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Archive for February 22nd, 2013
Keystone XL decision will define Barack Obama’s legacy on climate change
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 22nd, 2013
Guardian: Very few of us have the opportunity in life to look forward to our legacy. However, sometimes events occur that we just know will shape how history will judge us.
One of those events is about to happen to President Barack Obama. This year, his administration is expected to make a decision on whether to allow the construction of a massive pipeline that would be used to export tar sands from Alberta, Canada. The so-called Keystone XL pipeline would essentially bisect the United States to bring the...
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Climate change costs are hitting home
Posted by Hunterdon County Democrat: Editorial on February 22nd, 2013
Hunterdon County Democrat: PSE&G wants to spend a staggering $4 billion over the next decade to harden its electric and gas systems against the impact of severe storms like Sandy and Irene, a sum that works out to about $500 per person in New Jersey.
"This is a cost of climate change, pure and simple," says Jeanne Fox, a commissioner on the Board of Public Utilities, which oversees the utilities.
It`s a pity we cannot send the entire bill to the flat-earthers who are willfully deaf to the chorus of warnings from the...
1.5C Rise in Temperature Enough to Start Permafrost Melt, Scientists Warn
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 22nd, 2013
Guardian: A global temperature rise of 1.5C would be enough to start the melting of permafrost in Siberia, scientists warned on Thursday.
Any widespread thaw in Siberia's permanently frozen ground could have severe consequences for climate change. Permafrost covers about 24% of the land surface of the northern hemisphere, and widespread melting could eventually trigger the release of hundreds of gigatonnes of carbon dioxide and methane, which would have a massive warming effect.
However, any such melting...
Groups Flock to White House to Talk ‘Fracking’ Rules
Posted by The Hill: Megan R. Wilson on February 22nd, 2013
The Hill: Environmental advocates and representatives from the oil-and-gas industry are flocking to the White House following the submission of a draft rule that would govern the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing on public lands.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in January pulled a long-awaited proposed rule to regulate hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking,” after receiving a flood of public comments and push-back from industry. A new draft was sent to the White House on Jan. 22,...
New Study to Examine Health Impact of Alberta Oil Sands
Posted by Edmonton Journal: Marty Klinkenberg on February 22nd, 2013
Edmonton Journal: An independent study will soon be launched into the health effects of the oilsands on nearby communities.
Partially funded by the provincial and federal governments, the study will be overseen by University of Calgary sociology professor Cora Voyageur and will re-examine cancer rates in Fort Chipewyan, a native community about 220 kilometres north of Fort McMurray.
Links to other health issues, including autism, will also be explored as researchers try to determine if contaminants from industrial...
Protesters Demonstrate Against Planned Tar Sands Mine in Eastern Utah
Posted by Salt Lake Tribune: David Montero on February 22nd, 2013
Salt Lake Tribune: More than 100 protesters pounded drums, marched in a circle and decried a proposed fuel-producing tar sands mine in eastern Utah -- drawing curious onlookers under the dome of the state Capitol Thursday evening.
The demonstration wasn’t aimed at any particular piece of legislation but instead was focused on a planned operation between Vernal and Moab by Alberta-based U.S. Oil Sands. The Utah Division of Oil Gas and Mining gave the approval for the first stage of the mine in January. It will cover...
What Will Obama’s ‘Green Quarterback’ Mean for Keystone XL?
Posted by CBC: None Given on February 22nd, 2013
CBC: U.S. President Barack Obama is poised to nominate his "green quarterback," a longtime air quality expert who has been a champion for tougher carbon emissions standards, as head of the powerful Environmental Protection Agency.
Gina McCarthy, who currently heads the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, reportedly has the inside track to replace Lisa Jackson, who officially stepped down from the agency last week.
The 58-year-old McCarthy's ascension proves the president is serious about battling...
Deforestation, wetlands loss in Brazil and Indonesia generated 45b tons of CO2 in 20 years
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 22nd, 2013
Mongabay: The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has launched a global set of statistics on carbon emissions from deforestation, agriculture and other forms of land use for the 1990-2010 period.
The dataset, which is part of the FAO's database of statistics known as FAOSTAT, is based on FAO estimates of forest biomass, deforestation, and crop cover. The data is listed by country and region.
Unsurprisingly, the FAOSTAT GHG dataset shows that high deforestation countries generated the...
Goldfish influx threatens to cloud pristine Lake Tahoe waters
Posted by Reuters: Laila Kearney on February 22nd, 2013
Reuters: Giant goldfish have mysteriously found their way into the famously crystalline waters of Lake Tahoe, the nation's second-deepest lake, alarming researchers and raising questions about the invasive species' long-term effects.
Goldfish weighing as much as 4 pounds and measuring up to a 1-1/2 feet in length have recently been caught in Tahoe, which straddles the California-Nevada border, and scientists say the influx threatens native species while posing a potential waste pollution problem.
"These...
USDA forecasts record U.S. corn and soy, lower prices
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 22nd, 2013
Reuters: The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday projected a rebound in U.S. corn and soybean yields in 2013 that, along with high planted acreage, opens the door to record-large crops and for prices to tumble from 2012/13 levels. The USDA forecast the U.S. corn crop at 14.350 billion bushels, up 35 percent on the year, and soybean output at 3.405 billion bushels, up 13 percent. "A number of factors suggest that corn and soybean yields will be likely to return to trend," Joseph Glauber, the USDA's...