Environment News Service

Oklahoma Twister Kills 51, Injures Dozens More

editor@ens-news.com — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:52:01 +0000

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, May 20, 2013 (ENS) - A powerful tornado tore through Moore and south Oklahoma City Monday, killing at least 51 people, including 20 children.

India Bans Captive Dolphin Shows as ‘Morally Unacceptable’

editor@ens-news.com — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:47:30 +0000

NEW DELHI, India, May 20, 2013 (ENS) - India's Ministry of Environment and Forests has decided to forbid the keeping of captive dolphins for public entertainment anywhere in the country.

U.S. Musters Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Partners

editor@ens-news.com — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:20:05 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC, May 20, 2013 (ENS) - To foster the adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles, the U.S. Energy Department has embarked on a new public-private partnership to develop the country's hydrogen infrastructure.

Sarawak Native Leader Barred from Hydropower World Congress

editor@ens-news.com — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:08:22 +0000

KUCHING, Sarawak, Malaysia, May 20, 2013 (ENS) - This morning Sarawak indigenous leader Peter Kallang, chairman of the SAVE Rivers network, which opposes a dozen dams planned for the rivers of Borneo, was barred from the first meeting of the International Hydropower Assocation's World Congress ever held in Asia.

Six Die as 200 mph Tornado Howls Across Texas

editor@ens-news.com — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:39:14 +0000

AUSTIN, Texas, May 16, 2013 (ENS) - Six people have lost their lives and nearly 100 others were injured as tornadoes touched down in north-central Texas overnight. More than 100 homes were damaged or destroyed.

Arctic Council Prioritizes Sustainable Development, Climate Action

editor@ens-news.com — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:33:33 +0000

KIRUNA, Sweden, May 16, 2013 (ENS) - Ministers from the eight Arctic states and representatives of the Arctic Indigenous Peoples Wednesday adopted a shared vision statement for the future development of the region as a "zone of peace and stability."

California Father and Son Rhino Horn Smugglers Imprisoned

editor@ens-news.com — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:46:53 +0000

LOS ANGELES, California, May 15, 2013 (ENS) - A father and son team from Orange County, described by prosecutors as being "at the apex of the rhino horn smuggling pyramid within the United States," each will spend more than three years in federal prison on federal smuggling and money laundering convictions.

Loud Seismic Tests Probed for Harm to Whales, Dolphins

editor@ens-news.com — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:51:59 +0000

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, May 15, 2013 (ENS) - The U.S. federal agency that oversees offshore oil exploration will analyze the effects of noisy underwater seismic blasts on whales and dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico.

Indian Ocean Cyclone Threatens Over Eight Million People

editor@ens-news.com — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:20:59 +0000

DHAKA, Bangladesh, May 15, 2013 (ENS) - A cyclone blowing across the Indian Ocean is expected to hit Bangladesh on Thursday, threatening the lives of 8.2 million people in northeast India, Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma). The highest storm surge and rainfall predictions are for Bangladesh's coastal cities of Chittagong and Cox's Bazaar.

Damaged California Nuclear Plant Faces Restart Safety Hearing

editor@ens-news.com — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:29:39 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC, May 14, 2013 (ENS) - Southern California Edison's request to restart its San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station will be decided by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission only after a formal license amendment proceeding with full public participation, an adjudicatory panel has ruled.

Florida Legislature Passes Natural Gas Vehicle Incentives

editor@ens-news.com — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:56:10 +0000

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, May 14, 2013 (ENS) - Florida lawmakers have approved three pieces of legislation to promote the use of natural gas fuel for vehicles in Florida. Governor Bill Scott is expected to sign them shortly.

Australia Trims Environmental Protection in Deficit Budget

editor@ens-news.com — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:01:32 +0000

CANBERRA, Australia, May 14, 2013 (ENS) - Environmentalists criticized tax breaks for the fossil fuel industry and cuts to renewable energy funding in the Australian government's new budget, but are pleased with funding for oceans, forests and rivers.

Dalai Lama: Cultivate Inner Peace to Save the Planet

editor@ens-news.com — Mon, 13 May 2013 08:31:05 +0000

PORTLAND, Oregon, May 12, 2013 (ENS) - "The main thing is the oneness of humanity," His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, said during an environmental summit Saturday in Portland.

Atmospheric CO2 Hits 400 Parts Per Million Mark

editor@ens-news.com — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:52:11 +0000

MAUNA LOA OBSERVATORY, Hawaii, May 11, 2013 (ENS) - For the first time in human history, concentrations of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, CO2, have risen above 400 parts per million, ppm. Many climate scientists warn that 350 ppm is the safe upper limit for CO2 in the atmosphere.

Sandy Eco-Restoration Gets $1 Billion+ in Federal Grants

editor@ens-news.com — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:11:34 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC, May 8, 2013 (ENS) - The Department of the Interior is releasing $475.25 million in emergency Hurricane Sandy disaster relief appropriations to 234 projects that will repair and rebuild parks, refuges and other Interior assets damaged by the storm.

Terrafugia Develops Plug-in Hybrid Flying Car

editor@ens-news.com — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:48:37 +0000

WOBURN, Massachusetts, May 8, 2013 (ENS) - An American company on a mission to build practical flying cars has begun feasibility studies of a vertical takeoff and landing plug-in hybrid electric flying car, the TF-X™.

U.S., South Korean Leaders Affirm Climate Change Cooperation

editor@ens-news.com — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:13:12 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC, May 7, 2013 (ENS) - In her first foreign visit since taking office in February, South Korean President Park Geun-hye joined with President Barack Obama today to declare both governments' intention to fight climate change.

Megacities to Create Common Climate Risk Assessment Standard

editor@ens-news.com — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:08:24 +0000

NEW YORK, New York, May 7, 2013 (ENS) - A network of large cities committed to addressing climate change is developing a new framework that will help all cities better prepare for natural disasters and severe weather incidents.

Toxic Waste Sites in Poor Nations Cause Child Disease, Death

editor@ens-news.com — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:52:28 +0000

NEW YORK, New York, May 7, 2013 (ENS) - Children living near toxic waste sites in India, Indonesia and the Philippines may absorb high levels of lead into their blood, diminishing their intelligence and raising their risk of mental retardation, new research finds.

Australia Moves Toward Cape York World Heritage Nomination

editor@ens-news.com — Tue, 07 May 2013 01:26:07 +0000

CANBERRA, Australia, May 6, 2013 (ENS) - Parts of Cape York Peninsula, one of the last wilderness areas on Earth, will be nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the Australian Government even as the Queensland Government develops a new bauxite mine there.