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Archive for April, 2011
BP faces wave of protests at shareholder meeting
Posted by Associated Press: Jane Wardell on April 14th, 2011
Associated Press: BP faced waves of protests at its shareholder meeting in London on Thursday as fishermen from the U.S. Gulf Coast complained about poor compensation for the oil spill and institutional investors claimed executive pay packets were excessive.
But the company gained some critical breathing room on another major problem -- at the last minute, it received an extension to the Thursday deadline to complete a stalled major deal in Russia.
Just ahead of the annual general meeting, BP said Russia's OAO...
Fast start to fire season as wildfires scorch Texas
Posted by Climate Central: Andrew Freedman on April 14th, 2011
Climate Central: When one thinks of wildfire-prone states, Texas may not immediately come to mind. Rather, monstrous blazes in southern California, or the mountains of Wyoming, seem more fitting. But so far this year, Texas has been ground zero for fast-moving wildfires -- more than 5,300 of them, to be exact.
Aided by moderate to strong La Niña conditions this winter, the worst drought in 45 years has turned large parts of Texas into a tinderbox, with more than one million acres burned so far, and few signs of...
Current Biofuels Policies Are Unethical
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 14th, 2011
redOrbit: Current UK and European policies on biofuels encourage unethical practices, says a report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics today following an 18-month inquiry. Policies such as the European Renewable Energy Directive are particularly weak when it comes to protecting the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and avoiding human rights violations in developing countries. They also include few incentives for the development of new biofuel technologies that could help avoid these problems....
Market doubts Brazil can sacrifice sugar for ethanol
Posted by Reuters: Inae Riveras on April 13th, 2011
Reuters: Local cane mills, world sugar markets and analysts were unmoved by the Brazilian government's threats to boost ethanol output by any means, saying ideas of a sugar export tax or credit limits would be hard to implement or ineffectual.
Brazilian ministers last week began floating early proposals for an industrial policy shift aimed at stimulating local ethanol supplies to bring down local fuel prices. Such measures, if successful, would likely redirect cane away from sugar production in a country...
Lake Superior study heats up with more sensors, more data
Posted by Duluth News Tribune: John Myers on April 13th, 2011
Duluth News Tribune: A half-hour’s cruise out of Duluth, not far off the McQuade Road boat landing, Jay Austin gave the signal to let loose his $75,000 baby.
The crew on the Blue Heron, the University of Minnesota Duluth’s 86-foot research vessel, released the cable, and the big yellow buoy, fixed with a variety of electronic equipment, was in the water, tethered to 4,200 pounds of old railroad wheels for an anchor.
The buoy immediately began sending Austin the data he was looking for: temperature in the air (along...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Lake Superior study heats up with more sensors, more dataEPA exempts milk from spill-control rules
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 13th, 2011
Reuters: The government will exempt dairy farmers in an anti-pollution regulation aimed at control of oil spills, said the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday, a step applauded by dairy producers.
EPA administrator Lisa Jackson announced the decision as part of the North American Agricultural Journalists meeting.
"That exemption is now -- today -- finished with White House review and will be published today," said Jackson.
The National Milk Producers Association, which worked for two years...
Kenya: Plant clinics help farmers battle climate-linked crop blights
Posted by AlertNet: Pius Sawa on April 13th, 2011
AlertNet: Mary Kihara pulls a sickly-looking tomato plant out of a green plastic bag. She has travelled more than 10 km from her farm to Wangige market in Kikuyu district, central Kenya. But she is not coming to sell.
Her plant is diseased, and Kihara has brought it to show to a plant doctor - a specialist trained to diagnose crop diseases and offer advice on the best treatment.
"This clinic helps a lot because when you come they tell you the medicine to buy,' said Kihara, a farmer in her 50s who owns...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Kenya: Plant clinics help farmers battle climate-linked crop blightsEnergy and water projects slashed as EPA faces 16 per cent budget cut
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 13th, 2011
Business Green: Energy and water projects slashed as EPA faces 16 per cent budget cut
Federal shutdown may have been avoided, but US environmental programmes still face tough six months
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may have avoided a government shutdown and Republican policy riders that would have halted all spending related to climate change regulations, but the organisation is still facing deep cuts to many of its green programmes under the budget agreement thrashed out late last week.
Details...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Energy and water projects slashed as EPA faces 16 per cent budget cutIndia: Water management systems reflect existing socio-economic structures: Ansari
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 13th, 2011
Asian News International: Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari today said that water management systems have traditionally reflected existing socio-economic structures and governance mechanisms.
Addressing at "India Water Forum-2011" and the "International Water Convention on Water Security and Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities" here, Ansari said: "Those formulating public policy regarding this vital resource must therefore cater to essential requirement and ensure sustainability of eco systems so that there...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on India: Water management systems reflect existing socio-economic structures: AnsariIndonesian wins international prize for river clean-up
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 13th, 2011
Reuters: A biologist who enlisted schoolchildren in his fight to clean up an Indonesian river that led to an international prize said he hoped young people will do more for the environment.
Student research into a 41 km (25 mile) stretch of the Surabaya river that flows through Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, prompted 35-year-old Prigi Arisandi into discoveries that helped him become one of six winners of this year's Goldman Environmental Prize, the world's largest award for grassroots environmentalists....