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Archive for January 22nd, 2013
Obama stalls for time after Nebraska approves Keystone XL oil pipeline
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 22nd, 2013
Guardian: Barack Obama has ducked a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, a key environmental issue, just one day after delivering a stirring call to action on climate change.
In the first test of Obama's renewed commitment to climate, the administration said on Tuesday it was putting off until April a decision on the project, which is designed to pump crude oil from the Alberta tar sands to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. Meanwhile, the White House told reporters that climate change was just "one of...
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Groups Demand Fracking Chemical Info
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on January 22nd, 2013
EcoWatch: In an effort to help protect the public from exposure to toxic chemicals, the Powder River Basin Resource Council, Wyoming Outdoor Council, Earthworks and Center for Effective Government (formerly OMB Watch) went to court today to ask a judge to require the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (WOGCC) to disclose information about chemicals used during the controversial oil and gas development process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
Under regulations approved in 2010, Wyoming...
State Department delays Keystone pipeline decision
Posted by Reuters: Timothy Gardner and Andrew Quinn on January 22nd, 2013
Reuters: The Obama administration has delayed a decision on TransCanada Corp's rerouted Keystone XL oil pipeline until after March, even though Nebraska's governor on Tuesday approved a plan for part of the line running through his state.
"We don't anticipate being able to conclude our own review before the end of the first quarter of this year," said Victoria Nuland, a spokeswoman at the State Department, which had previously said it would make a decision by that deadline.
She said the department would...
Unprecedented Glacial Melting In Andes Blamed On Global Warming
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 22nd, 2013
RedOrbit: Only four months ago and a continent away, researchers were looking into the varying degrees of ice accumulation and ablation within the Himalayan glacial system. In that report, published by the National Research Council (NRC), the team concluded that glacial melt could pose significant issues for the native populations that depend on the water runoff from these glaciers for their day-to-day lives.
An international team of scientists from Europe, South America and the U.S. has turned its focus...
Cancer-Causing Chemicals Used in 34 Percent of Reported Fracking Operations
Posted by EcoWatch: David Manthos on January 22nd, 2013
EcoWatch: Recognized carcinogens are used in one of every three hydraulic fracturing operations across the nation--according to industry self-reporting. Independent analysis of the SkyTruth Fracking Chemical Database by IT professional David Darling found that 9,310 individual fracking operations conducted between January 2011 and September 2012 disclosed the use of at least one known carcinogen.
While not all hydraulic fracturing operations or all chemicals used in the process are disclosed by the drilling...
Climate change melting glaciers in the Andes
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 22nd, 2013
Mongabay: Glaciers are melting faster than ever in the tropical Andes, warns a new study published in The Cryosphere, which puts the blame for vanishing glaciers squarely on climate change. The study - the most comprehensive to date - found that since the 1970s glacier melt in the region has been speeding up, threatening freshwater supplies in Peru and Bolivia.
"The ongoing recession of Andean glaciers will become increasingly problematic for regions depending on water resources supplied by glacierised...
Is Obama Finally Serious About Climate Change?
Posted by Mother Jones: Kevin Drum on January 22nd, 2013
Mother Jones: President Obama was much more direct about the impact of climate change than usual in his inaugural address yesterday:
We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult....
Obama’s climate change vow will be quickly tested
Posted by Salon: Natasha Lennard on January 22nd, 2013
Salon: President Obama in his Inaugural address Monday vowed to "respond to the threat of climate change." After climate change remained a largely untouched subject during his presidential campaign, environmentalists were pleased by the prominence environmental issues held in Obama`s speech. On Sunday night, in a surprise appearance at the Green Ball in D.C., Joe Biden told environmental groups gathered, "Keep the faith."
However, faith in the president`s promises will meet its first serious test early...
Praise for Obama’s focus on climate, warnings about Canada pipeline
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 22nd, 2013
Associated Press: Environmental groups hailed President Barack Obama's warning about climate change, but said the president's words will soon be tested as he decides whether to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast.
Obama pledged in his inaugural speech Monday to respond to what he called the threat of climate change, saying that "failure to do so would betray our children and future generations."
By singling out climate change, Obama indicated a willingness to take on an issue that...
In Kentucky’s coal country, a resentment for Obama
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on January 22nd, 2013
National Public Radio: If the voters in Louisa, Ky., had their wish, Mitt Romney would have taken the oath of office Monday. Louisa is in eastern Kentucky, and "coal" was the one-word issue in the election. President Obama is seen as an enemy of coal mining and he got only 27 percent of the vote in the county.
And now comes word that Louisa is going to lose its biggest industry - a power generating plant that's been burning coal since 1962.
Stand outside the courthouse in Louisa, a small town of 2,000 people, and...