Archive for March 4th, 2011

BP oil spill may be responsible for dolphin deaths

Guardian: Scientists are investigating whether the BP oil disaster, an extreme cold snap, or even a case of the measles has killed nearly 90 bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. Since the start of the year, 87 bottlenose dolphins have washed up on the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and along the Florida panhandle, Kim Amendola, a spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. That's about 12 times higher than typical strandings at this time of year. Forty-six...

Despite Failing Scores From Interest Group, House GOP Freshmen Defend Environmental Credentials

Greenwire: Don't let their interest group ratings fool you: Some freshman House Republicans care deeply about the environment. After he learned that the League of Conservation Voters had awarded him a zero out of a 100 percent for his vote last month on H.R. 1, the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through Sept. 30, Rep. Steve Southerland of Florida echoed a protest heard from several freshmen about being rated for a vote. Southerland said that while he cares a lot about the environment, "right...

Peru proposes law to ground wildcat mining tools

Reuters: Days after a clash between wildcat miners and police left two dead in eastern Peru, the country's Environment Minister has proposed a law banning dredging equipment used to extract gold from the Amazon river basin. The law proposed on Thursday aiming "to protect the environment and public health" in Amazonia will likely be debated in Congress next week. It is the latest phase of an assault on illegal mining launched just months before President Alan Garcia's term ends. Earlier this month, the...

China’s dams will cause more problems

Guardian: In 2007, China became the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. Since then, not only the EU and the US, but also developing nations such as the alliance of small island states have put the government in Beijing under pressure to adopt binding emission cuts. At the 2009 climate summit in Copenhagen, China announced that it would reduce its carbon intensity – the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of economic output – by at least 40% by 2020. Achieving this ambitious goal has become...

Rising CO2 is causing plants to release less water to the atmosphere, researchers say

Science Centric: As carbon dioxide levels have risen during the last 150 years, the density of pores that allow plants to breathe has dwindled by 34 percent, restricting the amount of water vapour the plants release to the atmosphere, report scientists from Indiana University Bloomington and Utrecht University in the Netherlands in an upcoming issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (now online). In a separate paper, also to be published by PNAS, many of the same scientists describe a model...

Brazilian beef – greater impact on the environment than we realise

Science Centric: Increased export of Brazilian beef indirectly leads to deforestation in the Amazon. New research from Chalmers and SIK that was recently published in Environmental Science and Technology shows that impact on the climate is much greater than current estimates indicate. The researchers are now demanding that indirect effect on land be included when determining a product's carbon footprint. 'If this aspect is not taken into consideration, there is a risk of the wrong signals being sent to policy...

New study to look at economics, groundwater use of bioenergy feedstocks

Science Centric: Biofuel feedstock production in the Texas High Plains could significantly change the crop mix, which could affect regional income and groundwater consumption, according to Texas AgriLife Research and Texas AgriLife Extension Service economists. Dr Steve Amosson, AgriLife Extension economist in Amarillo, and Dr Seong Park, AgriLife Research economist in Vernon, are joining other economists to model the socio-economic effects of climate change on the Ogallala Aquifer. The project, Economics and...

Antarctic ice sheet built from the bottom up and not just by snow falling on top, claim climate change scientists

Daily Mail: Some of the Antarctic ice sheet is formed by water re-freezing from below not just by snow falling on top as was traditionally thought, a study claims. Scientists, who unveiled their findings yesterday, believe their research will help them project the effects of climate change. Experts are seeking to understand the frozen continent since even a small thaw could swamp low-lying coastal areas and cities. Antarctica contains enough ice to raise world sea levels by about 57metres if it ever...

Activist found guilty of making false bids on energy leases

Guardian: An environmental activist was on Thursday found guilty on two felony charges after he disrupted a government auction of land for oil and gas exploration. Tim DeChristopher's sentence will be decided on 23 June but is unlikely to face the full potential 10-year sentence, the prosecutor said. Outside the courthouse, DeChristopher told press and supporters: "We know now that I will have to go to prison. If we are to achieve our vision, many more will have to join me." Asked by one reporter whether...

Super rice is flood/drought-proof

BBC: Rice is the staple food for about half of the world's population Continue reading the main story A gene that increases a rice plant's resistance to floods also boosts its ability to recover from droughts, a study has shown. Researchers found that the gene, Sub1A, allowed to plants to survive by growing fresh shoots after a period of drought. Rice is the primary food for three billion people, and more than 25% the world's harvest is grown in areas that experience extreme weather conditions....