Sustainable Ecosystems and Community News - ENN

Ida Kills 42 in Salvador, Heads Northward

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:31:00 EST

Hurricane Ida strengthened off the Mexican resort city of Cancun on the Yucatan Peninsula on Sunday as the storm's heavy rains killed at least 42 people in El Salvador. El Salvador's interior minister said more victims were expected to be found as rescue workers moved into areas cut off by mudslides in the Central American nation.

Midwest Weather Looks Good for Harvest

dotdotdotdotdotdotdot — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST

U.S. Midwest weather is seen mostly dry through the next week, ideal for the corn and soybean harvest, a forecaster said on Friday. "This is outstanding weather. Considering the time of the year, this is about as good as you're going to get," said Mike Palmerino with DTN Meteorlogix.

Geoengineering Being Discussed in Washington

dotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdot — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:47:00 EST

Dr. Ken Caldeira, of the Carnegie Institution of Washington provided a balanced look at the potential benefits and also the costs and possible harm that geoengineering techniques could offer in our quest to find a “Magic Bullet” to counter global warming. Can global warming be mitigated by a technological fix such as injecting light-blocking particles into the atmosphere or chemically “scrubbing” excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere? Department of Global Ecology scientist Ken Caldeira addressed this question in his testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology in a hearing titled “Geoengineering: Assessing the Implications of Large-Scale Climate Intervention” on November 5, 2009.

Giant Jellyfish Sink 10-Ton Fishing Boat

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:37:00 EST

A 10-ton fishing boat has been sunk by gigantic jellyfish off eastern Japan. The crew of the fishing boat was thrown into the sea when the vessel capsized, but the three men were rescued by another trawler.

Degraded Habitats Push More Species to Extinction

dotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdot — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:17:00 EST

The latest global assessment of biodiversity ruled yesterday that an additional 11 species are either fully extinct or extinct outside of captivity. As climate change, invasive species, and habitat destruction place greater pressure on wildlife, more species are disappearing at rates faster than conservationists can react to ensure the species' survival.

Water Evaporates from the Climate Change Negotiating Text

dotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdot — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:19:00 EST

Negotiators meeting this week in Barcelona for the last round of UN climate talks before a big conference in Copenhagen next month are working on negotiating texts that have no reference to water and its management as tools for climate change adaptation.

Ethiopian Rift Shows How Continents Can Split, Create New Ocean

dotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdotdot — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:10:00 EST

A new study reported by the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and the University of Rochester sheds light on how the continents move, and oceans are created. In 2005, a gigantic, 35-mile-long rift broke open the desert ground in Ethiopia. At the time, some geologists believed the rift was the beginning of a new ocean as two parts of the African continent pulled apart, but the claim was controversial. Now, scientists from several countries have confirmed that the volcanic processes at work beneath the Ethiopian rift are nearly identical to those at the bottom of the world's oceans, and the rift is indeed likely the beginning of a new sea.