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Archive for July, 2012
Greenland Ice Melt Reaches Unprecedented Level
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 25th, 2012
Huffington Post: Unprecedented melting of Greenland's ice sheet this month has stunned NASA scientists and has highlighted broader concerns that the region is losing a remarkable amount of ice overall.
According to a NASA press release, about half of Greenland's surface ice sheet naturally melts during an average summer. But the data from three independent satellites this July, analyzed by NASA and university scientists, showed that in less than a week, the amount of thawed ice sheet surface skyrocketed from 40...
Drought devastates US crops
Posted by Nature: Impact On Food Prices Likely To Be Felt Around The World. on July 25th, 2012
Nature: Scorching temperatures and scarce rainfall has left large swathes of the United States in drought, with the 'breadbasket states', such as Iowa and Indiana, among the worst affected. The extreme weather conditions have wreaked havoc with the nation’s crop production, particularly maize (corn) and soya beans. Given that the country is the world’s top exporter of maize and one of the largest growers of soya beans, Nature explains how the drought could have ramifications for global food supplies, and...
U.S. biofuel advocates urge Congress to continue Pentagon funding
Posted by Reuters: David Alexander on July 25th, 2012
Reuters: Military veterans and former lawmakers urged Congress on Tuesday to continue funding the Pentagon's controversial biofuels program, saying the failure to deal with U.S. dependence on foreign oil was a key factor in the wars of the past 22 years.
"As long as U.S. and global economic security are dependent on oil produced in volatile regions of the world, our military will be required to continue deployments and dangerous missions to ensure the ... security of vital energy resources," the group,...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on U.S. biofuel advocates urge Congress to continue Pentagon fundingMap reveals sharp increase in U.S. fires since 2001
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 24th, 2012
Mongabay: A new map using NASA data reveals an increase in the frequency and severity of fires in the United States since 2001.
The map, created by John Nelson of IDV Solutions, shows the locations and intensity of major fires in the contiguous 48 United States from 2001 through early July 2012. Fire intensity is scaled by "units of the typical American nuclear power plant’s summertime capacity" with yellow reflecting the most intense conflagrations. The map is based on MODIS fire hotspot data.
The most...
Record 97 percent of Greenland’s ice sheet experienced melting in July
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 24th, 2012
Mongabay: 97 percent of Greenland's ice sheet experienced some degree of melting this July, a record extent of melt, says NASA. Analysis of data from three satellites detected the record melting on July 12. The extent was such Son Nghiem of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory initially questioned the results. “This was so extraordinary that at first I questioned the result,” said Nghiem. “Was this real or was it due to a data error?” Nghiem's observations were subsequently confirmed by Dorothy Hall from NASA’s...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Record 97 percent of Greenland’s ice sheet experienced melting in JulyRains give mild relief to drought, grain prices tumble
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 24th, 2012
Reuters: Welcome rains provided some relief to heat-stressed cities and worried farmers in the U.S. Midwest on Tuesday, but reports of failed crops, wildfires and other fallout from the worst U.S. drought in more than 50 years tempered any optimism.
The first soaking rains for weeks in parts of the northern Midwest sent U.S. corn and soybean prices sharply lower. But those prices still hover around record highs with weather forecasts for August indicating more heat is on the way.
More rain is forecast...
Greenland ice sheet melted at unprecedented rate during July
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 24th, 2012
Guardian: The Greenland ice sheet melted at a faster rate this month than at any other time in recorded history, with virtually the entire ice sheet showing signs of thaw.
The rapid melting over just four days was captured by three satellites. It has stunned and alarmed scientists, and deepened fears about the pace and future consequences of climate change.
In a statement posted on Nasa's website on Tuesday, scientists admitted the satellite data was so striking they thought at first there had to be...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Greenland ice sheet melted at unprecedented rate during JulyU.S. Drought Could Cause Global Unrest
Posted by Wired: Brandon Keim on July 24th, 2012
Wired: Twice in the last five years, rising food prices triggered global waves of social unrest. With drought baking U.S. crops, another round of soaring, society-straining price spikes may happen in coming months. According to researchers from the New England Complex Systems Institute, commodity speculation - investors betting on food prices - will amplify the drought`s market signals, creating a new food bubble and the crises that follow. "The drought is clearly going to kick prices up. It already has....
US politicians must regulate finance to tackle the drought and food-price crisis
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on July 24th, 2012
Guardian: If you're wondering whether the US drought will create a global food crisis, the answer's easy. It's yes, because there's a food crisis already. The latest year for which we have figures is 2010, when 925 million people were declared malnourished. Soon after the number was announced, the World Bank corrected it upward, and recently said that the number of hungry people is "almost 1 billion".
Make no mistake: the US drought is fierce. In June this year, out of a possible 171,442 temperature records,...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on US politicians must regulate finance to tackle the drought and food-price crisisExtreme Heat Proves Relentless in Central States
Posted by Climate Central: Andrew Freedman on July 24th, 2012
Climate Central: While much of the country has had a brief respite from the extreme heat and humidity that has marked the summer of 2012, in the nation's heartland -- including key agricultural areas from Nebraska to Illinois -- the heat has proven relentless. When the temperature soared to 105°F at 3:00 pm central time, St. Louis tied its all-time record for the most days in a single year with high temperatures of 105°F or greater. The existing record of 10 such days was set in 1934.
High temperature forecast...