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Archive for July 5th, 2013
Illegal palm oil from an Indonesian national park used by Asian Agri, Wilmar, WWF report says
Posted by Mongabay: Diana Parker on July 5th, 2013
Mongabay: Illegal palm oil expansion inside Indonesia’s Tesso Nilo National Park is threatening protected forests and the reputation of two companies who claim to be sources of sustainably-produced palm oil, says a new WWF-Indonesia report.
In its June 26 report, “Palming Off a National Park,” WWF-Indonesia found that over 52,000 hectares of natural forests in the area have already been illegally converted into palm oil plantations. And fruits from the illegal plantations have made their way into the supply...
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How climate change affected the Arizona wildfire
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 5th, 2013
Associated Press: There's a dangerous but basic equation behind the killer Yarnell Hill, Arizona wildfire and other blazes raging across the West this summer: More heat, more drought, more fuel and more people in the way are adding up to increasingly ferocious fires.
Scientists say a hotter planet will only increase the risk.
More than two dozen wildland fires are burning from Alaska to New Mexico, fueled by triple-digit temperatures and arid conditions. In the Arizona mountain town of Yarnell, a blaze apparently...
Climate change turning desert green
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 5th, 2013
ABC: New research shows that global warming is turning the far west desert green.
Findings by the CSIRO reveal that rising levels of carbon dioxide make plants in arid regions like Broken Hill grow bigger leaves.
Research scientist Dr Randall Donohue says outback foliage initially expands to trap more water during dry periods.
He says the process is extended when increased levels of carbon dioxide actually begin to fertilise the plants.
"CO2 is needed by plants, it's a main source of food...
Amateur Fishing Threatening Rare Dolphin Population in New Zealand
Posted by Nature World News: None Given on July 5th, 2013
Nature World News: Hector's dolphin is an endangered species of dolphins that's native to New Zealand and according o a new study, its population is declining due to amateur fishing in its habitat.
Akaroa harbor near Christchurch is a hotspot for tourists wanting to catch a glimpse of the dolphins or go swimming with them. However, in recent years fishing has led to many dolphins being caught in nylon fishing nets.
Hector's dolphins are the smallest and rarest dolphins in the world. The dolphin can fit in an...
Sacked French Environment Minister blames fracking push
Posted by BusinessGreen: None Given on July 5th, 2013
BusinessGreen: The fallout from the firing of French Environment Minister Delphine Batho earlier this week has escalated, with the ousted minister accusing the shale gas and nuclear industries of contributing to her downfall.
In a press conference yesterday, Batho told reporters that the "battle crystallised notably on the question of shale gas and more discreetly on the reduction of nuclear in France." In comments reported by the Bloomberg news agency she added that "these forces that I am talking about wanted...
Canadians lobby Congress on climate change
Posted by Toronto Star: None Given on July 5th, 2013
Toronto Star: Under a toasty summer sun last week in Washington, President Barack Obama peeled off his jacket and mopped the sweat off his brow, as if to accentuate the reason for his speech at Georgetown University: the world is getting hotter. And with that visual and his words, Obama laid out his plan of action to deal with climate change, which involves ramping up emissions rules on new and existing power plants.
At that very moment, a few miles away on Capitol Hill, I was preparing to meet with the energy...
UK must act to save $500 bln of oil, North Sea firms say
Posted by Reuters: Claire Milhench on July 5th, 2013
Reuters: Britain must get tough with major oil firms that prevent smaller producers from getting access to platforms and pipelines, or risk leaving as much as $500 billion worth of oil in the ground, North Sea oil companies say. Output from the North Sea has been in steep decline as mature fields are exhausted and global firms such as BP and Shell focus on more promising projects elsewhere. But there is still oil under the sea bed that a host of smaller operators is keen to extract, and Britain's cash-strapped...
Arizona wildfire that killed 19 is 80 percent contained
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 5th, 2013
Reuters: An Arizona wildfire that killed 19 firefighters is 80 percent contained, though hundreds of evacuated residents are still unable to return home, fire officials said on Thursday.
More than 600 firefighters had dug trenches to control the 8,400-acre (3,400-hectare) blaze and it is expected to be contained by noon on July 12, the Arizona State Forestry Division said in an online status report.
Authorities are allowing some residents evacuated from their homes to return, it said.
The 19 men...
Natural Gas Finds a Friend in US Climate Policy
Posted by CNBC: Javier E. David on July 5th, 2013
CNBC: The White House's renewed push on climate change may have an unintended consequence--sparking new demand for natural gas, which is fast becoming a staple in creating electric power.
Last week, President Barack Obama gave a speech that unveiled a broad array of new initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and buttress alternative energy. According to many observers, those new rules could come at a cost to coal plants--one of the culprits behind greenhouse gases, and integral to generating electricity....
Experts: Expect bigger, fiercer wildfires in West
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 5th, 2013
Associated Press: There's a dangerous but basic equation behind the killer Yarnell Hill wildfire and other blazes raging across the West this summer: More heat, more drought, more fuel and more people in the way are adding up to increasingly ferocious fires.
Scientists say a hotter planet will only increase the risk.
More than two dozen wildland fires are burning from Alaska to New Mexico, fueled by triple-digit temperatures and arid conditions. In the Arizona mountain town of Yarnell, a blaze apparently sparked...