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Archive for November 3rd, 2011
South Africa: Saving Water, Money and Improving Livelihoods
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 3rd, 2011
Inter Press Service: For many months now, a hosepipe connected to a leaking cistern in Isaac Mooi's outside toilet daily pours an estimated 100 litres of wasted water into the aged sewer system of the Emfuleni Municipality, in Vanderbijlpark, south of Johannesburg.
"I have been planning to fix the leak but I do not have the money to pay for the plumbing repairs," said 77-year-old Mooi, one of many residents in Zone 13. This is an area in Emfuleni that loses water regularly.
Located in the province of Gauteng –...
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New site is a match-maker for world’s endangered frogs
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 3rd, 2011
Mongabay: A new initiative by the conservation group, Amphibian Ark, hopes to match lonely, vanishing frogs with a prince/princess to to save them. Dubbed FrogMatchMaker.com after online dating sites, the program is working to connect supporters and donors with amphibian conservation programs in need. Currently, amphibians are among the world's most imperiled species with 41 percent threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red list. "This website currently includes 48 projects in 23 countries on three...
South Africa hits record poaching of rhinos—again
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 3rd, 2011
Mongabay: Two months before the end of the year, the number of rhinos killed for their horns in South Africa has surpassed last year's breaking record, reports conservation organizations WWF and TRAFFIC. So far, 341 rhinos have been lost to poaching this year; while last year saw a total record of 333. The news follows last week's announcement that the Vietnamese rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus), a subspecies of the Javan rhino, has gone extinct-the last individual killed by a poachers' bullet. Rhinos...
Thai prime minister reassures residents in flooded areas – video
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 3rd, 2011
Reuters: Thailand's prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, says authorities will use giant sandbags to stabilise water levels, but some people may have to adjust to using boats instead of cars. Meanwhile, residents of central Bangkok prepare for the possibility of flooding as the government races to defend the city's business areas
Climate change effect on California delta is detailed in new study
Posted by McClatchy: Mike Taugher on November 3rd, 2011
McClatchy: California's water problems and the ecological pressure on the West Coast's largest estuary will intensify in a warming world, according to a first-of-its-kind scientific study.
San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta will get warmer, saltier and clearer if global warming continues over the next several decades. That will increase the risk of extinction for some kinds of fish and could help unwanted species, including a toxic algae, to flourish.
Flooding is likely to be...
E.P.A. Fracking Study Due in 2014
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 3rd, 2011
New York Times: Having heard public comments at meetings across the country, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced its final research plan on the impacts of hydraulic fracturing. The initial research results will be released to the public next year, and the final report is due in 2014, the agency said.
Mass Change in Tree Species Occurring in Western North America, Study Says
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 3rd, 2011
Yale Environment 360: A huge shift in tree species is taking place across the western United States and Canada as global warming, drought, insect infestations, and fire are driving certain species out of some regions and allowing new species to take their place. Using remote sensing data, U.S and Canadian scientists analyzed the condition of 15 coniferous tree species in 34 different “eco-regions.” The study found that once-common tree species, such as lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce, are being replaced by species...
Mexico Hides Cadmium Under the Rug
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 3rd, 2011
Inter Press Service: Despite the threat cadmium poses to health and the environment, Mexico has no plan to reduce the use of the heavy metal in the production of toys and industrial products like batteries and fertiliser.
This Latin American country produces some 1,600 tons a year of cadmium and exports fertiliser, chemicals, plastics and anti-rust paints that contain the heavy metal. It is also a major importer of nickel-cadmium electric accumulators and cadmium waste and scrap.
"The million dollar question is...
Pollution To Blame For Rising Intensity Of Arabian Sea Cyclones
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 3rd, 2011
redOrbit: A recent increase in the intensity of Arabian Sea cyclones may be the result of increasing air pollution over the Indian sub-continent, according to a new multi-institutional study.
Traditionally, prevailing wind shear patterns prohibit cyclones in the Arabian Sea from becoming major storms. However, the study suggests that weakening winds have enabled the formation of stronger cyclones in recent years - including storms in 2007 and 2010 that were the first recorded storms to enter the Gulf of...
U.S. backtracks on Keystone decision this year
Posted by Calgary Herald: Sheldon Alberts on November 3rd, 2011
Calgary Herald: The U.S. State Department on Wednesday backed away from its commitment to decide on the Keystone XL oilsands pipeline by the end of 2011, opening the door to potential new delays on a project that has become a political albatross for President Barack Obama.
In a briefing with reporters, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the department still hopes to complete its review of the $7-billion pipeline by year's end. But the timeline is no longer set in stone.
"We'd like to get it...