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Archive for August, 2015
Grand Canyon Stretch of Colorado River Threatened by Mercury Pollution
Posted by EcoWatch: Cole Mellino on August 25th, 2015
EcoWatch: Even one of America`s most iconic landmarks is not immune from pollution. The Grand Canyon segment of the Colorado River is suffering from exposure to toxic chemicals, including mercury, according to a study from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
In Grand Canyon reach of CO River, some fish have toxic mercury levels http://t.co/CDXzmAtpS9 @caryinstitute @USGS pic.twitter.com/18lZ7IsUmJ
-- Cary Institute (@caryinstitute) August 19, 2015
"Concentrations of mercury and selenium in Colorado...
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Can the Earth feed 11 billion people? Four reasons to fear a Malthusian future
Posted by Conversation: None Given on August 25th, 2015
Conversation: Humanity is on course for a population greater than 11 billion by the end of this century, according to the latest analysis from the UN’s population division. In a simple sense, population is the root cause of all sustainability issues. Clearly if there were no humans there would be no human impacts. Assuming you don’t wish to see the complete end of the human race – a desire that is shared by some deep green thinkers and Bond super-villians – then the issue is whether there is an optimal number...
Massive wildfires have the world’s deepest lake surrounded
Posted by Mashable: None Given on August 25th, 2015
Mashable: Dozens of large wildfires are burning out of control around Lake Baikal in Siberia, which is the world's largest freshwater lake by volume and the deepest lake, at more than 5,300 feet deep. The Lake Baikal area is a popular recreational area during the summer, with campgrounds and cottages surrounding the shoreline.
Because of the composition of the soil in this part of the world, these fires are spewing unusually high amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to global warming....
Washington biggest fire in history could burn until it snows this fall
Posted by Mashable: None Given on August 25th, 2015
Mashable: The Okanogan Complex wildfire in Washington State has become the largest wildfire in state history, burning more than 400 square miles and counting, beating another fire that earned the dubious title just last year. As of Monday morning, the fire was only 10% contained, and officials warn that it could continue burning until snow arrives in the fall.
See also: You can now Google your home to see if you should go solar
The fire, which has now surpassed last year's Carlton Complex blazes, is...
Cuban agriculture threatened by worst drought in 115 years
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 25th, 2015
Xinhua: Cuba's agriculture is being threatened by the worst drought to hit the Caribbean in over a century, which is jeopardizing plans for the island to achieve its long-desired food independence. The government is currently spending around two billion U.S. dollars to import 80 percent of the food necessary to meet the demands of its 11.2 million inhabitants, with President Raul Castro calling on Cubans to produce everything that could be harvested in the country. Since 2008, Castro's administration has...
Drought Exacerbates West’s Wildfire Season
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on August 24th, 2015
Atlantic: A historic wildfire season in the Western United States and Canada claimed more victims last week. Three firefighters battling the Twisp Fire in central Washington State died Wednesday after their vehicle crashed and was overtaken by the flames, NBC News reported. Four other firefighters were also injured.
The three firefighters` deaths marked a dangerous week for fire crews battling blazes throughout the West. Over 7.2 million acres have burned this year, according to the federal National Interagency...
Greenland Glacier Sheds Manhattan-Sized Chunk
Posted by Clapway: None Given on August 24th, 2015
Clapway: A massive chunk of ice, the size of Manhattan, has been severed from Greenland`s Jakobshavn glacier, BBC News reports.
ONE OF THE FASTEST GLACIERS IN GREENLAND
During the summer, the glacier movies at ten meters a day, according to scientists, a pace which makes it one of the fastest glaciers in Greenland. Using the European Union`s Sentinel satellites, the European Space Agency has been monitoring the glacier and its activity.
According to the European Space Agency, the berg that separated...
China chemical safety problems highlighted before Tianjin blasts
Posted by Reuters: Clare Baldwin, Brenda Goh and Sue-Lin Wong on August 24th, 2015
Reuters: Several warnings preceded the deadly blasts at the Chinese port of Tianjin, including a state-backed research paper highlighting the risk of "grave accidents and casualties" in the chemicals sector and an explosion in another city blamed on lax safety controls. Two huge explosions tore through a warehouse storing dangerous chemicals in the northeastern city on Aug. 12, killing at least 116 people and sending shockwaves through apartment blocks kilometers away. A review by Reuters of documents and...
Drought Conditions in California are Causing Severe Subsidence
Posted by Nature World: Samantha Mathewson on August 23rd, 2015
Nature World: As California continues pumping groundwater to combat the historic drought they are facing, land in the San Joaquin Valley is sinking at an increased rate of 2 inches more per month. The California Department of Water Resources released a NASA report illustrating their findings.
"Because of increased pumping, groundwater levels are reaching record lows -- up to 100 feet (30 meters) lower than previous records," Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin said in a statement. "As extensive...
California drought could be the new normal
Posted by Fresno Bee: Editorial on August 23rd, 2015
Fresno Bee: Reports of California's demise are as predictable as they are exaggerated whenever the Golden State endures one of its regular disasters.
Earthquakes, fires, floods, the Great Recession and more strike, and we survive. But two reports on the drought last week ought to give us pause about how we use and misuse water, even as a third in the journal Geophysical Research Letters drives home the bad news about global warming, estimating that climate change has worsened California's drought by up to...