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Archive for January 18th, 2013
Vietnam and Cambodia hit back at landmark Laos dam
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 18th, 2013
Reuters: Vietnam urged Laos to halt construction of a $3.5 billion hydropower dam pending further study, environmental activists said on Friday after a meeting of the Mekong River Commission.
The activists said Cambodia, also downriver from the Xayaburi dam, accused Laos during heated discussions on Wednesday and Thursday of failing to consult on the project.
The dam in northern Laos, the first of 11 planned for the lower Mekong river running through Southeast Asia, threatens the livelihood of tens...
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Extreme weather forces Sri Lankans to rethink rice farming
Posted by AlertNet: Amantha Perera on January 18th, 2013
AlertNet: The year's end is usually a good time for wholesale rice suppliers in Sri Lanka. Customers are busy stocking up, particularly in wealthier urban areas like the capital, Colombo.
But for two years running now, some suppliers have struggled to keep enough rice on hand as the year draws to a close. Changing weather patterns -- including droughts and flooding, and at times both in one year -- mean supplies are increasingly uncertain.
"The weather has been so fickle that paddy harvests keep going...
Floods ease in Indonesian capital, thousands left homeless
Posted by Reuters: Fergus Jensen on January 18th, 2013
Reuters: Severe floods in Jakarta eased on Friday, a day after unusually heavy monsoon rains swamped parts of the Indonesian capital in waist-deep water and left more than 18,000 people homeless.
However, authorities warned of more rain and disruptions in the city of about 10 million people after Thursday's floods killed six people and turned Jakarta's main thoroughfare into a stream of red mud.
Other main roads were still full of water and choked with traffic on Friday as commuters struggled to return...
‘Green’ Approaches to Water Gaining Ground Around World
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 18th, 2013
Inter Press Service: After Hurricane Sandy swept through the northeast of the United States late October 2012, millions of New Yorkers were left for days without electricity. But they still had access to drinking water, thanks to New York City`s reliance on protected watershed areas for potable water.
Instead of using electric-powered water treatment plans, New York City brings its high-quality drinking water through aqueducts connected to protected areas in the nearby Catskill/Delaware forests and wetlands - just...
Australia: Sydney bakes in hottest day ever
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 18th, 2013
BBC: The Australian city of Sydney is experiencing its hottest day on record, with temperatures reaching nearly 46C.
A temperature of 45.8C was recorded at Observatory Hill in the city at 14:55 local time (01:55 GMT).
Some areas in the wider Sydney region were even hotter, with the town of Penrith, to the west, registering a temperature of 46.5C.
In Victoria state, one man has been killed by a bushfire, one of dozens raging across southern Australia.
State police said the body of the man,...
Industrial Pollution is Disaster in Waiting
Posted by Observer: Maurice Enenu on January 18th, 2013
Observer: Pollution is quickly becoming a devastating phenomenon and normally has diverse effects on people, the environment and all living creatures, both in the short and long run. I will look at some of the pollution catastrophes that continue to wreak havoc in several countries around the world. Much of the pollution mayhem is attributed to various man-made causes, including, but not limited to, issues ranging from system failures of extraction companies, accidents caused by natural factors and poor industrial...
Is ‘Wild West’ Era for Fracking Coming to an End?
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 18th, 2013
New York Times: While in Washington to run a panel at an invaluable conference on disasters and the environment this week, I spent a few minutes in a studio to discuss the issues and opportunities surrounding hydraulic fracturing for natural gas (and oil) on the Current TV show The War Room, hosted by Jennifer Granholm, the former governor of Michigan.
I describe my recent posts on ways to identify gas leaks or prove - one way or the other - if water contamination came from a particular well. We talked about...
Obama’s missing priority: climate change
Posted by Chicago Sun-Times: Editorial on January 18th, 2013
Chicago Sun-Times: The early focus of President Barack Obama’s second term, which begins next week, is taking shape. The fiscal mess tops his agenda, along with gun control and immigration reform.
All important topics, ones demanding action. But the list is incomplete.
In the early days of Obama’s second term, which is when presidents have the best shot at success, expectations are low that we’ll see movement on climate change.
Here’s the problem: Global warming can’t and won’t wait.
The planet is growing...