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Archive for December 24th, 2012
Climate change offers pros, cons for grain supply
Posted by China Daily: None Given on December 24th, 2012
China Daily: Changes in rainfall and a concentration of greenhouse gases triggered by climate change may lead to an increase in China's grain yields in per-unit production over the next few decades.
But negative effects of climate change, including extreme weather, plant diseases and a rising number of insects, will pose a threat to grain supply security, experts said.
They added a rising population and arable land loss will also pose greater potential risks to the country's aims to ensure adequate food...
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Antarctic Temperatures Are Rising Twice As Fast As Previously Predicted
Posted by Forbes: Alex Knapp on December 24th, 2012
Forbes: West Antarctic temperatures are rising twice as fast as previously estimated, according to new research published in Nature Geoscience. Temperature records compiled from the Byrd Research Station show that since 1958, the region has seen average temperature increases of 2.4 degrees Celsius (4.3 degrees Fahrenheit). That poses a danger of causing sea levels to rise even faster than previously predicted.
“Our record suggests that continued summer warming in West Antarctica could upset the surface...
Severe drought has lasting effects on Amazon
Posted by Nature: Hannah Hoag on December 24th, 2012
Nature: A study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences1 sheds light on the long-term effects of drought on the Amazon rainforest -- giving clues about how the rainforest might be affected by global warming in the future. The researchers report that the severe drought that hit the rainforest in 2005 had lasting effects on the forest canopy, such that it remained damaged at least four years later.
The effects of the 2005 drought have been debated since 2007, when researchers...