Graph of the Day: Rapid melting of North American glaciers, 1984-2006

A global glacier index update Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:59:31 GMT Technorati Tags: glacier,deglaciation,global warming

3 billion people at risk of famine caused by global warming

David. S. Battisti1 and Rosamond L. Naylor2 Higher growing season temperatures can have dramatic impacts on agricultural productivity, farm incomes, and food security. We used observational data and output from 23 global climate models to show a high probability (>90%) that growing season temperatures in the tropics and subtropics by the end of the 21st […]

California faces historic drought: snow study

By Clare Baldwin SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A new survey of California winter snows on Thursday showed the most populous state is facing one of the worst droughts in its history, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said. The state, which produces about half the United States’ vegetables and fruit, is in its third year of drought and […]

Graph of the Day: Baltic Dry Index, 1998-2008

Weakness in the bulk commodities markets, reflecting the depth of the recession, is shown by the incredible 92% decline in the Baltic Dry Index. … Construction and energy-intensive manufacturing are the first sectors to slump in a recession. This has cut the demand for bulk commodity inputs, leading to the Baltic Dry Index decline. Cargo […]

World’s glaciers shrink for 18th year in Alps, Andes

By Jeremy van Loon Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) — Glaciers from the Andes to Alaska and across the Alps shrank as much as 3 meters (10 feet), the 18th year of retreat and twice as fast as a decade ago, as global warming threatens an important supply of the world’s water. Alpine glaciers lost on average […]

"Unprecedented and shocking" decline in air cargo

From Calculated Risk: More cliff diving … From the International Air Transport Association: Cargo Plummets 22.6% in December (hat tip Bob_in_MA) In the month of December global international cargo traffic plummeted by 22.6% compared to December 2007. The same comparison for international passenger traffic showed a 4.6% drop. The international load factor stood at 73.8%. […]

Australian heatwave sign of climate change

By Michael Perry SYDNEY, Jan 29 (Reuters) – A heatwave scorching southern Australia, causing transport chaos by buckling rail lines and leaving more than 10,000 homes without power, is a sign of climate change, the climate change minister said on Thursday. The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a total of six days of 40-plus Celsius […]

Graph of the day: Record low New Home Sales in December

From Calculated Risk: The Census Bureau reports, New Home Sales in December were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 331 thousand. This is the lowest sales rate the Census Bureau has ever recorded (starting in 1963). …This graph shows New Home Sales vs. recessions for the last 45 years. New Home Sales have fallen […]

The New Yorker: "The Dystopians"

ABSTRACT: AMERICAN CHRONICLES about doomers and the current economic crisis. A year and a half ago, Dmitry Orlov, a forty-six-year-old software engineer from Leningrad, sold his apartment and bought a boat, on which he and his wife now live, in Boston. Orlov moved to the U.S. when he was twelve, and returned to the Soviet […]

Graph of the day: Truck Tonnage Index

From Calculated Risk: From the American Trucking Association: ATA Truck Tonnage Index Plummeted 11.1 Percent in December (hat tip Dave of SV) Click on graph for larger image in new window. The American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index plunged 11.1 percent in December 2008, marking the largest month-to-month reduction since April […]

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