Katrina storm surge caused over 200 onshore releases of petroleum and hazardous materials, rivaling Exxon Valdez oil spill

ScienceDaily (Apr. 21, 2010) — Scientists call for more risk-based facility design and improved prevention, response planning Hurricane Katrina was the cause of more than 200 onshore releases of petroleum and other hazardous materials, a new study funded by the National Science Foundation has found. According to comprehensive research using government incident databases, about 8 […]

Food supply chains at risk in changing south-east Asian climate

By Zara Maungguardian.co.uk, Monday 19 April 2010 12.35 BST A report co-written by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and HSBC Climate Change Centre of Excellence claims that food supply chains in India and south-east Asia are under serious threat from changing climatic conditions. Aquaculture in the region, including farmed Thai shrimps and Vietnamese catfish are […]

Australia coal plant still polluting river beyond guidelines

By BEN CUBBY, ENVIRONMENT EDITORApril 20, 2010 THE NSW government has tightened the pollution licence of a coal-fired power plant near Lithgow that is releasing toxic metals into a river that feeds Sydney’s drinking water supply. Delta Electricity, the owner of Wallerawang power plant, must now monitor heavy metals and pollutants such as arsenic flowing […]

Large amount of garbage found in stomach of dead whale

By Associated Press & KING 5 Staff Posted on April 19, 2010 at 7:38 PM OLYMPIA, Wash. — Biologists who examined a gray whale that died after stranding on a West Seattle beach say it had a large amount of garbage in its stomach — ranging from a pair of sweat pants to a golf […]

Open pit mine devours Peru town

By ANDREW WHALEN, Associated Press Writer – 18 April 2010 CERRO DE PASCO, Peru – The mile-wide gash grows almost daily with each dynamite blast, slowly devouring this bleak provincial capital high in the Andes. The half-century-old, open-pit zinc and lead mine belches streamers of dust that coat homes. The soil is so contaminated, indigenous […]

20 percent of UK plant species are endangered — UK loses one species of wild plant every two years

Stinging nettles have become the most common plants in the British countryside, while more delicate flowers like harebells and orchids are struggling to survive, according to a survey. By Louise Gray, Environment CorrespondentPublished: 8:00AM BST 17 Apr 2010 The annual survey of wild flowers by the charity Plantlife found plants that can tolerate high levels […]

Tons of plastic trash washing ashore in Washington State

Longview, WA – Waves of plastic trash are washing ashore, separated from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by storms. Why tons of trash is washing ashore on coast Technorati Tags: plastic,pollution,ocean,fish decline,bird decline

Tennessee cleanup sends coal ash, anxiety, to Alabama site

By Renee Schoof | McClatchy Newspapers UNIONTOWN, Ala. — When the mound of wet coal ash began to rise in the landfill across the road from her pretty yellow house with the peonies and roses in the front yard, Ruby Holmes felt overpowered by a horrible smell. A few doors down, Mary Williams, a retired […]

South Africa turns to desalination during worst drought in 150 years

  Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton (Reuters) – South Africa will increasingly use desalinated seawater to meet growing demand for drinking water in coastal towns facing the worst drought in 150 years, the country’s water minister said Thursday. South Africa is a water-scarce country with an average rainfall of 450 millimeters — […]

Bangladesh reverses environmental regulation, allows toxic vessels into shipbreaking ports

  By Staff WritersDhaka (AFP) April 12, 2010 Environmental campaigners branded a move Monday by Bangladesh to ease strict controls on its vital shipbreaking industry as “suicidal”, saying it would expose tens of thousands to toxic waste. The government amended a law late Sunday to permit the industry, the world’s largest, to bring in ships […]

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