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Archive for December 18th, 2014
Tropical deforestation could disrupt rainfall globally
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 18th, 2014
Mongabay: Large-scale deforestation in the tropics could drive significant and widespread shifts in rainfall distribution and temperatures, potentially affecting agriculture both locally and far from where forest loss is occurring, concludes a study published today in Nature Climate Change.
The research, authored by Deborah Lawrence and Karen Vandecar of the University of Virginia, is based on a review of several studies that measured and modeled the impacts of tropical forest clearance in different geographies...
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New York State to Ban Fracking: ‘Reckless to Proceed’
Posted by Environment News Service: None Given on December 18th, 2014
Environment News Service: As of early next year, New York State will be permanently off-limits to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, for oil and gas. The decision follows the release Wednesday of a long-awaited Department of Health report that details adverse health and environmental effects from exposure to the process. Fracking involves horizontal drilling and the fracturing of underground shale rock with pressurized water and chemicals to release deposits of gas and oil. New York lies over the Marcellus shale formation,...
Fracking Ban in New York Paves the Way for Other States
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on December 18th, 2014
EcoWatch: Fantastic news came from the state of New York this week when the Cuomo administration announced its decision to ban fracking in the state. This exciting decision is a tribute to everyone who has worked so hard in New York to protect the state from the ravages experiences elsewhere from fracking.
Here’s the full story: On Wednesday, the Governor convened a cabinet meeting where Acting Health Commissioner Howard Zucker presented the findings of the Department of Health’s review on fracking. He...
Front Yards Turn to Wetlands as Climate Change Takes Toll
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 18th, 2014
Bloomberg: Climate change is beginning to take a toll on real estate in Norfolk, about 80 miles southeast of Richmond, as insurance costs soar and residents resort to putting their homes on stilts or opening up space underneath for the water to flow through.
Amanda Armstrong schedules her life around the tides. For the past year and a half, she’s had to navigate rising waters that saturate the lawn of her red brick house in Norfolk, Virginia, and sometimes fill a puddle out front with crabs and fish.
“We...
Enbridge Shuts Oil Pipeline to U.S. After Spill in Canada
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 18th, 2014
Bloomberg: Canadian oil supplies to the U.S. Midwest were disrupted after Enbridge Inc. (ENB) shut a pipeline because of a leak.
The company isolated its Line 4 pipe at the Regina terminal in Saskatchewan yesterday after about 1,350 barrels of oil were released within an on-site pumping station, according to a statement. The company is excavating the line around a pumphouse and hasn’t provided an estimate for how long repairs may take, Gerard Kay, deputy chief of operations at Regina Fire and Protective...
Volume of world’s oldest water estimated
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 18th, 2014
BBC: The world's oldest water, which is locked deep within the Earth's crust, is present at a far greater volume than was thought, scientists report.
The liquid, some of which is billions of years old, is found many kilometres beneath the ground.
Researchers estimate there is about 11m cubic kilometres (2.5m cu miles) of it - more water than all the world's rivers, swamps and lakes put together.
The study was presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting.
It has also been published...
Fracking Banned in New York
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 18th, 2014
Scientific American: Fracking has been banned in New York State since 2008. Then-Governor David Paterson imposed a moratorium on the controversial technique-- which fractures shale rock using high pressure, specially treated water to release gas trapped inside--citing the need for further study of health and environmental risks. After six years and a multiplicity of such studies the results seem to indicate that fracking can be done safely--but often is not. And that is conclusive enough to allow the current governor,...