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Report Exposes European Lobby Groups Who Ensure Expansion of Shale Gas
Posted by EcoWatch: Brandon Baker on July 24th, 2014
EcoWatch: The shuffling of lobby dollars that keeps fossil fuel-friendly policies on the books for the benefit of huge corporations and their legislative pals isn`t specific to the U.S.
A new report from Friends of the Earth Europe aims to expose Shell, Total and ExxonMobil, along with groups like BusinessEurope and OGP, to reveal what it calls a "thick web of lobbying activity." The report says public relations and law firms, paid-for scientific reports, and even members of Parliament have all been used...
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Australia Becomes First Nation Repeal Carbon Tax
Posted by EcoWatch: Brandon Baker on July 17th, 2014
EcoWatch: With Australia`s standing as the world`s highest per-capita emitter of carbon dioxide, one would think the country would be the last to repeal a pollution tax.
Think again.
The country defied the odds Thursday with a 39 to 32 Senate vote to repeal laws requiring companies to pay for their emissions. The law had been in place less than three years.
The country`s big emitters were paying up to $23.45 per metric ton of carbon dioxide as of this month, the New York Times reported.
“Today’s...
Princeton Study: Up to 900,000 Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells Pollute Pennsylvania’s Air
Posted by EcoWatch: Brandon Baker on June 19th, 2014
EcoWatch: Pennsylvania already has a fracking problem groups struggle to inspire politicians to address. Now, a Princeton University study shows that hundreds of thousands of abandoned oil wells are adding to the state`s pollution.
CO2, Methane, and Brine Leakage through Subsurface Pathways: Exploring Modeling, Measurement and Policy Options is a first-of-its-kind study from Mary Klang that describes how abandoned oil wells serve as leakage pathways for carbon dioxide, methane, brine and more.
Based...
New Jersey Congressman Proposes Federal Microbead Ban
Posted by EcoWatch: Brandon Baker on June 19th, 2014
EcoWatch: Illinois became the first state to ban microbeads less than two weeks ago, but one Congress member figures it’s never too early to spur change on a larger scale. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) on Wednesday introduced legislation that would place a federal ban on microbeads, the small plastic particles found in many beauty and cosmetic products. The exfoliants are tiny enough to slip through water treatment systems after consumers wash them down the drain, pushing them to local streams, rivers...
3.4-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Colorado Less Than 2 Miles From Fracking Site
Posted by EcoWatch: Brandon Baker on June 2nd, 2014
EcoWatch: A 3.4-magnitude earthquake struck northern Colorado Saturday night, and environmentalists weren’t surprised to learn that the epicenter was near a fracking site. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake struck about 9:35 p.m. It was felt in five towns, NBC 9 reported, with Greeley being the nearest. There were no reports of damage, but anti-fracking activists say there is not a lot of math to add up in this incident. The USGS site refers to eastern Colorado as nearly “aseismic”...
Why Natural Gas is a Bridge to Nowhere
Posted by EcoWatch: Brandon Baker on May 31st, 2014
EcoWatch: Though the president and federal Environmental Protection Agency are on the brink of issuing new rules for existing coal-fired power plants, a Cornell University professor says natural gas deserves a bit of attention, too.
Robert Howarth has maintained for three years that natural gas was capable of emitting more greenhouse gases than coal. Now, the professor of ecology and evolutionary biology has new research to back it up.
Published in the Energy Science & Engineering journal this month,...
Coal Ash Spill Leaves Most North Carolina Voters Craving Stronger Environmental Leadership
Posted by EcoWatch: Brandon Baker on March 26th, 2014
EcoWatch: After polling North Carolina voters for three days, the Sierra Club and Hart Research Associates concluded that residents lack confidence in their state leaders after Duke Energy’s coal ash spill in February.
Nearly three-quarters of voters say the incident makes them want stronger regulations and enforcement from future candidates, and the results show no difference along partisan lines.
As Hart began conducting the survey on March 10, the Waterkeeper Alliance flew over the Duke Energy Cape...
New York Sets Precedent With Nation’s First Microbead Ban Proposal
Posted by EcoWatch: Brandon Baker on February 12th, 2014
EcoWatch: New York`s attorney general this week proposed what could become the nation`s first-ever ban on microbeads--the small plastic particles found in beauty and cosmetic products.
Eric T. Schneiderman introduced the Microbead-Free Waters Act to prohibit the sale of items that contain microbeads in an attempt to prevent an emerging threat to the Great Lakes. According to Schneiderman, the plastic beads have been found in "alarmingly high levels" in New York`s portion of Lake Erie.
Companies add microbeads...
How Obama’s Climate Hubs Will Help Farmers Battle Climate Change
Posted by EcoWatch: Brandon Baker on February 8th, 2014
EcoWatch: The Obama Administration couldn`t afford to wait on Congress to take the country`s latest action on climate change.
In an effort to understand and address the impact climate has on farmers in different areas, the administration announced the formation of of seven climate hubs in various regions of the U.S. The end game is aiding farmers and ranchers in fighting the floods, droughts and other conditions that are increasingly intensified by global warming.
"We’ve obviously seen a significant...
New Study Shows Proximity to Fracking Sites Increases Risk of Birth Defects
Posted by EcoWatch: Brandon Baker on January 30th, 2014
EcoWatch: The dangers of fracking are no secret, but a study released this week shows the devastating impact the process can have on babies before they even have a chance to live their lives.
The unborn children of pregnant women who live within a 10-mile radius of fracking sites are far more susceptible to congenital heart defects (CHD), according to Birth Outcomes and Maternal Residential Proximity to Natural Gas Development in Rural Colorado, the latest study from the National Institute of Environmental...