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Archive for May 27th, 2014
Cameron urged to pass law to protect Britain’s woodland
Posted by Telegraph: James Edgar on May 27th, 2014
Telegraph: England's woodland is in danger unless David Cameron keeps his promise to pass laws preventing public forests from being sold off, leading conservationists have said in a letter to the Telegraph.
The Government was forced into making a U-turn after hundreds of thousands of people protested against a proposal to sell swathes of the Public Forest Estate (PFE) in 2011.
However, despite an assurance that an independent management organisation for the PFE would be established in statute to hold...
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Colossal peat bog discovered in Congo
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 27th, 2014
BBC: A vast peatland has been discovered in a remote part of Congo-Brazzaville.
The bog covers an area the size of England and is thought to contain billions of tonnes of peat.
Scientists say investigating the carbon-rich material could shed light on 10,000 years of environmental change in this little-studied region.
Dr Simon Lewis, from the University of Leeds, said: "It's remarkable that there are parts of the planet that are still uncharted territory."
He added: "Few people venture into...
Climate Change Denial: A Costly, Politically Dangerous Gamble
Posted by MintPress: Frederick Reese on May 27th, 2014
MintPress: Half of the United States is suffering through drought conditions - including all of California, which saw huge swathes of the San Diego area swept by raging wildfires this month. In the Midwest, major rainstorms and tornadoes inundated the Mississippi floodplain for days, causing millions of dollars in damage. In Baltimore, hurricane-intensity rain contributed to the collapse of a city street.
It is the consensus of the scientific community that the Earth is sick. According to the National Climate...
Sold Up The River? Hydro Power Threatens Okavango Delta
Posted by National Geographic: Steve Boyes on May 27th, 2014
National Geographic: Experts agree that the Popa Falls Hydro Power Project on the Okavango River in Namibia will a catastrophic impact on Africa`s soon-to-be newest UNESCO World Heritage Site, Botswana`s Okavango Delta, the world`s largest, wildest inland delta. Namibia is signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971). This intergovernmental treaty provides for national action and international co-operation in support of the conservation and sustainable-use of wetlands around the world. The Okavango Delta is...
Illinois House panel approves rules for fracking
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 27th, 2014
Associated Press: A House committee has approved a plan to speed up hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas in Illinois.
The Executive Committee voted 7-4 Monday to advance the plan by Rep. John Bradley despite protests from environmentalists.
Bradley's legislation would take away the power of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to adopt rules for the extraction method known as "fracking."
The Marion Democrat is frustrated because lawmakers approved fracking a year ago. IDNR still hasn't produced rules...
New safety requirements set for Keystone pipeline
Posted by Associated Press: Joan Lowy on May 27th, 2014
Associated Press: Safety regulators have quietly placed two extra conditions on construction of TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone XL oil pipeline after learning of potentially dangerous construction defects involving the southern leg of the Canada-to-Texas project.
The defects - high rates of bad welds, dented pipe and damaged pipeline coating - have been fixed. But the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration wants to make sure similar problems don't occur during construction of the pipeline's...