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Archive for February 6th, 2014
‘Atmospheric River’ May Put a Dent in California Drought
Posted by Climate Central: Andrew Freedman on February 6th, 2014
Climate Central: At long last, a series of Pacific storm systems is producing sorely needed rain and mountain snowfall in California, which has been suffering from one of its worst droughts in at least 500 years. The storms, which began Thursday and are forecast to last through the weekend, are likely to have their greatest impact in Central and Northern California, including the agricultural powerhouse region that is the San Joaquin Valley. Parts of Central California may receive as much as 4 inches of rain through...
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Water shortage in California town stokes fears
Posted by Associated Press: Jason Dearen on February 6th, 2014
Associated Press: In this small logging town in Northern California's redwood country, small blue signs urging water conservation are almost everywhere you look. Just south of Willits, in one of the state's most verdant corners, crows and other birds peck at dry ground that should be covered in water at the city's Centennial Reservoir, which is less than a third full. The creek that feeds it has slowed to a trickle. "It's common at this time of year for the water to be going over the cement wall right here. In fact,...
With Climate Change, What’s Better For Farm Is Better For The Planet
Posted by Forbes: Beth Hoffman on February 6th, 2014
Forbes: Climate change is no longer a doomsday theory about our distant future – it’s here. Farmers around the world are already dealing with more variable climates and dramatic weather events, like the drought in California and gigantic typhoons in Asia.
So what can be done?
In light of the fact that today so few of the planet’s residents seem willing or able to reform old habits, farmers – especially those in developing nations – will have to adjust to climate change as fast, and as cheaply, as possible....
Keystone XL’s Northern Leg: A Fracked Oil Pipeline Along with Tar Sands
Posted by Huffington Post: Steve Horn on February 6th, 2014
Huffington Post: On January 31, President Barack Obama's U.S. State Department released its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the northern leg of TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The State Department's FEIS argues that the northern half of Keystone XL, if built, "remains unlikely to significantly impact the rate of extraction in the oil sands, or the continued demand for heavy crude oil at refineries in the United States." But flying under the media's radar so far, the State...
Greenland glacier hits record speed
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 6th, 2014
BBC: A river of ice in Greenland has become the fastest-flowing glacier currently known in the world, a study suggests.
In summer, the Jakobshavn Glacier - widely thought to have spawned the iceberg that sank the Titanic - is moving about four times faster than it was in the 1990s.
The Greenland Ice Sheet has seen record melting in recent years and would raise sea levels 6m were it all to vanish.
Details of the research are published in The Cryosphere journal.
Ian Joughin and Ben Smith of...
Keystone XL pipeline records sought in Sierra Club suit
Posted by Bloomberg: Joel Rosenblatt on February 6th, 2014
Bloomberg: Keystone XL pipeline records are being sought by the Sierra Club in a lawsuit claiming the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has to make public documents related to its review of TransCanada Corp. (TRP)’s project.
The Army Corps has wrongly withheld records describing the pipeline’s path in relation to communities and sensitive water resources, according to the environmental group’s complaint filed yesterday in federal court in San Francisco.
TransCanada applied more than five years ago for a permit...
Record Number of Billion-Dollar Disasters Globally in 2013
Posted by Climate Central: Brian Kahn on February 6th, 2014
Climate Central: The past year saw the highest number of billion-dollar weather disasters across the globe. However, despite the high number of events, overall loss of life and property were comparatively low to years past.
In all, 41 weather events caused $1 billion or more in damage in 2013 according to a report recently released by Aon Benfield, a reinsurance group. That's one more than the previous record set in 2010. The report chronicled a total of 261 weather-related disasters over the course of the year....
Australian town plans flight from drought
Posted by Financial Times: Pilita Clark on February 6th, 2014
Financial Times: High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/427a7db6-8e8c-11e3-b6f1-00144feab7de.html#ixzz2sgcWaWFx A town in the Australian outback near some of the world’s largest underground mines has drawn up plans to evacuate its 3,000 residents after going through two years with...
Australia sets deadline to axe carbon tax
Posted by Financial Times: Jamie Smyth on February 6th, 2014
Financial Times: High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5032080c-8e28-11e3-98c6-00144feab7de.html#ixzz2sgcALjxe The Australian government said it would repeal the country’s carbon tax in July, saying new data on greenhouse gas emissions proved the controversial levy introduced by...
US government to spend $30M on forest restoration
Posted by Associated Press: Matt Volz on February 6th, 2014
Associated Press: The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday it will spend $30 million this year on forest restoration projects in 12 states to reduce the threat of wildfires, protect water quality and improve wildlife habitat for at-risk species.
Those first 13 projects will be the start of a multi-year initiative to improve the health of forests and watersheds on public and private lands, Agriculture Undersecretary Robert Bonnie said.
With longer fire seasons in recent years burning more areas, and beetle...