Australia drought: New South Wales town “mobbed’” by thirsty emus

19 August 2018 (BBC News) – Large numbers of emus have been flocking to an outback mining town in New South Wales as Australia continues to struggle with extreme drought. The flightless birds are desperately searching for food and water in Broken Hill, local animal rescue services say. “They’re actually walking down our main street. […]

“Smokestorm” from B.C. wildfires now pushing into Western Washington

By Cliff Mass 19 August 2018 (Cliff Mass Weather and Climate Blog) – During the next 12 hours there should be a major influx of wildfire smoke into the lower elevations of western Washington. The MODIS satellite imagery around noon showed very dense smoke over eastern WA and the north Cascades, with lesser but substantial […]

Air conditioning use emerges as one of the key drivers of global electricity-demand growth

15 May 2018 (IEA) – The growing use of air conditioners in homes and offices around the world will be one of the top drivers of global electricity demand over the next three decades, according to new analysis by the International Energy Agency that stresses the urgent need for policy action to improve cooling efficiency. […]

Methane leaks from U.S. coal mines have the annual global warming impact of 13 million cars

By Mark Olalde 13 August 2018 (Climate Home News) – Across the US, a major, uncontrolled leak of a potent greenhouse gas is going unregulated and largely unnoticed.Climate Home News analysis of government data has identified roughly 300 active and 200 abandoned coal mines, which are the source of almost one-tenth of US methane pollution.Methane […]

Rainfall changes projected for northern Britain: Large decreases in average summer rainfall, large increases in winter – High-intensity events to increase in both seasons

27 April 2018 (Met Office) – A scientific study has given an initial view of potentially significant changes in rainfall patterns across northern England and Scotland by 2100.An experimental approach using the Met Office Unified Model with a resolution of 1.5km provides a first look at changes in rainfall that could affect Scotland and northern […]

Smoke from California wildfires will blow to UK because of tropical storm

By Tom Herbert 18 August 2018 (Metro) – A storm is set to batter Britain with wind and rain, bringing with it smoke from the wildfires in California. Forecasters say a tropical storm is moving eastwards across the Atlantic Ocean and will hit the UK and Ireland today. And smoke from the deadly wildfires in […]

India warns of “extremely grave” crisis as death toll rises to 385 in Kerala floods – Many thousands await rescue as downpour continues – More than 300,000 people sheltering in relief camps

By Michael Safi 18 August 2018 DELHI (The Guardian) – Thousands of people in the southern Indian state of Kerala are still awaiting rescue from the worst flooding in nearly 100 years, with heavy rain predicted to continue for at least the next two days.With more than 300,000 people sheltering in relief camps and thousands […]

Germany’s failed climate goals: A wake-up call for governments everywhere

By William Wilkes, Hayley Warren and Brian Parkin 15 August 2018 (Bloomberg) – Germany, the nation that did more than any other to unleash the modern renewable-energy industry, is likely to fall short of its goals for reducing harmful carbon-dioxide emissions even after spending over 500 billion euros ($580 billion) by 2025 to overhaul its […]

Faith versus flood fear at Kerala’s Idukki dam as monsoon rains lash India

IDUKKI, 31 July 2018 (Gulf News) – The Idukki dam, where the water level is inching up towards the danger level, has come to symbolise the tenuous ties between faith and the fear of floods. Idukki district authorities are keeping a close watch on the rising waters in the Idukki dam, where an “orange alert” […]

Amid fires and hurricanes, price of climate change begins to hit home – “If there’s water in your street, no one really cares if you’re a Republican or a Democrat”

By Laurent Belsie 16 August 2018 (The Christian Science Monitor) – Climate change is starting to pack an economic punch. In California this summer, severe wildfires have intensified a political brawl over who should shoulder the liability. Utility companies, which carry most of the risk if their equipment starts a fire, charge that they could […]

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial