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Archive for June 10th, 2011
Climate change to reduce water availability, FAO warns
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 10th, 2011
Xinhua: A woman piles up wheat after harvesting at a farm in village Majra Khurd of Haryana. Climate change will make water less available to produce food crops in years to come, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report issued Thursday.
River runoff and aquifer recharges will decrease in the Mediterranean, the Americas, Australia and southern Africa, it said.
Areas in Asia which depend on the melting of ice and mountain glaciers will also be affected, while areas...
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Heat wave highlights threat of heat stroke
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 10th, 2011
CBS News: To beat heat, people frolicked in fountain at New York City's Battery Park on Get used to it. That's what scientists are saying about hot weather, as a deadly heat wave continues to grip the nation. A new study from Stanford University says global climate change will lead permanently to unusually hot summers by the middle of the century, the Associated Press reported.
And as temperatures rise, so do health risks.
"It's a real public health issue," Dr. Michael Stern, co-director of the geriatric...
Rare skink saved from extinction
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 10th, 2011
BBC: Rare skink saved from extinction in Mauritius
Flat Island was thought to be the last refuge for these Critically Endangered lizards Scientists from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust have brought 22 Critically Endangered orange-tailed skinks to the UK.
The animals are thought to be extinct on their native Flat Island in Mauritius, because invasive shrews that prey on them are now established there.
This rescue should enable the trust to start a captive breeding programme.
"We ultimately...
Parts of England hit by drought
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 10th, 2011
BBC: Parts of England are officially in a drought following the dry spring, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has said.
Areas of East Anglia are in drought, with parts of the Midlands, South West and South East in a "near-drought" state.
In the drought-affected areas, Anglian Water and Cambridge Water say there is no threat to public water supplies.
But Severn Trent Water says there may be restrictions if rainfall stays low.
And Thames Water, which serves London...
Drought declared in East Anglia
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 10th, 2011
Guardian: A fly fisherman at the receding water's edge of drought-depleted Fewston reservoir near Harrogate.
Parts of East Anglia are officially in a state of drought, according to the English environment department Defra and the Environment Agency.
Areas in the south-west, south-east, the Midlands and Wales are experiencing near-drought conditions following the driest spring on record in south-east and central southern England. Overall, England and Wales are at their driest since 1990.
Widespread...
Parts of eastern England declared drought-stricken
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 10th, 2011
Reuters: Parts of the East Anglia region in eastern England have been declared to be in a state of drought after some areas of the country had their driest spring on record, the British government said on Friday.
Declaring a region to be in a state of drought allows water companies to place curbs on the use of water.
Areas in southwest, southeast and central England and Wales are also experiencing near-drought conditions following prolonged sunny and dry weather from March.
"Drought has hit parts...
Scientists race to avoid a bitter climate change harvest
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 10th, 2011
Reuters: A shepherd guard dog guards a flock of sheep at the Charlie Bragg farm in Cootamundra, 135 km (84 miles) northwest Canberra March 10, 2011.
Charlie Bragg gazes across his lush fields where fat lambs are grazing, his reservoirs filled with water, and issues a sigh of relief. Things are normal this year and that's a bit unusual of late.
His 7,000-acre farm near the Australian town of Cootamundra is testament to the plight facing farmers around the globe: increasingly wilder weather is making...
United Kingdom: Drought declared as shortages set to last until autumn
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 10th, 2011
Telegraph: Parts of Britain are now officially suffering from drought after one of the warmest and driest springs for more than 100 years.
The counties officially suffering drought are Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Areas in the South West, South East, Midlands and Wales are experiencing near-drought conditions.
Across the whole of England and Wales, 2011 had the second driest spring since 1910 and the...
Climate change to reduce water availability, FAO warns
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 10th, 2011
Xinhua: Climate change will make water less available to produce food crops in years to come, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report issued Thursday.
River runoff and aquifer recharges will decrease in the Mediterranean, the Americas, Australia and southern Africa, it said.
Areas in Asia which depend on the melting of ice and mountain glaciers will also be affected, while areas with a lot of fluvial deltas are threatened by reduced water flow, increased salinity...
Canadian province bans bottled water
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 10th, 2011
Agence France-Presse: The Canadian province of Manitoba on Wednesday banned water bottles from all of its offices to encourage drinking of tap water, winning praise from ecologists. "We believe by taking this step we are leading by example and encouraging Manitobans to move away from using single-use bottled water," Manitoba Conservation Minister Bill Blaikie said in a statement. The new policy bans the use of provincial funds to buy single-use bottled water in plastic containers with less than one litre of water when...