Blogging the End of the World™
By Daniel Arkin17 June 2013 (NBC News) – Southern California fire officials warned Monday that the state should take caution during a brutal fire season that projections suggest could be the worst to hit the region in a century. “We’re going to have a very volatile fire season,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby […]
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, 19 June 2013 (Associated Press) – As the West battles one catastrophic wildfire after another, the federal government is spending less and less on its main program for preventing blazes in the first place. A combination of government austerity and the ballooning cost of battling the ruinous fires has taken a bite […]
By Elizabeth Lopatto and Nicole Ostrow; Editing by Reg Gale17 June 2013 (Bloomberg) – Researchers seeking the roots of autism have linked the disorder to chemicals in air pollution and, in a separate study, found that language difficulties of the disorder may be due to a disconnect in brain wiring. Researchers from Harvard University’s School […]
By RACHEL D’ORO Associated Press 19 June 2013 ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – A heat wave hitting Alaska may not rival the blazing heat of Phoenix or Las Vegas, but to residents of the 49th state, the days of hot weather feel like a stifling oven – or a tropical paradise. With temperatures topping 80 degrees […]
13 May 2013 (IDMC) – Unusually heavy and prolonged rainfall from June to November 2012 resulted in widespread flooding across 18 countries. Displacement was reported in 13: Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, the Gambia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and South Sudan (see Figure 3.2). Over 7.6 million […]
By PAUL KRUGMAN16 June 2013 (The New York Times) – Last week the International Monetary Fund, whose normal role is that of stern disciplinarian to spendthrift governments, gave the United States some unusual advice. “Lighten up,” urged the fund. “Enjoy life! Seize the day!” O.K., fund officials didn’t use quite those words, but they came […]
By Jeremy van Loon 17 June 2013 (Bloomberg) – In the farming country of northwest Alberta, heavy oil wells are becoming more common than cattle and combines. Along with money and jobs, the boom has brought smells and fumes that are adding to the greenhouse gas emissions from Canada’s oil sands. Emissions from flaring, or […]
13 June 2013 (Daily Telegraph) – Snapshots of history documenting abandoned America and the decline of a superpower. Abandoned America Technorati Tags: North America,financial collapse,poverty,religion
By Michael Marshall 13 June 2013 (New Scientist) – Between a quarter and a half of all birds, along with around a third of amphibians and a quarter of corals, are highly vulnerable to climate change. These findings have emerged from the most comprehensive assessment to date of the impact of global warming on life. […]
By FERNANDA SANTOS16 June 2013 PHOENIX (The New York Times) – The hiss of sprinklers serenades improbably green neighborhoods early in the morning and late at night, the moisture guarding against the oppressive heat. This is the time of year when temperatures soar, water consumption spikes and water bills skyrocket in this city, particularly for […]
