March 2013 global warming headlines
March 30 - Bacteria may convert CO2 to biofuels
Scientists working with a bacteria that lives near geothermal vents in the ocean
say they are now a step closer in utilising it to convert carbon dioxide into
biofuels. Read
more.
March 29 -IMF: end fossil fuel subsidies
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says energy subsidies reinforce
inequality as the rich use more energy than the poor and eliminating
energy tax subsidies would slash carbon dioxide emissions by 4.5 billion
tons, a 13 percent reduction. Read
more
March 26 - Crazy weather threatens UK butterflies
Rain and cold during the UK summer saw declines in most British species
of butterflies, some to a degree that they may become extinction in
areas. Read
more.
March 25 - Britain's heaviest March snowfall for 3 decades
Drought, flood, snow - the UK has been copping a hammering with weather
extremes in recent years and the weekend added to the list of events. Heavy snow and winds of up to
60mph battered north-west England, south-west Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Read
more.
March 23 - Climate change increasingly seen as security issue
A study has found nearly three out of four governments view the potential effects of climate change as a serious national security issue. This could aid efforts raising awareness and action on climate change.
Read
more.
March 22 - More tornadoes wreak havoc in Australia
Tornado activity would appear to be on the increase in Australia; the
latest incident occurring in the state of Victoria where two twisters
are believed to have touched down; causing massive damage and injuries
to at least 20 people. Read
more.
March 21 - A more hurricane prone Europe
European climate scientists believe global warming will expand the tropical Atlantic hurricane breeding
ground and result in four times as many storms of tropical origins
hitting sections of Western Europe in the decades ahead. Read
more.
March 18 - Climate change increases locust threat.
An early locust plague along Lebanon's coast has raised concerns of an
increasing threat posed by the creatures, which eat just about any sort
of green plant material - and in huge quantities. Read
more.
March 12 - US Admiral: climate change Pacific's biggest
threat
Admiral Samuel J Locklear III, commander, US Pacific Command believes the biggest long term security threat in the Pacific region is climate change. The Admiral has warned hundreds of thousands or millions of people could be displaced and then "security will start to crumble pretty quickly".
Read
more.
March 11 - Plankton running hot and cold.
One of the most important food sources in marine environments, plankton,
may be more adaptable to water temperature variations than previously
believed. The potential threat wasn't warm water, but cold. Read
more.
March 10 - 1C increase in record time.
New research indicates a one-degree Celsius temperature variation that took 11
thousand years to occur since the end of the last major ice age has been replicated in the 150 years since the
dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Read
more.
March 9 - 10,000 Indian villages enduring worst drought in
decades
Millions of Indians in thousands of villages are suffering a drought of
a magnitude not seen since the 1970's. Water is rapidly running out and
2,000 tanker trucks are being used to provide supply. Read
more.
March 7 - Isn't it ironic - weather delays climate science
review
A major snowstorm in Washington, D.C. has put a hearing to “review” climate science on hold. The great irony is many those meant to be attending are reportedly climate change deniers.
Read
more.
March 6 - Warmer Arctic = more storm surge
Retreating ice in some parts of the Arctic have resulted in more intense
and frequent storm surges over the last 150 years and particularly since
1980. Read
more.
March 5 - A flood in Britain ever 5 days last year
Floods affected Britain on one in every five days last year, while one in four days were in
drought according to the nation's Environment Agency; which warns
extreme weather may continue and become more frequent. Read
more.
March 4 - Australia's climate "on steroids"
A newly released report from the Federal Government's Climate Commission
- entitled The Angry Summer - says the extreme heat, floods and bushfires experienced around country were all
exacerbated by a changing climate and Climate Commission chief Professor Tim Flannery
says the nation is now experiencing a "climate on steroids". Read
more.
March 3 - Cod moving north
The UK's icon food fish, the cod, is in danger of disappearing from its
waters. Stocks of cod in the Celtic and Irish Seas could disappear by the end of the century
due to increasing ocean temperatures; which is sending the young cod's
most important food source 600 miles north. Read
more.
March 2 - More UK ash dieback
Dieback in ash trees in the UK has raised its ugly head again and has been found at three new sites in young trees in Wales.
It's thought warming temperatures have played a role in the fungus responsible
for getting such a foothold in the UK. Read
more.
March 1 - Australian summer hottest on record
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology has confirmed that the nation has just experienced its hottest summer on record and warns the conditions will become the new normal within the next few decades.
Read
more
March 1 - Historic warming and CO2 possibly linked
Results of new research suggest rising carbon dioxide levels may have caused Antarctic warming 18,000 and 11,000 years ago; the last time the planet warmed naturally and glaciers melted.
Read
more.
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