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Archive for October 11th, 2010
West Virginia looks good for geothermal energy production
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on October 11th, 2010
Register-Herald: A new study suggests some areas of West Virginia may be a rich source of renewable energy capable of doubling the state`s electrical generating capacity. Scientists at Southern Methodist University`s Geothermal Laboratory discovered that the temperature of the Earth beneath certain areas of the state is much higher than previous estimates. The hottest areas -- below Tucker, Randolph, Pocahontas, and Greenbrier counties -- show potential for use as a commercial baseload of geothermal ...
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Sentinel lakes monitored for effects of climate change
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on October 11th, 2010
Minnesota Public Radio: State and federal researchers are taking a very detailed look at some Minnesota lakes to monitor the effects of climate change and pollution. The so-called super sentinel lakes that will act as an early detection system for poor conditions include Lake Carlos, near Alexandria, Elk Lake in Itasca State Park and Trout Lake in Cook County. Because of their cold deep water, the three lakes have been designated super sentinels. There are a total of 24 sentinel lakes scattered across ...
United States: Some reptile species show signs of decline
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on October 11th, 2010
Arizona Daily Star: Many lizard and snake species populations are crashing at Organ Pipe National Monument, researchers have found. The declines match a recently discovered global decline in snakes and lizards that scientists say could be linked to climate change. University of Arizona research scientist Phil Rosen said his analysis found 50 percent declines in eight snake species and a half-dozen lizard species that he has trapped for 22 years at Organ Pipe Monument, about 140 miles southwest of ...
Go green, Hezbollah guerrilla chief tells Lebanese
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on October 11th, 2010
Reuters: Plant trees, protect forests, preserve Lebanon's beauty. A message from the environment minister? Greenpeace campaigner? Eco-tourism entrepreneur? No, this time it was Hezbollah guerrilla chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, taking time out from diatribes against Israel and its U.S. ally to deliver a distinctly green-tinged appeal. Afforestation is "part of Lebanese national security," the Shi'ite leader intoned, statesmanlike, Saturday, a day after he emerged from hiding to dig in ...
Boss of Hungarian toxic spill firm arrested
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on October 11th, 2010
Guardian: The director of the Hungarian company responsible for the toxic waste that flooded villages last week has been arrested as authorities race to finish an emergency dam to hold back a threatened second spill. Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, announced the arrest of Zoltan Bakonyi in parliament today and said the government was taking control of his Mal Rt aluminium company and freezing its assets. Bakonyi will be held for 72 hours, a government spokesman said. At least ...
‘Water mining’ is now a prime culprit for raising sea levels
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on October 11th, 2010
Telegraph: Nowhere in the Maldives juts more than 10 feet above the Indian Ocean, making it extremely worried about sea level rise. Its president, Mohamed Nasheed, illustrated the point by holding a cabinet meeting under water in the run-up to last year's Copenhagen summit. But a new study shows that global warming is not the only cause of swelling seas. Much comes from "water mining" -- the pumping of vast amounts of groundwater from beneath the earth, mainly to irrigate crops. This inevitably ...
New carnivore found in Madagascar
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on October 11th, 2010
BBC: A new species of carnivorous mammal has been discovered in Madagascar. The mongoose-like creature has been called Durrell's vontsira (Salanoia durrelli) in honour of conservationist Gerald Durrell. Scientists found the creature in the wetlands of Lake Alaotra, the largest lake in Madagascar. Its marsh habitat is under pressure from invasive species and pollution, and the team thinks it could be one of the world's most threatened mammals. They describe the ...
If Reservoir Wall Fails, Hungary Could Face Second Toxic Flood
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on October 11th, 2010
Time: As cracks grow in the wall of a failing waste reservoir outside a Hungarian aluminum refinery, where one of the worst toxic spills in central-European history took place last week, 1,200 workers are racing against the clock to construct a protective dike to contain the sludgelike effluent if the reservoir collapses. Gyorgyi Tottos, spokeswoman for the Hungarian government's Disaster Management Unit, told TIME that the collapse of the reservoir's crumbling wall, which is holding back ...
Solar industry latest to rally round feed-in tariffs
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on October 11th, 2010
Business Green: Representatives of the solar industry are the latest to write to government in response to signals coming out of the Treasury's spending review that feed-in tariff rates may be cut. The tariffs have undoubtedly encouraged development since their introduction in April, and news that the UK's first solar power plant was granted planning permission last month sparked talk of a "gold rush". But since the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) began, rumours have circled that tariff ...
Video: Second wave of toxic sludge expected in Hungary
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on October 11th, 2010
Guardian