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Archive for December 5th, 2014
California drought, high temperatures create worst conditions in 1,200 years: study
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 5th, 2014
Reuters: A combination of record high temperatures and sparse rainfall during California's three-year drought have produced the worst conditions in 1,200 years, according to a study accepted for publication by the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The state has gone through numerous periods of dry weather, with as little or less rainfall as the past few years, but scientists looking at the cumulative effects of temperature, low precipitation and other factors said that it all adds up to the worst conditions...
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Eating Less Meat and Dairy Essential to Curb Climate Change
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on December 5th, 2014
EcoWatch: You probably know most vegetarians than you used to. You may even know some vegans—people who eat no animal products, including eggs, butter, milk and cheese. But did you know that their dietary habits may be essential to save the planet? A new research paper from UK think tank Chatham House, Livestock—Climate Change’s Forgotten Sector, explains why it may be necessary for a lot more people to go vegetarian or at least dial down their consumption of meat and dairy products, and how to get them to...
U.S. Natural Gas Fracking Boom May Be Shorter Than Predicted, Study Says
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 5th, 2014
Yale Environment 360: Estimates of the amount of natural gas that can be extracted from U.S. reserves is much too high and the boom may last just half as long as predicted, says a new report in the journal Nature. Official government estimates by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) suggest that peak natural gas production, driven by the rapid growth of hydraulic fracturing, will likely last until 2040 before tapering off. The new analysis suggests that that estimate is too high. Instead, researchers say, the peak...
California Experiences Worst Drought in 1,200 Years
Posted by EcoWatch: Anastasia Pantsios on December 5th, 2014
EcoWatch: While rain this week provided California with some relief from a long spell of high temperatures and dry weather, it scarcely made a dent in the state’s multi-year drought. And they’ll hardly be encouraged by a new study, which says the drought is the worst in the region in 1,200 years.
In the study published this week in the American Geophysical Union’s Geophysical Research Letters, researchers Daniel Griffin, University of Minnesota assistant professor and Climate & Global Change fellow of the...
Texas Town Sues to Uphold Fracking Ban, Protect Democracy
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on December 5th, 2014
EcoWatch: The little guys aren’t taking this one lying down. In November, voters in Denton, Texas—fed up with oil and gas drilling companies unwilling to work with citizens to put some reasonable protections in place and with state and local regulators for allowing new fracking wells near homes, schools, parks and hospitals—passed a ban on fracking, despite being hugely outspent. The Texas Oil and Gas Association, representing the fracking companies, and the state’s General Land Office responded with lawsuits...
California’s Drought Ranks Worst at Least 1,200 Years
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 5th, 2014
Bloomberg: Record rains fell in California this week. They’re not enough to change the course of what scientists are now calling the region’s worst drought in at least 1,200 years. Just how bad has California’s drought been? Modern measurements already showed it’s been drier than the 1930s dustbowl, worse than the historic droughts of the 1970s and 1980s. That's not all. New research going back further than the Viking conquests in Europe still can't find a drought as bad as this one. To go back that far,...
India: River linking could alter rainfall, hit monsoon, expert warns
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 5th, 2014
Times of India: Criticizing the interlinking of rivers (ILR) project of the Indian government, a leading geologist and environmental expert on Friday warned the move could disrupt rainfall pattern which could be a significant issue in the wake of climate change.
"There is a major disruption of ecosystem. In view of climate change there is a possibility of change in pattern of rainfall," V Rajamani, an emeritus professor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, told IANS here on the sidelines of a programme....