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Archive for August 2nd, 2011
How Saving Energy Means Conserving Water in U.S. West
Posted by Daily Climate: Daniel Glick on August 2nd, 2011
Daily Climate: California likes to think of itself as being ahead of the curve. So when the state set out to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, regulators did all the right things - stringent tailpipe standards for cars, tighter codes for buildings, higher renewable energy standards for utilities. Then they took one of the most aggressive energy-saving steps of all.
They started a campaign to save water.
The link between energy and water is not always apparent, but the two are as intertwined as the hydrogen...
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Vermont finds contaminated fish as nuclear debate rages
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 2nd, 2011
Reuters: Vermont health regulators said on Tuesday they found a fish containing radioactive material in the Connecticut River near Entergy's Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant which could be another setback for Entergy to keep it running.
The state said it needs to do more testing to determine the source of the Strontium-90, which can cause bone cancer and leukemia.
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin wants the 620 megawatts reactor shut in March 2012 when its original operating license was to expire.
"Today's...
Water shortages threaten renewed conflict between Pakistan, India
Posted by AlertNet: Shahid Husain on August 2nd, 2011
AlertNet: As population growth and climate change increase competition for water around the world, India and Pakistan may find water a growing source of conflict, analysts say.
The two South Asian countries have a long history of tensions over issues as diverse as terrorist attacks and rights to Kashmir. Diplomatic initiatives have helped reduced these tensions in recent years.
But given that India and Pakistan share numerous rivers, some experts think that the issue of water supplies could lead to renewed...
Efforts to Improve Water Quality Falling Short
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 2nd, 2011
Inter Press Service: Despite increased spending on sanitation works, the water quality in rivers near large urban centers in Brazil ranges from poor to very poor. Some say the reason is the development model chosen by the South American nation.
The 2011 report on the country’s water resources by the national water regulatory agency (ANA) was received with satisfaction by the government: in terms of availability and quality, 90.6 percent of the country’s freshwater sources presented "good" results, according to report...
Hydro produces more carbon in tropics
Posted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Rachel Sullivan on August 2nd, 2011
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Not all green Hydroelectric power production is seen an important part of the renewable energy mix, but a new study challenges its green credentials in tropical regions.
Globally hydroelectricity makes up 16 per cent of the total amount of electricity produced each year, and the number of new hydroelectric power projects are steadily increasing, particularly in developing countries.
Despite concerns about their effects on wildlife, displaced local populations and changes to river flows, hydroelectricity...
United States: As Climate Warms, A Shifting Landscape for Wildlife
Posted by Yale Environment 360: Steve Zack on August 2nd, 2011
Yale Environment 360: On the Dalton Highway south of Deadhorse, on Alaska’s North Slope, two of my colleagues from the Wilderness Society and I encountered a small herd of muskox. These beasts are the quintessential resident land mammal up here, and a true relic of the Pleistocene. They look like a shag carpet that has been tossed onto a Volkswagen bug, with horns replacing the front bumper. At this time of year, they are molting yards of wool, or qiviut, as their winter coat gives way to a cooler summer dress.
The...
Green groups launch blistering attack on US debt deal
Posted by Business Green: BusinessGreen Staff on August 2nd, 2011
Business Green: The US Congress may have staved off an economic crisis by cobbling together an 11th hour deal to raise the debt ceiling, but green groups have warned that the deep budget cuts agreed as part of the compromise deal could herald a new era of environmental crisis for the country.
Voting just hours before the deadline to agree an increase to the US debt ceiling was due to lapse, leaving the government unable to pay many federal cheques, the House of Representatives voted by 269 to 161 in favour of...
Worries Over Water As Natural Gas Fracking Expands
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 2nd, 2011
National Public Radio: Drive through northern Pennsylvania and you'll see barns, cows, silos and drilling rigs perched on big, concrete pads.
Pennsylvania is at the center of a natural gas boom. New technology is pushing gas out of huge shale deposits underground. That's created jobs and wealth, but it may be damaging drinking water. That's because when you "frack," as hydraulic fracturing is called, you pump thousands of gallons of fluids underground. That cracks the shale a mile deep and drives natural gas up to the...
Somalia famine: Refugees move into Dadaab extension
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 2nd, 2011
Guardian: The UN refugee agency has begun moving displaced Somalis to a new camp extension at the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya to relieve overcrowding.
Relief groups are struggling with an influx of mainly Somali refugees fleeing drought and conflict that has left more than 12 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Some 70,000 refugees have arrived in Kenya in the last two months; 40,000 in July alone, according to UNHCR. The number of refugees at Dadaab has swelled to 440,000.
More than...
Syria’s woes paint picture of environmental migration to come
Posted by AlertNet: Jacob Park on August 2nd, 2011
AlertNet: The political turmoils in Syria, along with Egypt and other countries in the Middle East, have entangled the international community and served as a major test of global governance.
Syria's political difficulties have lead to such problems as a stream of refugees fleeing to the Turkish border, exacerbated sectarian tensions and contributed to the deterioration of human rights in the region, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
And new stories about regional security...