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Archive for March 6th, 2015
BP drops bid to oust Gulf spill claims administrator
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 6th, 2015
Reuters: BP Plc on Friday ended its bid to oust the administrator overseeing payouts to businesses and individuals claiming damages arising from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, citing steps the administrator has taken to reduce the threat of fraud.
The British oil company withdrew its appeal of a federal judge's decision not to remove the administrator, Patrick Juneau, who is reviewing claims under a 2012 settlement tied to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.
BP had long complained...
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Once Again, A Record-Hot Winter for California
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 6th, 2015
Climate Central: As Yogi Berra famously said, "it's déjà vu all over again.' While much of the eastern U.S. digs out from yet another snow and ice storm, the West has capped off a decidedly toasty winter.
Rankings for average winter temperatures for each state in the Lower 48 for the winter of 2014-2015.
In fact, California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Washington each saw their hottest winter on record, according to data released Friday by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).
For California, this...
U.S. Constricts Snake Trade, But Boa Wriggles Free
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 6th, 2015
New York Times: The Fish and Wildlife Service is extending trade restrictions to four non-native constricting snakes, including reticulated and green anacondas, here seen in a pet owner's YouTube video. Only interstate trade or imports are banned. The Fish and Wildlife Service is extending trade restrictions to four non-native constricting snakes, including reticulated and green anacondas, here seen in a pet owner's YouTube video. Only interstate trade or...
Obama notes concerns over ‘extraordinarily dirty’ Canada oil extraction
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 6th, 2015
Reuters: U.S. President Barack Obama amplified the concerns of environmentalists about the Keystone XL oil pipeline on Friday and repeated his own reservations the project would have few benefits, but said he has not made a decision on the project.
Obama, explaining the debate over the pipeline to a group of students, described concerns about the "extraordinarily dirty" extraction methods for Canadian oilsands - a description the Canadian government has long argued is unfair.
"The reason that a lot...
Watch how much water goes into your food
Posted by Grist: None Given on March 6th, 2015
Grist: Are you one of those people who suffers through 10-second showers in the name of water and energy conservation? Grist and the planet thank you for the nice gesture — every drop counts. But it turns out really saving water has more to do with what’s on your plate than what’s coming out of your faucet. With prolonged and extreme droughts cropping up left and right, thanks to YOU KNOW WHO (pssssst anthropogenic climate change), small changes at your table can actually have major impacts on water savings...
Are There More Oil and Gas Wells in LA Than Movie Stars?
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on March 6th, 2015
EcoWatch: The story of the rise and fall of Edward Doheny, the first oil baron of Southern California, would seem the archetype of a LA noir tale: A man rises from rags to riches and presents a veneer of respectability to the outside world, but behind closed doors lurks corruption, even violence. Elaborate stagecraft—Hollywood’s specialty—hides the machinery and political machinations that fuel what boosters like to call “progress.” A kind of prosperity veils danger. Here’s how the story goes:
In 1892 Doheny,...
White House Mulled, Then Balked at Curbing Explosive Gas on Oil Trains
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 6th, 2015
Reuters: The Obama administration weighed national standards to control explosive gas in oil trains last year but rejected the move, deciding instead to leave new rules to North Dakota, where much of the fuel originates.
Current and former administration officials told Reuters they were unsure if they had the power to force the energy industry to drain volatile gas from crude oil originating in North Dakota's fields.
Instead, they opted to back North Dakota's effort to remove the cocktail of explosive...
El Niño Arrival Is Too Little, Too Late for Drought-Ridden California
Posted by Mashable: Andrew Freeman on March 6th, 2015
Mashable: Congratulations are in order for the tropical Pacific Ocean. An El Niño event that has been forecast for at least the past year finally arrived on Thursday, when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued an "El Niño Advisory."
However, like a late-arriving guest to a charity auction, El Niño showed up after all the bidding was done, as it is now likely that California will experience a fourth straight year of drought. El Niño events, particularly strong ones, can favor...
Floods could affect twice as many people worldwide within 15 years
Posted by ClimateWire: Evan Lehmann on March 6th, 2015
ClimateWire: River flooding could affect 54 million people worldwide in 2030 as more extreme rainfall and the rapid expansion of cities double exposure to inundation, according to a new analysis. Currently, 21 million people are affected annually by floods. The project by several research organizations in the Netherlands and the World Resources Institute developed the first public tool that shows the estimated flood risk in most countries and how it's expected to rise over the next 25 years. The project, called...
The other bad carbon
Posted by Nepali Times: Kunda Dixit on March 6th, 2015
Nepali Times: For decades, governments around the world have tried to cut emissions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere so global warming stays below a 2 degree rise by the end of the century. That target is not likely to be met. But there is another kind of carbon – tiny soot particles given off by vehicles, cook stoves and crop fires called ‘black carbon’ – that contribute significantly to global warming which may be easier to control. An international conference in Kathmandu last week organised by ICIMOD...