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Archive for August 28th, 2012
Supreme Court of Brazil allows developers to continue construction of Belo Monte dam
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 28th, 2012
Agence France-Presse: Brazil's Supreme Court has approved the resumption of work on the huge Belo Monte dam in the Amazon, which was halted earlier this month after protests from indigenous groups.
The preliminary ruling on Monday overturns an earlier ruling that ordered construction of the dam across the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon, to be stopped until indigenous peoples can testify before Congress.
However, the decision by Supreme Court President Carlos Ayres Britto could be revised when the court examines...
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One extinction leads to another…and another
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 28th, 2012
Mongabay: A new study in Biology Letters demonstrates that altering the relationship between a predator and its prey can cause wide-ranging ripple effects through an ecosystem, including unexpected extinctions.
Species help each other, directly or indirectly, which scientists refer to as mutualism or commensalism. For example, a species’ success may rely not only upon the survival of its food source, but may also indirectly rely upon the survival of more distantly related species.
To study the connections...
Japan declares its river otter extinct
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 28th, 2012
Mongabay: Japan's Ministry of the Environment today declared the Japanese river otter (Lutra lutra whiteleyi) extinct. Last seen in 1979 in the city of Susaki on the island of Shikoku, the unique subspecies was killed-off by overhunting and loss of habitat due to development.
The extinction of the Japanese river otter represents another loss in Japan's endemic mammal. Already the nation has seen the extinction two wolves, two bats, and a sea lion: the Honshu wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax) and the Hokkaido...
Obama warns of flooding from Tropical Storm Isaac
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 28th, 2012
Reuters: President Barack Obama warned residents of the Gulf Coast on Tuesday that there could be significant flooding from Tropical Storm Isaac and encouraged people to evacuate if instructed by authorities to do so. "As we prepare for Isaac to hit, I want to encourage all residents of the Gulf Coast to listen to your local officials and follow their directions, including if they tell you to evacuate," Obama said at the White House before departing on a two-day campaign trip. "Now is not the time to tempt...
Forest fire forces evacuation west of Madrid – video
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 28th, 2012
Guardian: Terrified residents are forced to leave their homes west of Madrid to escape a forest fire. Up to 2,000 people were evacuated, and local roads closed. Authorities say they believe the fire may have been started deliberately by several people working together. Firefighters say they believe the fire can be brought under control
Isaac a blessing and a curse for U.S. farmers
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 28th, 2012
Reuters: Torrential rain and flooding from Tropical Storm Isaac will bring relief to a large chunk of drought-stricken cropland but will stall early harvest of corn, soybeans and rice, an agricultural meteorologist said on Tuesday.
Isaac was near hurricane force as it bore down on the northern U.S. Gulf Coast. It was expected to make landfall in the New Orleans area, seven years after the city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
"It will barrel first into southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi...
Vedanta shares slide as protest groups descend on AGM
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 28th, 2012
Guardian: Shares in controversial miner Vedanta Resources are continuing their recent slump with the stock among the day's worst performers as shareholders prepare for yet another turbulent annual shareholder meeting this afternoon.
The group's shares are trading down 20.5p at 904.4p - meaning they have lost around 8% in a week - as campaign groups ranging from Amnesty International, Survival International, London Mining Network and Foil Vedanta prepare to stage a series of protests in front of the group's...
Arctic ice cap shrinks to smallest area ever
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 28th, 2012
Independent: The news that came yesterday should be, environmental campaigners said, a global wake-up call. The ice cap covering the top of the world is now smaller than it has been at any point since scientists started to measure it precisely from space.
Satellite data released last night show that the sea ice floating on the Arctic Ocean has reached a record low, retreating further than it has done since detailed records began more than 30 years ago.
The US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Boulder,...
Judge overturns suspension of Brazil’s Belo Monte dam
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 28th, 2012
Reuters: A Brazilian judge said on Monday construction could resume on the controversial $13 billion Belo Monte dam in the Amazon, alleviating concerns that key work would not be done ahead of the rainy season.
The judge overturned an order by a lower court that had suspended work last week but still has to consider the merits of the case.
The lower court had called for an immediate halt to construction after years of high-profile criticism. The likes of Hollywood director James Cameron and the Inter-American...
Watching Over The Ocean In Kailua, Hawaii
Posted by National Public Radio: Linton Weeks on August 28th, 2012
National Public Radio: Some may see the efforts of Hui o Ko'olaupoko as just a drop in the bucket, but the bucket is the Pacific Ocean and arguably every drop is important to the health of the whole planet.
HOK works with landowners in Windward Oahu to improve and conserve threatened land and to restore the watershed. So far this year, 1,150 volunteers have logged 2,947 volunteer hours.
One of the group's biggest challenges, says Executive Director Todd Cullison, is "showing measurable changes in water quality. We...