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Thursday, November 2, 2006
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New Scientist: "Kevin Trenberth reckons he is a marked man. He has argued that last year's devastating Atlantic hurricane season, which spawned hurricane Katrina, was linked to global warming. For the many politicians and minority of scientists who insist there is no evidence for any such link, Trenberth's views are unacceptable and some have called for him step down from an international panel studying climate change. 'The attacks on me are clearly designed to get me fired or to resign,' says Trenberth.
"The attacks fit a familiar pattern. Sceptics have also set their sights on scientists who have spoken out about the accelerating meltdown of the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica and the thawing of the planet's permafrost. These concerns will be addressed in the next report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global organisation created by the UN in 1988 to assess the risks of human-induced climate change. Every time one of these assessments is released, about once every five years, some of the American scientists who have played a part in producing it become the targets of concerted attacks apparently designed to bring down their reputations and careers. At stake is the credibility of scientists who fear our planet is hurtling towards disaster and want to warn the public in the US and beyond.
"So when the next IPCC report is released in February 2007, who will be the targets and why? When New Scientist spoke to researchers on both sides of the climate divide it became clear that they are ready for a showdown. If the acrimony were to become so intense that American scientists were forced to stop helping in the preparation of IPCC reports, it could seriously dent the organisation and rob the world of some significant voices in the climate change debate."
Read the whole article - there is a lot of good detail and background about the controversy.
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
6:10:55 AM 
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Colorado Springs had a break in the Homestake pipeline Tuesday, according to KKTV. From the article, "Near 11 Mile Reservoir in Park County, the pipeline supplies 50 to 70% of the Springs' water supply, but early Tuesday morning, it sprang a leak. 'We lost 2.5 millions gallons of water,' Tom Vidmar, the superintendent of the Homestake water system said. It is 76 miles of pipe that carries water to Aurora and Colorado Springs. Vidmar said corrosion led to the pipe break. 100 cubic feet of water pass through the pipe every second under 220 pounds of pressure. So, when the pipe gave way, you can only imagine what kind of explosion it created. It was such a big explosion, it left a huge hole in the ground. You can now see the pipe, which is usually buried 5 feet underground. And, pieces of the pipe were found 150 feet away...
"CSU said this pipe break reiterates the fact that Colorado Springs needs another water supply system like the Southern Delivery System. If that project gets the go ahead, water from Pueblo Reservoir would be brought into the Springs."
Category: Colorado Water
6:07:39 AM
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Lamar Daily News: "The Colorado Association of Conservation Districts (CACD) will hold its annual meeting November 13 through November 16, in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The 77 Colorado Conservation Districts and partners are invited to the 62nd CACD Annual Meeting to be held at the historic Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs. This year's theme is 'Colorado's Heartbeat: Agriculture, Water and Energy.' Representatives of the Conservation Districts will hear from Russell George, Department of Natural Resources Director, the keynote speaker. Other speakers include attorney David Robbins, who will present 'Water Law 101' followed by a panel of Interbasin Compact Committee members. In addition, National Association of Conservation Districts Incoming President Olin Sims and Colorado NRCS State Conservationist Allen Green, will address the meeting."
Category: Colorado Water
6:01:31 AM
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The Sierra Club was in court yesterday trying to move the lawsuit against Colorado Springs over Fountain Creek pollution off dead center, and obtain a summary judgement, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. From the article, "The Sierra Club on Wednesday told a judge he should rule that Colorado Springs is liable for pollution of Fountain Creek through a summary judgment. The environmental group's position is in a new 34-page filing in U.S. District Court. A summary judgment ruling would mean there would be no trial in club's lawsuit. The club wants the judge to rule that the city broke federal law and wants him then to quickly consider assessing monetary penalties against the city. The group contends that a trial is not needed because there are no disputed issues of material facts that would prevent the judge from concluding that Colorado Springs has violated the federal Clean Water Act. The club argued that evidence already filed is sufficient for Judge Walker Miller to reach that conclusion and therefore the group 'is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law.'
"The evidence includes the city's own reports about numerous spills of raw sewage and other pollutants into the creek. The pollutants, including human wastes and toxic chemicals, are a threat to human health, wildlife and the environment, a witness for the club said in the filing.
"Colorado Springs already has asked Miller to throw out the environmental group's lawsuit, asserting that the club does not have standing, the legal right to bring the lawsuit because it purportedly doesn't have a personal stake in the outcome. The club's new filing challenges the city's assertion by including declarations of six Sierra members about how the spills interfere with their use and enjoyment of the creek. Pueblo County District Attorney Bill Thiebaut has a separate, but similar, lawsuit against Colorado Springs. A judge has consolidated the lawsuits for consideration as one case. Colorado Springs wants Thiebaut's lawsuit thrown out, contending district attorneys have no legal authority to file this type of lawsuit and contending that his lawsuit is precluded by the Clean Water Act because state authorities have met their responsibility to enforce the act regarding the spills. Miller is not likely to rule before December on any of the filings that would dispose of the lawsuits because that is when the district attorney's request for a judgment without a trial is due."
Category: Colorado Water
5:53:35 AM
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© Copyright
2006
John Orr.
Last update:
12/29/06; 12:23:18 PM.
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