March 2015 Climate Change Headlines
Record Temperatures In Antarctica
The temperature at Argentina's Esperanza Base in Antarctica hit a record on March 24, reaching 63.5°F (17.5°C). This could be the warmest temperature ever recorded on the continent. The event occurred a day after a reading of 17.4°C (63.3°F) was measured at another Argentinian Antarctic facility, Base Marambio.
US To Back Away From Flood Insurance Subsidies
The US government is about to commence a phaseout of subsidized flood insurance for more than a million Americans with houses in flood zones. This subsidy means recipients pay half the true commercial rate and subsequent increases will hit hard.
Rain In Chile 'Unprecedented'
The heavy deluge that inundated Chile's usually arid north this week was a unprecedented event in the Atacama, the world's driest desert, says Deputy Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization Jeremiah Lengoasa.
Earth Hour 2015 In Australia
People around the world will turn off their lights at 8.30pm on March 28 for Earth Hour. The event in Australia this year has a special focus on supporting Australian farmers and food being affected by climate change.
Tropical Rainfall Increasing
A study of 12 years of satellite data shows bigger and more organised storms in the tropics around the world; but the findings covered too short a time to identify a climate change as the culprit.
UK At Risk Of Deadly Tropical Diseases
Britons could fall victim to malaria, dengue fever and other tropical diseases in the decades ahead as the result of more favourable conditions for mosquitoes according to public health experts.
Climate Change Censorship In Florida
It's been reported a Florida government employee working with its environmental protection department was required to take a leave of absence and a mental health evaluation for acknowledging climate change in the course of his work. The employee has filed a complaint against the state.
Adaptation Is Not A Solution
Adapting to climate change could result in further pressures and threats for local and global ecosystems; so an ounce of prevention will be worth more than what will be many pounds of cure.
Massive Freshwater Runoff In Alaska
The collective fresh water discharge of a small region of southern Alaska is now more than four times greater than the Yukon River of Alaska and Canada
Obama Sets Emissions And Renewables Targets
US President Obama has ordered federal government departments to cut greenhouse emissions by 40% over the next decade and also issued a direction for the government to increase its use of renewable energy to 30%.
A Loopy Jet Stream
As polar regions warm, the jet streams, which are a sort of weather conveyor belt, are getting "loopier". This is impacting weather and exacerbating extreme weather events.
Drought Emergency In Oregon
In the US state of Oregon, Governor Kate Brown has declared a drought emergency in two rural counties, with more announcements expected in the weeks ahead.
Climate Change : Disasters On Steroids
Climate change-related displacement is happening now says Jane McAdam, Professor of Law and Director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW - and disasters are becoming disasters on steroids. Professor McAdam uses the example of Cyclone Pam, which has reportedly displaced 45 per cent of Tuvalu's population.
No Room For Complacency
Friends Of The Earther Ireland say news of global carbon emissions from the energy sector having apparently levelled out are welcome but give no reason for complacency. A spokesperson said the figures were “not so much a step in the right direction, as an end to stepping in the wrong direction”.
The Arctic's Shrinking Ponds
While the Arctic is melting, many of its ponds are shrinking due to warmer conditions unlocking nutrients in permafrost and encouraging the growth of plants. While this may sound like a good thing, it could have a major impact on the regions ecosystems.
Energy Emissions Leveled Out In 2014
Carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector leveled out in 2014, the first time in 40 years a rise in emissions hasn't been recorded without some sort of economic downturn involved.
Arctic Ice Headed For Record Low.
The Arctic's winter maximum area of ice on track to reach the lowest level since satellite records began in 1979. The average winter extent has decreased by 4.52 percent per decade and the summer minimum has declined by 13.7 percent per decade.
Antarctic Octopus May Adapt To Climate Change.
The blue blood of Antarctic octopuses may assist the marine creatures adapt to climate change better than fish due to the unique way their blood transports oxygen.
Chinchorro Mummies' Degradation Blamed On Climate Change
The oldest known mummies on earth are now threatened by climate change. Chinchorro mummies held at the museum of the Universidad de Tarapacá in Arica, Chile, are degrading - and the process is accelerating.
Drought Impacts Amazon's Carbon Sink Capabilities
The Amazon soaks up approximately a quarter of all human carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but drought could impact this important carbon sink and in a worst case scenario, turn it into a net carbon emitter.
Government Workers Banned From Using The Term "Climate Change"?
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Officials reportedly issued unwritten directives in 2011 forbidding thousands of employees from using the phrases "climate change" and "global warming".
Denying Climate Change Like Denying Gravity
Vice president of the United States, Joe Biden, says members of Congress who continue to deny climate change have a willing suspension of disbelief that can only be sustained for so long.
Yale University Pressured To Dump Fossil Fuel Investments
Fossil Free Yale is turning up the heat on the institution, again gathering outside University President Peter Salovey’s office to demand the university divests from fossil fuels.
Flooding Toll To Triple Globally In 15 Years
An increase in flooding due in part to climate change could affect triple the number it does today in 2030. 50 million people could be affected each year, with an annual potential cost to the world economy of around half a trillion dollars annually.
Rapid Glacier Melt On The Brahmaputra
Hydrological modelling carried out in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet indicate glaciers are likely to shrink by 20 to 55 percent by 2050. By the same year, total runoff into the Brahmaputra is likely to increase from zero to 13 percent due to glacier melt.
Fossil Fuels And The Tobacco Playbook
Its been claimed the fossil fuel industry has been using the same strategies as the tobacco industry to stave off tougher climate change legislation in the USA. The tobacco industry successfully prevented Congress from regulating the industry's toxic products for many years.
Companies Not Preparing For Climate Change
Business experts from the University of Queensland say that while some companies may be making inroads on reducing carbon emissions, few are planning for the impacts climate change may have on their businesses
Sun's Impact On Climate Amplified During Cool Phases
Researchers at Aarhus University say climate system in the North Atlantic region appears to be more receptive to the impact of the Sun during cold periods.
Global Warming False Pause
The recent slowdown in the rate of global warming is a false pause according to Penn State University researchers, who say it is caused by natural oscillations in the climate system. According to the team, anthropomorphic global warming is not subsiding.
Surf's... Down?
While a warmer and stormy future might logically result in more and bigger waves hitting Monterey Bay in the USA, the opposite may occur.
UK Orchid Response To Climate Change Varying
'Lady orchids' in the UK are benefiting from increasingly warmer temperatures, but 'man orchids’ and fly orchid aren't faring so well.
Climate Change A "Moral Issue"
In a recent survey, 66 percent of Americans said world leaders are morally obligated to take action to reduce carbon emissions and 72 percent felt "personally morally obligated" to make efforts in their own lives to reduce their carbon impact.
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