Tuesday, September 30, 2014

More Action Is Needed to Protect Water Resources From Unmonitored Hazardous Chemicals

OIG: More Action Is Needed to Protect Water Resources From Unmonitored Hazardous Chemicals – EPA's Office of Inspector General says "Management controls put in place by the EPA to regulate and control hazardous chemical discharges from sewage treatment plants to water resources have limited effectiveness."

Monday, September 29, 2014

U.S. EPA Approves Carbon Sequestration Permit in Decatur, Illinois

U.S. EPA Approves Carbon Sequestration Permit in Decatur, Illinois - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a permit allowing the Archer Daniels Midland Company to inject carbon dioxide deep underground in Decatur, Illinois -- the second facility in the nation to receive a Class VI underground injection permit for carbon sequestration after the FutureGen Alliance facility in downstate Illinois.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Historic UN Climate 2014 Summit Closes

Ban hails 'bold' announcements on tackling climate change as historic UN summit closes - Bold new actions to immediately tackle climate change were announced today by Government, business, finance and civil society leaders attending a historic Climate Summit convened by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has long urged workable solutions based on "clear vision anchored in domestic and multinational actions."

Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

President Obama: "No Nation Is Immune" to Climate Change

President Obama: "No Nation Is Immune" to Climate Change - President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the United Nations General Assembly Climate Summit 2014 in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations in New York, N.Y., Sept. 23, 2014. "For all the immediate challenges that we gather to address this week -- terrorism, instability, inequality, disease -- there's one issue that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other, and that is the urgent and growing threat of a changing climate."

Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

"We Mean Business" Calls for Climate Action

"We Mean Business" Calls for Climate Action - An unprecedented collaboration that brings together high-profile business sustainability groups to unify and amplify the international business voice for bold climate action.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Thousands Call for Climate Action in Historic Rally in New York

Thousands Call for Climate Action in Historic Rally in New York - Thousands of people took to the streets of New York City calling on world leaders to take action on the climate crisis.

  • Climate march shatters records - Organizers estimated that the march drew nearly 400,000 people, far exceeding their projections of 100,000 attendees
  • Largest Global Call for Climate Action in History - Nearly 400,000 march in NY, events in over 150 countries; From Manhattan to Melbourne, more than half a million people took to the streets in a unified global move to demand ambitious commitments from world leaders in tackling the climate crisis.

Friday, September 19, 2014

August 2014 was warmest August on record for globe

August 2014 was warmest August on record for globe, driven largely by record warm oceans - The combined average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces for August 2014 was record high for the month, at 0.75°C (1.35°F) above the 20th century average of 15.6°C (60.1°F), topping the previous record set in 1998.
 
Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com

Thursday, September 18, 2014

The People's Climate Train Leads to People's Climate March Sep. 21

The People's Climate Train Leads to People's Climate March Sep. 21 From Sept. 15 to Sept. 18, more than 150 people — including nuns, ministers, tribal leaders and student activists — are boarding the People's Climate Train, organized by the Center for Biological Diversity, which starts in Emeryville, Calif., for a four-day, cross-country trip en route to the largest demonstration in the history of the climate movement.

Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com
 

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

EPA Extends Comment Period On Clean Power Plan

EPA Extends Comment Period On Clean Power Plan - Comments on the June 2, 2014, Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule must be received by December 1, 2014, instead of the original October 16th date.

Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

EPA Announces New Actions to Curb Potent Greenhouse Gases

EPA Announces New Actions to Curb Potent Greenhouse Gases/ EPA GreenChill Partners Join Industry Leaders to Drive the Transition to Climate-friendly Refrigerants - EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy joined private and public sector leaders at the White House today to recognize progress and take new steps to curb emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases used in refrigeration and air conditioning. Administrator McCarthy announced additional EPA actions to reduce HFC emissions and encouraged private sector investment in HFC-free technology.

Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com

Monday, September 15, 2014

Preparations for Climate Summit 2014

Press briefing on preparations for Climate Summit 2014 - Ahead of the Climate Summit that will take place on September 23 at UN Headquarters in New York, the UN announced more than 120 Heads of State and Government will be attending the one-day Summit hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to generate political will toward a meaningful universal climate agreement in 2015, and advance action on the ground that will reduce emissions and build resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com

Friday, September 12, 2014

Senate Republicans Block Measure To Overturn Citizens United

Senate Republicans Block Measure To Overturn Citizens United After voting overwhelmingly to debate the Democracy for All Amendment (79-18 ) the Senate voted 54-42 (straight party-line vote) to defeat the measure (S.J.Res.19) designed to overturn the Supreme Court's disastrous Citizens United decision and help get money out of politics.

Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com

Thursday, September 11, 2014

EPA Should Incorporate Sustainability Approaches More Broadly

EPA Should Incorporate Sustainability Approaches More Broadly - A broad array of tools is available to help the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency incorporate sustainability concepts into its decision making, and the agency should do so across its spectrum of activities, says a new report from theNational Academy of Sciences' National Research Council.
 
Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

House Approves Southerland Bill to Halt EPA-Corps Clean Water Rule

House Approves Southerland Bill to Halt EPA-Corps Clean Water Rule - Despite a White House veto warning, U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, II applauded House approval (262 - 152) of legislation he introduced "prohibiting Washington agencies from disrupting the federal-state partnership that has successfully improved water quality for more than 40 years." H.R. 5078, the Regulatory Overreach Protection Act passed the House with the votes of 35 House Democrats. . .

House Vote against Clean Water Protections Ignores Toledo Lessons - One month after the toxic algae disaster in Toledo demonstrated the perils of water pollution, the Republican-controlled House today passed a bill (H.R. 5078)

Tuesday, September 09, 2014

WMO Report: Record Greenhouse Gas Levels Impact Atmosphere and Oceans

WMO Report: Record Greenhouse Gas Levels Impact Atmosphere and Oceans - The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2013, propelled by a surge in levels of carbon dioxide according to the World Meteorological Organization's annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, which injected even greater urgency into the need for concerted international action against accelerating and potentially devastating climate change.
 
Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com

Monday, September 08, 2014

EPA Proposal For Startup, Shutdown and Malfunction

State Plans to Address Emissions during Startup, Shutdown and Malfunction: Supplemental Proposal – [Fact Sheet] On September 5, 2014, U.S. EPA proposed a rule supplementing and revising its February 2013 proposal to ensure states have plans in place that require industrial facilities across the country to follow air pollution rules during times when the facility is starting up or shutting down, or when a malfunction occurs.

Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com

Friday, September 05, 2014

BP, found grossly negligent, may face $18 billion in gulf spill

BP, found grossly negligent, may face $18 billion in gulf spill - Energy giant BP's willful misconduct and gross negligence led to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, a federal judge said in a ruling Thursday that exposes the company to billions of dollars in civil penalties.

Environmental Information Specialists -- WIMS Daily Environmental HotSheet -- eNewsUSA blog -- EcoBizPort.com

Thursday, September 04, 2014

CRS Report: Clean Coal Loan Guarantees and Tax Incentives

Clean Coal Loan Guarantees and Tax Incentives: Issues in Brief - From the Congressional Research Service (CRS): At issue for Congress is the extent to which the private sector has used the financial incentive tools available, and whether they are the right tools for promoting the development of technology to reduce CO2 emissions from fossil fuel power plants -- No loan guarantees have been issued to clean coal projects since enactment of Section 1703 of EPACT05.

Wednesday, September 03, 2014

EPA Extensive Staff Report Proposes Stricter Ozone Standards

EPA Policy Assessment for the Review of the Ozone NAAQS, Final Report - EPA staff 597-page report. The current O3 standards established in 2008 are 75 ppb, and a secondary identical to the primary standard. Staff reaches the overall conclusion that the available health evidence and exposure/risk information call into question the adequacy of the public health protection provided by the current standard.

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

Global Shale Gas Development: Water Availability & Business Risks

Global Shale Gas Development: Water Availability & Business Risks - This report analyzes water availability across all potentially commercial shale resources worldwide. It also reveals that water availability could limit shale resource development on every continent except Antarctica.