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Archive for May, 2014
Peat Bog Size Of England Discovered In Congo Republic
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 27th, 2014
National Public Radio: A massive peat bog the size England has been found in West Africa's Republic of Congo.
The previously undiscovered bog is thought to reach nearly 23 feet beneath the ground and contain billions of tons of peat -- ancient, partially decayed vegetation. It could cover an area 40,000 to 80,000 square miles, scientists believe in the Congo Republic, also referred to as Congo-Brazzaville.
The BBC says:
"Scientists say investigating the carbon-rich material could shed light on 10,000 years of...
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Central California wildfire burns out of control, threatens 100 homes
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 27th, 2014
Reuters: A wildfire burning west of Yosemite National Park in central California threatened more than 100 homes on Tuesday as it raged out of control in brush left bone dry by severe drought, state fire officials said.
The blaze, which erupted on Monday afternoon, has already charred more than 900 acres and was burning on the southeastern shores of Lake McClure in Mariposa County, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
More than 100 homes were ordered evacuated ahead...
Water wars between countries could be just around the corner, Davey warns
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 27th, 2014
Guardian: Water wars could be a real prospect in coming years as states struggle with the effects of climate change, growing demand for water and declining resources, the secretary of state for energy and climate change warned on Thursday.
Ed Davey told a conference of high-ranking politicians and diplomats from around the world that although water had not been a direct cause of wars in the past, growing pressure on the resource if climate change is allowed to take hold, together with the pressure on food...
How oceans can solve our freshwater crisis
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 27th, 2014
CNN: It's been a cruel irony for ancient mariners and any thirsty person who has ever gazed upon a sparkling blue ocean: Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink. But imagine a coastal city of the future, say in 2035. Along with basic infrastructure such as a port, roads, sewer lines and an electrical grid, it's increasingly likely this city by the sea will contain a newer feature. A desalination plant. Thanks to improved technology, turning ocean water into freshwater is becoming more economically...
Flood warnings issued for England
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 27th, 2014
Guardian: Heavy rain across the east of England could cause flooding over the coming days, forecasters have warned.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning of rain for the region, predicting localised flooding that could cause disruption to travel.
The wet weather would persist until Wednesday night, the Met said, with up to 70mm (2.76in) of rain expected in worst-hit areas including parts of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and the Humber.
The Environment Agency (EA) warned of a flood risk in...
Climate Change Is Destroying America’s Historic Treasures
Posted by Environment News Service: None Given on May 27th, 2014
Environment News Service: Rising sea levels, relentless floods and rampaging wildfires are destroying landmark historic sites around the United States, warns the nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists in a new report.
The 30 threatened sites detailed in the report include places where Native Americans lived, Spaniards ruled, English colonists landed, slavery rose and fell, and gold prospectors struck it rich. Some of the sites commemorate more modern "firsts," such as the race to put the first man on the moon.
"You...
Keystone XL: Project facing new conditions in U.S. over defects
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 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 in the United States wants to make sure similar problems don’t occur during construction of the pipeline’s...
Farewell to the cutthroat trout?
Posted by Daily Climate: Marianne Lavelle on May 27th, 2014
Daily Climate: Any Montana angler worth a double-haul cast knows that the iconic state fish, the westslope cutthroat trout, has been crowded out by the non-native rainbow trout, first introduced to these rivers by well-meaning sportsmen in the 1880s.
Now those invaders are taking over the cutthroat's gene pool, too.
A new study tracks just how rapidly cross-breeding between the two species has accelerated in the past 30 years. It's invasive hybridization driven by climate change, and it could spell extinction...
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...
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...