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Archive for August 6th, 2015
California Governor Jerry Brown challenges GOP candidates on climate change
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 6th, 2015
Associated Press: California Gov. Jerry Brown is calling on Republicans seeking their party's presidential nomination to present their proposals to deal with climate change.
The Democratic governor released a two-page letter Wednesday in advance of Thursday's planned GOP debate in Cleveland. He says California is hotter and drier than it's ever been, making wildfires more severe and extending the fire season.
My Q to @FoxNews #GOPDebate candidates: What is your plan to deal with the threat of climate change?...
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Climate change already rearing its ugly head in Northwest
Posted by MyNorthwest.com: Kipp Robertson on August 6th, 2015
MyNorthwest.com: Sea levels could rise by 10 feet by 2065, according to James Hansen. The "social disruption" and "economic consequences" of the increased sea levels might be enough to make the planet "ungovernable." (AP) Comments Share Tweet Share Share
The day when sea levels rise enough to disperse entire populations could be closer than scientists originally thought. While we're already seeing the potential effects in the Pacific Northwest, we may still be better off than others.
The NASA climatologist...
Governor Jerry Brown links California’s wildfires to drought, climate change
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 6th, 2015
Associated Press: Crews backed by important firefighting resources are gaining ground against a massive Northern California wildfire, but it may be several days before thousands of evacuees can return home.
At a news conference on Thursday morning, Governor Jerry Brown addressed the fires burning across California and how they are linked to the state's drought. He says California needs long-term solutions on climate change, which he says is responsible for one the worst droughts in California's history.
He even...
Puerto Rico extends water restrictions as drought worsens
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 6th, 2015
Associated Press: A deepening drought in Puerto Rico that has affected 2.5 million people forced the government on Wednesday to extend severe water rationing measures to more communities that are already struggling with an economic crisis.
Another 180,000 customers will now receive water only every third day, raising the total facing 48-hour cuts in service to 400,000, as the U.S. territory's main reservoirs continue to shrink, according to the island's water and sewer company.
"We have to keep the water that's...
Geoengineering will not save ocean life from acidification, research says
Posted by InsideClimate: Phil McKenna on August 6th, 2015
InsideClimate: Waiting to tackle ocean acidification caused by climate change through yet-to-be developed geoengineering schemes will be too little too late to prevent mass extinction of ocean life, a new study concludes.
Cutting carbon emissions is the only way for oceans to recover from the devastating effects of climate change, according to the new research published in Nature Climate Change. While using deliberate, large-scale manipulation of earth processes to combat global warming has its proponents, intervening...
Undamming Rivers: A Chance For New Clean Energy Source
Posted by Yale Environment 360: John Waldman and Karin Limburg on August 6th, 2015
Yale Environment 360: Hydroelectric power is often touted as clean energy, but this claim is true only in the narrow sense of not causing air pollution. In many places, such as the U.S. East Coast, hydroelectric dams have damaged the ecological integrity of nearly every major river and have decimated runs of migratory fish.
This need not continue. Our rivers can be liberated from their concrete shackles, while also continuing to produce electricity at the site of former hydropower dams. How might that occur? A confluence...
Recent Climate Pleas Fall Flat in Texas
Posted by Texas Tribune: None Given on August 6th, 2015
Texas Tribune: Weeks after Pope Francis sparked an uproar by calling for decisive action to combat human-driven climate change, an official with the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston urged a roomful of mostly white, affluent environmentalists here to forge partnerships with the people who live in communities directly affected by the warming trend -- an indirect reference to the underprivileged.
"It's time consuming, but it's about building relationships and those are folks who have the stories to tell about the...
In Kansas, Less Drilling Is Triggering Fewer Earthquakes
Posted by Wichita Eagle: Dan Voorhis on August 6th, 2015
Wichita Eagle: As oil drilling in Kansas has slowed since winter, so have the number and power of earthquakes emanating from Harper and Sumner counties.
It’s no coincidence, say state geologists.
There were 67 earthquakes with a magnitude of at least 3.0 in the last year, including a 4.9 in November, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Since April 1, there have been just 15 – and none in July.
But the geologists remain cautious. They don’t know, yet, how much of the decline in earthquakes is caused...