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Archive for April 29th, 2011
Endangered tortoises delay Mojave Desert solar plant
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 29th, 2011
LA Times: The Obama administration has halted the building of two-thirds of a massive solar project in San Bernardino's Mojave Desert as a new federal assessment found that more than 600 endangered desert tortoises would die as a result of construction.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management assessment this week disputed the estimate by BrightSource Energy, developer of the 392 MW solar thermal plant, that only 38 of the reptiles would be disturbed by construction at the 5.6-square mile Ivanpah Valley site...
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Change in climate conditions could reduce GDP
Posted by Economist: Clemencia Jacobs on April 29th, 2011
Economist: Namibia will lose an estimated 6% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually due to the impact of climate change on agriculture, fisheries and nature-based tourism, according to research findings.
Therefore climate change must become a national priority and urgent measures should be put in place to mitigate its effects, said Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Minister of Environment and Tourism, in her budget speech last week.
She said her ministry has finalised the National policy on Climate Change...
Threading The Climate Needle: The Agulhas Current System
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 29th, 2011
RedOrbit: Increased Agulhas "leakage" significant player in global climate variability
The Agulhas Current which runs along the east coast of Africa may not be as well known as its counterpart in the Atlantic, the Gulf Stream. But now researchers are taking a closer look at this current and its "leakage" from the Indian Ocean into the Atlantic Ocean--and what that may mean for climate change
In results of a study published in this week's issue of the journal Nature, a team of scientists led by University...
Frog pictures for Save the Frogs Day
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 29th, 2011
Mongabay: Frog pictures for Save the Frogs Day
Red-Eyed Tree Frog in Costa Rica
Amphibians -- cold-blooded animals that include frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians -- are in big trouble. More than one third of the world's 6,500 known species are threatened with extinction, while at least 200 species have gone extinct over the past 20 years. Worryingly the outbreak of a deadly fungal disease, chytridiomycosis, is spreading throughout the tropics leaving millions of victims, adding to the onslaught...
Pigs have ‘evolved to love mud’
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 29th, 2011
BBC: It is a true picture of contentment, and now a scientist is suggesting that a pig's love of mud is more than just a way to keep cool.
A researcher in the Netherlands has looked at wallowing behaviour in pigs' wild relatives to find out more about what motivates the animals to luxuriate in sludge.
His conclusions suggest that wallowing is vital for the animals' well-being.
The study is published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science.
It is already well accepted that pigs use...
The week in wildlife – in pictures
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 29th, 2011
Guardian: From urban red-tailed hawks to mysterious humpback whales, via sunbathing turtles, here are the week's finest images from the natural world
African ocean current could boost Gulf Stream: study
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 29th, 2011
Reuters: An ocean current that flows down the east coast of Africa could strengthen a circulation pattern that brings warmth to Europe, according to a new study that challenges existing climate science.
In a study in the latest issue of the journal Nature, scientists examining the Agulhas Current found more of the current's warm, salty water was entering the southern Atlantic, whose waters are cooler and fresher.
This in turn could strengthen the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic that brings warm waters and...
Soggy fields put US farmers on a tight deadline
Posted by Reuters: Suzanne Cosgrove on April 29th, 2011
Reuters: Incessant rains have turned Indiana farmer Larry Winger's grain fields into ponds, making it impossible for him to seed his corn crop.
"Historically, we would like the work to be done by the first of May, and research shows the optimal planting time is the last week of April," said Winger, who plants half of his 2,500 acres with corn, and the other half with soybeans.
"Prospects are OK until May 10, but after May 10, we start losing bushels," he added.
Similar scenes of waterlogged fields...
Three Alaskans accused of trafficking in walrus tusks
Posted by Reuters: Yereth Rosen on April 29th, 2011
Reuters: Three Alaskans have been indicted on charges of trafficking in hundreds of pounds of walrus tusks taken from a remote Eskimo village in exchange for such items as cash, guns and marijuana, prosecutors said on Thursday.
The case against the three individuals, which also includes accusations of illegal sales of walrus bones and polar bear hides, marks Alaska's biggest case of illegal trafficking in wildlife contraband in years, said Yvonne Lamoureux, an assistant U.S. attorney.
Jesse Leboeuf...
Tornadoes and storms rip South, at least 295 dead
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 29th, 2011
Reuters: Tornadoes and violent storms ripped through seven Southern states, killing at least 295 people and causing billions of dollars of damage in some of the deadliest twisters in U.S. history.
President Barack Obama described the loss of life as "heartbreaking" and called the damage to homes and businesses "nothing short of catastrophic." He promised strong federal support for rebuilding.
Over several days this week, the powerful tornadoes -- more than 160 reported in total -- combined with storms...