Environment

Shell Must Clean up Its Act in Nigeria

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:57:58 -0500

by Chima Williams

A court in The Hague is considering whether Shell can be held liable for alleged pollution in Nigeria, and a ruling is expected on 30 December.

Walking, Biking Good for You and the Planet: Study

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:30:16 -0500

by Margaret Munro

Pedestrians and cyclists should be made king of the urban jungle, according to an international study showing the big benefits of "mass active travel."

It suggests money should be diverted way from roads to make walking and cycling "the most direct, convenient, and pleasant options for most urban trips." Pedestrians and bikers should also get "priority" over cars and trucks at intersections.

The study is one of six reports on the "health dividend" of combating climate change published in the medical journal Lancet Wednesday.

Cabot Oil and Gas Faces Lawsuit in Marcellus Shale Drilling

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:36:16 -0500

by Adam Federman

Of all the towns that have been subjected to drilling for natural gas in Pennsylvania since the opening up of the Marcellus Shale, none have suffered more than Dimock. In just over a year several drinking water wells have been contaminated (one of which exploded on New Years Day, ripping through an 8 foot slab of concrete), numerous spills have dumped highly toxic wastewater, diesel fuel, and fracking fluid into local streams and rivers, and residents have been exposed to dangerously high levels of methane gas and heavy metals.

Oil Sands Threaten Our Survival, Al Gore Warns

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:41:42 -0500

by Oakland Ross

Extracting oil from Alberta's tar sands jeopardizes the survival of our species, says Al Gore.

"Gas from the tar sands gives a Prius the same carbon footprint as a Hummer," the former U.S. vice-president told the Star in an interview prior to a Toronto speaking engagement scheduled for Tuesday evening.

"I know that doesn't make me popular in Alberta," said the jet-hopping environmental activist, best known for the movie and book An Inconvenient Truth.

US Residents Fight for the Right to Hang Laundry

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:05:02 -0500

by Jon Hurdle

PERKASIE, Pennsylvania - Carin Froehlich pegs her laundry to three clotheslines strung between trees outside her 18th-century farmhouse, knowing that her actions annoy local officials who have asked her to stop.

Froehlich is among the growing number of people across America fighting for the right to dry their laundry outside against a rising tide of housing associations who oppose the practice despite its energy-saving green appeal.

Rising CO2 Will Cause Catastrophic Sea Level Rise Finds Antarctic Study

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:38:23 -0500

by Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent

The British Antarctic Survey found that during past periods of high carbon dioxide, temperatures in Antarctica were up to 6C above current levels. This could cause a sea level rise of up six metres, threatening coastal cities like London, New York and San Francisco.

Poor Women 'Bear Climate Burden'

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:21:29 -0500

Women in developing countries will be the most vulnerable to climate change, a report from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned.

The agency said there was a disproportionate burden on those women and called for greater equality.

They do most of the agricultural work, and are therefore affected by weather-related natural disasters impacting on food, energy and water, it said.

Slower population growth would help cut greenhouse gas emissions, it added.

Great Barrier Reef 'Will Die' Unless Carbon Emissions Slashed

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:58:26 -0500

by Bonnie Malkin in Sydney

Professor Terry Hughes and representatives of the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies told a meeting at the Canberra parliament that the future of the reef, and a large chunk of Australia's tourist industry, was under grave threat from rising sea temperatures.

Just a small increase in average temperatures could cause massive coral bleaching on the reef, he said.

"We've seen the evidence with our own eyes. Climate change is already impacting the Great Barrier Reef," said Prof Hughes, of James Cook University in Queensland.

Biotech Crops Cause Big Jump in Pesticide Use: Report

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:54:32 -0500

by Carey Gillam

KANSAS CITY - The rapid adoption by U.S. farmers of genetically engineered corn, soybeans and cotton has promoted increased use of pesticides, an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds and more chemical residues in foods, according to a report issued Tuesday by health and environmental protection groups.

The groups said research showed that herbicide use grew by 383 million pounds from 1996 to 2008, with 46 percent of the total increase occurring in 2007 and 2008.

Shooting Itself in the Foot, Brazil Spreads Concrete Through the Rainforest

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:32:52 -0500

by Stephanie Brault

Depletion of the Amazon Rainforest is not a new concern facing environmentalists, biologists, ecologists, and a growing number of the Amazonian indigenous peoples. For decades they have feared for the fate of the world’s most biologically diverse and species-rich hothouse. Brazil houses the largest expanse of tropical wilderness remaining on the globe, claiming 60% of the Amazon Rainforest. This is a vast and remote stretch which thirty years ago only Indians and wild animals roamed.