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, August 6, 2011
Human influence on the 21st century climate: One possible future for the atmosphere
Human influence on the 21st century climate: One possible future for the atmosphere
New computer modeling work in the journal Climatic Change shows that by 2100, if society wants to limit carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to less than 40 percent higher than it is today, the lowest cost option is to use every available means of reducing emissions. This includes more nuclear and renewable energy, choosing electricity over fossil fuels, reducing emissions through technologies that capture and store carbon dioxide, and even using forests to store carbon.
Montana weather linked to ocean temperatures near Peru
Montana weather linked to ocean temperatures near Peru
Researchers analyzed 100 years of data and found a significant link between extreme Montana weather and the ocean temperatures near Peru.
Indian Company Investigating Seaweed as Possible Biofuel
Indian Company Investigating Seaweed as Possible Biofuel
An Indian startup company based in Chennai, having spent several fruitless years investigating microalgae, more commonly referred to as simply algae, as a possible source of biofuels, has turned its attention to seaweed as a possible biofuel feedstock.
Sea6 Energy’s founders, four students and their professor at IIT Madras, India's leading technical institute, spent the last two years investigating algae’s biofuel potential, as have thousands of researchers worldwide, particularly in the U.S.
Eventually however, the quintet's calculations led them to the conclusion that algae’s possibilities as a biofuel feedstock laid many years in the future, The Economic Times reported.
Algae needs significant amounts
Read more...
Sea6 Energy’s founders, four students and their professor at IIT Madras, India's leading technical institute, spent the last two years investigating algae’s biofuel potential, as have thousands of researchers worldwide, particularly in the U.S.
Eventually however, the quintet's calculations led them to the conclusion that algae’s possibilities as a biofuel feedstock laid many years in the future, The Economic Times reported.
Algae needs significant amounts
Read more...
Oil and Gas Pipelines at Risk from Ethanol Bacteria
Oil and Gas Pipelines at Risk from Ethanol Bacteria
Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology discovered that bacteria found in ethanol hasten the deterioration and cracking of pipeline steels.
Ethanol is a biofuel that is commonly used as a fuel additive because of its oxygen content and octane rating. Moreover, modified engines used ethanol solely as fuel.
Recently there have been proposals that existing gas pipelines and other infrastructure could be used to transport ethanol and increase its deployment. However, N.I.S.T. researchers exposed common pipeline steel to ethanol and found that ethanol and the bacteria found within can have a corrosive effect.
"Substantial increases in crack growth rates were
Read more...
Ethanol is a biofuel that is commonly used as a fuel additive because of its oxygen content and octane rating. Moreover, modified engines used ethanol solely as fuel.
Recently there have been proposals that existing gas pipelines and other infrastructure could be used to transport ethanol and increase its deployment. However, N.I.S.T. researchers exposed common pipeline steel to ethanol and found that ethanol and the bacteria found within can have a corrosive effect.
"Substantial increases in crack growth rates were
Read more...
Clean Coal and Underground Coal Gasification
Clean Coal and Underground Coal Gasification
The reserve limits for coal, for China as well as the rest of the world, can be postponed for several generations if the technology to gasify coal underground can be commercialized. Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) enables the access of deeper coal layers hitherto unavailable through conventional mining. Several modern pilot projects have been successfully completed in recent years and commercial projects are underway. _RembrandtNigeria, Shell under fire after UN details oil devastation
Nigeria, Shell under fire after UN details oil devastation
Lagos (AFP) Aug 5, 2011
Nigeria's government and oil giant Shell Friday came under heavy pressure following the release of a landmark UN report detailing oil pollution that may require the world's biggest ever clean-up. The report set out scientific evidence for the first time of devastating pollution in Ogoniland, part of the country's main oil-producing Niger Delta region where Shell and the state petroleum compa
Nigeria's government and oil giant Shell Friday came under heavy pressure following the release of a landmark UN report detailing oil pollution that may require the world's biggest ever clean-up. The report set out scientific evidence for the first time of devastating pollution in Ogoniland, part of the country's main oil-producing Niger Delta region where Shell and the state petroleum compaCzech Republic eyed for shale gas deposits
Czech Republic eyed for shale gas deposits
Prague, Czech Republic (UPI) Aug 5, 2011
The Czech Republic, where potential shale natural gas reserves have never been seriously searched for, has drawn new inquiries from energy companies, Prague says. The Czech Ministry of Environment says two companies seeking new sources of shale gas have filed formal applications for exploratory operations in the country and others are waiting in the wings, local reports indicate.
The Czech Republic, where potential shale natural gas reserves have never been seriously searched for, has drawn new inquiries from energy companies, Prague says. The Czech Ministry of Environment says two companies seeking new sources of shale gas have filed formal applications for exploratory operations in the country and others are waiting in the wings, local reports indicate.Friday, August 5, 2011
Future of seawater desalination studied
Future of seawater desalination studied
South Bend, Ind. (UPI) Aug 4, 2011 - U.S. researchers have reviewed the current state of seawater desalination technology and its potential as a sustainable solution to global water shortages. William Phillip of the University of Notre Dame and Menachem Elimelech at Yale University analyzed how seawater desalination technology has advanced in the past 30 years and in what ways the technology can be improved, a Notre Dame r ... more
South Bend, Ind. (UPI) Aug 4, 2011 - U.S. researchers have reviewed the current state of seawater desalination technology and its potential as a sustainable solution to global water shortages. William Phillip of the University of Notre Dame and Menachem Elimelech at Yale University analyzed how seawater desalination technology has advanced in the past 30 years and in what ways the technology can be improved, a Notre Dame r ... more
ConocoPhillips purchases Niobrara Shale acreage in Colorado
ConocoPhillips purchases Niobrara Shale acreage in Colorado
Devon sees great potential with Tuscaloosa Shale oil play in Louisiana
Devon sees great potential with Tuscaloosa Shale oil play in Louisiana
Sen. Vitter to block nominee until expiring Gulf of Mexico drilling leases extended
Sen. Vitter to block nominee until expiring Gulf of Mexico drilling leases extended
BOEMRE gives conditional approval for Shell exploration plan in Alaska's Beaufort Sea
BOEMRE gives conditional approval for Shell exploration plan in Alaska's Beaufort Sea
Nigerian oil pollution may need world's biggest clean-up: UN
Nigerian oil pollution may need world's biggest clean-up: UN
Abuja (AFP) Aug 4, 2011 - Decades of oil pollution in Nigeria's Ogoniland region may require the world's biggest ever clean-up, the UN environmental agency said Thursday as it released a landmark report on the issue. The United Nations Environment Programme also called for the oil industry and the Nigerian government to contribute $1 billion to a clean-up fund for the region that activists say has been devastated by ... more
Abuja (AFP) Aug 4, 2011 - Decades of oil pollution in Nigeria's Ogoniland region may require the world's biggest ever clean-up, the UN environmental agency said Thursday as it released a landmark report on the issue. The United Nations Environment Programme also called for the oil industry and the Nigerian government to contribute $1 billion to a clean-up fund for the region that activists say has been devastated by ... more
Thursday, August 4, 2011
La Nina's distant effects in East Africa: Droughts and floods are remote-controlled climate effects
La Nina's distant effects in East Africa: Droughts and floods are remote-controlled climate effects
For 20,000 years, climate variability in East Africa has been following a pattern that is evidently a remote effect of the ENSO phenomenon (El Nino Southern Oscillation) known as El Nino/La Nina. During the cold phase of La Nina, there is marginal rainfall and stronger winds in East Africa, while the El Nino warm phase leads to weak wind conditions with frequent rain.
Large variations in Arctic sea ice: Polar ice much less stable than previously thought
Large variations in Arctic sea ice: Polar ice much less stable than previously thought
For the last 10,000 years, summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has been far from constant. For several thousand years, there was much less sea ice in The Arctic Ocean -- probably less than half of current amounts.
Better desalination technology key to solving world's water shortage
Better desalination technology key to solving world's water shortage
Over one-third of the world's population already lives in areas struggling to keep up with the demand for fresh water. By 2025, that number will nearly double. A new Yale University study argues that seawater desalination should play an important role in helping combat worldwide fresh water shortages -- once conservation, reuse and other methods have been exhausted -- and provides insight into how desalination technology can be made more affordable and energy efficient.
Data Shows All of Earth's Systems in Rapid Decline
Data Shows All of Earth's Systems in Rapid Decline
By Stephen Leahy
UXBRIDGE, Canada, Jul 29, 2011 (IPS) - Protecting bits of nature here and there will not prevent humanity from losing our life support system. Even if areas dedicated to conserving plants, animals, and other species that provide Earth's life support system increased tenfold, it would not be enough without dealing with the big issues of the 21st century: population, overconsumption and inefficient resource use.
By Stephen Leahy
UXBRIDGE, Canada, Jul 29, 2011 (IPS) - Protecting bits of nature here and there will not prevent humanity from losing our life support system. Even if areas dedicated to conserving plants, animals, and other species that provide Earth's life support system increased tenfold, it would not be enough without dealing with the big issues of the 21st century: population, overconsumption and inefficient resource use.
Solar storm heading our way
Solar storm heading our way
Early yesterday, (Aug 3, 2011) two active regions on the Sun, sunspot 1261 and 1263 unleashed solar flares, which was captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. The video shows an M6 class flare from 1261 in a couple of different wavelengths. SolarstormWatch, a citizen science project through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England predicts the solar storm from the larger flare to reach Earth at 15:00 UTC on August 5, 2011, and also predict direct hit on Earth.
Early yesterday, (Aug 3, 2011) two active regions on the Sun, sunspot 1261 and 1263 unleashed solar flares, which was captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. The video shows an M6 class flare from 1261 in a couple of different wavelengths. SolarstormWatch, a citizen science project through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England predicts the solar storm from the larger flare to reach Earth at 15:00 UTC on August 5, 2011, and also predict direct hit on Earth.
Does an Old EPA Fracking Study Provide Proof of Contamination?
Does an Old EPA Fracking Study Provide Proof of Contamination?
PetroVietnam pumps oil from Russian field
PetroVietnam pumps oil from Russian field
Hanoi, Vietnam (UPI) Aug 2, 2011 - A Russian-Vietnamese joint venture has produced its first oil from the Visovol oil field in the Nenets autonomous region of Russia. The Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group - PetroVietnam - and OAO Zarubezhneft formed the Rusvietpetro joint venture to work the bloc in Russia's Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Arkhangelsk Oblast. The Russian Federation-PetroVietnam Visovol oil field is ... more
Hanoi, Vietnam (UPI) Aug 2, 2011 - A Russian-Vietnamese joint venture has produced its first oil from the Visovol oil field in the Nenets autonomous region of Russia. The Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group - PetroVietnam - and OAO Zarubezhneft formed the Rusvietpetro joint venture to work the bloc in Russia's Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Arkhangelsk Oblast. The Russian Federation-PetroVietnam Visovol oil field is ... more
Ethanol could be risk in U.S. pipelines
Ethanol could be risk in U.S. pipelines
Washington (UPI) Aug 3, 2011 - Plans to use existing U.S. pipelines to carry increasing ethanol production poses the problem the fuel can dramatically degrade them, researchers say. Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology warn that ethanol, and especially the bacteria sometimes found in it, can worsen fatigue crack growth rates by 25 times the rate in air alone. Researchers evaluated f ... more
Washington (UPI) Aug 3, 2011 - Plans to use existing U.S. pipelines to carry increasing ethanol production poses the problem the fuel can dramatically degrade them, researchers say. Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology warn that ethanol, and especially the bacteria sometimes found in it, can worsen fatigue crack growth rates by 25 times the rate in air alone. Researchers evaluated f ... more
Shell admits 'devastating' Nigeria oil spills
Shell admits 'devastating' Nigeria oil spills
London (AFP) Aug 3, 2011 - Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell on Wednesday accepted responsibility for two devastating oil spills in the Niger Delta which lawyers say have destroyed the livelihoods of a fishing community. The Bodo community took legal action in Britain against the Anglo-Dutch group over the spills in 2008 and 2009, which affected rivers and waterways over a large area. Lawyers said the leaks were "one of ... more
London (AFP) Aug 3, 2011 - Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell on Wednesday accepted responsibility for two devastating oil spills in the Niger Delta which lawyers say have destroyed the livelihoods of a fishing community. The Bodo community took legal action in Britain against the Anglo-Dutch group over the spills in 2008 and 2009, which affected rivers and waterways over a large area. Lawyers said the leaks were "one of ... more
Floating production systems being ordered at record pace
Floating production systems being ordered at record pace
Offshore staff
WASHINGTON – The demand for offshore floating production systems is exhibiting strong growth, according to a recent report by International Maritime Associates, Inc (IMA). According to the report, fourteen floating production units have been ordered over the past four months – a record pace reflecting strong underlying market drivers.
Oil demand likely to climb, but supply remains less certain - report
Oil demand likely to climb, but supply remains less certain - report
EPA Takes First Step On Path Towards Fraccing Regulations
EPA Takes First Step On Path Towards Fraccing Regulations
Famine declared in three new Somali regions: UN
Famine declared in three new Somali regions: UN
Nairobi (AFP) Aug 3, 2011 - Famine has spread to three new regions of Somalia, including the capital Mogadishu and the world's largest camp for displaced people, the United Nations said Wednesday. In Washington, a US senator warned the catastrophe could be worse than Ethiopia's 1980s famine that claimed nearly one million lives and criticised the international community for its inadequate response to the crisis. Th ... more
Nairobi (AFP) Aug 3, 2011 - Famine has spread to three new regions of Somalia, including the capital Mogadishu and the world's largest camp for displaced people, the United Nations said Wednesday. In Washington, a US senator warned the catastrophe could be worse than Ethiopia's 1980s famine that claimed nearly one million lives and criticised the international community for its inadequate response to the crisis. Th ... more
In Your Backyard: New NRDC Web Tool Details How Climate Change Increases Threat of Infectious Disease, High Frequency of Drought, Flooding, Air Pollution in Southern States
In Your Backyard: New NRDC Web Tool Details How Climate Change Increases Threat of Infectious Disease, High Frequency of Drought, Flooding, Air Pollution in Southern States
Umami Sustainable Seafood Confirms Natural Bluefin Tuna Spawning at its Farm in Croatia
Umami Sustainable Seafood Confirms Natural Bluefin Tuna Spawning at its Farm in Croatia
Sea level rise less from Greenland, more from Antarctica
Sea level rise less from Greenland, more from Antarctica
Madison WI (SPX) Aug 04, 2011 -
During the last prolonged warm spell on Earth, the oceans were at least four meters - and possibly as much as 6.5 meters, or about 20 feet - higher than they are now. Where did all that extra water come from? Mainly from melting ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica, and many scientists, including University of Wisconsin-Madison geoscience assistant professor Anders Carlson, have expected ... more
Madison WI (SPX) Aug 04, 2011 - During the last prolonged warm spell on Earth, the oceans were at least four meters - and possibly as much as 6.5 meters, or about 20 feet - higher than they are now. Where did all that extra water come from? Mainly from melting ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica, and many scientists, including University of Wisconsin-Madison geoscience assistant professor Anders Carlson, have expected ... more
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
United Nations IPCC Fourth Assessment Report on Climate Change
United Nations IPCC Fourth Assessment Report on Climate Change
In 2007, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) produced its fourth report, delivering the latest consensus scientific understanding of global climate change. The voluminous document was summarized in “Climate Change 2007: A Synthesis Report” (PDF). A new, fifth IPCC report is expected to be published between 2013 and 2014. Much new, peer-reviewed research continues to emerge, but the 2007 report still stands as the definitive policy document expressing the world’s scientific consensus on issues related to climate change. (For an interim look at temperatures through 2010, see NASA’s GISS Surface Temperature Analysis.)
NASA Data Pit Scientific Method Against Climate Astrology
Op/Ed
NASA Data Pit Scientific Method Against Climate Astrology
NASA Says Computer Models Wrong About Climate Change
NASA Says Computer Models Wrong About Climate Change
An Echo Chamber of Climate Change Denial
An Echo Chamber of Climate Change Denial
There was a startling demonstration last week of how quickly messages of climate change denial can spread from the United States to the United Kingdom.The initial trigger was the publication of a paper by Roy Spencer and Danny Braswell of the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the journal 'Remote Sensing', called 'On the Misdiagnosis of Surface Temperature Feedbacks from Variations in Earth's Radiant Energy Balance'.
Southern U.S. States to See Threat of Infectious Disease, High Rates of Drought, Flooding, Air Pollution, New Web Tool Finds
Southern U.S. States to See Threat of Infectious Disease, High Rates of Drought, Flooding, Air Pollution, New Web Tool Finds
PR Newswire
Aug. 2
Biggest Impacts Seen in AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA and WV.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Residents of southern and southeastern United States experienced an increase in extreme weather conditions from 2000 through 2009, and projected climate change will only worsen the threat of infectious disease, drought, flooding, and air pollution, according to a new analysis of data by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
As much of the United States continues to suffer record hot summer weather, NRDC will hold a telephone-based news conference at 10 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 to release new, Web-based climate change impact maps and related analysis.
The analysis and related mapping will focus on the following states in the U.S. South: Alabama; Arkansas; Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C.
WHO:
WHEN: Wednesday, August 3, 2011
TIME: 10 a.m. EDT
CALL-IN INFORMATION: Join the live, phone-based news conference (with full, two-way Q&A) at 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday, August 3, 2011, by dialing (800) 860-2442. Ask for the "NRDC climate impact maps" news event.
CAN'T PARTICIPATE? A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at http://www.nrdc.org as of 1 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2011.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org.
Contact: Suzanne Struglinski, sstruglinski@nrdc.org, (202) 289-2387, and Leslie Anderson, landerson@hastingsgroup.com, (703) 276-3256
/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Aug. 2, 2011/
SOURCE Natural Resources Defense Council
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Residents of southern and southeastern United States experienced an increase in extreme weather conditions from 2000 through 2009, and projected climate change will only worsen the threat of infectious disease, drought, flooding, and air pollution, according to a new analysis of data by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
As much of the United States continues to suffer record hot summer weather, NRDC will hold a telephone-based news conference at 10 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 to release new, Web-based climate change impact maps and related analysis.
The analysis and related mapping will focus on the following states in the U.S. South: Alabama; Arkansas; Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C.
WHO:
- Kim Knowlton, senior scientist, Health and Environment Program, NRDC; and
- Jeremy Hess, MD, MPH, FACEP, assistant professor and assistant research director, Emergency Medicine, Emory Schools of Medicine and Public Health, and senior medical advisors, Climate and Health Program, NCEH, U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 3, 2011
TIME: 10 a.m. EDT
CALL-IN INFORMATION: Join the live, phone-based news conference (with full, two-way Q&A) at 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday, August 3, 2011, by dialing (800) 860-2442. Ask for the "NRDC climate impact maps" news event.
CAN'T PARTICIPATE? A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at http://www.nrdc.org as of 1 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2011.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org.
Contact: Suzanne Struglinski, sstruglinski@nrdc.org, (202) 289-2387, and Leslie Anderson, landerson@hastingsgroup.com, (703) 276-3256
/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Aug. 2, 2011/
SOURCE Natural Resources Defense Council
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Radioactive decay is key ingredient behind Earth's heat
Radioactive decay is key ingredient behind Earth's heat
Nearly half of the Earth's heat comes from the radioactive decay of materials inside, according to a large international research collaboration that includes a Kansas State University physicist.Japan quake makes 2011 costliest disaster year
Japan quake makes 2011 costliest disaster year
http://news.yahoo.com/50-states-see-record-highs-july-173203227.html
http://news.yahoo.com/50-states-see-record-highs-july-173203227.html
Scientists ‘lag behind’ as human impacts on the deep sea increase
Scientists ‘lag behind’ as human impacts on the deep sea increase
How vulnerable are nations to smaller shellfish harvests from ocean acidification?
How vulnerable are nations to smaller shellfish harvests from ocean acidification?
Highly Recommended Read
Highly Recommended Read
Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Power in Japan
The Ocean of Light above the Ocean of Darkness
"...there was an ocean of darkness and death; but an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness." (George Fox, An Autobiography)
LLOG finishes up four offshore developments in th US Gulf of Mexico
LLOG finishes up four offshore developments in th US Gulf of Mexico
Archer to buy hydraulic fracturing firm Great White Energy Services for $742MM
Archer to buy hydraulic fracturing firm Great White Energy Services for $742MM
Ohio Governor 'thrilled' about Utica Shale potential
Ohio Governor 'thrilled' about Utica Shale potential
Russia's Gazprom Neft gains stake in four deepwater blocks offshore Cuba
Russia's Gazprom Neft gains stake in four deepwater blocks offshore Cuba
Brazil’s Deforestation Quagmire
Brazil’s Deforestation Quagmire
by: Elizabeth Rust, Council on Hemispheric Affairs | Report
White House Receives Blueprint for Bringing Gulf of Mexico Back to Health
White House Receives Blueprint for Bringing Gulf of Mexico Back to HealthPR Newswire WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2011 As Senators consider bill on oil spill penalties, conservationists urge lawmakers to invest fines in Gulf's natural systems and communities that need them WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leading conservation groups working across the Gulf of Mexico have submitted to the White House a blueprint for action that federal, state and local governments can take to restore the region's threatened natural systems and to help communities that rely on the Gulf for survival. The groups delivered their recommendations to the Presidential Task Force on Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration, which President Obama created last October by executive order. The task force is facing a one-year deadline this October to develop a comprehensive strategy "to effectively address the damage caused by the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, address the longstanding ecological decline, and begin moving toward a more resilient Gulf Coast ecosystem." The timing of the groups' recommendations, entitled a Strategy for Restoring the Gulf of Mexico, is important. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is expected to soon vote on legislation that would provide funding to implement the Presidential Task Force's restoration plans. The Senate bill, the RESTORE Gulf Coast States Act, would dedicate 80 percent of the oil spill fines to restoring the Gulf's communities, economies and environments. Under current law, most of the fines will be used for general government spending, rather than being directed towards the Gulf. The recommendations were submitted by The Nature Conservancy, the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (Texas A&M) University-Corpus Christi, National Audubon Society, Ocean Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, and the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. The Presidential Task Force will unveil their final plan for Gulf restoration on Oct. 5. "The Gulf is a national treasure and restoring it must be a national priority," said Wes Tunnell of the Harte Research Institute. "Too much time has already passed. We cannot miss this important opportunity to rebuild the Gulf and ensure it continues to support our nation's economy, communities and wildlife." Among the recommendations included in the blueprint are:
"If we really care about the Gulf and the communities that rely on it for survival, these fines must be used to restore the wetlands, marshes, oyster reefs, mangroves, fisheries and other natural resources that provide food, income and shelter to local communities – and the nation as a whole," said Cindy Brown, The Nature Conservancy's Gulf of Mexico Program Director. "The Gulf suffered the brunt of the spill and the fines should be used to bring the Gulf back to health." "In order to successfully restore the Gulf, we must view the Gulf holistically — from the coast to marine waters — and focus on restoring the key services the ecosystem provides to coastal communities," said Chris Dorsett, Ocean Conservancy's Director of Fish Conservation & Gulf Restoration. Even before the oil spill, the Gulf of Mexico faced serious threats from neglect, overdevelopment, pollution, storms, climate change and alteration of the Mississippi River Delta that feeds into the Gulf. Yet the Gulf still is one of the most productive natural areas in the world:
"As terrible as it was, the oil spill focused the county's attention on what this ecosystem contributes to our economy and what it means to our natural heritage. We must turn this awareness into a national commitment to restore and sustain this natural treasure," said Susan Kaderka, Regional Director for the National Wildlife Federation. The environmental groups that submitted the recommendations pledged to continue working with federal and state lawmakers to ensure action is taken immediately to ensure the Gulf's productivity can be maintained and in many cases enhanced by bringing the region back to health. "Although born of tragedy, there is a tremendous opportunity now for recovery of the Gulf. But we must think big," said Chris Canfield, Vice President of Gulf Coast Conservation/Mississippi Flyway with the National Audubon Society. "We must look and work across political and organizational boundaries. We know how to restore the Mississippi River Delta, to bring back wetlands and barrier islands, to make a better home for birds, fish and our communities. All we need is the resolve to do it." "We hope our recommendations will help the task force develop its strategy, but the task force can't implement its strategy without the necessary funding that the RESTORE Gulf Coast States Act provides," said Courtney Taylor, policy director for the Mississippi Delta Restoration project at Environmental Defense Fund. "That's why Congress must hold the parties responsible for Gulf oil spill damage accountable by passing the RESTORE Gulf Coast States Act to ensure that we invest the oil spill penalties to restore the Gulf, or we risk losing this ecological and economic treasure." Contacts:
SOURCE Environmental Defense Fund |
Monday, August 1, 2011
Radiation And Jet Stream Forecast Monitoring Sites
Radiation And Jet Stream Forecast Monitoring Sites
National Radiation Map
Nuclear Site Alert Level = 100 CPM
Ex Japanese Nuclear Regulator Blames Radioactive Animal Feed on "Black Rain"
Ex Japanese Nuclear Regulator Blames Radioactive Animal Feed on "Black Rain"
Why Climate Scientists Are So Perturbed By JUSTIN GILLIS
Why Climate Scientists Are So Perturbed
By JUSTIN GILLISCarbon smoke and mirrors - the reality of emissions reduction plans
Carbon smoke and mirrors - the reality of emissions reduction plans
Barry Brook | 2 August 2011 at 11:22 AM | Categories: Emissions, Policy | URL: http://wp.me/piCIJ-1gF
Biofuels' Potential to Transform the Global Economy
Biofuels' Potential to Transform the Global Economy
Slowly but surely, an extraordinarily important new industry is slowly taking shape, with the potential to transform the global economy.After years of existing largely as an environmentalist's fantasy, commercial production of biofuels for the world civil aviation industry is slowly becoming a fact, with production starting up across three continents.
Estimated 6.8-magnitude quake strikes off coast of Papua New Guinea
Estimated 6.8-magnitude quake strikes off coast of Papua New Guinea
Catastrophism in the Ring of Fire: seven 6.0+ earthquakes in eight days
Catastrophism in the Ring of Fire: seven 6.0+ earthquakes in eight days
August 1, 2011 – JAPAN – I’ve identified four areas on the Pacific Plate that have been a source of an inordinate amount of recent strong earthquake activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire. We’ve had seven 6.0+ magnitude earthquake events in eight days. I theorize that this spike in activity portends that a major geological event may be in the making in the Pacific. In June, I indicated that there was mounting evidence that we may be moving towards a period of geologic catastrophism in regard to rising agitation along the Pacific Plate. The 4 areas I’ve circled on the above map include the Aleutian peninsula or trench of Alaska, the Japan Islands, the New Guinea and Fiji region, and the last leg is the Tonga-Kermadec and New Zealand region. What all these regions on the Pacific Plate have in common is that they are densely populated with a turbulent chain of volcanoes. Since the western part of the plate is facing the most seismic stress, this leads me to believe the forces driving this are magmatic in nature and are the result of a thermal flux related to the internal planetary gradient. In short, if this whole region was a volcano, it’s now exhibiting signs of a major eruption. The sea-floor under the Atlantic Ocean is spreading and there is a lot of subduction going on in the Pacific where land masses are converging in some case but what’s alarming is something may be accelerating this process. -The Extinction Protocol
UAE's reach widens on land and from space
UAE's reach widens on land and from space
Jul 30, 2011
DUBAI // With each pass over Japan’s ravaged landscape in the hours and days after March’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, DubaiSat-1 collected images of large swaths of toppled towns, scanned the dramatically altered coastline and zeroed in on the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant as it suffered a nuclear meltdown.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency requested the images directly from the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (Eiast), which controls the satellite, as it struggled to piece together a clearer image of the disaster’s impact and a recovery plan.
Since the launch of DubaiSat-1 from Kazakhstan two years ago today, the country’s first Earth observation satellite has been useful to international authorities for pinpointing damage after natural disasters, to local municipalities for monitoring coastal erosion and to researchers for gauging the effects of harmful algal blooms.
Explainer: why ocean acidification is the ‘evil twin’ of climate change
Explainer: why ocean acidification is the ‘evil twin’ of climate change
NASA Satellite Tracks Severity of African Drought
NASA Satellite Tracks Severity of African Drought
Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 01, 2011 - Northeast Africa continues to reel from the effects of the worst drought to strike the region in decades. The arid conditions are contributing to famines that the U.S. Department of State says are affecting more than 11.5 million people, particularly in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. The drought is tied to strong La Nina conditions that prevailed in late 2010 and early 2011. La Nin ... more
Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 01, 2011 - Northeast Africa continues to reel from the effects of the worst drought to strike the region in decades. The arid conditions are contributing to famines that the U.S. Department of State says are affecting more than 11.5 million people, particularly in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti. The drought is tied to strong La Nina conditions that prevailed in late 2010 and early 2011. La Nin ... more
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Editor's Note
Dear Readers
I am still on travel and will be out of commission for the next day or so. Will resume posting for a few
hours Monday morning, but then will be on air travel for a substantial portion of the rest of the day.
Stay tuned.
Michele Kearney
I am still on travel and will be out of commission for the next day or so. Will resume posting for a few
hours Monday morning, but then will be on air travel for a substantial portion of the rest of the day.
Stay tuned.
Michele Kearney
Meeting report available on ocean acidification and its impacts.
Meeting report available on ocean acidification and its impacts.
A Dolphin's Dilemma for Fishermen in the Gulf
Posted: 30 Jul 2011 05:22 AM PDT
Louisiana shrimp buyer Dean Blanchard has seen plenty of crazy things during his life in the bayou. But his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets the day he watched a mother dolphin pushing her dead baby calf towards him as he stood on the commercial dock of his once thriving seafood business on Grand Isle.
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