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Archive for July 22nd, 2012
A Hungry World Population? Oh Well, Let Them Eat Ethanol!
Posted by Forbes: None Given on July 22nd, 2012
Forbes: …Here come the corn riots. Climate change policies--much more than the vagaries of climate–are now beginning to create the instabilities that cooler heads have been warning about for years. Corn prices on the Chicago Board of Trade are now at or near record levels, around $8.30 per bushel for spot delivery. The rise in recent weeks has been dramatic, driven by the perception of declining yields caused by hot and dry conditions mainly in the upper Midwest. Much of this corn is beyond redemption...
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United States: Do you think climate change is partly to blame for the fires in the West this summer? Yes
Posted by Denver Post: Jeffrey Bennett on July 22nd, 2012
Denver Post: Colorado is burning. It's still early summer, and already we've lost several lives and hundreds of homes, with economic damages that may approach or exceed $1 billion.
The wildfires serve as tragic reminder that for all our technological prowess, we remain dependent on the natural world. Most of the time, we are served well by nature's beauty and bounty, but we still look small and impotent against natural disasters. This reality has always been a part of the human experience, and it's unlikely...
There’s Still Hope for the Planet
Posted by New York Times: David Leonhardt on July 22nd, 2012
New York Times: YOU don’t have to be a climate scientist these days to know that the climate has problems. You just have to step outside. The United States is now enduring its warmest year on record, and the 13 warmest years for the entire planet have all occurred since 1998, according to data that stretches back to 1880. No one day’s weather can be tied to global warming, of course, but more than a decade’s worth of changing weather surely can be, scientists say. Meanwhile, the country often seems to be moving...
Beijing’s heaviest rainfall in 60 years kills 10
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 22nd, 2012
Reuters: The heaviest rain storm in six decades to hit Beijing killed at least 10 people and caused widespread chaos, flooding streets and stranding 80,000 people at the city's main airport, state media reported on Sunday.
The storm, which started on Saturday afternoon and continued late into the night, flooded major roads and sent torrents of water tumbling down steps into underpasses.
In the suburb of Tongzhou, two people died in a roof collapse and another person killed was struck by lightning, the...