A Simple Alternative to Ethanol
from Dissident Voice
Michele Kearney's Environmental Blog - Environmental degradation and waning natural resources including energy resources threaten U.S. security. And the loss of renewable natural resources, including forests, fresh water, fish and fertile soils, can drive political instability and conflict in the developing world, and around the globe. In short, natural resoures, energy and the environment are national security issues.
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Saturday, April 16, 2011
Oyster leaders meet to discuss BP spill
Oyster leaders meet to discuss BP spill
Louisiana oyster industry leaders say BP PLC has yet to honor a $15 million commitment to help oyster farmers, processors and dealers recover from last year's oil spill.BP says it's not responsible for paying to reseed oyster beds
BP says it's not responsible for paying to reseed oyster beds
No, The Gulf Oil Spill Is NOT Old News
No, The Gulf Oil Spill Is NOT Old News
While the Japanese nuclear crisis might upstage the Gulf crisis, it hasn't gone away.As the Wall Street Journal notes today:
Vladimir Uiba, head of Russia’s Federal Medical-Biological Agency… compared the contamination of seawater by the Fukushima complex with an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by BP PLC last year, and said, “The BP oil spill has caused far more serious impact on the environment than the Fukushima accident" ....Gulf residents are still getting sick, the number of dolphins and whales killed by the spill appears to be many times higher than officials previously believed. Dead turtles are washing up in Mississippi. And see these photos from my favorite photographer, Julie Dermansky:
And just-released confidential BP and government emails confirm my previous posts showing:
- The government is keeping scientists away from "ground zero" of the oil spill and - for that reason - scientists cannot accurately measure the size of the oil spill
- When university scientists found underwater oil plumes, the government said shut up, don't tell anyone ... and then tried to discredit them
- BP and government representatives are still keeping scientists and reporters away from areas impacted by oil
- BP and the government famously declared that most of the oil had disappeared, when it hadn't
- The government did everything in its power to help cover up the severity of the spill
BP officials tried to take control of a $500m fund pledged by the oil company for independent research into the consequences of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, it has emerged.And as the Guardian notes, it wasn't just BP which was doing the spinning:
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show BP officials openly discussing how to influence the work of scientists supported by the fund, which was created by the oil company in May last year.
Russell Putt, a BP environmental expert, wrote in an email to colleagues on 24 June 2010: "Can we 'direct' GRI [Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative] funding to a specific study (as we now see the governor's offices trying to do)? What influence do we have over the vessels/equipment driving the studies vs the questions?".
The email was obtained by Greenpeace and shared with the Guardian.
The documents are expected to reinforce fears voiced by scientists that BP has too much leverage over studies into the impact of last year's oil disaster.
Those concerns go far beyond academic interest into the impact of the spill. BP faces billions in fines and penalties, and possible criminal charges arising from the disaster. Its total liability will depend in part on a final account produced by scientists on how much oil entered the gulf from its blown-out well, and the damage done to marine life and coastal areas in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The oil company disputes the government estimate that 4.1m barrels of oil entered the gulf.
***
Kert Davies, Greenpeace US research director, said the oil company had crossed a line. "It's outrageous to see these BP executives discussing how they might manipulate the science programme," Davies said. "Their motivation last summer is abundantly clear. They wanted control of the science."
The $500m fund, which is to be awarded over the next decade, is by far the biggest potential source of support to scientists hoping to establish what happened to the oil.
A number of scientists had earlier expressed concerns that BP would attempt to point scientists to convenient areas of study – or try to suppress research that did not suit its business.
***
Another email, written by Karen Ragoonanan-Jalim, a BP environmental officer based in Trinidad [says] "Discussions around GRI and whether or not BP can influence this long-term research programme ($500m) to undertake the studies we believe will be useful in terms of understanding the fate and effects of the oil on the environment, eg can we steer the research in support of restoration ecology?"
Other documents obtained by Greenpeace suggest that the politics of oil spill science was not confined to BP. The White House clashed with officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last summer when drafting the administration's account of what has happened to the spilled oil.And because nothing has really changed, it is likely to happen again.Hat tip: Majia's Blog.
On 4 August, Jane Lubchenco, the NOAA administrator, demanded that the White House issue a correction after it claimed that the "vast majority" of BP oil was gone from the Gulf.
A few days earlier, Lisa Jackson, the head of the EPA, and her deputy, Bob Perciasepe, had also objected to the White House estimates of the amount of oil dispersed in the gulf. "These calculations are extremely rough estimates yet when they are put into the press, which we want to happen, they will take on a life of their own," Perciasepe wrote.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Hydrocarbons in the deep earth
Hydrocarbons in the deep earth
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new computational study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals how hydrocarbons may be formed from methane in deep Earth at extreme pressures and temperatures.
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new computational study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals how hydrocarbons may be formed from methane in deep Earth at extreme pressures and temperatures.
One year after the BP spill, this family business is still reeling
One year after the BP spill, this family business is still reeling
Mom walks from New Orleans to Washington to highlight suffering a year after oil spill
Mom walks from New Orleans to Washington to highlight suffering a year after oil spill
Oil companies' new Gulf drilling plans called inadequate
Oil companies' new Gulf drilling plans called inadequate
Energy Resources Standards on Cuba's offshore drilling?
Energy Resources
Standards on Cuba's offshore drilling?
Cuba's Deep-Water Drilling Proposal Raises Concern
Cuba's Deep-Water Drilling Proposal Raises Concern
One Year After Gulf Oil Disaster, Significant Dangers Remain Unaddressed
One Year After Gulf Oil Disaster, Significant Dangers Remain Unaddressed
New Report Outlines 10 Much-needed Reforms to Protect People, Environment From Offshore Drilling
Experts push for international model of best practices for offshore drilling
Experts push for international model of best practices for offshore drilling
Nations going global on drilling standards By JENNIFER A. DLOUHY
Nations going global on drilling standards
Florida Flirts With Deadline To Join Oil Spill Lawsuit by Steve Newborn
Florida Flirts With Deadline To Join Oil Spill Lawsuit
Emails expose BP's attempts to control research into impact of Gulf oil spill
Emails expose BP's attempts to control research into impact of Gulf oil spill
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show BP officials discussing how to influence the work of scientists
• Read the BP internal meeting notes
• Read the BP internal meeting notes
Factbox: Impact on wildlife from the BP oil spill
Factbox: Impact on wildlife from the BP oil spill
(Reuters) - BP Plc's 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico affected bird populations, sea turtles, fish, shellfish and some dolphin.
The Gulf of Mexico is not as clean as they say
The Gulf of Mexico is not as clean as they say
The task of assessing the true toll of the Deepwater Horizon blow-out is only now starting, says Geoffrey Lean.
Oil Firms to Deploy New Containment Device for Deepwater Spills
Oil Firms to Deploy New Containment Device for Deepwater Spills
Gulf’s Delacroix Islanders Watch As Their World Disappears
Gulf’s Delacroix Islanders Watch As Their World Disappears
The BP oil spill is just the latest disaster to hit a fishing community that has struggled with hurricanes, erosion and competition from cheap imports. The fishermen ask themselves about the future and worry that they may be the last of their kind.
Looking Down on Deforestation: Brazil Sharpens Its Eyes in the Sky to Snag Illegal Rainforest Loggers
Looking Down on Deforestation: Brazil Sharpens Its Eyes in the Sky to Snag Illegal Rainforest Loggers
After reaching the lowest Amazon deforestation rate ever recorded, Brazil faces a its next hurdle: how to maximize the increasing resolution of satellite images to monitor small-scale forest destruction
Q&A With Richard Muller: A Physicist and His Surprising Climate Data
Q&A With Richard Muller: A Physicist and His Surprising Climate Data
Brazil's Santos basin yields new oil
Brazil's Santos basin yields new oil
Rio De Janeiro (UPI) Apr 14, 2011 - Brazil's Santos Basin, home to some of the largest proven but unexploited oil and gas reserves in Latin America, has yielded another deposit of hydrocarbons that shows commercial potential. The find was announced by OGX Petroleo e Gas Participacoes S.A., which has been developing oil interests in both Brazil and Colombia and is a lesser-known entity outside the region than the state-run ... more
Rio De Janeiro (UPI) Apr 14, 2011 - Brazil's Santos Basin, home to some of the largest proven but unexploited oil and gas reserves in Latin America, has yielded another deposit of hydrocarbons that shows commercial potential. The find was announced by OGX Petroleo e Gas Participacoes S.A., which has been developing oil interests in both Brazil and Colombia and is a lesser-known entity outside the region than the state-run ... more
Congress Must Maintain Commitment To Advanced Biofuels And Renewable Fuel Standard
Congress Must Maintain Commitment To Advanced Biofuels And Renewable Fuel Standard
Washington DC (SPX) Apr 15, 2011 - The Renewable Fuel Standard provides the market and regulatory certainty necessary to drive private investment and maintain progress in research and development of advanced biofuels, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) said in written testimony submitted to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee oversight hearing, "Domestic Renewable Fuels: From Ethanol to Advanced Biofuels. ... more
Washington DC (SPX) Apr 15, 2011 - The Renewable Fuel Standard provides the market and regulatory certainty necessary to drive private investment and maintain progress in research and development of advanced biofuels, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) said in written testimony submitted to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee oversight hearing, "Domestic Renewable Fuels: From Ethanol to Advanced Biofuels. ... more
Biofuels Production In Top And Emerging Countries Will Be 150,975 Million Liters In 2016
Biofuels Production In Top And Emerging Countries Will Be 150,975 Million Liters In 2016
Dallas TX (SPX) Apr 15, 2011 - According to the new market research report 'Top and Emerging bio-fuel markets by technology, feedstocks, regulations, pricing and commercialization trends and forecasts (2011 -2016)', published by MarketsandMarkets, The biofuels (bioethanol and biodiesel) production in top and emerging countries like U.S., Brazil, France, Spain, India, Colombia, Thailand, Sweden, Belgium, and Netherlands. is ex ... more
Dallas TX (SPX) Apr 15, 2011 - According to the new market research report 'Top and Emerging bio-fuel markets by technology, feedstocks, regulations, pricing and commercialization trends and forecasts (2011 -2016)', published by MarketsandMarkets, The biofuels (bioethanol and biodiesel) production in top and emerging countries like U.S., Brazil, France, Spain, India, Colombia, Thailand, Sweden, Belgium, and Netherlands. is ex ... more
Using Carbon Fiber To Reinforce Buildings And Protect From Explosions
Using Carbon Fiber To Reinforce Buildings And Protect From Explosions
Columbia MO (SPX) Apr 15, 2011 - Most buildings are not constructed to withstand an unexpected explosion or impact. Now, a researcher at the University of Missouri is working with the U.S. Army to test a method of retrofitting buildings to protect them in the case of a terrorist attack. Sarah Orton, assistant professor of civil engineering in the MU College of Engineering, has focused on using carbon fiber reinforced poly ... more
Columbia MO (SPX) Apr 15, 2011 - Most buildings are not constructed to withstand an unexpected explosion or impact. Now, a researcher at the University of Missouri is working with the U.S. Army to test a method of retrofitting buildings to protect them in the case of a terrorist attack. Sarah Orton, assistant professor of civil engineering in the MU College of Engineering, has focused on using carbon fiber reinforced poly ... more
Plasma Nanoscience Needed For Green Energy Revolution
Plasma Nanoscience Needed For Green Energy Revolution
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 15, 2011 - A step change in research relating to plasma nanoscience is needed for the world to overcome the challenge of sufficient energy creation and storage, says a leading scientist from CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering and the University of Sydney, Australia. Professor Kostya (Ken) Ostrikov of the Plasma Nanoscience Centre Australia, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, has highlighte ... more
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Apr 15, 2011 - A step change in research relating to plasma nanoscience is needed for the world to overcome the challenge of sufficient energy creation and storage, says a leading scientist from CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering and the University of Sydney, Australia. Professor Kostya (Ken) Ostrikov of the Plasma Nanoscience Centre Australia, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, has highlighte ... more
FT podcast: Energy Weekly
FT podcast: Energy Weekly In this week's podcast: We ask where can BP go if the Rosneft deal fails and what should we expect from Bob Dudley, at BP's AGM tomorrow?; Glencore is gunning for Xstrata; and an Iraqi oil production milestone.
http://link.ft.com/r/8P1R88/
http://link.ft.com/r/8P1R88/
Winners and losers from BP AGM
Winners and losers from BP AGM The first BP AGM since the oil spill, and the first one with Bob Dudley at the helm, has come to a close. With the various disputes and controversies surrounding the company at the moment, did Dudley come out of it with his reputation enhanced? And what about the other parties represented? Here is our take.
http://link.ft.com/r/8P1R88/
http://link.ft.com/r/8P1R88/
Energy headlines: Dudley survives stormy BP meeting
Energy headlines: Dudley survives stormy BP meeting
- BP chief endures stormy meeeting – FT
- BP’s Dudley still standing after grilling – FT
- Sir Bill Castell carries the can for ‘British Petroleum’ – The Telegraph
- Macondo workers try to rebuild lives – FT
- Spillionaires: those who used BP money to get rich quick – The Times
- Salazar calls for international offshore standards – Argus
- Countries push risk-based rules on drilling – Reuters
- Eni seeks to ship Libya oil to Italy – WSJ
- No love lost in Libya for West’s oil firms – WSJ
- Toshiba re-examines nuclear targets – FT
- Siemens rethinks nuclear ambitions – WSJ
- Italy to cap solar incentives costs – Reuters
- World Bank warns of threat from biofuels – The Times
- What are ‘outsourced emissions?’ – The Guardian
- BP’s Dudley still standing after grilling – FT
- Sir Bill Castell carries the can for ‘British Petroleum’ – The Telegraph
- Macondo workers try to rebuild lives – FT
- Spillionaires: those who used BP money to get rich quick – The Times
- Salazar calls for international offshore standards – Argus
- Countries push risk-based rules on drilling – Reuters
- Eni seeks to ship Libya oil to Italy – WSJ
- No love lost in Libya for West’s oil firms – WSJ
- Toshiba re-examines nuclear targets – FT
- Siemens rethinks nuclear ambitions – WSJ
- Italy to cap solar incentives costs – Reuters
- World Bank warns of threat from biofuels – The Times
- What are ‘outsourced emissions?’ – The Guardian
US drilling regulator: New rules have not affected production
Michael Bromwich answers your questions – Part one
Michael Bromwich answers your questions – Part one In this week’s readers’ Q&A session, Michael Bromwich, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, answers your questions. In the first of two posts, he discusses how his organisation balances safety concerns with political ones, what technological improvements have been made since the BP oil spill and whether new regulations on blowout preventers (BOPs) will delay the issue of new permits.
http://link.ft.com/r/8P1R88/
http://link.ft.com/r/8P1R88/
Congress AWOL on BP spill response
Congress AWOL on BP spill response
By: DARREN GOODE
Nearly a year later, lawmakers still haven't taken action on the disaster in the Gulf.
Read More
How pols navigated the Gulf spill
How pols navigated the Gulf spill
By: BOB KING
Did Obama and the Gulf state governors help or hurt themselves with their responses?
Read More
Scientists map volcanic plume under Yellowstone
Scientists map volcanic plume under Yellowstone
Scientists using electric and magnetic sensors have mapped the size and composition of a vast plume of hot rock and briny fluid down to 200 miles below Yellowstone National Park's surface, according to a new study soon to be published.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Just How Green is Natural Gas?
Just How Green is Natural Gas?
Not green at all, reports a study, which suggests that the methane released from fracking and drilling makes it worse than coal.
Gagging order on scientists probing dolphin deaths as U.S. builds criminal case against BP
Gagging order on scientists probing dolphin deaths as U.S. builds criminal case against BP
Has BP really cleaned up the Gulf oil spill?
Has BP really cleaned up the Gulf oil spill?
Officially, marine life is returning to normal in the Gulf of Mexico, but dead animals are still washing up on beaches – and one scientist believes the damage runs much deeper
• BP oil spill: interactive timeline
• BP oil spill: interactive timeline
POLLUTION DEATHS FROM FOSSIL FUEL-BASED POWER PLANTS
POLLUTION DEATHS FROM FOSSIL FUEL-BASED POWER PLANTS
Offshore Regulation Could Grow by Jennifer A. Dlouhy
Offshore Regulation Could Grow
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy
|
Houston Chronicle|
Wednesday, April 13, 2011Radioactivity in the Ocean: Diluted, But Far from Harmless
Radioactivity in the Ocean:
Diluted, But Far from Harmless
With contaminated water from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear complex continuing to pour into the Pacific, scientists are concerned about how that radioactivity might affect marine life. Although the ocean’s capacity to dilute radiation is huge, signs are that nuclear isotopes are already moving up the local food chain.
Food Stuff: Mark Kurlansky Imagines a World Without Fish
Food Stuff: Mark Kurlansky Imagines a World Without Fish
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
The journalist's new book, "World Without Fish," with an interwoven graphic novel by Frank Stockton, details how humans are destroying ocean life, and how that will affect the entire planet.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
The journalist's new book, "World Without Fish," with an interwoven graphic novel by Frank Stockton, details how humans are destroying ocean life, and how that will affect the entire planet.
Carbon Sequestration Estimate In U.S. Increased - Barring A Drought
Carbon Sequestration Estimate In U.S. Increased - Barring A Drought
Corvallis OR (SPX) Apr 15, 2011 - A research group has concluded that forests and other terrestrial ecosystems in the lower 48 states can sequester up to 40 percent of the nation's fossil fuel carbon emissions, a larger amount than previously estimated - unless a drought or other major disturbance occurs. Widespread droughts, such as those that occurred in 2002 and 2006, can cut the amount of carbon sequestered by about 20 ... more
Corvallis OR (SPX) Apr 15, 2011 - A research group has concluded that forests and other terrestrial ecosystems in the lower 48 states can sequester up to 40 percent of the nation's fossil fuel carbon emissions, a larger amount than previously estimated - unless a drought or other major disturbance occurs. Widespread droughts, such as those that occurred in 2002 and 2006, can cut the amount of carbon sequestered by about 20 ... more
BP feels fishermen's fury over Gulf oil spill
BP feels fishermen's fury over Gulf oil spill
London (AFP) April 14, 2011 - BP faced protests from angry fishermen and disgruntled shareholders on Thursday at its first annual general meeting since the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The meeting took place almost a year since the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and caused millions of gallons of oil to gush into the sea. Diane Wilson, a shrimp farmer from the Texas Gulf Coast ... more
London (AFP) April 14, 2011 - BP faced protests from angry fishermen and disgruntled shareholders on Thursday at its first annual general meeting since the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The meeting took place almost a year since the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and caused millions of gallons of oil to gush into the sea. Diane Wilson, a shrimp farmer from the Texas Gulf Coast ... more
TR Editors' blog Materials Roundup: Energy and Unintended Consequences
Materials Roundup: Energy and Unintended Consequences
From hybrid cars to nuclear reactors, stories this week highlighted the dirty side of clean energy.
Katherine Bourzac 04/14/2011
EPA Landmark Clean Air Act Settlement with TVA to Modernize Coal-Fired Power Plants
EPA Landmark Clean Air Act Settlement with TVA to Modernize Coal-Fired Power Plants and Promote Clean Energy Investments / State-of-the-art pollution controls and clean energy technology to provide up to $27 billion in annual health benefits
Release date: 04/14/2011
Contact Information: Stacy Kika, Kika.stacy@epa.gov, 202-564-0906, 202-564-4355
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations at 11 of its coal-fired plants in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The settlement will require TVA to invest a TVA estimated $3 to $5 billion on new and upgraded state-of-the-art pollution controls that will prevent approximately 1,200 to 3,000 premature deaths, 2,000 heart attacks and 21,000 cases of asthma attacks each year, resulting in up to $27 billion in annual health benefits. TVA will also invest $350 million on clean energy projects that will reduce pollution, save energy and protect public health and the environment.
"This agreement will save lives and prevent billions of dollars in health costs. Modernizing these plants and encouraging clean energy innovation means better health protections and greater economic opportunities for the people living near TVA facilities,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Investments in pollution control equipment will keep hundreds of thousands of tons of harmful pollutants out of the air we breathe, and help create green job opportunities that will reduce pollution and improve energy efficiency."
Once fully implemented, the pollution controls and other required actions will address 92 percent of TVA’s coal-fired power plant capacity, reducing emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 69 percent and sulfur dioxide (SO2) by 67 percent from TVA’s 2008 emissions levels. The settlement will also significantly reduce particulate matter and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Uncontrolled releases of harmful air pollution like sulfur dioxide from power plants can affect breathing and aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, especially in sensitive populations like children and the elderly.
Communities near TVA’s facilities will directly benefit from $350 million in environmental projects designed to reduce harmful air pollution and promote energy efficiency. These investments will advance environmental justice by reducing pollution in overburdened communities and reducing energy costs for low-income communities. TVA is required to spend $240 million on energy efficiency initiatives including a Smart Energy Communities project that will focus on energy efficiency in low-income communities. TVA will retrofit low-income housing with the most cost-effective energy efficiency technologies – reducing air pollution, energy use and saving residents money. TVA will also spend $40 million to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through renewable projects such as hybrid electric charging stations and $8 million for a clean diesel and electric vehicle project for public transportation systems.
TVA will also provide $1 million to the National Park Service and the National Forest Service to improve, protect, or rehabilitate forest and park lands that have been impacted by emissions from TVA’s plants, including Mammoth Cave National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
TVA is an independent, corporate agency of the United States created as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933, and is headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn. TVA operates 59 coal-fired boilers at 11 plants in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee and operates other energy production facilities, including hydroelectric plants. TVA also provides wholesale power to 155 municipal and cooperative power distributors and direct service to 56 large industrial and government customers, supplying power to approximately nine million people across Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and small portions of Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.
The settlement also requires TVA to pay a civil penalty of $10 million, with Alabama and Kentucky receiving $500,000 each and Tennessee receiving $1 million. The states of Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina, and three non-governmental organizations, the National Parks Conservation Association, Sierra Club, and Our Children’s Earth Foundation, have been involved in development of this settlement and are signatories to a companion consent decree that will be lodged in federal district court in the Eastern District of Tennessee.
This is the 22nd Clean Air Act New Source Review settlement in the coal-fired power plants sector. Reducing air pollution from the largest sources of emissions, including coal-fired power plants, is one of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives for 2011-2013. The initiative continues EPA’s focus on improving compliance with the new source review provisions of the Clean Air Act among industries that have the potential to cause significant amounts of air pollution.
EPA is accepting public comments on this agreement for a 30-day period from the date notice of the agreement is published in the Federal Register.
The Planet Strikes Back
The Planet Strikes Back
Michael T. Klare, TomDispatch: "To grasp our present situation, however, it's necessary to distinguish between naturally recurring planetary disturbances and the planetary responses to human intervention. Both need a fresh look, so let's start with what Earth has always been capable of before we turn to the responses of Eaarth, the avenger. Our planet is a complex natural system, and like all such systems, it is continually evolving. As that happens - as continents drift apart, as mountain ranges rise and fall, as climate patterns shift - earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, typhoons, prolonged droughts, and other natural disturbances recur, even if on an irregular and unpredictable basis."
Read the Article
Michael T. Klare, TomDispatch: "To grasp our present situation, however, it's necessary to distinguish between naturally recurring planetary disturbances and the planetary responses to human intervention. Both need a fresh look, so let's start with what Earth has always been capable of before we turn to the responses of Eaarth, the avenger. Our planet is a complex natural system, and like all such systems, it is continually evolving. As that happens - as continents drift apart, as mountain ranges rise and fall, as climate patterns shift - earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, typhoons, prolonged droughts, and other natural disturbances recur, even if on an irregular and unpredictable basis."
Read the Article
Scientists Find Link Between Global Warming and Earthquakes
Scientists Find Link Between Global Warming and Earthquakes
More Than 100 'Safe' Evacuation Centers Destroyed by Japan Tsunami
More Than 100 'Safe' Evacuation Centers Destroyed by Japan Tsunami
Nuclear forum backs safety push after Japan crisis
Nuclear forum backs safety push after Japan crisis
(Reuters) - A 72-nation nuclear forum backed a United Nations campaign to strengthen atomic safety on Thursday and pledged to carry out prompt steps to address public distrust in the technology following Japan's crisis.FT special report: Oil and gas
Oil and Gas
Inside this issue
• Companies feel the effects of the Macondo disaster
• The UK suffers from the legacy of North Sea abundance
• Shale extraction technology leads to an oversupplied market - -
• Companies feel the effects of the Macondo disaster
• The UK suffers from the legacy of North Sea abundance
• Shale extraction technology leads to an oversupplied market - -
Content
Industry thrown into turmoil
Japan’s nuclear emergency and Middle East events cast doubt on global energy policy, writes Sylvia PfeiferGulf of Mexico: Companies feel effects of Macondo disaster
Sheila McNulty finds that it will never again be business as usualNorth Sea: Opportunities west of Shetland
It is officially back – last year saw a development surge with $13.8bn of projects, writes Christopher ThompsonOil sands: Ice thaws on Canadian projects
With the price of crude three times what it was two years ago, the economics start to make sense, says Ed CrooksArctic frontier: Huge prize lies under a pristine wilderness
With nearly a quarter of the world’s untapped reserves, revenues could transform local economies, writes Sylvia PfeiferUS gas market: Shale extraction technology leads to oversupplied market
Producers pin hopes on exports, but competition is stiff, says Sheila McNultyUS energy policy: Two very different disasters will have profound effects
The administration will struggle to reconcile demand and a range of safety concerns. Ed Crooks reportsGas storage: UK suffers from legacy of North Sea abundance
Government intervention is vital to increase capacity to ensure supply security, reports David BlairBiofuels: Plant power seen as only viable long-term alternative to petrol
Critics say the production process eats up land that could be used for food crops, says Sylvia PfeiferBubbles of the Future?
Bubbles of the Future?
Carbon sequestration is a promising potential way to reduce climate change, but many environmentalists aren't supporting it.
Radioactive iodine in city water spurs enhanced testing
Radioactive iodine in city water spurs enhanced testing
A single source for clean water and fuel New Scientist
A single source for clean water and fuel New Scientist
3 April 2011 by Claudia Deutsch
3 April 2011 by Claudia Deutsch
ALGAE are being put to work performing a unique double duty: cleaning up sewage waste while simultaneously producing biofuel.
All algae feast on phosphates and nitrogen-containing compounds, converting them to lipids. Some of these oils can be converted to biofuel, but only a few algal species produce lipids of the right type and quantity to be easily converted to fuel. In theory, though, algae are a perfect renewable fuel source. The main obstacle is that brewing the right nutrient mix can be prohibitively expensive.
Gas prices predicted to be up 40 percent this summer
Gas prices predicted to be up 40 percent this summer
Gas prices will jump 40 percent for the summer driving season compared to 2010, according to a federal projection.
Gas prices will jump 40 percent for the summer driving season compared to 2010, according to a federal projection.
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