Climate change has resulted in many plant species moving an average of 29 metres uphill every decade. Climate change has caused plants to seek cooler conditions at higher altitudes. Smaller species such as ferns, which have shorter reproduction cycles, were the quickest to relocate. This suggests that long living woody plant species, such as trees, are likely to be more threatened by climate change than herb species like grasses. "This may imply profound changes in the composition and structure of plant communities and animal species that depend upon them."
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Monday, June 30, 2008
Warming world sends plants uphill
Violent Weather Taking Toll on States
USA
Iowa was one of 17 states whacked this year by an UNUSUALLY severe outbreak of storms, with financial, public safety, infrastructure and environmental repercussions that could take state officials years to resolve. Hurricane season started June 1, so more states could face disasters. But already 2008 has been UNUSUAL, meteorologists say, because of the frequency of fast-moving storms that have occurred at night in populated areas. About 60 people a year die in tornadoes, but this year 118 have been killed, the most in 10 years. The burst of violent weather began on Feb. 5 when 87 tornadoes swept across Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama, killing 56 people. Since then, tornadoes have struck Georgia, Virginia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. Multiple heavy thunderstorms have pelted Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, leading to flooding.
Floods boost food prices for years
Breaking Earth News
Levees on the cresting Mississippi River held today as the worst US Midwest flooding in 15 years began to ebb, but multibillion-dollar crop losses may boost world food prices for years.
RELATED NEWS
In the Philippines, a "food shortage" looms in the next one to two months after the massive floods due to typhoon "Frank" (international codename: Fengshen) devastated farm lands and livestock in the Western Visayas. One of the affected provinces, Iloilo, is one of the top three rice-producing provinces in the country. The floods destroyed 22 hectares or rice lands, equivalent to 66,000 metric tons of rice, and "almost wiped out" livestock and fisheries in the region. In Cadiz town in Negros Occidental, the storm destroyed half a billion pesos worth of fishing boats. Water systems destroyed by the storm have not been repaired.
Thin line between mayhem and safety
The Mississippi River rushes through a break in Indian Grave Drainage District levee north of Quincy, Ill., and south of Meyer, Ill., on June 18.
Well before record floods overwhelmed at least two dozen levees in the Mississippi River watershed, government officials at all levels have raised concern about the ability of such structures to protect property and lives. For millions of Americans living in flood-prone places, all that stands between the waters of mayhem and safety is a pile of dirt.
Severe Consequences of Philippine Ferry Tragedy
ESPANA, Philippines (AFP) — Local Filipino fisherman Robert Naiya looks out across the still waters towards the bow of the ill-fated Princess of the Stars and asks: "What about us?"
"We should be out fishing today," he said, but a government ban has meant that Naiya and his friends just sit on their colourful boats that dot the beach, talking and wondering what the future holds.
The near 24,000-tonne passenger ferry capsized during Typhoon Fengshen on June 21 with more than 850 people on board in this picturesque bay on the south coast of Sibuyan island in the central Philippines.
There were fewer than 60 survivors.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Heat waves expected
Portugal
The National meteorological institute has revealed that this summer is expected to be ONE OF THE HOTTEST IN THE LAST 25 YEARS. Temperatures for June, July and August are expected to be 0.5 degrees above average, with the highest likely to be recorded in central and southern Portugal. “If the predictions are correct then we could have a very serious situation, similar to that of 2003 when 1,953 people died because of the heat.” As well as high temperatures, the meteorological institute also alerts to high levels of ultra violet (UV) radiation, which is measured on a scale from the lowest level of one to the highest level of 11. The UV levels for the Algarve are expected to remain at a minimum of Very High (between eight and 10) this summer.
Thousands flee Euro 2008 electrical storm
(CNN) -- Thousands of football fans fled for safety and millions of TV viewers were left disappointed Wednesday night as an electrical storm in Vienna disrupted coverage of the first of the Euro 2008 semifinals.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Bizarre Electrical Storms hit California and New Zealand
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) In less than a day, an electrical storm unleashed nearly 8,000 lightning strikes that set more than 800 wildfires across Northern California — a RARE example of "dry lightning" that brought little or no rain but plenty of sparks to the state's parched forests and grasslands.
HOT SPOTS: A map from MetService shows thousands of lightning strikes in the 24-hours to 8am.
Here’s looking forward to a warmer summer
Each morning I check the garden hoping for signs of life in the vegetable patch. For weeks all our seeds in the cold damp soil decided that this spring is nothing more than winter in disguise. It was a struggling no-show but finally a few have begrudgingly surfaced. I can’t remember a spring as wet, cold, and long as this one. Apparently I’m not alone. “It’s been so cold,” said Mark Sweeney, industry berry specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. “Right from December it’s been odd. And not getting above 12oC in (early) June is extremely unusual. I can’t remember a spring like this.” Skywatch Media News
Food dwindles for cyclone survivors
Burma (Myanmar)
NEARLY three quarters of those who survived Burma's devastating cyclone lack enough food to last more than a week and remain in desperate need of help, according to the United Nations.
More than 138,000 people were killed or remain missing in the wake of Cyclone Nargis hitting southwest Burma on May 2 and 3.Only 45 per cent of survivors are getting food from international aid agencies, according to a report by the United Nations and the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN, which conducted a detailed assessment of the worst-affected areas.
RELATED NEWS
Myanmar cyclone toll rises to 138,000 dead or missing
More than 138,000 are dead or missing from the devastating cyclone that struck Myanmar last month, the government said on Tuesday, according to an Asian diplomat.Kilauea Just Keeps Going and Going
Hawaii, USA
A new vent that erupted to life in mid-March 2008 atop Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island shows no signs of shutting down. At times a billowing white steam plume has blasted thousands of feet into the air, so high it has been picked up on satellite imagery. Other times the vent has glowed a ghostly bright orange or shot out a sooty rusty cloud of ash, hurtled rocks out of its throat and several small explosive eruptions, THE FIRST OF THOSE TYPE IN OVER 80 YEARS, have occurred.
It's nature's one-two punch - VIDEO- Halemaumau crater's explosion and Kilauea's leaking of lava give the Big Island not one, but two outlets for venting sulfur dioxide. "Experts told a House vog task force that over time the toxic gas could wreak havoc with all sorts of things. One of the possibilities is prolonged activity at Halemaumau." The longer vog particulates are injected into the air, the greater the chance for less rainfall. "No individual droplet is able to accumulate enough mass to actually precipitate." That's bad news for Big Island farmers. They are already seeing crop damage from the toxic air. Less rainfall would be devastating. Another concern is breathing problems. Doctors at Kau Hospital are seeing more respiratory infections that may be linked to vog. On the south side of the Big Island you can't escape it. "One of the emergency room physicians told me he has come into the hospital on high vog days and actually seen a layer of vog down the hallway." "The eruption rate of lava is on the average of a half a million cubic meters per day. That's a lot of lava." And it's not going to stop anytime soon. With Halemaumau also venting toxic gas, scientists and medical experts say it's time to do more than watch and wonder.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Bangladesh is set to disappear under the waves by the end of the century - A special report by Johann Hari
Bangladesh, the most crowded nation on earth, is set to disappear under the waves by the end of this century – and we will be to blame. Johann Hari took a journey to see for himself how western profligacy and indifference have sealed the fate of 150 million peoplewent to see for himself the spreading misery and destruction as the ocean reclaims the land on which so many millions depend.
Rift extends for 15 km along ground after Tohoku earthquake
Japan
Image: The rift that appeared in the ground is shown in a rice paddy. The right side is elevated and cedar trees in the background are leaning to one side.
Story: A rift extending for about 15 kilometers has appeared on the surface of the ground in five districts following the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Japan's Tohoku region on June 14, it has emerged. In the Mochikorogashi district of Koromogawa-ku in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, a zigzag fault has appeared in the surface through two rice paddies, with the land on the west side about 45 centimeters higher. Across four of the five points, a rift extending for about 10 kilometers has appeared along an old fault on the border between Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. "There's a possibility that this fault caused the earthquake, but with an earthquake of this size it wouldn't be unusual for a step of about 2 meters to appear on the surface. There is also a possibility that another fault caused the earthquake and the effects of that caused this rift to appear on the surface."
RELATED NEWS
The temperature of a hot spring near the epicenter of the Iwate and Miyagi earthquake sharply changed before the temblor struck. A similar phenomenon was observed with other earthquakes, including one that struck Hokkaido in 1993. Seismologists are paying close attention to the phenomenon as it could help predict earthquakes. The temperature of the hot spring water at the Kamikura Hot Spring Inn in Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture, which had been 42 degrees Celsius, began to rise in mid-May - about a month before the quake, its owner said. It reached 47 degrees one week before the temblor. The Kamikura inn is situated about five kilometers away from the epicenter of the earthquake that struck on Saturday last week. Furthermore, the temperature of hot spring water at an inn in the Akinomiya area of Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture, declined from 70 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees in mid-May. The hot spring area is located about 30 kilometers from the epicenter. The water temperature at five hot spa areas in southern Wakayama Prefecture declined 0.1 to 0.3 degrees Celsius about a month before a quake hit the area in 2004. Furthermore, the temperature of hot spring water on Okushiri Island, Hokkaido, rose 10 degrees about a month before a powerful quake jolted Hokkaido in 1993. Some scientists believe that underground rocks hit each other before a powerful earthquake, creating huge pressure. The pressure causes the level of subterranean water to rise, which changes the temperature of hot spring water.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Water may be suspect in tainted tomatoes
USA
Pick a tomato in the blazing sun and plunge it straight into cold water. If that happened on the way to market, it might be contaminated. Too big of a temperature difference can make a tomato literally suck water inside the fruit through the scar where its stem used to be. If salmonella happens to be lurking on the skin, that is one way it can penetrate and, if the tomato is not eaten right away, have time to multiply. This newest salmonella outbreak is the 14th blamed on tomatoes since 1990. There is a growing lists of nasty outbreaks in raw vegetables and fruit: E. coli in spinach and lettuce. Hepatitis A in green onions. Cyclospora in raspberries. Salmonella in cantaloupe. Shigella in parsley. Water sources, worker hygiene and wildlife or domestic animals near fields are frequent culprits because they involve points where safety systems can easily break down. The FDA wants the authority to set mandatory safe-handling rules, what it calls "preventive controls," for growers and suppliers of foods linked to repeated outbreaks of serious illness, such as tomatoes and leafy greens. Congress hasn't yet acted on that request. "We need them, we've asked for them, and we don't yet have them." Budget woes mean the FDA's inspections of food-producing facilities have plummeted by 56 percent between 2003 and last year. But the FDA "is not arguing that you can inspect your way out of these problems. The critical point is to build safety upfront, not load up inspection at the end."
Floodwaters breed hidden health dangers
Midwest-USA
Image: Houses and businesses are surrounded by floodwaters in the town of Louisiana, Mo. Standing water like this is the ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes and dangerous bacteria.
West Nile, E. coli among deadly concerns in swamped Midwest
Now that the waters are beginning to recede after this month’s devastating floods in the Midwest, state and federal officials are warning of a widespread secondary risk from dangerous bacteria and disease-bearing mosquitoes. They expect this season’s mosquito population to be especially big, nurtured by hot summer temperatures and large pools of standing water that make an ideal breeding ground. “We know we have mosquitoes right now in the state that are testing positive for the West Nile virus.” Stagnant water carries numerous other risks, health officials said. For any number of dangerous bacteria and parasites, hot, fetid pools left over by swamped septic systems are the perfect home. The raging waters also seeped into countless wells, affecting drinking water for thousands of homes and businesses across the region.Sunday, June 22, 2008
Is everything spinning out of control?
Breaking Earth News
WASHINGTON - Is everything spinning out of control? Midwestern levees are bursting. Polar bears are adrift. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Home values are abysmal. Air fares, college tuition and health care border on unaffordable. Wars without end rage in Iraq, Afghanistan and against terrorism.
The can-do, bootstrap approach embedded in the American psyche is under assault. Eroding it is a dour powerlessness that is chipping away at the country's sturdy conviction that destiny can be commanded with sheer courage and perseverance.
Story Continues
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Massive Dust Storm over the Middle East
A massive dust cloud hovered over the Middle East in mid-June 2008, stretching from Iraq to India and spreading south past the Arabian Peninsula. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image on June 18, 2008
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Friday, June 20, 2008
Underwater volcanos spew precious minerals into ocean
Fiji- South Pacific
Image: Multibeam sonar high-definition image of the bed of the Pacific Ocean between Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. (CSIRO)
Scientists have discovered two mineral-rich, active volcanos more than a kilometre under the sea near Fiji, with mining companies already lining up to try to exploit the sites. Measuring 50 kilometres wide by almost 4,000 metres tall, the volcanoes are bubbling away at 1,100 metres and 1,500 metres below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, in an area known as the North Lau Basin, between Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. They are within the Pacific rim of fire, an area of high earthquake activity, and are spewing into the sea black smoke containing precious minerals. The volcanoes are quite remarkable - "Some of the features look like the volcanic blisters seen on the surface of Venus." The two volcanoes have been named Dugong and Lobster. Though they are in a seismologically unstable area, the volcanoes are not likely to trigger a Tsunami. The real danger is not eruption but rather collapse. Any eruption though would be a hazard for the neighbouring Pacific nations. The black smoke pouring out of the calderas leaves behind minerals containing lead, zinc, copper and gold.
What the Mississippi River Flood Tells Us About Global Warming
The slug of slow-moving destruction that is making its way from Iowa down the Mississippi River Valley is extraordinary by any measure.
That the last flood of this magnitude occurred just 15 years ago should be cause for concern.
Floods happen. Big floods happen. Epic floods happen.
But they don't happen all the time. Scientists talk about the 100 Year Flood, and the 500 Year Flood. These are floods of such magnitude they could be expected to occur every 100 years, or every 500 years. Infrequently, in other words.
In Iowa, and on down the Mississippi River, that once-a-century event has happened twice in the life of some teenagers.
In December, a coalition of environmental groups analyzed weather data from around the United States and found that the storms that pack the heaviest rainfall were unleashing their deluges more frequently. The frequency of "extreme rainfall" increased 24% from 1948 to 2006, and that observation is consistent with scientific models that project more intense bouts of rainfall as a consequence of global warming. (Worldwide, natural disasters have increased fourfold in two decades, which the international aide group Oxfam attributes to global warming's affect on extreme weather.)
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Global warming to spark increase in US wildfires
Breaking Earth News
USA
Much of the north-western US wilderness is already a tinderbox, but thanks to global warming, wildfires will be scorching even more land every year by the end of the century. Warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the North Pacific create more low-pressure weather systems than cooler waters do, pushing jet stream circulation north into Canada. This leaves room for high-pressure systems to move in from the south, bringing drier and hotter air to the north-west. Calculations show the amount of land burned annually in the north-west will grow from under a million hectares in 2002 to nearly 2 million hectares by 2080.
Arctic Sea Ice 'Melting Fast'
Arctic sea ice is melting even faster than last year, despite a cold winter. The year began with ice covering a larger area than at the beginning of 2007. But now it is down to levels seen last June, at the beginning of a summer that broke records for sea ice loss. Scientists say that much of the ice is so thin that it melts easily, and the Arctic may be ice-free in summer within five to 10 years.
Panic loom over Gojal in Hunza after glacier burst
Pakistan
The third outburst of a glacier in Gulkin Gojal, upper Hunza, caused widespread panic among the inhabitants and they called for immediate measures to save them from loss. Huge boulders that blocked Karakuram Highway were cleared to restore traffic but the mudflow from the lake disrupted telecommunication and damaged water channels of the Gulkin village. “The residents are shifted to safe areas temporarily to save them as two houses were damaged partially due to mudflow." The mudflows from the glaciers badly affected the irrigation system of Gulkin village and people were concerned about their standing crops in the fields. They feared if measures for its repair were not undertaken on war-footing-basis they might suffer huge monetary losses as well. There were reports of damages in orchards and potato crops, and the villagers were frightened of another big catastrophe as the local population was expecting additional bursts in the upper glaciers.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
New Changes For Skywatch-Media News
From the Editor's Desk
Skywatch-Media News
Skywatch-Media News and all of its' affiliate websites will soon be implementing a streamline, user friendly website. Our goal is to bring top quality, multi-media entertainment to our regular viewers and Internet visitors. In order to achieve this, we have developed a new website that will serve our purposes as well as those of the general public.
Our new site, will provide all of the news and entertainment services we currently offer, including audio and video podcasts, our radio archives, radio blog, the newsletter, breaking earth news, a merchandise shopping cart, and much more. The new site will provide a private log-in service, both secure and user friendly.
Membership to our new site will be by invitation only prior to our launch, and by paid subscription through our paypal services or via credit card. After we launch the new site, all our news and media postings from our affiliate websites will require a log-in through our hosting services.
To learn more about our new services, or to sign-up for a new account, please email me directly at steve468@skywatch-media.info
As always we are committed to bringing our viewers the very best news and entertainment on our changing planet, and with our new website, we hope to get even better. We hope that all of you will continue to be a part of our growing network as we look forward to providing our new services across the Internet.
Sincerely,
Steven Shaman
Skywatch-Media
China's pandas in danger following quake
The lives of nearly 90% of China's endangered pandas are in danger after last month's earthquake devastated their mountainous habitat, Chinese government experts have warned. The lives of about 1,400 wild pandas in quake-hit areas of Sichuan province are in jeopardy, and some may have already died. "Massive landslides and large scale damage to forests triggered by last month's earthquake are threatening the existence of wild pandas. Caves and tree hollows where giant pandas live may be damaged, water in the habitat is polluted, and some of the bamboo is buried or smashed. Their living environment is completely destroyed." The quake affected 1.9 million hectares (4.7 million acres), or 83% of the country's total panda habitat. But officials said the extent of the damage could be even worse because landslides have blocked roads, preventing officials from assessing some areas.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Food prices to soar on back of devastating US floods
Breaking Earth News
USA
An expanding drought in Australia's grain belt has already been blamed for contributing to a world food crisis, and now floods in the US midwest, which have devastated the corn crop, are adding to the misery.
The floods in states including Iowa and Illinois have already sent corn prices to new record highs and there could be worse to come.
Most of Iowa, in the US 'corn belt', has been declared a disaster zone. At least three people have died and tens of thousands have been forced to leave their homes.
As well as the human cost, Iowa's Governor Chet Culver fears the economic impact on the largely rural state could be enormous.
"One thing that we haven't talked about, which I'm very concerned about and is critically important, is the damage that has been done to our agricultural sector," he said.
"It is possible you're talking about $US1 billion ($1.06 billion) to just our agricultrual sector, in terms of loss."
Iowa is America's largest corn producer but many of the state's corn fields are under water.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Earthquake rocks northern Japan
At least six people are dead and more than 140 injured after a powerful earthquake struck northern Japan, triggering landslides.
The 7.2-magnitude quake was centred on Iwate - a rural mountainous region on Japan's main island, Honshu.
Military helicopters are taking in supplies and flying the injured to hospitals. A landslide at a hot spring reportedly buried seven people.
And a small amount of radioactive water was leaked at a nuclear power station.
But officials said there was no danger to the public from the minor spillage at the facility in Fukushima.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said: "Our most important task is to save as many lives as possible, and we are doing the best we can."
At least six people are dead and more than 140 injured after a powerful earthquake struck northern Japan, triggering landslides.
The 7.2-magnitude quake was centred on Iwate - a rural mountainous region on Japan's main island, Honshu.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Lemons shortage will leave the UK feeling bitter
UK
Shortage: Lemons could run out by the end of Summer
THE UNITED KINGDOM has been hit by a worldwide shortage of lemons and Russia is snapping up what's left. Supplies of the tangy citrus fruit are running out with traders predicting empty shelves during the month of August if the situation continues. Prices have already shot up with a single lemon now selling for about double what it was this time last year. Prices are set to increase further as lemons run out due to a poor harvest following FREAK WEATHER conditions across the globe. The world markets were relying on bumper crops from the Southern Hemisphere following a terrible season in Europe from September 2007 to April 2008. But low temperatures and late frosts across the Southern Hemisphere have caused a drop in production and quality. Demand across the world now far outstrips supply.
Heat wave has upside: ripened produce
Canada
Hot weather extending from Quebec to Florida has caused a number of fruits and vegetables to ripen quickly and come to market at low prices. From local asparagus and the first salad greens to such imports as corn, green peppers and watermelon from Georgia and Florida, there are plenty of bargains in stores and markets this week.
At the same time, cool weather on the west coast has caused an interruption in the supply of Bing cherries, so their price is up until Washington state cherries come to market.
RELATED NEWS: USA
U.S. rains take heavy toll on crops - Putnam County, Indiana has been deluged with nearly 13 inches of rain — about one-third of the state’s YEARLY average. The heavy rainfall and flooding are threatening farmers and crops across the state. Farmers throughout the rain-drenched Corn Belt are concerned that damage to recently planted crops will hurt yields, helping to drive up prices of everything from eggs to meat to bread. Last week’s rain-fed jump in corn prices was THE LARGEST ONE-WEEK RALLY IN HISTORY. In Indiana, the overabundance of rain began last month. The amount of rainfall in the state — 6.1 inches — was 37% more than normal in May. Before the deluge, Indiana farmers were en route to one of their best years
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Bears sighted in Mexican city
Breaking Earth News
Mexico
Bears have been spotted foraging for food and water on the outskirts of Monterrey, Mexico's second largest city, as they struggle to survive a dry spell that has depleted their natural reserves of food and water.
UNDER THE WEATHER
Australia
Image: LOOKING AHEAD: Nathan Folkes, of Byron Bay's rain-hit Mojosurf and Dolphin Kayaking, is praying for a sunny, tourist-filled sum
Story: The weather is becoming 'predictably unpredictable'. "The rainfall this year is already 1130mm ... and that's 90% of the entire year's rainfall - just in six months." Temperature is also a factor. "[This past] summer some places only hit about 25 days where the temperature was 30 degrees or above over the three months. That's half the number of days that hit 30 degrees or higher for the same time the year before. Then you take the months of April and May. In some places THE TEMPERATURE WAS THE COLDEST ON RECORD."
Sunday, June 8, 2008
'Sharks are hunting humans'
Mexico
Scientists fear packs of bull sharks are now ACTIVELY HUNTING HUMANS FOR THE FIRST TIME after a series of horrifying attacks in the waters off a popular resort in Mexico. The theory emerged after two surfers were killed and one badly injured in a month. A fourth swimmer is missing at the Mexican seaside town of Zihuantanejo. The beach at Zihuantanejo – near Acapulco and popular with international tourists – had not previously recorded a shark incident in more than 30 years. With an annual average of only four fatal shark attacks globally, the fact that two people have died along the same stretch of coast within weeks has astonished international experts. Scientists think the 3m fish could have developed a taste for human flesh after devouring hundreds of corpses dumped into the sea by mobsters.
The U.S. Has No Remaining Grain Reserves
USA
"Our concern is that the U.S. has nothing else in our emergency food pantry. There is no cheese, no butter, no dry milk powder, no grains or anything else left in reserve. The only thing left in the entire CCC inventory will be 2.7 million bushels of wheat which is about enough wheat to make 1/2 of a loaf of bread for each of the 300 million people in America.” The CCC is a federal government-owned and operated entity that was created to stabilize, support, and protect farm income and prices. CCC is also supposed to maintain balanced and adequate supplies of agricultural commodities and aids in their orderly distribution.
Corn rises to RECORD with Midwest beset by rain - Corn futures extended their gains into a third session Friday, reaching a record as weather forecasts called for rains in the Midwest, which have already delayed crop development, to continue. Prices of soybeans and wheat also moved up. "Probably the biggest contributor to the rising prices is the scope of heavy rains that have fallen in the past couple of weeks." Rainfalls have left crop fields saturated, halting the planting of soybeans and delaying corn seeds' development. Weather reports predicted that excessive Midwestern rain will continue, likely pushing corn and soybeans prices higher. As of June 1, 74% of corn seeds had emerged in the top 18 producing states, compared with 92% a year ago. Soybeans were 69% planted, compared with 86% a year ago. And only 32% of seeds had emerged, compared with 64% a year ago. Destructive thunderstorms that swept across the Midwest on Thursday also threatened crop production.
Rain causes floods, landslides in Hong Kong
Nearly 12 inches of rain fell Saturday morning, according to the Hong Kong Observatory, which issued rainstorm and landslide warnings.
Hong Kong, China
Image: A girl waits in front of a car which was damaged by flooding while two men try to fix a flooded road after heavy rains in Hong Kong Saturday, June 7, 2008. Heavy rain unleashed flooding and landslides early Saturday, shutting down roads and air traffic throughout the territory. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
HONG KONG — Heavy rains unleashed flooding and landslides early Saturday in Hong Kong, shutting down roads and air traffic throughout the territory, officials said.
The storm, fueled by a trough of low pressure over the South China Sea, caused almost 40 landslides and 125 floods across the territory, government spokeswoman Suzanne Lee said.
Arthur Caused Almost $100 million in Damages
Belize
Tropical Storm Arthur and the subsequent floods caused almost $100 million in damages. The rain, winds and floods impacted 40 communities countrywide, an area including 7,000 households, 155 of which were directly impacted by the storm. 17 houses in the south were completely destroyed and in the north the number is 9. In agriculture, 5% of the citrus crop, about 1,500 acres was lost, and that’s because most of the crop had already been harvested. Still, losses to the citrus industry are estimated at $7.9 million. 913 acres of rice were lost in the Blue Creek area, amounting to $1.7 million. Sugar cane lost another 1,800 acres. All totalled, the loss to agriculture was $14.2 million. In aquaculture, Paradise Shrimp Farm in Mullins River had damages of $2.4 million. The lobster season which opens next week is also expected to be affected; a downturn of 25% in earnings is projected. And amidst all this, there was a tropical wave heading to Belize on Saturday with showers and thundershowers expected.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
VIDEO: Quake Crack Spews Boiling Mud
Breaking Earth News
From National Geographic News
May 30, 2008—An earthquake in Iceland caused damage on Thursday and opened up a new fissure that is spewing boiling mud and steam.
Image: The earthquake's epicenter was near Selfloss, about 50 km (31 miles) east-southeast from Reyjavik.
VIDEO: CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO WATCH THE REPORT
Friday, June 6, 2008
Crops submerged under spring deluge
Iowa, USA
Image: A sofa was washed into a cornfield after recent flash flooding in Durango. Photo by Dave Kettering
Story: The agricultural community in Dubuque and the surrounding counties has been gasping for air as relentless rains have ravaged the region for the past several weeks. Flooding of river bottoms, ponding in flat fields and soil runoff from, but not limited to, higher ground fields is only the beginning of the troubles and subsequent costs that farmers have been doused with. With portions of their crop still submerged and most other areas waterlogged beyond the point of retrieval, farmers' outlook of the crop damage remains muddy. Due to the excessively waterlogged fields, once ponding and stillwater has disappeared, it still might be weeks before the ground is stable enough for equipment to make its way onto the field. As much as 5 percent of the crop in Iowa will have to be replanted. Farmers aren't alone with unwanted repercussions. An increasing amount of field sediment is being washed to surrounding tributaries, and bodies of water are being choked with impurities. "People say these are FLOODS THAT COME AROUND EVERY 100 YEARS. In that case, I've lived about 900 years worth of floods. And I ain't old enough to quit yet."
Natural Disasters Up More Than 400 Percent in Two Decades
The number of natural disasters around the world has increased by more than four times in the last 20 years, according to a report released by the British charity Oxfam. It found that the earth is currently experiencing approximately 500 natural disasters per year, compared with 120 per year in the early 1980s. The number of weather-related disasters in 2006 was 240, compared with 60 in 1980. "We are talking about some VERY UNUSUAL floods in West Africa, VERY UNUSUAL floods in East Africa, EXTRAORDINARY floods in Mexico and parts of Central America, and heat waves in Greece [and] eastern Europe." At the same time, the number of geologically related natural disasters has held steady. Oxfam has attributed the increasing disaster rate to global warming. "This is no freak year. It follows a pattern of more frequent, more erratic, more unpredictable and more extreme weather events that are affecting more people." Between 1985 and 1994, Oxfam found that 174 million people were affected by disasters each year. In the following decade, this figure increased by 70 percent to 254 million people per year.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Global Increase in Food Prices
Breaking Earth News
International Food Crisis
Effects on Families Across the World
BBC News followed the profiles of six families around the world to see how their shopping list and their eating habits have changed with the global increase in food prices.
Fears for mental health of Myanmar cyclone survivors
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The Decline of the Puffin
Breaking Earth News
UK
Numbers are down at least 30%. Researchers believe the decline is linked to changes in the North Sea food web, perhaps related to climate change. Birds are also arriving underweight, which is "worrying", because puffins are generally able to feed on a range of creatures in winter. "So whatever the problem is, it's got to be a widespread one." The suspicion is that climate change is altering the distribution of plankton across the North Sea. This disrupts the entire food web, including predators such as puffin. "This fits in with other evidence that North Sea birds have been desperately short of food over several seasons. But those have been birds such as the Arctic tern and kittiwake which only feed in the top part of the sea. This is probably the best adapted seabird that the UK has; they're deep divers, they're specialists in going down deep into the water column to find fish, so it's troubling to find that they're encountering a shortage of food."
UK
Numbers are down at least 30%. Researchers believe the decline is linked to changes in the North Sea food web, perhaps related to climate change. Birds are also arriving underweight, which is "worrying", because puffins are generally able to feed on a range of creatures in winter. "So whatever the problem is, it's got to be a widespread one." The suspicion is that climate change is altering the distribution of plankton across the North Sea. This disrupts the entire food web, including predators such as puffin. "This fits in with other evidence that North Sea birds have been desperately short of food over several seasons. But those have been birds such as the Arctic tern and kittiwake which only feed in the top part of the sea. This is probably the best adapted seabird that the UK has; they're deep divers, they're specialists in going down deep into the water column to find fish, so it's troubling to find that they're encountering a shortage of food."
Are Astronomical High Tides being enhanced by Global Warming?
Indonesia
According to a report, abnormally high astronomical high tides are expected Tuesday and Wednesday. This is an 18-year semi-annual tide cycle and is caused by the alignment and the closeness of the sun and moon.
The World Bank says this particular high tide period will be enhanced due to slowly rising seas from global warming, which will cause higher swells. More importantly, according to some, Jarkarta, which is the Capital, is sinking at an annual rate of two inches per year, mainly due to excessive ground water extraction. Over the past three decades Jakarta has sunk a total of seven feet! That cannot be good.
Officials predict homes as far as a mile inland will be impacted by the high tides. Previous exceptional high tides brought the water up to the rooftops in some areas.
Breaking Earth News
Parts of Jakarta Swamped by Tidal Wave
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Summer Temp 4 degrees below normal
India/Kashmir
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With an UNUSUAL dip in temperature, particularly during evening hours, forcing people to reopen their winter closets, the metrological department has said the average recorded temperature during few days has been four degrees below the normal temperature. “This is an unusual climate we are witnessing from the past few days particularly during the late hours when high velocity winds are accompanied by rain. We should have been receiving bright sunlight and living in hot weather conditions.” Meteorologists attributed the temperature change to the western system. “Not only Kashmir, the rest of North-West and Northern India is under the grip of the system due to which moisture laden winds are flowing from the west.” The weatherman predicted that the intermittent rains will continue to lash in most parts of the valley for the next two days. The UNUSUAL weather condition can cause extensive damage to the paddy crops if it continues. “The fluctuating temperature is favourable for multiplication of paddy blast germs which can increase the chances of paddy blast. The prevailing weather condition can also cause considerable damage to the seed production."
Monday, June 2, 2008
Drought in the Fertile Crescent
ONE OF THE WORST DROUGHTS IN THE PAST DECADE settled heavily over the Fertile Crescent region of Iraq and Syria in the winter of 2007-2008. Under normal conditions, winter rain and rivers flowing from the mountains of Turkey sustain the rich agricultural land that has fed humanity from the dawn of civilization. But little to no rain fell between October and December during the crucial planting period, and sparse rain has fallen in the months that followed. Even irrigated crops suffered from a lack of water, since the drought limited the amount of well and river water available for irrigation. The winter’s drought was followed by a hot, dry spring that further damaged crops. As a result, Iraqi farmers are anticipating a harvest as much as 51% smaller than the harvest of 2007. Syrian farmers faired a little better, though the Syrian wheat harvest will be 38% lower than in 2007. The drought also crept east into Iran’s wheat-growing region, where farmers are anticipating their smallest harvest in six years.
La Nina might be causing shark attacks
Mexico
Cooler than normal sea-surface temperatures due to the La Nina phenomenon may be partly responsible for a spate of fatal shark attacks off Mexico's Pacific coast.
La Nina, which usually results in cooler than normal water in the Pacific, has moved the boundary between cold and warm water closer to the shore, and along with it, fish and their shark predators, George Burgess, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research told Reuters.
SHARK ATTACKS ON THE RISE
100 Year Floods Now Occuring Regularly
Canada
You know those 100-year floods like the one in 2005 in Calgary? Somebody forgot to send Mother Nature the timetable. The banks of the Elbow, located deep beneath the murky brown depths of the surging river, weren't supposed to disappear like this for another 97 years. Though the river is slowly receding again, Alberta Environment said the water depth and flow were "very close" to the levels recorded during the disaster of 2005, when 2,000 Calgarians were evacuated from their inner-city homes. It wasn't supposed to happen like this for another lifetime - that's what residents near the meandering Elbow were told in 2005, after the placid brook turned into a raging python of flood water, swallowing up apartments, basements, yards and paths. That "once-in-a-century" flood crested the Glenmore Dam and forced Calgary to declare a state of emergency. And for a few tense hours this past weekend, it looked like it might happen all over again.
Curious cloud formations linked to quakes
CAN unusual clouds signal the possibility of an impending earthquake? That's the question being asked following the discovery of distinctive cloud formations above an active fault in Iran before each of two large earthquakes occurred.
Geophysicists Guangmeng Guo and Bin Wang of Nanyang Normal University in Henan, China, noticed a gap in the clouds in satellite images from December 2004 that precisely matched the location of the main fault in southern Iran. It stretched for hundreds of kilometres, was visible for several hours and remained in the same place, although the clouds around it were moving. At the same time, thermal images of the ground showed that the temperature was higher along the fault. Sixty-nine days later, on 22 February 2005, an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 hit the area, killing more than 600 people.
STRANGE CLOUD FORMATION FILMED BY JAPANESE FLIGHT CREW ON MAY 24, 2008
MORE STRANGE VIDEOS
Strange 'northern lights' - 30 minutes before the Sichuan earthquake in China. Bizarre colorful (luminous/glowing) cloud phenomenon in the sky was observed about 30 mins before the May 12, 2008 Sichuan earthquake took place. This was recorded in Tianshui, Gansu province ~450km northeast of epicenter, by someone using a cell phone.
Glowing clouds 10 minutes before the quake - This was recorded in Meixian, Shaanxi province ~550km northeast of epicenter. The phenomenon was said to last for about 1 min.
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