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Archive for February, 2013
Clean-air chief Gina McCarthy seen as likely pick to head EPA
Posted by LA Times: Neela Banerjee on February 16th, 2013
LA Times: President Obama is expected by environmental advocates to name Gina McCarthy, the controversial chief of the Environmental Protection Agency's air pollution arm, to head the agency.
The nomination of McCarthy, 58, who has served as the head of the EPA's clean-air division since 2009, could come as early as next week, according to officials of three environmental groups. Her boss, Lisa Jackson, left the administrator's post Thursday.
McCarthy's nomination is likely to draw fire from congressional...
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Comments Off on Clean-air chief Gina McCarthy seen as likely pick to head EPACanada: Keystone for climate: Could Obama craft a horse trade?
Posted by Fuel Fix: None Given on February 16th, 2013
Fuel Fix: President Barack Obama`s pledge to combat climate change - even as his administration weighs a verdict on the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline - has some analysts buzzing about a possible horse trade.
The possible deal could go down like this:
First, Obama`s EPA proposes greenhouse gas emission standards for existing power plants, to the delight of environmentalists who note that the largest single stationary source of pollution is from coal-fired facilities already in use.
Then, the...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Canada: Keystone for climate: Could Obama craft a horse trade?Climate change to reduce Mt. Hood snow
Posted by Portland Tribune: Samantha Sigler on February 16th, 2013
Portland Tribune: Enjoy Mount Hood skiing and snowboarding while you can -- your children and grandchildren may not get the same chance.
Oregon's winter tourism industry is imperiled by climate change and diminishing snowfall patterns, according to a recent study.
It could be that within 50 years, only the upper ski areas of Mt. Hood will be available for snow sports, says Angus Duncan, chairman of the Oregon Global Warming Commission. "If you look at some of the time-series photos of the glaciers on Mount Hood...
India: Delayed rain in India has adverse impact on crop pattern
Posted by Times of India: Arvind Singh Bisht on February 16th, 2013
Times of India: The Friday rain turned the weather pleasant, but brought enough reasons for UP farmers to get worried. Late by an average seasonal trend, these rains are associated with the phenomenon of climate change marked by a shift in the onset of winter from last week of October to December. Besides, spells of dense fog seem a thing of past, though this year has been an exception.
"Earlier, there was a long spell of dense fog and then mild winter rains had its impact on the crops", says Ram Avadh, gram...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on India: Delayed rain in India has adverse impact on crop patternObama’s climate talk may galvanize action in Canada
Posted by Globe and Mail: Jeffrey Simpson on February 16th, 2013
Globe and Mail: Consternation is the order of the day in Ottawa and Alberta. U.S. President Barack Obama has rediscovered climate change as a priority. The federal and Alberta governments have been caught flat-footed.
Neither has assigned a high priority to climate change. They assumed that, since the issue was scarcely raised in the U.S. election campaign, Mr. Obama shared their lack of enthusiasm.
Wrong. In his inaugural speech and the State of the Union address, Mr. Obama spent many paragraphs pledging...
Feds Charge Man in Fracking Wastewater Dumping Case
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on February 15th, 2013
EcoWatch: Federal prosecutors have charged a Northeast Ohio man with violating the federal Clean Water Act after dumping at least 20,000 gallons of toxic and potentially radioactive fracking wastewater into a storm drain that empties into a tributary of the Mahoning River in Youngstown, Ohio.
The U.S. Attorney`s Office announced the charge yesterday against 62-year-old Ben Lupo of Poland, Ohio. He pleaded not guilty.
"These charges today should serve as a warning to anyone that places their personal...
FDA Extends Comment Period for GE Salmon
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on February 15th, 2013
EcoWatch: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday announced that it is extending the mandatory public comment period on the approval of genetically engineered (GE) salmon. Originally scheduled to end on Feb. 25, the public comment period, with two documents available for comment in the Federal Register, will now close on April 26. The salmon would be the first GE food given the green light for human consumption. The extension is for two documents related to the approval of Massachusetts company...
Elegaic Images From North Dakota’s Boom
Posted by New York Times: Dylan Walsh on February 15th, 2013
New York Times: For Elizabeth Farnsworth, the story began when she was walking her dog at a highway rest stop off Interstate 94 in North Dakota.
"My husband and I met a trucker who was making $100,000 per year," said Ms. Farnsworth, a freelance filmmaker and special correspondent on PBS NewsHour. "That`s when I got interested in the oil boom."
In collaboration with Terry Evans, a photographer and longtime friend, Ms. Farnsworth has since made seven trips to report on the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota....
Hey, Deniers: Climate Change Has Cost Americans $200 Billion
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 15th, 2013
Yahoo!: Environmentalists have been very critical of the president for his approach to talking about climate change.
During the election, President Obama made almost no mention of climate--only making one or two references after getting mocked by his opponent, Mitt Romney.
After the election, Obama said he wanted to make climate change a top priority in his second term. That was welcome news to climate advocates. Unfortunately, at the same time, his administration dismissed any discussion of a carbon...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Hey, Deniers: Climate Change Has Cost Americans $200 BillionKeystone XL moves to centre stage of Washington political drama
Posted by Beacon News: Lee-Anne Goodman on February 15th, 2013
Beacon News: President Barack Obama`s State of the Union clarion call for action on environmental issues has put climate change at centre stage in the U.S. capital _ and the Keystone XL pipeline is once again playing the role of the villain.
As the Government Accountability Office added climate change to its list of "high risk" fiscal issues that threaten big costs to taxpayers, two liberal U.S. senators introduced legislation Thursday aimed at putting a price on carbon.
The bill from Bernie Sanders, an...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Keystone XL moves to centre stage of Washington political drama