“Arctic methane release due to melting ice is likely to happen again: New research, published on today in Geology, indicates that during the last two global periods of sea-ice melt, the decrease in pressure [from loss of covering ice-sheets] triggered methane release from buried reserves…
“The isotopic record showed that as ice melted and pressure on the seafloor lessened, methane was released in violent spurts, slow seeps, or — most likely — a combination of both.
“Their results demonstrate that as Arctic ice, such as the Greenland ice sheet, melts, similar methane release is likely and should be included in climate models.”
“Lightning strikes in the Arctic tripled from 2010 to 2020, a finding University of Washington researchers attribute to rising temperatures due to human-caused climate change.
“The results, researchers say, suggest Arctic residents in northern Russia, Canada, Europe and Alaska need to prepare for the danger of more frequent lightning strikes.”
“Glaciers across the world are melting quickly in the face of climate change and the aberrant changes triggered in weather. Alaska’s glaciers are also melting.
“Now, a scientific model posits that the unprecedented melting of glaciers could be behind the earthquakes in the region.”
“‘Winter is vanishing’ from the deep waters of Lake Michigan…
“As the globe continues to warm at an astonishing rate due to climate change, winter is shrinking at depths we’ve never known before, including the Great Lakes.”
“California’s ‘superbloom’ is just pockets of flowers because of ‘abnormally dry’ winter…
“Hundreds of thousands of people flock to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California each spring to experience the stunning super bloom, but a dry winter has left many tourists disappointed.”
“It’s been a busy offseason at the National Hurricane Center after last year’s storm onslaught…
“2020 bore witness to a host of destructive storms, including Category 4 Laura, which ravaged southwest Louisiana, as well as Category 4 and 5 Eta and Iota, respectively, which laid siege to the same swaths of Honduras and Nicaragua in just two weeks’ time… There are indications that, thanks to a lingering La Niña influence, the 2021 hurricane season may be abnormally active. “
“Five members of the same family died at home when they were buried by a landslide that slid off a hill in the Juan Velasco Alvarado town, Condorcanqui province, Amazonas region, Peru.
“The landslide occurred during the early morning, after eight consecutive hours of heavy rains… In Yurimaguas, the floods damaged more than 3,000 homes.”
“Western Sydney is now the “greatest concern” from the worst floods in decades to have ravaged eastern Australia, PM Scott Morrison says.
“Parts of New South Wales have seen almost 1m (3.2ft) of rain, flooding hundreds of homes and severing roads. Mr Morrison warned of more rain and days of danger to come as the emergency became not “just a coastal event”.”
“Taiwan is drilling wells, seeding clouds and beseeching a gold-faced sea goddess to help the sub-tropical island ride out its most serious drought in about half a century…
“The drought is worst across a band of western Taiwan, including the major metropolises of Hsinchu, home to many of Taiwan’s renowned tech firms…”
“Chinese authorities are investigating scores of dead pigs found along a section of the Yellow River… turning the spotlight back on food and water safety in the country…
“This is not the first time China has found dead pigs in its rivers… The latest discovery comes as China’s hog herd is recovering from the ravages of African swine fever. The disease broke out in the country in 2018 and destroyed almost half the hogs in the world’s largest pork producer.”
“Harsh Heat wave in Thailand: Tak recorded 42.4C [108.3F] on 21 March, only 0.5C from the highest temperature ever recorded in Thailand in March set just 1 year ago at Thoen.
“In this NW Thailand area, this is the 37th consecutive warmer than average month, many of which at record levels.”
“One of the reasons for the deadly heatwaves in India that result in loss of lives every year is the rise in temperatures in the Arctic region due to global warming, as per a study conducted by researchers from India and Brazil, including one from University of Hyderabad.
“The findings are of concern as the Arctic region is warming at an alarming rate.”
“The [Uttarakhand glacier] disaster last month in India demonstrated the risks from rising temperatures to the eight countries in the region…
“…an explosive cocktail of climate change and aggressive road and dam building in the geologically unstable range threatens… the people, economies and security of the eight countries in the greater Hindu Kush Himalayan region.”
“Zimbabwe’s disappearing cows… The main cause of the dwindling herd is recurrent drought, which diminishes water supplies and reduces grazing pastures nationwide…
“Matabeleland South Province in the southwest has been the hardest hit, with more than 4,500 cows dying of thirst in 2019 alone.”
“Drought begins to deeply affect Turkey: academic…
“Turkey has been under the deep effects of drought due to misuse of existent water sources, a staggering amount of waste that accounts for 60% of total water use, climate change and differing rainfall regimes, an academic from northern Ondokuz Mayıs University said in a statement to Ihlas News Agency on Sunday.”
“Pollution is killing Herefordshire rivers [UK]… The stats are in. Much of the river system in the Wye and Lugg catchment is virtually dead through poisoning by a chronically high concentration of phosphates…
“The local anglers confirm that ‘wild’ fish are in catastrophic decline.”
“Authorities in Norway have recovered the body of the last victim from December’s deadly landslide, nearly three months after the disaster.
“A total of 10 people were killed when the landslide swept residential homes in the village of Ask on December 30… heavy rainfall in the area may have disturbed quick clay, which rapidly changes from solid to liquid form.”
“Global businesses sourcing commodities such as cattle, soybeans or rubber stand to lose some $53 billion due to deforestation unless they take action.
“In a survey of more than 500 global businesses, climate-disclosure platform CDP identified risks such as extreme weather, changes in consumer preferences, as well as market and reputational impacts from commodity-related forest loss.”
“Water scarcity… is not anymore a problem for the distant future… More than 40 per cent of the global population is already suffering from water scarcity…
“Approximately one in three people in the world, 2.2 billion are living without access to clean drinking water; 4.2 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services; and 3 billion lack basic handwashing facilities.”
“Damn spill threatens Sydney suburbs amid record-breaking rain: Forecasters say they are concerned for suburbs along the Hawkesbury-Nepean River as Sydney’s Warragamba Dam is predicted to spill later on Saturday afternoon as record-breaking floods wreak havoc along the NSW coast…
““It’s a very significant, record-breaking event with the rainfall that we have seen,” BoM’s Agata Imielska said, adding the rain seen in the Mid North Coast and Hunter regions breaks other March records by 100 [3.9 inches] to 200mm [7.9 inches].
“Kendall, on the Mid North Coast, has already recorded 450mm of rain [17.7 inches]and Kindee Bridge has seen 160mm [6.3 inches] in just three hours.
““It’s not just the total rainfall amount, it’s also how quickly and intensely that rainfall has actually fallen,” Ms Imielska said.”
“‘Worst mice plague in decades’ swarms across New South Wales as three hospital patients are bitten: An Australian state has been hit by its worst mice plague “in decades” after a bumper grain harvest.
“Farmers in New South Wales who made hay bales for the winter expect to lose many to the mice… Intensive baiting programmes have so far had little success against the swarm.”
“Australia’s devastating recent wildfires thrust as much smoke into the Earth’s atmosphere as a powerful volcanic eruption, study finds…
“…causing cooling over the region’s oceans with potentially long-lasting impacts, according to the authors of a new study. Dozens of people died in Australia’s 2019-2020 bushfire season, which was one of the worst on record.”
“How wind changes around Zealandia could have far-reaching consequences for global climate: the sunken continent of Zealandia… a critical crossroads between ocean currents and climate… could play a key role in the Earth’s climate, researchers say.
“The researchers believe ‘Zealandia switch’ led to the world warming at the end of the last glaciation, with the Southern Hemisphere westerly wind belt – the strongest wind system on Earth – playing an important role.”
“A section of Provincial Highway No. 18 was temporarily closed to motorists Friday morning as firefighters worked to contain a forest fire in the Alishan area[Taiwan, which is having its worst drought in at least 56 years].
“…the fire broke out in a wooded area near Dabang Village… and has since spread to surrounding areas.”
“Hong Kong’s dead and dying trees given a second life [as furniture and art installations].
“HK Timberbank is a Hong Kong social enterprise that turns tree waste into furniture and art installations. Founder Ricci Wong launched the organisation after Typhoon Mangkhut uprooted tens of thousands of trees in the city.”
“Since 2015, it has been too wet or too hot in all the wrong places and, in part, explains the 63-mmt swing from a surplus of Chinese corn in 2014 to a deficit in 2020 and the lowest ending stocks in six years.”
“Leaf blowers and beating branches: the fight to stop India’s forest fires: Thousands of blazes in Similipal national park threaten indigenous peoples and wildlife such as tigers, elephants and orchids…
“For more than a month, Similipal national park and tiger reserve has been burning, causing untold devastation to Asia’s second-largest biosphere reserve.”
“A Rare Desert Bird [in Pakistan] Will Soon Become Extinct Because of Politics:
“Pakistan has invited the Arab world’s top royals to hunt the Haboura Bustard, including Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman… the Pakistani government allows Arab Royals to kill the shy, rare bird breed during annual hunting trips.”
“Drowned land: hunger stalks South Sudan’s flooded villages…
“Two years of torrential rains have left 1.6m people in Jonglei province without crops and with their homes flooded… Unusually heavy rains began last July, and the White Nile burst its banks, destroyed all the crops and encroached on farms and villages, affecting Jonglei and other states, leaving people to scramble for a few strips of dry land.”
“Climate change: England’s mountain hares ‘at risk’ as warmer temperatures set to shrink their Peak District habitat:
“England’s last mountain hares – which date back to the ice age – could be in danger from climate change, according to an expert who has spent five years studying them.”
“Scotland to be hotter than Malaga with 18C [64.4F] forecast as heatwave continues…
“Scotland will be hotter than the south of Spain this weekend as our incredible spring heatwave continues. Scorching sun has blazed across the country for the last few days, with Scots basking in unusually high March temperatures.”
“Residents of the East Fjords [Iceland] got a glimpse of summer yesterday, when the temperature soared to roughly 20°C (68°F) – which by Icelandic standards is considered hot, even in July…
“…also a heat record for the month was set in the upper atmosphere yesterday at an altitude of three and five kilometers above Keflavík International Airport.”
“In Canada, sometimes March plays tricks and gives us a fools’ spring. But on Mar. 18 and 19, 2019, Mother Nature played a trick on British Columbia with some fools’ summer.
“On those two days, B.C. experienced 74 record-breaking temperatures. This is particularly peculiar because B.C. had an unusually warm January and a brutally cold February, and then there was March.”
“Data from Environment Canada shows that record-high temperatures were set across the province [Alberta] on Thursday, reaching over 18°C [64.4F] in several areas.
“There were 19 different communities that experience record-breaking temperatures, with Taber seeing the warmest high at 19.3°C [66.7F].”
“Southern Alberta farmers say spring storm needed to quench parched soil… Experts say some areas in the province haven’t been this dry for 50 years…
…it’s not just farmers who should be worried about this dry spell. “There’s huge fire risks … people’s water supplies can be at risk, especially people who are on wells, because it’s amazing — you get a few dry years in a row, your wells can start drying up,” said Alberta farmer Stephen Vandervalk.”
“Nearly half of the continental U.S. is in a moderate to exceptional drought, government forecasters said Thursday, and conditions are expected to grow more severe and persistent over the next three months…
“The drought stretches from the Pacific Coast to the Great Plains and upper Midwest. The worst hit area is the Southwest, which experienced a La Nina and a failed summer monsoon in 2020.”
“Severe storms are expected and tornadoes are possible in parts of the Southeast and the mid-Atlantic on Thursday, a day after storms and twisters brought down homes and trees in parts of the Deep South…
“At least 24 preliminary reports of tornadoes across five states were tracked Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center.”
“Methane from upcoming coal mines could impact climate more than US coal plants…
“Methane leaks from planned coal mines around the world could have a bigger climate impact than carbon emissions from U.S. coal plants, a research group said on Thursday, detailing what it said was an overlooked source of planet-warming emissions.”
“Russian scientists have prevented a repeat of last year’s oil spill disaster near the Arctic city of Norilsk using satellite data… Geologists from the Siberian Branch of the RAS said their study of satellite data gathered immediately after the spill predicted the imminent collapse of another fuel tank.
“The scientists’ model showed that the tank exhibited similar signs of failure to Thermal Power Plant No. 3, which began sinking in August-September 2019 at a rate of 30-35 millimeters per year before ultimately being breached in May 2020.”
“How Inuit avoid falling through thinning Arctic ice:
“The Arctic is melting, making it dangerous to take snowmobiles on the “ice highways” Inuits use to get around. A new sled-based ice-measuring system helps make travel safer.”
“Around 125,000 years ago parts of the Arctic were covered with vegetation and shrubs. As climate change warms the region, scientists say it could become green once again.
“Researcher, Sarah Crump and her colleagues point out that as the weather warms in spring and autumn, the shrubs can poke up above the snow turning the region dark green instead of white. This means the Earth’s surface would absorb more heat from the sun, speeding up the warming of the Arctic.
““It’s a temperature feedback similar to sea ice loss,” Crump adds.”
“How Climate Change Is Affecting Sea Squirts In Antarctica…
“Murkier waters [with sediment] make it more difficult for phytoplankton, sea squirts’ main food source, to grow as they rely on light for energy. Sea squirts face a double threat then: their food supply is affected and their gills become clogged.”
“Plummeting sperm counts, shrinking penises: toxic chemicals threaten humanity… The chemicals to blame for our reproductive crisis are found everywhere and in everything…
“The end of humankind? It may be coming sooner than we think, thanks to hormone-disrupting chemicals that are decimating fertility at an alarming rate around the globe.”
“From locusts to fires, agriculture faces growing threats: UN… The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters ranging from massive fires to locust invasions is putting food production systems at risk, the UN warned Thursday.
““The annual occurrences of extreme events has tripled since the 1970s and “their economic impact is relentlessly increasing”, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report.”
“How microbes in permafrost could trigger a massive carbon bomb… thanks to rising temperatures, permafrost is fracturing and disappearing, leaving behind dramatic changes in the landscape…
“Scientists are becoming increasingly worried that the thaw will lead to an epic feast for bacteria and archaea that produce carbon dioxide and methane.”
“On 16 March the warm air reached the Kamchatka Peninsula with a March record high temperature of +12.0C at Sobolevo, which beats the previous monthly record of 11.6C which was just set last year on 27 March.
“At certain times and in certain regions, water will become so scarce or so warm in Switzerland that humans will have to curb their activities and nature will suffer, according to a government study.
“On the other hand, more rain will lead to more local flooding.”
“Firefighters continued to battle a forest fire on the slopes of Mount Musinè in northern Italy’s Caselette area, on Tuesday, March 16.
“Vigili del Fuoco, the Italian fire-and-rescue service, said firefighters had been battling the fire, which was being fueled by strong winds, since Monday afternoon.” [Video]
“For Madrid’s trees, record snowfall leaves deep wounds… Storm Filomena …spelled disaster for Madrid’s 1.7 million city-owned trees, with hundreds of thousands of branches collapsing under the weight of the snow.
“”Some 800,000 trees were affected in one way or another. Of that number, 120,000 won’t survive because they were totally uprooted or had to be felled,” Borja Carabante, head of environmental issues at City Hall in Madrid, told AFP.”
“Spain’s meteorological agency has warned that a cold snap will arrive towards the end of the week bringing snow to much of the north and centre of the peninsula just as spring officially starts on March 20th…
“…even the south of Spain will take a sudden turn with some areas of the Malaga province expected to experience sub-zero temperatures.”
“Fish farms in Mediterranean ‘paradise’ blamed for pollution…
“According to a 2011 study carried out at bass and bream farms in Greece, a farm producing 100 tonnes of fish discharged nine tonnes of nitrate pollution into the sea. The waste ends up on the seabed or dissolved in the water, along with other wastes such as phosphorus.”
“Forecasters are warning that a “major severe” storm outbreak is barreling its way towards the south of the US and includes the possibility of long-track, intense tornadoes.
“The National Weather Service (NWS) said on Wednesday that a “significant” tornado outbreak was expected to begin on Wednesday afternoon across parts of Louisiana and Arkansas.”
“A new study is predicting that stretches of the southernmost U.S. will “tropicalize” in coming decades as cold snaps become less prevalent, leading non-native plant and animal species to move in…
“While that may sound nice, it also means more mosquito diseases and forest displacement.”
“Gov. Cox declares drought emergency for all of Utah:
“After a record dry summer and fall — and with winter snowpack currently at 70% of normal levels — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed an emergency order Wednesday declaring a state of emergency due to drought conditions.”
“The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced that small non-farm businesses in all 15 counties in Arizona may apply for low-interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses from drought…
“The loans are to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred, the agency said.”
“Threats loom large over Amazon’s Arrau turtles, despite record number of hatchlings… researchers… noticed changes in nesting behavior, including the choice of a new nesting beach, and eggs buried deeper in the sand.
“They suspect nearby fires forced the turtles to find a new nesting site, and warn of a potential gender imbalance in the population if the turtles continue to bury their eggs deeper.”
“Another round of severe weather causes traffic problems, power outages across Oahu… On Monday, the heavy rain started around 2 p.m. Radar showed rain was falling at a rate of 2 to 4 inches an hour…
“Flooding on roads was reported in several spots on Monday, including Windward Oahu. Showers continued and moved over the area, swelling the Waikane Stream from 2 to 6 feet.”
“Residents of a rural Queensland town [Australia] have been evacuated as a huge downpour saw a nearby creek swell by nine metres in just a matter of hours. An emergency flood alert was issued for Sapphire, a four-hour drive west of Rockhampton, at 4.44am this morning.
By 10.30am, 216mm [8.5 inches] had fallenon the region.”
“Fires have flared up in at least 10 provinces in Indonesia, with some of the burning occurring in peatlands.
“The burning, including in protected forests, marks the start of the country’s dry season and the attendant fires that are set to clear trees and shrubs for agriculture.”
“Regional capital of Kumasi [Ghana] was on Sunday hit by massive floods, which destroyed several valuable items and caused nightmarish moments for the hapless residents.
“Surprisingly, it rained in the Garden City for less than 20 minutes, but the after effects of the rain were horrible…”
“Ocean trawling emits as much CO2 as global aviation, study finds:
“Ocean trawling, condemned by green groups for destroying marine habitats and depleting fish populations, generates a similar volume of carbon emissions to the global aviation industry, driven by activity in Chinese national waters, according to a paper published in the journal Nature.”
“Air pollution returning to pre-COVID levels: In early 2020, data from satellites were used to show a decline in air pollution coinciding with nationwide lockdowns put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“One year later, as lockdown restrictions loosen in some countries and regular activity resumes, nitrogen dioxide levels are bouncing back to pre-COVID levels.”
“Antarctic Peninsula Likely To Warm Over Next Two Decades…
“The analysis found that the greatest increases in temperature – about 2 degrees Celsius – were likely to happen in the Antarctic fall and winter, but warmer temperatures projected for summer would cause the most trouble. That could create a double threat to the ice on the peninsula…”
“Arctic sea ice reaches its annual maximum extent in March. But while ice extent is high this year, scientists are far more concerned by the drastic loss of sea ice volume, which continues its steady decline.”
“Long forgotten Cold War experiment has revealed its icy secret. It’s bad news for the planet…
“The findings, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicate that the biggest reservoir of ice in the Northern Hemisphere [the Greenland ice-sheet] can collapse due to relatively small increases in temperature over a long period of time.
“That makes it even more vulnerable to human-caused warming, which is causing the Earth to warm faster now than at any other period in its history.”
“Focusing efforts on reducing emissions will not be enough to stop the climate change emergency, the UK’s Environment Agency chief executive has warned.
“Sir James Bevan said “even with the ambitious global and national actions we all want to see to reduce emissions, some further climate change is now inevitable”.”
“The series of severe droughts and heatwaves in Europe since 2014 is the most extreme for more than 2,000 years, research suggests.
“The study analysed tree rings dating as far back as the Roman empire to create the longest such record to date. The scientists said global heating was the most probable cause of the recent rise in extreme heat.”
“Sweltering East London residents suffer under record-breaking heatwave:
“According to South Africa’s Weather Service, the highest temperature in the province (East London) yesterday was 44.2C [111.6F] in Addo, which beat its all-time record high of 42.6C [108.7F] set on 17 February 1955.”
[Article is subscription-only but ^^^that is the story in a nutshell].
“Kenyans in need of humanitarian aid to increase as drought persists…
“In a statement, NDMA said the number of people considered to be in need of immediate humanitarian assistance increased by about 90% overall from 739,000 recorded in August 2020 to 1,425,000 in February 2021.”
“The U.N. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, OCHA, reports an estimated 2.7 million Somalis will face severe food shortages over the coming months as drought conditions affect more areas in the country.
“Somalia’s decade-long drought continues to chip away at people’s ability to cope with this seemingly never-ending disaster. The worst has not yet come to pass.”
“The arrival of an enormous sandstorm in the Middle East has some Bible scholars speculating it could be “divine intervention”.
“Both Mecca and Medina, the holiest cities in Islam, were engulfed by the sandstorm which tinted the air dark red over the weekend. Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, was also hit.”
“A heavy dust storm lashed entire Mongolia before losing its velocity on Monday, leaving at least nine people dead and 12 others missing, an official said.
“Col. Ariunaa told Anadolu Agency by phone from the capital Ulaanbaatar that the dust storm started on Saturday.”
“A massive sandstorm has combined with already high air pollution to turn the skies in Beijing an eerie orange, and send some air quality measurements off the charts.
“Air quality indexes recorded a “hazardous” 999 rating on Monday as commuters travelled to work through the thick, dark air across China’s capital…”
“2021 has already seen the wettest and driest months in decades. Is Singapore prepared for more?
“Singapore must brace itself for adverse climate impacts such as extreme rainfall and drought… Climate scientists expect that as global temperatures rise, much more rain will fall in extreme downpours.”
“Sakura [cherry blossom] season officially declared in Tokyo, earliest start to hanami on record…
“…the 14 March blossoming date was 12 days earlier than average…. and the earliest flowering date since records began in 1953. The agency says February temperatures this year were the second highest on record, which contributed to the earlier-than-usual blooms.”
“The Murray Darling Basin [NSW, Australia] faces a dramatically drier future… as experts warn authorities are failing to keep pace with climate change.
“Reports released over the past two months by state governments and the Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) found the expected sharp decline in water flows would damage the environment, threaten large irrigation districts and shrink scores of rural economies across the nation’s food bowl.”
“At least four species of shark and skates unique to Australia are at an extreme risk of extinctionunless urgent protections are put in place, according to a new report from conservationists.
“All four species – the whitefin swellshark, Sydney skate, grey skate and greeneye spurdog – spend their lives on the ocean floor but get caught in trawl nets.”
“What a downpour! Heavy rains in Bogotá [Colombia] leave several floods…
“Ideam recently shared the new climate forecasts in Colombia for the March, April and May quarter, when it is expected that there will be precipitation higher than the historical records for this period.”
“Extreme conditions will raise the temperature in Mexico: up to 45 degrees [113F] in the southeast of the country…
” in Jalisco, Governor Enrique Alfaro warned… “Comprehensive water management is, without a doubt, a challenge that we all have,” he said. “Today the Calderón dam that supplies the north of Guadalajara is totally dry, it no longer gives us a drop of water.”“
“At least 57 people died in Texas as a result of last month’s winter storm, according to preliminary data the state health department released Monday…
“The deaths occurred in at least 25 counties between Feb. 11 and March 5, the state agency said. The majority of verified deaths were associated with hypothermia…”
“Severe weather, tornadoes cause damage throughout Texas Panhandle region…
“The Amarillo office of the National Weather Service is estimating that six tornadoes made their way throughout the Texas Panhandle Saturday, affecting southern Randall County… as well as other Panhandle towns including Claude and Clarendon. “
“Winter and spring collided Sunday as parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Nebraska were blasted with up to 4 feet of snow while Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri braced for heavy rains, high winds, flooding and possible tornadoes.
“Cheyenne, Wyoming, saw snow totals of 25.8 inches this weekend — smashing a previous 2-day record held since 1979…”
“The melting of the world’s mountain glaciers could be releasing damaging carbon emissions into the atmosphere and accelerating climate change, researchers have said.
“Experts believe the “unexpected form of climate feedback” means global warming is driving glacier loss and “rapidly” recycling carbon in rivers.”
“Earth had its coolest February in seven years due to La Niña in the tropical Pacific Ocean that dropped temperatures as much as 3.2F below the average in parts of the world, study reveals…
“The average temperature in the US last month was 30.6 F, or 3.2°F below the 20th century average – but December 2020-February 2021 was the 8th warmest winter in 142 years.”
“Amazon rainforest now appears to be contributing to climate change:
“The Amazon rainforest is most likely now a net contributor to warming of the planet, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis from more than 30 scientists…
“The research, supported by the National Geographic Society and published today in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, estimates that atmospheric warming from all of these sources combined now appears to swamp the forest’s natural cooling effect.”
“People and authorities in southern Argentina are attempting to clean up in the wake of devastating wildfires that destroyed homes and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people earlier in the week.
“Here are some of the images of the destruction in Golondrinas, Chubut.”
“Floods and river overflows due to heavy rains have left thousands of victims in various regions of Peru.
“The intense rains registered in the high Andean and coastal zone of the Lambayeque region have caused an increase in the flow of the rivers in the different valleys of the region.”
“The province of El Oro [Ecuador] suffers floods and landslides, the Chilla canton is declared in emergency:
“The Municipality of Chilla, in the vicinity of the Andean mountain range, declared itself in emergency this Friday, March 12, 2021, due to the heavy rains that have caused landslides, affected homes and has kept the flow of the rivers high since this Thursday.”
“Hundreds of families evacuated due to floods in northern Bolivia:
“Torrential rains have overflowed three large rivers in the Bolivian region in the north of the country. The roads have been left unpassable and the military is busy at this time to save the most vulnerable families and their animals.”
“Continuous rains cause massive flooding in Colombia: Continuous heavy rains have caused severe flooding in Santiago de Cali, Columbia on Thursday (March 11). The rain also caused landslides, killing at least two people.”
“Hurricanes in Nicaragua left about half a million people with limited access to drinking water:
“Almost four months after the passing of powerful hurricanes Eta and Iota in Nicaragua, about 500,000 people including many children are still affected by limited access to water, hygiene and sanitation facilities in the Northern Caribbean Coast…”
“Severe weather, historic snowfall and flash flooding are forecast for the next few days in areas of the central United States, from the Rockies to the Mississippi River Valley.
“”The stage is set for a significant winter storm to impact the central Rockies and the central High Plains,” the Weather Prediction Center said Friday morning.”
“Megadrought: New Mexico farms face uncertain future… ‘If they have an option to not farm, they should consider that option.’“
“…water is growing ever scarcer in this part of the country. Available water is becoming costlier and worse in quality. In southern New Mexico, Chihuahuan grasslands, like those that cattle graze, are dying as the climate gets hotter and drier.”
“Temperatures in Boston rose to 74 degrees, beating the previous record of 67 set in 1990. In Worcester, it was 70, breaking the previous record of 66 set in 1977. And in Providence it was 72, breaking the record of 71 set in 1990…”
“Manatee ‘graveyard’ found in Florida as algae bloom and cold temperatures threaten mammals’ survival: Record numbers of manatees are starving to death in Florida, struggling to find food after an unusually cold winter and an attack of algae bloom.
“Locals have reported finding “manatee graveyards” in the northern Indian River Lagoon on the Atlantic Coast of Florida…”
“Narwhal tusks reveal impact of climate change on Arctic sea ice:
“Just like the rings of a tree trunk, a narwhal’s spiralled tusk has new layers added to it each year, revealing the dietary habits of the animal and the speed with which Arctic sea ice is melting, a study has found.”
“Siberia set for freak warm weatheras Russian experts predict thawing temperatures significantly higher than frosty spring average…
“Last year saw record-breaking summers, thawing ice and forest fires throughout Siberia… Last year, at the height of summer, Siberia recorded the highest ever temperatures seen above the Arctic Circle.”
“Two years after Tropical Cyclone Idai and Cyclone Kenneth swept through Mozambique in March 2019, killing hundreds and leaving more than two million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
“UN chief António Guterres has recalled the devastation he witnessed first-hand, in the aftermath of one of the worst weather-related disasters ever to hit the southern hemisphere.”
“Millions of trees burnt in forest fire near Taunsa Barrage [Pakistan]:
“…The fire went uncontrollable on Thursday and its flames could be seen from far-off areas. Millions of trees were burnt to ashes, posing severe life threat to indigenous animals, eyewitnesses said.”
“Northern Thailand is choking on toxic air. Its hills and mountains are ablaze with forest fires, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing the hazardous threshold…
“As the situation intensified, many volunteers have joined firefighters from the Royal Forest Department to help control the flames in the northern provinces.”
“Flood, whirlwind hit Pamekasan, Madura [Java, Indonesia]:
“A flood accompanied by a whirlwind inundated residential areas and roads in Gladak Anyar village, Pamekasan district, Madura Island, East Java province on Thursday afternoon, following incessant and heavy rainfall.”
“A Northern Territory government-commissioned report has identified hundreds of pieces of asbestos debris littered across the remote Aboriginal community of Galiwin’ku on Elcho Island [NT, Australia]…
“The report said recreational activities like ceremonial dancing, sports and campfires could generate airborne asbestos particles, but found risk of this was mostly low.”
“Central Queensland growers lose millions to drought as La Niña passes them by: Central Queensland growers are walking away from more than a million dollars worth of crops amid drought, while other parts of the state receive downpours brought on by La Niña.”
“Volunteers on Kauai’s north shore [Hawaii] have launched a makeshift ferry service across a river after a landslide along a two-lane highway cut several towns off from the rest of the island.
“The boats are taking people across the river to jobs, get medical care and helping deliver taro, the region’s major crop.”
“The more we learn about Antarctica, the greater the urgency to act on climate change…
“The continent has been losing an estimated 150 billion metric tons of ice every year since 2002… the ice shelves making up about three-quarters of Antarctica’s coastline, and helping to hold glaciers in place, are melting faster than they’re being replenished… Antarctica recorded its hottest days on record slightly more than a year ago.”
“Six months of summer may sound like a school child’s fantasy, but it could be a very real, and very serious, impact of the climate crisis.
“A study published in Geophysical Research Letters last month found that summer in the Northern Hemisphere could last nearly six months by 2100 if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
“Human actions are destroying nature and causing biodiversity loss at an alarming rate. This is double trouble for a planet already under assault from a ferocious climate crisis.
“However, unlike the visible climate devastation, biodiversity loss is silently gnawing at the fabric of life’s support systems.”
“Three million face masks are discarded every minute as a result of mass adoption during the coronavirus pandemic, and experts warn it could soon lead to environmental catastrophe…
“… littering is causing masks to break down into dangerous microfibres and they may also be carrying harmful chemicals into the environment.”
“Hawaii’s governor, David Ige, declared an emergency in the US state after heavy rains brought floods, landslides and fear of dam failures, and authorities ordered the evacuation of several thousand people from communities threatened by rising waters.
“The move came after a dam overflowed on the island of Maui, forcing evacuations and destroying homes, with the dam’s “unsatisfactory” condition leading to it being scheduled for removal this year, the land department has said.”
“Mudslides that tore through a Southern California canyon on Wednesday, unleashed by heavy winter rains, trapped four people in their homes and badly damaged houses and cars in a community already scarred by December wildfires.
“The torrent of mud marked the latest natural disaster to hit Silverado Canyon in Orange County…”
“…a changing climate is raising concerns about how the saguaro cactus will survive the 21st century in an environment that’s hot and getting hotter, dry and getting drier.
“In a climate wake-up call, drought and record-breaking heat in 2020 contributed to wildfires that killed thousands of saguaros.”
“Yet another mild winter for the record books in the [Canadian] Maritimes… When looking at winters over the past decade, it’s pretty clear that our warming ocean temperatures are playing a role…
“Warmer ocean water releases heat throughout the winter months, keeping coastal temperatures more mild.”
“Using preindustrial climate and pollution data, scientists are walking back the idea that the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation is a real meteorological entity.
“Instead, human activity is responsible for fluctuations in hurricane seasons, they argue.”
“Forest fires that started two weeks ago have ravaged 12 of the 21 ranges of Odisha’s Simlipal Tiger Reserve, Asia’s second-largest biosphere, an official said…
“The park is home to 1,076 species of plants, including 96 species of orchids. Forty two species of mammals, including the tiger, leopard and Asian elephant, have been spotted here…”
“The global semiconductor shortage is set to worsen if the supply chain dries up at its source, and that appears to be happening quite literally in Taiwan…
“Wafer production requires massive amounts of water, but reservoirs in Taiwan are critically low… the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, TSMC, has been asked to reduce its water use by 7 per cent.”
“Thousands of families in Jayawijaya district, Papua province have been shifted to higher ground due to floodwaters submerging their homes, the Jayawijaya District Natural Disaster Mitigation Agency reported.
“The agency is still calculating the material losses caused by the flooding, which followed incessant rains from late February to March 9, 2021…”
“Experts say temperatures [in Australia] are forecast to soar during summer thanks to climate change, with hot summer days in Melbourne and Brisbane expected to regularly top 40C by 2060-2080, and up to 50C in Sydney.
“Cities in particular will feel the brunt of increasing heatwavesthanks to a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect.”
“At least seven people were injured and 15 more missing on Wednesday as forest fires ripped through Patagonia [Argentina], official sources said.
“Some 200 people had to be evacuated and around 100 homes were damaged by fire in an area of forests and lakes popular with tourists close to the Andes mountain range.”
“Cape Town braces itself for a month’s rain in a day… The first northwester of the year will unleash torrential rain on Cape Town, starting on Tuesday night and continuing throughout Wednesday.
“…the farmland around Ceres expected to soak up more than 100mm [3.94 inches] of rain, according to yr.no.”
“Locust outbreaks in the Horn of Africa are linked to the changing climate:
“Since 2018, swarms of desert locusts have devoured vital crops and vegetation in the Horn of Africa, and scientists are drawing ominous links between this new reality, the warming climate and increasingly extreme weather.”
“The warming of worldwide oceans from climate change means baby sharks are at risk of being born smaller and without the energy they need to survive, a group of scientists has found…
“…warmer conditions sped up the sharks’ growing process, and that meant they hatched from eggs earlier and were born exhausted.”
“Some algal blooms produce methane, thanks to cyanobacteria – methane is a potent greenhouse gas…
“Because cyanobacteria blooms are expected to increase with global climate change, and methane is a potent greenhouse gas, the observation that cyanobacteria directly produce methane suggests that cyanobacteria blooms may be a previously unrecognized positive feedback loop on global climate change.”
“Trees lost to drought and wildfires are not returning. Climate change is taking a toll on the world’s forests – and radically changing the environment before our eyes… trees are dying without humans laying a hand on them, at least physically, and they are not resprouting.”
“Antarctic Peninsula warming up due to heat in Tasman Sea…
“The melting of the Earth’s ice cover intensified in the 20th century, with glaciers and sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions melting at alarming speeds. In fact, The Antarctic Peninsula… was found to be one of the most rapidly warming regions on the planet during the second half of the 20th century.”
“Antarctica’s northern George VI Ice Shelf experienced record melting during the 2019-2020 summer season compared with 31 previous summers of dramatically lower melt, a University of Colorado Boulder-led study found.
“The extreme melt coincided with record-setting stretches when local surface air temperatures were at or above the freezing point.”
“The battle for the Arctic: Why global powers are vying for influence in the Faroe Islands. The US, Russia and China have all shown interest as Denmark re-establishes a radar station in the archipelago…
“”Environmental changes in the Arctic are putting The Faroes more in the centre, and that has meant other countries, such as the US, China, and Russia, are giving us more attention,” Jenis av Rana, foreign minister of the Faroes Islands told The Telegraph.”
“It’s snowing plastic in Siberia… Tomsk scientists are analysing vast quantities of miscroplastics in winter precipitation across a swathe of Russia…
“Yulia Frank, a scientist at the Biological Institute of Tomsk State University, said: ‘People have been using plastic for over a century and a half. Synthetic polymers degrade poorly, and many countries have not yet come to collecting and disposing of this material.
“‘So more and more products of its decomposition – microplastics – are accumulating in the environment.”
“As far as I know, your work is unique in pulling together stories from all over the world. Very sobering but a better and more complete view. Terrific and necessary work. Thank you!” – Simon
“With the inundation of so much depressing news, Justin Panopticon presents it in a succinct format that one can quickly go thru and see the big picture of climate and economics/politics to stay current and if a particle topic is of interest one can delve into the details… I try never to miss any of his posts…I am a Patreon of his work.”
– Karina S.
Search
About This Site
Weekday updates on both climate change and the global economy. Stay current with what’s happening around the world with a quick scan of top news.
“Arctic methane release due to melting ice is likely to happen again: New research, published on today in Geology, indicates that during the last two global periods of sea-ice melt, the decrease in pressure [from loss of covering ice-sheets] triggered methane release from buried reserves… 
“Lightning strikes in the Arctic tripled from 2010 to 2020, a finding University of Washington researchers attribute to rising temperatures due to human-caused climate change. 
“Glaciers across the world are melting quickly in the face of climate change and the aberrant changes triggered in weather. Alaska’s glaciers are also melting. 
“‘Winter is vanishing’ from the deep waters of Lake Michigan… 
“California’s ‘superbloom’ is just pockets of flowers because of ‘abnormally dry’ winter…
“It’s been a busy offseason at the National Hurricane Center after last year’s storm onslaught…
“Alert in Antioquia, Colombia due to floods, disasters and crises caused by heavy rains.
“Five members of the same family died at home when they were buried by a landslide that slid off a hill in the Juan Velasco Alvarado town, Condorcanqui province, Amazonas region, Peru.
“Western Sydney is now the “greatest concern” from the worst floods in decades to have ravaged eastern Australia, PM Scott Morrison says.
“Taiwan is drilling wells, seeding clouds and beseeching a gold-faced sea goddess to help the sub-tropical island ride out its most serious drought in about half a century…
“Chinese authorities are investigating scores of dead pigs found along a section of the Yellow River… turning the spotlight back on food and water safety in the country…
“Harsh Heat wave in Thailand: Tak recorded 42.4C [108.3F] on 21 March, only 0.5C from the highest temperature ever recorded in Thailand in March set just 1 year ago at Thoen. 
“One of the reasons for the deadly heatwaves in India that result in loss of lives every year is the rise in temperatures in the Arctic region due to global warming, as per a study conducted by researchers from India and Brazil, including one from University of Hyderabad.
“The [Uttarakhand glacier] disaster last month in India demonstrated the risks from rising temperatures to the eight countries in the region…
“Zimbabwe’s disappearing cows… The main cause of the dwindling herd is recurrent drought, which diminishes water supplies and reduces grazing pastures nationwide…
“22nd March was an exceptionally hot day in Egypt with the temperature reaching 44.0C [111.2F] in the oasis of Kharga. 
“Drought begins to deeply affect Turkey: academic… 
“Pollution is killing Herefordshire rivers [UK]… The stats are in. Much of the river system in the Wye and Lugg catchment is virtually dead through poisoning by a chronically high concentration of phosphates…
“Authorities in Norway have recovered the body of the last victim from December’s deadly landslide, nearly three months after the disaster.
“Global businesses sourcing commodities such as cattle, soybeans or rubber stand to lose some $53 billion due to deforestation unless they take action.
“Water scarcity… is not anymore a problem for the distant future… More than 40 per cent of the global population is already suffering from water scarcity…
“Seen from the sky: Polluted waters around the world…
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“Qatar: 42C /107.6F at Mesaimeer (previous 40.0C)
“
“
“
“
“
“In
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“The U.N. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, OCHA, reports 
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“…
“
“
“
“Using preindustrial climate and pollution data, scientists are walking back the idea that the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation is a real meteorological entity.
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
“Is this the end of forests as we’ve known them?
“
“
“
“