technogenic disaster – Page 68

Number of March tornadoes across the United States, 2013-2022. March 2022 saw more tornadoes in the U.S. than any March on record. Data: NCDC / Storm Prediction Center Graphic: CNN

April 3, 2022

March 2022 set new U.S. tornado record for second year in a row – Scientists are seeing a dangerous shift in early-spring tornadoes

By Caitlin Kaiser and Brandon Miller 31 March 2022 (CNN) – This month has seen more tornadoes in the US than any March on record following this week’s severe weather outbreak. It’s the second year in a row the country has endured a record number of tornadoes in March, solidifying a trend toward more severe weather […]

An octopus is pictured “stilt-walking” with a variety of collected trash. A new study crowdsourced hundreds of images, including this one, that observed octopuses using human garbage for a variety of tasks. Photo: Serge Abourjeily

April 3, 2022

Octopuses are using human garbage as shelter, camouflage and more, study finds – “It’s becoming so common that they’re using these items to protect themselves with instead of their natural shelters, such as seashells, which are becoming scarce in the ocean”

9 March 2022 (CBC Radio) – A new study suggests it’s becoming increasingly common for octopuses to use bottles, cans and other human trash to shelter themselves, camouflage their dens and even house their young. “We believe this is because of the high abundance of these artificial items — you know, the litter item — […]

Futures prices of West Texas intermediate crude oil and lithium, May 2021-March 2022. Graphic: Bloomberg

March 29, 2022

A world that’s more expensive is starting to destroy demand – “A renewed spike in gas prices would see demand destruction become more widespread”

By David R Baker, Allison Smith, and Sheela Tobben 27 March 2022 (Bloomberg) – Prices for some of the world’s most pivotal products – foods, fuels, plastics, metals – are spiking beyond what many buyers can afford. That’s forcing consumers to cut back and, if the trend grows, may tip economies already buffeted by pandemic […]

John Lawrence and Payton Campbell (unseen at rear) with their children Harlow and Aria inspect a flooded road near their home on 2 March 2022 in Dungay, Australia. Several northern New South Wales towns were forced to evacuate as Australia faced unprecedented storms and the worst flooding in a decade. Photo: Dan Peled / Getty Images

March 29, 2022

Coastal home buyers are ignoring rising flood risks, despite clear warnings and rising insurance premiums

By Risa Palm and Toby W. Bolsen 25 March 2022 (The Conversation) – Apollo Beach, Florida, is a maze of canals lined with hundreds of houses perched right near the water’s edge. The whole community, just south of Tampa, is only about 3 feet above sea level, meaning it’s at risk from storm surge as […]

Tokyo Tower is illuminated only in the lower-half part in response to the government’s request to save electricity in Tokyo, Japan on 22 March 2022. Photo: Issei Kato / REUTERS

March 27, 2022

The future of energy will require bigger sacrifices from citizens – “If you don’t want to act on going 1 degree lower for climate change, do it against Putin”

By Stephen Stapczynski and Shoko Oda 25 March 2022 (Bloomberg News) – Not since the late 1970s have governments around the world been under so much pressure to ask their citizens to cut energy consumption for the greater good. The need for more energy conservation has snowballed: The war in Ukraine is forcing Europe to curb […]

Lismore, Australia residents Tim Fry and Zara Coronakes and son Ezekiel stand outside the remains of their flooded home on 11 March 2022. Photo: Jason O'Brien / AAP

March 27, 2022

After the Australia floods, the distressing but necessary case for managed retreat – “Is it fair for taxpayers to carry the huge burden of paying for future rescue and relief costs?”

By Antonia Settle 13 March 2022 (The Conversation) – From Brisbane to Sydney, many thousands of Australians have been reliving a devastating experience they hoped – in 2021, 2020, 2017, 2015, 2013, 2012 or 2010/11 – would never happen to them again. For some suburbs built on the flood plains of the Nepean River in […]

This photo from 7 March 2022 shows coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of the Australian state of Queensland. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef experienced its sixth massive bleaching event in 2022 as climate change has warmed the ocean, raising concerns over whether one of the world’s natural wonders is nearing a tipping point. Photo: Glenn Nicholls / AFP / Getty Images

March 27, 2022

Global warming deals another blow to the Great Barrier Reef – “This is a first mass bleaching event during a La Niña”

By Darryl Fears 26 March 2022 (The Washington Post) – Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is experiencing its sixth massive bleaching event as climate change has warmed the ocean, raising concerns over whether one of the world’s natural wonders is nearing a tipping point. Reef managers confirmed Friday that aerial surveys detected catastrophic bleaching on 60 […]

Aerial view of a coal waste operation in Russelton, Pennsylvania that uses waste coal to power bitcoin mining. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that although waste coal is burned using a different process, it still releases carbon dioxide that contributes to warming the atmosphere. The coal waste in Pennsylvania also releases more acid gas and sulfur dioxide than other types of coal. Photo: SCMP

March 27, 2022

Video: U.S. company plans to burn coal waste for bitcoin mining

By Evanne Yu 25 March 2022 (SCMP) – A company in Pennsylvania has an unusual plan to deal with coal waste – crypto mining. Stronghold Digital Mining uses waste left behind by decades-old coal power plants to generate the electricity for hundreds of supercomputers working to mine bitcoin. The US Environmental Protection Agency says that […]

Satellite view of the Conger/Glenzer (Bowman Island) ice shelf collapse in March 2022. Scientists are concerned because the ice shelf collapsed in East Antarctica, an area that had long been thought to be stable. The collapse in March 2022 was the first time scientists have ever seen an ice shelf collapse in this cold area of Antarctica. Photo: NASA / AP

March 27, 2022

Thinning Antarctic ice shelf finally crumbles after extreme heatwave – “The Glenzer Conger ice shelf presumably had been there for thousands of years, and it’s never going to be there again”

By Isla Binnie 25 March 2022 (Reuters) – An East Antarctica ice shelf disintegrated this month following a period of extreme heat in the region, according to scientists. Satellite images show the 1,200 square-kilometre Conger Ice Shelf collapsed completely on or around March 15. “Possible it hit its tipping point following the #Antarctic #AtmosphericRiver and […]

Aerial view of the town of Beenleigh, Queensland on 29 February 2022 compared with 2 March 2022 (after flooding). The images were captured by the Nearmap proprietary aerial camera system attached to planes. Photo: Nearmap / The Washington Post

March 23, 2022

Australia’s cataclysmic floods raise specter of permanent retreat as towns become uninsurable – Sydney to be hit by another 100mm (4 inches) of rain in four days as bureau warns of flood fatigue – “The taxpayer is now the insurer”

By Sarah Keoghan and Laura Chung 22 March 2022 (SMH) – The Bureau of Meteorology has urged residents in flood-prone areas to remain vigilant as 100 millimetres of rain is forecast for Sydney over the next four days. Senior meteorologist Jackson Browne said the weather bureau was concerned flood-fatigued residents living in at-risk areas may […]

Desdemona Despair

Category: technogenic disaster

March 2022 set new U.S. tornado record for second year in a row – Scientists are seeing a dangerous shift in early-spring tornadoes

Octopuses are using human garbage as shelter, camouflage and more, study finds – “It’s becoming so common that they’re using these items to protect themselves with instead of their natural shelters, such as seashells, which are becoming scarce in the ocean”

A world that’s more expensive is starting to destroy demand – “A renewed spike in gas prices would see demand destruction become more widespread”

Coastal home buyers are ignoring rising flood risks, despite clear warnings and rising insurance premiums

The future of energy will require bigger sacrifices from citizens – “If you don’t want to act on going 1 degree lower for climate change, do it against Putin”

After the Australia floods, the distressing but necessary case for managed retreat – “Is it fair for taxpayers to carry the huge burden of paying for future rescue and relief costs?”

Global warming deals another blow to the Great Barrier Reef – “This is a first mass bleaching event during a La Niña”

Video: U.S. company plans to burn coal waste for bitcoin mining

Thinning Antarctic ice shelf finally crumbles after extreme heatwave – “The Glenzer Conger ice shelf presumably had been there for thousands of years, and it’s never going to be there again”

Australia’s cataclysmic floods raise specter of permanent retreat as towns become uninsurable – Sydney to be hit by another 100mm (4 inches) of rain in four days as bureau warns of flood fatigue – “The taxpayer is now the insurer”