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Archive for March 13th, 2016
Crisis puts water projects in top gear
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 13th, 2016
Times of India: The civic officials and elected representatives are in a huddle as the city stares at a severe water crisis. A series of meetings have been held in Mumbai and Pune to expedite pending water projects. Experts, however, say that traditional business-as-usual approach to water management will not help resolve the crisis permanently.
On its part, the PMC has accelerated the Bhama Askhed pipeline project. Guardian minister Girish Bapat called a meeting in Mumbai last week to discuss hurdles in the...
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Alaskans use Arctic Science Summit Week to focus on climate change
Posted by Alaska Dispatch News: None Given on March 13th, 2016
Alaska Dispatch News: As eyes turn to Fairbanks this month for the 2016 Arctic Science Summit Week, residents are gathering to have their say on an urgent crisis facing Arctic communities: climate change.
The ASSW states its purpose is to “facilitate communication across academia, government agencies, local communities, industry, non-governmental organizations and other Arctic stakeholders.” With this goal in mind, the concurrent Fairbanks Rally for a Clean Energy Economy has stepped up communication on the part of...
Can you put a price on nature? A Californian nonprofit thinks it can
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 13th, 2016
Guardian: Everyone agrees that nature has value. It clothes, feeds and shelters us – and provides a spectacular playground. Yet we have never put a value on everything nature offers.
Now, environmental and sustainable business consultants want to change that by forcing corporate leaders to take stock of the economic impact of how they manage natural resources. By accounting for this so-called natural capital, the advocates hope to see more businesses adopting practices that are both good for the environment...
February smashes global temperature record, says Nasa
Posted by Telegraph: David Lawler on March 13th, 2016
Telegraph: February set global temperature records, Nasa announced on Saturday, deviating from historical norms by a wider margin than any month ever recorded, and raising further concerns about global warming.
It was the third consecutive month to break the record, which is calculated by setting the temperature for a particular month against the average temperature from that month between 1951-1980.
February was 2.43F (1.35C) above the norm, easily surpassing the 2.3F (1.14C) margin from January of this...
Anthropocene Science –Links Extreme Weather Human-Induced Climate Change
Posted by Galaxy: None Given on March 13th, 2016
Galaxy: Extreme weather events like floods, heat waves and droughts can devastate communities and populations worldwide. Recent scientific advances have enabled researchers to confidently say that the increased intensity and frequency of some, but not all, of these extreme weather events is influenced by human-induced climate change, according to an international National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine report released on March 11. "In the past, many scientists have been cautious of attributing...
Protests disrupt Bangladesh power-plant plan
Posted by Al Jazeera: None Given on March 13th, 2016
Al Jazeera: Protests in the southern Bangladesh province of Khulna have forced the postponement of government plans to build a coal-fired power station near the world's biggest mangrove swamp. Campaigners insist on use of clean energy, arguing that the mangrove swamp, which is a World Heritage site, will be damaged by the smoke, ash and noise from the power plant. Coal is the cheapest option to provide energy to Bangladesh's population of 160 million, a third of which has no access to electricity. Sundarban,...
Climate change may boost toxic algae in Pacific: study
Posted by CTV: Bob Weber on March 13th, 2016
CTV: A recently published study suggests climate change may encourage longer and more frequent blooms of toxic algae along Canada's Pacific coast. The research on the presence of algae toxins in marine mammals along the Alaska coastline holds a warning for British Columbia, said study author Kathi Lefebvre. "It's the same coastline," said Lefebvre, a biologist with the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Those regions are at risk in the same way as were Alaska and Washington."...
Lead exposure has terrifying effects on grown-ups, too
Posted by Mother Jones: Brandon Ellington Patterson on March 13th, 2016
Mother Jones: By now, we've all read plenty about Flint's lead contamination nightmare--and perhaps perused follow-up reporting about the numerous American cities with even higher levels of lead poisoning, thanks to the persistence of lead paint in old buildings. And while much has been written about the likely long-term consequences for the children, we've heard relatively little about lead's terrifying effects on grown-ups.
There isn't any known "safe" level of maternal lead exposure, since lead can move...
South Africa bans leopard hunts due to uncertainty on numbers
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on March 13th, 2016
Reuters: For the first time in decades, hunters with deep pockets will not be able to shoot all of the “big five” game animals in South Africa after the government banned leopard hunts for the 2016 season.
The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) recommended the temporary ban because it said leopard numbers could not be firmly established.
“There is uncertainty about the numbers and this is not a permanent ban, but we need more information to guide quotas,” John Donaldson, SANBI’s director...
Grand Canyon threatened despite win against developers, conservationists say
Posted by Guardian: Joanna Walters on March 13th, 2016
Guardian: Plans for a huge commercial development that would transform a tiny town near the edge of the Grand Canyon have been thrown out by federal officials in a surprise victory for conservation and indigenous interests – but campaigners warn that the world famous natural wonder remains in peril.
Tusayan, in northern Arizona, has a few low-key hotels and a population of just 560.
A mile from the entrance to Grand Canyon national park, it is the last settlement tourists pass through, if they even notice...