Graph of the Day: New Home Sales, 1963-2009

From Calculated Risk: The graph shows New Home Sales vs. Recessions for the last 45 years. New home sales have fallen off a cliff. Sales of new one-family houses in March 2009 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 356,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department […]

Record-low inflows to Murray-Darling Basin

The basin authority has launched a new website to be updated weekly with details of storage levels across parts of Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia. It currently shows the dire position of Australia’s major water resources as a result of the ongoing drought. According to the latest figures storage levels across the basin are […]

Graph of the Day: Weekly Unemployment Claims, 1971-2009

From Calculated Risk: The graph shows weekly claims and continued claims since 1971. The four week moving average is at 646,750. Continued claims are now at 6.14 million – the all time record. … Unemployment Claims: Continued Claims at Record Technorati Tags: financial collapse

Desperate bid to save endangered Caribbean frogs from extinction

One of the world’s rarest species of amphibians has been airlifted to safety from Montserrat in a last-ditch attempt to save it from extinction See also: A billion frogs on world’s plates, accelerating amphibian extinctions and Fungus devastates ‘chicken’ frog. By Jessica Aldred and agencies Conservationists have rescued a number of critically endangered "mountain chicken" […]

Greenhouse gases rise despite global recession

WASHINGTON, DC, April 21, 2009 (ENS) – Atmospheric concentrations of two of the most potent global warming gases rose last year, according to a preliminary analysis for the annual greenhouse gas index compiled by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, which tracks data from 60 sites around the world. At the end of […]

Almost 90% of European fish stocks declining; 30% ‘beyond biological limits’; European fisheries commission admits failure

Europe’s Common Fisheries Policy has failed and a completely new fishing management system is needed, the European Commission has admitted. By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels A new Brussels position paper highlighted severe problems with fisheries and urged a complete rethink of a key European Union policy. EU officials have been forced to admit that, despite […]

‘Toxic soup of pesticides’ killing West Coast salmon

SEATTLE, Washington, April 21, 2009 (ENS) – Three pesticides – carbaryl, carbofuran, and methomyl – jeopardize the existence of protected salmon and steelhead, the National Marine Fisheries Service said in a formal biological opinion released Monday. All three of the pesticides assessed are neurotoxins. Exposure either immediately kills salmon or impairs their feeding, predator avoidance, […]

Kenya wildlife populations in drastic decline

In Masai Mara, one of Africa’s most treasured parks, researchers have found significant, in some cases catastrophic, declines of wild grazing animals. In fifteen years six of seven hoofed animals—giraffes, warthogs, hartebeest, impala, topis and waterbucks—showed declines. The study published in the British Journal of Zoology confirms what has long been expected: wildlife populations in […]

World's largest rivers shrinking

BOULDER, Colorado, April 21, 2009 (ENS) – Many of the greatest rivers in some of the world’s most populous regions are losing water, according to a new study of stream flow in 925 large rivers. Led by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the study indicates that the reduced flows are associated with […]

Graph of the Day: New Office Construction vs. Vacancy Rate in San Diego

From Calculated Risk: Voit released quarterly reports today for CRE in Las Vegas, San Diego and Orange County. The reports show the vacancy rates are up, and lease rates (falling rents), net absorption, transactions and construction are all down. It appears new construction has all but stopped. Here are a couple of graphs for Orange […]

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