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Archive for May 29th, 2015
California Senate candidate: “We’re all going die”
Posted by Grist: None Given on May 29th, 2015
Grist: Have you ever wished there was more talk of climate change in national politics? Have you ever sat through a dull, paint-by-numbers political debate and secretly wished for an over-the-top, maybe even kind of loopy person to show up and take the whole conversation off-script?
If so, then prepare to get excited about the very strange U.S. Senate campaign of California`s Mike Beitiks.
Barbara Boxer`s decision to step down from her Senate seat in 2016 has brought a host of potential contenders...
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Never Say Never: Maryland Fracking Moratorium Becomes Law
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on May 29th, 2015
EcoWatch: “You’ll never get a fracking moratorium through the Maryland Legislature” was the common refrain I heard as we at Food & Water Watch joined with more than 100 groups from throughout the state to work on preventing fracking in Maryland. But we didn’t let that stop us. And today, thanks to the tireless efforts of business owners, health professionals, activists and countless concerned Maryland residents, we proved those naysayers wrong.
Today, a two and a half year fracking moratorium became law...
Astronomers, Aloha Aina advocates respond Gov plan decommission Mauna Kea telescopes
Posted by Hawaii News Now: None Given on May 29th, 2015
Hawaii News Now: There are 13 telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea -- 12 of which are currently working. By the time the Thirty Meter Telescope is operational, Governor David Ige says he wants at least three of those dismantled. It's not a new concept -- but rather, part of a state decommission plan that was drafted by the Office of Mauna Kea Management and went through a process of community review before it was approved by the Department of Land and Natural Resources in 2010. The University of Hawai'i leases...
On Mauna Kea, Astronomers and Hawaiians Can Share Skies
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 29th, 2015
Scientific American: “The ancient Hawaiians were astronomers,” wrote Queen Liliuokalani, Hawaii’s last reigning monarch, in 1897. Kilo hoku, or “star watchers,” were among the most esteemed members of Hawaiian society. Sadly, all is not well with astronomy in Hawaii today. Protests have erupted over construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), a giant observatory that promises to revolutionize humanity’s view of the cosmos. At issue is the TMT’s planned location on Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano revered by some Hawaiians...
Latest US proposal for ethanol could have political fallout
Posted by Associated Press: Mary Clare Jalonick on May 29th, 2015
Associated Press: The Obama administration's latest plan on ethanol, the corn-based renewable fuel, probably will not have a major effect on pump prices, but could have political reverberations in Iowa and other farm states in the 2016 presidential campaign. Under the proposed rule announced Friday, the amount of ethanol in the gasoline supply would increase in coming years, just not as much as set out under federal law. That approach drew criticism from ethanol and farm groups that have pushed to keep high volumes...
California Largest Lake Drying Up Amid Epic Drought
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on May 29th, 2015
EcoWatch: The Salton Sea, a huge, shallow manmade lake located in the Sonoran Desert in California`s Imperial and Coachella valleys, has had problems for years. Its increasing saltiness has killed off most of its once-abundant fish species. Its shrinking water level has caused a reduction in water available for agricultural use, along with many dramatic photos of exposed lakebed and abandoned towns that were once seaside resorts. While the sea is no longer a resort destination for Hollywood celebrities as...
Why We Need to End Mountaintop Removal Now
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on May 29th, 2015
EcoWatch: A short video released this week has stunningly detailed drone footage providing a rare view of mountaintop removal coal mining and the increasing proximity of this destructive form of mining to people living in Appalachia. The video includes interviews with local citizens who want to end mountaintop removal mining and transition their communities in a more just and sustainable way.
Trip Jennings, an award-winning videographer who has worked with National Geographic, produced the video in partnership...
Keystone Pipeline Wins Two Legal Battles in South Dakota
Posted by Rapid City Journal: Bob Mercer on May 29th, 2015
Rapid City Journal: he developers of the Keystone XL pipeline on Tuesday won two legal battles before the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. As a result, a tribal environmental group has lost its bid to present testimony on climate change at a pipeline-permit hearing this summer, and TransCanada, the pipeline developer, will not face severe penalties requested by pipeline opponents. The Intertribal COUP organization planned to offer three scientists to testify about tar-sands development and climate change....
Great Barrier Reef evades danger list
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 29th, 2015
BBC: The Great Barrier Reef should not go on a World Heritage danger list, according to a United Nations draft report.
However, it says Australia must carry out commitments to protect the reef, including restoring water quality and restricting new port developments.
The final decision on its status will be made at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Germany next month.
Conservationists have warned that the outlook for the reef is "poor".
A report published in 2014 concluded that the condition...
Climate change blamed as thousands die in Indian heat
Posted by Financial Times: None Given on May 29th, 2015
Financial Times: High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d66381fc-05dd-11e5-b676-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz3bheclh6l For the wealthy of India, the annual heatwave before the monsoon is inconvenient, especially when water stored in black tanks on the roof becomes too hot to use for a...