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Archive for September 11th, 2013
Massive Aquifer Discovered in Kenya holds 70 Years Worth of Water, May Reshape Nation
Posted by Nature World News: None Given on September 11th, 2013
Nature World News: A newly-discovered aquifer in Kenya's arid Turkana region contains enough water to meet the nation's needs for the next 70 years.
The discovery of the Lotikipi Basin Aquifer was officially announced Wednesday at an international water security meeting of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) in Nairobi.
The find is certainly a boon for the African nation, especially in a region known to be one of the driest parts of Kenya. In addition to Lotikipi, four other water...
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European biofuels vote delivers ‘desperately weak compromise’
Posted by Guardian: Karl Mathiesen on September 11th, 2013
Guardian: The European parliament has delivered a "desperately weak compromise" on the future of biofuels in Europe that industry says will "curtail jobs and investment".
In a tight vote on the use of biofuels in transport fuel, the parliament approved a 6% cap on the contribution of biofuels to Europe's renewable transport energy target of 10% by 2020.
The policy of replacing petrol and diesel for cars and other vehicles stems from efforts to reduce carbon emissions from Europe's transport sector. But...
50 Years After Its Discovery, Acid Rain Has Lessons for Climate Change
Posted by Atlantic: Henry Grabar on September 11th, 2013
Atlantic: In the 1980s, the dying red spruce trees of New England--many of them taller than eight-story buildings and more than three centuries old--furnished frightening proof of the power of acid rain. The trees were seen as a canary in the coal mine, and it was easy to imagine the ensuing consequences for the forest at large.
"Half the red spruce... are dead," Dudley Clendinen wrote for The New York Times from New Hampshire in 1983. "Some of the balsam fir are beginning to look sick. Sugar maples have...
Kenya discovers vast aquifers in drought-hit north
Posted by Reuters: Richard Lough on September 11th, 2013
Reuters: Scientists have discovered giant reservoirs of underground water hundreds of meters beneath the surface of Kenya's drought-prone north that could irrigate crops and head off tribal conflict over shortages, according to the Kenyan government and aid agencies.
Using satellite imagery, seismic technology normally used in the hunt for oil and gas and old-fashioned drilling, the U.N.'s scientific and cultural agency, UNESCO, and the Kenyan government identified five aquifers, two of which were explored....
EU lawmakers reduce use of food-based biofuel
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 11th, 2013
Associated Press: The European Parliament is capping the use of food-based biofuels to counter concerns over the energy source's ethical and environmental sustainability.
Parliament on Wednesday narrowly voted to lower the amount of fuel that must come from renewable sources across the 28-nation bloc by 2020 from 10 percent to 6 percent.
Environmentalists argue biofuels made from food like corn or soybeans add as much or even more to greenhouse gas emissions as fossil fuels they are meant to replace because...
Food price fears push EU lawmakers to put a lid on biofuels growth
Posted by Reuters: Claire Davenport on September 11th, 2013
Reuters: The European Parliament has voted to limit the use of fuels made from food crops because of fears that biofuels can push up grain prices or damage the climate, further undermining the once booming industry.
Lawmakers voting in Strasbourg on Wednesday set a ceiling on the use of such fuels at 6 percent of overall transport fuel demand in the European Union in 2020.
Although slightly higher than the 5 percent cap proposed by the European Commission in October, it deals a blow to EU biofuel producers...
Fracking bill passes California state Assembly
Posted by Reuters: Rory Carroll on September 11th, 2013
Reuters: A hotly contested bill that would impose California's first regulations on fracking and other oil production practices passed the state Assembly on Wednesday, despite opposition from environmentalists and oil companies.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the practice of injecting water, sand and chemicals underground to crack rock formations and free up oil and natural gas. The technology makes it possible for oil companies to unlock California's vast Monterey Shale deposit, which is estimated...
Oil developers want to use controversial fracking method to tap California’s oil supply
Posted by Press-Telegram: None Given on September 11th, 2013
Press-Telegram: Oil developers want to use controversial fracking method to tap California’s oil supplyz
Wildfires set to increase in western United States
Posted by International Business Times: Sachin Trivedi on September 11th, 2013
International Business Times: The rim fire at the Yosemite National park has wrecked havoc at the quality of air in nearby cities like Fresno California. Climate change is reported to cause more wildfires especially in western U.S.
According to a report by Live Science, rising temperatures across the globe have had a major impact on wildfires. The pollution caused by the smoke and soot from the wildfires have a detrimental effect on the health of people living close by. Although a rise in temperature is not directly responsible...
Researchers trace how West Nile vectors will respond to climate change
Posted by ClimateWire: Umair Irfan on September 11th, 2013
ClimateWire: Through tracking changes in the climate, researchers aim to get a lead on West Nile virus outbreaks by anticipating where the insects that spread the disease will emerge. Like most vector-borne pathogens, West Nile virus has links to temperature and rainfall. However, the disease can go from surging epidemics to nearly negligible numbers of infections from one year to the next, even under similar weather conditions (ClimateWire, Aug. 20). This makes it especially difficult for health officials...