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Deadpool: US mega drought spells trouble at Hoover Dam
Lake Mead (United States) (AFP) - Millions of gallons of Colorado River water hurtle through the Hoover Dam every day, generating electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes. But the mega drought affecting the western United States is sending reservoir levels plummeting towards deadpool -- the point at which the dam can no longer produce power. "We are 23rd year of drought here in the Colorado River Basin and Lake Mead has dropped down to 28 percent," explains Patti Aaron of the US Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the dam. She was referring to the vast lake created by the building of t...
AFP
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US drought exposes murky mob past of Las Vegas
Las Vegas (AFP) - Mobsters who end up sleeping with the fishes are usually never seen again. But climate change has a way of messing even with the mafia, and a watery grave outside Las Vegas is starting to cough up Sin City's darkest secrets. Lake Mead, which can be reached from the Las Vegas Strip by a short ride in the trunk of a car with your hands and feet bound, is drying up in a grueling decades-long drought. Its receding waters are leaving behind the usual flotsam and jetsam of a lake heavily trafficked by weekend boaters. But also bodies. One particular find caught the attention of mob...
AFP
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Glissement de terrain en Inde: 37 morts
Guwahati (Inde) (AFP) - Le glissement de terrain survenu jeudi dans le nord-est de l'Inde a fait 37 morts et 25 personnes étaient toujours portées disparues trois jours après la catastrophe, selon un nouveau bilan rendu public dimanche par les autorités. Le glissement de terrain, charriant de la boue et des blocs rocheux, a enseveli jeudi dans l'Etat de Manipur un camp hébergeant les ouvriers et les réservistes de l'armée qui travaillaient sur un chantier ferroviaire. Au cours des heures qui avaient suivi la catastrophe, les équipes de secours avaient pu retrouver 18 survivants. Dimanche, le p...
AFP (Français)
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US mega drought makes boating rough on Lake Mead
Lake Mead (United States) (AFP) - In the 15 years since Adam Dailey began boating on Lake Mead, the shoreline has receded hundreds of meters, the result of more than two decades of punishing drought that is drying out the western United States. Launch spots that lined the edge of the lake, located outside Las Vegas, have been abandoned, and a single ramp is now the only way to get a boat in the water. "We used to have more. So everyone's fighting to use one ramp... and still trying to figure out how to get along," said Dailey. "It's kind of sad, what's going on. But we still come out and try t...
AFP
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Kerry vows US to meet climate goal despite court setback
Washington (AFP) - US climate envoy John Kerry vowed Friday the United States will meet goals it submitted to the United Nations on slashing greenhouse gas emissions, despite a Supreme Court ruling that curtailed the government's powers. "We are determined to achieve our goals. We can achieve our goals," Kerry told AFP. "But obviously it would help if we had a majority of the Supreme Court in the United States of America that actually understood the gravity of the situation and was more willing to try to be helpful rather than present a hurdle of one kind or another," he said. President Joe Bi...
AFP
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Grippe aviaire: des réserves naturelles britanniques fermées
By Stuart GRAHAM Édimbourg (AFP) - Des réserves naturelles du nord-est de l'Angleterre et d'Écosse abritant de nombreux oiseaux marins ont été fermées aux visiteurs après une suspicion d'épidémie de grippe aviaire en pleine période de reproduction, ont annoncé vendredi des responsables. La décision de fermer les îles Farne, qui attirent de nombreux touristes venus observer les macareux, a été prise après la mort de plusieurs centaines d'oiseaux marins sur l'île voisine de Coquet. Le directeur général du site, Simon Lee, a expliqué que les oiseaux marins étaient particulièrement vulnérables en ...
AFP (Français)
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En Inde, des femmes ressuscitent des plans d'eau pour vaincre la sécheresse
By Jalees ANDRABI Chhatarpur (Inde) (AFP) - Alors que les tempêtes de mousson s'abattent sur l'Inde, des femmes participant à un programme d'irrigation dans des villages frappés par la sécheresse espèrent que leur labeur harassant viendra à bout du manque d'eau. Deuxième pays le plus peuplé au monde, l'Inde peine à satisfaire les besoins en eau de ses 1,4 milliard d'habitants. Et le problème s'aggrave à mesure que le changement climatique rend la météo toujours plus imprévisible. Peu de régions connaissent des conditions aussi rudes que le Bundelkhand, dans le centre de l'Inde, où le manque d'...
AFP (Français)
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Greta Thunberg to launch new book at London Literature Festival
Greta Thunberg has been announced as the headliner for this year's London Literature Festival. The 19-year-old climate activist will use her slot to launch "The Climate Book", a collection of more than 100 contributions from figures such as economist Kate Raworth, writer and activist Naomi Klein and author Margaret Atwood. Hosted in collaboration with Penguin Live at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, her speech will be live streamed for free around the world. The festival, which takes place from October 20-30, will also host a series of events exploring the climate crisis. Science jo...
DPA
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Easy ways to save energy (and money) at home while the weather is hot
Energy bills are rising and concerns about gas supplies are growing in many parts of the world. Here are a few ways consumers can save power, especially in the warmer months: Tip 1: Change the setting on your water heater The fastest and easiest way to use less energy is to shower a little cooler during hot summer days. Not everyone feels like a cold shower early in the day but you can save energy if you turn down the temperature on your water heater to 60 degrees Celsius. This can cut your annual energy costs by around 10%, according to co2online, a consultancy, based on annual average values...
DPA
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Ailing oceans in the spotlight at major UN meet
Lisbon (AFP) - A long-delayed UN conference on how to restore the faltering health of global oceans kicks off in Lisbon Monday, with thousands of policymakers, experts and advocates on the case. Humanity needs healthy oceans. They generate 50 percent of the oxygen we breathe and provide essential protein and nutrients to billions of people every day. Covering more than two-thirds of Earth's surface, the seven seas have also softened the impact of climate change for life on land. But at a terrible cost. Absorbing around a quarter of CO2 pollution -- even as emissions increased by half over the...
AFP
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