November 2013 global warming news

November 27 - USA Methane Emission Figures Revised
The USA's methane emissions, which have many times the global warming potential of carbon, were roughly 50% higher in the middle of the last decade than prevailing estimates. One of the researchers who arrived at the new figure expressed concerns that there could be large greenhouse gas emissions in places in the USA that may not yet be accounted for.

November 26 - Arctic Methane Time Bomb Underestimated
A new measurement more than doubles an earlier estimate of Siberian methane release. It's thought Arctic storms churning up shallow waters contribute to the speeding up of the release of methane; a potent greenhouse gas.

November 25 - Warsaw Talks End
Frustrating UN climate talks in Poland have ended with a pathway to a new global climate treaty in Paris in 2015; but some feel what was achieved at the conference was the "barest minimum".

November 22 - Walkout At Warsaw
Hundreds attached to NGO groups have walked out on UN climate talks in Warsaw, stating that the Conference has "put the interests of dirty energy industries over that of global citizens". Read more.

November 21 - Australia Doesn't Impress In Warsaw
When EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard was asked about Australia’s role at the Warsaw climate negotiations; she said “Which role?”. The nation is fast becoming a carbon reduction coward and worse still, may influence others. Read more.

November 18 - Japan's Emissions Target Backflip
After having previously committed to an emissions target of 25% reduction, the Japanese government has now settled on a 3.8 per cent emissions cut by 2020 versus 2005 levels; which still amounts to a 3 per cent rise from a UN benchmark year of 1990. Read more.

November 17 - 60,000 Australians Rally For Climate
A National Day of Climate Action has been held in Australia, with an estimated 60,000 people taking to the streets around the country to send a message to the nation's new government of "not good enough". Read more.

November 15 - Oceans Are In A Pickle (literally)
Oceans are acidifying at an unprecedented rate - more rapidly than at any time in the last 300 million years says new research from a panel of experts. Read more.

November 13 - Climate Change Intensifying Super Typhoons
As the Philippines continues to reel from the damage wreaked by super-typhoon Haiyan, the World Meteorological Organisation says the same typhoon 50 years ago would have had less impact because the sea level was lower. Read more.

November 13 - 2013 Shaping Up To Be Another Warm One
This year is the seventh warmest since records began in 1850; with with average land and ocean surface temperatures 0.48°C (0.86°F) above the 1961-1990 average. Read more.

November 13 - Scorched Earth And Oil Palms
8.7 million acres of forest in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea was razed in order to establish oil palm plantations between 1990 and 2010 says the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Aside from other issues associated with habitat destruction, this clearing has created a heavy carbon load - through the fires used to clear the land and drainage of peat soils which releases large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Read more.

November 12 - Australia Moves To Dump Carbon Tax
It's becoming increasingly clear the new Australian Government is no friend of renewable energy or climate change action. Its latest move is to officially commence proceedings to repeal the nation's carbon tax. Read more.

November 12 - Poland's Love Affair With Coal
The United Nations COP 19 Climate Change Conference has commenced in Poland - a country still very heavily reliant on coal for power generation. Read more.

November 12 - An Increasingly Thirsty World
Around 1.3 billion people currently live in areas of water scarcity; but by 2100, that number could higher than 1.8 billion according to a group of climate scientists. Read more.