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Archive for May 15th, 2014
Control methane now, greenhouse gas expert warns
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 15th, 2014
ScienceDaily: As the shale gas boom continues, the atmosphere receives more methane, adding to Earth`s greenhouse gas problem. Robert Howarth, greenhouse gas expert and ecology and environmental biology professor, fears that we may not be many years away from an environmental tipping point -- and disaster.
"We have to control methane immediately, and natural gas is the largest methane pollution source in the United States," said Howarth, who explains in an upcoming journal article that Earth may reach the point...
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Rising CO2 levels to cut key nutrients in global crops
Posted by Boulder Weekly: Bob Berwyn on May 15th, 2014
Boulder Weekly: New research studying 41 strains of six different crops on three continents that was published May 7 in the scientific journal, Nature, shows that as concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase, the nutritional content of key food crops will drop, exacerbating hunger woes for millions of people worldwide. In some crops, concentrations of nutrients could drop by as much as 10 percent when CO2 levels rise to 500 parts per million by mid-century.
Harvard University public health researcher...
Local cities concerned with frac sand hauling
Posted by KARE: None Given on May 15th, 2014
KARE: As the St. Croix River moves by the small town of Taylors Falls, there are some here worried about what may soon be moving through.
"It's going to be a mess," said Taylors Falls Mayor Mike Buchite.
In late April Mayor Buchite said he got an email from the North Branch city manager telling him about a frac sand company, Superior Silica Sands, that might set up shop in her city, but it would haul sand through his.
The sand is used for hydraulic fracturing that extracts oil and gas from the...
El Nino ‘reduces major crop yields’
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 15th, 2014
BBC: El Nino events can have a significant impact on the yields of certain major food crops, a study has shown. Researchers say the climatic phenomenon, which triggers changes in temperature and rainfall, can reduce maize yields by more than 4%. El Nino episodes are caused by changes in the sea surface temperature in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Writing in Nature Communications, the team said the data could be used by governments to manage food supplies. They wrote: "Results show that El Nino...
Depletion Of California’s Groundwater Is Triggering Earthquakes, Study Finds
Posted by ThinkProgress: None Given on May 15th, 2014
ThinkProgress: California`s record-breaking drought is helping spark wildfires and drying up farmland, but it appears to be having another unforeseen consequence: increasing the state`s chance of earthquakes.
A study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday found that the depletion of groundwater in California’s San Joaquin Valley is putting pressure on the San Andreas Fault, which could be increasing the risk of earthquakes in the region. Colin Amos, Assistant Professor at Western Washington University...
20,000 Evacuated As California Spring Turns To Summer Of Fire
Posted by ThinkProgress: None Given on May 15th, 2014
ThinkProgress: Springtime in California. Birds chirping, flowers blooming. And this year wildfires raging, winds howling, and heat pounding.
In Southern California, almost a dozen fires sent tens of thousands of residents fleeing their homes as exceptionally strong Santa Ana winds from the east, reaching close to 90 mph, pushed back the normal cool coastal breezes blowing in - priming already tinderbox-like fire conditions. More than 20,000 evacuation notices have been issued.
A fire In San Diego County Wednesday...
Fate of Ohio’s oil and gas severance tax bill is uncertain
Posted by WKSU: None Given on May 15th, 2014
WKSU: A new tax on oil and natural gas drillers is halfway through the legislature, but is facing an uncertain future. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports on the debate in the House. The bill puts a 2.5 percent severance tax on gross receipts on shale wells that are horizontally fractured, and allows drillers to deduct the commercial activity tax they pay from the severance tax they owe. It is estimated that will bring in $316 million over five years, which would go to an income tax cut. That...
Groundwater Depletion Is Destabilizing the San Andreas Fault & Increasing Earthquake Risk
Posted by Earth Island Journal: Katherine Bourzac on May 15th, 2014
Earth Island Journal: Depletion of groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley is having wide-ranging effects not just on the agricultural industry and the environment, but also on the very earth beneath our feet. Massive changes in groundwater levels in the southern Central Valley are changing the stresses on the San Andreas Fault, according to research published today.
Researchers have known for some time that human activity can be linked to localized seismic effects. In particular, much of the debate about fracking in...
Budget axe of small grant fund will hurt conservation groups across Australia
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 15th, 2014
Guardian: Between the papers of any federal budget are the places where ideologies are most strikingly revealed and alliances are displayed. It's also a good place to drop a sounding line to fathom the true depth of a government’s collective likes and dislikes. And so Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s first budget brought its weight to bear on climate change, renewable energy and the environment. The wreckage has been well surveyed but one cut in particular shows how far the budget went to undermine Australia's...