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Archive for November 5th, 2012
In ‘Chasing Ice,’ climate change gets its close up
Posted by Associated Press: Dana Schimmel on November 5th, 2012
Associated Press: There is a scene in the documentary ''Chasing Ice'' that shows the edge of the massive Ilulissat glacier in Greenland collapsing -- or ''calving'' -- and violently crashing into the sea below. The piece of ice that breaks away is compared to the size of lower Manhattan, and appears taller than any building there.
The video of the glacier, also called by its Danish name, Jakobshavn, is what photographer James Balog calls ''irrefutable'' evidence of climate change. Balog is the subject of ''Chasing...
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Encourage commercial logging to grow Kenya’s forest cover – report
Posted by AlertNet: Katy Migiro on November 5th, 2012
AlertNet: Kenya should encourage private businesses to grow trees for charcoal and timber to increase its forest cover rather than relying on the rehabilitation of indigenous forests, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Kenya Forestry Service (KFS) said on Monday.
Deforestation is a major problem in Kenya and its agriculture-dominated economy is highly vulnerable to drought. Less than 6 percent of the country is under forest cover although the 2010 constitution aims to increase this...
Did climate change contribute to Sandy? Yes
Posted by Politico: DR. Bob Corell, Dr. Jeff Masters and Dr. Kevin Trenberth Read more: http://www. on November 5th, 2012
Politico: As Hurricane Sandy battered the East Coast last week, meteorologists and climate scientists were repeatedly asked to explain what role climate change played in amplifying the storm. We did our best to answer: We know that a warming climate puts more energy into storms, including hurricanes, loading them with more rainfall and the stronger winds pushing more of a storm surge. That makes flooding more likely. We also know that storm surge now rides higher on sea levels that have risen over the last...
Hurricanes Can Also Cause Chemical Disasters
Posted by EcoWatch: Larry Cohen on November 5th, 2012
EcoWatch: Even in good weather a major threat looms over many of our largest cities. The threat is in the form of poison gases stored at thousands of U.S. based chemical plants. In the event of an accident, terrorist attack or another climate disaster such as Hurricane Sandy, millions of lives could be put in jeopardy.
Although a worse case chemical disaster didn`t happen this time, it easily could have. For example, it was widely reported that Sandy knocked over a 22 car freight train adjacent to the New...
Sandy Recovery Effort Faces A New Storm
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 5th, 2012
National Public Radio: A week after Superstorm Sandy slammed into the Northeast, temperatures are dropping and forecasters warn of another storm on the way. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands remain without power, gas shortages continue and tens of thousands still don't know when they'll be able to return to their homes.
Laying Down Stakes to Measure Glacier Melt
Posted by New York Times: Aaron Putnam on November 5th, 2012
New York Times: Finally, after months of planning, six days of trekking and days of reconnaissance work, on Oct. 5 we found ourselves poised to begin collecting important information that will help us to identify links among glaciers, climate and water resources in Bhutan.
On the day after the successful scouting mission to the glacier, our teams snapped into action. Summer Rupper, Josh Maurer, Pashupati Ssarma, Tshewang Rigzin and Mike Roberts all ventured onto the glacier. Paul Krusic, although part of the...
New rare frog discovered in Sri Lanka, but left wholly unprotected
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 5th, 2012
Mongabay: Sri Lanka, an island country lying off the southeast coast of India, has long been noted for its vast array of biodiversity. Islands in general are renowned for their weird and wonderful creatures, including high percentages of endemic species-and Sri Lanka, where scientists recently discovered a new frog species, is no exception.
Sri Lanka harbors one of the greatest concentrations of amphibians in relation to area on the planet. There are 105 species of amphibians in Sri Lanka and 89 of these...
United Kingdom: No Dash For Gas ends the UK’s longest power station occupation
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 5th, 2012
Guardian: The last of 17 climate change campaigners perched on a power station tower for a week have abseiled down to be arrested, ending the longest occupation of a plant in the UK.
The group called it a day after using their 300ft-high platform for a range of stunts to encourage debate on carbon emissions and what they called the government's "dash for gas". These included solar panels, a portable toilet and a kite flown to rig up a rope walkway between two cooling towers, and mock last week's coalition...
The danger increases, but still the water calls
Posted by Associated Press: Bruce Smith on November 5th, 2012
Associated Press: "We are tied to the ocean," an avid sailor and president named John F. Kennedy once said. "And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch, we are going back from whence we came."
Humans have an affinity for water. It is in the genetic makeup of a species first nurtured in the watery womb. We evolved, scientists tell us, from the primordial deep. In America, it is clear: We instinctively find comfort where water flows over the earth.
But in these recent jumbled days, the collapsed...
It’s not just Sandy: U.S. hit by record droughts, fires, and heatwaves in 2012
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 5th, 2012
Mongabay: As the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy-killing over 100 people and producing upwards of $50 billion in damage along the U.S. East Coast-has reignited a long-dormant conversation on climate change in the media, it's important to note that this is not the only weird and wild weather the U.S. has seen this year. In fact, 2012 has been a year of record-breaking weather across the U.S.: the worst drought in decades, unprecedented heatwaves, and monster forest fires. While climatologists have long...