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Archive for November, 2010
Businesses concerned by water use
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on November 12th, 2010
BBC: Future water shortages are a growing concern for business, according to a global survey published today.
The research shows that more than half of the 147 firms responding expect problems with water in the next 1-5 years.
It says 60% of firms have already set performance targets on the way they use water.
The report predicts that the issue will get much worse as the world demand for water is projected to soar over the next few decades.
The UK's chief scientist John Beddington has warned...
Environmentalists ‘exaggerated’ threat to tropical rainforests from global warming
Posted by Daily Mail: David Derbyshire on November 12th, 2010
Daily Mail: The threat to tropical rainforests from climate change may have been exaggerated by environmentalists, according to a new study. Researchers have shown that the world's tropical forests thrived in the far distant past when temperatures were 3 to 5C warmer than today. They believe that a wetter, warmer future may actually boost plants and animals living the tropics. The findings, published in the respected journal Science, come from a study of pollen trapped in rocks during a natural period of...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Environmentalists ‘exaggerated’ threat to tropical rainforests from global warmingInvading weed threatens devastation to western rangelands
Posted by Science Centric: None Given on November 12th, 2010
Science Centric: A new field study confirms that an invasive weed called medusahead has growth advantages over most other grass species, suggesting it will continue to spread across much of the West, disrupt native ecosystems and make millions of acres of grazing land almost worthless.
The research, by scientists from Oregon State University and the Agricultural Research Service, was one of the most comprehensive studies ever done that compared the 'relative growth rate' of this invasive annual grass to that of...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Invading weed threatens devastation to western rangelandsALERT! Stop UK Government’s Grand Forest Sell-off, Urge Protection and Restoration for the People’s Old Forests
Posted by Water Conservation Blog on November 11th, 2010
TAKE ACTION HERE NOW!
The UK government plans to put half of England's state-owned forests up for sale to private firms to raise billions to reduce the budget deficit and as a give-away to the nascent biomass industry. Ancient woodlands [search], regenerating natural forests and planted trees all provide important ecosystems and could be chopped down to make way for holiday villages, golf courses and commercial logging. This is theft of the English cultural heritage with woodlands and natural landscapes. Instead the UK government should fully protect many of these woodlands, fund forest ecological restoration and native plantation establishment, and strive in haste to get to 25% forest cover and beyond for their own ecological sustainability.
Posted in Uncategorized Comments Off on ALERT! Stop UK Government’s Grand Forest Sell-off, Urge Protection and Restoration for the People’s Old ForestsRice yields targetted in first CGIAR ‘mega-programme’
Posted by SciDev.Net: Mike Ives on November 11th, 2010
SciDev.Net: Farmers could benefit from increased rice yields and new varieties of the staple crop adapted to climate change, with the launch of a global research programme that aims to lift millions out of hunger and poverty by 2035.
The Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP) was launched by the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) at the 3rd International Rice Congress in Hanoi, Vietnam, this week (8--12 November).
It is the first of 15 CGIAR research programmes -- formally...
Rainforests thrived in warmer conditions in the past, yet study requires “caution”
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 11th, 2010
Mongabay: A new study in Science is likely to reopen the contentious debate about the impact of climate change on tropical rainforests. Scientific modeling of future climate conditions in tropical rainforests, such as the Amazon, has shown that climate change--combined with deforestation and fire--could create a tipping point whereby a significant portion of the Amazon could turnover to savannah, pushing untold species to extinction and undercutting the many ecosystem services provided by tropical rainforests....
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Rainforests thrived in warmer conditions in the past, yet study requires “caution”Boulder researcher: Climate change could threaten wolverine
Posted by Daily Camera: Laura Snider on November 11th, 2010
Daily Camera: Wolverines by the numbers:
500 square miles: The size of the territory for some adult male wolverines.
30 pounds: Average weight of an adult.
2008: The last time a wolverine was confirmed to be in the state of Colorado.
1919: The last known sighting of a wolverine before 2008 in Colorado.
550: The number of miles one young male wolverine that was tagged by scientists traveled in fewer than six weeks.
500: The upper limit of the population size of wolverines in the United States,...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Boulder researcher: Climate change could threaten wolverineImproved Rice Availability And Reduced Environmental Impact Forecast Through New Global Rice Science Partnership
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 11th, 2010
redOrbit: Millions will escape hunger and poverty in a widening campaign to achieve global food security and deliver major environmental gains within 25 years
One of the world’s largest global scientific partnerships for sustainable agricultural development has launched a bold new research initiative that aims to dramatically improve the ability of rice farmers to feed growing populations in some of the world’s poorest nations. The efforts of the Global Rice Science Partnership, or GRiSP, are expected to...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Improved Rice Availability And Reduced Environmental Impact Forecast Through New Global Rice Science PartnershipWorld’s forests can adapt to climate change, study says
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 11th, 2010
Guardian: It is generally acknowledged that a warming world will harm the world's forests. Higher temperatures mean water becomes more scarce, spelling death for plants – or perhaps not always.
According to a study of ancient rainforests, trees may be hardier than previously thought. Carlos Jaramillo, a scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), examined pollen from ancient plants trapped in rocks in Colombia and Venezuela. "There are many climactic models today suggesting that … if...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on World’s forests can adapt to climate change, study saysRunning dry? California water supply at risk
Posted by climate Watch: None Given on November 11th, 2010
climate Watch: Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the country. It's located on the Colorado River, which provides water for about 27 million people in seven states, including millions of Californians. In fact, California gets more than a trillion gallons of water from the Colorado River each year, directly from Lake Mead via the Colorado River Aqueduct which snakes across the desert. Eighteen million people in Southern California are dependent on the Colorado for 40% of their water. And for some agricultural...