More records fall as California heat wave continues

LOS ANGELES, 15 February 2016 (AP) – California is still in the grip of a record-setting heat wave. The National Weather Service says cities up and down the state had record high temperatures for the date Monday. It was 89 in downtown Los Angeles, breaking 1977’s record of 88. In Orange County, Santa Ana hit […]

Effects of human carbon emissions could last 10,000 years – ‘Our greenhouse gas emissions today produce climate-change commitments for many centuries to millennia’

CORVALLIS, Oregon, 8 February 2016 (OSU) – At the rate humans are emitting carbon into the atmosphere, the Earth may suffer irreparable damage that could last tens of thousands of years, according to a new analysis published this week. Too much of the climate change policy debate has focused on observations of the past 150 […]

Herpes outbreak, other marine viruses linked to coral bleaching event – ‘Incidents like this are now happening more widely all around the world’

CORVALLIS, Oregon, 11 February 2016 (OSU) – A study at Oregon State University has concluded that significant outbreaks of viruses may be associated with coral bleaching events, especially as a result of multiple environmental stresses. One such event was documented even as it happened in a three-day period. It showed how an explosion of three […]

Study: Will we ever stop using fossil fuels? ‘The world will likely be awash in fossil fuels for decades and perhaps even centuries to come’

3 February 2016 (EPIC) – On the heels of a historic climate agreement in Paris, a new study [pdf] in the Journal of Economic Perspectives sheds light on the world’s ability to stop using fossil fuels. Its conclusion: fossil fuel consumption is likely to continue to grow without clear and decisive global actions to put […]

Why organic food might be worth the price – ‘When you look at ecosystem services, organic agriculture really shines’

By Mandy Oaklander4  February 2016 (TIME) – The most infamous fact about organic food is that it’s expensive—about 47% more expensive, according to a recent analysis from Consumer Reports. But a new review study published in Nature Plants analyzed everything research currently knows about organic farming versus the conventional kind and found that organic offers […]

UN report: In Somalia, drought causes dire malnutrition situation – ‘The proportion of severely food-insecure people remains alarmingly high’

8 February 2016 (UN) – According to a new United Nations food security and nutrition assessment, the situation in Somalia is alarming and could get worse, especially in parts of Puntland and Somaliland, which have been hard hit by drought exacerbated by El Niño. “We are deeply concerned that the proportion of severely food insecure […]

An open letter to the Australian Government from more than 2800 climate scientists

RE: Australia’s Climate Research Is Far From Done  Dear Representatives of the Australian public and appointees to the CSIRO Board,  The recent announcement of devastating cuts to the Australian CSIRO’s Oceans and Atmosphere research program has alarmed the global climate research community1. The decision to decimate a vibrant and worldleading research program shows a lack […]

Testing detects algal toxins in Alaska marine mammals – ‘What really surprised us was finding these toxins so widespread in Alaska, far north of where they have been previously documented’

By Michael MilsteinFebruary 2016 (Northwest Fisheries Science Center) – Toxins from harmful algae are present in Alaskan marine food webs in high enough concentrations to be detected in marine mammals from Southeast Alaska to the Arctic Ocean, including whales, walruses, sea lions, seals, porpoises and sea otters, according to new research published today [Prevalence of […]

Climate science and the end of the Enlightenment in the land down under

By Dr. Ricky Rood   12 February 2016 (wunderground.com) – Back in November, I wrote that our, the U.S.’s, political behavior seemed a concerted effort to accelerate our decline into the Dark Ages. This week we discover that we are not alone. Dr. Larry Marshall, the Chief Executive of CSIRO in Australia, announced large cuts in […]

Cuts to Australia climate research ‘devastating’, almost 3000 scientists tell PM Malcolm Turnbull

By Peter Hannam  12 February 2016 (The Age) – Almost 3000 scientists from nearly 60 nations have appealed to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and other Australian leaders to halt the CSIRO’s plans to halve the number of researchers working on climate monitoring and modelling. In a letter that was also sent to the CSIRO’s board […]

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