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Archive for May, 2015
India’s killer heatwave deadly warning world we face without climate action
Posted by Ecologist: Liz Hanna on May 30th, 2015
Ecologist: As delegates prepare for the Bonn climate talks, India is being struck by extreme heat with a long-delayed monsoon season and a death toll of thousands, writes Liz Hanna. If this is an indicator of the warming world to come, it's giving us all the reasons we could possibly want to act decisively before it's too late.
The combination of rapidly expanding population, and increasing extreme heat events reducing food yields suggests a perfect storm is brewing.
India is currently in the throes of...
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Indian government to review hydroelectric dams in two river basins
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 30th, 2015
Guardian: The supreme court stopped the construction of dams on the river Ganga soon after the devastating floods that swept the state of Uttarakhand in June 2013. Many blamed them for exacerbating destruction. An 11-member expert committee recommended that 23 dams on the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers, the two main tributaries of the Ganga, be scrapped. Builders of six dams in the upper Ganga basin asked the court to allow their projects to proceed. The six were among the 23 vetoed dams. Instead of accepting...
UNESCO says Great Barrier Reef not in danger
Posted by Deutsche Welle: None Given on May 30th, 2015
Deutsche-Welle: UNESCO has stopped short of listing the Great Barrier Reef as endangered but expressed concerns over its health, as environmental groups say the Australian government must up efforts to protect the unique ecosystem.
"This decision has been described by some as a reprieve for the reef. It is not a reprieve - it is a big, red flag from UNESCO," said Shani Tager, Greenpeace Australia Reef campaigner said in a statement.
UNESCO said it welcomed the Australian government's efforts to protect the...
What can Londoners expect from new Thames tunnel? Lethal pollution
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on May 30th, 2015
Guardian: What could possibly be wrong with a big new car tunnel under the Thames linking deprived east and south London? It would relieve congestion, allow people to cross London more easily, reduce journey times, encourage development, jobs, prosperity, flexibility, and even provide an alternative route between the Isle of Dogs with Greenwich, wouldn't it?
That's the premise of the mayor, Boris Johnson, and Transport for London (TfL) who, backed by construction and property companies, want to build a...
Presidential disaster declaration signed Texas storms kill 21
Posted by Reuters: Lisa Maria Garza and Jim Forsyth on May 30th, 2015
Reuters: U.S. President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration late on Friday for areas in Texas hammered by severe weather that killed at least 21 people, caused massive flooding and prompted evacuations this week.
Storms that battered North Texas on Thursday and Friday added more runoff to swollen rivers and prompted hundreds of calls for help in Dallas, where some areas saw up to seven inches (17.8 cm) of rain.
"Communities across the State of Texas have experienced devastating destruction, injury...
Is all the crazy weather lately due to climate change?
Posted by Daily Dot: None Given on May 30th, 2015
Daily Dot: Texas is flooding and streets in India are literally melting because of its record-breaking heat wave. Several people have died in both events--including a staggering 1,800 in India. And while Texas is no stranger to floods and India certainly has heat waves this time of year, these events seem especially extreme.
“The heat wave in India is consistent with a pattern of record-breaking heat we’ve seen in recent years that can only be explained by the added heating due to human-caused greenhouse...
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...
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...