RSS Feed
Archive for February 26th, 2016
California Natural Gas Leak Officially Largest Leak in U.S. History
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 26th, 2016
Yale Environment 360: The four-month natural gas leak that sickened hundreds of Los Angeles residents and forced the evacuations of 1,800 homes this winter has officially been deemed the largest methane leak in U.S. history, according to a study in the journal Science. The California leak spewed a total 97,100 metric tons of methane into the atmosphere, up to 60 tons per hour—the equivalent of the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 572,000 cars. Methane is a greenhouse gas dramatically more potent than carbon dioxide...
Posted in 
Indigenous communities are forced to clean up a 3,000-barrel oil spill in Peru’s Amazon
Posted by Mongabay: None Given on February 26th, 2016
Mongabay: The images being shared on social media and by the international press these days show to the average eye what the impacts of a broken oil pipeline can be: water dyed deep black, turned into a liquid as thick as the oil that has contaminated them. Those recent photos from northern Peru document how the oil spill is covering rocks on the rivers’ shores, and also the white suits donned by the men who have been hired to clean up the spill in the Amazon tributary. This isn’t the first time that an...
Chinese dam builder eyeing major Amazon mega-dam contract
Posted by Mongabay: None Given on February 26th, 2016
Mongabay: Chinese construction companies are trying to gain a larger foothold on infrastructure projects — especially hydroelectric dams — in the Amazon, a region and sector in which large Brazilian construction companies have long dominated. That opportunity has been created by hard times for the Brazilian companies, due to the ongoing government/corporate Operação Lava Jato (Operation Car Wash) scandal, the devaluation of Brazil’s Real currency, along with pricey credit rates. China Three Gorges — a state-owned...
Climate change scientist says past floods help predict future weather
Posted by CBC: None Given on February 26th, 2016
CBC: A leading Canadian scientist says Canada is on the front line of climate change, and researchers are studying once-in-a-century weather events to predict what can be expected in the future.
Francis Zwiers is director of the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium at University of Victoria. He is speaking across the country, including in Halifax on Saturday, about climate change and whether extreme events are more frequent and intense than in the past.
"We talk about different kinds of events, we...
Study: California methane leak largest in U.S. history
Posted by Climate Central: Bobby Magill on February 26th, 2016
Climate Central: The gas leak that forced the evacuation of 1,800 homes in the mountains above Los Angeles late last year was the largest methane leak in U.S. history and shows the climate risks of aging natural gas infrastructure, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.
The Aliso Canyon leak near the Porter Ranch neighborhood was so big that it emitted 97,100 tons of methane -- the equivalent of the annual greenhouse gas pollution from 572,000 cars, according to the study, which used aircraft...
Arctic warming: Rapidly increasing temperatures are ‘possibly catastrophic’ for planet
Posted by Independent: Ian Johnston on February 26th, 2016
Independent: The rapidly warming Arctic could have a “catastrophic” effect on the planet’s climate, a leading scientist has warned.
Dr Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute in California, said there was a growing body of “pretty scary” evidence that higher temperatures in the Arctic were driving the creation of dangerous storms in parts of the northern hemisphere.
According to a graph on the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre’s website, there were 14.2 million km squared of sea ice on 24 February....
Fiji cyclone disaster is a sign of future challenges
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 26th, 2016
ClimateWire: Small island states and environmentalists say the devastating cyclone that lashed Fiji on Saturday illustrates why the world must get serious about helping climate-vulnerable countries cope with warming.
Cyclone Winston was the most damaging storm ever to hit the small Pacific nation. The death toll was at 36 yesterday. Fiji’s representatives spent yesterday assessing the damage and securing aid.
“The government of Fiji’s first concern is to provide humanitarian emergency assistance, food,...
California cut water use 17.1% in January, falling short of target for the first time
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 26th, 2016
LA Times: When Gov. Jerry Brown called for a statewide 25% cut in urban water use last April, drought-weary Californians snapped quickly into compliance.
They slashed consumption enough to easily exceed Brown`s order for four straight months, cheering state water regulators.
But as temperatures cooled and the calendar turned to fall, conservation slowed. And on Thursday, officials said the state`s cumulative water savings fell below 25% for the first time in eight months of reporting, to 24.8%.
Officials...
Greenpeace Launches Investigation Into Radiation Impacts of Fukushima Disaster on Pacific Ocean
Posted by Blue and Green: None Given on February 26th, 2016
Blue and Green: Greenpeace Japan today announced it is conducting an underwater investigation into radiation contamination from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. The survey will be conducted from a Japanese research vessel using a one of a kind Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), fitted with sensitive gamma radiation spectrometer and sediment sampler.
On the opening day of the investigation, Mr Naoto Kan, the former Prime Minister of Japan and leader at the time of the nuclear accident,...
18 elephants to be flown to US zoos as drought puts pressure on Swaziland wildlife
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on February 26th, 2016
Guardian: Eighteen elephants, due to be culled because the intense drought in southern Africa has left a national park in Swaziland without food, could be flown to zoos in the US. It is hoped that moving them will give endangered rhinos more chance of survival.
The three male and 15 female elephants from parched Hlane national park are being held temporarily by a local conservation group pending a court case brought by US animal welfare groups concerned about their export.
But they are planned to be...