August 2012 global warming headlines and climate change news

August 30 - Arctic end times?
A professor of ocean physics at Cambridge University who was once ridiculed for claiming a substantial thinning of Arctic sea ice was occurring, warns Arctic summer sea ice cover is now at the point of collapse and will totally disappear by 2015. Read more.

August 29 - Arctic ice at record low (again)
Sea ice in the Arctic has fallen to the lowest level on record. The amount of sea ice in the summer decreased more than 40 percent since satellite tracking began in the late 1970's. Read more. 

August 28 - Australia/EU to form world's largest carbon market
In a surprise move, the Australian government will link the nation's carbon market to that which operates in Europe. Australian businesses will be able to buy carbon credits in Europe when the scheme commences in 2015. Read more.
 
August 27 - The Green Climate Fund and children
Over the next ten years, around 175 million children a year will be affected by climate-related disasters - but the Green Climate Fund aims to provide a safer future for all children. Read more.

August 24 - The risks and benefits of geoengineering
Changes to weather as a side effect of human activity is something we've done rather well, much to our detriment. Manipulating the weather in order to arrest or reverse the damage we've done is another kettle of fish. Read more.

August 23 - Game over for 2C effort
A senior scientific advisor to the UK Government has said hopes to keep temperature rises within 2 degrees Celsius are not possible and wouldn't rule out a 5 degree world. Read more.

August 22 - Man made clouds to combat climate change?
Researchers have proposed building high-tech spray salt water high into the sky over the oceans, creating clouds that reflect sunlight in order to help address global warming. Read more.

August 21 - Greenland's massive melt
Melting over the Greenland ice sheet broke the seasonal record on August 8; nearly a full month before the end  of the "melting season". Read more.

August 21 - Hot California rain
An unusual record was broken in the town of Needles, California last week when rain with a temperature of 118°F (47.8°C) fell. The event occurred in just 11% humidity - another world record. Read more.

August 20 - Using shade cloth to save coral reefs?
All sorts of curious band aid solutions for dealing with climate change have been proposed these last few years. The latest doing the rounds is to use shade cloth could protect corals from heat stress. To some this may be a real solution; to others, needing to do something this extreme might signal game over. Read more.

August 19 - Canadians get climate change
Only a couple of percent of Canada's residents don't believe climate change is occurring according to a recent survey. Over half believe climate change is occurring in part due to human activity. Read more

August 18 - Massive West Nile virus outbreak in the USA
Ten people are dead and hundreds sick so far in Texas as a result of the worst season for West Nile virus seen in the USA to date. A mild winter before a searing summer has seen the mosquito population explode - perhaps a sign of things to come as global warming worsens. Read more.

August 17 - Climate change driving Australian fish south.
Researchers believe there is solid evidence of tropical species in Australian waters moving south as climate change takes hold, raising temperatures rapidly. CSIRO scientists are reported as saying large numbers of marine animals and plants are already dying off or migrating. Read more.

August 16 - Phoenix sizzles
Phoenix, Arizona is in the grips of a particularly nasty heatwave, with temperatures of 110F (43C) or more for nine days straight - and real relief still some way off.  Read more.

August 15 - Cutting coal can save big bucks on health
Carbon emissions associated with coal aren't the only environmentally toxic payload it carries. Coal is costing Australia $2.6 billion annually in terms of health states a new report; which points out emissions reduction costs could be partly offset by health related financial windfalls. Read more.

August 14 - Massive wheat shortage looms
Disastrous droughts in North America and Russia will likely result in an unprecedented loss of 200 million metric tonnes of grains and oil seeds across globally - all eyes are now on Australia to help soften the impact. Read more.

August 13 - Climate change a bonus for parasites
Shifts in climate may make it easier for parasites to infect their hosts say researchers. Insects, reptiles or fish might be more susceptible than warm blooded creatures. Read more.

August 11 - Large UK Firms To Report CO2 Emissions From 2013.
In excess of 1,100 London Stock Exchange listed public companies will be compelled to report greenhouse gas emissions from April next year. The plan was originally announced at the Rio 20+ summit, but implementation was delayed to provide more time to consider various aspects. Read more.

August 9 - Tropical plankton invade Arctic
Tropical and subtropical species of marine protozoa have been detected living in the Arctic Ocean for the first time. While they are thought to have arrived on a pulse of warm water, part of a natural cycle, as arctic waters are warming rapidly, such pulses are predicted to grow. Read more.

August 8 - Climate change worse than expected: Hansen
According to Dr. James Hansen, a new analysis of the past six decades of global temperatures has revealed a huge increase in the frequency of extremely hot summers, "with deeply troubling ramifications not only for our future but also for our present." Read more.

August 7 - Increased incidence of fish kills in the US Midwest
While sudden die-off of a large number of fish isn't uncommon in the Midwest, soaring temperatures and drought appear to be linked to increasing numbers of incidents. Even carp, one of the hardiest freshwater fish on the planet, are falling victim. Read more.

August 6 - Coffee pest spurred on by climate change
The coffee berry borer now thrives in almost every country growing the crop and research indicates that for every 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit temperature increase, the coffee borer becomes substantially more infectious. Read more.
 
August 5 - Searing temperatures feeding Oklahoma fires
Temperatures of 113F (45C) and strong winds are making life hellish for fire-fighters trying to bring blazes near Oklahoma City under control. Read more.

August 3 - Montreal Protocol worsening climate change
The Montreal Protocol, which resulted avoiding a disaster in relation to the Earth's ozone layer is being blamed for worsening climate change due to ozone depleting chemicals being replaced with potent greenhouse gases. Read more.

August 2 - Drought threatens next year's US corn crop
With this year already a writeoff, the prognosis for next year's corn crop in the US isn't good either. The worst drought in 50 years is intensifying across the US midwest. Read more.

August 2 - Palm trees in the Antarctic
Scientists have discovered that palm trees and other tropical vegetation were once part of the Arctic's flora. It appears that 52 million years ago, when carbon dioxide levels were twice what they are now, winter temperatures on the Wilkes Land coast of Antarctica didn't drop below 10 degrees Celsius. Read more.

August 2 - Nature's carbon cleanup in overdrive
The Earth's oceans and land masses have been working hard to mop up our carbon emissions, absorbing double the amount of greenhouse gases they did in 1960. Read more.

August 1 - FaceBook's carbon footprint is...
There has been somewhat of a fixation and much speculation on the carbon footprint of the world's most popular social network. The guessing is now over after the company revealed its carbon footprint for 2011 was 285,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. Read more.

August 1 - Drought dries up tornadoes
It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good. While many US farmers are in the midst of a severe drought, the conditions are thought to have contributed to another record - a low number of tornadoes for the month of July. Read more.