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Archive for May 11th, 2015
Carbon emissions from peatlands may be less than expected
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 11th, 2015
ScienceDaily: Duke University scientists have discovered a previously unknown dual mechanism that slows peat decay and may help reduce carbon dioxide emissions from peatlands during times of drought.
"This discovery could hold the key to helping us find a way to significantly reduce the risk that increased drought and global warming will change Earth's peatlands from carbon sinks into carbon sources, as many scientists have feared," said Curtis J. Richardson, director of the Duke University Wetland Center and...
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Farmers Fight Real Estate Developers for Kenya’s Most Prized Asset: Land
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 11th, 2015
Inter Press Service: Vegetables grown in the lush soil of this quiet agricultural community in central Kenya's fertile wetlands not only feed the farmers who tend the crops, but also make their way into the marketplaces of Nairobi, the country's capital, some 150 km south.
Spinach, carrots, kale, cabbages, tomatoes, maize, legumes and tubers are plentiful here in the village of Ngangarithi, a landscape awash in green, intersected by clean, clear streams that local children play in.
"I am not fighting for myself...
Earth’s cloudy demeanour unveiled by NASA’s Aqua satellite
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 11th, 2015
New Scientist: Waiting for the sun to come out? It might be unwise to hold your breath. Earth is generally a cloudy place, according to this map.
NASA's Aqua satellite has built up this average view of Earth's surface by monitoring global cloud cover every day since 2002.
Cloud-free areas are dark blue, lighter shades represent more cloud cover, and the most overcast areas are white.
The map reveals three particularly cloudy bands. A white strip runs close to the equator while two wider bands run roughly...
Survey: Climate change ranks surprisingly low among reasons people oppose Keystone XL
Posted by Washington Post: Puneet Kollipara on May 11th, 2015
Washington Post: When it comes to political hot potatoes, there may not be a better example than the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Since Canada-based TransCanada Corp. first proposed the pipeline in 2008, it has served as a litmus test for where President Obama stands on energy, economic and environmental issues. One of those latter issues is climate change, as environmental groups that oppose the pipeline argue that approving it would be bad news for the climate.
Whether the pipeline’s construction would significantly...
Brazilian firm’s mega-dam plans in Peru spark major social conflict
Posted by Mongabay: Tiffany Roufs on May 11th, 2015
Mongabay: "I don't want to sell my land because I've lived here since I was 17," declared 82 year old María Araujo Silva. "This was where my children were born. I want to die here. That's why I'm not in agreement. I'm not in agreement with the dam." Araujo Silva is outraged at plans by Peru's government and Brazilian company Odebrecht to build a hydroelectric dam just downriver from her village, Huarac, on the Marañón River. She says it would flood her home, her neighbors and the land where she grows coconuts,...
Drought-hit Southern Africa at risk of food shortage: WFP
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 11th, 2015
Reuters: Southern Africa faces possible food shortages over the next few months due to a severe drought in the 'maize belt' of South Africa, where a lack of rain had caused crop failure rates of over 50 percent, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday.
In South Africa, the WFP said maize production was estimated to have dropped by a third compared with last year, putting it on track for a harvest of 9.665 million tonnes, its worst in eight years.
Besides South Africa, which produces more than...
Bottled Water Companies vs. California’s Epic Drought
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on May 11th, 2015
EcoWatch: As the drought in California rolls into its fourth year, causing mandatory water cutbacks by cities and private citizens and concern about the state’s enormous agricultural sector, bottled water plants in the state are attracting increasing attention attention and controversy. Bottled water accounts for a tiny fraction of the water consumed in the state but it’s become something of a symbol of who gets access to water for profit and who is being forced to cut back.
Last week, Starbucks announced...
Space technology identifies vulnerable regions in West Africa
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 11th, 2015
ScienceDaily: A group of international researchers led by the Centre for Landscape and Climate Research at the University of Leicester have used space satellite technology to identify regions of West Africa which are vulnerable to the effects of land degradation through climate change.
The team studied land degradation in Sub-Saharan West Africa, covering an area of approximately 6,140,000 km2, using statistical residual trend analysis (RESTREND) of vegetation photosynthetic capacity data (GIMMS NDVI3g), soil...
California drought in pictures: US state running out water
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 11th, 2015
Telegraph: As California's catastrophic drought enters its fourth year, California water regulators adopted sweeping, unprecedented restrictions on how people, governments and businesses can use water amid the state's ongoing drought, hoping to push reluctant residents to deeper conservation. Reservoir banks that used to be underwater are seen at Millerton Lake, on the top of the Friant Dam in Friant, California. California's snowpack, which generally provides about a third of the state's water, is at its...
Alberta voters throw out pro-oil leader may change Canada’s stance on climate
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 11th, 2015
ClimateWire: Stunning provincial election results Tuesday in Alberta -- home to Canada's vast oil sands region and fossil energy reserves -- upended the nation's political landscape, rattling the stock market and establishing a leader who is lukewarm on pipeline projects.
The surprising victory of Rachel Notley, the premier-elect and leader of Alberta's left-of-center New Democratic Party (NDP), raises numerous energy questions critical for the country's emissions trajectory: Will there be any slowdown with...