Nebraska state lawmakers and conservationists(click here) who have seen a major drought, historic flooding and gigantic wildfires over the last decade are pushing to prepare the state for climate change, but if history is an indicator, legislators won’t be warming to the idea anytime soon.
Nebraska is one of seven Plains states that haven’t created a formal plan to confront the local impact of more extreme weather, bucking the trend of 33 others and the District of Columbia that have done so since the mid-2000s.
A 2016 report endorsed by a bipartisan legislative committee called on lawmakers to write a plan “based on empirical evidence and Nebraska-based data.” But a bill that would have started the process died in the Legislature in 2017, leaving some supporters exasperated.
“I don’t know if it’s politics. I don’t know if it’s just climate deniers. I just think this is very serious for our generation and future generations,” said Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks, of Lincoln. “Just winging it is not a plan.”
And why won't these states protect their agriculture with a comprehensive climate plan? For the same reason the USA is floundering under Trump. THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY!
North Dakota (click here) lies on top of a large geologic feature of North America called the Williston Basin. (See Map 1.) The Basin, more than 300,000 square miles in area, includes Saskatchewan, Manitoba (both in Canada), Montana, and South Dakota. The largest portion of the Williston Basin is located in North Dakota....
...We know today that the Williston Basin is a major source of coal, oil, and natural gas. These resources are located in the Basin area because the geologic history of the region. While the Basin was forming, shallow seas covered the area, but receded several times. Animal and plant organisms lived and died in or near the seas and their remains were deposited on the bottom of the sea. Some of this organic material became oil. The woody debris along the shores of the sea became coal....
AND
The pipelines are very dangerous, especially with the climate crisis and here is why.
January 24, 2019
By Daniel Hill
Winter is wintery (click here) once again in the St. Louis area, as the last two weekends have seen the region blanketed in snow, rendering our grocery stores devoid of milk and eggs while simultaneously ensuring Art Hill is the the most happening spot in town.
That's all well and good — after all, St. Louis looks great dressed in white. But next week a polar vortex (the best name for one of the worst weather events) will push temperatures in the region into bitter cold, icy-as-Frosty's-testicles territory.
The National Weather Service says the arctic air will push into the region next Tuesday through Thursday, bringing temperatures in the single digits — even falling to below zero in some areas — with wind chill temperatures even lower still. It's set to be the coldest weather to hit the St. Louis area since the winter of 2014....
Everywhere along the path of the Polar Vortex there is more than ice jams in rivers. They are important because flooding causes peril to human life. But, there are reports of gas main leaks, fires because of gas leaks, water main breaks and now this.
The USA cannot afford to lose valuable agricultural land to leaks, like the one discussed in this article that occurred in very cold North Dakota. With the climate getting hotter every year, there is a real potential for peril to agricultural land. It is vital the USA maintain it's land with a pristine condition and OIL IS NOT THE WAY IT IS DONE!
February 7, 2019
A portion of TransCanada Corp's Keystone oil pipeline (click here) remained shut on Thursday for investigation of a possible leak on its right-of-way near St. Louis, Missouri, a company spokesman said.
TransCanada shut the pipeline on Wednesday between Steele City, Nebraska and Patoka, Illinois and sent crews to assess the situation, spokesman Terry Cunha said in an email.
The 590,000 barrels-per-day Keystone pipeline is a critical artery taking Canadian crude from northern Alberta to U.S. refineries.
Two pipelines operating near the release site will be excavated on Friday to determine the source of the leak, said Darius Kirkwood, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The agency is monitoring the response to the reported leak, he said....
