Sundance Channel

London Activates 10 Low Carbon Zones

Sundance Channel — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:43:28 +0000

Low Carbon Zones across London sprang to life this week to help residents, schools and businesses go green, save money and create job opportunities at the same time. The Mayor of London awarded each of the 10 zones a share of three million pounds to fund the program that aims to cut city's carbon dioxide emissions 20.12 percent by 2012.

Desert Nesting Bald Eagles May Lose Federal Protection

Sundance Channel — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:43:37 +0000

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is moving to drop Endangered Species Act protection for Arizona's desert nesting bald eagles. Only 48 breeding pairs survive, clinging to their hot, dry habitat in the Sonoran Desert along the Southwest's desert rivers.

PlanetSolar Unveils World’s Largest Solar Boat

Sundance Channel — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:41:04 +0000

The world's largest solar boat, PlanetSolar, was unveiled at the HDW Shipyard in Kiel on Thursday. The multi-hull vessel, powered solely by an array of photovoltaic solar panels, was constructed by the Knierim Yacht Club in Kiel.

42 Tribal Wildlife Grants Awarded in 16 States

Sundance Channel — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:05:05 +0000

The Hopi Tribe will conduct an assessment of golden eagles in Arizona, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians will restore longleaf pine habitat in Alabama, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe will develop a Tribal Wildlife Management Plan for their reservation in New York, and in Washington state the Jamestown S'Kllalm Tribe will work towards restoring the Dungeness Elk Herd to its historic range.

Contagious Hybrid Bird Flu-Human Flu Created in Lab

Sundance Channel — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:29:15 +0000

Genetic interactions between avian influenza and human seasonal influenza viruses have the potential to create hybrid strains that combine the virulence of bird flu with the ability to spread like a pandemic, new research has found.

Pennsylvania’s Starts Green Energy Revolving Loan Fund With $48 Million

Sundance Channel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:58:35 +0000

Pennsylvania's new $48 million Green Energy Revolving Loan Fund will supply capital for developing cost effective, energy-saving and renewable energy projects in existing, non-residential buildings throughout the state.

Utah Governor Turns Back Two Uranium Trains

Sundance Channel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:35:01 +0000

Planned shipments of depleted uranium from the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River nuclear materials processing center in South Carolina, will not be shipped to Utah under an agreement negotiated Monday by Utah Governor Gary Herbert.

Groups ID Toxic Coal Ash Sites in 14 States, Demand Regulations

Sundance Channel — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:52:51 +0000

Two environmental groups today identified 31 sites in 14 states contaminated with coal-ash waste containing arsenic, cadmium, lead, selenium, and other toxic metals that can cause cancer and neurological damage to humans and poison fish and wildlife.

Climate Science Controversy Flares in EPA Budget Hearing

Sundance Channel — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:31:40 +0000

U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson's appearance today before a Senate Committee to justify the agency's $10 billion FY 2011 budget became a showcase for the split in the Senate over climate change and clean energy that has to date prevented approval of a climate bill. The House of Representatives passed a climate bill in June 2009.

Coal State Senators Battle EPA to Control Greenhouse Gases

Sundance Channel — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:07:47 +0000

Senator Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, led a group of coal state senators in sending a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Friday challenging the agency's potential regulation of greenhouse gases from stationary sources under the Clean Air Act.

United Nations Climate Chief Resigns

Sundance Channel — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:33:55 +0000

The top United Nations climate change official said today that he has made the "difficult decision" to step down.

Scientists Desperate to Protect World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates

Sundance Channel — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:38:23 +0000

Nearly half the world's 634 primate species - gorillas, orangutans, monkeys, lemurs, gibbons and other primates - now are in danger of becoming extinct due to the destruction of tropical forests, illegal wildlife trade and commercial bushmeat hunting.

South Carolina Publisher First to Use 100% Environmentally Certified Paper

Sundance Channel — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:18:19 +0000

The publisher of thousands of local and regional histories has become the country's first major book publisher to achieve the use of 100 percent Forest Stewardship Council certified paper across its entire book publishing program.

Neighborhoods Get Federal Help With Brownfields, Housing, Transport

Sundance Channel — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:09:09 +0000

A new Office of Sustainable Communities is being created within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help communities take an integrated approach to making environmental, housing and transportation decisions.

Obama Backs First New U.S. Nuclear Plant with $8.3 Billion

Sundance Channel — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:27:34 +0000

President Barack Obama today announced that his administration is offering conditional commitments for a total of $8.33 billion in loan guarantees for the construction and operation of the first U.S. nuclear power plant to break ground in nearly three decades.

Third-hand Tobacco Smoke Causes Cancer, Study Shows

Sundance Channel — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:02:09 +0000

That stale cigarette smoke smell in hotel rooms and bars is more than annoying - it could be hazardous to your health, according to new research from a team led by scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Infants and toddlers are at greatest risk, the study reveals.

Whistler Enjoys Record Snowfall for Olympics, Lower Slopes Not So Much

Sundance Channel — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:13:51 +0000

With the 2010 Winter Olympic Games opening on Friday in Vancouver, the warmer than usual weather of an El Nino winter is causing headaches for Olympic organizers.

American Pika Denied Endangered Species Protection

Sundance Channel — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:49:51 +0000

The American pika does not meet the criteria for protection under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday after completing a review of the species' status and evaluating current and future threats to the small, mountain-dwelling mammal.

USDA Scraps Bush-era Animal Disease Traceability System

Sundance Channel — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:17:15 +0000

In an effort to win support from ranchers and farmers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will develop a new framework for animal disease traceability, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Friday.

IMF Chief Proposes $100 Billion Annual Fund to Tackle Climate Change

Sundance Channel — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:16:34 +0000

The head of the International Monetary Fund today proposed to create a multi-billion dollar Green Fund that would provide the financing that countries need to cope with climate change and move to a low-carbon growth model.

Feds to Eliminate One-Quarter of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 10 Years

Sundance Channel — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:00:46 +0000

President Barack Obama today announced that the federal government will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent by 2020.

Yucca Mountain’s Dead. Next? Expert Panel Examines Nuclear Waste Options

Sundance Channel — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:33:42 +0000

The U.S. Department of Energy announced today the formation of a blue ribbon commission to evaluate policy options for a safe, long-term solution to America' growing piles of spent fuel from commercial nuclear power plants and high-level radioactive waste from U.S. defense programs.

Obama Announces $8 Billion for High-Speed Rail Nationwide

Sundance Channel — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:20:03 +0000

President Barack Obama will announce today that the U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding $8 billion in economic stimulus funding to states to develop America's first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service. The announcement covers federal government investments in 13 rail corridors and rail projects in 31 states.

Federal Ghost Fleet Illegally Polluting San Francisco Bay

Sundance Channel — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:23:15 +0000

The federal agency in charge of more than 70 decaying naval vessels stored in northern San Francisco Bay is illegally polluting and storing hazardous waste in the bay, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

Oil From Port Arthur Tanker-Barge Collision Stretches Nine Miles

Sundance Channel — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:56:42 +0000

Cleanup crews and 27 skimmer boats are working to contain and remove oil from a massive spill that happened when a crude oil tanker and a barge collided Saturday in the Port Arthur Ship Channel.

Texas Air Cleaner in Four Cities

Sundance Channel — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:07:16 +0000

Lower levels of air pollutants in four Texas cities prompted the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to remove these chemicals from the state's Air Pollutant Watch Lists, the agency said today. In the case of Corpus Christi, levels of benzene, the sole remaining air pollutant, are now low enough to warrant lifting the entire watch list.

IG Report: Last U.S. Jaguar Captured, Killed Intentionally

Sundance Channel — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:22:56 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC, January 22, 2010 (ENS) – The last known wild jaguar in the United States captured and killed last year in Arizona, was intentionally caught by employees of the Arizona Game and Fish Department in a snare, the Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General said in a report issued Wednesday that implicates the state [...]

Obama’s One-Year Environmental Grades Range From ‘B+’ to ‘C-’

Sundance Channel — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:41:10 +0000

One year after he was inaugurated with promises of "hope" and "change," President Barack Obama has earned only a grade of "C" for his handling of endangered species, climate, energy, public lands, and oceans from one conservation group but an overall grade of "B+" on climate and energy from another.

Korean Police Arrest Protesters Against Jeju Island Naval Base

Sundance Channel — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:50:56 +0000

Once it was known as an eco-paradise, a resort island of peace, but today hundreds of police clashed with villagers protesting construction of a Korean naval base on Jeju Island.

Florida First State for EPA Nutrient Limits in Surface Waters

Sundance Channel — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:28:14 +0000

The U.S. EPA is planning to impose limits on phosphorus and nitrogen in Florida waters that will be the first federal standards for nutrient pollution in the waters of a state.

Disaster Declared: Alaska’s Yukon River Chinook Salmon Run Fails

Sundance Channel — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:39:15 +0000

There has been a commercial "fishery failure" for Alaska's Yukon River Chinook salmon due to low salmon returns, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has formally determined.

Algae Research Expected to Yield Green Jet Fuel, Diesel, Gas

Sundance Channel — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:48:10 +0000

To create green aviation fuels, diesel, and gasoline that can be transported and sold using existing fueling infrastructure, the Obama administration is investing up to $78 million of economic stimulus money in biomass technologies, including algae, says Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

Animal Welfare Groups Partner to Help Animals in Haiti

Sundance Channel — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:58:08 +0000

The International Fund for Animal Welfare and the World Society for the Protection of Animals have agreed to head up a coalition of groups to address the needs of the millions of animals in Haiti following the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday.

Investors Representing $13 Trillion Call for Climate Action Now

Sundance Channel — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:00:10 +0000

The world's largest investors today issued a statement calling on the United States and other governments to "act now to catalyze development of a low-carbon economy and to attract the vast amount of private capital necessary for such a transformation."

Obama Awards Clean-Tech Manufacturing Tax Credits Worth $2.3 Billion

Sundance Channel — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:26:45 +0000

President Barack Obama today announced the award of $2.3 billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits for 183 clean energy manufacturing projects across the United States.

UK Wind Power Blasts Off With Nine New Offshore Wind Farms

Sundance Channel — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:09:11 +0000

The development of European offshore wind power accelerated today as the British government announced approval for offshore wind farm development areas with a capacity 10 times greater than Europe's entire existing offshore wind energy capacity.

U.S. Auto Fleet Shrinks as Youth Lose Interest in Cars

Sundance Channel — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:29:32 +0000

"America's century-old love affair with the automobile may be coming to an end," says Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute, a nonprofit environmental research organization.

Six States Chosen for Building Efficiency Retrofit Academy

Sundance Channel — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:10:47 +0000

To help states develop strategies that will improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings and reduce costs and emissions, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices today announced that six states have been selected to participate in the Policy Academy on State Building Efficiency Retrofit Programs.

2010 Year of Biodiversity Tries to Rein in Runaway Extinctions

Sundance Channel — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:28:56 +0000

Due to human activities, the world's animal and plant species are disappearing at a rate some experts put at 1,000 times the natural progression, the United Nations said January 1, marking 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity - the variety of life on Earth.

Somali Militants Force UN Agency to Suspend Food Distribution

Sundance Channel — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 07:25:18 +0000

Attacks on humanitarian operations and a string of threats and unacceptable demands from armed groups have made it impossible for the world's largest food aid agency to continue feeding up to one million hungry people in southern Somalia.

9/11 Responders Left With Lung Problems, Asthma, Cancer

Sundance Channel — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:14:59 +0000

Research conducted during 2009 shows that first responders to the 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attacks suffer from asthma at more than twice the rate of the general U.S. population. They also suffer other ongoing lung problems and may have a higher risk of cancer.

Judge Revokes Approval of Pesticide That Could Harm Bees

Sundance Channel — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:08:12 +0000

A pesticide approved just 18 months ago must be taken off the market because it could be toxic to America's honey bees, already in steep decline.

Year of the Tiger Dawns With Just 3,200 Wild Tigers Left

Sundance Channel — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:41:25 +0000

To mark 2010 as Year of the Tiger, the government of Nepal has announced the expansion of Bardia National Park in the Terai Arc landscape by 900 square kilometers (347 square miles), which will increase critical habitat for wild tigers.

Ottawa River Cleanup Started After Months of Delay

Sundance Channel — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:21:28 +0000

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Ottawa River Group and the state of Ohio began construction on phase one of a $49 million cleanup of the Ottawa River and Sibley Creek in Toledo on December 19. The work was supposed to begin this past summer, but was held up by delays in government bidding procedures.

Philippine Volcano Shoots Ash, Lava; Thousands Evacuated

Sundance Channel — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 14:25:32 +0000

MANILA, Philippines, December 24, 2009 (ENS) – Mount Mayon, the Philippines’ most active volcano, is shooting columns of ash more than a kilometer above the summit and red hot lava is “fountaining” to a height of 500 meters – signs that an eruption is imminent, national volcano officials said today. Phivolcs, the Philippine Institute of [...]

Duke Energy Will Spend $93 Million to Settle Clean Air Violations

Sundance Channel — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:13:23 +0000

A $93 million court settlement requiring Duke Energy, one of the America's largest electric power companies, to eliminate sulfur dioxide emissions from a coal-fired plant in Indiana, was reached Tuesday, state and federal officials said.

Federal Agencies Issue Plan to Ease Water Crisis in California’s Bay-Delta

Sundance Channel — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:57:49 +0000

To address the water crisis in California, the Obama administration today released a coordinated interim action plan that involves six federal agencies.

Catching up with the “Crude” court case

Amy Reiter — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:26:14 +0000

When it premiered in January 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival, Joe Berlinger's documentary CRUDE opened many filmgoers' eyes to the plight of 30,000 people from five indigenous tribes in Ecuador. These residents of what had been a beautiful, biodiverse rain forest were suffering the effects of what has become known as the "Amazon Chernobyl," in which, they and others contend, 18 billion gallons of toxic oil waste had been dumped in their rivers and on their land. The water they drank, bathed and played in had been poisoned, and their children, siblings and parents were sick and dying in alarming numbers.

Time Runs Out But Climate Talks Continue, Draft Deal Tabled

Sundance Channel — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:38:35 +0000

Just before 01.00 on Saturday morning, a number of heads of state and government agreed on a draft climate agreement at the UN conference in Copenhagen. The draft includes agreement on the target of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius and on money for climate financing.

A Copenhagen Climate Accord, Not Nothing, But Not Enough

Sundance Channel — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:52:23 +0000

After a marathon all night session at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen, talks aimed at reaching a deal to limit greenhouse gases warming the planet ended with what UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon called an "essential beginning" that contains progress on all key fronts.