RSS Feed
Archive for September 24th, 2013
Two more oil spills caused by flooding in Colorado
Posted by Associated Press: Colleen Slevin on September 24th, 2013
Associated Press: A total of 27,000 gallons of oil - the equivalent of about two storage tanks - have been spilled into the South Platte River from flood-damaged tanks as of Monday.
The latest spills are a 36 barrel release at a Noble Energy location between Evans and LaSalle and a 26 barrel spill at an Anadarko Petroleum site near Johnstown, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission said.
About 1,300 wells remained shut down because of the flooding, down from 1,900 last week.
In its update, the commission...
Posted in 
Rising methane ‘due to mining and wetlands’
Posted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Anna Salleh on September 24th, 2013
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Methane rise A rise in atmospheric methane emissions after 2006 is likely due to expanding wetlands and an increase in emissions from mining of fossil fuels, say researchers.
An international team report their findings today in the journal Nature Geoscience.
"We think that the two reasons - fossil fuels and methane from wetlands - are the best explanations given the data," says Australian author Dr Pep Canadell, from CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse...
Heavy rains, landslides kill 20 in Philippines
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 24th, 2013
Associated Press: Torrential monsoon rains hit the northwestern Philippines on Monday, triggering landslides and killing 20 people in areas already weakened by a powerful typhoon, and raising the death toll to 47 from storms across Asia.
Philippine officials said soldiers and villagers were also searching for at least seven people missing in mountainside villages hit by the landslides Monday in the province of Zambales.
In China, where Typhoon Usagi struck after passing by the Philippines, officials said the...
Keystone opponents reject rumoured Canadian offer to cut emissions
Posted by Globe and Mail: Paul Koring on September 24th, 2013
Globe and Mail: Canada's purported offer to cut emissions as part of a deal to get President Barack Obama to approve the controversial Keystone XL pipeline has been denounced by a coalition of groups seeking to thwart the project. "We oppose any deal-making in return for the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline," the groups said in a letter to President Obama - who is expected to decide the project's fate early next year. "Our rationale is simple. Building Keystone XL will expand production in the tar sands, and that...
Setting the Record Straight on Tar Sands and Water Use
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on September 24th, 2013
EcoWatch: Big Oil is spending millions of dollars to try to greenwash the tar sands, Canada’s fastest growing source of greenhouse gas pollution. A new report, Reality Check: Water and the Tar Sands, sets the record straight on industry claims that misrepresent the tar sands industry’s use of the Athabasca River.
The report counters claims by industry and industry-affiliated groups about the use of freshwater from the Athabasca River, the toxicity of tailings, the amount of tailings leaking into the watershed...
Environmentalists warn Obama against Keystone XL, even if Canada compromises on climate
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on September 24th, 2013
Washington Post: Leaders of more than two dozen influential environmental groups are sending President Obama a letter Tuesday with a clear warning: Even if Canada agrees to reduce the oil and gas sector's climate impact, he should not approve a presidential permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.
The letter, obtained by The Washington Post, provides the strongest evidence yet that president will face a revolt from his political base should he sign off on the pipeline, which would transport heavy crude from Alberta...
Mexico’s Double Storms Leave 115 Dead, 68 Missing
Posted by Environment News Service: None Given on September 24th, 2013
Environment News Service: Two hurricanes which struck Mexico last week have claimed the lives of 115 people as rescuers continue to search for 68 others believed to have died in a massive landslide in a remote coffee-growing village.
A 16-person emergency response and rescue team from the Mexican army is leading the search for victims of the slide in the village of La Pintada two hours drive north of Acapulco. Five bodies were found on Sunday.
Hurricanes Ingrid and Manuel made landfall on opposite coasts within a day...