New York Times (April 19)
“Civilization’s understanding of Earth has expanded enormously in recent decades, making humanity safer and more prosperous.” But a new “dark age is a growing possibility” as our ability to predict future weather patterns is disrupted by climate change. Without the ability to accurately forecast long-term phenomena, “we will face huge challenges feeding a growing population and prospering within our planet’s finite resources.”
Tags: Challenges, Civilization, Climate change, Dark age, Disrupted, Earth, Forecast, Humanity, Patterns, Population, Predict, Prosperous, Resources, Weather
Japan Times (April 17)
“The indiscriminate nature of the destruction saw some houses reduced to piles of rubble and smashed roof tiles while neighboring homes were left standing.” Amid the ruins in Kumamoto, the search for survivors races on, hampered by the destruction of multiple quakes and inclement weather.
Tags: Destruction, Indiscriminate, Kumamoto, Quakes, Rubble, Ruins, Search, Survivors, Weather
Institutional Investor (April 14)
In the U.S., “freakishly mild meteorological conditions this winter gave a major boost to the economy, which otherwise would likely have contracted in the first quarter. Moreover, the weather has set investors up for a shock.” With a return to the recessionary trend likely during the second quarter, there will be “exaggerated drops from the weather-boosted first-quarter figures.”
Tags: Economy, Exaggerated, Investors, Meteorological conditions, Recessionary trend, U.S., Weather, Winter
Time (March 17)
“Global temperatures in February were the most above average since weather record keeping began nearly 150 years ago, bringing the world the closest it has ever been to what scientists consider dangerous levels of warming.” As if that’s not enough bad news, “climate scientists have already predicted that 2016 will trump last year as the warmest on record.”
Tags: Climate, Dangerous levels, February, Global warming, Records, Scientists, Temperatures, Weather
The Economist (November 7)
El Niños’ “weather effects, both good and bad, are felt in many places” but rich countries gain more from mighty Niños, on balance, than they lose.” In contrast, poor countries are the big losers. Poor governments and individuals can seldom afford disaster insurance. “Since the poorest are least likely to recoup their losses from disasters linked to El Niño, minimising their losses needs to be the priority.” As countries like Ethiopia have shown, low cost measures carried out in advance can play a major role in alleviating the devastation that often accompanies El Niño.
Tags: Devastation, Disaster insurance, Disasters, El Niño, Ethiopia, Losses, Poor countries, Priority, Rich countries, Weather
New York Times (September 23)
The U.S. “has made commendable progress in reducing its emissions, and is halfway toward meeting Mr. Obama’s pledge at the Copenhagen climate summit meeting in 2009 to reduce its emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020.” Globally, however, progress is not being made. “Steadily increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, rising sea levels, more violent weather events, persistent droughts…. The burden on the United States to set a positive example is as heavy as ever.”
