“Locals in the far northern Russian region believe between 60,000-80,000 animals might have died of starvation over the past few months. The tragedy follows the formation of a thick layer of ice across major parts of the Yamal tundra.
“Reindeer normally manage to dig through the snow to access its favorite food, the lichen, but this year the ground is covered by unbreakable ice…
“Temperatures in Yamal and surrounding Arctic areas have over the past years seen a dramatic increase. The year 2020 was the warmest on record, and parts of Yamal, Taymyr and other Russian Arctic territories had average temperatures up to 7 °С above normal.”
“Climate change is flooding the Arctic Ocean with light – what it means for the species that live there… a large amount of Arctic coastline, which is normally covered in ice and normally doesn’t get that much light is now suddenly sort of open to, to the sun…
“As Arctic temperatures warm due to climate change and sea shrinks, these underwater forests [of kelp] are expanding, and kelp is now growing in places where it didn’t used to.”
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/climate-change-flooding-arctic-ocean-175130826.html
“Greenland ice loss may have begun as early as the mid-’80s:
“The amount of snow falling on Greenland’s glaciers may have been less than the water lost through icebergs calving and melting since at least the mid-1980s…
“…a study of almost 40 years of satellite images has revealed.”
https://phys.org/news/2021-03-greenland-ice-loss-begun-early.html
“Great Lakes ice cover is becoming more precarious… Ice cover has been declining by about 5 per cent every decade across the Great Lakes…
““The winters of 30 years ago are gone, ice fishing continues but the season may start later and end earlier. Each year is a little different,” the Lake Huron Fishing Club in Southampton, Ontario toldThe Independent in an email.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/great-lakes-ice-melt-winter-sports-b1806719.html
“Near-Record Temperatures for the Central U.S. Next Week… After a cold February for most of the United States, the start of March and meteorological spring has been much warmer!
“This warmth comes on the heels of warm air in place across the High Plains this week. Mobridge, South Dakota had back-to-back record highs already this week.”
https://www.weathernationtv.com/news/near-record-temperatures-for-the-central-u-s-next-week/
“The collapse of Northern California kelp forests will be hard to reverse:
“Satellite imagery shows that the area covered by kelp forests off the coast of Northern California has dropped by more than 95 percent, with just a few small, isolated patches of bull kelp remaining.”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210305080126.htm
“Butterfly numbers plummeting in US west as climate crisis takes toll:
“The total number of butterflies west of the Rockies has fallen 1.6% a year since 1977, a study finds – ‘You extrapolate it and it’s crazy’.”
“La Niña could supercharge this year’s tornado season, just like it did to deadly effect in 2011.
“A massive cold air outbreak over the central US in early February set hundreds of cold temperature records, stretching the power grid in Texas and leaving millions without power. Sound familiar? The year was 2011.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/06/weather/weather-tornado-season-la-nina-climate/index.html
“New Mexico sees worst drought on record:
“For months as these conditions worsened, the community counted on the KOAT-7 weather team for weekly updates on these desperately dry conditions, and how they impacted not just the state, but New Mexicans living here.”
https://www.koat.com/article/most-severe-drought-on-record-in-new-mexico/35733067
“Intense Drought Makes Life Harder in Mayari, Cuba… It was around January 20th the last time it rained here in Mayari, in Cuba’s eastern province of Holguin…
“Lots of harvests are being lost or yields are a lot less than they could be.”
https://havanatimes.org/uncategorized/intense-drought-makes-life-harder-in-mayari-cuba/
“Weather models as of Thursday agreed that Argentina’s grain belt will stay mostly dry for at least another week… Last month was among the driest Februarys on record for key growing areas…
“According to the Buenos Aires Grains Exchange, just 10% of Argentina’s soybeans were in good or excellent condition as of Thursday, a shockingly low portion.”
“Soybean farmers in Brazil’s major growing regions are starting to worry about losing their crops as torrential rains threaten harvests of the world’s largest producer…
“Potential losses in Brazil could add fuel to surging soybean prices that have already been bolstered recently by weather concerns in South America. Soybean futures in Chicago have climbed 55% in the past year.”
“Pollution fears over mink buried after Covid culling in Denmark… Mink carcasses that were buried hastily after a mass culling sparked by fears over a mutated coronavirus strain are causing pollution, Denmark’s environmental protection agency has said…
“Water from underneath the burial sites would be pumped up and sanitised, the agency said.”
“Is this winter’s crazy weather in Spain a taste of things to come?
“The country is emerging from three months of extremes in line with climate change scenarios, including the snowfall of the century, back-to-back storms and wild temperature swings.”
“Tunisia urged citizens to pray for rain this weekend amid fears of a second consecutive drought in parts of North Africa that would further test economies reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.
“Muslims can make “recourse to God Almighty with supplication” at times “when the descent of the beneficial rain is delayed,” Tunisia’s Religious Affairs Ministry said in a statement, calling for Sunday prayers.”
https://www.salaamgateway.com/story/tunisia-urges-prayers-for-rain-as-fears-of-drought-stalk-economy
“Today 5 March is an exceptional warm day in the United Arab Emirates with some stations breaking the 40C mark, the highest temp being Al Tawi with 41.1C [106F], a record warmth in the country for this time of the year.“
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1367840035370852362
“Retreating glaciers in the Himalayas are not only dangerously filling up glacial lakes but they are also causing other hazards that are not being monitored, scientists have warned…
“The Himalayas have the largest number of glaciers on Earth outside the poles and they have lost billions of tonnes of ice due to accelerated melting caused by global warming.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-56247945
“NASA satellites show fires still raging over Similipal, rest of Odisha [India]:
“NASA images dispute the claim made by forest officers in the state that the fires at Similipal biosphere reserve were more or less under control… The Similipal biosphere, having the largest zone of Sal trees in the country, is known for its distinctive biodiversity…”
“Study uncovers how big droughts in the Greater Mekong trigger carbon dioxide emission bursts…
“The researchers found that during prolonged droughts hydropower production reduces drastically, forcing power systems to compensate with fossil fuels—gas and coal—thus increasing power production costs and carbon footprint.”
https://phys.org/news/2021-03-uncovers-big-droughts-greater-mekong.html
“Drought hits 1.3M households in Taiwan:
“Around 1.34 million households in central and northern Taiwan are expected to encounter reduced pressure tap water supply round the clock starting from Wednesday as a measure against lingering drought, according to a statement from the island’s emergency operation center.”
https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/03/05/news/world/drought-hits-1-3m-households-in-taiwan/847533/
“13 more endemic species in Australia are confirmed extinct:
“An updated list released by the Australian government has confirmed the extinction of 13 endemic species. Among the species are 12 mammals and one reptile. The news now makes Australia the leading country globally in terms of mammal extinctions.”
https://inhabitat.com/13-more-endemic-species-in-australia-are-confirmed-extinct/
“Antarctic seals reveal worrying threats to disappearing glaciers:
“More Antarctic meltwater is surfacing than was previously known, modifying the climate, preventing sea ice from forming and boosting marine productivity- according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).”
https://www.newswise.com/articles/antarctic-seals-reveal-worrying-threats-to-disappearing-glaciers
“Study Finds Wildfire Smoke More Harmful To Humans Than Pollution From Cars:
“Researchers with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego say that the tiny particles released in wildfire smoke are up to 10 times more harmful to humans than particles released from other sources, such as car exhaust.”
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back on Monday with an ‘Economic’ thread.
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