“California’s record-breaking wildfires have consumed about 1 million acres in just the past month, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
“The worst wildfire season in state history has been one of shocking superlatives.
“CalFire reported Saturday that more than 4.1 million acres have burned across the state in 2020 — nearly 1 million of those since mid September, when California had seen more than 3.3 million acres scorched by fire.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/17/us/california-wildfires-saturday/index.html
“At least four new wildfires sparked over the weekend in Colorado and Utah during what has been a record-breaking fire season in the western US.
“More than 8.3 million acres have burned across the country this year, according to the National Fire Interagency Center.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/19/us/colorado-utah-wildfires-calwood/index.html
“Based on news reports of record-sized wildfires, it would seem that the worst drought scourged parts of America are in Southern California and Oregon. However, four huge parts of America are suffering from drought which is much more extreme…
“There is no evidence in the forecasts for any of these four areas that relief can be expected.”
“Scorching. Blistering. Burning. There are only so many ways to describe how hot it’s been in the West this year.
“The desert Southwest is a hot place to live, but imagine spending over half of the year with high temperatures of at least 100 degrees. Parts of California and Arizona did just that this year.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/17/weather/record-heat-and-drought-saturday/index.html
“…human activities transform not just the health and composition of forests, but their colors, too.
“Introduced pests, pathogens and invasive species are causing immediate changes to the fall color palette. And scientists are beginning to see a framework for how climate change may shape the forest colors of the future.”
“Although more than 11 million gallons of water have been pumped from the Las Américas [Merida, Yucatan, Mexico], around 30% of the subdivision continues to be flooded….
“…sections 1 and 2 of the development remain almost entirely underwater after Tropical Storm Gamma and Hurricane Delta contributed to Merida’s record-setting rainfall.”
https://yucatanexpatlife.com/30-of-las-americas-underwater-for-11th-day/
“Firefighters tried to stifle several fire hotspots on Saturday in central Argentina, where continuous flames have devastated several mountain areas in recent months, ravaging some 190,000 hectares [469,500 acres].
“Seven other Argentine provinces, most in the north of the country, are also experiencing periodic forest fires.”
https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/us-news/firefighters-battle-new-wildfires-in-cordoba.html
“Nigeria’s emergency management agency says floods in the northern state of Kano have claimed 54 lives in the last four months, as well as destroying over 30,000 homes.
“81 injuries were also sustained as a result of windstorms, heavy rains and associated fire outbreaks in region during the same period, the agency said.”
https://africa.cgtn.com/2020/10/17/floods-have-killed-dozens-in-nigerias-kano-state-since-june/
“Africa’s Sahel region is at the centre of accelerating climate change and “a canary in the coalmine of our warming planet”, the United Nation’s top humanitarian official has said. [Lot of canaries we have.]
“Mark Lowcock, the UN’s undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, said the Sahel was facing tragedy after an “alarming deterioration” in recent years that had led to tens of millions of people being displaced, rising extremist violence, massive violations of human rights and growing political instability.”
“The drought which has been raging for two years has hit national agriculture and rural areas [of Morocco] hard.
“In front of Parliament, in response to an oral question on the subject, Aziz Akhannouch, Minister of Agriculture, highlighted the worrying water situation, due to a precipitation deficit of 44% compared to normal during of the 2019/2020 agricultural season.”
https://alkhaleejtoday.co/international/5133224/Drought-Systemic-risk.html
“Drought And Humans Drove The Elephant Bird And The Dodo Extinct…
“Scientists have long debated whether humans or climate change were to blame for their extinction. Now cave deposits [in Madagascar] may provide a possible answer, showing that unusually dry conditions coincided with a growing human population on the island, putting the isolated ecosystem under a lot of stress.”
“Even as Hyderabad [India] was reeling from floods after record rainfall last week, on Saturday night, the city received heavy showers yet again, which inundated several colonies and swept away vehicles.
“Several videos which surfaced on social media, showed arterial roads flooded, while in the other places, water entered homes. Authorities are undertaking rescue and relief work.”
“Torrential rain across the Kingdom [Cambodia] has left residents who live near crocodile farms in fear as floods threaten to compromise premises and set reptiles loose.
“Fears have risen since a 30 kilogramme crocodile escaped from a farm in Prek Kampoes commune, Kandal, during floods on Thursday.”
“Rescue teams in Vietnam raced against the clock on Sunday in search for a dozen men, after a series of landslides overwhelmed an army camp.
“Heavy rain has pounded over central Vietnam for more than a week, resulting in floods and landslides that have killed at least 64 people, according to the country’s disaster management authority.”
https://www.dw.com/en/vietnam-devastating-landslides-hit-army-camp/a-55314564
“The development of oil palm and rubber plantations in a watershed area of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island is exacerbating flooding for nearby communities, new research suggests.
“The multidisciplinary study finds that soil compaction on land cleared for planting oil palm and rubber reduces the ground’s capacity to absorb rainwater, leading to surface runoff that leads to flooding.”
“From disease to bushfires, Australia’s iconic koalas face bleak future…
““They really run the risk of becoming extinct inside our lifetime,” Morgan Philpott said of the New South Wales koala population at an animal hospital on Sydney’s outskirts while helping a veterinarian treat a rescued koala infected with the bacterial disease chlamydia.”
“The western Antarctic Peninsula (the northernmost part of the continent) is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth. In February, temperatures there reached a record 20.75 °C, with an average daily temperature that was 2 °C higher than the means for the preceding 70 years.
“Most of the region’s glaciers are receding. And sea ice is dwindling.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02939-5
“In Alaska and other high, cold places around the world, new research shows that mountains are collapsing as the permafrost that holds them together melts, threatening tsunamis if they fall into the sea.
“Scientists are warning that populated areas and major tourist attractions are at risk.”
“It was a devastating summer for the Arctic. In September, sea ice in the Arctic Ocean hit a low of about 1.4 million acres – the second-lowest on record… When it comes to ice on land, the picture is just as dire…
“”climate change has overwhelmingly driven the dramatic increase in melting observed over the last 40 years.” Photos:
“Teenagers living in remote Arctic communities say they’re worried about the effects of climate change. Scientists warn that melting ice and warming temperatures show rapid climate change is taking place.
“Rarely heard young people from multiple countries within the Arctic Circle say their way of life is at risk and governments must act.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-54572400
“Technology is keeping patches of Alaska permafrost frozen to preserve energy infrastructure even as indigenous residents’ world is transformed by the climate crisis…
“Countries from Norway to Russia are advancing new Arctic oil developments. But under Donald Trump’s administration, Alaska has emerged as a hotbed of Arctic oil extraction…”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/19/oil-alaska-arctic-global-heating-local-cooling
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here and visit my Patreon page here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an ‘Economic’ thread.
