The national security establishment needs to prepare for a series of global crises sparked by climate change, a group of experts wrote in a report released today. The analysis by the Center for Climate and Security identifies 12 “epicenters” where climate change could stress global security, possibly igniting conflicts around the world. American diplomats and military … [Read more...]
Are humans heading for extinction within a decade?
Things have gotten worse more rapidly than previously thought, says Guy McPherson, emeritus professor of conservation biology from Arizona University on his recent tour of New Zealand. "Humans are a mere blip in geological time." Here is the video of that interview for you to make up your own mind: "Temperatures over much of the Arctic will increase as much as 54 … [Read more...]
Scientists accidentally discover efficient process to turn CO2 into ethanol
If scientists can figure out how to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into fuel - and do it at an industrial scale - it would, quite literally, change the world. Last month, we hit the highest levels of atmospheric CO2 in 4 million years, and it’s now permanent, meaning we’ll never be able to drop to 'safe' levels again. But if we can turn CO2 into a fuel source, we can at … [Read more...]
One of the earth’s most regular climate cycles has been disrupted
Scientists discover unprecedented atmospheric behaviour has disrupted one of world's the most repeatable atmospheric patterns. The normal flow of air high up in the atmosphere over the equator, known as the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation, was seen to break down earlier this year. These winds in the stratosphere are found high above the tropics, their direction and strength … [Read more...]
Warming Atlantic Ocean leads to rise in marine bacteria
Rising sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic are likely to be behind a recent surge in cases of diarrhoeal diseases from marine bacteria in northern Europe and the US east coast, a new study says. In their analysis that goes back to 1958, the researchers show that levels of Vibrio bacteria – which can cause illness in humans and even death – have been increasing as … [Read more...]
Combined Arctic ice observations show decades of loss
It’s no surprise that Arctic sea ice is thinning. What is new is just how long, how steadily, and how much it has declined. University of Washington researchers compiled modern and historic measurements to get a full picture of how Arctic sea ice thickness has changed. The results, published in The Cryosphere, show a thinning in the central Arctic Ocean of 65 percent between … [Read more...]
Getting to grips with climate feedbacks
From catastrophic chain-reactions which could push us into dangerous climate change, to cooling effects which balance out global warming, climate feedbacks are an important area of research for scientists. This happens when a change in our climate causes an impact which changes our climate further - a knock-on effect which feeds back into our climate. There are two kinds … [Read more...]
World watching how carbon majors respond to human suffering
Can Chevron, ExxonMobil and BP be held accountable for the vulnerable communities most affected by climate change? It’s a question a legal case in the Philippines could answer. Last month, lawyers for the petitioners met with the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR), a constitutional body tasked with investigating human rights violations. Their goal was to … [Read more...]
GM maize most probably toxic to animals over the long term
When German farmer Gottfried Glöckner began feeding his cows on GM Bt176 maize in 1998, he noticed strange symptoms appearing in the animals. They included partial paralysis (paresis), accompanied by severe fatigue and problems in the kidneys and mucous membranes, followed by death in 10% of cases. Initially the culprit was thought to be a bacterial or viral disease. … [Read more...]
Monsanto to face tribunal for ecocide and crimes against humanity
Last week, dozens of farming, sustainable food, and environmental justice groups announced they would bring insidious agrochemical giant and food-experimenter, Monsanto, to trial before The Hague for charges of ecocide and crimes against humanity and nature. The tribunal will commence in The Hague, Netherlands, appropriately, on World Food Day, which falls on October 16th of … [Read more...]
Climate change reveals more mercury under Arctic ice
Climate change is thawing Arctic ground that was once frozen all year, making it a potentially potent new source of toxic mercury pollution in the region, according to a new study. Their research, published Friday in the journal Science, found that Arctic permafrost contained high levels of the bacteria that transform inorganic mercury into hazardous methyl … [Read more...]
Mercury levels rising in Pacific yellowfin tuna, study says
The tuna we’re eating is becoming more mercury-laden every year, and it’s most likely our own fault. That’s according to new research from the University of Michigan, which found that mercury levels in yellowfin tuna caught in the Pacific Ocean have increased nearly 4 percent every year since 1998. For seafood lovers, warnings of high mercury concentrations in fish are … [Read more...]
First national drought in new SA have farmers giving up
Ficksburg is ground zero for drought in the Free State. The trickle of farmers selling up and moving to the coast is growing into a stream. Ficksburg is a border town with an agricultural habit. Its two main streets are packed with shops selling farming equipment and cheap goods. The latter inevitably head across the bridge leading out of town into Lesotho. The former … [Read more...]
