Republican Congressman believes chopping down rainforests will solve global warming

Commentary by Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com27 May 2011 Republican House Representative Dana Rohrabacher shocked scientists on Wednesday when he asserted clear-cutting the world’s rainforests would be a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reports Politico. “Is there some thought being given to subsidizing the clearing of rain forests in order for some countries to eliminate […]

Continued drought threatens Three Gorges Dam’s power to maintain Yangtze water transportation

By Wang Qian (China Daily)28 May 2011 BEIJING – The Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydropower project, might lose the battle against the worst drought to hit Central China in 50 years if no rains fall by mid-June. “If the drought continues and there is no rainfall before June 10, the dam will lose […]

Island nations may keep some sovereignty if rising seas make them uninhabitable – ‘Resettlement is an extremely unpopular solution’

By NATHANIAL GRONEWOLD of ClimateWire25 May 2011 NEW YORK — Global sea level rise has put a handful of nations at risk of extinction — small island states in the Pacific and Indian oceans. But this week, a collection of international lawyers and politicians have begun work to ensure that doesn’t happen. They can’t prevent […]

Sea level will rise a foot higher on New Jersey coast by 2050

May 26 (NJ Press Media) – Sea level likely will be a foot higher along New Jersey by 2050, and at the end of the century “Atlantic City’s going to see three feet,” said geology professor Ken Miller of Rutgers University. To see what the beaches would do on their own in response to rising […]

Iran’s largest lake turning to salt

OROUMIEH LAKE, Iran, May 25 (AP) – From a hillside, Kamal Saadat looked forlornly at hundreds of potential customers, knowing he could not take them for trips in his boat to enjoy a spring weekend on picturesque Oroumieh Lake, the third largest saltwater lake on earth. “Look, the boat is stuck. It cannot move anymore,” […]

Graph of the Day: April Tornado Count for the U.S., 1950–May 2011

By Tamino25 May 2011 Shortly after it became clear that April 2011 broke the U.S. record for the most April tornados, the Washington Post reported that it was not a “legitimate” record … yet. That’s because earlier years’ counts are adjusted upward in an attempt to compensate for our increasing ability to detect tornados in […]

Ethiopia drought: ‘The worst is yet to come’

By Audree Montpetit25 May 2011 I arrived in Borena Zone, Oromia Region, in the southern part of Ethiopia two days ago. I am here with my CARE colleagues to conduct a deeper assessment on the impact of the current drought on women, men, boys and girls. We have talked to different groups, and even though […]

Cost of Texas drought climbing with each dry day

By Betsy Blaney, Associated Press writer25 May 2011 LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — A historic drought has already cost Texas farmers and ranchers an estimated $1.5 billion, and the cost is growing daily as parched conditions persist in much of the state. May is typically the wettest month in Texas, but parts of the state haven’t […]

Commemorating the one-year anniversary of the devastating 2010 Pakistan floods

Contact: Javeria Malik (0300 8325911) javeria.malik@actionaid.org Zakaria Nutkani (0300 5193304) Zakaria.nutkani@actionaid.org May 25 (ActionAid) – “Women and girls have been the worst victims of 2010 floods due to their pre-existing vulnerabilities.  After almost a year of the devastating floods, millions of women are still desperately striving to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. “Therefore it is […]

A link between climate change and Joplin tornadoes? Never!

By Bill McKibben23 May 2011 Caution: It is vitally important not to make connections. When you see pictures of rubble like this week’s shots from Joplin, Mo., you should not wonder: Is this somehow related to the tornado outbreak three weeks ago in Tuscaloosa, Ala., or the enormous outbreak a couple of weeks before that […]

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