Friday, April 04, 2014

WIMS Environmental HotSheet 4/4/14

National / International News

 

<> Climate change will 'lead to battles for food', says head of World Bank - Jim Yong Kim urges campaigners and scientists to work together to form a coherent plan in the fight against climate change

<> Q&A: IPCC Official Christopher Field Discusses Latest Climate Change Report - What's Field's take on the IPCC's Working II report? Read Bloomberg BNA's Eric J. Lyman's exclusive interview.

<> Pew Report Finds That Global Clean Energy Investment Declined in 2013 - Global clean energy investment fell 11 percent to $254 billion, and renewable power generating capacity additions declined by 1 percent in 2013. . .

<> Exploring the Potential Business Case for Synergies Between Natural Gas and Renewable Energy - A report from The Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

<> EPA Awarding Close to $13 Million to Assist Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems Across the United States - U.S. EPA  is awarding $12.7 million in grants to help small drinking and wastewater systems --  those serving fewer than 10,000 people --  and to private well owners. The grantees. . .

<> Combating Climate Change: Secretary Hagel Hosts the U.S.-ASEAN Defense Forum - Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel hosts a roundtable meeting with defense ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 2, 2014. As this week's. . .

<> The Outlook for Renewable Energy - April 4 -- Renewable energy has now become a technology of choice for many Americans, accounting for nearly 40% of all new, domestic power capacity installed in 2013. Presently, renewable power capacity exceeds 190 GW. . . 68-page report from American Council On Renewable Energy

<> Exxon Agrees to Disclose Fracking Risks - (Wall Street Journal) Exxon Mobil Corp. agreed to publicly disclose more details on the risks of hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells, reversing a long-held opposition after negotiations with environmental groups and. . .

<> Neonic seed treatments don't add up - Purdue University presented hard data to support that 94% to 98% of corn seed in the U.S. is pre-treated with neonics. Bad news for pollinators, since we know neonics pose a threat to bees even at low levels.

<> U.S. Government Announces $1 Billion for Abandoned Uranium Mine Clean Up on the Navajo Nation - funds to cleanup 10 percent of abandoned uranium mines on the Navajo Nation

<> U.S. Government Announces $1.1 Billion for Henderson Perchlorate Clean Up - funds to cleanup a former chemical manufacturing site in Henderson, NV -- the largest perchlorate groundwater plume in the country which has contaminated Lake Mead, which feeds into the Colorado River, a major source of drinking water in the Southwest.

<> Global Status of GMO and Non-GMO Crops - Dr Mae-Wan Ho takes you behind the latest, most blatant scientific disinformation campaign to show how GMO crops have remained a minority sector in food production and shrinking from overwhelming consumer. . .

 

U.S. Appeals Court Environmental Decisions

<> Supreme Court: McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission - Symposium: McCutcheon opens the door to massive party contributions, but four Justices continue to push back forcefully. Complete coverage, opinion, and all briefs

 

Federal Register Highlights 

The following is an alert of Environmental Federal Register announcements that may be of interest for: Friday, April 4, 2014.  (Click here to access today's complete Federal Register index with links to complete announcements).

 

1. Water - Final Rule. U.S. EPA. Kraft Pulp Mills NSPS Review PDF | Text |