Alaska seeing impact of climate change in its infrastructure, villages – ‘Many years ago this would have been unheard of’

By Molly Rettig, Fairbanks Daily News MinerJan 30, 2011 FAIRBANKS — Climate change has already begun to make life difficult for state transportation managers. And they expect it to become a bigger and more expensive challenge if warming trends continue as predicted. “With over 6,600 miles of coastline and 80 percent of the state underlaid […]

Hunger and despair in Sri Lanka after floods

Life improved for Pakyarani’s family when the war ended, but then the floods came and washed away their hopes. 29 Jan 2011 (Al Jazeera) – Recent flooding in eastern Sri Lanka destroyed thousands of homes, devastated the rice crop and drowned thousands of livestock. A million people, 40 per cent of them children, are at […]

Video: Cyclone hits Australia’s flood-ravaged Northeast

January 31, 2011 (AP) – As Queensland bore the brunt of Cyclone Anthony overnight another strong cyclone roared towards the state, prompting evacuations and warnings that it could be the worst the already swamped region has ever seen. Cyclone Hits Australia’s Flood Ravaged Northeast Technorati Tags: Australia,flood,hurricane,global warming,climate change

FAO: Fish consumption reaches all-time high – No improvement in level of global fish stocks

31 January 2011, Rome – The contribution of fish to global diets has reached a record of almost 17 kg per person on average, supplying over three billion people with at least 15 percent of their average animal protein intake. This increase is due mainly to the ever-growing production of aquaculture which is set to […]

Image of the Day: Receding Flood Waters around Rockhampton, Queensland Viewed from Orbit

9 January 2011   25 January 2011 Caption by Michon ScottJanuary 30, 2011 Heavy rains in Queensland, Australia, pushed the Fitzroy River over its banks at the beginning of 2011. The overflowing river submerged much of Rockhampton, not far from the Queensland coast. In late January, however, flood waters receded, leaving behind a mixture of […]

Georgia homeowners group wants to raise Lake Lanier

By Jeffry Scott and Patrick Fox, The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionJanuary 27, 2011 A homeowners group is renewing its campaign to raise the level of Lake Lanier 2 feet so the lake can store another 26 billion gallons of water to quench the demand of a metro area that grows thirstier by the day. “This will solve […]

Cocaine production increases destruction of Colombia rainforests

ScienceDaily (Jan. 29, 2011) — Scientists from Stony Brook University are reporting new evidence that cultivating coca bushes, the source of cocaine, is speeding up destruction of rainforests in Colombia and threatening the region’s “hotspots” of plant and animal diversity. The findings, which they say underscore the need for establishing larger protected areas to help […]

Graph of the Day: North America Temperature Anomalies, 9-16 January 2011

Caption by Michon ScottJanuary 26, 2011 Snow fell in the U.S. Deep South, severe storms battered the East Coast, and International Falls, Minnesota, set a new temperature record: -46 degrees Fahrenheit (-43 degrees Celsius) on January 21. But in areas north of the United States and southern Canada, temperatures were above normal. In fact, unusual […]

Arctic current warmer than for 2,000 years: study

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent; editing by Ralph BoultonFri Jan 28, 2011 5:33am EST OSLO (Reuters) – A North Atlantic current flowing into the Arctic Ocean is warmer than for at least 2,000 years in a sign that global warming is likely to bring ice-free seas around the North Pole in summers, a study showed. […]

More frequent drought likely in eastern Africa

ScienceDaily (Jan. 29, 2011) — The increased frequency of drought observed in eastern Africa over the last 20 years is likely to continue as long as global temperatures continue to rise, according to new research published in Climate Dynamics. This poses increased risk to the estimated 17.5 million people in the Greater Horn of Africa […]

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial