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Archive for February 5th, 2014
Disappearance of wildflowers may have doomed Ice Age giants
Posted by Reuters: Will Dunham on February 5th, 2014
Reuters: Flower power may have meant the difference between life and death for some of the extinct giants of the Ice Age, including the mighty woolly mammoth and woolly rhinoceros.
Scientists who studied DNA preserved in Arctic permafrost sediments and in the remains of such ancient animals have concluded that these Ice Age beasts relied heavily on the protein-rich wildflowers that once blanketed the region.
But dramatic Ice Age climate change caused a huge decline in these plants, leaving the Arctic...
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West Virginia doctors advising some patients not drink tap water
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
Associated Press: A county health official in West Virginia said doctors are advising some patients not to drink tap water weeks after it was deemed safe from a chemical contamination, though a federal health official on Wednesday said it could be used for any purpose.
The January 9 spill at Freedom Industries in Charleston spurred a water-use ban for 300,000 people. After officials cleared thousands of people to use water again, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials advised pregnant women to consider...
More Than 80,000 Tons Of Coal Ash Flow Into N.C. River
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
National Public Radio: Over the weekend at an old power plant in Eden, N.C., a stormwater pipe that goes under a coal ash pond broke, sending about 82,000 tons of ash - the equivalent of 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools - into the Dan River.
The river stretches more than 200 miles from North Carolina, through Virginia and into the Atlantic Ocean. It's home to all sorts of wildlife, and a popular destination for fishermen and kayakers.
On Wednesday, Jennifer Edwards, with the Dan River Basin Association, was checking...
Britain battered by 90mph storms – and there’s worse to come
Posted by Telegraph: Miranda Prynne on February 5th, 2014
Telegraph: David Cameron took personal charge of the flooding crisis on Wednesday as the south coast was battered by 90mph storms and forecasters warned worse weather is on its way.
He chaired a meeting of the emergency committee Cobra to discuss a response to the flooding shortly after promising to do “whatever is required” and announcing an extra £100?million to help with the clear-up operation.
The Environment Agency’s embattled chairman Lord Smith, who has been heavily criticised for failing to visit...
Winter Olympics In Sochi, Russia Highlights Dangers Of Climate Change
Posted by redOrbit: Lee Rannals on February 5th, 2014
RedOrbit: The 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia is just around the corner and not only will the event feature some of the best classes of athletes the world has to offer, but it also showcases how climate change is affecting Earth. The US Geological Survey (USGS) is using this year’s Olympics to bring awareness to climate change and how the Arctic Ocean is being affected by it. Over the years, the USGS has studied changes in accumulated snowpack and snow cover, and this research has shown recent...
Obama Administration Announces Climate Hubs To Aid Farmers
Posted by redOrbit: Brett Smith on February 5th, 2014
RedOrbit: On Wednesday, the Obama administration announced the creation of seven “climate hubs” located throughout the United States to help farmers and rural communities react to the threats of climate change. White House officials said the move is among multiple executive decisions that President Obama will take on climate change that do not require action from Congress.
Overseen by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the hubs will be tasked with investigating fires, intrusive pests, flooding and...
California Is So Dry, Some Diners Won’t Get Water Unless They Ask
Posted by National Public Radio: Eliza Barclay on February 5th, 2014
National Public Radio: California's drought is getting very serious — so serious that even those water refills you didn't ask for at restaurants are now under scrutiny. "We have not had this dry a time period in all of California's history since we've been keeping records — that's how bad it is," Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., who represents a district in the Central Valley, told reporters on Tuesday. Across the state, towns and cities are looking for ways to prod businesses and consumers to cut back on water use. Some cities'...
Chemical Study Becomes A Tale of Conspiracy And Paranoia
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
National Public Radio: Tyrone Hayes, a biology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has spent the past 15 years to studying the adverse effects of atrazine, a common herbicide used in the U.S. For much of that time, Hayes believed he was being watched and closely followed by Syngenta, the Swiss company that produces the chemical, in an effort to discredit his findings. Audie Cornish talks to New Yorker reporter Rachel Aviv for more.
Forest emissions, wildfires explain why ancient Earth was so hot
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
ScienceDaily: The release of volatile organic compounds from Earth's forests and smoke from wildfires 3 million years ago had a far greater impact on global warming than ancient atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, a new Yale study finds.
The research provides evidence that dynamic atmospheric chemistry played an important role in past warm climates, underscoring the complexity of climate change and the relevance of natural components, according to the authors. They do not address or dispute the significant...
White House threatens to veto Republican-backed California water bill
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 5th, 2014
Reuters: The White House threatened to veto legislation on Wednesday that would curtail federal rules limiting the amount of water pumped out of California's San Joaquin-Sacramento River delta while the state struggles with its worst drought in decades. The Obama administration said the bill would "undermine years of collaboration between local, state, and federal stakeholders to develop a sound water quality control plan for the Bay-Delta." The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Republican-backed...