Pollution has hit record levels recently, prompting citizens to ask if they’re paying for economic growth with their health.
Islands Want Climate Change Seen As Security Threat By UN
The Marshall Islands and other low-lying island nations appealed to the U.N. Security Council to recognize climate change as an international security threat that jeopardizes their very survival.
Tony deBrum, a minister and assistant to the Marshall Islands president, said February 15 the island nations are facing opposition from Security Council permanent members Russia and China and a group of more than 130 mainly developing nations, which argue that the U.N.’s most powerful body is the wrong place to address climate change.
U.S. Water Infrastructure Repairs Threatened, National League Of Cities Says
Repairing U.S. water infrastructure is becoming increasingly expensive and options for funding upgrades to sewers, storm drains and drinking water systems are under threat, the National League of Cities told a congressional hearing on February 15. Costs for the repairs run into the hundreds of billions of dollars, with federal estimates of needed drinking water system upgrades at $334.8 billion and updating wastewater and stormwater management infrastructure at $298.1 billion over 20 years, said Michael Sesma, a city council member of Gaithersburg, Maryland, speaking on behalf of the cities’ group.
Keystone XL Pipeline Work Delayed, Nebraska Utility Says
A Nebraska utility says the new route for a proposed oil pipeline that would carry Canadian crude oil through the state will delay work on electric transmission lines for the pipeline. Nebraska Public Power District officials said they won’t be able to build the transmission lines by the deadline TransCanada set for the end of 2014. NPPD Chief Operating Officer Tom Kent said there’s no way the transmission lines will be ready by 2015, the Columbus Telegram reported.
Filipino super-typhoon an ominous warning of climate change impact
Philippines is having to adapt and adjust to rapidly deteriorating climatic trends at a great cost to its economy.
