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Archive for November 27th, 2013
Canada’s Subarctic Lakes are Drying Out
Posted by Nature World News: James A. Foley on November 27th, 2013
Nature World News: Atypically light snowfall over recent winters in Canada's subarctic regions has led many of the region's lakes to dry out, prompting researchers to worry.
After studying 70 lakes in and around Old Crow in the Yukon territory and Churchhill in Manitoba, researchers found that the majority of the lakes are less than 1 meter deep.
Analysis of the environment surrounding the lakes revealed that most lie on flat terrain surrounded by scrubby vegetation, which are also showing signs of desiccation,...
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United Kingdom: Four arrested for blocking lorry on way to Salford methane test-drilling site
Posted by Guardian: Helen Pidd on November 27th, 2013
Guardian: Four anti-fracking protesters have been arrested as they tried to stop a lorry delivering machinery to a potential methane-gas extraction site in Salford, Greater Manchester. The three men (aged 41, 42 and 47) and one woman were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of obstructing the highway, according to Greater Manchester police. The demonstrators were part of a group of about 30 people who had been attempting to block a lorry delivering a well-setting drill to the site in Barton Moss, right by...
Fracking opponents take their fight to Chicago
Posted by Chicago Tribune: Julie Wernau on November 27th, 2013
Chicago Tribune: Hundreds of miles from the shale oil of southern Illinois, nearly 300 people jammed into a hearing room in Chicago this week in an attempt to turn the tide against horizontal hydraulic fracturing.
"This is where the majority of the people are. This is where the majority of the legislators are. There is a lot of political weight in this area," said Tabitha Tripp, who drove six hours from southern Illinois to speak for two minutes at a pre-hearing news conference.
Though the law regulating fracking...
Water Industry Admits Fracking Compromises UK’s Water Supply
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on November 27th, 2013
EcoWatch: Today, two industry groups signed a Memorandum of Understanding stating that their members will minimize the impact of onshore oil and gas development in the UK on the country’s water resources.
The memorandum accompanies a report released by Water UK. The report concludes that "where water is in short supply there may not be enough available from public water supplies or the environment to meet the requirements for hydraulic fracturing."
While the aim of the mutual agreement was to give the...
Scientists Seek Origin of Deadly Disease Plaguing Great Lakes Waterfowl
Posted by Nature World: None Given on November 27th, 2013
Nature World: Researchers have developed a new way to track a deadly disease wreaking havoc on the water bird population of the Great Lakes region.
Type E botulism is a neuromuscular disease caused when birds ingest infected fish. With 10,000 more waterfowl dying in 2007 from the sickness compared to when it was first reported 50 years ago, ocean engineers from the Florida Atlantic University Institute for Ocean Systems Engineering have teamed up with the US Geological Survey in order to track waterfowl carcasses...
Prescription Drugs Entering the Great Lakes at Alarming Rate
Posted by EcoWatch: Brian Bienkowski on November 27th, 2013
EcoWatch: Only about half of the prescription drugs and other newly emerging contaminants in sewage are removed by treatment plants. That’s the finding of a new report by the International Joint Commission (IJC), a consortium of officials from the U.S. and Canada who study the Great Lakes.
The impact of most of these “chemicals of emerging concern” on the health of people and aquatic life remains unclear. Nevertheless, the commission report concludes that better water treatment is needed.
“The compounds...
Bombshell Study Finds Methane Emissions From Natural Gas Production Far Higher Than EPA Estimates
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 27th, 2013
AlterNet: A major new study blows up the whole notion of natural gas as a short-term bridge fuel to a carbon-free economy.
Natural gas is mostly methane (CH4), a potent heat-trapping gas. If, as now seems likely, natural gas production systems leak 2.7% (or more), then gas-fired power loses its near-term advantage over coal and becomes more of a gangplank than a bridge. Worse, without a carbon price, some gas displaces renewable energy, further undercutting any benefit it might have had.
Fifteen scientists...
What 11 Billion People Mean for Sanitation
Posted by LiveScience: Tanya Lewis on November 27th, 2013
LiveScience: Editor's note: By the end of this century, Earth may be home to 11 billion people, the United Nations has estimated, earlier than previously expected. As part of a week-long series, LiveScience is exploring what reaching this population milestone might mean for our planet, from our ability to feed that many people to our impact on the other species that call Earth home to our efforts to land on other planets. Check back here each day for the next installment.
Hong Kong, a city of 7 million inhabitants,...
Poland looks to link with UK to protect shale gas market
Posted by BusinessGreen: Jessica Shankleman on November 27th, 2013
BusinessGreen: Poland is seeking to ally with the UK to defend its right to explore shale gas against any possible EU sanctions, as the two countries attempt to ease fears around water contamination caused by fracking.
The country's new environment minister, Maciej Grabowski, told the newspaper Dziennik Gazeta Prawna yesterday that his first priority would be to accelerate the extraction of shale gas, by passing a new bill to help potential investors jump environmental hurdles.
He replaces Marcin Korolec...
U.N. calls for urgent help for Philippine farmers after typhoon
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 27th, 2013
Reuters: Philippine farmers need urgent assistance to avoid a "double tragedy" befalling rural survivors of the typhoon that hit the country earlier this month, the United Nations' food agency said on Wednesday. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said more than $11 million is needed to help clean and clear agricultural land and de-silt irrigation canals in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, which killed at least 3,900 people when it struck on November 8. That is in addition to the $20 million already...