Doha climate talks: review of the major issues at COP 18
By Jennifer Haverkamp This week and next, more than 190 nations are meeting again for the annual United Nations climate conference, this year being held in Doha, the capital city of oil- and gas-rich Qatar. Jennifer Haverkamp is director of EDF's international climate program The Doha…
Ice Mass Loss Mounting
from NASA PASADENA, Calif. – An international team of experts supported by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) has combined data from multiple satellites and aircraft to produce the most comprehensive and accurate assessment to date of ice sheet losses in Greenland and Antarctica and their…
ALEC & Heartland: Freedom Fighters?
By Marita Mirzatuny This commentary was originally posted on the EDF Energy Exchange blog . As we approach a new Congress, and a new Legislative Session here in Texas, the Heartland Institute and their pal American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) are gearing up to reverse state renewable…
Invasive Boa Constrictor Thriving on Puerto Rico (Nov 29, 2012)
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Invasive Boa Constrictor Thriving on Puerto Rico (Nov 29, 2012) Non-native boa constrictors, which can exceed 10 feet and 75 pounds, have established a breeding population in Puerto Rico, one that appears to be spreading, according…
NOAA proposes listing 66 reef-building coral species under the Endangered Species Act
In compliance with a federal court ordered deadline, and consistent with existing international protections, NOAA Fisheries announced today that it is proposing Endangered Species Act (ESA) listings for 66 coral species, including 59 in the Pacific and seven in the Caribbean.
Lesser Prairie Chicken Listed as Threatened by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
EDF Offers ‘Habitat Exchanges’ Between Energy Companies and Ranchers to Protect Wildlife The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced its initial listing decision today for the lesser prairie chicken as “threatened." …
ALEC & Heartland: Freedom Fighters?
By Marita Mirzatuny As we approach a new Congress, and a new Legislative Session here in Texas, the Heartland Institute and their pal American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) are gearing up to reverse state renewable energy mandates across the country . This comes as no surprise as ALEC has a…
Enjoying the Parade
By Amy Miller My friend has dubbed her friend who regularly and proudly boasts of seeing the sun rise and hearing the first birds chirp one of those “special early morning people.” Well, I have my own version of “special people” – they are the “special I-don’t-drive-over-the-holidays…
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: November 30, 2012
Louisiana lining up major restoration projects to build with BP oil spill fine money By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans). November 29, 2012. "Louisiana officials are scrambling to prepare plans for dozens of coastal restoration projects in anticipation of the arrival of…
Response Protocols for Biofouled Debris and Invasive Species Generated by the 2011 Japan Tsunami (Oct 19, 2012)
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Response Protocols for Biofouled Debris and Invasive Species Generated by the 2011 Japan Tsunami (Oct 19, 2012) Outcome of the Regional Preparedness and Response Workshop to Address Biofouling and Aquatic Invasive Species on Japan…
Japan Tsunami Marine Debris
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Japan Tsunami Marine Debris On Mar 11, 2011, a devastating 9.0 earthquake and tsunami struck Japan. As a result of the disaster, NOAA expects a portion of the debris that the tsunami washed into the ocean to reach U.S. and Canadian…
Latest Mississippi River Delta News: November 29, 2012
The spill: How much should BP suffer? By Michael Pearson, CNN. November 28, 2012. "(CNN) — Remember when oil giant BP paid billions of dollars to clean up its own mess from the 2010 Gulf oil spill? Then the company agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay an unprecedented $4…
The San Francisco River Featured as Arizona River of the Month
The river supports unique species and rural communities in Arizona and New Mexico The San Francisco River Featured as Arizona River of the Month Arizona and New Mexico Thu, 2012-11-29 …
What was the extent of ash deposition from the largest Yellowstone eruptions?
During the three giant caldera-forming eruptions that occurred between 2.1 million and 640,000 years ago, tiny particles of volcanic debris ( volcanic ash ) covered much of the western half of North America, likely a third of a meter deep several hundred kilometers from Yellowstone and several…
How Hot Is A Hawaiian Volcano?
The temperature of basalt lava at Kilauea reaches 1,160 degrees Celsius (2,120 degrees Fahrenheit). -- USGS/VHP Website, 1998 The tube system (lava tubes) of episode 53 (Pu'u O'o eruption, Hawaii) carried lava for 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the vent to the sea. So efficient were the tubes…
EDF Energy Innovation Series Feature #15: Building Efficiency Financing Model From SCIenergy
By Jim Marston Throughout 2012, EDF's Energy Innovation Series will highlight around 20 innovations across a broad range of energy categories, including smart grid and renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency financing, and progressive utilities, to name a few. This series will…
TCEQ Extends Deadline To Apply For Clean School Bus Grants
By Elena Craft, PhD As we told you earlier this week , the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) operates a Texas Clean School Bus Grant Program that is designed to improve the health of school children and bus drivers by reducing emissions of diesel exhaust from school buses. I am…
Weed Crew Beats Back Invasive Cheatgrass at Fort Ord (Jun 2012)
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Weed Crew Beats Back Invasive Cheatgrass at Fort Ord (Jun 2012) The Fort Ord National Monument weed crew sprang into action this spring to beat back an invasive pest that has taken over miles of rangeland in the West. * See our…
Jamaica and the United States Team Up to Keep Out Invasive Pests (Nov 26, 2012)
Posted by USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center -- Jamaica and the United States Team Up to Keep Out Invasive Pests (Nov 26, 2012) The "Don't Pack a Pest" campaign went international last month as Jamaica enthusiastically kicked off its own version of the outreach…
Winter Tips: A Healthy Home for the Holidays
By Lina Younes With the holidays fast approaching, many of us are trying to decorate our home to receive family and friends. Not only are we putting up holiday decorations to get into the spirit, but many of us are also trying to make some home redesigns or renovations in anticipation of the…