Archive for November 26th, 2014

Expect More Giant Snowstorms as Climate Warms

LiveScience: The storms that buried the Buffalo, New York, area in more than 7 feet (2.1 meters) of snow this week shattered records and shocked residents -- even in a region accustomed to dealing with heavy snow. The storms are certain to provide new fodder for climate-change skeptics who seem to embrace every monster blizzard as evidence that global warming doesn't exist. And yet, the science behind these catastrophic storms suggests that they do not occur despite global warming, but in fact because of it....

Meet the world’s most wanted environmental criminals

Mongabay: In keeping with recent efforts to ramp up action against environmental crime, INTERPOL has highlighted nine fugitives for breaking laws related to illegal logging, poaching and the wildlife trade, illegal fishing, and waste dumping, among other crimes. There is Nicolaas Antonius Cornelis Maria Duindam, who is wanted for smuggling wildlife from Brazil; Feisal Mohamed Ali, the alleged leader of an elephant poaching gang; and Sergey Darminov who is wanted for making hundreds of millions of dollars...

Watch Award-Winning Film ‘Facing the Flood’

EcoWatch: “Climate change is the deadliest combat humanity has ever faced…,” begins the film Facing the Flood, which won second prize in the 14 -17 age group in the Action4Climate video competition. Facing the Flood, by filmmaker Constantin Huet, is an investigative account of the changing conditions in Greenland and the Maldives, where global warming seems to be threatening these areas more than anywhere else in the world. “Recorded temperatures have begun to fluctuate, and native inhabitants find their...

Anti-Fracking Warriors Steingraber and Boland Released From Jail

EcoWatch: Steingraber and Boland are among the first wave arrests as part of a sustained, ongoing, non-violent civil disobedience campaign against the storage of fracked gas along the shores of Seneca Lake, a source of drinking water for 100,000 people. There have been 73 arrests so far. Calling themselves “We Are Seneca Lake,” those risking arrest—and their supporters—wear blue during blockades. Donations to the jail fund are greatly appreciated and make a perfect holiday gift.] Sandra Steingraber: Hi,...

African states should double agriculture research spending, report says

Reuters: Sub-Saharan Africa needs to double its investment in agricultural research to meet the challenges of high population growth, climate change and deteriorating soils, a new report said on Wednesday. More women researchers must be trained, and the large number of countries that spend less on research than recommended should note the clear link between new research spending and increased food production, the report said. "It is critical that African countries invest more in agricultural research...

Judge: Illinois Fracking Rules Can Be Published

Chicago Tribune: A southern Illinois circuit judge Friday struck down a move that would have prevented the start of fracking in Illinois. Madison County Judge Barbara Crowder said she won't stop rules governing the practice from taking effect because the southern Illinois residents who requested the preliminary injunction failed to establish that they would suffer "irreparable harm." "Conclusory allegations that some of the plaintiffs have land near some areas where someone may file an application for a permit...

Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Rules on Mercury From Power Plants

New York Times: The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear a major challenge to the limits set by the Obama administration on emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from coal-fired power plants. It is the latest effort by industry groups to roll back regulations that would reduce emissions like mercury, soot, sulfur, smog and carbon dioxide. The case also threatens to undermine one of the administration’s most significant victories and chip away at President Obama’s legacy. John Walke, a lawyer with the...

Premier Li says China to speed up water conservation projects: Xinhua

Reuters: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said China would accelerate water conservation projects to tackle its water shortage and bolster wider economic growth, the official Xinhua news agency said on Wednesday. China is set to launch 172 key water conservation projects in coming years, with those already under way worth around 600 billion yuan ($98 billion). Li made the comments during a visit to the Ministry of Water Resources on Monday, noting that water conservation was as important as investment in...