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, June 25, 2011
Obama’s Environmentalists Destroy Marine Environment
Obama’s Environmentalists Destroy Marine Environment
Friday, June 24, 2011
Economic Cost of Weather May Total $485 Billion in US
Economic Cost of Weather May Total $485 Billion in US
The Corruption of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: A National Peril
The Corruption of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: A National Peril
A Nuclear Plant's Flood Defenses Trigger a Yearlong Regulatory Confrontation
A Nuclear Plant's Flood Defenses Trigger a Yearlong Regulatory Confrontation
IEA to release 60 million barrels of oil from strategic reserve, as prices plummet
IEA to release 60 million barrels of oil from strategic reserve, as prices plummet
NASA Flights Seek to Improve View of Air Pollution From Space
NASA Flights Seek to Improve View of Air Pollution From Space
EIP Report: 33 Active Coal Ash Dump Sites in 19 States Are Contaminating Groundwater, Qualifying as "Open Dumps" for Arsenic, Lead, and Other Toxic Waste
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FOIA Lawsuit Targets U.S. Department of Energy for Withholding "Water Energy Roadmap" Ordered by Congress
FOIA Lawsuit Targets U.S. Department of Energy for Withholding "Water Energy Roadmap" Ordered by Congress
PR Newswire
WASHINGTON, June 23, 2011
NASA Flights Seek to Improve View of Air Pollution From Space
NASA Flights Seek to Improve View of Air Pollution From Space
EIP Report: 33 Active Coal Ash Dump Sites in 19 States Are Contaminating Groundwater, Qualifying as "Open Dumps" for Arsenic, Lead, and Other Toxic Waste
EIP Report: 33 Active Coal Ash Dump Sites in 19 States Are Contaminating Groundwater, Qualifying as "Open Dumps" for Arsenic, Lead, and Other Toxic Waste
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Extreme weather the achilles’ heel of the U.S. economy?
Extreme weather the achilles’ heel of the U.S. economy?
Creeping catastrophe: North Dakota’s flooding crisis worsens
Creeping catastrophe: North Dakota’s flooding crisis worsens
BNC Clearing up the climate debate
BNC Clearing up the climate debate
 | Clearing up the climate debateBarry Brook | 24 June 2011 | URL: http://wp.me/piCIJ-1eu |
Guest Post: Is Climate Change a Disaster for the Insurance Industry?
Guest Post: Is Climate Change a Disaster for the Insurance Industry?
The ‘good hands’ people might be headed toward a perfect storm, argues Brian Thomas.
Climate change can change ocean chemistry
Science News
Climate change can change ocean chemistry
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/06/23/Climate-change-can-change-ocean-chemistry/UPI-96871308873546/#ixzz1Q9hjXftk
A Region With Big Climate Vulnerability and Bigger Distractions
A Region With Big Climate Vulnerability and Bigger Distractions
US Announces Caribbean Climate Change Adaptation Initiative
US Announces Caribbean Climate Change Adaptation Initiative
Abrupt climate change doomed Norse settlements: study
Abrupt climate change doomed Norse settlements: study
Why the environment still matters in these dire times
Why the environment still matters in these dire times
Report presents best policy options to reduce petroleum use
Report presents best policy options to reduce petroleum use
It will take more than tougher fuel economy standards for U.S. transportation to significantly cut its oil use over the next half century. It will likely require a combination of measures that foster consumer and supplier interest in vehicle fuel economy, alternative fuels, and a more efficient transportation system, says a new report from the National Research Council. Public interest in reducing the cost of securing the nation's energy supplies, curbing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs), and improving transportation operations could motivate such varied actions.
It will take more than tougher fuel economy standards for U.S. transportation to significantly cut its oil use over the next half century. It will likely require a combination of measures that foster consumer and supplier interest in vehicle fuel economy, alternative fuels, and a more efficient transportation system, says a new report from the National Research Council. Public interest in reducing the cost of securing the nation's energy supplies, curbing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs), and improving transportation operations could motivate such varied actions.
EPA Halted Extra Testing From Radiation in Japan Weeks Ago
EPA Halted Extra Testing From Radiation in Japan Weeks Ago
Mike Ludwig, Truthout: "Radiation is expected to continue spewing for months from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that suffered a meltdown following an earthquake and tsunami in March, but despite grim reports from Japan, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has quietly stopped running extra tests for radioactive material in America's milk, rain and drinking water. The EPA initially ramped up nationwide testing in the weeks following the disaster in Japan, and radioactive materials like cesium and iodine-131 were detected on US soil. Citing declining levels of radiation, the EPA has abandoned the extra tests, even as reports from Japan indicate that the Fukushima plant continues to emit radiation and the disaster is one of the worst in world history."
Read the Article
Mike Ludwig, Truthout: "Radiation is expected to continue spewing for months from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that suffered a meltdown following an earthquake and tsunami in March, but despite grim reports from Japan, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has quietly stopped running extra tests for radioactive material in America's milk, rain and drinking water. The EPA initially ramped up nationwide testing in the weeks following the disaster in Japan, and radioactive materials like cesium and iodine-131 were detected on US soil. Citing declining levels of radiation, the EPA has abandoned the extra tests, even as reports from Japan indicate that the Fukushima plant continues to emit radiation and the disaster is one of the worst in world history."
Read the Article
Scientists Warn That Ocean's Marine Life on "Brink of Extinction"
Scientists Warn That Ocean's Marine Life on "Brink of Extinction"
Anna Tomforde, McClatchy Newspapers: "The world's oceans are degenerating far faster than predicted and marine life is facing extinction due to a range of human impacts - from over-fishing to climate change - a report compiled by international scientists warned Tuesday. The cumulative impact of 'severe individual stresses,' ranging from climate warming and sea-water acidification to widespread chemical pollution and overfishing, would threaten the marine environment with a catastrophe 'unprecedented in human history.'"
Read the Article
Anna Tomforde, McClatchy Newspapers: "The world's oceans are degenerating far faster than predicted and marine life is facing extinction due to a range of human impacts - from over-fishing to climate change - a report compiled by international scientists warned Tuesday. The cumulative impact of 'severe individual stresses,' ranging from climate warming and sea-water acidification to widespread chemical pollution and overfishing, would threaten the marine environment with a catastrophe 'unprecedented in human history.'"
Read the Article
Energy headlines: Japan looks to renewable energy
Energy headlines: Japan looks to renewable energy
- Japan looks to renewable energy - FT
- Gas fracking disclosures to rise - WSJ
- Firms have a cache of 240m pollution permits - Guardian
- U.S. oil subcontractors hold sway in Iraq - New York Times
- Russia aims to speed up privatisation of Rosneft - Guardian
Floating LNG terminals to take public heat off gas production
Floating LNG terminals to take public heat off gas production The technological advances in the oil and gas patch just keep coming. While everyone has been scrambling to catch up with the shale gas revolution, the industry has been working on another potentially massive breakthrough in gas. This one is in producing gas that has long been stranded offshore in areas too far or too small to warrant a pipeline to shore.
http://link.ft.com/r/4RNQTT/
http://link.ft.com/r/4RNQTT/
Energy headlines: Transocean blames BP for Gulf spill
Buried Pipes Versus Buried Pipelines – Hype Versus Hazard
Buried Pipes Versus Buried Pipelines – Hype Versus Hazard
Time to Sell That Ocean Front Property? New Study on Sea Level Rise
Time to Sell That Ocean Front Property? New Study on Sea Level Rise
Video: New Technology May Prevent Another Oil Spill Like BP's
Posted: 22 Jun 2011 07:53 AM PDT
Last year, the nation watched and waited for months during many failed attempts to cap the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Now, with the well capped and killed, the industry has responded with new response plans and equipment designed to keep future oil spills from getting out of control. energyNOW! anchor Thalia Assuras looks at one of these new sub-sea containment systems, the Helix Rapid Response.
Payout to BP puts pressure on other Gulf disaster contractors
Payout to BP puts pressure on other Gulf disaster contractors
Energy Transfer, Regency plan $700MM NGL pipeline to support Permian Basin production
Energy Transfer, Regency plan $700MM NGL pipeline to support Permian Basin production
Transocean releases internal investigation into the Deepwater Horizon accident
Transocean releases internal investigation into the Deepwater Horizon accident
Getting Ready for the Next Big Solar Storm
Getting Ready for the Next Big Solar Storm
Huntsville AL (SPX) Jun 23, 2011 - In Sept. 1859, on the eve of a below-average1 solar cycle, the sun unleashed one of the most powerful storms in centuries. The underlying flare was so unusual, researchers still aren't sure how to categorize it. The blast peppered Earth with the most energetic protons in half-a-millennium, induced electrical currents that set telegraph offices on fire, and sparked Northern Lights over Cuba and H ... more
Huntsville AL (SPX) Jun 23, 2011 - In Sept. 1859, on the eve of a below-average1 solar cycle, the sun unleashed one of the most powerful storms in centuries. The underlying flare was so unusual, researchers still aren't sure how to categorize it. The blast peppered Earth with the most energetic protons in half-a-millennium, induced electrical currents that set telegraph offices on fire, and sparked Northern Lights over Cuba and H ... more
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Editor's Note
I am on business travel Thursday, June 23rd. Will resume posting
upon arrival later in the day.
upon arrival later in the day.
Congress Moves to Ban Frankenfish
Congress Moves to Ban Frankenfish
Special interests trump science in the debate over transgenic salmon.
The Cost of Weather in US: Up to $243 Billion a Year
The Cost of Weather in US: Up to $243 Billion a Year
Salt marsh sediments help gauge climate-change-induced sea level rise
Salt marsh sediments help gauge climate-change-induced sea level rise
Fastest sea level rise in two millennia linked to increasing temperatures
Fastest sea level rise in two millennia linked to increasing temperatures
Philadelphia PA (SPX) Jun 22, 2011 - An international research team including University of Pennsylvania scientists has shown that the rate of sea-level rise along the U.S. Atlantic coast is greater now than at any time in the past 2,000 years and that there is a consistent link between changes in global mean surface temperature and sea level. The research was conducted by members of the Department of Earth and Environmental ... more
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Fastest_sea_level_rise_in_two_millennia_linked_to_increasing_temperatures_999.html
Philadelphia PA (SPX) Jun 22, 2011 - An international research team including University of Pennsylvania scientists has shown that the rate of sea-level rise along the U.S. Atlantic coast is greater now than at any time in the past 2,000 years and that there is a consistent link between changes in global mean surface temperature and sea level. The research was conducted by members of the Department of Earth and Environmental ... more
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Fastest_sea_level_rise_in_two_millennia_linked_to_increasing_temperatures_999.html
Weather catastrophes in China soar: reinsurer
Weather catastrophes in China soar: reinsurer
Berlin (AFP) June 21, 2011 - The world's biggest reinsurance company, Munich Re, said on Tuesday that deadly weather catastrophes in China had soared around four-fold in the last 30 years, costing its economy billions. Munich Re said in a report that the number of annual disasters including violent storms, floods, extreme temperatures, droughts and forest fires had risen to about 48 by 2010 from around 11 in the early 1 ... more
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Weather_catastrophes_in_China_soar_reinsurer_999.html
Berlin (AFP) June 21, 2011 - The world's biggest reinsurance company, Munich Re, said on Tuesday that deadly weather catastrophes in China had soared around four-fold in the last 30 years, costing its economy billions. Munich Re said in a report that the number of annual disasters including violent storms, floods, extreme temperatures, droughts and forest fires had risen to about 48 by 2010 from around 11 in the early 1 ... more
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Weather_catastrophes_in_China_soar_reinsurer_999.html
Japan considers 'gigantic' tsunami
Japan considers 'gigantic' tsunami
Tokyo (UPI) Jun 21, 2011 - Officials of tsunami-prone areas of Japan say they need a clear definition of the height of "the largest possible tsunami" predicted by a government panel. Local administrators have asked the country's central government for clarification of the maximum height of the largest possible tsunami cited by an expert panel of the Central Disaster Management Council, The Yomiuri Shimbun reporte ... more
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Japan_considers_gigantic_tsunami_999.html
Tokyo (UPI) Jun 21, 2011 - Officials of tsunami-prone areas of Japan say they need a clear definition of the height of "the largest possible tsunami" predicted by a government panel. Local administrators have asked the country's central government for clarification of the maximum height of the largest possible tsunami cited by an expert panel of the Central Disaster Management Council, The Yomiuri Shimbun reporte ... more
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Japan_considers_gigantic_tsunami_999.html
NASA to embark on last leg of Arctic sea study
NASA to embark on last leg of Arctic sea study
Washington (AFP) June 21, 2011 - The US space agency said Tuesday it is sending a team of scientists on the second and final mission of a NASA field study of how melting Arctic ice is changing the life cycles of sea creatures. The five-week mission, which kicks off Saturday, focuses on tiny organisms called phytoplankton, whose population blooms can offer clues about the wider health of the ocean ecosystem and how a warming ... more
Washington (AFP) June 21, 2011 - The US space agency said Tuesday it is sending a team of scientists on the second and final mission of a NASA field study of how melting Arctic ice is changing the life cycles of sea creatures. The five-week mission, which kicks off Saturday, focuses on tiny organisms called phytoplankton, whose population blooms can offer clues about the wider health of the ocean ecosystem and how a warming ... more
Can humans sense the Earth's magnetism
Can humans sense the Earth's magnetism
Worcester MA (SPX) Jun 22, 2011 - For migratory birds and sea turtles, the ability to sense the Earth's magnetic field is crucial to navigating the long-distance voyages these animals undertake during migration. Humans, however, are widely assumed not to have an innate magnetic sense. Research published in Nature Communications this week by faculty at the University of Massachusetts Medical School shows that a protein expr ... more
Worcester MA (SPX) Jun 22, 2011 - For migratory birds and sea turtles, the ability to sense the Earth's magnetic field is crucial to navigating the long-distance voyages these animals undertake during migration. Humans, however, are widely assumed not to have an innate magnetic sense. Research published in Nature Communications this week by faculty at the University of Massachusetts Medical School shows that a protein expr ... more
Did climate change cause Greenland's ancient Viking community to collapse?
Did climate change cause Greenland's ancient Viking community to collapse?
London, UK (SPX) Jun 22, 2011 - Our changing climate usually appears to be a very modern problem, yet new research from Greenland published in Boreas, suggests that the AD 1350 collapse of a centuries old colony established by Viking settlers may have been caused by declining temperatures and a rise in sea-ice. The authors suggest the collapse of the Greenland Norse presents a historical example of a society which failed to ad ... more
London, UK (SPX) Jun 22, 2011 - Our changing climate usually appears to be a very modern problem, yet new research from Greenland published in Boreas, suggests that the AD 1350 collapse of a centuries old colony established by Viking settlers may have been caused by declining temperatures and a rise in sea-ice. The authors suggest the collapse of the Greenland Norse presents a historical example of a society which failed to ad ... more
Ocean's harmful low-oxygen zones growing, are sensitive to small changes in climate
Ocean's harmful low-oxygen zones growing, are sensitive to small changes in climate
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 22, 2011 - Fluctuations in climate can drastically affect the habitability of marine ecosystems, according to a new study by UCLA scientists that examined the expansion and contraction of low-oxygen zones in the ocean. The UCLA research team, led by assistant professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences Curtis Deutsch, used a specialized computer simulation to demonstrate for the first time that the ... more
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jun 22, 2011 - Fluctuations in climate can drastically affect the habitability of marine ecosystems, according to a new study by UCLA scientists that examined the expansion and contraction of low-oxygen zones in the ocean. The UCLA research team, led by assistant professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences Curtis Deutsch, used a specialized computer simulation to demonstrate for the first time that the ... more
Supreme Court Doubles Down on EPA and Clean Air Act
Supreme Court Doubles Down on EPA and Clean Air Act
NPRA Supports Supreme Court Ruling in AEP v. Connecticut
NPRA Supports Supreme Court Ruling in AEP v. Connecticut
Shell and Cosan fuelling a lower-carbon future with biofuels
http://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/Shell_and_Cosan_fuelling_a_lower_carbon_future_with_biofuels_999.html
Shell and Cosan fuelling a lower-carbon future with biofuels
Shell and Cosan fuelling a lower-carbon future with biofuels
New Global Website Presents Low-Carbon Solutions from Sugarcane
New Global Website Presents Low-Carbon Solutions from Sugarcane
http://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/New_Global_Website_Presents_Low_Carbon_Solutions_from_Sugarcane_999.html
http://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/New_Global_Website_Presents_Low_Carbon_Solutions_from_Sugarcane_999.html
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Nicholas Stern
icholas Stern
by David Rotman
The World Bank's former top economist took heat when he called for huge investments to head off climate change. Now he says he underestimated how much is needed.
Read More »
by David Rotman
The World Bank's former top economist took heat when he called for huge investments to head off climate change. Now he says he underestimated how much is needed.
Read More »
The Economics of Global Warming
The Economics of Global Warming
Melting glaciers, rising incomes, and food.
Panel: Problems with oceans multiplying, worsening
Panel: Problems with oceans multiplying, worsening
(AP) -- The health of the world's oceans is declining much faster than originally thought - under siege from pollution, overfishing and other man-made problems all at once - scientists say in a new report.
(AP) -- The health of the world's oceans is declining much faster than originally thought - under siege from pollution, overfishing and other man-made problems all at once - scientists say in a new report.
Causes of melting tropical glaciers identified
The causes of melting of tropical glaciers over the past 10 000 years have at last been unveiled by a team of French researchers from CNRS, CEA, IRD and Universite Joseph Fourrier, together with a US researcher from the University at Albany (State University of New York). They have shown that the retreat of the Telata glacier in Bolivia over that period is mainly linked to a 3 C rise in air temperature and to the warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean in response to an increase in insolation. Their work was published on 09 June 2011 on the website of the journal Nature.
Oceans in distress foreshadow mass extinction
Oceans in distress foreshadow mass extinction
Paris (AFP) June 20, 2011 - Pollution and global warming are pushing the world's oceans to the brink of a mass extinction of marine life unseen for tens of millions of years, a consortium of scientists warned Monday. Dying coral reefs, biodiversity ravaged by invasive species, expanding open-water "dead zones," toxic algae blooms, the massive depletion of big fish stocks - all are accelerating, they said in a report c ... more
Paris (AFP) June 20, 2011 - Pollution and global warming are pushing the world's oceans to the brink of a mass extinction of marine life unseen for tens of millions of years, a consortium of scientists warned Monday. Dying coral reefs, biodiversity ravaged by invasive species, expanding open-water "dead zones," toxic algae blooms, the massive depletion of big fish stocks - all are accelerating, they said in a report c ... more
Atmospheric carbon dioxide buildup unlikely to spark abrupt climate change
Atmospheric carbon dioxide buildup unlikely to spark abrupt climate change
Seattle WA (SPX) Jun 21, 2011 - There have been instances in Earth history when average temperatures have changed rapidly, as much as 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) over a few decades, and some have speculated the same could happen again as the atmosphere becomes overloaded with carbon dioxide. New research lends support to evidence from numerous recent studies that suggest abrupt climate change appears to be ... more
Seattle WA (SPX) Jun 21, 2011 - There have been instances in Earth history when average temperatures have changed rapidly, as much as 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) over a few decades, and some have speculated the same could happen again as the atmosphere becomes overloaded with carbon dioxide. New research lends support to evidence from numerous recent studies that suggest abrupt climate change appears to be ... more
Human Activities Emit Way More Carbon Dioxide Than Do Volcanoes
Human Activities Emit Way More Carbon Dioxide Than Do Volcanoes
Washington DC (SPX) Jun 21, 2011 - On average, human activities put out in just three to five days the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide that volcanoes produce globally each year. So concludes a scientist who reviewed five published studies of present-day global volcanic carbon dioxide emissions and compared those emissions to anthropogenic (human- induced) carbon dioxide output. "The most frequent question that I have go ... more
Washington DC (SPX) Jun 21, 2011 - On average, human activities put out in just three to five days the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide that volcanoes produce globally each year. So concludes a scientist who reviewed five published studies of present-day global volcanic carbon dioxide emissions and compared those emissions to anthropogenic (human- induced) carbon dioxide output. "The most frequent question that I have go ... more
Fastest Sea-Level Rise in Two Millennia Linked to Increasing Global Temperatures
Fastest Sea-Level Rise in Two Millennia Linked to Increasing Global Temperatures
Washington DC (SPX) Jun 21, 2011 - The rate of sea level rise along the U.S. Atlantic coast is greater now than at any time in the past 2,000 years--and has shown a consistent link between changes in global mean surface temperature and sea level. The findings are published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The research, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was ... more
Washington DC (SPX) Jun 21, 2011 - The rate of sea level rise along the U.S. Atlantic coast is greater now than at any time in the past 2,000 years--and has shown a consistent link between changes in global mean surface temperature and sea level. The findings are published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The research, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was ... more
NASA to embark on last leg of Arctic sea study
NASA to embark on last leg of Arctic sea study
The US space agency said Tuesday it is sending a team of scientists on the second and final mission of a NASA field study of how melting Arctic ice is changing the life cycles of sea creatures.
The US space agency said Tuesday it is sending a team of scientists on the second and final mission of a NASA field study of how melting Arctic ice is changing the life cycles of sea creatures.
Justices Rebuff States on Utilities’ Gas Emissions
Justices Rebuff States on Utilities’ Gas Emissions
Water Resources and Climate Change: A Key Area of Concern
Posted: 20 Jun 2011 09:01 AM PDT
Although much of the discussion about climate change impacts has focused on increases in temperature and the rise in sea level, changes that impact our nation’s water resources could have the greatest impact on society. A quick glance at recent newspaper headlines—heavy spring rains leading to massive flooding of the Mississippi River, historic drought covering large parts of Texas, and extensive wildfires spreading across Arizona—provides more than enough evidence of how vulnerable we are to water-related extreme events.
Fire risk soars in seven US states
Fire risk soars in seven US states
Washington (AFP) June 20, 2011 -
Seven states in the central and southwest US were facing "extreme fire risk" late Sunday, officials said, as gusting winds sent massive blazes flaring up and jumping roadways, especially in Arizona. Arizona and New Mexico had red flag warnings in effect, meaning that critical fire weather conditions are taking place or imminent, said the National Weather Service (NWS). Other states facin ... more
Washington (AFP) June 20, 2011 - Seven states in the central and southwest US were facing "extreme fire risk" late Sunday, officials said, as gusting winds sent massive blazes flaring up and jumping roadways, especially in Arizona. Arizona and New Mexico had red flag warnings in effect, meaning that critical fire weather conditions are taking place or imminent, said the National Weather Service (NWS). Other states facin ... more
Human Activities Emit Way More Carbon Dioxide Than Do Volcanoes
Human Activities Emit Way More Carbon Dioxide Than Do Volcanoes
Washington DC (SPX) Jun 21, 2011 -
On average, human activities put out in just three to five days the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide that volcanoes produce globally each year. So concludes a scientist who reviewed five published studies of present-day global volcanic carbon dioxide emissions and compared those emissions to anthropogenic (human- induced) carbon dioxide output. "The most frequent question that I have go ... more
Washington DC (SPX) Jun 21, 2011 - On average, human activities put out in just three to five days the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide that volcanoes produce globally each year. So concludes a scientist who reviewed five published studies of present-day global volcanic carbon dioxide emissions and compared those emissions to anthropogenic (human- induced) carbon dioxide output. "The most frequent question that I have go ... more
Flood-hit China braces for more storms
Flood-hit China braces for more storms
Beijing (AFP) June 20, 2011 -
Flood-hit areas of central and southern China braced for more heavy rains Monday with several major rivers already swollen after downpours that have affected millions and left scores dead or missing. Water Resources Minister Chen Lei warned that at least 10 major rivers in the affected areas were threatening to burst their banks. "Severe floods triggered by heavy rains will continue to t ... more
Beijing (AFP) June 20, 2011 - Flood-hit areas of central and southern China braced for more heavy rains Monday with several major rivers already swollen after downpours that have affected millions and left scores dead or missing. Water Resources Minister Chen Lei warned that at least 10 major rivers in the affected areas were threatening to burst their banks. "Severe floods triggered by heavy rains will continue to t ... more
Monday, June 20, 2011
US, Canada add rigs as drilling heats up on- and offshore
US, Canada add rigs as drilling heats up on- and offshore
Hunt for oil shifts to the Americas; Report says the region will have to pump more as demand in Asia rises
Hunt for oil shifts to the Americas; Report says the region will have to pump more as demand in Asia rises
Report spells oceans of trouble: Dead zones, ice melt, overfishing, pollution worsening seas
Report spells oceans of trouble: Dead zones, ice melt, overfishing, pollution worsening seas
Oceans in distress foreshadow mass extinction
Oceans in distress foreshadow mass extinction
Pollution and global warming are pushing the world's oceans to the brink of a mass extinction of marine life unseen for tens of millions of years, a consortium of scientists warned.
Pollution and global warming are pushing the world's oceans to the brink of a mass extinction of marine life unseen for tens of millions of years, a consortium of scientists warned Monday.
Ocean Report: Risk of Marine Extinctions Unprecedented in Human History
Ocean Report: Risk of Marine Extinctions Unprecedented in Human History
Jean-Luc Solandt: The oceans may have already passed breaking point
Jean-Luc Solandt: The oceans may have already passed breaking point
Our oceans are complex systems, about as well (mis)understood as the human brain. A census of marine life was published last year, and, although extremely insightful, only covered a small percentage of the ocean’s biosphere. In many ways, this led us to realize just how much we don’t know.
And there are huge uncertainties over the impact of human actions on a global scale. But an enormous population increase in the past century, coupled with the seriously advanced mechanisation and access to the oceans means one thing: pressure on resources. Society and science are always on catch-up in, firstly, understanding our impacts on ocean systems, and then in doing something about them.
Related articles
Mass extinction threat "significant" in oceans
Mass extinction threat "significant" in oceans
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/20/scitech/main20072805.shtml#ixzz1PsftFAeg
Oceans on brink of catastrophe
Oceans on brink of catastrophe
Marine life facing mass extinction 'within one human generation' / State of seas 'much worse than we thought', says global panel of scientists
By Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor
Supreme Court Blocks Climate Change Lawsuit Filed By States
Supreme Court Blocks Climate Change Lawsuit Filed By States
Supreme Court backs EPA over states on climate change
Supreme Court backs EPA over states on climate change
More than one million evacuated in China floods
More than one million evacuated in China floods
Beijing (AFP) June 17, 2011 -
More than one million people in China have been evacuated following downpours that have raised water levels in rivers to critical highs, and triggered floods and landslides, the government has said. The summer rains have left at least 168 people dead or missing so far, and weather authorities warned Friday that flood-hit areas across the southern half of China would experience a fresh round ... more
Beijing (AFP) June 17, 2011 -
More than one million people in China have been evacuated following downpours that have raised water levels in rivers to critical highs, and triggered floods and landslides, the government has said. The summer rains have left at least 168 people dead or missing so far, and weather authorities warned Friday that flood-hit areas across the southern half of China would experience a fresh round ... more
Buried Secrets Gas Drilling's Environmental Threat
Buried Secrets
Gas Drilling's Environmental Threat
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Physicists say sunspot cycle is 'going into hibernation' which could cause a mini ice age within a decade
Physicists say sunspot cycle is 'going into hibernation' which could cause a mini ice age within a decade
US solar physicists announce that the Sun appears to be headed into a lengthy spell of low activity, which could mean that the Earth – far from facing a global warming problem – is actually headed into a mini Ice Age.The Sun normally follows an 11-year cycle of activity. The current cycle, Cycle 24, is now supposed to be ramping up towards maximum strength. Increased numbers of sunspots and other indications ought to be happening: but in fact results so far are most disappointing. Scientists at the National Solar Observatory (NSO) now suspect, based on data showing decades-long trends leading to this point, that Cycle 25 may not happen at all.
According to a statement issued by the NSO, announcing the research:
An immediate question is whether this slowdown presages a second Maunder Minimum, a 70-year period with virtually no sunspots [which occurred] during 1645-1715.
NASA discusses the sunspot cycle
Alfin has a larger collection of articles discussing the shutdown of the solar cycle
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