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Seagrasses Can Store as Much Carbon as Forests
Published May 24, 2012 - 8:31:13 AM
Seagrasses are a vital part of the solution to climate change and, per unit area, seagrass meadows can store up to twice as much carbon as the world's temperate and tropical forests.
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Plants Previously Thought to be 'Stable' Found to be Responding to Climate Change
Published May 24, 2012 - 6:47:41 AM
Many wild plant species thought to be "stable" in the face of climate change are actually responding to global warming, say researchers at UC Santa Barbara's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS). Their findings, in a study titled, "Divergent responses to spring and winter warming drive community level flowering trends," are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Top 10 new species list draws attention to diverse biosphere
Published May 24, 2012 - 6:43:00 AM
The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and a committee of scientists from around the world announced their picks for the top 10 new species described in 2011. This is the fifth year for the top 10 new species list, which was released May 23 to coincide with the anniversary of the birth of Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist who was responsible for the modern system of plant and animal names and classifications.
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Media centers protect human rights and rainforest in the Amazon
Published May 23, 2012 - 9:16:55 AM
Amazon Voice (amazonvoice.org) is giving Tzama, an indigenous Amazon native from the Tawasap Shuar community in Ecuador, a chance to tell his story. Tawasap is at risk. "See?" he says, pointing to trees planted by his great-grandfathers, "they are white these days. Normally, they are covered in fur, plants, greenery. Now nothing grows on them."
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Report Highlights Economic Value of Conserving Public Lands, Recreation
Published May 22, 2012 - 12:01:03 PM
A new report shows that conserving the Rocky Mountain West's vast tracts of public lands has paid off in job, population and income growth as fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation have diversified and helped sustain the economies of rural communities throughout the region.
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Chemical exposure raises descendants' sensitivity to stress
Published May 22, 2012 - 11:44:23 AM
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Washington State University have seen an increased reaction to stress in animals whose ancestors were exposed to an environmental compound generations earlier. The findings, published in the latest Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, put a new twist on the notions of nature and nurture, with broad implications for how certain behavioral tendencies might be inherited.
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Fukushima Meltdown Hastens Decline of Nuclear Power
Published May 22, 2012 - 11:03:21 AM
On May 5, 2012, Japan shut down its Tomari 3 nuclear reactor on the northern island of Hokkaido for inspection, marking the first time in over 40 years that the country had not a single nuclear power plant generating electricity. The March 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown shattered public confidence in atomic energy, thus far making it politically impossible to restart any of the reactors taken offline. And the disaster's legacy has spread far beyond Japan. Some European countries have decided to phase out their nuclear programs entirely. In other countries, nuclear plans are proceeding with caution. But with the world's fleet of reactors aging, and with new plants suffering construction delays and cost increases, it is possible that world nuclear electricity generation has peaked and begun a long-term decline.
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Rapid Biodiversity Loss Continues in Absence of Political Action and Accurate Assessments of Ecosystem Values
Published May 22, 2012 - 7:46:15 AM
Finding ways to value ecosystem health economically and to engage the world's indigenous peoples in the process is key to saving biological diversity, a Worldwatch author suggests in the Institute's most recent book. Such efforts are all the more urgent because the addition of more plant and animal species to lists of those threatened or endangered shows no signs of slowing down, despite rising public awareness of the importance of biodiversity.
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Toxic mercury, accumulating in the Arctic, springs from a hidden source
Published May 21, 2012 - 6:43:34 AM
Environmental scientists at Harvard have discovered that the Arctic accumulation of mercury, a toxic element, is caused by both atmospheric forces and the flow of circumpolar rivers that carry the element north into the Arctic Ocean.
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Launch of IMPACT World+
Published May 21, 2012 - 6:30:23 AM
IMPACT World+, the first worldwide regionalized life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methodology was launched today in Berlin, Germany during the 6th SETAC World Congress / SETAC Europe 22nd Annual Meeting. The event featured the results of this innovative undertaking spearheaded by a team of leading international LCIA experts and researchers from five countries.
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Lawsuit Launched to Protect Endangered California Condors in Arizona From Lead Bullets
Published May 18, 2012 - 3:02:23 PM
Conservation groups officially notified the U.S. Forest Service of their intent to file a lawsuit against the agency for its failure to protect endangered California condors in Arizona's Kaibab National Forest from toxic lead ammunition left behind from hunting activities. Lead ammunition is the leading cause of death for Arizona's California condors — which are among the world's most endangered species — and is completely preventable since nonlead alternatives are now readily available.
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1,000 years of climate data confirms Australia's warming
Published May 18, 2012 - 1:42:26 PM
In the first study of its kind in Australasia, scientists have used 27 natural climate records to create the first large-scale temperature reconstruction for the region over the last 1000 years.
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Australia: Hydro Tasmania Admits Compliance Deficits in Malaysian Dam Constructions
Published May 18, 2012 - 11:42:11 AM
Andrew Pattle, the Australian project director of three dam projects in the rainforests of Malaysian Borneo, said that "safety and environmental compliance are not given (…) much importance" with dam-building in Malaysia. Pattle's astonishing statement, which he made in Hydro Tasmania's latest annual report, has been highlighted yesterday by Sarawak Report, a well-known whistleblower website.
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Feds Again Deny Permit for Flaming Gorge Pipeline Threatening Green River
Published May 18, 2012 - 9:25:32 AM
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today closed the door on what opponents of the Flaming Gorge Pipeline hope will be the last attempt to permit the project. FERC denied a request for rehearing from Aaron Million's company, Wyco Power and Water, Inc.—an attempted "do-over" of the commission's earlier denial of a preliminary permit.
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Extreme Rain Storms in Midwest of U.S. Doubled in Last 50 Years, Often Leading to Worsened Flooding
Published May 17, 2012 - 2:11:15 PM
The kind of deluges that in recent years washed out Cedar Rapids, IA, forced the Army Corps of Engineers to intentionally blow up levees to save Cairo, IL, and sent the Missouri River over its banks for hundreds of miles are part of a growing trend, according to a new report released today by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Big storms, leading to big floods, are occurring with increasing frequency in the Midwest, with incidences of the most severe downpours doubling over the last half century, the report finds.
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Arctic Oil Drilling to Pump Pollution into Pristine Alaskan Skies
Published May 17, 2012 - 7:06:59 AM
A day after more than 1 million people urged President Barack Obama to reject plans to drill in the Arctic Ocean this summer, a coalition of groups today filed a lawsuit in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's air pollution discharge permit for Shell's Kulluk offshore drilling unit and associated fleet of vessels for use in the Beaufort Sea.
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Elephant seal tracking reveals hidden lives of deep-diving animals
Published May 16, 2012 - 8:52:36 AM
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who pioneered the use of satellite tags to monitor the migrations of elephant seals have compiled one of the largest datasets available for any marine mammal species, revealing their movements and diving behavior at sea in unprecedented detail.
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Measuring CO2 to Fight Global Warming, Enforce Future Treaty
Published May 15, 2012 - 12:32:43 PM
If the world's nations ever sign a treaty to limit emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide gas, there may be a way to help verify compliance: a new method developed by scientists from the University of Utah and Harvard.
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IFAW training bolsters animal rescue skills in disaster-prone Gulf region
Published May 15, 2012 - 11:28:24 AM
This week, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, more than 25 veterinarians, animal responders, animal control officers, and volunteers are acquiring new skills to rescue animals from disasters.
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Rising consumption, increased resource use by a growing population puts unbearable pressure on our Planet
Published May 15, 2012 - 11:26:56 AM
An ever-growing demand for resources by a growing population is putting tremendous pressures on our planet's biodiversity and is threatening our future security, health and well-being, reveals the 2012 edition of WWF's Living Planet Report – the leading biennial survey of the Earth's health.
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Time, place and how wood is used are factors in carbon emissions from deforestation
Published May 14, 2012 - 9:48:23 AM
A new study from the University of California, Davis, provides a deeper understanding of the complex global impacts of deforestation on greenhouse gas emissions.
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First satellite tag study for manta rays reveals habits and hidden journeys of ocean giants
Published May 12, 2012 - 9:49:30 AM
Using the latest satellite tracking technology, conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Exeter (UK), and the Government of Mexico have completed a ground-breaking study on a mysterious ocean giant: the manta ray.
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Researchers map fish species at risk from dams
Published May 10, 2012 - 9:48:22 AM
Dams are believed to be one of the biggest threats to freshwater organisms worldwide: They disrupt normal patterns of water and sediment flow, impede migration, and alter the character of spawning and feeding grounds. A shortage of data has until now prevented a thorough global assessment of the threat dams pose to fish species, but a study described in the June issue of BioScience attempts just that.
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Past 12 months and first third of the year were warmest U.S. has experienced since records began in 1895
Published May 9, 2012 - 10:56:27 AM
According to NOAA scientists, several warm periods across the contiguous United States during April brought the national average temperature to 55°F, 3.6°F above average, making this the third warmest April on record. These temperatures, when added with previous 11 months, mark the warmest 12-month period the United States has experienced since records began in 1895.
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Camera Trap Video Offers Rare Glimpse of World's Rarest Gorilla
Published May 8, 2012 - 7:47:51 AM
Conservationists working in Cameroon's Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary have collected the first camera trap video footage of the Cross River gorilla. With fewer than 250 individuals remaining, Cross River gorillas are the world's rarest gorilla and a notoriously elusive species rarely observed directly by field researchers.
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Dry rivers, vibrant with culture and life
Published May 8, 2012 - 7:34:14 AM
'When the River Runs Dry' is a familiar song in Australia. Some rivers in the arid center of the continent flow only after a stiff monsoon season, and smaller tributaries all over the country commonly shrink to puddled potholes and dry river beds during the dry season. But rivers also run dry in more temperate climes. Much of the upper reaches and feeder streams of the great rivers of North America, and even the mighty Amazon, dry out seasonally.
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Smallest Seahorse in U.S. Moves Toward Endangered Species Act Protection
Published May 4, 2012 - 9:28:10 AM
In response to an April 2011 petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced today that the dwarf seahorse may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act. The one-inch-long seahorse, found in seagrass beds in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida and the Caribbean, is threatened with extinction due to decline of seagrass, commercial collection and lingering pollution from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Today's announcement kicks off a one-year review of its status to determine if federal protection will be granted.
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New Study Shows US Solar Energy Could Employ Hundreds of Thousands of Americans by 2020
Published May 3, 2012 - 10:29:13 AM
WASHINGTON, May 1, 2012 - A new independent research report released today by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, found that solar energy is following the same path to commercialization as other traditional energy sources spurred by federal incentives. The study, titled "Assessment of Incentives and Employment Impacts of Solar Industry Deployment," also estimates that the U.S. solar industry could employ hundreds of thousands of Americans by the end of the decade.
Like oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear, and all other traditional energy sources, the Baker Center finds, solar has received support from the federal government to promote its usage in order to drive our economy. In fact, according to the report, diffusion of solar energy technology in the energy markets is very similar to the paths that many American industries have traveled to become mainstream. Unlike more mature technologies, however, that continue to receive subsidies, solar energy is currently in a very early phase of its growth trajectory.
"When it comes to government investment in new and emerging energy sources, solar is not unique," said Tom Kimbis, Vice President of Strategy and External Affairs for SEIA. "The U.S. has a long history of incentivizing all sources of energy because access to reliable power is the lifeblood of economic development. Pursuing an all-of-the-above approach to our energy portfolio, including aggressively deploying solar energy, is the right policy choice and is critical for America's long term competitiveness."
The report finds that traditional fuels have been subsidized for decades – some like coal and oil for a century – and followed similar growth trajectories toward majority adoption. According to the Baker Center report, every significant energy resource deployed in the U.S. today has had approximately 30 years of innovation and early adoption before beginning rapid growth that brought about mainstream adoption.
The report also finds that solar energy has yielded significant public benefits in exchange for federal support. Earlier federal energy policy has helped maintain competition, provide for national security, promote economic development, meet public health and environmental quality standards, and increase energy security.
Additionally, the report points out that solar energy benefits the U.S. energy portfolio by decreasing the impact of supply disruptions and price volatility of other sources of energy. It is also notes that solar power is most efficient during periods of high demand, providing lower cost peak power rates for consumers.
"Just like older energy sources like coal, oil, and gas, solar energy is providing real, tangible benefits to America today," added Kimbis. "Policies designed to increase America's use of solar are incredibly successful and generating benefits across the nation. It would be a serious mistake for policymakers in Washington, D.C., and in statehouses across the country, to walk away from good public policy."
Today more than 100,000 Americans work at 5,600 solar energy companies across the nation in all 50 states. The industry more than doubled the amount of solar electricity installed in the U.S. in 2011 compared to 2010 and growth is expected to continue in 2012.
The Baker Center study was funded by a research grant from the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Link to SEIA fact sheet on report: http://www.seia.org/galleries/pdf/Incentives_Study_Fact_Sheet.pdf
Link to University of Tennessee report: http://tiny.utk.edu/solarreport
Facts on America's Solar Industry: http://www.seia.org/galleries/pdf/Solar_Energy_Facts_Q4_2011.pdf
Solar companies and job profiles in all 50 states: http://www.solarworksforamerica.org/
Solar Market Insight Report, 2011 Year in Review: http://www.slideshare.net/SEIA/us-solar-market-insight-report
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Ecosystem Effects of Biodiversity Loss Rival Climate Change and Pollution
Published May 3, 2012 - 7:33:24 AM
Loss of biodiversity appears to affect ecosystems as much as climate change, pollution and other major forms of environmental stress, according to results of a new study by an international research team.
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Not all altruism is alike, says new study
Published May 1, 2012 - 9:44:53 AM
Not all acts of altruism are alike, says a new study. From bees and wasps that die defending their nests, to elephants that cooperate to care for young, a new mathematical model pinpoints the environmental conditions that favor one form of altruism over another.
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