Hazard: The Extinction Protocol guide to risk mitigation
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 9, 2012
Law of the Sea Treaty Ratification Faces Unsettled Waters
Law of the Sea Treaty Ratification Faces Unsettled Waters
This article discusses the current politics surrounding the Law of the Sea Treaty, particularly the right-wing opposition.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Does Oil Abundance Mean Climate Doom?
Does Oil Abundance Mean Climate Doom?
Michael Levi, CFR
Over the past few months, I've found myself invited to a growing number of workshops, meetings, and conferences focused on the surprising growth in U.S. and world oil supplies. . .
Over the past few months, I've found myself invited to a growing number of workshops, meetings, and conferences focused on the surprising growth in U.S. and world oil supplies. . .
Consumption driving 'unprecedented' environment damage: UN
Consumption driving 'unprecedented' environment damage: UN
Paris (AFP) June 6, 2012
Population growth and unsustainable consumption are driving Earth
towards "unprecedented" environmental destruction, the UN said in a
report Wednesday ahead of the Rio Summit.
Of 90 key goals to protect the environment, only four have seen good
progress, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a
planetary assessment issued only every five years.
"If current trends continu
Population growth and unsustainable consumption are driving Earth
towards "unprecedented" environmental destruction, the UN said in a
report Wednesday ahead of the Rio Summit.
Of 90 key goals to protect the environment, only four have seen good
progress, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a
planetary assessment issued only every five years.
"If current trends continuExpedition studies acid impacts on Arctic
Expedition studies acid impacts on Arctic
Southampton UK (SPX) Jun 07, 2012
The effects of ocean acidification on Arctic seas will be studied by a
team of 30 researchers, including Dr Toby Tyrrell from the University of
Southampton, who set sail from the UK, venturing as far north as polar
ice allows. The study is the largest ever to examine the effects of
altering carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in "real world" seawater samples
directly after they are collected at sea.
The effects of ocean acidification on Arctic seas will be studied by a
team of 30 researchers, including Dr Toby Tyrrell from the University of
Southampton, who set sail from the UK, venturing as far north as polar
ice allows. The study is the largest ever to examine the effects of
altering carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in "real world" seawater samples
directly after they are collected at sea.Sierra Nevada 200 year megadroughts confirmed
Sierra Nevada 200 year megadroughts confirmed
Reno NV (SPX) Jun 07, 2012
The erratic year-to-year swings in precipitation totals in the
Reno-Tahoe area conjures up the word "drought" every couple of years,
and this year is no exception. The Nevada State Climate Office at the
University of Nevada, Reno, in conjunction with the Nevada Drought
Response Committee, just announced a Stage 1 drought (moderate) for six
counties and a Stage 2 drought (severe) for 11 counties.
The erratic year-to-year swings in precipitation totals in the
Reno-Tahoe area conjures up the word "drought" every couple of years,
and this year is no exception. The Nevada State Climate Office at the
University of Nevada, Reno, in conjunction with the Nevada Drought
Response Committee, just announced a Stage 1 drought (moderate) for six
counties and a Stage 2 drought (severe) for 11 counties.Obama Stonewalling Gulf Oil Spill Disclosure
Obama Stonewalling Gulf Oil Spill Disclosure
The Obama administration is desperately trying to avoid coming clean about its role in delaying capping the Gulf Oil Spill.
We need clearer criteria for serving on the NRC
Posted: 06 Jun 2012 11:00 AM PDT
There
have been a significant number of questions raised about Allison
Macfarlane’s nomination to the NRC commission with the stated intent to
make her chair of the same as soon as she is sworn in as a commissioner.
Lots of comments both for and against her nomination have clouded the
issues.
Executive Survey: Businesses Expect Some Form Of Carbon Tax
Posted: 07 Jun 2012 05:57 AM PDT
More
companies are setting formal energy cost-cutting goals and in the
process making energy management a strategic discipline. That is one
dimension of Deloitte’s second annual survey designed to help executives
make energy-related investment and business decisions.
Hillary Clinton Calls For ‘More Action In The Fight Against Climate Change’
Posted: 07 Jun 2012 06:22 AM PDT
In
a visit to Sweden this week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
called for greater international cooperation to address climate
change.“We do need more action in the fight against climate change. We
need real-world solutions and we need results,” said Clinton in a
meeting with environmental officials.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The Global Water Crisis Will Shake Humanity To Its Core [Charts]
The Global Water Crisis Will Shake Humanity To Its Core [Charts]
You don't hear much about the water crisis in the United States. Water is still cheap here and our borders contain a relatively large freshwater supply.
But in some places the crisis is in flames.
1.6 billion people live in regions with absolute water scarcity and by 2025 two-thirds of the world's population could be living under water stressed conditions.
Late energy analyst Matthew Simmons warned this was scarier than peak oil: "As global population grows, water usage has to rise for sanitation, food production and modern energy creation. It is unclear whether this can happen."
The following slides contain alarming charts and maps. You can also check out guides from from Citi and Jefferies on how to invest in water scarcity.
Earthquakes linked to pressures associated with oil production
Earthquakes linked to pressures associated with oil production
LubbockOnline.com
Dozens of relatively small earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 3.0 have been recorded around Snyder in recent years, according to the United States Geological Survey. And some of those earthquakes could be contributed not specifically to “fracking ...
LubbockOnline.com
Dozens of relatively small earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 3.0 have been recorded around Snyder in recent years, according to the United States Geological Survey. And some of those earthquakes could be contributed not specifically to “fracking ...
Thermodynamics of Global Warming
Thermodynamics of Global Warming
It's easy to portray a catastrophic global warming scenario when you use the wrong system of measurement.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Surprising Effect of Agriculture on Rising Sea Levels
The Surprising Effect of Agriculture on Rising Sea Levels
Efforts
to meet freshwater demand by harnessing "fossil" groundwater
contributes more to rising sea levels than melting glaciers.
How a Bunch of Corporate-Backed Buffoons Took Over U.S. Climate Policy
How a Bunch of Corporate-Backed Buffoons Took Over U.S. Climate Policy
Climate-change deniers remain a clown show--yet they've managed to control US policy on the issue.
Why The US Military Is Leading The Charge For Green Energy
Why The US Military Is Leading The Charge For Green Energy
Our
generals see our dependence on oil as a huge vulnerability, and climate
change as a "threat multiplier." Can their leadership make a
difference?
How The Press Distorts The News About US Energy Security
How The Press Distorts The News About US Energy Security
The
facts are compelling: our oil addiction is destroying the country. But
as long as the media refuses to talk about it, we won't get policies
that lead to real change.
Surrounded by Refineries, Chemical Plants and Toxic Waste: How One of the Most Beleaguered Towns Became So Forsaken
Surrounded by Refineries, Chemical Plants and Toxic Waste: How One of the Most Beleaguered Towns Became So Forsaken
The
people of Richmond live within a ring of five oil refineries, three
chemical plants, eight Superfund sites, dozens of toxic waste sites,
highways, rail yards and ports.
Fracking Can Do Environment More Good than Harm
Fracking Can Do Environment More Good than Harm
The Economist
THE story of America's shale-gas revolution offers hope in hard times. The ground was laid in the late 1990s, when a now-fabled Texan oilman, George Mitchell, developed an affordable way to extract natural gas locked up in shale rock and other geological formations. It involves blasting them with water, sand and chemicals, a technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. America's shale-gas industry has since drilled 20,000 wells, created hundreds of thousands of jobs, directly and indirectly, and provided lots of cheap gas....
THE story of America's shale-gas revolution offers hope in hard times. The ground was laid in the late 1990s, when a now-fabled Texan oilman, George Mitchell, developed an affordable way to extract natural gas locked up in shale rock and other geological formations. It involves blasting them with water, sand and chemicals, a technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. America's shale-gas industry has since drilled 20,000 wells, created hundreds of thousands of jobs, directly and indirectly, and provided lots of cheap gas....
Meet the Oil Shale 80x Bigger Than the Bakken
Meet the Oil Shale 80x Bigger Than the Bakken
Chris Helman, Forbes
Everyone has heard about the Bakken shale, the huge expanse of oil-bearing rock underneath North Dakota and Montana that billionaire Harold Hamm thinks could yield 24 billion barrels of oil in the decades to come. The Bakken is a huge boon, both to the economic health of the northern Plains states, but also to the petroleum balance of the United States. From just 60,000 barrels per day five years ago, the Bakken is now giving up 500,000 bpd, with 210,000 bpd of that coming on in just the past year. Given the availability of enough rigs to drill it and crews to frack it,...
Everyone has heard about the Bakken shale, the huge expanse of oil-bearing rock underneath North Dakota and Montana that billionaire Harold Hamm thinks could yield 24 billion barrels of oil in the decades to come. The Bakken is a huge boon, both to the economic health of the northern Plains states, but also to the petroleum balance of the United States. From just 60,000 barrels per day five years ago, the Bakken is now giving up 500,000 bpd, with 210,000 bpd of that coming on in just the past year. Given the availability of enough rigs to drill it and crews to frack it,...
Global Temperatures Have Been Falling Since 1999
Global Temperatures Have Been Falling Since 1999
Natural
climate cycles have changed from their warming phase to cooling phase,
and this means that contrary to popular belief the global temperature
has been declining for more than 10 years, and will continue to decline
for another 20 or so.This evidence was presented last week at the
seventh International Climate Change Conference sponsored by the
Heartland Institute. Several prominent natural scientists provided
serious and credible evidence in calm, dispassionate presentations,
based on reams of factual data. In sharp contrast to the manner…Read more...
Michigan Oil Spill Highlights Need for Safety Overhaul
Michigan Oil Spill Highlights Need for Safety Overhaul
Canadian
pipeline company Enbridge is in the hot seat for an oil spill from a
ruptured line in southern Michigan. Crews in Marshall, Mich., are still
working to clean up contaminated areas nearly two years after Line 6B
burst open, dumping about 20,000 barrels of so-called tar sands oil into
the Kalamazoo River and surrounding waters. A report from the NTSB
suggests operators in Canada interpreted the pressure drop associated
with the spill incorrectly and continued pumping oil through the line
after it broke open. Last month, Enbridge said it…Read more...
Nuclear Shutdown Means Japan Must Abandon Carbon Emission Targets
Nuclear Shutdown Means Japan Must Abandon Carbon Emission Targets
In
2009 the Japanese government signed a pledge to cut their carbon
emissions by 25 percent by 2020, however following the disaster at
Fukushima in 2011 and the subsequent collapse of public confidence in
nuclear power, this target may have to be abandoned. Nuclear power
plants used to provide a large portion of Japanese electricity, and
formed the backbone of their renewable energy sector and the plans to
reduce carbon emissions. After the meltdown at Fukushima all 54 of the
nation’s nuclear reactors were shut down in order to undergo
maintenance…Read more...
Looking at the Cause of Global Seal Level Rises
Looking at the Cause of Global Seal Level Rises
Last
week the science community was shocked by the claim that 42% of the
sea-level rise of the past decades is due to groundwater pumping for
irrigation purposes. What could this mean for the future – and is it
true?The causes of global sea level rise can be roughly split into three
categories: (1) thermal expansion of sea water as it warms up, (2)
melting of land ice and (3) changes in the amount of water stored on
land. There are independent estimates for these contributions, and
obviously an important question is whether their sum is consistent…Read more...
Pressure to go Green is Leading to Higher Energy Prices
Pressure to go Green is Leading to Higher Energy Prices
As
the United States continues through the interminable process that will
end with the national elections in November, the continued poor state of
the economy is playing an increasing part in the debate over the likely
outcome. What seems to have slipped from the discussion, however, is
the contribution that energy costs are making in their impact on the
different economies around the world including that of the United
States. That awareness is becoming more evident in the UK, particularly
in the debate over Scottish Independence. The recent Uswitch…Read more...
Warming turns tundra to forest
Warming turns tundra to forest
(Phys.org) -- In just a few decades shrubs in the Arctic tundra have turned into trees as a result of the warming Arctic climate, creating patches of forest which, if replicated across the tundra, would significantly accelerate global warming.
(Phys.org) -- In just a few decades shrubs in the Arctic tundra have turned into trees as a result of the warming Arctic climate, creating patches of forest which, if replicated across the tundra, would significantly accelerate global warming.
US, European nuclear and coal-fired electrical plants vulnerable to climate change: study
US, European nuclear and coal-fired electrical plants vulnerable to climate change: study
Warmer water and reduced river flows in the United States and Europe in recent years have led to reduced production, or temporary shutdown, of several thermoelectric power plants. For instance, the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Alabama had to shut down more than once last summer because the Tennessee River's water was too warm to use it for cooling.
Warmer water and reduced river flows in the United States and Europe in recent years have led to reduced production, or temporary shutdown, of several thermoelectric power plants. For instance, the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Alabama had to shut down more than once last summer because the Tennessee River's water was too warm to use it for cooling.
Stay or go? Some towns are eyeing retreat from sea
Stay or go? Some towns are eyeing retreat from sea
(AP) — Years of ferocious storms have threatened to gnaw away the western tip of a popular beachfront park a two hours drive north of Los Angeles. Instead of building a 500-foot (150 meter)-long wooden defense next to the pier to tame the tide, the latest thinking is to flee.
(AP) — Years of ferocious storms have threatened to gnaw away the western tip of a popular beachfront park a two hours drive north of Los Angeles. Instead of building a 500-foot (150 meter)-long wooden defense next to the pier to tame the tide, the latest thinking is to flee.
Peru needs glacier loss monitoring: dire UN warning
Peru needs glacier loss monitoring: dire UN warning
Peru needs a permanent monitoring system to gauge Andean mountain glacier shrinkage caused by global warming and its effect on people who depend on the ice for water, UN experts warned.
Peru needs a permanent monitoring system to gauge Andean mountain glacier shrinkage caused by global warming and its effect on people who depend on the ice for water, UN experts warned.
Great Barrier Reef heading for danger: UNESCO
Great Barrier Reef heading for danger: UNESCO
UNESCO on Saturday urged decisive action from Australia to protect the Great Barrier Reef from a gas and mining boom, warning it risked being put on its list of world heritage sites deemed "in danger".
UNESCO on Saturday urged decisive action from Australia to protect the Great Barrier Reef from a gas and mining boom, warning it risked being put on its list of world heritage sites deemed "in danger".
Hot Tuna
Hot Tuna: In 2011, after the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, there was significant concern regarding the spread of radioactive material. A paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is the first to suggest that Pacific bluefin tuna transported Fukushima-derived radionuclides across the entire North Pacific Ocean.
Can Fracking Be Cleaned Up?
Can Fracking Be Cleaned Up?
by Kevin Bullis
The International Energy Agency says yes, but it will take tougher regulations that force producers to apply the latest technologies.
Read More »
by Kevin Bullis
The International Energy Agency says yes, but it will take tougher regulations that force producers to apply the latest technologies.
Read More »
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Is California preparing for climate change?
Is California preparing for climate change?
A
majority of California's coastal planners and resource managers now
view the threats from climate change as sufficiently likely that
practical steps on the ground need to be taken to protect against
growing threats, according to results from a new survey.
Where have all the hummingbirds gone?
Where have all the hummingbirds gone?
The
glacier lily as it's called, is a tall, willowy plant that graces
mountain meadows throughout western North America. It flowers early in
spring, when the first bumblebees and hummingbirds appear.
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