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Archive for August 14th, 2013
Namibia drought: one in three at risk of malnutrition
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 14th, 2013
Guardian: One in three people in Namibia is at risk of malnutrition, the UN has warned, as the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa endures its worst drought for a generation.
The government declared a state of emergency after the failure of crops in May and pledged $20m (£13m) of relief for the worst-hit households. The Kunene region in the north has had no rain for two years, and families have been forced to sell livestock and migrate to cities in search of work.
After a summer lacking rains and a...
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United Kingdom: Cuadrilla signals it is ‘unlikely’ to pursue Balcombe oil
Posted by BusinessGreen: None Given on August 14th, 2013
BusinessGreen: Cuadrilla is "unlikely" to convert its controversial oil exploration site in Balcombe into a full production site, according to BBC reports.
The broadcaster today reported the company is unconvinced by the case for developing the site, arguing that while it is "ideal" for exploration other sites in the area that boast better transport links are likely to prove better suited for full production.
Cuadrilla's planning permission for the site, which has been the subject of protests for several...
United Kingdom: Fracking splits public opinion down the middle, ICM poll finds
Posted by Guardian: Fiona Harvey, on August 14th, 2013
Guardian: David Cameron is likely to face resistance from voters if he aggressively pursues fracking for shale gas, new polling by the Guardian indicates.
Four in 10 people would welcome hydraulic fracturing - used to extract hard-to-reach natural gas - in their local area but just as many people would oppose it, a national ICM survey commissioned by the Guardian has found. About a fifth of voters are undecided.
Worryingly for Cameron, the research suggests that undecided voters could harden against...
Climate change may be speeding coast redwood, giant sequoia growth
Posted by LA Times: Bettina Boxall on August 14th, 2013
LA Times: Finally, some good news about the effects of climate change. It may have triggered a growth spurt in two of California's iconic tree species: coast redwoods and giant sequoias.
Since the 1970s, some coast redwoods have grown at the fastest rate ever, according to scientists who studied corings from trees more than 1,000 years old.
"That's a wonderful, happy surprise for us," said Emily Burns, science director at the Save the Redwoods League, which is collaborating on a long-term study with...
Activists Challenge Law That Limits Public Criticism of Oil Sands Projects
Posted by Globe and Mail: Shawn Mccarthy on August 14th, 2013
Globe and Mail: Environmental activists have launched a suit in the Federal Court of Canada to overturn federal legislation that limits their ability to oppose proposed pipeline projects at regulatory hearings.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, ForestEthics Advocacy and an activist named Donna Sinclair have asked the court to strike down provisions of the National Energy Board Act - passed as amendments in last year's omnibus budget bill - that they say unreasonably restrict public comment on project proposals.
The...
TransCanada Rejects Steyer’s Keystone XL Debate Challenge
Posted by Hill: None Given on August 14th, 2013
Hill: A public debate between Keystone XL pipeline foe Tom Steyer and the CEO of pipeline developer TransCanada Corp. isn't in the cards.
Steyer, a billionaire former hedge fund chief, wrote an open letter Tuesday to CEO Russ Girling that alleges Keystone would cause “irrevocable” environmental harm and requests a debate at an oil sands mining site.
But TransCanada Corp., in a statement, said Steyer has other avenues to express his views and noted TransCanada has “respect” for the State Department...