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Greenpeace activists arrested — again — for trying to block Russia’s Arctic oil activities

Greenpeace activists arrested — again — for trying to block Russia’s Arctic oil activities

Greenpeace

Greenpeace activists aren’t letting a little jail time dissuade them from continuing their fight against Russia’s nascent Arctic oil-drilling program.

The crew aboard Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior ship tried on Thursday to block the first delivery of oil from Russia’s first offshore oil rig to a harbor in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The crew included some of the same activists who were arrested by Russian authorities in September for attempting to scale the oil rig in frigid waters. The activists were released from jail in December as part of a pre-Olympics amnesty program.

This latest stunt got them arrested again — but this time by Dutch police instead of Russian ones. Reuters reports:

Dutch police stormed a Greenpeace ship on Thursday to prevent environmental activists blocking delivery of the first oil from Russia’s new Arctic drilling platform reaching port in Rotterdam. …

A Reuters photographer said activists had draped banners saying “No Arctic Oil” from the Russian vessel.

“The Russian ship is very big, about 250 meters long, and there are safety concerns when you try and stop it mooring,” Rotterdam police spokesman Roland Ekkers said.

He said the activists had been detained in a room on the Rainbow Warrior until it docked, when the captain was arrested. The oil-tanker Mikhail Ulyanov entered the harbor unhindered, and moored at about 0915 GMT.

These activists seem as stubborn as climate change.


Source
Dutch police storm Greenpeace ship trying to block Arctic oil delivery, Reuters

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Greenpeace activists arrested — again — for trying to block Russia’s Arctic oil activities

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Learning About Agriculture Through Philippe Van Den Bossche

I am of the opinion that experience is the most important factor when it comes to farming and other agricultural practices. You have to be able to understand the best actions to take and the times that are most crucial for them to be carried out. What are some of the specific ways in which you can actually pick up on information that can be used in the long term? Philippe van den Bossche may be able to help you understand this more than you might have imagined.

You should keep in mind that one of the best ways to attain your start in farming is to speak to the most knowledgeable minds in this field. Philippe van den Bossche, for example, will be able to tell you a tremendous amount about sustainable agriculture and everything that it entails. There are many factors to keep in mind as well, ranging from fertilizer to the utilization of certain pests. Getting in touch with authorities such as Philippe will do you a world of good.

If there are opportunities out there for you to learn under others, make sure that you take them up. Those who have years of experience in the fields will be able to dispense that knowledge onto you but it’s likely that you will do more in the way of hands-on work as opposed to anything else. The ability to work in the fields can offer you a tremendous learning experience. This is especially true when there are many who learn better by doing as opposed to simply watching.

Agricultural conventions can prove to be useful for your learning experience as well, so do not overlook these. I believe that you will be able to gain a tremendous amount from attending seminars, especially when they are done by those who have years upon years of experience in agriculture. It is also worth noting that you are probably going to be learning alongside others in this field. What this means is that your chances of making friends and growing your network will increase that much more.

Everyone has to start somewhere and I believe that the idea of agriculture is no exception. You want to be able to see success in this endeavor but you will only be able to get to that point if you take it upon yourself to learn. This can happen both in the hands-on sense as well as the cognitive sense. Both of these fields should be looked to and, before long, the body of work that you will have in regards to agriculture will be all the stronger.

Get in touch with Philippe van den Bossche if you would care for more details about the optimal methods for sustainable agriculture.. This article, Learning About Agriculture Through Philippe Van Den Bossche is released under a creative commons attribution license.

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The Best Bang For Your Organic Buck: Cleanest & Dirtiest Produce

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The Best Bang For Your Organic Buck: Cleanest & Dirtiest Produce

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Why is Alaska fighting the cleanup of Chesapeake Bay?

Why is Alaska fighting the cleanup of Chesapeake Bay?

Shutterstock

The EPA has a plan to clean up Chesapeake Bay, which has been polluted by agriculture interests for decades. A “pollution diet” finalized by the agency in 2010 would reduce the amount of animal waste and fertilizer that gushes into the bay from the 64,000-square-mile watershed every year, causing dead zones.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, corn growers, pork and poultry producers, and home builders are fighting that plan in a federal lawsuit, accusing the EPA of making an illegal power grab. Twenty-one states — including Alaska and many others that are nowhere near the Chesapeake watershed — have joined the suit, worried that the cleanup plan could set a dangerous precedent and spread ecological health to their own tainted waterways.

Monday was the deadline for submitting briefs in the case, and fortunately some of those briefs have been in support of the EPA’s plan. Maryland and Virginia, the two states that actually border the bay, are all for cleaning it up. “This lawsuit attacks our efforts to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay and strengthen its crucial economic value,” said Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler. “Maryland must preserve its partnership with an effective EPA to safeguard our environment and sustain the thousands of jobs supported by the bay.”

Nearby Delaware and Washington, D.C., are in support of the EPA’s plan too, as are six major cities: Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Four Florida conservation groups have also filed a brief in support of the EPA’s plan, making this cogent point: “The heart of the Clean Water Act is the principle that the Nation’s waters cannot be used — directly or indirectly — to dispose of waste. This appeal [by the Farm Bureau] represents a challenge to that principle.”

The case is a big deal, as the Associated Press points out:

Cary Coglianese, a University of Pennsylvania law professor, says the appeals court ruling could go a long way in shaping environmental policy. “A win will keep intact the EPA’s policy approach, while a loss would not only have an effect on the Chesapeake but similar policies in other parts of the U.S.,” Coglianese said.

The Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia is expected to begin hearing oral arguments in the case this summer.


Source
Challenge to Chesapeake Cleanup Tests EPA Power, The Associated Press
Six Major Cities Add Their Support To Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Plan, ThinkProgress

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Why is Alaska fighting the cleanup of Chesapeake Bay?

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EPA’s McCarthy slams the agency’s anti-science critics

EPA’s McCarthy slams the agency’s anti-science critics

Albert H. Teich

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy has some sharp words for those who criticize the agency’s use of science in drawing up regulations, most notably fossil fuel companies and climate deniers in Congress.

“With science as our North Star, EPA has steered America away from health risks and toward healthier communities and a higher overall quality of life,” McCarthy said during the annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington on Monday. “That’s why it’s worrisome that our science seems to be under constant assault by a small — but vocal — group of critics.”

Here were McCarthy’s really choice comments, as reported by Greenwire:

“I bet when those same critics get sick, they run to doctors and hospitals that rely on science from — guess who — Harvard University and the American Cancer Society. I bet they check air quality forecasts from EPA and the National Weather Service to see if the air is healthy enough for their asthmatic child to play outside that day. I bet they buy dishwashers with Energy Star labels, and take FDA-approved medicine, and eat USDA-approved meats.”

We would also add that the ultimate fossil-fuel defender, Dick Cheney, wouldn’t stand a snowflake’s chance in climate-changed hell of being alive today if it weren’t for the wonders of modern science.


Source
McCarthy slams critics’ ‘dangerous game’ of trying to discredit agency science, Greenwire

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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EPA’s McCarthy slams the agency’s anti-science critics

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A week after Alaska OKs a big gas pipeline, another gas pipeline ruptures

A week after Alaska OKs a big gas pipeline, another gas pipeline ruptures

Patrik Sartz, Alaska DEC via Alaska Dispatch

Oily brown where there should only be white.

BP sprayed a fine mist of oil, natural gas, and water over 27 acres of tundra on Alaska’s North Slope on Monday. It’s still not known how much vaporized oil and gas were spilled during the two-hour natural-gas pipeline accident at Prudhoe Bay, where a large oilfield is located, nor how long it will take to repair the ruptured pipe. But here’s what we do know, thanks to the Alaska Dispatch:

Such a large area of snow was covered because the leak occurred in the pipe’s 12 o’clock position, on top, and the pressurized gas sprayed crude oil and water into a strong wind, said Ashley Adamczak, a spokesperson with [the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation]. …

The damage is a little more than a mile from the 2006 leak of a transit line that ultimately became the largest recorded spill on the North Slope. That spill lasted five days and discharged 200,000 gallons over two acres. BP ultimately pled guilty to negligent discharge after failing to address corrosion. …

As for the cleanup, the hope is to get the oil and water removed before the snow and ice melts, and before migratory birds arrive in perhaps a couple of weeks, Adamczak said.

And this is something else that we know: The accident came a week after Alaska’s legislature gave tentative approval to a plan by BP, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and Keystone XL-backer TransCanada to build an 800-mile pipeline to transport natural gas drilled from the North Slope to an export terminal. The idea is to start exporting the natural gas to Europe and Asia via the $45 billion to $65 billion Alaska Pipeline Project by the mid-2020s.

What could possibly go wrong?

Patrik Sartz, Alaska DEC via Alaska Dispatch

The pipeline rupture that triggered Monday’s oil spill.


Source
Broken pipe sprays oily plume across snowy tundra at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska Dispatch
Alaska lawmakers back governor on plan to export North Slope gas, Reuters

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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A week after Alaska OKs a big gas pipeline, another gas pipeline ruptures

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Duke Energy says it would be too hard to actually fix its coal-ash problem

Duke Energy says it would be too hard to actually fix its coal-ash problem

Catawba Riverkeeper

After utterly ruining 70 miles of a North Carolina river, Duke Energy has been making nice noises about cleaning up its coal-ash ponds — the type that ruptured in February with environmentally catastrophic consequences. But a presentation to state officials this week revealed that the company is only aiming to achieve a small portion of the reforms that environmentalists have long demanded. Al Jazeera reports:

Duke’s current plan, presented on Tuesday, calls for the removal of all the coal ash at three basins, including the one that leaked into the Dan River. At Duke’s 14 basins where coal ash is still deposited regularly, Duke said it would convert to dry ash handling — a method that could reduce the risk of leaks into rivers and groundwater — or retire those units. At the inactive basins, Duke said it would begin the process of drying the ponds so only ash remains.

Duke said its current plan would take a few years to complete and cost upward of $2 billion.

But environmentalists say the plan doesn’t go far enough and want Duke to close its coal ash basins and remove the ash from unlined pits. The company warns that could take three decades and cost up to $10 billion. …

Some activists believe it could be done more quickly.

The federal government plans to publish regulations covering the storage of coal ash — residue left behind after coal is incinerated — this year. Problem is, we’ve heard that before. The EPA made similar promises after more than a million gallons of coal slurry broke loose from a Tennessee power plant in 2008, smothering 300 acres of land and waterways. Perhaps if that promise had been kept, Dan River would not be such a mess today, and we wouldn’t need to be listening to Duke Energy’s lame excuses.


Source
Energy co. says removal of coal ash ponds could take 30 years, cost $10b, Al Jazeera

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Duke Energy says it would be too hard to actually fix its coal-ash problem

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Californians, stop watering your lawns — for real this time

Californians, stop watering your lawns — for real this time

Quinn Dombrowski

With every square foot of California now affected by crippling drought, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has urged residents, yet again, to avoid wasting water – such as by watering their lawns more than twice a week. And in his latest drought-related proclamation, issued on Friday, the governor struck out against homeowners associations that have any problems with pretty green lawns being left to turn brown.

“Homeowners Associations (commonly known as HOAs) have reportedly fined or threatened to fine homeowners who comply with water conservation measures,” says Brown’s proclamation. “I order that any provision of the governing document, architectural or landscaping guidelines, or policies of a common interest development will be void and unenforceable to the extent it has the effect of prohibiting compliance with the water-saving measures contained in this directive, or any conservation measure adopted by a public agency or private water company.”

Brown urged residents to turn off decorative water features, to not use water to clean sidewalks and driveways, and to avoid washing their cars — unless the neighborhood carwash uses recycled water. He even asked restaurants to only offer glasses of water if their customers ask for them.

The proclamation also eased yet more environmental regulations to help boost the amount of water that can be redirected from rivers to farms or faucets. The Sacramento Bee reports:

The governor first proclaimed a drought emergency Jan. 17. This second proclamation goes further by waiving compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and the state water code for a number of actions, including water transfers, wastewater treatment projects, habitat improvements for winter-run Chinook salmon imperiled by the drought and curtailment of water rights. …

Water agencies and some environmental groups praised the order, saying it strikes a proper balance between emergency response and environmental protection.

Others said it goes too far.

The proclamation came a day after the federal government announced that the entire state was in a state of drought. Climate Central explains:

Since mid-March, a sliver of California on its southeastern border was the lone drought holdout for the state. Even then, that section of the state was still considered abnormally dry according to the Drought Monitor. The section finally tipped into drought this week, and for the first time in the 15-year history of the Drought Monitor, the entire state is now in drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor now shows a quarter of California in “exceptional drought.” Three months ago, no part of the state fell into that dark, dire category.

Drought Monitor

Click to embiggen.


Source
Governor Brown issues executive order to redouble state drought actions, Office of Gov. Jerry Brown
The Explosive Growth of California’s Drought in 1 Chart, Climate Central

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Californians, stop watering your lawns — for real this time

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Philippe Van Den Bossche & 3 Reasons To Buy Organic Strawberries

When talking about the best types of food to purchase organic, one can imagine that all of them would be useful. While this isn’t necessarily wrong, what are some of the more important components that can be looked into by those who may not have as much money to spend? Are there certain foods that Philippe van den Bossche, as well as others, can support more so than others? Strawberries stand as a great option and here are 3 reasons why purchasing them organically is the best move to make.

1. Strawberries have rigged exteriors that should be taken into account. In fact, these are some of the most common traits to look into, apart from the bright red look of the berries in general. If you were to wash conventionally grown strawberries, you may have trouble trying to wash them of their pesticides, which is why going organic is for the best. This is especially true when you take into account that there are 13 known pesticides that could reside on strawberries, which serves as another reason to go natural.

2. Philippe van den Bossche will most likely be able to tell you about the components that help to make strawberries that much more healthful. There are many different vitamins and minerals to take into account but what are some of the specifics on the matter, you may wonder? Vitamin C is a great example, not to mention one of the most commonly known. However, the free radical-fighting anthocyanins are worth looking at as well, seeing as how they can aid in the prevention of cancer, as supported by names such as Philippe.

3. Is it possible that strawberries can come into effect in order to prevent memory loss? It seems as though this is the case, as the Annals of Neurology published that they could potentially delay the impact of cognitive impairments by 2.5 years. Strawberries have been proven useful in other fashions, one of them being the reduction of cancer risk. With the idea of mental health being helped as well, organic strawberries have proven themselves to be that much greater of an investment in the long term.

As one can imagine, there are other benefits to take into account as far as strawberries are concerned. That being said, the reasons listed above were the ones that stood out to me the most and for good reasons as well. Not everyone can purchase all of their food organically, which is understandable when considering the prices that they stand at. However, if you are able to make the change to just one food item out of the bunch, this is a choice worth looking into.

Get in touch with Philippe van den Bossche if you are interested in learning more in regards to the incentives of organic agriculture.. Free reprint available from: Philippe Van Den Bossche & 3 Reasons To Buy Organic Strawberries.

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Winter Work For Gardeners By Philippe Van Den Bossche

As one can imagine, it is not exactly easy to go about gardening during the cooler, winter months. Not only is the temperature sometimes unbearable for farmers to be outside for long but many crops do not thrive without the presence of sunlight. You may think that gardeners and farmers alike do not have work to do during these times but this is not true. In fact, there are other fields to cover, as Philippe van den Bossche most likely will be able to tell you.

The Wahoo Newspaper posted an article about gardening, more specifically the way in which it has been done in cold Wahoo, Nebraska. Even still, it’s easy to become busy during this time and Lorri Urban, a gardener in the area, affirmed this idea. She made it a point to mention that growers, “don’t hibernate or go to Arizona.” Instead, they find themselves becoming involved in other areas of work. What are the ones which seem to be the most useful when given the importance of the future?

The Wahoo Newspaper made mention of the idea that gardeners can usually find themselves getting lost in certain publications while the winter months are underway. A couple of examples of this are books and magazines, both of which can allow for learning experiences, which is a vital point that Philippe van den Bossche can bring up. What if you have not been spacing apart or rotating your crops enough? Maybe this is where you can learn by going over the details the success someone else has had.

Gardeners have to be able to make note of the types of crops that will be grown in the future and the colder months is the ideal time for the planning process to take place. Seeds have to be looked at and, based on the inventory that is seen, the right ones have to be selected. The article said that certain seeds will most likely have certain expiration dates tied to them. Peppers and kale are two such examples as they have two years and three years, respectively, tied to them.

It’s clear that gardening of the highest degree cannot be done until the weather itself becomes much more manageable. I am sure that most would be able to agree, especially when the chillier environment is one that does not exactly bode well for all crops. However, with certain jobs that can be taken up – many for the sake of the future – it’s not like work is going to be short. In fact, because of such jobs as taking inventory, the future is going to be that much clearer.

Contact Philippe van den Bossche if you would like further information about sustainable agriculture and general natural products.. Check here for free reprint license: Winter Work For Gardeners By Philippe Van Den Bossche.

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