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Archive for October 20th, 2012
The Energy Rush: After the Boom in Natural Gas
Posted by New York Times: Clifford Krauss and Eric Lipton on October 20th, 2012
New York Times: THE crew of workers fought off the blistering Louisiana sun, jerking their wrenches to tighten the fat hoses that would connect their cement trucks to the Chesapeake Energy drill rig — one of the last two rigs the company is still using to drill for natural gas here in the Haynesville Shale. At its peak, Chesapeake ran 38 rigs in the region. All told, it has sunk more than 1,200 wells into the Haynesville, a gas-rich vein of dense rock that straddles Louisiana and Texas. Fed by a gold-rush mentality...
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Fears grow over Conservatives’ links to fossil fuel lobbyists
Posted by Guardian: Jamie Doward and Toby Helm on October 20th, 2012
Guardian: Government backing for new forms of gas extraction such as "fracking" are coming under acute scrutiny, after a sacked energy minister warned against "betting the farm" on them and green groups expressed alarm at links between the fossil fuel lobby and the Tories.
An Observer investigation has established that energy trading giant Vitol, whose boss has given more than £500,000 to the Conservatives, has emerged as a major shareholder in a company bringing "hydraulic fracturing", commonly known as...
Despite 2012 algae break feds invest in longterm Great Lakes controls
Posted by Great Lakes Echo: David Poulson on October 20th, 2012
Great Lakes Echo: Is it a political risk for an administration to spend nearly $6 million during an election year on a near-shore issue that was practically non-existent that same summer? Not when that issue is Great Lakes algae. The Obama administration spread about half that sum, or $3 million, among seven Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant recipients in Ohio and nearly as much to four in Michigan, mostly for nutrient-reduction projects aimed to help reduce algae. The administration’s support for addressing...
Oklahoma dust storm shuts down portion of Interstate 35
Posted by Associated Press: Justin Juozapavicius on October 20th, 2012
Associated Press: A massive dust storm swirling reddish-brown clouds over northern Oklahoma triggered a multi-vehicle accident along a major interstate Thursday, forcing police to shut down part of the heavily traveled roadway amid near blackout conditions.
In a scene reminiscent of the Dust Bowl days, choking dust suspended on strong wind gusts shrouded Interstate 35, which links Dallas and Oklahoma City to Kansas City, Mo. Video from television station helicopters showed the four-lane highway virtually disappearing...
Reports: Marcellus reserves larger than expected
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on October 20th, 2012
Associated Press: There's been plenty of debate over the Marcellus Shale natural gas field, but new research adds a twist that could impact political and environmental battles. Two independent financial firms say the Marcellus isn't just the biggest natural gas field in the country -- it's the cheapest place for energy companies to drill.
One of the reports adds that the Marcellus reserves that lie below parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and New York are far larger than recent government estimates, while...
Frack Free Colorado—Choose Your Future Oct. 23
Posted by EcoWatch: Frack Free Colorado on October 20th, 2012
EcoWatch: A rapidly growing list of business and environmental leaders, non-profits and entertainers are joining forces to fight against hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” in Colorado. On Oct. 23, at Civic Park on Capitol Hill in Denver, a coalition called Frack Free Colorado will draw attention to the dangers of fracking and call for a concrete plan to move the state of Colorado away from natural gas and other dirty extractive industries and toward a renewable energy economy.
“As Coloradans, we feel that...
The New Oil and Gas Boom
Posted by Time: Fareed Zakaria on October 20th, 2012
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Monday, Oct. 29, 2012 The New Oil and Gas Boom By Fareed Zakaria
In their second debate, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney began with a spirited discussion on energy, during which they both agreed on the goal of making America more energy independent. This has been part of presidential rhetoric since Richard Nixon declared energy independence his Administration's aim. As it happens, regardless of who is elected President, a tidal shift is taking place in energy...
United States: Candidates have real chance to talk about climate change
Posted by Sun-Sentinel: None Given on October 20th, 2012
Sun-Sentinel: Many years of hard work, planning, and cooperation among local governments is coming to fruition for the citizens of southeast Florida, as four county commissions, partners to the Southeast Florida Climate Change Compact, will soon consider and vote on a Regional Climate Action Plan for addressing the regional impacts of climate change.
Rather than focusing on partisan differences, elected leaders and county staff within Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties have pooled expertise,...
‘CBD has lost its track’
Posted by Down to Earth: M Suchitra on October 20th, 2012
Down to Earth: Bolivia is one of the few countries that has consistently been opposing treating biodiversity as a commodity at the ongoing Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity at Hyderabad. It has raised its voice against pro-market approaches in implementing the Strategic Plan and Aichi Targets of CBD. Even during the high-level ministerial segment of CoP 11, Bolivia did not leave any room for guessing while expressing its views. Diego Pacheco, head of the Bolivian delegation, explained his...