Caribbean corals face bleaching and disease outbreaks this summer

  ScienceDaily (July 25, 2009) — Scientists say conditions are favorable for significant coral bleaching and infectious coral disease outbreaks in the Caribbean, especially in the Lesser Antilles. Similar conditions may develop in Gulf of Mexico and Central Pacific. The forecast is based on the July NOAA Coral Reef Watch outlook, which expects continued high […]

Clouds appear to be big, bad player in global warming

From Climate Progress:   The best evidence is that the climate is now being driven by amplifying feedbacks (see Study: Water-vapor feedback is “strong and positive,” so we face “warming of several degrees Celsius”), most notably: The defrosting of the permafrost The drying of the Northern peatlands (bogs, moors, and mires). The destruction of the […]

Climate change making aquatic organisms smaller

  ‘On left: microscopic photo of the spring diatom bloom with large organisms dominating. On right: warming of six degrees with smaller flagellates dominating.’ Image credit:IFM-GEOMAR, via PhysOrg.com I want to be careful not to exaggerate the significance of this work. That said, I find it disturbing to learn that a warming ocean selects for […]

Warming climate threatens California fruit and nut production

ScienceDaily (July 22, 2009) — Winter chill, a vital climatic trigger for many tree crops, is likely to decrease by more than 50 percent during this century as global climate warms, making California no longer suitable for growing many fruit and nut crops, according to a team of researchers from the University of California, Davis, […]

Global ocean temperatures warmest since 1880

Global ocean temperatures rose to the warmest on record, according to data released last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for June was second-warmest since global recording-keeping began in 1880. NOAA reports that both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres experienced record sea surface […]

Giant jellyfish bloom hits Sea of Japan

Japan has been hit by an invasion of giant Nomura’s jellyfish which are stifling the fishing industry and posing a danger to swimmers.  By Aislinn Simpson The massive sea creatures, called Echizen kurage in Japanese, measure up to six feet (1.83 meters) in diameter and weigh more than 450 pounds (204 kilos). For the past […]

Graph of the Day: Global Mean Temperature Projections to 2100

This graph shows projected global warming under business-as-usual and reduced-emissions scenarios. World starts to act on climate change Technorati Tags: global warming,climate change,carbon dioxide,carbon reduction

Allianz says insurers will be hit by more wind storms in Europe

By Oliver Suess July 17 (Bloomberg) — Insurers will be hit by a higher number of wind storm-related claims in Europe as a result of global warming, according to Allianz SE, Europe’s biggest insurer by market value. “Global warming is happening and it’s here to stay,” Olaf Novak, head of risk management related to natural […]

Melting ice threatens polar life

By Cameron Dueck on the Bering Sea The Canadian Arctic is facing another year of open water with the summer break-up of sea ice ahead of schedule in many key parts of the northern archipelago. The early break-up of ice underlines the growing impact of climate change in the Poles where temperatures have risen much […]

Graph of the Day: Arctic Sea Ice Extent, 1979-2009

June 2009 compared to past Junes Compared to previous Junes, ice extent in June 2009 was extremely close to the last two years, falling within 30,000 square kilometers (12,000 square miles) of the June extent in 2007 and 2008. The long-term trend indicates a decline of 3.3% per decade, an average of 40,100 square kilometers […]

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