Environmental News April 6 - April 24 2010

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, a Top Dana Point Hotel, Hosts Launch of Jean-Michael Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment Program
Dana Point, CA (PRWEB) April 24, 2010 – Environmental and cultural education are top of mind for this leading Southern California beach resort The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, a top Dana Point hotel, introduces Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment, which includes an environmental and cultural education center with excursions led by expert naturalists. Ambassadors of the Environment (AOTE) officially launches at the Southern California beach resort on Earth Day, April 22, 2010.
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'Unique' Populace of Killer whales off B.C. coast Identified by Scientists
April 24, 2010
A worldwide team of scientists have recognized a vulnerable populace of whale slaughterers, who spend maximum time hunting seals off the British Columbia coast, they have been identified as a diverse group alienated from its fellow orcas in Canada and away, about 700,000 years back.
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New whaling plan draws fire from all sides
Apr 23, 2010
by Frank Zelle
TOKYO (AFP) – A "peace plan" by the International Whaling Commission to legitimise but reduce whaling drew fire Friday as Japan demanded higher quotas and environmentalists warned of serious harm to the ocean giants.
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Rig sinks in Gulf of Mexico, oil spill risk looms
April 23, 2010
The fire went out as the Deepwater Horizon, operated by Transocean Ltd, sank below the surface at 10:21 a.m. CDT (1521 GMT), about 42 miles off the Louisiana coast.
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Ocean Chemistry Changing At 'Unprecedented Rate'
Date: 23-Apr-10
Country: US
Author: Deborah Zabarenko
Carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming are also turning the oceans more acidic at the fastest pace in hundreds of thousands of years, the National Research Council reported Thursday.
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Ocean salinities show an intensified water cycle
April 21, 2010
The study, co-authored by CSIRO scientists Paul Durack and Dr Susan Wijffels, shows the surface ocean beneath rainfall-dominated regions has freshened, whereas ocean regions dominated by evaporation are saltier. The paper also confirms that surface warming of the world's oceans over the past 50 years has penetrated into the oceans' interior changing deep-ocean salinity patterns.
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What Country Is the Best at Protecting the Environment?
21 April 2010
By Remy Melina, Staff Writer
After dropping more than 20 spots this year in one ranking that measures how well countries are working to protect the environment, the United States is taking steps to improve its environmental impact.
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Mercury in Tuna Sushi Higher at Restaurants than Groceries
April 21st 2010
Tuna sushi from your local supermarket might have lower mercury levels and so be safer to eat than sushi from a high-end restaurant, a new study using fish DNA suggests.
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Invasive Lionfish Attacks Reefs and Fish as Scientists Scramble
April 20, 2010
by Virginia Morell
Indo-Pacific lionfish, an invasive carnivore equipped with venomous spines, are spreading—and eating their way—through the fishes of the Caribbean Sea. In an effort to stop, or at least slow down, these fearless invaders, the National Science Foundation has awarded a 3-year, $700,000 grant to scientists at Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis. The lionfish are normally found in Pacific Ocean waters.
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Belo Monte Dam Auction Proceeds Despite Protests Across Brazil
April 20, 2010 (ENS)
Today's bidding for electricity generated by Brazil's planned Belo Monte Dam in the Amazon rainforest has been marked by protests and legal confusion. A court injunction issued late Monday suspended the dam auction overnight, throwing the bidding process into a state of chaos.
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Australia plans tough Great Barrier Reef shipping laws
April 19, 2010
By Phil Mercer
BBC News, Sydney
Australia is planning to subject commercial ships passing through all parts of the Great Barrier Reef to greater surveillance.
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Lautenberg bill seeks to overhaul U.S. chemical laws
By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 15, 2010
After a year of working with environmental groups, government regulators and the chemical industry, a leading advocate for chemical regulation has devised a plan to remake the nation's chemical laws -- a 34-year-old set of regulations that all players agree is outmoded and ineffective.
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Leonardo DiCaprio, Edward Norton participate in sea eco-conference
April 14, 2010
London: An elite group of environmentally-conscious celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Edward Norton, gathered in Ecuador last week to participate in an innovative conference and visited the Galapagos Islands.
he stars joined over 100 business leaders, scientists and activists to participate in The Mission Blue Voyage, a four-day conference at sea to address conservation issues in the country, reports the Daily Express.
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Congress schedules hearing on marine mammals in captivity
April 8, 2010
Prompted by the recent death of SeaWorld trainer, a Congressional committee will hold hearings that may lead to more oversight.
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Turtles killed 'in millions' by fishing gear
April 6, 2010
Millions of marine turtles have been killed over the past two decades through entrapment in fishing gear, according to a global survey.
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California surfer receives whale of an escort during marathon paddle
April 1, 2010
When Southern California surfer Jodie Nelson set out Sunday to standup-paddle nearly 40 miles from Santa Catalina Island to Dana Point, she hoped it'd inspire her best friend, who has been involved in a long and exhausting struggle with breast cancer, to keep fighting.
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Green Planet Bottle, Not So Green
Date: 01-Apr-10
Author: Nayelli Gonzalez
It has arrived. Ladies and gentlemen: the compostable water bottle has arrived. Earlier this month, Green Planet Bottle launched an organic, 100% plant-based bottle which is not only petroleum- and BPA-free, but it's also carbon neutral. This is certainly a good business move: Green Planet is entering the $11 billion bottled water market that doesn't seem to go away. But can bottled water really be "green," or sustainable?
Read more here.