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Ocean temperature made Australia floods worse.
Abnormally high ocean temperatures off the coast of northern Australia contributed to the extreme rainfall that flooded three-quarters of Queensland over the summer of 2010-11, scientists report. Melbourne Age, Australia. 16 May 2012.
England is stuck in drought despite wettest April on record.
Huge swaths of Britain remain stuck in drought after two abnormally dry winters despite the country's having suffered its wettest April on record last month, with little letup in the often torrential downpours enduring into May. ClimateWire. 16 May 2012.
Water-efficient maize boosts harvests for drought-hit Tanzanian farmers.
As part of an international research project dubbed Water Efficient Maize for Africa, farmers in Tanzania’s great central plateau are now using five varieties of maize seed that are being tested in an effort increase food production and help farmers adapt to the effects of climate change. Reuters. 16 May 2012.
Earth's environment getting worse, not better, says WWF ahead of Rio 20.
Swelling population, mass migration to cities, increasing energy use and soaring carbon dioxide emissions mean humanity is putting a greater squeeze on the planet's resources then ever before. The Guardian, United Kingdom. 16 May 2012.
Warm seas helped cause 2010 Qld floods.
Record high sea-surface temperatures contributed to the enormous rainfall that devastated large parts of Queensland nearly 18 months ago, according a new study. Australian Associated Press. 16 May 2012.
Global warming: New statistical analysis trys to pinpoint temperature increases by region and season.
Average temperatures in the Rocky Mountains could soar by more than 6 degrees in the summer and 4 degrees in the winter in the next few decades, according to a new statistical analysis of climate models by researchers at Ohio State University. Summit County Citizens Voice, Colorado. 16 May 2012.
Global warming to affect fish guts.
Global warming may cause some stocks of fish species to decline, while others may grow. Auckland TV3, New Zealand. 16 May 2012.
UNESCO partner study for climate variability on migration, mortality.
Representatives from seven countries in Africa and Asia are meeting in Ghana to assess a study data on the impact of climate variability on Migration and Mortality using the Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems. Ghana News Agency, Ghana. 16 May 2012.
Most mammals won't flee climate change fast enough.
As the climate changes over the next century, the ranges of nearly 90 percent of mammal species will shrink – in many cases because animals won't be able to get to areas where the climate is going to become suitable for them, says new research. Discovery Channel. 16 May 2012.
Many mammals won't be able to run fast enough from climate change.
Scientists have published new researches with details about how hard it will be for many mammals to keep pace with climate changes. Close to 10 percent, they say, will fail completely, while many more will suffer losses in their habitat ranges. Louisville Courier-Journal, Kentucky. 16 May 2012.
It really is hot in here: U.S. has warmest 12 months on record.
Americans just lived through the hottest 12 months ever recorded, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Tuesday, with record averages for the year scorching central Texas, the upper Midwest and much of the Northeast. Los Angeles Times. 16 May 2012.
Wanted: Climate change policy.
Zimbabwe, like many other countries in southern Africa and beyond, is reeling under the adverse effects of climate change. Unfortunately, it is clear that government is not doing enough to confront this scourge. Zimbabwean, Zimbabwe. Editorial, 16 May 2012.
Is there a bigger environmental issue than climate change? Scientists say yes.
Climate change is a serious issue, but it may not be the biggest threat to life on Earth as we know it. Instead, it may be loss of biodiversity, which can have dire consequences if it's ignored to focus on climate change. Los Angeles KCET TV, California. Opinion, 16 May 2012.
How we stopped talking about climate change.
When the global economy melted down, public concern about climate change plunged. At the same time, and to the same extent, the prominence of climate change in government communications also plunged. Ottawa Citizen, Ontario. Opinion, 16 May 2012.
Only two sets of data does not make a hot summer.
Our analysis shows that fewer extremely hot days were recorded over the past five years at both Observatory Hill and Parramatta than in the preceding five years of observation - or the five years before that. The Australian, Australia. Opinion, 16 May 2012.
Hawaii's beaches are in retreat, and its way of life may follow.
Most beaches on the state’s three largest islands are eroding, and the erosion is likely to accelerate as sea levels rise, a federal agency is reporting. Over the last century, about 9 percent of the sandy coast on the islands of Hawaii, Oahu and Maui has vanished. That’s almost 14 miles of beach. New York Times. 15 May 2012.
The fire next time — Slave Lake disaster a harbinger of things to come.
On the one year anniversary of Canada's Slave Lake fire, here is a troubling thought: Wildfires are increasingly moving with a speed and intensity that catch firefighters off guard and prove impossible to contain. Like climate change itself, this is a global problem. Postmedia News. 15 May 2012.
Michigan retailers importing cherries.
When you scoop up ice cream with cherries in it this summer or add a handful of dried cherries to your salad chances are the fruit won't be from Michigan. Or even from the United States. Extremely unusual weather this spring has crippled the state's entire tree fruit industry. Environment Report. 15 May 2012.
Climate change hurts access to country foods in Iqaluit: study.
Arctic climate change can affect food security, suggests a new study that looked at how unseasonably warm weather during the winter of 2010-2011 affected country food supplies in Iqaluit. Nunatsiaq News, Nunavut. 15 May 2012.
What the High North may mean to South Korea's shipping future.
Climate change is seen almost universally as a bad thing, but there’s one potential outcome that is very intriguing for South Korea and other countries of northeast Asia. Wall Street Journal. 15 May 2012.
Drought across the U.S.
Fifty-six percent of the Lower 48 states were experiencing drought conditions as of May 8, almost twice the area compared to last year at this time, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Climate Central. 15 May 2012.
Cities gird themselves for climate change.
The experts are warning us that floods, droughts and heat waves will increase, while cities around the world attempt to prepare themselves for future climate catastrophes – and population explosions. Deutsche Welle, Germany. 15 May 2012.
More California heat waves by 2020.
Strings of days when temperatures spike over 100 degrees should become more frequent in California by 2020, and commonplace fifty years after that, according to recent computer modeling results from scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Orange County Register, California. 15 May 2012.
UW study: Running from climate change may trip up some species.
As climate change transforms their habitat, some animals are already on the move. But a new analysis from the University of Washington warns that many species won't be able to run fast enough to survive a warming world. Seattle Times, Washington. 15 May 2012.
Continued ice loss on the Great Lakes may cause widespread change in ecosystems.
Some scientists worry that less ice on the Great Lakes will create low water levels that affect the region’s ecology and economy. Great Lakes Echo, Michigan. 15 May 2012.
New threat to Antarctic ice shelf emerges.
German researchers have found evidence that areas in Antarctica, previously thought relatively safe from the direct influence of climate change, are melting rapidly. The researchers found that rising temperatures could thin the ice on the Weddell Sea and accelerate melting. Deutsche Welle, Germany. 15 May 2012.
Climate change may leave many mammals homeless.
Some 9% of mammal species throughout the Western Hemisphere could, within roughly a century, become climate refugees with no suitable homes, a new study finds. In some areas conditions will be far worse, with 39 to 50% of mammals unable to emigrate fast enough to find suitable ecosystems. Science News. 15 May 2012.
Climate change is making allergies worse.
Spring is in full swing and swung into New Jersey earlier than ever this year. Extreme weather events and drastic changes in weather patterns are becoming a common occurrence. The effects of climate disruption on human health already are afflicting allergy and asthma sufferers. Newark Star-Ledger, New Jersey. Opinion, 15 May 2012.
Global warming threatens pine forests, forcing federal officials to shift strategy.
Scientists know that global warming will reshape pine forests. What they don’t yet understand is which trees are best poised to survive under these changed conditions and how they can help them adapt in the decades to come. Washington Post. 14 May 2012.
Suburbs hotter, but it may just be tarmac.
Temperatures in Sydney's western suburbs are rising faster than in the city's ritzy eastern suburbs, leading to a prediction hospital admissions will skyrocket by 40 per cent by 2030. A report released Monday by the Climate Commission links climate change to more severe heat waves, though heat-trapping roads and dark roofs could be contributors. The Australian, Australia. 14 May 2012.
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