Singapore/Reuters — Scientists have detected a clear change in salinity of the world’s oceans and have found that the cycle that drives rainfall and evaporation has intensified more than thought because of global warming. The finding published April 20 helps refine estimates of how different parts of the globe will be affected by increased rainfall
Sea change in salinity heralds shift in rainfall
Climate change blamed as hotter Australia faces more intense rains, droughts
(Reuters) Australia faces a quickening pace of climate change, according to a snapshot of the nation’s weather. A new government report says rainfall trends are changing and temperatures warming across the country. The report, compiled by the Bureau of Meteorology and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, comes after 18 months of record rains
Study determines effect of global warming on wheat yields
Extreme heat can cause wheat crops to age faster and reduce yields, a U.S.-led study shows, underscoring the challenge of feeding a rapidly growing population as the world warms. Scientists and farmers have long known that high heat can hurt some crops and the Stanford University-led study, released on Jan. 30, revealed how the damage
Solar Dimming Can Trigger Freezing Winters
Acyclical drop in the sun s radiation can trigger unusually cold winters in parts of North America and Europe, scientists say, a finding that could improve long-range forecasts and help countries prepare for blizzards. Scientists have known for a long time that the sun has an 11-year cycle during which radiation measured by sunspots on
Making Money From Muck
Nearly 700 Australian piggeries could benefit from the new rules that set out how farmers can capture, measure and destroy methane from pig waste. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and is 21 times more effective in trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Under the domestic offset scheme called the Carbon Farming Initiative,
Kill A Camel, Save The Planet
Killing camels to earn carbon credits might seem an extreme way to fight climate change, but the Australian government issued detailed rules June 2 that will help investors do just that. Adelaide-based Northwest Carbon, a carbon project developer, has developed the rules, or methodology, governing a strict camel-culling program that would also cut greenhouse gas
Scientists Race To Avoid A Bitter Climate Change Harvest
Charlie Bragg gazes across his lush fields where fat lambs are grazing, his reservoirs filled with water, and issues a sigh of relief. Things are normal this year and that’s a bit unusual of late. His 7,000-acre farm near the Australian town of Cootamundra is testament to the plight facing farmers around the globe: increasingly
Facing Climate Threat, Crop Gene Sharing Evermore Urgent
Nations need to speed up the sharing of genetic material from crops if the world is to have any chance of feeding itself in a future with more extreme droughts, floods and storms, a senior UN official said. Scientists say new varieties of wheat, rice, corn and other staples will be needed to cope with
Climate Change Brings Stronger Storms
Witnesses to Cyclone Yasi’s destructive tear across northeastern Australia described it as a monster for its size and ferocity. It was also an omen. Climate scientists say global warming is heating up the world’s oceans and atmosphere, providing more fuel for tropical cyclones and creating ever-greater risks for crops, miners and billion-dollar beachfronts. The risks
Cyclone May Be Tipping Point In Australia Climate Policy Debate
Australia has endured two of its deadliest summers on record, blamed in part on global warming, but record fires, floods and cyclones have not persuaded it to take strong action on climate change. But some experts hope that the arrival of giant Cyclone Yasi on the coast of Queensland, already hit by massive floods last
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
