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Archive for May 15th, 2015
Pres. Obama Defends Arctic Drilling Decision
Posted by Hill: Timothy Cama on May 15th, 2015
Hill: President Obama on Thursday defended his administration’s decision to allow offshore oil and natural gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean, a move that has been the subject of criticism from environmentalists.
Obama told reporters that although he wants the country to move completely away from fossil fuels at some point, domestic oil and natural gas production is still necessary in the short term.
“I believe that we are going to have to transition off of fossil fuels as a planet in order to prevent...
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Anti-Fracking Filmmaker Josh Fox Arrested in Finger Lakes Protest
Posted by Daily Beast: None Given on May 15th, 2015
Daily Beast: Award-winning documentary filmmaker Josh Fox, who wrote and directed the acclaimed fracking film Gasland, was arrested this afternoon while engaging in a human barricade at a natural-gas storage facility in the Finger Lakes.
“People need to see what’s happening at Seneca Lake, and also understand that this isn’t isolated, it is happening everywhere,” Fox told The Daily Beast before the protest. “We need to educate people that our dependency on fossil fuels has got to change, and it has to change...
California Agency Misses Deadline on Reporting Oil-Industry Water Use
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 15th, 2015
LA Times: The California Department of Conservation failed to meet an April 30 deadline for making public a broad range of information regarding the source, volume and disposal of water used in oil and gas production.
The agency said the law passed last year requiring the information had vastly increased the data the state is required to collect from oil companies. Regulators are now required to track 200 billion data elements, officials said, far exceeding the antiquated data management capacity of the...
Women Apply an Average of 168 Chemicals on Their Bodies Every Day
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on May 15th, 2015
EcoWatch: Is it any surprise that the lotions, soaps and other products we use to make ourselves look younger or “better” might contain a nasty slew of chemicals? If you’re unsure or want to understand what these chemicals can do to your health, a recent report in The Guardian would be a good place to start. The report says that although many of these chemicals might be harmless, others might be endocrine disruptors, carcinogens and neurotoxins. Women are particularly at risk since they use more personal...
Protecting Mauna Kea: They Hate Hawai’i
Posted by San Diego Free Press: Will Falk on May 15th, 2015
San Diego Free Press: Hatred is one of the most misunderstood processes at work in the world today. Cops are killing young people of color while simultaneously maintaining they’re not racists and do not hate the people they’re killing. A growing number of men watch pornography claiming they do not hate women. Millions of tourists visit Hawai’i annually – despite pleas from native Hawaiians to stop – and feel they are so far from hating Hawai’i, it’s their favorite place to visit.
While the real, physical world is burning...
Mauna Kea War Crime Complaint Filed Canada
Posted by Big Island Video News: None Given on May 15th, 2015
Big Island Video News: A war crimes complaint was filed on Wednesday in Canada in connection with the planned Thirty Meter Telescope project on Mauna Kea.
The Hawaiian Kingdom blog reported that Kaho‘okahi Kanuha, a spokesperson for the Ku Kia`i Mauna movement that is blocking TMT from the summit of the sacred mountain, hand delivered the complaint, which was drafted by his attorney Dexter Kai`ama. Kanuha was accompanied by Dr. Keanu Sai, who drafted a detailed War Crimes Report at the request of Kai`ama.
According...
Pope Francis: care creation, sustainable dev and climate change
Posted by Blue and Green: None Given on May 15th, 2015
Blue and Green: Pope Francis will write a letter to 1.2bn Catholics all over the world, emphasising the importance on sustainable living, eradicating poverty and calling on world leaders to address climate change.
The pope has been critical of high profile issues in the past. He has spoken out against the dangers of fracking and environmental devastation, and in his most controversial episode he publically condemned ‘trickle down’ economic theories, warning of an ‘economy of exclusion’.
But in his latest endeavour,...
The struggle to get indigenous knowledge into policy
Posted by SciDevNet: None Given on May 15th, 2015
SciDevNet: Compared with national and regional programmes, global level recognition of the importance of indigenous knowledge to scientific assessments has been lagging. But recently there have been signs of a shift in thinking among the organisations that help shape international agreements. For starters, an indigenous expert has made it onto the UN secretary-general’s board of science advisors. Plus, experimental projects are finding ways of making indigenous knowledge ‘citeable’ to ease its integration...
El Niño near-certain to last through summer: U.S. climate center
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 15th, 2015
Reuters: The El Niño climate phenomenon is almost certain to last through the Northern Hemisphere summer, the U.S. weather forecaster said, raising the chance of heavy rain in the southern United States as well as South America, and scorching heat in Asia that could devastate crops of thirsty food staples like rice.
El Niño also reduces the likelihood of a busy hurricane season, which lasts from June to November and can disrupt energy operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
In its monthly report released...
United Kingdom: More beaches face quality failures
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 15th, 2015
BBC: A record number of England's beaches are at risk of failing to meet EU water quality standards this year, the Environment Agency has warned.
It suggests new EU regulations will make it much harder for beaches to attain the top "excellent" rating.
More than 99% of English beaches passed last year's tests, but this is forecast to drop by 6%, with the water of 25 beaches possibly classed as "poor".
Among those at risk are ones in Margate, Ilfracombe and Blackpool.
Others at risk are in Lancing,...