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 […]
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 […]
By Oliver Milman 16 June 2013 (The Guardian) – Floods, bushfires, and this year’s scorching summer heatwave have raised awareness of the dangers of climate change, but an “infantile” debate over the validity of the science has cost Australia precious time, according to a key Climate Commission expert. The commission, an independent body that advises […]
By Bryan Walsh17 June 2013 (TIME) – While the national government remains slow to deal with climate change, many cities have been moving ahead. Why the difference? Well, cities tend to be more homogenous politically, which makes any kind of decisive action easier to push through. But the real reason is that city managers know […]
By Zoltan Dujisin15 June 2013 BUDAPEST (IPS) – Record floods in Central and Eastern Europe have highlighted some of the challenges of climate change for the continent, as well as the floods’ potential to spur populist politics. An extraordinarily long winter followed by weeks of intense rains has saturated soils and caused large rivers, such […]
By Tom Dinham13 June 2013 (Reuters) – Residents of the German city of Passau survey the damage caused by the worst flooding seen in central Europe since 2002. Their sodden belongings lining the streets, many local business owners complained they had been unable to get insurance due to previous floods. “We asked the landlord back […]
By Marlene Cimons14 June 2013 (LiveScience) – Drought has beset the Earth since before farming began. In developing nations, it brings suffering and death. In wealthier countries like the United States, it brings economic devastation when crops wither and die, and forests burn. The United States continues to feel the aftereffects of the 2012 drought […]
First of a two-part package on adapting to climate change. Tomorrow: Snapshots of what cities are doing around the world. By Seth Borenstein, with contributions from Karl A. Ritter in Bonn, Germany, Jennifer Peltz in New York, and Tony Winton in Miami 15 June 2013 WASHINGTON (AP) – Efforts to curb global warming have quietly […]
