Another Oil Platform Explodes in Gulf of Mexico

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2010-09-02 13:55
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Another Oil Platform Explodes in Gulf of Mexico

NEW ORLEANS, Lousiana, September 2, 2010 (ENS) - An explosion ripped through an offshore oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of central Louisiana at about 9:19 this morning CDT, throwing 13 crewmembers into the water.

U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Prentice Danner says all have been rescued alive by a Coast Guard vessel. All 13 people were wearing immersion suits.

Cape Wind Completes Massachusetts Permitting With Legal Victory

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2010-09-02 11:07
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Cape Wind Completes Massachusetts Permitting With Legal Victory

BOSTON, Massachusetts, September 2, 2010 (ENS) - The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of wind farm developer Cape Wind Associates on Tuesday, rejecting the appeal of a permit the state has granted for transmission lines needed to carry power generated by the wind farm.

The six-member panel of the state's highest court decided 4-2 that the transmission lines to link the country's first offshore wind farm to the region's electric grid could go ahead, but the two dissenting justices warned of a negative impact on local communities.

Greenland Police Arrest Greenpeace Oil Rig Demonstrators

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2010-09-02 11:05
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Greenland Police Arrest Greenpeace Oil Rig Demonstrators

BAFFIN BAY, Greenland, September 2, 2010 (ENS) - Four Greenpeace activists who climbed a Cairn Energy oil rig in Greenland waters were arrested this morning and are now being held in police custody in Greenland.

The activists first scaled the oil rig Stena Don on Tuesday. They attached hanging platforms to the underside of the rig where they camped out in tents with self-heating meals until last night.

Police Kill Protester Who Took Hostages in Discovery Channel Building

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2010-09-01 18:01
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Police Kill Protester Who Took Hostages in Discovery Channel Building

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, September 1, 2010 (ENS) - Police shot to death a gunman who held three hostages for several hours at the Discovery Communications building in Silver Spring. The hostages were not injured.

A man protesting the nature of the Discovery Channel's environmental programming held hostages inside the building this afternoon. Montgomergy County Police shut down all traffic in the surrounding area and were negotiating with the man, identified as James Jay Lee, before they shot him.

Hurricane Earl Batters Caribbean Islands, Heads for U.S. East Coast

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2010-08-31 21:49
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Hurricane Earl Batters Caribbean Islands, Heads for U.S. East Coast

MIAMI, Florida, August 31, 2010 (ENS) - A major storm blowing across the northeastern Caribbean Sea has strengthened to a Category Four hurricane, generating sustained winds of 135 miles per hour with higher gusts.

Hurricane Earl has been ripping roofs off buildings, toppling trees and cutting power to islanders on a course that could threaten the eastern United States later this week.

Climate Change Panel Needs Fundamental Reform

Submitted by ecofactory on Mon, 2010-08-30 19:45
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Climate Change Panel Needs Fundamental Reform

NEW YORK, New York, August 30, 2010 (ENS) - The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change "needs to fundamentally reform its management structure and strengthen its procedures," finds a report issued today by the InterAcademy Council, an Amsterdam-based organization of the world's science academies.

New Fuel Economy Label Designs Include Electric Vehicles

Submitted by ecofactory on Mon, 2010-08-30 19:44
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New Fuel Economy Label Designs Include Electric Vehicles

WASHINGTON, DC, August 30, 2010 (ENS) - With battery electric cars, plug-in hybrids and regular hybrids joining gas-powered cars and light trucks in the marketplace, the Obama administration today proposed updated fuel economy labels to be pasted to the window of every new vehicle in dealer showrooms.

Stormy Weather Again Delays Operations at BP Well Site

Submitted by ecofactory on Mon, 2010-08-30 19:42
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Stormy Weather Again Delays Operations at BP Well Site

HOUSTON, Texas, August 30, 2010 (ENS) - Locally turbulent weather at the BP/Deepwater Horizon well site has put on hold operations to bring up equipment that will become evidence in several ongoing investigations. The heavy sets of valves, one as tall as a five-story building - must be brought up from 5,000 feet below the surface, a tricky maneuver in the best weather conditions.

Measuring Progress Five Years After Hurricane Katrina

Submitted by ecofactory on Sat, 2010-08-28 02:31
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Measuring Progress Five Years After Hurricane Katrina

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, August 28, 2010 (ENS) - On the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most destructive storms in U.S. history, President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and members of the Cabinet will travel Sunday to New Orleans.

The President will speak at Xavier University to commemorate the more than 1,836 lives lost and the sacrifices that the Gulf Coast has made to recover after Katrina.

California Coastal Waters to Be Free of Large Ship Sewage

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2010-08-26 11:12
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California Coastal Waters to Be Free of Large Ship Sewage

SAN FRANCISCO, California, August 26, 2010 (ENS) - All sewage discharges from large cruise ships and cargo ships to the marine waters along California's entire coastline will be banned under new rules proposed by the U.S. EPA..

The sewage discharge ban will establish the largest coastal No Discharge Zone in the country and is expected to eliminate millions of gallons of sewage that large ships release into local waters every year.