Links to the latest news on global climate change http://www.climatechangenews.org 144 144 http://www.climatechangenews.org http://www.climatechangenews.org/images/pod2.jpg http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-europe-11080827 French engineers begin an operation to drain a lake that has formed under a glacier on Mont Blanc, and which threatens to flood a valley below. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/science-environment-11076786 Even the most extreme geoengineering approaches will not stop sea levels from rising due to climate change, a study suggests. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-latin-america-11086299 A 'fire tornado' has been caught on camera in the Brazilian municipality of Aracatuba, caused by strong, dry winds that fanned wildfires. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/climateprogress/lCrX/~3/GSQ_LK4Vlv0/ The economic benefits of climate and clean energy policies, such as California''s Global Warming Solutions Act, or AB 32, are clear. The Center for American Progress and this blog have reported on the opportunities for growth and job creation from AB 32 several times (see 'A California Campaign With Global Consequences' and Economists agree, don' t block AB 32!). The Stop the Dirty Energy Proposition coalition provides additional background here. Despite this, the oil- funded campaign to pass Proposition 23 that would repeal AB 32 is continuing to spill misinformation with a new 'Fact Sheet ... Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.desmogblog.com/oil-gas-industries-spent-record-175-million-lobbying-against-climate-action fuelingwashington. jpeg The oil and gas industries unleashed a massive $175 million lobbying spree last year to derail U. S. efforts to address climate change, according to a new series of reports by the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP). Open. Secrets. org blogger Evan Mackinder reveals just how badly oil and gas interests pummeled the environmental community, which spent its own record $22.4 million trying to convince Washington to get its act together to fight global warming. As CRP notes, "Goliath whipped David." CRP''s new series, titled "Fueling Washington: How Oil Money Drives Politics," details the oil and gas industries' outsized influence in Washington. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.desmogblog.com/arctic-sea-ice-taking-turn-worse Arctic Ice Figure4 Aug 5, 2010.png The National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Co., has posted an update on the state of Arctic ice, saying that current conditions point to a bad year, but not a record- breaker. "If the daily rate of decline this August follows the average August rate of decline for 1979 to 2000, the daily sea ice minimum in September would be 5.00 million square kilometers (1.93 million square miles), considerably higher than the record minimum of 4.13 million square kilometers (1.59 million square miles) observed for September 16, 2007." But if you look at the current graph, the ice is NOT following "the average August rate of decline." And if you look closely at the inset illustration showing the distribution of multi- year ice, and then read the NSIDC analysis under ... Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/572294/climate_activism_is_the_trial_more_important_than_the_protest.html As nine climate change activists are fined by a Scottish judge for breaking into Aberdeen airport, we look at how courtroom manoeuvres form a crucial part of the package Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/562566/cheap_solar_geoengineering_plans_may_have_unintended_consequences.html Researchers warn that individual countries looking to go it alone with 'cheap' solutions to regional climate change could inflict negative impacts on the rest of world Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://energybulletin.net/stories/2010-08-23/epitaph-poles How they graced Planet Earth, anchoring magnetic fields. They were wedded to Auroras, Borealis and Australis. With their wildly extreme environs, the Poles were evolutionary crucibles for spectacular life- forms. They inspired the greatest of adventurers, then punished them severely for their trespasses. Yet they were good for many who never knew them. Along with the atmosphere and the rainforests, they moderated the Peoples' climate for 2 million years. Then a dangerous game of growth was played and the polar team lost: Wall Street Bulls,$75 trillion GDP -- Polar Bears, 0. read more Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://energybulletin.net/53777 Oil and safe drinking water are on parallel courses to depletion " a scarcity that will lead to starvation, disease and warfare. The issue here is drinking water. And there is a lot less of that than seawater. Due to a number of management issues, made worse by climate change, drinking water is fast becoming a geopolitical resource to rival oil " a flashpoint at various places around the globe. read more Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://energybulletin.net/stories/2010-08-10/global-warming-how-do-we-move-forward Global warming is not a standalone issue. At the same time as we are trying to decarbonize our entire society and cope with the erratic weather events of early climate change, we are simultaneously being hit with peak oil and economic contraction. read more Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://energybulletin.net/stories/2010-08-18/other-carbon-problem-—-ocean-acidification Humankind''s assault on the oceans continues apace. A short time ago, we considered the loss of 40% of the phytoplankton in the oceans since 1950. In my post How We Wrecked The Oceans, marine ecologist Jeremy Jackson explains why he believes the sea will be devoid of fish and other large marine organisms sometime in the 2040s. And now comes the "other" carbon problem- acidification of the oceans. read more Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://energybulletin.net/node/53739 Prices for basic farm commodities " wheat, corn, and soybeans " are actually somewhat higher in August of this year than they were in August of 2007 at the start of the record- breaking 2007-08 run- up in grain prices that led to food protests and riots in some 30 countries. Meanwhile, it is estimated that Russia could lose nearly 30 million tons of grain this summer. read more Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52500 "If this is not God''s wrath, what is?" 40-year- old taxi driver Bakht Zada said of the massive floods in Pakistan that have swept away his life earnings. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/19457047/1q3c75/alternet_environment~Global-Warming-Deniers-Arent-quotExpertsquot-At-All-Its-Time-for-a-New-View-of-Science The "debate" over global warming has never been about productive dialogue. Rather, it''s an indication of our eagerness to doubt issues that threaten our very existence. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/18653913/1q3c75/alternet_environment~Gas-Is-Really-Costing-Us-About-a-Gallon Calculating the true cost of living in a country built on oil. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/19102874/1pu65z/alternet_environment~Things-We-Need-for-a-Food-Revolution As marketers learn to fake climate- friendly food, how do we spot the real thing? It''s a question of values. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/aug/25/climate-change-activists-broke-law We' re not terrorists, we' re people who believe delivering our message on climate change is worth being charged and fined. In June 2010, nine climate change activists who had broken into Aberdeen airport in protest against the soaring CO2 emissions caused by aviation were convicted of a breach of the peace. On 25 August, after taking our urgent message on climate change seriously, the judge and court imposed on us very modest fines, ranging from £300 to £700 each and adding up to a total of £4,000-£5,000. This was the first climate trial in Scotland''s history. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/aug/25/british-gas-solar-panel-installation Energy company says 12 million homeowners could save £1,000 a year, as it looks to take advantage of government scheme. More than 12 million homeowners would be in line to save up to £1,000 a year, should they install solar panels, says British Gas. The utility firm is the latest in a host of companies offering to install electricity- generating systems on homes to take advantage of a government scheme that pays the owners of solar panels for the 'renewable' electricity they generate. The sudden allure of solar power is less to do with planet- saving and more to do with companies or individuals banking the lucrative feed- in- tariffs (Fits) for every unit of electricity generated " currently 41.3p per KWh, irrespective of whether you consume the power at the time or not. British Gas says the Fits payments can be worth £1, ... Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2010/aug/22/global-resources-deficit-land-water-oil On 21 August our environmental resource budget ran out. Now we' re living beyond the planet''s means to support us. At the weekend, Saturday 21 August to be precise, the world as a whole went into "ecological debt".That means in effect that from now until the end of the year, humanity will be consuming more natural resources and producing more waste than the forests, fields and fisheries of the world can replace and absorb. By doing so, the life -support systems that we all depend on are worn ever thinner. Farms become less productive, fish populations crash and climate regulating forests decline. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/22/bhp-billiton-potash-corp-global-crisis The battle for the fertiliser giant points to a near future in which world food supplies may need to rise by 70%BHP Billiton''s £28bn hostile bid for Canada''s Potash Corporation sets the scene for one of mining''s biggest takeover battles. But this is more than a clash between multinationals intent on self- aggrandisement. Certainly, the usual arguments are wheeled out by the predator about diversification, synergies and the prospect of fatter profits, while the target company complains about the offer price being pitched too low. But behind the rhetoric is a bidding war that lays bare the global struggle for resources on a planet struggling with water and food shortages, overpopulation and pollution. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/22/peak-oil-department-energy-climate-change Behind government dismissals of 'alarmist' fears there is growing concern over critical future energy supplies. Speculation that government ministers are far more concerned about a future supply crunch than they have admitted has been fuelled by the revelation that they are canvassing views from industry and the scientific community about "peak oil".The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is also refusing to hand over policy documents about "peak oil" " the point at which oil production reaches its maximum and then declines " under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, despite releasing others in which it admits "secrecy around the topic is probably not good".Experts say they have received a letter from David Mackay, chief scientific adviser to the DECC, asking for information and advice on peak oil amid a growing campaign from industrialists such as Sir Richard Branson for the government to put contingency plans ... Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.joabbess.com/2010/08/17/hockey-stick-still-sticking/ Welcome to the slightly revised and updated Hockey Stick :- [link] deltoid/2010/08/a_ new_ hockey_ stick_ mcshane_ and. php Yes, the Earth''s temperature is warming at a very fast pace. No, even though the statistical models here may be a little questionable, the graph still looks the same, more or less, to the sterling work of Michael Mann et al. (et al. = et alia = 'and the others'). Quelle surprise pas ! (I included a little French in here because Steve Mc. Intyre, the most infamous Global Warming septic oops, sorry, 'sceptic' nooo, 'skeptic' is Canadian, a famously bilingual country, or rather a country with a bilingual state, but I' m not implying that 'bilingual' means 'speaking with forked tongue'). Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2010/08/23/right-and-wrong/ Why climate science divides people along political lines. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/266/f/3780/s/cea8bb8/l/0L0Sindependent0O0Cenvironment0Cclimate0Echange0Con0Ethe0Efrontline0Eof0Eclimate0Echange0E20A563220Bhtml/story01.htm Irrigated by one of the world''s mightiest river systems, the Murray- Darling Basin yields nearly half of Australia''s fresh produce. But the basin is ailing, and scientists fear that as climate change grips the driest inhabited continent, its main foodbowl could become a global warming ground zero. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/266/f/3780/s/c9ac170/l/0L0Sindependent0O0Cnews0Cworld0Camericas0Chuge0Eice0Eisland0Ecalves0Eoff0Egreenland0Eglacier0E20A4620A70Bhtml/story01.htm An ice island four times the size of Manhattan broke off from one of Greenland''s two main glaciers, scientists said on Friday, in the biggest such event in the Arctic in nearly 50 years. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/266/f/3780/s/c590363/l/0L0Sindependent0O0Cenvironment0Cclimate0Echange0Cthe0Edead0Esea0Eglobal0Ewarming0Eblamed0Efor0E40A0Eper0Ecent0Edecline0Ein0Ethe0Eoceans0Ephytoplankton0E20A380A740Bhtml/story01.htm The microscopic plants that support all life in the oceans are dying off at a dramatic rate, according to a study that has documented for the first time a disturbing and unprecedented change at the base of the marine food web. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10928/s/cc406a6/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cmg20A7277320B70A0A0Ekyoto0Etargets0Eare0Eimpossible0Eto0Everify0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fclimate0Echange/story01.htm In 2012 rich nations must prove that they have cut emissions in accordance with their targets " but that may be an impossible task Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10928/s/cc360c0/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn1930A80Ethe0Enext0Ebest0Ething0Eto0Eoil0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fclimate0Echange/story01.htm The energy from concentrating solar power is already being used to generate hydrogen " it''s a short step from there to liquid hydrocarbons Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10928/s/cbbe491/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn1930A40Eis0Eclimate0Echange0Eburning0Erussia0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fclimate0Echange/story01.htm For weeks Russia has sweltered, recording its highest ever temperatures " here is New Scientist''s guide to the causes and consequences Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10928/s/bcd5453/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn191550Esoaring0Earctic0Etemperatures0E0Ea0Ewarning0Efrom0Ehistory0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fclimate0Echange/story01.htm With carbon dioxide levels near our own, the Pliocene Arctic may have warmed much more than we thought " and today''s Arctic could go the same way Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2010/08/doing-it-yourselves/ We' ve been a little preoccupied recently, but there are some recent developments in the field of do- it- yourself climate science that are worth noting. First off, the NOAA/ BAMS 'State of the Climate 2009' report arrived in mailboxes this week (it has been available online since July though). Each year this gets better and more useful for people tracking what is going on. And this year they have created a data portal for all the data appearing in the graphs, including a lot of data previously unavailable online. Well worth a visit. Second, many of you will be aware that the UK Met Office is embarking on a bottom- up renovation of the surface temperature data sets including daily data and more extensive sources than have previously been available. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2010/08/the-key-to-the-secrets-of-the-troposphere/ A response from Justin Wood, writing to me from Australia after my previous post (cited with permission below), has prompted me to write a follow- up on the story of the greenhouse effect (GHE). I wonder if you' ve seen this terrible description of the greenhouse effect on a UNFCCC background page? [link] essential_ background/ feeling_ the_ heat/ items/2903.php It actually says that incoming solar energy is 'reflected' by the planet''s surface 'in the form of a calmer, more slow- moving type of energy called infrared radiation. Infrared radiation is carried slowly aloft by air currents, and its eventual escape into space is delayed by greenhouse gases' (emphasis added). Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2010/08/monckton-makes-it-up/ Guest commentary by Barry R. Bickmore, Brigham Young University If you look around the websites dedicated to debunking mainstream climate science, it is very common to find Lord Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount of Brenchley, cited profusely. Indeed, he has twice testified about climate change before committees of the U. S. Congress, even though he has no formal scientific training. But if he has no training, why has he become so influential among climate change contrarians? After examining a number of his claims, I have concluded that he is influential because he delivers 'silver bullets,' i. e., clear, concise, and persuasive arguments. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2010/08/expert-credibility-in-climate-change-responses-to-comments/ Guest commentary by William R. L. Anderegg, Jim Prall, Jacob Harold, Stephen H. Schneider Note: Before Stephen Schneider''s untimely passing, he and his co- authors were working on a response to the conversation sparked by their recent paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on climate change expertise. One of Dr. Schneider''s final interviews also addresses and discusses many of the issues covered here. We accept and rely upon the judgment and opinions of experts in many areas of our lives. We seek out lawyers with specific expertise relevant to the situation; we trust the pronouncement of well- trained airplane mechanics that the plane is fit to fly. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2010/07/happy-35th-birthday-global-warming/ Global warming is turning 35! Not only has the current spate of global warming been going on for about 35 years now, but also the term 'global warming' will have its 35th anniversary next week. On 8 August 1975, Wally Broecker published his paper 'Are we on the brink of a pronounced global warming?' in the journal Science. That appears to be the first use of the term 'global warming' in the scientific literature (at least it''s the first of over 10,000 papers for this search term according to the ISI database of journal articles). Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2010/07/an-icy-retreat/ Guest Commentary by Dirk Notz, MPI Hamburg It''s almost routine by now: Every summer, many of those interested in climate change check again and again the latest data on sea- ice evolution in the Arctic. Such data are for example available on a daily basis from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center. And again and again in early summer the question arises whether the most recent trend in sea- ice extent might lead to a new record minimum, with a sea- ice cover that will be smaller than that in the record summer of 2007. However, before looking at the possible future evolution of Arctic sea ice in more detail, it might be a good idea to briefly re- capitulate some events of the previous winter, because some of those are quite relevant for the current state of the sea- ice cover. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.physorg.com/news201942438.html (Phys. Org. com) -- George Washington University Professor Stuart Licht has developed a revolutionary carbon dioxide- free method of producing iron that could provide a breakthrough for an industry that has been using the same polluting process of iron smelting for more than three thousand years. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.physorg.com/news201882977.html (Phys. Org. com) -- Emerging field helps create a more sustainable future, though information technology itself is part of the problem. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.physorg.com/news201872623.html Solid- state lighting pioneers long have held that replacing the inefficient Edison light bulb with more efficient solid- state light- emitting devices (LEDs) would lower electrical usage worldwide, not only "greenly" decreasing the need for new power plants but even permitting some to be decommissioned. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.physorg.com/news201583341.html (AP) -- An obscure U. N. board that oversees a $2.7 billion market intended to cut heat- trapping gases has agreed to take steps that could lead to it eventually reining in what European and U. S. environmentalists are calling a huge scam. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://resourceinsights.blogspot.com/2010/08/global-coal-supplies-it-might-be-worse.html My latest column on Scitizen entitled "Global Coal Supplies: It Might Be Worse Than Anyone Thinks" has now been posted. Here is the teaser: A new study on global coal supplies suggests a worldwide peak in production from existing fields in 2011.....Read more Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://resourceinsights.blogspot.com/2010/08/illusion-of-individual-risk.html Every society attempts to determine which risks will be borne by the individual and which will be borne by the community. It is certainly not an exact science, and there are many situations in which risk is presumably blended, some being shouldered by the individual and some by the group, either the community in general or a specified group such as a pool of policyholders. An example would be deductibles or co- pays for various kinds of insurance. The policyholder is at risk up to a certain amount. After that, the insurance company, which really means the policyholders in the group, bear the risk. But my task is to convince you that the idea of individual risk is flawed, and that to the extent we organize our society around it we are being hoodwinked by a false libertarian ideology, one that tells us there are choices available to the individual ... Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://resourceinsights.blogspot.com/2010/08/end-of-prevention.html It is a frequent conceit among humans that they are at the beginning of some new important era or at the end of a previous grand or decadent era. It is quite boring to imagine oneself simply in the ongoing stream of an already well- established pattern of life that will neither reach a climax nor inaugurate a new epoch. What if, a friend of mine proposed, we are not approaching a point that will tip us into a grand ecological catastrophe which we are called upon to prevent? What if we are in the middle of that catastrophe and it began some time ago? So much of the environmental community is focused on preventing this catastrophe. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://resourceinsights.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-will-it-take-to-convince-people.html As I watched the compelling interview of Michael Ruppert which was made into the movie Collapse, I found myself identifying with Ruppert''s frustration that the public does not seem to understand the problem of peak oil and that it''s hard to figure out what will convince it that peak oil is a serious problem. I contrasted Ruppert''s use of everyday analogies to illustrate the problem with the fact- and- figure laden presentations I' ve seen from Matt Simmons over the years and Simmons' book, Twilight in the Desert, a challenging tome of technical information that lifted the veil on Saudi Arabia''s oil reserves. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://resourceinsights.blogspot.com/2010/07/whither-weak-in-post-peak-oil-world.html It is often said that the test of any civilization is how it treats its weakest members. Those who are compromised physically, mentally or emotionally create a sort of live- action Rorschach test. Do the weak among us evoke our compassion or our scorn? If we are among the lucky ones who have our full faculties, our reaction to the weak says more about our view of the disfigured, stricken and defeated parts of our own psyche--the parts which make us feel most vulnerable and ashamed--than it does about the weak among us. Even if we feel compassion for those less fortunate, we are rarely called upon to find the limits of that compassion. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/TNlp-kRdLPU/idUSTRE67M30320100823 OSLO (Reuters) - The U. N. panel of climate scientists should be more nimble at highlighting global warming trends and at fixing mistakes, experts said ahead of the planned August 30 release of a review of the group''s work. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/L5jaCd39HwQ/idUSTRE67J2N220100820 OSLO (Reuters) - Russia''s summer heat wave has dimmed prospects that northern countries will "win" from climate change thanks to factors such as longer crop- growing seasons or fewer deaths from winter cold, experts say. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YaleEnvironment360/~3/-1yU4eK9IXk/ A group of Canadian companies is developing an electric vehicle made of hemp, a compact car developers say will reach top speeds of 55 miles per hour and will have a range of 25 to 100 miles before requiring a battery re- charge. The Kestrel, being developed by Calgary- based Motive Industries Inc., is one of five electric vehicles planned as part of Project Eve, an auto industry collaboration looking to boost production of electric vehicles and components in Canada, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The body of the vehicle will be made of an impact- resistant composite material derived from mats of hemp, a durable fiber cultivated from the cannabis plant that Motive officials say has twice the strength of other plant fibers and does not require much water or pesticide use. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YaleEnvironment360/~3/p_rJvqf1R2M/ The steady growth of global plant productivity in the 1980s and 1990s, spurred by warmer temperatures and longer growing seasons, has now been reversed because of the growing impacts of drought, particularly in the southern hemisphere, according to a new study. Examining data from NASA''s Terra satellite, researchers at the University of Montana determined that plant growth in the past decade began to decline slightly, after two decades of expansion. In the 1980s and 1990s, plant productivity increased by 6 percent, but in the 2000s it decreased by 1 percent, according to the study, published in the journal Science. Some Click to enlarge. NASAPlant productivity, 2003 scientists believed that a warmer world would stimulate plant productivity because of lengthened growing seasons and greater concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Weather shifts behind disasters need urgent probe/3418508/story.html GENEVA - Climate scientists must urgently look into changes in atmospheric currents linked to devastating floods in Pakistan and wildfires in Russia, UN climate and weather bodies said on Wednesday. Ghassem Asrar, director of the World Climate Research Programme, told AFP that changes, known as blocking episodes, can prevent humidity or hot weather dispersing. That intensified heavy rain or heatwaves and locked them over an area, he explained, potentially with a growing impact on extreme weather events that scientists expect to happen more frequently with global warming. Read more: [link] technology/ Weather+ shifts+ behind+ disasters+ need+ urgent+ probe/3418508/story. html# ixzz0xf7fDZrr Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=106222&code=Ne2&category=2 Russia has claimed a loss of more than one billion US dollars in terms of its wheat crops due to the worst heatwave in nearly 130 years of record keeping. According to the agriculture ministry the drought has affected some 16-thousand farms which has destroyed 11 million hectares of crops about 26 percent of the country''s total harvest. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feeds.grist.org/click.phdo?i=8bc74e8bc12e43434501ed6a5422f560 by Agence France- Presse. MOSCOW- Prices of basic foodstuffs like buckwheat and flour have soared in Russia over the past month as the effects of its worst ever drought hit supplies, statistics showed Wednesday. Inflation in Russia was 0.2 percent for the week of August 17-23, considerably higher than the figure before the drought and the third week in a row that prices have risen by this amount, the state statistics office said. Most alarmingly, the price of Russian staple buckwheat- enjoyed by generations for breakfast or as an accompaniment to meat- rose a very sharp 8.6 percent in the space of the week. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/25/25climatewire-new-yorkers-begin-to-see-how-much-they-have-51507.html NEW YORK -- Lowering the energy consumption of the Empire State Building may seem bold and significant -- and it is. But the ... Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/08/23-5 by Evan Mackinder It was supposed to be their time. With significant majorities in Congress, a president promising action and favorable public opinion all on their side, many environmentalists believed their political stars had properly -- and finally -- aligned. Sensing the unique opportunity to address global warming on a national scale, environmental interest groups poured considerable ... Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/845/f/464365/s/cc7cc97/l/0L0Sbelfasttelegraph0O0Cnews0Cworld0Enews0C20A10A0Emay0Ebe0Ehottest0Eyear0Eon0Erecord0E14910A80A70Bhtml0Dr0FRSS/story01.htm Last month was the second warmest July on record, and so far 2010 remains on track to be the hottest year, a US climate data centre has revealed. Related Stories Body search ends at gold mine shaft US sends aid to fight Russian fires Angry protest as police kill four Gulf of Mexico well 'not plugged' Tamil asylum ship docks in Canada Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1298596/Massive-40-decline-oceans-phytoplankton-puts-entire-food-chain-threat.html?ITO=1490 Phytoplankton, described as the 'fuel' on which marine ecosystems run, are experiencing declines of about 1 per cent of the average total a year. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/19/rising-temperatures-plants-carbon Research shows warming in the past decade has caused droughts that have reduced the number of plants available to soak up CO2 Rising temperatures in the past decade have reduced the ability of the world''s plants to soak up carbon from the atmosphere, scientists said today. Large- scale droughts have wiped out plants that would have otherwise absorbed an amount of carbon equivalent to all man- made ... Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7941035/Ice-sheet-melt-in-Greenland-melting-at-record-rate.html The Greenland ice sheet is melting at a record rate due to global warming, according to a British- led expedition currently taking measurements from the treacherous glaciers. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/shell/lloC/~3/pgqfOrH7bZM/ Climate change continues to appear on the electoral agenda globally, but this November in California it will be front and centre for the state''s voters. AB 32, the landmark emissions reduction legislation of the Schwarzenegger administration is under threat. Specifically, a proposition is now on the November ballot to suspend AB 32 until the economy improves. Proposition 23: Suspends State laws requiring reduced greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, until California''s unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent or less for four consecutive quarters. Requires State to abandon implementation of comprehensive greenhouse- gas- reduction program that includes increased renewable energy and cleaner fuel requirements, and mandatory emission reporting and fee requirements for major polluters such as power plants and oil refineries, until suspension is lifted. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/shell/lloC/~3/fbzddLKUrIA/ The final decision by the United States Senate not to proceed with climate change legislation for now raises the very difficult question as to where the world is going with a market driven / carbon price solution to emissions management. Added to the US decision is the near terminal condition of emissions trading in Australia, with the CPRS on hold at best and the current Federal Opposition, now contesting what looks like a close election, saying that a carbon price will not appear in Australia while they are in office. On top of all this is the legal possibility that the CDM may not function post 2012 if new Annex 1 targets are not agreed. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/climate-extremes-beyond-loaded-dice/ A climatologist proposes a new way to convey how a warming climate will affect extreme weather. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/the-case-of-the-missing-climate-pledge/ Obama''s pledge to invest in energy research seems to have vanished from White House Web sites. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/10/scientists-see-links-from-asian-floods-to-russian-heat/ Climate experts chart air patterns that relate extreme Asian rains and Russian heat. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/08/25/more-climate-camp-direct-action-against-rbs/ via Bright Green Scotland On a related note, this article in the New Yorker is eye- popping. An excerpt: The Kochs are longtime libertarians who believe in drastically lower personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services for the needy, and much less oversight of industry- especially environmental regulation. These views dovetail with the brothers' corporate interests. In a study released this spring, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst''s Political Economy Research Institute named Koch Industries one of the top ten air polluters in the United States. And Greenpeace issued a report identifying the company as a 'kingpin of climate science denial.' The report showed that, from 2005 to 2008, the Kochs vastly outdid Exxon. Mobil in giving money to organizations fighting legislation related to climate change, underwriting a huge network of foundations, think tanks, and political front groups. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20100811/ap_tr_ge/eu_spain_jellyfish_invasion_4 A vast flotilla of small, virtually undetectable jellyfish have stung hundreds of people on Spanish beaches this week a swimmer''s nightmare that biologists say will become increasingly common due to climate change and overfishing. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20100824/tpl-uk-australia-carbon-price-39349ed.html Australia is the world''s top exporter of coal which generates more than 80 percent of its power transports most goods by road and cars clog its cities. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-23/wheat-gains-on-signs-of-strengthened-demand-following-russian-export-ban.html Wheat rose for the third time in four sessions as demand builds for inventories from the U. S., the worlds largest shipper, after Russia banned foreign sales amid the worst drought in at least 50 years. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=how-will-climate-change-impact-brea-10-08-23 [More] Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/860/f/517308/s/d10844d/l/0Len0Brian0Bru0Cvideo0C20A10A0A8240C160A3219160Bhtml/story01.htm Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has visited the Russian- German research expedition Lena-2010 in Yakutia. He promised the researchers to provide funding in exchange for an exact forecast of global climate change. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=314:an-ocean-of-crustaceans&catid=44:science&Itemid=69 VIENNAWhat lives in the worlds oceans? Crabs mostly, according to the Census of Marine Life, a 10-year research effort. Crustaceans like crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles account for 19 percent of all species found in 25 key global ocean areas, according to the Census, which wraps up its work in October. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.newkerala.com/news2/fullnews-25445.html Dr Toby Tyrrell of the University of Southamptons School of Ocean and Earth Science and colleagues used computer models to quantify the likely response of ocean acidification to a range of carbon dioxide emission scenarios, including aggressive mitigation. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20100823/tsc-german-scientist-hands-putin-frosty-dd8f3fa.html Prime Minister Vladimir Putin queried Monday whether man was to blame for climate change on a visit to the remote Russian Arctic only to find himself bluntly contradicted by a German scientist. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/climateprogress/lCrX/~3/tZDAS5ZPCwE/ Conservatives who oppose clean energy and real climate action typically tout uber- expensive nuclear power as the solution (see Lamar Alexander calls nuclear 'the cheap clean energy solution,' renews GOP call for 100 new nukes, which would cost some $1 trillion). CAP''s Richard W. Caperton explains in this Wonk Room cross post how failure to pursue genuine action on climate change " a shrinking cap and rising price on carbon " actually harms the industry (see also '2009 summer heatwave puts a third of French nukes out of action'). Nuclear reactor developers have a compelling reason to support a cap on carbon pollution ... Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.theecologist.org/how_to_make_a_difference/food_and_gardening/573707/otarian_the_fastfood_chain_with_the_lowcarbon_menu.html Otarian aims to show you how eating out can help you save the planet, one kilo of carbon at a time Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52620 Nomadic communities in northern Mali''s desert regions are facing one of the most serious droughts of the last twenty years. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=52612 - Environmental experts in Russia have warned that unless urgent steps are taken internationally, climatic changes combined with man- made factors could reduce the world''s population of polar bears by as much as 70 percent by 2060. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2010/aug/26/rajendra-pachauri-financial-relationships A review of the IPCC chairman''s financial relationships reveals a scrupulously honest man has been much maligned Read KPMG''s report on Pachauri''s finances Rajendra Pachauri: Climate change has no time for delay or denial. Has anyone been as badly maligned as Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)?In December, the Sunday Telegraph carried a long and prominent feature written by Christopher Booker and Richard North, titled: Questions over business deals of UN climate change guru Dr Rajendra Pachauri. The subtitle alleged that Pachauri has been "making a fortune from his links with 'carbon trading' companies". Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/uAA-vKt1CJ4/idUSTRE67P0TQ20100826 CANBERRA (Reuters) - The government of an Australian territory said on Thursday it will enact tough carbon cutting laws, a step that comes after a national election that punished the ruling Labor party over lack of action on climate change. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/climate-change-isnt-coming-to-nashville-its-already-here-and-the-future-might-be-hotter-than-we-can-handle/Content?oid=1739432 Hot Problems by Steve Haruch It doesn' t take a climate scientist to realize July 2010 was a hot month in Nashville. You stepped outside, right? For some, the heat was [ Read more ] [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ] Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/YaleEnvironment360/~3/RRxRupmSIpE/ Coffee production has long been vulnerable to drought or excess rains. But recently, a tiny insect that thrives in warmer temperatures - the coffee berry borer - has been spreading steadily, devastating coffee plants in Africa, Latin America, and around the world. BY ERICA WESTLY Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/08/26/how-your-money-is-destroying-our-environment-through-rbs/ The camp for climate action came to Scotland this week. To those wondering why so many people are angry with this bank, the answer is pretty simple: when it comes to climate change, RBS make it happen " and they do it with taxpayers' bail- out money. RBS is Europe''s biggest financer of the fossil fuel extraction driving climate change. According to a report last year by banking expert Nick Silver, the bank is financing projects and companies which deliver 3% of carbon emissions worldwide: more than the whole UK economy. And RBS also seems to specialise in facilitating and financing the most destructive projects. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/News/Columnists/Your_Ecological_House/2010/08/26/Can_electric_cars_be_solution_to_greenhouse_gas/ So, what should we do about all those cars burning up the remainder of our oil and spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere? Although the real answer is "get rid of most of them," few people - even few "green" visionaries - can conceive of an almost car- free society. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/08/25/investopedia46566.DTL There are plenty of ideas floating around about sustainable energy solutions, but the bald truth is that only 7% of energy currently consumed in America is powered by renewable sources. Stephanie Powers explains why. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/from-climate-science-to-climate-advocacy-the-sequel/ A NASA climate scientist explains why he became a law- defying activist. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/08/25-7 by Reese Erlich in Badreni, Nepal The UN- certified scheme that allows developed nations to pay for carbon reductions abroad instead of making domestic cuts has come under fire for paying high fees to consultants from rich countries. The Guardian has learned that the Nepalese government has so far paid a Norwegian company 150,000 to verify a greenhouse gas reduction programme for which it is ... Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://allafrica.com/stories/201008260009.html The Mozambican Bakers Association may be forced to increase the price of bread by 30 per cent to offset the soaring price of wheat flour, which has increased twice in less than a month. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1306295/Scientists-create-dry-water-used-soak-carbon-dioxide.html?ITO=1490 Each particle of dry water contains a water droplet surrounded by a sandy silica coating. In fact, 95 per cent of dry water is 'wet' water. Thu Aug 26 11:22:15 2010 EST