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Archive for September 20th, 2013
In wake of Colorado floods, officials start counting oil and gas spills
Posted by Grist: John Upton on September 20th, 2013
Grist: As floodwaters recede following epic storms that hit the region around Boulder, Colo., a week ago, officials are trying to get a grasp on the extent of oil and gas pollution triggered by the deluge.
Oil spills and washed-out chemical tanks only add to the devastation of the unseasonable drenching, which killed 10 people. Another 200 are still unaccounted for, though that number is falling as phone and internet services come back online.
Nearly 1,900 oil and gas wells were shut down ahead of...
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Search narrows for missing in Colorado flood disaster
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 20th, 2013
Reuters: Disaster teams in flood-ravaged foothills of Colorado narrowed their search on Friday for 82 people still unaccounted for a week and a half after torrential rains began, and officials said some of the missing would most likely be added to the death toll.
The search was focused in Larimer County, an epicenter of flooding that swept the eastern slopes of the Rockies and prairie farmlands downstream, causing property losses across 17 counties estimated at $2 billion, including the destruction of...
Japan: Typhoon and earthquake strike Fukushima
Posted by Grist: John Upton on September 20th, 2013
Grist: Two and a half years ago, the Fukushima Daiichi power facility was knocked out by a tsunami and earthquake. Myriad troubles ensued. Then this week it was hit by a typhoon, flooding, and another earthquake. Can`t a nuclear plant catch a break?
On Monday, Typhoon Man-yi smacked into Japan, causing flooding in some parts of the country, and new troubles at Fukushima. From Agence France-Presse:
The operator of the leaking Fukushima nuclear plant said Tuesday that it dumped more than 1,000 tons...
Air Pollution Destroys Health of Texas Fracking Communities
Posted by Environment News Service: Sharon Guynup on September 20th, 2013
Environment News Service: In the five years since the shale boom hit, the once-beautiful hills of south Texas have been transformed into a scarred, industrial landscape. The residents` health is part of the collateral damage, according to the environmental watchdog group Earthworks. Their new study documents hazardous chemicals in the air and serious ailments reported by families living in close proximity to drilling operations.
The Earthworks report is the latest in a series of publications exposing potential health risks...
Addressing Carbon Pollution from Power Plants Is Vital for Avoiding Catastrophic Climate Change
Posted by World Resources Institute: Michael Obeiter on September 20th, 2013
World Resources Institute: Future U.S. power suppliers will need to limit their carbon pollution, thanks to new standards announced today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The proposed emissions standards for new power plants are an important measure in implementing the President’s Climate Action Plan (announced in June) to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate global warming.
EPA’s announcement comes against the backdrop of our deepening understanding of the science of climate change. It also...
5 Great Lakes Species Facing a New Threat From Big Oil
Posted by EcoWatch: Jane Kirchner on September 20th, 2013
EcoWatch: The Great Lakes are the world’s largest surface freshwater ecosystem and their waters and shoreline areas provide habitat for a breathtaking array of wildlife. But with a recent increase in oil surging through aging pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac--the narrow waterway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron--the chance of a devastating spill in the Great Lakes has greatly increased. Meet five Great Lakes wildlife and take action to help protect them from a toxic oil spill.
Great Blue Heron...
FAO Says Food Waste Harms Climate, Water, Land, and Biodiversity
Posted by Worldwatch Institute: Sophi Wenzlau on September 20th, 2013
Worldwatch Institute: The world wastes 1.3 billion tons of food annually—a third of all the food that’s produced—according to a report published last week by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This waste not only results in major economic loss, but also causes significant harm to the natural resources that we rely on for food production. It also has moral implications, given that an estimated 870 million people go to bed hungry every night. he report, Food Wastage Footprint: Impacts on Natural...
Arctic sea ice reaches seasonal low
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 20th, 2013
BBC: Sea-ice extent in the Arctic appears to have arrived at its yearly minimum, scientists report.
The US National Snow and Ice Data Center says this summer's marine floes were reduced in cover to 5.10 million sq km (1.97 million sq mi).
This low was reached on 13 September.
It represents almost 50% more ice than the spectacular satellite-era record-minimum achieved this time last year - when floes were reduced to just 3.41 million sq km (1.32 million sq mi).
The NSIDC describes this summer's...
California law to regulate fracking signed by governor
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 20th, 2013
Reuters: California's first regulations on fracking and related oil production practices will go into effect next year in the most populous U.S. state under a bill signed into law on Friday by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown.
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, estimated to hold...
Three Tiny New Species of Frogs Found in Papua New Guinea
Posted by Nature World News: None Given on September 20th, 2013
Nature World News: Three new species of frogs from the rainforests of Papua New Guinea have been descried in the latest edition of the journal Zookeys.
Each of the new frogs is incredibly tiny, with total body lengths about 20 millimeters. Their discovery came by way of Fred Kraus of the University of Michigan, who in 2011 described the frogs, Paedophryne dekot and Paedophryne verrucosa, which were then the smallest frogs known on Earth. In 2012 the description of Paedophryne amanuensis took the title of world's...