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Hundreds dead as heaviest downpour in 50 years rains down on India and Pakistan
Posted by Blue and Green: Richard Heasman on September 10th, 2014
Blue and Green: The heavily militarised region of Kashmir, shared by both India and Pakistan, has endured the worst rainfall in 50 years as flash floods took thousands by surprise, with no warning issued by India’s weather office.
The current death toll stands at 400 people, with thousands still trapped on rooftops. Citizens have expressed criticism against both Indian and Pakistani authorities for the lack of preparation and response to the disaster, regardless of a similar event occurring in 2010.
On the...
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Mining company escapes Great Barrier Reef compensation payments and strict operating conditions
Posted by Blue and Green: Richard Heasman on August 20th, 2014
Blue and Green: The Australian government’s environmental protections system has been labelled “broken” after Gina Rinehart’s mining company managed to negotiate down both compensation repayments and operating practices.
Information released due to a freedom of information request shows the previous Labour government demanded $800,000 (£446,000) a year in “biodiversity offsets” from mining company GVK Hancock as the environmental damage from its operations were deemed significant.
The company counter offered...
EU threatens Poland with environmental court action over fracking defiance
Posted by Blue and Green: Richard Heasman on August 1st, 2014
Blue and Green: Poland has recently amended its fracking laws to allow shale gas excavation of up to 5,000 feet, without assessing the environmental implications, thus breaking EU law and triggering legal proceedings.
Under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, fracking sites in natural preservation areas are limited to 1,000 metres.
Poland has argued, however, that this ruling greatly restricts shale gas exploration in the country, “as shale gas reserves in Poland are located mostly at a depth...
Colorado residents go ‘untold’ as oil spills occur twice a day
Posted by Blue and Green: Richard Heasman on July 30th, 2014
Blue and Green: An analysis conducted by the Denver Post in the US state of Colorado has concluded that oil spills have dramatically increased since last year, often happening twice a day, and without residents being notified, regardless of state law.
With 52,000 active oil drills in the US mid-western state, increases in drilling activity has led to improvements in restrictions and observation of drilling companies. However, legislation does not directly enforce the notifying of residents of communities nearby...
Government predicts an overcrowded planet riddled with conflict by 2050
Posted by Blue and Green: Richard Heasman on July 7th, 2014
Blue and Green: A new report forecasting the future of the planet, published by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), has described a world overpopulated and undernourished, with a high probability of consistent conflict.
The report, entitled ‘Global Strategic Trends’,also warns that ageing populations will become the burden of the young, as the elderly continue to live longer, inflicting rising health and living costs.
Climate change will incur mass migrations as those from Asia and Africa, according to the report,...
Indian Coca-Cola plant shut down for using too much water
Posted by Blue and Green: Richard Heasman on June 19th, 2014
Blue and Green: A Coca-Cola plant in India, which has faced criticism for extracting too much groundwater and releasing high levels of pollutants, is to be closed down, officials have reported. Anti-pollution authorities have declared that the soft drink manufacturing Mehdiganj plant in Varanasi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, breached pollution conditions on its operating license, prompting an order closure. Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control board members secretary JS Yadav said, “The plant is closed following...
Fish ‘undernourished and underfed’ due to deforestation, study suggests
Posted by Blue and Green: Richard Heasman on June 16th, 2014
Blue and Green: Deforestation has led to a decrease in falling leaf litter in rivers and lakes – a vital source of food for a wide array of fish species – with implications for human food consumption, a study has revealed.
Researchers have found that increased rates of deforestation, in areas subjected to aggressive commercial tree felling, directly affected the ecosystems based in lakes and rivers nearby.
Water-based ecosystems are reliant on the surrounding area for sources of nourishment. Falling leaves...
Tepco begin work Fukushima ‘ice wall’ contain water leaks
Posted by Blue and Green: Richard Heasman on June 4th, 2014
Blue and Green: The operator of the troubled Fukushima nuclear power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), has begun construction of a 1.5km (0.9-mile) ice wall to contain leaked radioactive water. Some 1,550 coolant-circulating pipes will be inserted 25 metres into the ground in an attempt to freeze the soil surrounding the contaminated water. A Tepco official said, “We plan to end all the construction work in March 2015 before starting trial operations.” The state-funded ice wall could be in operation...