Category: RT Newswire

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2008  1:37 PM

CONTACT: World Wildlife Fund
Joe Pouliot
joe.pouliot@wwwfus.org
202-778-9730

New Report From WWF Projects Stressed Water Resources
As Region Grapples With Second Consecutive Year Of Drought, New Findings Illustrate Significant Climate Vulnerability

WASHINGTON – July 10 – As the Southeast contends with the second consecutive year of exceptional drought, a new report commissioned by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) projects that climate change will increasingly stress water resources and affect water quality over a major portion of the region. The report, which was presented at a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill today, concludes that climate impacts on water resources are likely to be further exacerbated by population growth and land use changes.  At risk are hundreds of unique, threatened, or endangered aquatic vertebrate species.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2008  3:04 PM

CONTACT: Pacific Institute
Nancy Ross, Pacific Institute,
nross@pacinst.org · 510.251.1600 x106

Extreme Weather Events Will Increasingly Affect US Water Supply
With global warming we are ‘loading the dice,’ Cooley testifies before Congress

WASHINGTON – July 10 – “With global warming, there is an increased risk of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heat waves,” according to the Congressional testimony of Heather Cooley, senior research associate of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California. Cooley’s testimony was provided to the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming for the hearing on Climate Change and Extreme Events on Thursday, July 10.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2008  10:33 AM

CONTACT: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Kyla Bennett (508) 230-9933;
Carol Goldberg (202) 265-7337

Maine Seeks Pre-Approval for Wetlands Destruction
Maine DOT ‘Umbrella Mitigation Bank’ Tries to Exploit Weakened Federal Policies

BOSTON – July 10 – One of the first state agencies to submit a plan under a new federal rule is seeking a sweeping grant of authority to pave over wetlands in return for use of mitigation banking, according to regulatory comments filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed “Umbrella Mitigation Bank Prospectus” would permit destruction of wetlands in exchange for preservation of other land or creation of new wetlands elsewhere in the state to replace what has been destroyed.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2008  10:11 AM

CONTACT: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Ceal Smith [Citizens for San Luis Valley Water Protection Coalition] (719) 256-5780;
Travis Stills [Energy Minerals Law Center] (970) 375-9231;
Jeff Ruch [PEER] 202-265-7337

Fish & Wildlife Service Hiding Influence of Refuge Driller
Federal Court Asked to Force Government to Release Records

ALAMOSA, Colorado – July 10 – The federal government is refusing to release documents that could show whether a Canadian company that wants to drill in the Baca National Wildlife Refuge had inappropriate influence over a study of the project’s impacts.

Records of emails between Lexam Explorations Inc., a Canadian “wildcatter,” and a Department of Interior lawyer indicate that the company was repeatedly invited to review and comment on internal drafts of an environmental assessment that was being prepared to evaluate the impact of drilling on the San Luis Valley refuge. Other documents suggest the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service relied on the oil and gas company to compile data on wildlife in the nation’s newest wildlife refuge.

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