UN says fertiliser crisis is damaging the biosphere – Mass application of nutrients causes pollution in some areas while under-use hampers food production in others

By Michael McCarthy   18 February 2013 (The Independent) – The world is facing a fertiliser crisis, with far too little in some places, and far too much in others, a new report from the United Nations says today. The mass application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients needed for plant growth has had huge benefits for […]

Report points to risk of serious gap in weather satellite data

By DYLAN WALSH18 February 2013 (The New York Times) – A new report from the Government Accountability Office elevates the problem of looming gaps in satellite weather data to a “high risk” concern for the federal government The G.A.O.’s high-risk report, updated every two years to coincide with each new Congress, focuses on federal programs […]

UN widens effort to fix environmental woes – ‘It is becoming more and more clear in the minds of the public that climate change is a clear and present danger that will require us to act’

18 February 2013 (Reuters) – A new United Nations plan to involve all nations in marshalling science to fix environmental problems ranging from toxic chemicals to climate change will be put to the test from Monday at talks in Nairobi. The 40-year-old U.N. Environment Programme will open its annual governing council to all the world’s […]

Filipino super-typhoon an ominous warning of climate change impact – ‘The devastation was worse than anything I have ever seen’

By Simon Tisdall17 February 2013 (guardian.co.uk) – When super-typhoon Bopha struck without warning before dawn, flattening the walls of their home, Maria Amparo Jenobiagon, her two daughters and her grandchildren ran for their lives. The storm on 4 December was the worst ever to hit the southern Philippines: torrential rain turned New Bataan’s river into […]

Australia flood coverage rises to unaffordable levels –‘Most people can’t afford insurance. It’s beyond anybody’s pocket.’

By Peter Hannam, carbon economy editor17 February 2013 (Sydney Morning Herald) – Thousands of Australians are facing soaring insurance premiums for flood cover, forcing many to ditch protection even as the risk of extreme weather increases. Insurers blame the increases on the spate of flooding across much of eastern Australia in recent years – with […]

Ice-free Arctic Ocean in 2030?

By Gerard Wynn15 February 2013 LONDON (Reuters) – Vast uncertainty remains over the causes of melting Arctic sea ice and when it may disappear altogether during the summer, which would have consequences for oil explorers, shipping firms and the fight against climate change. The answer will depend on the balance of natural and manmade causes. […]

Four U.S. states introduce Keystone XL pipeline resolutions, lifting language directly from ALEC and TransCanada

16 February 2013By Brendan Fischer (PR Watch) – Legislators in four states have introduced bills in recent weeks supporting the controversial TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline, with language that appears to have been lifted directly from a “model” American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) bill and from TransCanada’s own public relations talking points. Some of the first […]

Images from North Dakota’s Bakken oil fields boom – ‘This is changing the landscape so fast. I grieve now when I leave North Dakota.’

By DYLAN WALSH15 February 2013 (The New York Times) – For Elizabeth Farnsworth, the story began when she was walking her dog at a highway rest stop off Interstate 94 in North Dakota. “My husband and I met a trucker who was making $100,000 per year,” said Ms. Farnsworth, a freelance filmmaker and special correspondent […]

Secret funding helped build vast network of climate denial thinktanks – Anonymous trusts funded media campaign against windfarms, solar projects, and planning for sea-level rise

By Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent 14 February 2013 (guardian.co.uk) – Conservative billionaires used a secretive funding route to channel nearly $120m (£77m) to more than 100 groups casting doubt about the science behind climate change, the Guardian has learned. The funds, doled out between 2002 and 2010, helped build a vast network of thinktanks […]

NOAA: February 2012 to January 2013 warmest on record

By Lauren Morello14 February 2013 (Climate Central) – January was warmer and wetter than average in the contiguous U.S., despite the persistent drought in the nation’s heartland, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. The average temperature in the lower 48 states reached 32.0°F last month. At 1.6°F above the 20th century average, January […]

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