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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Friday, October 28, 2011
Governments must plan for migration in response to climate change, researchers say
Governments must plan for migration in response to climate change, researchers say
The Chinese Coal Industry in an Energy Security and Carbon-Constrained World
The Chinese Coal Industry in an Energy Security and Carbon-Constrained World
While the use of coal has greatly benefited China in terms of economic growth and energy security, it has also created enormous environmental and social challenges.
Testing geoengineering as a solution to climate change
Testing geoengineering as a solution to climate change
Washington DC (SPX) Oct 28, 2011 - Solar radiation management is a class of theoretical concepts for manipulating the climate in order to reduce the risks of global warming caused by greenhouse gasses. But its potential effectiveness and risks are uncertain, and it is unclear whether tests could help narrow these uncertainties. A team composed of Caltech's Doug MacMynowski, Carnegie's Ken Caldeira and Ho-Jeong Shin, and Har ... more
Washington DC (SPX) Oct 28, 2011 - Solar radiation management is a class of theoretical concepts for manipulating the climate in order to reduce the risks of global warming caused by greenhouse gasses. But its potential effectiveness and risks are uncertain, and it is unclear whether tests could help narrow these uncertainties. A team composed of Caltech's Doug MacMynowski, Carnegie's Ken Caldeira and Ho-Jeong Shin, and Har ... more
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Nuclear pollution of sea from Fukushima was world's biggest
Nuclear pollution of sea from Fukushima was world's biggest
Paris (AFP) Oct 27, 2011 -
France's nuclear monitor said on Thursday that the amount of caesium 137 that leaked into the Pacific from the Fukushima disaster was the greatest single nuclear contamination of the sea ever seen. But, confirming previous assessments, it said caesium levels had been hugely diluted by ocean currents and, except for near-shore species, posed no discernible threat. From March 21 to mid-Jul ... more
Paris (AFP) Oct 27, 2011 - France's nuclear monitor said on Thursday that the amount of caesium 137 that leaked into the Pacific from the Fukushima disaster was the greatest single nuclear contamination of the sea ever seen. But, confirming previous assessments, it said caesium levels had been hugely diluted by ocean currents and, except for near-shore species, posed no discernible threat. From March 21 to mid-Jul ... more
Desalination part of solution for China?
Desalination part of solution for China?
Beijing (UPI) Oct 27, 2011 -
As China grapples with ever-increasing water shortages, desalination is viewed by the government as part of the solution. While China represents 20 percent of the world's population, it has just 7 percent of the Earth's fresh water supply. The Asia Water Project estimates that China's demand for water will increase 63 percent by 2030. Meantime, China falls short by about 50 billi ... more
Beijing (UPI) Oct 27, 2011 - As China grapples with ever-increasing water shortages, desalination is viewed by the government as part of the solution. While China represents 20 percent of the world's population, it has just 7 percent of the Earth's fresh water supply. The Asia Water Project estimates that China's demand for water will increase 63 percent by 2030. Meantime, China falls short by about 50 billi ... more
Exploring Corn, Energy and Humanity’s Growth Spurt By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Exploring Corn, Energy and Humanity’s Growth Spurt
By ANDREW C. REVKINFukushima nuke pollution in sea 'was world's worst'
Fukushima nuke pollution in sea 'was world's worst'
France's nuclear monitor said on Thursday that the amount of caesium 137 that leaked into the Pacific from the Fukushima disaster was the greatest single nuclear contamination of the sea ever seen.
France's nuclear monitor said on Thursday that the amount of caesium 137 that leaked into the Pacific from the Fukushima disaster was the greatest single nuclear contamination of the sea ever seen.
Democrats call for State Department investigation on Keystone pipeline as protestors confront President Obama over the project
Democrats call for State Department investigation on Keystone pipeline as protestors confront President Obama over the project
Geothermal mapping report confirms vast coast-to-coast clean energy source
Geothermal mapping report confirms vast coast-to-coast clean energy source
Dallas TX (SPX) Oct 27, 2011 - New research from SMU's Geothermal Laboratory, funded by a grant from Google.org, documents significant geothermal resources across the United States capable of producing more than three million megawatts of green power - 10 times the installed capacity of coal power plants today. Sophisticated mapping produced from the research, viewable via Google Earth at www.google.org/egs, demonstrate ... more
Dallas TX (SPX) Oct 27, 2011 - New research from SMU's Geothermal Laboratory, funded by a grant from Google.org, documents significant geothermal resources across the United States capable of producing more than three million megawatts of green power - 10 times the installed capacity of coal power plants today. Sophisticated mapping produced from the research, viewable via Google Earth at www.google.org/egs, demonstrate ... more
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Natural-gas production linked to quakes in England, Arkansas, and North Texas, but more study needed
Natural-gas production linked to quakes in England, Arkansas, and North Texas, but more study needed
China Takes a Loss to Get Ahead in the Business of Fresh Water
China Takes a Loss to Get Ahead in the Business of Fresh Water
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Forest biofuel projects could increase West Coast carbon emissions Los Angeles Times Research published Oct. 23 in the journal Nature Climate Change undermines the argument that substituting wood-based biofuel for fossil fuels would reduce carbon emissions. “Most people assume that wood bioenergy will be carbon-neutral, ...
| Forest biofuel projects could increase West Coast carbon emissions Los Angeles Times Research published Oct. 23 in the journal Nature Climate Change undermines the argument that substituting wood-based biofuel for fossil fuels would reduce carbon emissions. “Most people assume that wood bioenergy will be carbon-neutral, ... |
China's glaciers in meltdown mode: study
China's glaciers in meltdown mode: study
Paris (AFP) Oct 25, 2011 -
Sharp increases in temperature driven by global warming are melting China's Himalayan glaciers, an impact that threatens habitats, tourism and economic development, says a study released Tuesday. Of 111 weather stations scattered across southwestern China, 77 percent showed significant upticks in temperatures between 1961 and 2008, according to the study, published in a British peer-reviewed ... more
Paris (AFP) Oct 25, 2011 - Sharp increases in temperature driven by global warming are melting China's Himalayan glaciers, an impact that threatens habitats, tourism and economic development, says a study released Tuesday. Of 111 weather stations scattered across southwestern China, 77 percent showed significant upticks in temperatures between 1961 and 2008, according to the study, published in a British peer-reviewed ... more
Fiery volcano offers geologic glimpse into land that time forgot
Fiery volcano offers geologic glimpse into land that time forgot
Seattle WA (SPX) Oct 25, 2011 -
The first scientists to witness exploding rock and molten lava from a deep sea volcano, seen during a 2009 expedition, report that the eruption was near a tear in the Earth's crust that is mimicking the birth of a subduction zone. Scientists on the expedition collected boninite, a rare, chemically distinct lava that accompanies the formation of Earth's subduction zones. Nobody has ev ... more
Seattle WA (SPX) Oct 25, 2011 - The first scientists to witness exploding rock and molten lava from a deep sea volcano, seen during a 2009 expedition, report that the eruption was near a tear in the Earth's crust that is mimicking the birth of a subduction zone. Scientists on the expedition collected boninite, a rare, chemically distinct lava that accompanies the formation of Earth's subduction zones. Nobody has ev ... more
China the culprit of potential water wars?
China the culprit of potential water wars?
Beijing (UPI) Oct 25, 2011 -
Scarcity of water in Asia could become a thorny issue for the region and trigger major conflicts, an expert says. A rise in population, increased water use and the expectation that Asia will be most affected by global warming will affect the availability of water for the world's most populous continent. Of even greater concern, warns Brahma Chellaney, author of "Water: Asia's New ... more
Beijing (UPI) Oct 25, 2011 - Scarcity of water in Asia could become a thorny issue for the region and trigger major conflicts, an expert says. A rise in population, increased water use and the expectation that Asia will be most affected by global warming will affect the availability of water for the world's most populous continent. Of even greater concern, warns Brahma Chellaney, author of "Water: Asia's New ... more
Extreme Melting on Greenland Ice Sheet
Extreme Melting on Greenland Ice Sheet
New York NY (SPX) Oct 26, 2011 -
The Greenland ice sheet can experience extreme melting even when temperatures don't hit record highs, according to a new analysis by Dr. Marco Tedesco, assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at The City College of New York. His findings suggest that glaciers could undergo a self-amplifying cycle of melting and warming that would be difficult to halt. "We ar ... more
New York NY (SPX) Oct 26, 2011 - The Greenland ice sheet can experience extreme melting even when temperatures don't hit record highs, according to a new analysis by Dr. Marco Tedesco, assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at The City College of New York. His findings suggest that glaciers could undergo a self-amplifying cycle of melting and warming that would be difficult to halt. "We ar ... more
Production of biofuel from forests will increase greenhouse emissions
Production of biofuel from forests will increase greenhouse emissions
Corvallis OR (SPX) Oct 26, 2011 - The largest and most comprehensive study yet done on the effect of biofuel production from West Coast forests has concluded that an emphasis on bioenergy would increase carbon dioxide emissions from these forests at least 14 percent, if the efficiency of such operations is optimal. The findings are contrary to assumptions and some previous studies that suggest biofuels from this source wou ... more
Corvallis OR (SPX) Oct 26, 2011 - The largest and most comprehensive study yet done on the effect of biofuel production from West Coast forests has concluded that an emphasis on bioenergy would increase carbon dioxide emissions from these forests at least 14 percent, if the efficiency of such operations is optimal. The findings are contrary to assumptions and some previous studies that suggest biofuels from this source wou ... more
"Stage Two" of the BP Gulf of Mexico Environmental Disaster New Drilling Permits amid 28,000 Unmonitored Abandoned Wells by Rady Ananda
"Stage Two" of the BP Gulf of Mexico Environmental Disaster
New Drilling Permits amid 28,000 Unmonitored Abandoned Wells
by Rady Ananda
The Post-Global Warming World Moving on from climate virtue.
The Post-Global Warming World
Moving on from climate virtue.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Millions of barrels of drilling wastes injected below Akron-Canton area
Millions of barrels of drilling wastes injected below Akron-Canton area
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Evidence of New Fault Line Unearthed In Marianna, Arkansas
Evidence of New Fault Line Unearthed In Marianna, Arkansas
On the brink: Tremors increase at Anak Krakatau to 5,000 a day
On the brink: Tremors increase at Anak Krakatau to 5,000 a day
October 22, 2011 – SUMATRA, Indonesia –Several earthquakes have struck near south Sumatra of the 5.0 and 5.1 magnitude range today- making a tense situation on the volcanically-dotted archipelago potentially even more volatile. The Anak Krakatau volcano is showing signs of increased seismic activity. Authorities fear the volcano is building towards an eruption that could dwarf the one which occurred in 2007. Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Disasters Mitigation Center reported the numbers of seismic tremors now registering from the volcano have exceeded 5,000 a day. There are also reports of a gaseous mist which has seeped from the volcano and have enshrouded it in a yellowish haze- something that has never been observed at the volcano before. Anak Krakatau was placed on orange (level 3) status alert on September 30, 2011. –The Extinction Protocol
Swarm of tremors reported on north side of El Hierro
Swarm of tremors reported on north side of El Hierro
October 23, 2011 – CANARY ISLANDS – A large swarm of more than 41 tremors have been reported taking place today in the ocean on the north side of El Hierro. The tremors are happening off the coast of NW Frontera and are an indication that magmatic pressures have moved across the island. –The Extinction Protocol
The Curious Disconnect Between Smart Grid and Energy Storage
By James Greenberger, October 23, 2011
I had the pleasure this week of attending two conferences, the ESAT conference on energy storage systems in San Diego and the Great Lakes Symposium on Smart Grid in Chicago. Both conferences were excellent. But I finished the week with an uneasy feeling that while smart grid advocates and storage advocates are both trying to address the same problems, they are talking about different... » Continue...
I had the pleasure this week of attending two conferences, the ESAT conference on energy storage systems in San Diego and the Great Lakes Symposium on Smart Grid in Chicago. Both conferences were excellent. But I finished the week with an uneasy feeling that while smart grid advocates and storage advocates are both trying to address the same problems, they are talking about different... » Continue...
Expert Says Quakes in England May Be Tied to (Fracking) Gas
Expert Says Quakes in England May Be Tied to (Fracking) Gas ...
Expert Says Quakes in England May Be Tied to (Fracking) Gas Extraction.
www.democraticunderground.com/
Expert Says Quakes in England May Be Tied to (Fracking) Gas Extraction.
www.democraticunderground.com/
IPCC report on “Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Biology
IPCC report on “Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Biology and
Posted on EPOCA: 18 Oct 2011 -- The report of the IPCC WGII/WGI Workshop on “Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Biology and Ecosystems is now ...
c-can.msi.ucsb.edu/.../ipcc-
Posted on EPOCA: 18 Oct 2011 -- The report of the IPCC WGII/WGI Workshop on “Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Biology and Ecosystems is now ...
c-can.msi.ucsb.edu/.../ipcc-
Pollutants linked to a 450 percent increase in risk of birth defects
Pollutants linked to a 450 percent increase in risk of birth defects
Austin, TX (SPX) Oct 21, 2011 -
Pesticides and pollutants are related to an alarming 450 percent increase in the risk of spina bifida and anencephaly in rural China, according to scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and Peking University. Two of the pesticides found in high concentrations in the placentas of affected newborns and stillborn fetuses were endosulfan and lindane. Endosulfan is only now being phase ... more
Austin, TX (SPX) Oct 21, 2011 - Pesticides and pollutants are related to an alarming 450 percent increase in the risk of spina bifida and anencephaly in rural China, according to scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and Peking University. Two of the pesticides found in high concentrations in the placentas of affected newborns and stillborn fetuses were endosulfan and lindane. Endosulfan is only now being phase ... more
San Francisco jolted, as California drills Big One
San Francisco jolted, as California drills Big One
San Francisco (AFP) Oct 20, 2011 -
San Francisco was jolted by a 3.9-magnitude earthquake Thursday, causing jitters but no injuries on the day California carried out an annual drill for the long-feared Big One. The temblor's epicenter was only two miles (three kilometers) away from Berkeley and the quake was felt across San Francisco and the East Bay area, reports said. "My hands are still shaking - my heart is just slow ... more
San Francisco (AFP) Oct 20, 2011 - San Francisco was jolted by a 3.9-magnitude earthquake Thursday, causing jitters but no injuries on the day California carried out an annual drill for the long-feared Big One. The temblor's epicenter was only two miles (three kilometers) away from Berkeley and the quake was felt across San Francisco and the East Bay area, reports said. "My hands are still shaking - my heart is just slow ... more
Up to 1,000 feared dead in Turkey quake
Up to 1,000 feared dead in Turkey quake
Ercis (AFP) Oct 23, 2011 - An earthquake of 7.3 magnitude rocked eastern Turkey on Sunday, with a seismological institute saying up to 1,000 people could lie dead under the rubble of dozens of collapsed buildings. Turkey's strongest earthquake in years struck Van, a large eastern city populated mainly by Kurds. "Five hundred to 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the quake," Mustafa Erdik, director o ... more
Ercis (AFP) Oct 23, 2011 - An earthquake of 7.3 magnitude rocked eastern Turkey on Sunday, with a seismological institute saying up to 1,000 people could lie dead under the rubble of dozens of collapsed buildings. Turkey's strongest earthquake in years struck Van, a large eastern city populated mainly by Kurds. "Five hundred to 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the quake," Mustafa Erdik, director o ... more
First Ebola-like virus native to Europe discovered
First Ebola-like virus native to Europe discovered
New York NY (SPX) Oct 24, 2011 - A team of international researchers has discovered a new Ebola-like virus - Lloviu virus - in bats from northern Spain. Lloviu virus is the first known filovirus native to Europe, they report in a study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens on Octobr 20th. The study was a collaboration among scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University's Mailman School ... more
New York NY (SPX) Oct 24, 2011 - A team of international researchers has discovered a new Ebola-like virus - Lloviu virus - in bats from northern Spain. Lloviu virus is the first known filovirus native to Europe, they report in a study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens on Octobr 20th. The study was a collaboration among scientists at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University's Mailman School ... more
Ozone Depletion a Bigger Deal Down Under
Ozone Depletion a Bigger Deal Down Under
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 24, 2011 - The Earth's thinning ozone layer is synonymous with a singing and dancing seagull named Sid - at least it is in New Zealand and Australia. "This time of year there is a huge push to 'Slip, Slop, Slap,'" says Hamish Talbot, a native New Zealander. These publicly funded commercials implore people to "slip" on a t-shirt, "slop" on some sunscreen and "slap" on a hat. All this protection ... more
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 24, 2011 - The Earth's thinning ozone layer is synonymous with a singing and dancing seagull named Sid - at least it is in New Zealand and Australia. "This time of year there is a huge push to 'Slip, Slop, Slap,'" says Hamish Talbot, a native New Zealander. These publicly funded commercials implore people to "slip" on a t-shirt, "slop" on some sunscreen and "slap" on a hat. All this protection ... more
Why is the CIA Keeping Climate Change Secret?
| Why Is the CIA Keeping Climate Change Secret? Scientific American The Central Intelligence Agency is working on climate change, but you'd never know it. David Biello reports Climate change is hard to hide, but the US Central Intelligence Agency is trying anyway. Back in 2009, the CIA established a Center on Climate ... |
Climate policy uncertainties threaten business growth
| Climate policy uncertainties threaten business growth Stuff.co.nz In the fourth of an eight-week series in the buildup to the Fairfax Media and PWC Sustainable60 awards in November, Maria Slade looks at why Kiwi CEOs seem out of step with their global counterparts on climate change. Graham Stuart might be considered ... |
Scientific case for man-made climate change is dead
| Scientific case for man-made climate change is dead Washington Examiner Many of the proponents of man-made global warming are now claiming that climate change is worse than they predicted. According to an Oct. 18, 2011, Daily Climate article, global warming activists claim that the "evidence builds that scientists ... |
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