have come to know Rwanda through its bloody civil war; more than 800,000 people were killed there in 1994, marking one of the most infamous genocides of modern history. Apart from this sad event, however, very little is known about contemporary Rwanda and the people who live within its borders. Since the 1994 genocide, the government of Rwanda has made tremendous efforts ...
Engineers drain water trapped in French Alps glacier
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 26th, 2010
Reuters: Workers have begun draining a pocket of water trapped inside a glacier on Mont Blanc which authorities warned could burst at any time, endangering the lives of more than 3,000 residents in the French Alpine valley. The 65,000 cubic meters of water -- enough to fill 20 Olympic pools -- was discovered in the Tete-Rousse glacier last month by researchers of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). In 1892, trapped water from the same glacier burst and flooded the ...
Australian Capital Territory to pass tough carbon cutting laws
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 26th, 2010
Reuters: The government of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) said today it will enact tough carbon cutting laws, a step that comes after a national election that punished the ruling Labor party over lack of action on climate change. The ACT, which includes the capital Canberra also ruled by Labor, said its climate change and greenhouse gas reduction bill would set a target of cutting carbon emissions by 40% by 2020 from 1990 levels. The cut would rise to 80% by 2050, with the aim ...
Filmmaker Says Katrina No Natural Disaster
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 26th, 2010
NPR: Hurricane Katrina, and the destruction it wrought, are often referred to as a natural disaster. Think again, says actor Harry Shearer. In his documentary, The Big Uneasy, Shearer says much of the destruction in New Orleans was man-made and preventable -- and largely the fault of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. NEAL CONAN, host: This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. It's now five years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, a natural ...