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Archive for July, 2012
United Kingdom: MPs raise prospect of businesses paying for “ecosystem services”
Posted by BusinessGreen: Will Nichols on July 17th, 2012
BusinessGreen: Ministers who have given a "false impression" of the effect of environmental legislation have undermined the "laudable aim" of including the value of natural capital in government decision-making, a committee of MPs will say today.
More than a year on from the publication of the Natural Environment White Paper, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) accuses Defra of failing to set out how it plans to deliver its commitment to ensure the services nature provides are incorporated...
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Comments Off on United Kingdom: MPs raise prospect of businesses paying for “ecosystem services”Worst drought since 1956 shrivels corn, soy crops
Posted by Reuters: Sam Nelson on July 17th, 2012
Reuters: An expanding drought, now deemed the worst since 1956, dealt another blow to the corn crop, with conditions deteriorating for a second straight week in the world's top exporter of the grain, government data showed on Monday.
There were signs that the drought, which has been centered in the Midwest, was expanding north and west, putting more crops at risk including in states like Nebraska where large tracts of cropland are irrigated by groundwater and rivers.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric...
Drought of 2012 worst since 1956: NOAA
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 16th, 2012
Reuters: The drought scorching the Midwest is spanning 55 percent of the contiguous United States and is the worst since 1956, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a report posted on its website on Monday. The agency said based on the Palmer Drought Index, the 55 percent coverage was the largest since December 1956 when 58 percent of the contiguous United States was in moderate to extreme drought.
Why extreme heat follows dry spells
Posted by OurAmazingPlanet: Douglas Main on July 16th, 2012
OurAmazingPlanet: If it's been dry, it's more likely to get extremely hot, a new study suggests.
Around the world, long dry spells significantly increase the likelihood that there will be an above-average number of extremely hot summer days, according to a study published in the July 16 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The result could help predict extreme heat more than a month into the future, said study author Sonia Seneviratne, a researcher at ETH Zurich in Switzerland....
US faces worst drought since 1956
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 16th, 2012
BBC: The US is currently suffering its widest drought since 1956, according to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
On Monday, NOAA reported that by the end of June 55% of the continental US was in a moderate to extreme drought.
Crops including corn and soybeans have been hit by the dry conditions, and several states have seen wildfires.
High temperatures across much of the country in June contributed to the spread of the drought.
As much as 80% of the...
Alaskan Salmon Evolve Along With the Climate
Posted by New York Times: Nicholas Bakalar on July 16th, 2012
New York Times: Alaskan salmon are apparently evolving to adapt to climate change. Researchers have suspected that temperature-driven changes in migration and reproduction behaviors — which have happened in many species — may be evidence of natural selection at work. Now there is genetic evidence to confirm the hypothesis. For their study, published online last week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the scientists studied Alaska pink salmon in a small stream near Juneau where there have been complete daily...
Nebraska farms told to halt irrigation as drought drains rivers
Posted by Reuters: Karl Plume on July 16th, 2012
Reuters: More than 1,100 farmers in Nebraska have been ordered by the state's Department of Natural Resources to halt irrigation of their crops because the rivers from which they draw water have dropped due to a worsening drought.
The orders come as the central United States is enduring the worst drought in a quarter century, which has parched corn and soybean crops and sent prices of both commodities to near-record highs.
As of Friday, orders had been sent to a total of 1,106 farmers in the country's...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Nebraska farms told to halt irrigation as drought drains riversFire at Keystone’s pipe maker has no impact on pipeline
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 16th, 2012
Reuters: Pipeline producer Welspun Corp Ltd said on Monday that a weekend fire at its Arkansas plant would not affect shipment of pipe to construct the controversial Keystone oil pipeline.
"The fire will have no impact on Keystone XL pipe deliveries," said Dave Delie, president of Welspun's Little Rock operations.
"The pipe is all produced and ready to be shipped. It will ship when requested by TransCanada."
TransCanada's Keystone XL line was originally planned to carry 700,000 barrels per day of...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Fire at Keystone’s pipe maker has no impact on pipelineBangladesh: Experts seek ways to avert water crisis in Dhaka
Posted by AlertNet: Syful Islam on July 16th, 2012
AlertNet: Bangladesh's water experts are forecasting a water crisis in the country's capital, due to its rapidly rising population and overdependence on underground water which is being depleted at an alarming rate.
According to the World Bank, Dhaka is fast becoming one of the world's largest cities, with its population of nearly 14 million expected to rise to 22-25 million by 2020.
"Every day new buildings are rising up and people from the countryside are pouring (in) here, but no new water sources...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Bangladesh: Experts seek ways to avert water crisis in DhakaJapan: Over 100,000 Protest Nuclear Restart in Tokyo
Posted by Common Dreams: None Given on July 16th, 2012
Common Dreams: Over 100,000 protesters took to the streets in central Tokyo on Monday to protest the country's return to nuclear power. The demonstration was one of the largest of its kind since Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced that the country would restart its nuclear reactors last month.
Protest organizers estimated the crowd at 170,000 people. Demonstrators marched through the streets in Tokyo's record setting heat chanting: "Don't resume nuclear power operation. Prime Minister (Yoshihiko) Noda should...