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Archive for November 26th, 2015
Remote lakes are affected by warming climate, research shows
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 26th, 2015
ScienceDaily: The rate of carbon burial in remote lakes has doubled over the last 100 years, suggesting even isolated ecosystems are feeling the effects of our changing climate. Scientists from Loughborough University, Science Museum of Minnesota, and University of Quebec at Montreal, analysed data from remote lakes across North America and discovered a doubling in the rate at which these lakes sequester (bury) carbon in their sediments. These changes are linked to fertilization of the forest and lakes by atmospherically...
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Rising number of glacial lakes threatening communities
Posted by Tribune: Maryam Usman on November 26th, 2015
Tribune: With 2015 set to become the hottest year on record, the government on Thursday told the lower house of parliament on Thursday that while there was an increasing phenomenon of glacial lakes presenting a threat to communities, they needed more comprehensive study to determine the effect of climate change. Submitting a written reply in the National Assembly on Thursday during the question hour, Climate Change Minister Zahid Hamid said there were a number of studies on glaciers in Pakistan, but they...
Global warming will be faster than expected
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 26th, 2015
ScienceDaily: Global warming will progress faster than what was previously believed. The reason is that greenhouse gas emissions that arise naturally are also affected by increased temperatures. This has been confirmed in a new study from Linköping University that measures natural methane emissions.
"Everything indicates that global warming caused by humans leads to increased natural greenhouse gas emissions. Our detailed measurements reveal a clear pattern of greater methane emissions from lakes at higher...
Most Tanzanians rely unsafe water despite government efforts: survey
Posted by Reuters: Kizito Makoye on November 26th, 2015
Reuters: Only one in three people in Tanzania has access to piped water despite government efforts to improve water supplies with most of the population still relying on unsafe water that brings the risk of disease, according to a study on Thursday. Two years after a government initiative to try to ensure better water supplies, a survey by a local governance think-tank, Twaweza, found most Tanzanians, of 64 percent, still draw water from unsafe sources such as wells and surface water. The study of 1,852...
Arsenic & mercury found in river days after Brazil dam burst
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 26th, 2015
Reuters: Illegal levels of arsenic and mercury polluted the Rio Doce river in the days after a dam burst at an iron ore mine in early November in Brazil's worst-ever environmental disaster, according to tests by a state water agency.
The Institute for Water Management in Minas Gerais (IGAM), found arsenic levels more than ten times above the legal limit in one place along the Rio Doce after the dam burst on Nov. 5, killing at least 13 people and flooding thick mud across two states. Mercury slightly above...
The Save the Mekong Coalition Calls for Cancellation of the Don Sahong Dam
Posted by Blue and Green: None Given on November 26th, 2015
Blue and Green: The Save the Mekong Coalition has issued a statement calling for the immediate cancellation of the Don Sahong Dam. Construction on the 260MW project, in Siphandone, Southern Laos is expected to begin at the end of November, despite widespread opposition from local communities and ongoing concern from regional governments.
“We believe that in moving forward with the Don Sahong Dam, Mekong Governments are taking a severe and unacceptable risk in gambling with the future of food security and livelihoods...
Industry wields too much influence over U.S. pesticide regulation, says study
Posted by Mongabay: None Given on November 26th, 2015
Mongabay: Pesticides are ubiquitous and important; but how safe are they, and who answers this crucial question? According to a paper published in the journal Bioscience, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticide evaluation process may be riddled with flaws, allowing industry too much power. The paper, led by biologist Michelle Boone of Miami University in Ohio, uses the weed-killer atrazine as an example to support its conclusion that the EPA’s risk assessment process is rife with conflicts of...
Dow predicts EPA review of herbicide safety resolved soon
Posted by Reuters: Karl Plume on November 26th, 2015
Reuters: Dow Chemical Co expects environmental safety concerns about its new herbicide Enlist Duo to be resolved, the company said Wednesday, after the government asked a federal appellate court to pull regulatory approvals while the chemical's safety is re-examined. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved Enlist Duo for sale and use in several U.S. states over a year ago. But the agency has since found its assessment of the product's two active ingredients was incomplete, according to EPA's...