A year after Katrina wrecked New Orleans, President Bush is touring the still devastated area. As his administration continues to receive a storm of abuse over its handling of the aftermath, a different storm is raging within the world’s scientific community. Are hurricanes becoming more vicious or more frequent?
climate change impacts
South American Cities At Risk As Glaciers Melt
New research has found that Andean glaciers are melting so fast that some are expected to disappear within 15-25 years, denying major cities water supplies and putting populations and food supplies at risk in Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina and Bolivia. Some glaciers in Colombia are now less than 20% of the mass recorded … Read More
Climate Change Could Wipe Out Forests
New research predicts that over half the world’s major forests will be destroyed if temperatures rise by 3C or more by the end of the century due to climate change. In one of the most comprehensive analysis yet of the potential effects of global warming, scientists from Bristol University in the UK argue that floods, … Read More
European Experts: Heat Wave is Global Warming
The heat wave sweeping Europe, that is already claiming lives, is a direct consequence of climate change, according to leading European scientists. “We are observing and suffering the first effects of global warming,” says HervĂ© Le Treut, a meteorologist at the French Centre for Scientific Research.“The emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are … Read More
A Third of Amphibian Species At Risk From Climate Change and Other Factors
A third of the planet’s 5,700 amphibian species are under threat of extinction, according to fifty of the world’s leading conservation experts who are calling for an urgent rescue mission to save frogs, newts and other amphibians. Up to 122 amphibian species have become extinct since 1980. Climate change, loss of habitat and infectious diseases … Read More
Glaciers Melting Fastest for 5,000 Years
Mountain glaciers are melting faster now than at any time in the past 5,000 years because of climate change, a new study has found. From the Andes to the Himalayas climate change is leading to a full-scale retreat of the world’s tropical glaciers, meaning that we might have passed the critical threshold which could see … Read More
Climate Change Causing Genetic Change in Animals
Some smaller species of animals, such as squirrels and birds, are changing genetically in order to adapt to rapid climate change, scientists now believe. “Studies show that over the past several decades, rapid climate change has led to heritable, genetic changes in animal populations,” argues Christina Holzapfel, from the University of Oregon in Eugene in … Read More
Coral Reefs Listed as Endangered Due to Climate Change
The Bush Administration has admitted that climate change is killing coral reefs and therefore, under US law, it is obliged to take action to reduce pollution killing the reefs. This month, the US National Marine Fisheries Service ruled that two species of coral – elkhorn and staghorn – must officially be registered as threatened under … Read More
Arctic Melt-Down
Record amounts of the Arctic ocean failed to freeze during the recent winter, new satellite figures show. This spells disaster for wildlife and strengthens concerns that the region is locked into a destructive cycle of irreversible climate change. Satellite measurements show the area covered by Arctic winter sea ice reached an all-time low in March, … Read More
Climate Change Changing UK Landscape
Climate change has brought about a rapid and dramatic shift in Britain’s landscape, according to a new report published today. Rising temperatures have allowed species such as orchids and ferns to flourish in the north, while other species retreat to cooler conditions on high land and mountainsides.