Disasters

"The USA hasn't been this dry in almost five years."

"Still reeling from last year's devastating drought that led to at least $10 billion in agricultural losses across Texas and the South, the nation is enduring another unusually parched year.

"GENEVA -- United Nations officials are urging the international community to extend immediate help to millions of hungry and thirsty people in the Sahel region of West Africa, warning that a humanitarian disaster is near."

"Investors group will vent its displeasure during AGM by voting against £4.6m remuneration package for chief executive"

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"A substantial pay revolt will be mounted by shareholders at the annual general meeting of BP on Thursday following the board decision to give more than £4m remuneration to chief executive, Bob Dudley, despite a depressed stock price.

A group of investors will vote in protest against acceptance of this part of the company's remuneration report, emboldened by a negative recommendation from the shareholder advisory body Pirc.

"Myriad agencies have investigated BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but the owner of the rig that exploded and sank wants to draw the line at the one designated by Congress to probe disasters involving deadly chemical blasts and releases."

T"he U.S. Chemical Safety Board, which investigates chemical explosions in the same manner the National Transportation Safety Board investigates airplane crashes, launched its first offshore investigation shortly after the 2010 explosion killed 11 workers and allowed more than 4 million barrels of crude to foul the gulf.

"Lloyd's of London, the world's biggest insurance market, has become the first major business organisation to raise its voice about huge potential environmental damage from oil drilling in the Arctic."

"An 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia on Wednesday, sending residents around the region scurrying from buildings and raising fears of a huge tsunami as in 2004, but authorities said there were no reports suggesting a major threat."

"Houses trembled a half mile away when a natural gas explosion rattled a compressor station near Springville, a hotbed of Marcellus Shale development in northern Pennsylvania. Just two hours after the March 29 blast, a gas safety inspector from the state Public Utility Commission was on the scene to begin an investigation into possible violations of gas safety rules. But he did not get far."

"Texas tornadoes that hit the Dallas area Tuesday resulted in no fatalities, in part due to timely warnings. But a new model could improve tornado warning times dramatically."

"TORONTO -- More than 130 large dams built, under construction, or proposed in western China's seismic hazard zones could trigger disasterous environmental consequences such as earthquakes and giant waves, finds a new report from the Canadian watchdog group Probe International."

"The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season will be 'below average' with 10 tropical storms, four of which will strengthen into hurricanes, Colorado State University forecasters predicted on Wednesday."