Catastrophic changes in global weather patterns could be on the horizon as scientists confirm the warming Atlantic current has reached a “new record low”. The Gulf Stream current, which has not been running at peak strength for centuries, is now at its weakest point in the past 1,600 years. Climate change resulting from rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is … [Read more...]
Indonesian scientists explore health risks of microplastics
Indonesian scientists have launched the largest ever study into whether tiny plastic particles can affect human health. They are investigating the presence of plastic in seafood while also tracking the diets of 2,000 people. Plastic pollution has become so severe in Indonesia that the army has been called in to help. The potential impacts of ingesting small pieces of plastic … [Read more...]
SA scientists to head to Weddell Sea on voyage of discovery
The Weddell Sea off Antarctica, one of the coldest, harshest and most remote locations in the world, will be explored next year by a major international scientific expedition in which South African research organisations and scientists will play vital role. The January/February expedition will survey the underside of the Larsen C Ice Shelf, document the rich and … [Read more...]
When will climate change make Earth too hot for humans?
If your anxiety about global warming is dominated by fears of sea-level rise, you are barely scratching the surface of what terrors are possible, even within the lifetime of a teenager today. And yet the swelling seas — and the cities they will drown — have so dominated the picture of global warming, and so overwhelmed our capacity for climate panic, that they have occluded our … [Read more...]
Plastic particles found in bottled water
Tests on major brands of bottled water have found that nearly all of them contained tiny particles of plastic. In the largest investigation of its kind, 250 bottles bought in nine different countries were examined. Research led by journalism organisation Orb Media discovered an average of 10 plastic particles per litre, each larger than the width of a human … [Read more...]
Arctic temperatures soar 45 degrees above normal
While the Eastern United States simmered in some of its warmest February weather ever recorded Tuesday and Wednesday, the Arctic is also stewing in temperatures more than 45 degrees above normal. This latest huge temperature spike in the Arctic is another striking indicator of its rapidly transforming climate. On Monday and Tuesday, the northernmost weather station in the … [Read more...]
Scientists tackle coastal food security
The western Indian Ocean region has the most serious food security problem on the planet. It extends up the eastern coast of Africa, including Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, SA and the island states of Comoros, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius and Réunion. In these countries, 60-million people depend on the ocean for their food and livelihood. Climate change … [Read more...]
Climate disruption has officially ended the era of stable climate
A study recently published in the journal Nature brings grim news: anthropogenic climate disruption (ACD) has officially ended the era of stable climate that has made possible the development of modern civilization. The world we live in today, based on industrial-scale agriculture capable of feeding billions of people and sustaining these vast numbers of humans, is only … [Read more...]
Mathematics predicts a sixth mass extinction
In the past 540 million years, the Earth has endured five mass extinction events, each involving processes that upended the normal cycling of carbon through the atmosphere and oceans. These globally fatal perturbations in carbon each unfolded over thousands to millions of years, and are coincident with the widespread extermination of marine species around the world. The … [Read more...]
World scientists’ warning to humanity: a second notice
In late 1992, 1,700 scientists from around the world issued a dire “warning to humanity.” They said humans had pushed Earth's ecosystems to their breaking point and were well on the way to ruining the planet. The letter listed environmental impacts like they were biblical plagues — stratospheric ozone depletion, air and water pollution, the collapse of fisheries and loss of … [Read more...]
Scientists discover sea levels’ sharp rise during last warming
Scientists from Rice University and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies have discovered that Earth's sea level did not rise steadily but rather in sharp, punctuated bursts when the planet's glaciers melted during the period of global warming at the close of the last ice age. The researchers found fossil evidence in … [Read more...]
Karoo fracking estimates ‘overcooked’ in more ways than one
Unfortunately for shale gas exploration companies like Shell, a scientific study indicates that the Karoo shale deposits are “over-mature” (cooked to the point where most gas has disappeared). Commenting on the latest study, Treasure the Karoo Action Group (TKAG) chief executive Jonathan Deal says he is not in the least bit surprised by these results. New evidence that the … [Read more...]
Weathering the violence of climate change
With India experiencing its worst drought in 140 years, Indian farmers have taken to the streets. At a protest in Madhya Pradesh this summer, police opened fire on farmers demanding debt relief and better crop prices, killing five. In Tamil Nadu, angry growers have held similar protests, and lit candles in remembrance of those killed. And at one rally in New Delhi, farmers … [Read more...]
