Valuing Ecosystem Services Makes Economic Sense, Experts Report

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2009-11-17 15:21
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Valuing Ecosystem Services Makes Economic Sense, Experts Report

BRUSSELS, Belgium, November 17, 2009 (ENS) - Decision makers who factor the planet's multi-trillion dollar ecosystem services into their national and international investment strategies are likely to see far higher rates of return and stronger economic growth in the 21st century, finds a new United Nations-backed report.

California Gets Federal Help to Solve Water Crisis

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2009-11-11 11:22
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California Gets Federal Help to Solve Water Crisis

FRESNO, California, November 11, 2009 (ENS) - California Governor Schwarzenegger went to the Friant Dam near Fresno Monday to sign the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010. If approved by the voters next November, the measure would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $11.14 billion to finance a safe drinking water and water supply reliability program for California.

Fresno, a city in California's agricultural Central Valley, is suffering from water scarcity, as the governor said just before he signed the bill.

Rapid Pace of Species Extinctions Mounts to a 'Crisis'

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2009-11-03 18:03
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Rapid Pace of Species Extinctions Mounts to a 'Crisis'

GLAND, Switzerland, November 3, 2009 (ENS) - Nearly one-third of all known species of plants and animals are threatened with extinction, finds the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN, in the most recent update of its authoritative Red List of Threatened Species™ issued today.

The updated assessment shows that 17,291 species out of the 47,677 assessed species are threatened with extinction.

Southeast Water Scarcity Blamed on Overpopulation, Not Climate

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2009-10-20 22:33
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Southeast Water Scarcity Blamed on Overpopulation, Not Climate

NEW YORK, New York, October 20, 2009 (ENS) - The most recent drought in the southeastern United States destroyed billions of dollars worth of crops, drained reservoirs and touched off legal wars among a half-dozen states, but the havoc came not from exceptional dryness but from booming population and bad planning, says a new Columbia University study.

Researchers from Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have showed that the 2005-2007 drought was mild compared to many others and was no worse than one just a decade ago.

Adirondack Council Rates Officials on Treatment of Largest U.S. Park

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2009-10-07 13:38
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Adirondack Council Rates Officials on Treatment of Largest U.S. Park

ELIZABETHTOWN, New York, October 7, 2009 (ENS) - New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo earned a perfect rating from the nonprofit Adirondack Council's State of the Park Report today, winning praise for his work striking down weak Bush administration air pollution standards that could have clouded the air over the park.

'Show Me' State Governor Showcases State Parks

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2009-10-06 13:24
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'Show Me' State Governor Showcases State Parks

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, October 6, 2009 (ENS) - Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has a new project in the works - to restart the state's declining tourism industry by promoting Missouri's state parks. He is eager to reverse the falling numbers of visitors at state parks, down 18.6 percent from 1999 to 2008.

The governor's goal is to boost attendance at Missouri's 83 state parks and historic sites by encouraging families to spend more of their tourism dollars in the 'Show Me' state.

U.S. Forest Service Plans for California National Forests Ruled Illegal

Submitted by ecofactory on Mon, 2009-10-05 12:55
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U.S. Forest Service Plans for California National Forests Ruled Illegal

SAN FRANCISCO, California, October 5, 2009 (ENS) - U.S. Forest Service management plans for four Southern California national forests do not adequately protect those forests' wildest landscapes, a federal district court judge has ruled.

U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel sided with seven environmental groups, ruling that the Forest Service failed to assess cumulative damage to those national forests that would be caused by road building and other development in most of the forests' roadless areas, in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act.

U.S. National Parks Vulnerable as Planet Heats Up

Submitted by ecofactory on Mon, 2009-10-05 12:53
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U.S. National Parks Vulnerable as Planet Heats Up

DENVER, Colorado, October 5, 2009 (ENS) - "Climate disruption is the greatest threat ever to America's national parks," warns Stephen Saunders, president of the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and principal author of a new report released Thursday that identifies the 25 U.S. national parks, lakeshores, seashores and monuments most at risk of global warming.

Algal Bloom a Growing Threat to Humans, Environment, Resources

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2009-09-28 17:44
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Algal Bloom a Growing Threat to Humans, Environment, Resources

Algal Blooms are a growing threat for humans, animals, and water resources. Find out why inside.
Duck swimming in Algal Bloom. Photo by cdnsue.

In the 1980 science-fiction novel, Timescape, scientist and author Gregory Benford tells the chilling tale of an algal bloom that grips the globe in 1998 and turns all surface water into toxic waste. Benford's prediction was made real about a decade late as algal bloom become a tragic reality that is killing animals, poisoning water, and endangering human health across the world.

UN Finishes New Climate Study, Finds Severe Global Warming Inevitable

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Fri, 2009-09-25 09:08
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UN Finishes New Climate Study, Finds Severe Global Warming Inevitable

The UN released the research that replaces their 2007 findings on climate change, and brings greater understanding to how our planet works.
Orange Clouds over a sleepy suburb. Photo by Jason Dunn

UN scientists released their latest findings on climate change in an update to the 2007 research that established human-caused climate change as the scientific consensus. The new information suggests that severe climate change will still occur even if developed nations adopt aggressive carbon emission cuts.