Posts
"This
scenario alone almost guarantees the extinction of most life on this
planet, shall we add in the melting permafrost releasing methane and
50 odd positive feedback loops? Join the dots family."
--Kevin
Hester
This is all this coverage this landmark study warrants for Radio NZ. It turns out that a New Zealander participated in a study coming out of the University of Ediburgh, although you wouldn't know it from the following report.
Ocean
acidity caused extinction – scientist
International
research led by a New Zealand scientist shows soaring ocean acidity
was a key factor in the greatest mass extinction of life on Earth.
10
April, 2015
Otago
University researcher Matthew Clarkson co-ordinated a just-published
international study which has found direct evidence in Middle Eastern
rocks that ocean acidification triggered by massive volcanic
eruptions helped cause the mass extinction 252 million years ago.
It
wiped out more than 90 percent of marine species and more than
two-thirds of land species.
Dr
Clarkson said this was a worrying finding, considering that we were
now seeing an increase in ocean acidity as a result of carbon
emissions caused by human activity.
"This
scenario alone almost guarantees the extinction of most life on this
planet, shall we add in the melting permafrost releasing methane and
50 odd positive feedback loops? Join the dots family."
This is all this coverage this landmark study warrants for Radio NZ. It turns out that a New Zealander participated in a study coming out of the University of Ediburgh, although you wouldn't know it from the following report.
Researchers say the oceans suddenly became more acidic, making it impossible for the vast majority of sea creatures to survive
Dead fish on the beach at Cape San Blas, Florida, after a 'red tide' event in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo: Judy Baxter via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA).
Oxygen
levels in our oceans are falling, writes Lee Bryant, producing
growing 'dead zones' where only the hardiest organisms can survive.
The causes are simple: pollution with nutrient-rich wastes, and
global warming. But the only solution is to stop it happening - or
wait for 1,000 years
University
of Edinburgh researchers warn that the carbon emissions that drove a
mass extinction event some 252 million years ago were released at a
rate similar to today
University
of Edinburgh researchers warn that the carbon emissions that drove a
mass extinction event some 252 million years ago were released at a
rate similar to today
NZ: Mussel shortage predicted as sea warms
A
South Island mussel farmer is warning of a national shortage of
mussels in two years time, because higher sea temperatures have
affected the spat harvest.
11
April, 2015
Yesterday,
the Sanford
mussel plant in Christchurch announced its likely closure with
the loss
of up to 230 jobs,
blaming warmer waters for a significant drop in mussel production.
Listen
to more on Checkpoint ( 2 min 52
sec )
Paul
Morgan of Kono New Zealand said water temperatures had risen two or
three degrees because of climate change, and less rain has meant
fewer nutrients going into the sea.
He
said most of the industry's spat was collected at Kaitaia so many
farms would not have mature mussels in 18 months time. Demand was
growing at the same time as a reduction in volume being produced.
Sanford
has started up a mussel
hatchery at the Cawthron Aquaculture park in Nelson,
but is not expecting it to have an effect on supply for a few years.
Marine
scientist at Auckland University Andrew Jeffs said water around New
Zealand varied, but had risen by at least one degree Celsius.
But
he said drier weather was just as significant
"When
we get more rainfall it washes nutrients off the land and then to the
sea and that triggers growth that the food that shellfish like
mussels consume in the water column. This las summer has been
particularly dry especially in the north."
The government has been forced by the Green Party to correct an earlier false report. From Russel Norman,
via Facebook
Following my press release pointing out that more
trees were being cut down than replanted, Tim Groser, the Minister
for Climate Change, has had to correct his press release where he
claimed the opposite. You nearly got away with it Tim!
New
release:
While
afforestation is currently happening slower than deforestation, as
the carbon price rises I expect this trend will turn around,” Mr
Groser said. [Corrected 5pm 10/4]
Original:
The report also shows New Zealand is planting more trees, Mr Groser
noted. “Forestry is an important part of our response to climate
change, as forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. For the
past six years our level of afforestation has exceeded our rate of
deforestation,” Mr Groser said.
Here is Radio NZ -
The
Ministry for the Environment (MFE) has published a lengthy report
summarising New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 until
2013
The
report found the total volume of those gas emissions rose from 66.7
million tonnes in 1990 to 81.0 million tonnes in 2013.
Brazil water crisis: 56 Northeastern cities are in state of collapse, says government
By Catherine Alencastro
9 April, 2015
[Translation
by Microsoft Translator]
BRASILIA
(O Globo) – In yet another government meeting to evaluate the water
crisis in part of the country, the diagnosis is that, in the
Northeast, there are currently 56 cities in a state of collapse,
i.e., without water for more than four days. According to the
government, there is an ongoing operation being managed by state and
local governments. In the Southeast, despite the March rains, the
water regime was lower than expected and the reservoirs of Rio de
Janeiro and São Paulo are still operating below the average.
In
relation to the Northeast, the Union asked for a diagnosis and said
it will take further action with the army. It is estimated that up to
105 Northeastern cities can get into situation of collapse. The
Minister of national integration, Gilberto Occhi, stated that at the
next meeting of the working group which monitors the water crisis
within the government, the situation of 500 wells and water supply
systems in the Northeast will be assessed.
According
to the government, there are studies indicating that this drought can
last for up to three to four years. The Environment Minister,
Izabella Teixeira, claimed that her team is devising a plan to adapt
to climate change.
The
Cantareira system, from São Paulo, is still below the dead volume,
and follows operating with this water reserve. And the system of the
Paraíba do Sul, Rio, is operating at its useful volume (so above the
dead volume), but below average.
“We're
in the month of transition and, between now and June, the rains
diminish too. The rains in the Southeast from October to March were
70% to 75% of the average historical values,” said Carlos Nobre, of
the Ministry of Science and Technology.
The
President of the national water agency (ANA), Vicente Andreu,
explained that the body has adjusted the withdrawal of water from the
reservoirs of the Southeast to avoid depleting even more their
levels. In the case of the Cantareira, the current water withdrawal
is one third of the withdrawal in normal situations.
The
situation of the Paraíba do Sul, according to the ANA, is better.
The reservoir had "significant improvement" and operates at
16% of its useful volume. In February, the usable volume of the
Paraíba do Sul was zero. Over the past year, however, the situation
has deteriorated. The tank, at this same time in 2014, operated at
40% of its useful volume.
Izabella,
Occhi and technicians gathered at the Presidential Palace in the
Minister's Office Aloízio Mercadante.
From Australia's ABC
Global warming shifts spin axis of Earth
Scientists
might have to change their projected timelines for when Greenland’s
permafrost will completely melt due to man-made climate change, now
that new research from Denmark has shown it could be thawing faster
than expected.
Published
Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change, the
research
shows that tiny microbes trapped in Greenland’s permafrost are
becoming active as the climate warms and the permafrost begins to
thaw. As those microbes become active, they are feeding on
previously-frozen organic matter, producing heat, and threatening to
thaw the permafrost even further.
In
other words, according to the research, permafrost thaw could be
accelerating permafrost thaw to a “potentially critical” level.
The Pacific Ocean may have entered a new warm phase — and the consequences could be dramatic
NASA GOES PROJECT via AFP
Two
new studies have
just hit about the “warm blob” in the northeast Pacific
ocean — a 2 degree C or more temperature anomaly that began in the
winter of 2013-2014 in the Gulf of Alaska and later
expanded. Scientists have been astonished at the extent and
especially the long-lasting nature of the warmth, with one NOAA
researcher saying,
“when you see something like this that’s totally new you have
opportunities to learn things you were never expecting.”
Scientists seek source of giant methane mass over Southwest
Scientists
are working to pinpoint the source of a giant mass of methane hanging
over the southwestern U.S., which a study found to be the country's
largest concentration of the greenhouse gas
The
report that revealed the methane hot spot over the Four Corners
region—where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona meet—was
released last year.
Now,
scientists from the University of Colorado, the University of
Michigan, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and
NASA are conducting a monthlong study to figure out exactly where it
came from.
The
answer could help reduce methane emissions that contribute to global
warming
California's New Era of Heat Destroys All Previous Records
Sadly, this is only the beginning
The California heat of the past 12 months is like nothing ever seen in records going back to 1895. The 12 months before that were similarly without precedent. And the 12 months before that? A freakishly hot year, too.
What's happening in California right now is shattering modern temperature measurements—as well as tree-ring records that stretch back more than 1,000 years. It's no longer just a record-hot month or a record-hot year that California faces. It's a stack of broken records leading to the worst drought that's ever beset the Golden State
SMOG ALERT: Potentially deadly Sahara dust cloud swarms across Hampshire
A
POTENTIALLY deadly combination of toxic air mixed with a dust cloud
from the Sahara has sparked a warning by health chiefs.
People
in Hampshire with underlying medical and respiratory conditions
including asthma have been urged to take extra precautions today as
the poor air quality could trigger further health problems.
Vulnerable
people are being urged to reduce the amount of physical activity they
do and those particularly at risk should avoid it all together.
(Photo : Flickr: Vincent Lousi Carrell)
A
new virus has been discovered in North America, and it's leaving its
victims covered in splotchy discolored paths and with little energy
to stand. However, it's not people we're talking about, but grasses.
A new viral infection for grasses has been identified in the United
States, and experts say there is reason to be worried that it will
jump to some of the country's most important food crops.
A section of a car can be seen in a gaping sinkhole that opened up a residential street on Chicago’s South Side after a cast iron water main dating back to 1915 broke during a massive rain storm Thursday, April 18, 2013, in Chicago.
Last
month, Farmers Insurance Co. filed nine class-action lawsuits arguing
that local governments in the Chicago area are aware that climate
change is leading to heavier rainfall but are failing to prepare
accordingly. The suits allege that the localities did not do enough
to prepare sewers and stormwater drains in the area during a two-day
downpour last April. In what could foreshadow a legal reckoning of
who is liable for the costs of climate change, the class actions
against nearly 200 Chicago-area communities look to place
responsibility on municipalities, perhaps spurring them to take a
more forward-looking approach in designing and engineering for a
future made different by climate change.
Legislation
rushed through in the final hours of parliament allows local planning
laws to be bypassed, seriously alarming anti-nuclear campaigners
Shell complaint claims Greenpeace activists risk success of Arctic dill
Shell
has warned it could miss a window to drill for oil in the Arctic this
summer, if six Greenpeace activists occupying a rig under contract to
the company are not removed, court filings by the oil company reveal.
Failure
to act against the climbers who boarded the Polar Pioneer rig 750
miles north of Hawaii on Monday would result in “irreparable harm”
and “monetary damages”, the document seen by the Guardian shows.
The
Greenpeace activists, from the US, Germany, New Zealand, Australia,
Sweden and Austria, used inflatable boats and climbing gear on Monday
to board the rig where they still remain and have unfurled banners in
protest at the planned drilling in the polar region.
Destructive
tornadoes and thunderstorms ripped through northern Illinois Thursday
night, killing one person and injuring eight others in one tiny
DeKalb County community where some people became homeless following
the нdisaster.
And one person's history of man -
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.