Global warming headlines and climate change news for March 2010

March 31 - Tobin tax could help fund climate change battle
A Robin Hood tax, known as a a Tobin tax, has been proposed to help feed the starving and combat climate change. The tax would take a 20th of 1 per cent from each of the trillions of financial transactions occurring on global markets every second. Read more.

March 30 - Study: Gulf Stream not slowing down.
The Gulf Stream, which brings heat from the tropics northwards to cooler climates does not appear to be slowing down say scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Some climate change models have predicted a slow down. While the average reduction predicted is 25% and would have a cooling effect, temperatures would still increase in the region overall. Read more

March 29 - Asia's air pollution circling the Earth
A study led by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research has found pollutants from Asia are being drawn into the stratosphere during monsoon season, then circulating around the globe for several years. The monsoon transport pathway may affect other gases in the stratosphere, such as water vapor, that could affect global climate by influencing the amount of solar heat that reaches Earth. Read more

March 28 - World powers down for Earth Hour
A record 125 countries and territories and over 4000 cities, towns and municipalities participated in last night's Earth Hour event. Participation in Earth Hour has grown dramatically since it began in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Energy Australia recorded a 6.3 per cent reduction in energy use in Sydney during this year's event. Read more

March 27 - Warming seas threaten subtropical coral reefs
Lord Howe Island's coral reefs have been left stressed and bleached after this summer's high water temperatures. Peter Harrison, director of marine studies at Southern Cross University says the event has sounded a clear warning that changes to climate will impact not only the tropical coral reefs but also the subtropical ones. Read more

March 25 - Tropical algae appearing in Australia's south
In the more southern reaches of Australia's iconic River Murray, a type of poisonous algae more commonly found in tropical areas is being discovered in increasing amounts along the Victorian stretch of the river. Cylindrospermopsis is potentially toxic to the liver and other organs of humans and animals. Australian Conservation Foundation water expert Dr Arlene Buchan believes the presence of the algae indicates it is time ask if the arrival was an indicator of climate change. Read more

March 24 - Victoria's brown coal emissions rise 10%
Even in this somewhat enlightened age, the Australian state of Victoria remains addicted to brown coal - the filthiest of fossil fuels. A study prepared  for Environment Victoria has found the state's greenhouse emissions from electricity have increased by 10% over the 10 years to 2009. Victoria is also home to the world's most polluting coal fired power station. Read more

March 23 - Sea level rise : your increase may vary
According to Michael D. Lemonick, senior writer at Climate Central, sea level increases connected to global warming will vary widely by region. Prevailing winds, ocean currents and the gravitational pull of the polar ice sheets will see some coastal areas being inundated while others stay dry. Read more.

March 22 - Global cooling is the myth
Some disregard global warming in the belief that global cooling is actually occurring . According to a draft analysis of temperature data by NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, global warming has not stopped nor slowed in the past decade and 2010 may well be the hottest year on record. Read more

March 20 - 107 nations sign up for Earth Hour
Earth Hour, an annual event originating in Australia and designed to draw attention to climate change, has seen a surge in popularity over the last couple of years. Already 107 countries have signed up, with 2 of the newest nations to join the event in 2010 being Kosovo and Mongolia. Read more

March 18 - Simple actions could slash carbon emissions
An analysis released by NRDC and the Garrison Institute's Climate Mind Behavior says Americans can reduce U.S. carbon pollution by 15 percent, or one billion tons, through personal actions such as reducing unwanted junk mail, decreasing vehicle idling, using a programmable thermostat and replacing light bulbs with CFLs - activities that incur little to no cost. Read more

March 17 - Global warming interfering with butterflies
A study by Australian scientists claims Australian common brown butterflies are emerging from their cocoons 10 days earlier than 65 years go and this early emergence is linked to temperature increases of 1 degree Celsius since that time. Read more

March 16 - CO2 fix could kill marine creatures
One of the fixes touted to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels is ocean fertilization where iron would be artificially added in huge quantities to stimulate growth of marine algae that absorb CO2 from the air. However, researchers have shown that the algae may increase production of a nerve poison that can kill mammals and birds. Read more.

March 14 - Shifting Antarctic ice = problems for penguins
A study by a team of polar scientist has found ice movement in Antarctica linked to climate change is disrupting penguin colonies. The report also warns increased snowfall caused by warming temperatures can interfere with the ability for penguins to navigate to nesting stones or snow-free nesting habitat. Read more

March 12 - Common birds at risk from climate change
Nearly a third of the USA's 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or suffering from population. Climate change is now causing additional stress according to The State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change. The report identified even some common bird species are likely to become species of conservation concern as a result of climate change.  Read more

March 11 - Climate change and famine marriages
In Uganda, food crises associated with climate change have been linked to higher rates of early marriage for girls, who are exchanged for dowry or bride price. These famine marriages lead to girls dropping out of school and make them vulnerable to disease and related reproductive complications. Read more

March 10 - Outsourced carbon emissions study
Researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science have found that goods and services imported into developed countries typically make up approximately a third of their total carbon footprint. For example, products imported by the UK are responsible for 253 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year, or 4.3 extra tonnes per person in addition to the official per capita emissions of 9.7 tonnes. Read more.

March 8 - Rise in UK soil carbon emissions disputed
A study conducted for the UK government claims to have found no net loss of carbon in the last 25 years, countering previous research that claimed of loss of one hundred million tonnes. An independent statistical expert may be brought in to determine why the reports differ and which one is likely to be more accurate. Read more

March 7 - 95% chance man to blame for climate change
A study by scientists from the Met Office Hadley Centre, Edinburgh University, Melbourne University and Victoria University in Canada has arrived at the conclusion there is a less than 5 per cent chance that natural variations in climate were responsible for the changes the world is experiencing. The study also claims the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had understated mankind’s overall contribution to climate change. Read more

March 6 - Shareholders get active on climate change
Activity from shareholders calling on companies to provide more detailed information on the risks they face as a result of climate change and carbon regulations have spiked in the last year and are expected to continue to climate after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stated climate change can represent a material risk to a firm's operations and should be disclosed to investors. Read more

March 5 - Arctic methane rupture fuels warming concern
It's been known that methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, has bubbling out of melting permafrost in Arctic wetlands and lakes for some time; but the levels at which it is escaping may be far more than previously thought. Recent study of the East Siberian Sea has estimated that in this area alone, roughly eight million tons of methane are leaking into the atmosphere each year. Read more

March 3 - India propose coal tax to pay for renewables
India has decided to add a USD$1 tax per tonne of domestically produced or imported coal, with the proceeds to be used in a new national renewable energy fund. Some estimates put the yearly revenue from such a tax at USD$544 million. India's finance minister has also announced a range of tax breaks designed to speed the uptake of solar, wind and geothermal technologies. Read more

March 2 - Climate scientist cops to "awful" emails
A British climate researcher involved in the "Climategate" affair has admitted he penned some "pretty awful" emails to sceptics when he was refusing their requests for data. However, the scientist says the data was available elsewhere and the unit he belonged to was struggling under a deluge of data requests. Read more

March 2 - Western Australia experiences hottest summer
Western Australia has experienced its hottest ever summer, recording average temperatures of nearly 30 degrees Celsius and the state's capital recording under a millimetre of rain for December, January and February.  Read more

March 1 - Al Gore on "wishing away" climate change
In a recent piece in the New York Times, Al Gore said he genuinely wishes that the climate crisis were an illusion but that the reality of climate change has not been shattered by the discovery of a couple of mistakes in the UN IPCC report. Mr Gore says the danger is building as we dump 90 million tons of global-warming pollution into the atmosphere every day — as if it were an "open sewer". Read more