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Archive for August, 2014
Greenland ice melting at record speed
Posted by Deutsche Welle: None Given on August 22nd, 2014
Deutsche-Welle: Satellite data shows ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica are declining at record speed. The annual loss of ice has doubled in the case of Greenland and tripled in the West Antarctic compared to figures from 2009.
Scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Bremerhaven mapping elevation changes of Greenlandic and Antarctic glaciers have found ice sheets are melting at record pace. Per year, the ice sheets dump some 500 cubic kilometers of ice into the oceans. The researchers say that...
Earthquakes Near Deep-Earth Wells in Colorado Raise Concerns
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 22nd, 2014
USA Today: A series of small but unusual earthquakes near a well being pumped full of liquid drilling waste north of Denver has reignited a debate about the impacts of oil and gas development near homes.
Colorado isn't normally earthquake territory, but aggressive drilling and pumping here and across the country may be changing that, contributing to the debate about what costs we're willing to bear to achieve energy independence.
"What we have seen since about 2009 has been a steady increase of the rate...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Earthquakes Near Deep-Earth Wells in Colorado Raise ConcernsAt Least 10% of Fracking Fluid Is Toxic
Posted by ThinkProgress: Andrew Breiner on August 22nd, 2014
ThinkProgress: At least 10 percent of the contents of fracking fluid injected into the earth is toxic. For another third we have no idea. And that`s only from the list of chemicals the fracking industry provided voluntarily. That`s according to an analysis by William Stringfellow of Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, reported in Chemistry World.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the practice of injecting fluid at high pressure into the earth, which breaks up oil- and gas-filled rock formations that is...
New Bill Would Ban Fracking Waste in New York City
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on August 21st, 2014
EcoWatch: New York City council members Stephen Levin and Corey Johnson introduced legislation today--Introduction 853--that would ban the discharge, disposal, sale or use of any wastewater or natural gas waste produced by fracking.
“Hydrofracking waste is highly toxic and doesn’t belong in any of the five boroughs,” said Council Member Stephen Levin. “With this legislation we can keep this toxic waste out of New York City and send a clear message that we are opposed to fracking in our state."
“Extracting...
Bill would keep other states’ radioactive fracking waste out of Michigan
Posted by Detroit Free Press: None Given on August 21st, 2014
Detroit Free Press: A state senator says he wants to prevent Michigan from further becoming other states’ dumping ground for low-level radioactive waste from the oil and gas drilling process known as fracking.
Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, said Thursday that he plans to introduce legislation to stop companies in other states, such as Pennsylvania, from dumping low-level radioactive waste materials in Michigan landfills.
The Free Press reported Tuesday that a hazardous-waste landfill in Van Buren Township, Wayne...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Bill would keep other states’ radioactive fracking waste out of MichiganClimate change: meteorologists preparing for worst
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 21st, 2014
Agence France-Presse: Intense aerial turbulence, ice storms and scorching heatwaves, huge ocean waves-the world's climate experts forecast apocalyptic weather over the coming decades at a conference in Montreal that ended Thursday. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) brought together 1,000 specialists to discuss the uncertain future of weather forecasting. A decade after the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol, the world's focus has shifted from reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to warming, to dealing...
Antarctica & Greenland Losing Ice at Fastest Rate Ever Recorded
Posted by Environment 360: None Given on August 21st, 2014
Environment 360: Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are losing mass at an unprecedented rate of 500 cubic kilometers per year — enough ice to cover the Chicago metropolitan area with a layer of ice 600 meters thick — according to German researchers. Using data from the European Space Agency's CryoSat 2 satellite from 2011 to 2014, the team created the most detailed maps to date of ice elevations across Antarctica and Greenland, accurate to a few meters in height. The results reveal that Greenland alone is losing...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Antarctica & Greenland Losing Ice at Fastest Rate Ever RecordedColorado Town Sues State, Gov. Hickenlooper and COGA to Protect Right to Ban Fracking
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on August 21st, 2014
EcoWatch: In a state wracked with clashes over its explosive expansion of fracking, residents of Lafayette, Colorado just outside Boulder, have filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent the state of Colorado, Gov. John Hickenlooper and the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA) from taking away the town’s right to ban the practice. Citizens in Lafayette, which is a Home Rule Community under Colorado law, voted last November to pass a Community Bill of Rights under its Home Rule Charter that...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Colorado Town Sues State, Gov. Hickenlooper and COGA to Protect Right to Ban FrackingBottling Water from Drought Stricken Areas
Posted by Environmental News Network: Leon Kaye on August 21st, 2014
Environmental News Network: The bottled water industry has grown exponentially the past few decades despite the fact tap water in the United States is generally safe. Never mind the fact bottled water producers have had more than their fair share of safety issues: bottled water has become accepted by consumers. While companies such as Nestlé insist they are taking responsibility for water stewardship and recycling, they also bottle their water at dubious sources, including those in drought stricken regions. In fact, much of...
‘Growth drives UK flooding problems’
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on August 21st, 2014
BBC: Part of the UK's problem with flooding is self-imposed, new research suggests.
The study says the number of reported major flood events has increased, but in parallel with population growth and a boom in building in vulnerable areas.
It says it is unclear if climate change is implicated in recent flooding.
But the Southampton University team urges government to continue spending on flood defences as more homes are likely to be vulnerable due to sea level rise and more intense rainfall. ...