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Archive for December, 2015
California wildfire burns over 1,000 acres, forces evacuations
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 26th, 2015
Reuters: A wildfire in Southern California burned about 1,200 acres of land, forced the closure of parts of a major highway and led to evacuations on Saturday, fire officials said.
More than 600 firefighters were at the scene or en route to battle the blaze in the Solimar Beach area of Ventura County, and parts of the 101 highway had been closed, county fire department spokeswoman Heather Sumagaysay said.
Reopening the highway, a major roadway in the region, is a top priority, she said.
Fire officials...
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Saving water was the priority in California
Posted by LA Times: Editorial on December 26th, 2015
LA Times: The fourth consecutive year of drought in California forced everyone to take extraordinary measures to save water. Californians were up to the challenge in 2015, drastically reducing consumption and studying long-term alternatives to address the water shortage from farms to urban areas.
To make matters worse, this year marked our state’s highest temperature in 120 years, since record-keeping began. The fact that this drought has been much hotter than those in the 20th century spurred a greater...
Parts of United Kingdom facing ‘very severe weather’
Posted by Bonham Journal: None Given on December 26th, 2015
Bonham Journal: Flood warnings have been issued in parts of Northern England and Scotland after heavy rains caused rivers to overflow Saturday morning.
The UK Met Office's most serious weather warning was issued for Lancashire on Saturday with a risk of "widespread river flooding".
The Environment Agency has issued hundreds of flood warnings.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency issued five flood alerts and 16 flood warnings.
About 115 flood alerts and 100 warnings were also issued by authorities....
Wildfires getting more destructive
Posted by Orange County Register: Jaime Madrigano on December 26th, 2015
Orange County Register: As 2015 winds to a close, many Californians will remember it as the year wildfires consumed hundreds of thousands of acres and left countless people homeless. But the danger from a wildfire doesn’t end when the last flame goes out. It threatens the health of those who’ve witnessed the embers burning, as well as the well-being of people who might live hundreds of miles away. The potential for smoke to harm air quality and cause health problems was especially acute this year because a record number...
Big Oil run amok in Kern County
Posted by Sacramento Bee: Rosanna Esparza on December 26th, 2015
Sacramento Bee: In California, we like to think of ourselves as being on clean energy’s cutting edge. We drive more electric vehicles, generate more electricity from solar power, and our legislators have pushed forward innovative policies that have become a model not just in the U.S., but around the world. Yet, hidden beneath this green image is a dirty secret: California is the third-largest oil-extracting state in the country, and the majority of that oil comes from where I call home, Kern County. Just two hours...
Storm Eva: severe flood warnings as rain drenches northern Britain
Posted by Guardian: The river Ouse rises The river Ouse in York continues to rise, flooding riversi on December 26th, 2015
Guardian: Householders in some parts of the north of England have been warned to take their Christmas presents and other valuables upstairs as the Environment Agency issued 149 flood warnings – seven of them severe – and 123 alerts.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency issued five flood alerts and eight flood warnings.
The warnings south of the border, which mainly cover the north-west and north-east of England and Wales, come as forecasters said up to 120mm (4.7in) of rain could fall in some areas...
Indonesia: Climate change and water scarcity
Posted by Jakarta Post: Djamester Simarmata on December 26th, 2015
Jakarta Post: To the surprise of many, COP21 2015 has finished in Paris with a spectacular achievement. The target is to hold the increase in the global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In spite of its success, COP21 ignored the risk of water scarcity, which is closely related to climate change. From the other side, many issues about financing the agreement are left hanging in the air. The...
The town where the only drinking water comes in bottles – in pictures
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 26th, 2015
Guardian: East Porterville, California, is a predominantly Latino, low-income town that relies solely on private wells. As these dry up because of the drought, many families are forced to rely on deliveries, water from neighbours, or abandon their homes. Photographer Gabrielle Lurie has been documenting their plight
Scientists worry that the Chesapeake’s natural shoreline is turning into a wall
Posted by Washington Post: Darryl Fears on December 26th, 2015
Washington Post: On the banks of the Potomac River, construction cranes that look like metal dinosaurs tower over Southwest Washington. They swivel in all directions, delivering concrete and other heavy material to workers building a large development behind a steel-and-concrete wall that holds back the water.
Within two years, the Wharf will begin emerging as a playground of trendy apartments, shops and entertainment venues. But below the river’s surface, animals that depend on vegetation in the water may continue...
Australia’s carbon emissions are increasing, government report shows
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on December 26th, 2015
Guardian: Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions increased in 2014-15, a report released with obscure timing by the Australian government has shown. The December 2015 quarterly update of carbon emissions, which covers the period to the end of June 2015, was released with no fanfare on Christmas Eve. The quarterly update forms part of Australia’s international reporting of its emissions It shows that Australia’s emissions increased by 0.8% last financial year compared with the previous one, and 1.3% when land...