Italy’s elite are dismayed by vanishing beaches

By Tom Kington, The Observer10 July 2011 ROME – The high cost and exclusive nature of Italy’s best beaches cause regular disputes, but accelerating coastal erosion means some of them are now disappearing altogether. Italian actors, intellectuals and the titled rich setting off for the beach this summer have been shocked to find that one […]

Climate change could kill one in 10 species by end of the century

By Steve Conner, Science Editor12 July 2011 Climate change is speeding up the rate at which animals and plants are becoming extinct. By the end of the century, one in 10 species could be on the verge of extinction because of the effects of global warming, a study has found. The findings support the view […]

Drought spreads its pain across 14 U.S. states – ‘Likely to be a disastrous summer’

By KIM SEVERSON and KIRK JOHNSON 11 July 2011 COLQUITT, Ga. — The heat and the drought are so bad in this southwest corner of Georgia that hogs can barely eat. Corn, a lucrative crop with a notorious thirst, is burning up in fields. Cotton plants are too weak to punch through soil so dry […]

Our extreme future: Predicting and coping with the effects of a changing climate

By John Carey  30 June 2011 Editor’s note: This article is the last of a three-part series by John Carey. Part 1, “Storm Warning: Extreme Weather Is a Product of Climate Change,” was posted on June 28. Part 2, “Global Warming and the Science of Extreme Weather,” was posted on June 29. Extreme weather events […]

Photo gallery: Phoenix dust storm – Longtime residents call it ‘Worst they’ve seen’

[It would be very wrong of Desdemona to connect this with the largest wildfires in Arizona’s recorded history.] By MARY HUDETZ, Associated Press6 July 2011 PHOENIX – The air around the Phoenix area was a hazy shade of brown and a layer of dirt coated cars and buildings Wednesday following a massive dust storm the […]

A hidden risk of climate change: More property damage from drought-induced soil subsidence in Europe

Zurich, July 4 (Swiss Re) – Europe is witnessing a dramatic increase in property damage as a result of soil subsidence. Climate change could magnify those risks, a new Swiss Re publication shows. A new loss model developed by Swiss Re and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) suggests that soil subsidence will […]

How rising temperatures change weather and produce fiercer, more frequent storms

By John Carey29 June 2011 Editor’s note: This article is the second of a three-part series by John Carey. Part 1, posted on June 28, is “Storm Warning: Extreme Weather Is a Product of Climate Change“. Part 3, “Our Extreme Future: Predicting and Coping with the Effects of a Changing Climate” was posted on June […]

New Mexico fire encroaches on sacred Native American grounds – ‘This is a fire like we’ve never seen before’

By Stephen Ceasar, Los Angeles Times2 July 2011 Several Native American tribes are lamenting the damage to sacred land and archeological sites caused by the largest fire in New Mexico state history. The Las Conchas fire has charred about 13,000 acres within the Santa Clara Canyon, an area of great significance to those who live […]

Los Alamos evacuees return to ‘charred and smoldering landscapes’ – Wildlife roving the city for food and shelter

By Danielle Flores, KOB.com3 July 2011 Los Alamos County reports that as of 8 a.m. Sunday, residents are allowed to return to their homes. State Road 4 remains closed west of Drive South and all access points to the Jemez Mountains and from Los Alamos County remain closed. The massive 121,000 acre Las Conchas fire […]

Britain’s rivers ‘being ruined by demands of water companies’

By Jane Merrick, Political Editor3 July 2011 Water companies are draining the nation’s most at-risk rivers dry, causing environmental damage, death to wildlife and the build-up of chemicals that upset fragile aquatic ecosystems, all of which could result in ever-higher bills for consumers, a damning report will say tomorrow. Current abstraction by firms from rivers […]

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