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Archive for June 16th, 2014
Africa’s climate change “hot spots”
Posted by Southern Times: Peter Kahare on June 16th, 2014
Southern Times: Some areas in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe have been identified as part of climate change "hot spots' on the African continent, putting them at risk of numerous climatic challenges over the next two decades.
A group of scientists in Germany say that, for the first time, they have identified the "hotspots of climate change in Africa,' which cover three regions where people should prepare for multiple climatic problems over the next 20 years.
According to scientists from the Potsdam...
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Community energy in focus at Australian-first congress in Canberra
Posted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Carl Smith on June 16th, 2014
Australian Broadcasting Corporation: The growing number of community-led projects that generate their own power through renewable energy is the focus of Australia's first Community Energy Congress, being held in Canberra this week.
Nicky Ison from the University of Technology Sydney's Institute of Sustainable Futures said self-sufficient energy projects in towns and small communities were becoming more popular as people looked to transition away from fossil fuels.
"Community energy is fundamentally about community members coming...
Huge Win in Chile: Dam Permit Revoked Keeping Two Patagonia Rivers Wild
Posted by EcoWatch: Patrick J. Lynch, Futaleufú Riverkeeper on June 16th, 2014
EcoWatch: We are witnessing history in the making in Patagonia. After more than eight years of civil protests, public awareness campaigns and legal challenges—brought by a collective of more than 80 non-governmental organizations who together form the Patagonian Defense Council—Chile’s government has revoked the environmental permit for the $8 billion HidroAysén project. The decision means two of Patagonia’s most pristine rivers will (for the time being) remain wild and scenic.
GMO companies are dousing Hawaiian island with toxic pesticides
Posted by Grist: Paul Koberstein on June 16th, 2014
Grist: The island of Kauai, Hawaii, has become Ground Zero in the intense domestic political battle over genetically modified crops. But the fight isn`t just about the merits or downsides of GMO technology. It`s also about regular old pesticides.
The four transnational corporations that are experimenting with genetically engineered crops on Kauai have transformed part of the island into one of most toxic chemical environments in all of American agriculture.
For the better part of two decades, BASF...
More than 150 dead in one of India’s worst heatwaves
Posted by Blue and Green: Ilaria Bertini on June 16th, 2014
Blue and Green: Parts of India are experiencing one of the worst heatwaves to ever hit central and northern regions, due to the late summer monsoon. Temperatures peaked at 44C in some areas, causing the death of many people due to sunstroke.
Temperatures in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan states started to surge last week to 42-43C, with 45 sunstroke deaths registered in Vizianagaram district, an eastern state of Andhra Pradesh.
In East Godavari, another district, it is said that 31 people have died. District...
Fish ‘undernourished and underfed’ due to deforestation, study suggests
Posted by Blue and Green: Richard Heasman on June 16th, 2014
Blue and Green: Deforestation has led to a decrease in falling leaf litter in rivers and lakes – a vital source of food for a wide array of fish species – with implications for human food consumption, a study has revealed.
Researchers have found that increased rates of deforestation, in areas subjected to aggressive commercial tree felling, directly affected the ecosystems based in lakes and rivers nearby.
Water-based ecosystems are reliant on the surrounding area for sources of nourishment. Falling leaves...
Using too much fertilizer is bad for crops AND bad for climate!
Posted by Environmental News Network: Roger Greenway on June 16th, 2014
Environmental News Network: Using too much fertilizer is a very bad idea. It doesn't help crops, and in fact can be harmful to them. Excess fertilizer runs off and contributes to river and stream contamination and a new study shows that it is bad for the climate too! But farmers sometimes think that if some is good, more MUST be better! Helping farmers around the globe apply more precise amounts of fertilizer nitrogen is a great objective that can improve crop yields, reduce pollution, and combat climate change. That's the...
Addressing fresh water deficiency
Posted by BusinessGreen: Johan Widheden, AkzoNobel on June 16th, 2014
BusinessGreen: For many countries, fresh water availability is an acute concern. In some cases it is the sheer number of people in one location that is triggering the deficiency, in others it is rising sea levels due to climate change and in some situations it is a particular industry, such as cotton that is causing the problem. Because of this, over one billion people have no access to clean drinking water and two million people die annually from water-related diseases. Most of these grave concerns are occurring...
Is the fracking revolution overhyped?
Posted by Daily Ticker: None Given on June 16th, 2014
Daily Ticker: The nation's booming natural gas industry has transformed the U.S. energy landscape. Yet Dan Dicker, author of Oil's Endless Bid and a long-time oil trader, argues the U.S. shale revolution has been "overhyped." He tells The Daily Ticker that hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) of shale rock has increased U.S. energy production by 3.5 million barrels a day -- a significant increase from previous years but not nearly enough to keep up with global demand.
"What has happened in the shale revolution...
In Mali, farmers scramble to adapt to changing rains
Posted by Reuters: Soumaila T. Diarra on June 16th, 2014
Reuters: Talking with his neighbours under a neem tree, Madou Kone relates how he is late planting his sorghum crop this year -- even though the usual time to plant is now.
"This is the right time to start farming, but I haven't sown any crop yet, as I had to finish clearing my farm. I am a bit late,' said the 56-year-old Kone, a resident of the village of Heremakono, in the country's south.
Malian farmers expect to begin sowing in late June or early July, at the beginning of the rainy season, which...