The case for change
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Opening talk, Canberra nurses conference 2016, The case for change. Abstract available at: http://globalchangemusings.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/the-case-for-change-health-in-act.html
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The case for change
- 1. CRICOS #00212K Prof Colin D Butler Faculty of Health, and Health Research Institute Canberra Nurses' Conference May 30, 2016 The Case For Change: Health in the ACT “Housing and homelessness clear examples of a Canberra of two parts” SMH, 2016 http://www.smh.com.au/com ment/housing-and- homelessness-clear- examples-of-city-of-two- parts-20160122- gmc1hm.html
- 2. CRICOS #00212K PART 1 Determinants of health and well-being Disclaimer Falling life expectancy for vulnerable U.S. sub- groups. Could this happen here? Wasted resources in the Australian health sector Rising expectations crashing against a falling budget Rising inequality PART 2: Global environmental change and its risks PART 3: What can nurses do? Overview
- 3. CRICOS #00212K Part 1: Health: not just health care Notofagus, Tasmania Dr Nicole Anderson Is there a “medical industrial complex”?
- 5. CRICOS #00212K Health determinants Physical: food, shelter, education, contact with nature (at least some) Social: fairness, hope, women’s rights Long term political & envtl stability + health system
- 6. CRICOS #00212K The great takeover: “, there's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families” (Margaret Thatcher, 1987) http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/apr/08/margaret-thatcher-quotes
- 7. CRICOS #00212K Neoliberalism 101 (Reagonomics, economic “rationalism”) Market forces world Cut taxes and cut services, including the quality of free education Predicted result? Inequality to rise Dr John Falzon, Chief Executive Officer, St Vincent de Paul Society National Council “We have only one enemy: inequality” Foreword to: “Poverty in 2014” (Australian Council of Social Service)
- 10. CRICOS #00212K
- 11. CRICOS #00212K Rising maximum life expectancy: 1840-2002
- 13. CRICOS #00212K
- 14. CRICOS #00212K All-cause mortality, ages 45–54 for US White non-Hispanics (USW), US Hispanics (USH), and 6 comparison countries Case & Deaton PNAS (2015)
- 15. CRICOS #00212K Eckersley RM. The health and wellbeing of young Australians: present patterns and future challenges. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health. 2007;19(1):217-27.
- 16. CRICOS #00212K
- 17. CRICOS #00212K
- 18. CRICOS #00212K
- 19. CRICOS #00212K Rising expectations crashing against falling budgets Take MRIs..
- 20. CRICOS #00212K
- 21. CRICOS #00212K MRI Scans - FAQ Dr Joy Yip - BSc (Med) MBBS (UNSW) MPH (USYD) How much does an MRI cost in Australia? .. depends on area of the body being imaged. An MRI may be covered by Medicare such as for pensioners or war veterans or for particular scans ordered by specialists. For most scans, expect to be out of pocket between $100 and $500. While this may sound expensive, MRI scans overseas costs thousands of dollars. For perspective, an MRI machine costs millions of dollars. http://www.medscans.com.au/info/mri-info.html
- 23. CRICOS #00212K Oncology & lack of integrated care, despite good intentions Warning: A personal story http://lancingwidewater.com/galle ry/swan-photos-from-jo-procter/ CT saga, spinal XR, chemo
- 24. CRICOS #00212K Photo: Harsha Vladlamani Al Jazeera http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/04/drought-suicide-india-water-train-160413110837251.html PART 2: The risks of global environmental change: not only outside Australia? Heat Melting ice Sea level rise Drought Flood Fires Smoke Cold Ecosystems Flight Famine Fight Fortresses Collapse?
- 25. CRICOS #00212K The risks of global environmental change: only beyond Australia? Photo: Harsha Vladlamani Al Jazeera http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/04/drought-suicide-india-water-train-160413110837251.html
- 26. CRICOS #00212K The risks of global environmental change: only beyond Australia? Photo: Harsha Vladlamani Al Jazeera http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/04/drought-suicide-india-water-train-160413110837251.html
- 27. CRICOS #00212K Two warnings Pope Paul VI, the governor of the Bank of England Alberta, Canada, May 2016 http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000515793
- 28. CRICOS #00212K ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME (24/5/2015) http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa- francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
- 29. CRICOS #00212K Laudato Si In 1971, .. Blessed Pope Paul VI referred to the ecological concern as “a tragic consequence” of unchecked human activity: “Due to an ill-considered exploitation of nature, humanity runs the risk of destroying it and becoming in turn a victim of this degradation”.
- 30. CRICOS #00212K “the most amazing technical abilities, the most astonishing economic growth, unless they are accompanied by authentic social and moral progress, will definitively turn against man” Pope Paul VI, 1970 Address to FAO on the 25th Anniversary of its Institution (16 November 1970),
- 31. CRICOS #00212K The far-sighted amongst you are anticipating broader global impacts on property, migration and political stability, as well as food and water security. … Past is not prologue … the catastrophic norms of the future can be seen in the tail risks of today. Mark Carney, 2015 (Governor of the Bank of England) Carney M. Breaking the tragedy of the horizon – climate change and financial stability. http://wwwbankofenglandcouk/publications/Pages/speeches/2015/844aspx
- 32. CRICOS #00212K Heat Melting ice Sea level rise Drought
- 34. CRICOS #00212K Spring in New York – December 2015 http://www.nytimes.c om/2015/12/25/scie nce/touch-of-spring- in-december-on- east-coast-as- flowers-bloom- early.html
- 35. CRICOS #00212K http://public.wmo.int/en/resources/bulletin/highlights-from-first-five-yearly-statement-status-of- global-climate First Five-yearly Statement on the Status of the Global Climate – World Meteorological Organization: Highlights March 2016
- 36. CRICOS #00212K May 13, 2016 http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/charctic- interactive-sea-ice-graph/
- 39. CRICOS #00212K Flooding is becoming a “normal” nuisance in Miami, as the sea inexorably rises Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images https://weather.com/science/environment/news/miami-flooding-increase-over-past-decade
- 40. CRICOS #00212K Kevin Arrow, a volunteer with the Miami High Water Line project, explains sea level rise to onlookers in Miami Beach, Fla. (Courtesy Jayme Gershen/High Water Line) https://weather.com/science/environment/news/miami-flooding-increase-over-past-decade
- 41. CRICOS #00212K Mauricio Giammattei uses a map to show an onlooker which parts of Miami Beach would be flooded by 3 feet of sea level rise. (Courtesy Jayme Gershen/High Water Line) https://weather.com/science/environment/news/miami-flooding-increase-over-past-decade
- 42. CRICOS #00212K Drought (India, 2016) Photo: Harsha Vladlamani Al Jazeera http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/04/drought-suicide-india-water- train-160413110837251.html
- 43. CRICOS #00212K Photo: Harsha Vladlamani Al Jazeera http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/04/drought-suicide-india-water- train-160413110837251.html
- 44. CRICOS #00212K Photo: Harsha Vladlamani Al Jazeera http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/04/drought-suicide-india-water- train-160413110837251.html Kushal Dalve, 45, drowned himself due to financial stress; his daughter (Priyanka Dalve) is pictured (India, 2016)
- 45. CRICOS #00212K Photo: Harsha Vladlamani Al Jazeera http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/04/drought-suicide-india-water- train-160413110837251.html Pearl millet harvest: 20% of normal
- 46. CRICOS #00212K Pakistani flood, April 2016 https://weather.com/safety/floods/news/pakistan-floods-latest-news
- 47. CRICOS #00212K Yemen: twin cyclones, 2015, in one of the driest nations on Earth http://almasdaronline.com/article/76711
- 48. CRICOS #00212K Cyclone Winston, Fiji 2016: strongest storm ever in Southern hemisphere Unicef: http://www.climatechangenews.com/2016/03/08/green-climate-fund- considering-proposals-worth-5-billion/
- 49. CRICOS #00212K Western Australia, 2016 http://www.w3livenews.com/2016/01/11/Firefighters- contain-deadly-Australian-bushfire-that-burnt-through-1-75000/317795
- 50. CRICOS #00212K WA, 2016 (most houses in historic town of Yarloop destroyed) http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jan/09/western-australia-bushfires-weather- eases-but-residents-warned-to-stay-alert Yarloop resident Kate Barry fled with her four children and photos, but their home was ruined. “You couldn’t breathe. It was just raining ash,” she said.
- 52. CRICOS #00212K Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada May 4, 2016 http://mashable.com/2016/05/04/fort-mcmurray-fire-global-warming/#OQRbwdpoS
- 53. CRICOS #00212K Tasmanian highlands, 2016 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-30/burnt-land-in-tasmania's-world-heritage-area/71
- 54. CRICOS #00212K Smoke covered much of Tasmania, drifting to Melbourne, 2016 .. With certain, though unmeasured, harm to lung health and probably heart and general health, too http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/weeks-of-fire-danger-loom-as- blazes-continue-to-rage/news-story/888dfff5f144f83e323a30ced09ce754
- 55. CRICOS #00212KM13A9226-Limmen Bight R L2.jpg 3 consequences of marine heat waves: 1.Mangroves 2.Corals 3.Farmed fish
- 56. CRICOS #00212K Clown fish vivid against bleached coral, 2016 http://www.theguardian.com/environment/planet-oz/2016/apr/21/mourning-loomis-reef- the-heart-of-the-great-barrier-reefs-coral-bleaching-disaster
- 58. CRICOS #00212K Flight Fight Fortresses A column of migrants moves through fields after crossing from Croatia, in Rigonce, Slovenia (APTN) Oct 2015 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/slovenia/11954678/Migrant-crisis-Drone- footage-shows-the-flow-of-migrants-in-Slovenia.html
- 59. CRICOS #00212K “Glue” -attachment Ho Chi Minh City, C. Butler
- 60. CRICOS #00212K “fend” factors – refugees in Australia (before we got really cruel) 60 Australian refugee camp riots spreading Mark Chipperfield in Sydney 01 Jan 2003
- 62. CRICOS #00212K Mt Dundas Tas Dr Nicole Anderson 1. Health is more than health care 2. Health care can be greatly improved Summary 3. We face a growing environmental crisis 4. The two issues are linked
- 63. CRICOS #00212K Part 3: What can nurses do? http://healthierhospitals.org/ also see https://noharm-global.org/issues/global/global-green-and-healthy-hospitals
- 64. CRICOS #00212K
- 65. CRICOS #00212K Care for your patient Be aware of the bigger picture .. family, social, economic, global environment Nursing education http://anmf.org.au/pages
Editor's Notes
- A session of 30 minutes would be good so that the audience can interact and ask questions and raise any issues. The audience is likely to come from both Canberra and surrounding districts within the ACT however there is always the likelihood of delegates from interstate.. Yours is the opening session for day one so lays the foundation of current health issues both Nationally and Internationally. The following link will take you to the conference https://www.ausmed.com.au/course/canberra-nurses-conference. I have yet to provide your detail for the content of your session so it looks different to the final version. The Case For Change: Health in the ACT Professor Colin D Butler Health Research Institute/Faculty of Health University of Canberra, ACT Visiting Fellow, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT Australians are living longer, and so are people overseas. Yet, some of the underlying foundations of health, both here and globally, are eroding. This has not yet translated to a fall in Australian health indicators, but could such a decline be around the corner? Evidence of deterioration in health status, for some vulnerable groups, has already been documented in the US1 and elsewhere. Government services in Australia, as in many countries, face increasing pressure to manage more with less. This applies not only to the health system, but also for social security, Indigenous affairs and other sections where budget cuts have the potential to harm health.2 Additionally, within health, there is a perception not only of increased patient3 expectations, but increasingly powerful (and costly) technologies and treatment to diagnose and treat illness. Do we really get value from this? Another underlying health “determinant” is adverse global environmental change. A prominent example is the warming and “wilding” climate. While some effects may seem sleeping, far in the future,4 others, on reflection, may already be with us – and not that hard to understand.5 Some have even argued that adverse “eco-social” 6 changes have the potential to harm the life support system of civilisation, with effects far worse than even the 2008 financial crisis. Such gloomy futures are not inevitable. Canberra, compared to most places, is a wealthy and privileged city in a wealthy and privileged nation. Together, we can contribute to the profound transformation that is needed for a better future. 1. Even though global average health status continues to improve. Examples: (a) Case A, Deaton A. Rising morbidity and mortality in midlife among white non-Hispanic Americans in the 21st century. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (US) 2015; 112(49): 15078-83; (b) Syria; (c) Russia in 1990s 2. eg the government can no longer bail out the car industry and this will worsen unemployment. At the same time, unemployment benefits continue to decline in real terms. 3. I know most nurses used to prefer the word “client” (and this may still be the case) but for me the word “client” sound too business like, too market-driven. It is actually a symbolic evidence of one of the problems I’m trying to explore, regarding health cost blowouts and unreasonable expectations; eg if I am rich and sick and a “client”, it suggests to much that the dr/nurse/health system is for sale; with services (including basic care) to be purchased .. but if I am poor I can’t purchase as much care, and then I resent it .. and my expectations also rise (as I see what others get) .. increased inequality erodes overall health. It’s also a question of what kind of society do we want? 4. Eg sea level rise making Miami uninhabitable perhaps as soon as 2100. 5. Most of Tasmania is currently (Jan 2016) shrouded in smoke, in part from drying and increased temperature. Almost its entire population is inhaling high levels of smoke particles for at least a week. This significantly harms the health (cardiac as well as respiratory and general) of vulnerable people. 6. That is, causes that are neither entirely environmental or social, but arise through the interaction of environmental and social factors. Colin Butler (BMed, DTM&H, MSc, PhD) is professor of public health at the University of Canberra. His primary interest has long been health in low-income settings. While a medical student he spent most of 1985 overseas, including in Nigeria and Nepal, engaged with health workers in low-income settings. In 1989 Colin and his late wife, Susan, co-founded two non-government organisations (NGOs): Benevolent Organisation for Development, Health and Insight (BODHI) in the US and Australia. Colin has since combined NGO management with two sequential careers. The first was in rural general practice in disadvantaged regions of Tasmania (where he really learned to appreciate nurses) and, since 1996, almost full-time as an academic. His PhD, at the Australian National University (2002) concerned global environmental change and its risks to civilisation. His academic work has focused on what is increasingly called "planetary health". Since 1990 he has given 70 invited lectures, beyond Australia, almost all concerning integrative aspects of adverse environmental change, food security, high rates of population growth, biodiversity loss and conflict. In 2009, the French Environmental Health Association named him as one of "a hundred doctors for the planet". He is sole editor of Climate Change and Global Health (2014) and senior editor of Health of People, Places and Planet (2015). He has to date published 127 articles and chapters and almost another 100 letters and other pieces in journals, plus thousands of pieces in social media and other grey literature. Almost all is relevant to planetary and future health.
- They are casting their problems at society. And, you know, there's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look after themselves first. It is our duty to look after ourselves and then, also, to look after our neighbours." – in an interview in Women's Own in 1987 Margaret Thatcher: a life in quotes Key comments from Britain's first female prime minister Margaret Thatcher as prime minister in 1980. Photograph: PA Archive Monday 8 April 2013 22.38 AEST Last modified on Saturday 7 May 2016 12.45 AEST Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Google+ This article is 3 years old Shares 37 Save for later "I don't think there will be a woman prime minister in my lifetime." – as education secretary in 1973 "People from my sort of background needed grammar schools to compete with children from privileged homes like Shirley Williams and Anthony Wedgwood Benn." – as Conservative leader in 1977 "Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope." – on her election as prime minister in 1979 "We are not asking for a penny piece of community money for Britain. What we are asking is for a very large amount of our own money back, over and above what we contribute to the community, which is covered by our receipts from the community." – when negotiating the European community budget rebate in 1979 "To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the U-turn, I have only one thing to say: You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning." – to the Conservative conference in 1980 "Just rejoice at that news and congratulate our forces and the marines. Rejoice." – announcing the liberation of South Georgia during the Falklands war in 1982 "They are casting their problems at society. And, you know, there's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look after themselves first. It is our duty to look after ourselves and then, also, to look after our neighbours." – in an interview in Women's Own in 1987 The stories you need to read, in one handy email Read more "It is ironic that just when those countries such as the Soviet Union, which have tried to run everything from the centre, are learning that success depends on dispersing power and decisions away from the centre, there are some in the community who seem to want to move in the opposite direction. We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain only to see them reimposed at a European level with a European superstate exercising a new dominance from Brussels." – in the "Bruges speech", 1988 "The president of the [European] commission, Monsieur [Jacques] Delors, said at a press conference the other day that he wanted the European parliament to be the democratic body of the community, he wanted the commission to be the executive and he wanted the council of ministers to be the senate. No. No. No." – in a debate in the Commons in 1990 "I fight on. I fight to win." – after the inconclusive first ballot in the Tory leadership election, 1990
- http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/01/white-working-class-poverty/424341/
- All-cause mortality, ages 45–54 for US White non-Hispanics (USW), US Hispanics (USH), and six comparison countries: France (FRA), Germany (GER), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada (CAN), Australia (AUS), and Sweden (SWE). Case A, Deaton A. Rising morbidity and mortality in midlife among white non-Hispanic Americans in the 21st century. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (USA). 2015;112(49):15078-83.
- Eckersley RM. The health and wellbeing of young Australians: present patterns and future challenges. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health. 2007;19(1):217-27.
- The Real Welfare Cheats Nicholas Kristof APRIL 14, 2016 Continue reading the main story Share This Page Share Tweet Email More Save We often hear how damaging welfare dependency is, stifling initiative and corroding the human soul. So I worry about the way we coddle executives in their suites. A study to be released Thursday says that for each dollar America’s 50 biggest companies paid in federal taxes between 2008 and 2014, they received $27 back in federal loans, loan guarantees and bailouts. Goodness! What will that do to their character? Won’t that sap their initiative? The study was compiled by Oxfam and it comes on top of a mountain of evidence from international agencies and economic journals underscoring the degree to which major companies have rigged the tax code. O.K., O.K., I know you see the words “tax code” and your eyes desperately scan for something else to read! Anything about a sex scandal? But hold on: The tax system is rigged against us precisely because taxation is the Least Sexy Topic on Earth. So we doze, and our pockets get picked. John Oliver has a point when he says, “If you want to do something evil, put it inside something boring.” The beneficiaries of tax distortions are counting on you to fall asleep, but this is a topic as important as it is dry. It’s because the issues seem arcane that corporate lobbyists get away with murder. The Oxfam report says that each $1 the biggest companies spent on lobbying was associated with $130 in tax breaks and more than $4,000 in federal loans, loan guarantees and bailouts. And why would a humanitarian nonprofit like Oxfam spend its time poring over offshore accounts and tax dodges? “The global economic system is becoming increasingly rigged” in ways that exacerbate inequality, laments Ray Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. One academic study found that tax dodging by major corporations costs the U.S. Treasury up to $111 billion a year. By my math, less than one-fifth of that annually would be more than enough to pay the additional costs of full-day prekindergarten for all 4-year-olds in America ($15 billion), prevent lead poisoning in tens of thousands of children ($2 billion), provide books and parent coaching for at-risk kids across the country ($1 billion) and end family homelessness ($2 billion). The Panama Papers should be a wake-up call, shining a light on dysfunctional tax codes around the world — but much of the problem has been staring us in the face. Among the 500 corporations in the S.&P. 500-stock index, 27 were both profitable in 2015 and paid no net income tax globally, according to an analysis by USA Today. Those poor companies! Think how the character of those C.E.O.s must be corroding! And imagine the plunging morale as board members realize that they are “takers” not “makers.” American companies game the system in many ways, including shifting profits to overseas tax havens. In 2012, American companies reported more profit in low-tax Bermuda than in Japan, China, Germany and France combined, even though their employees in Bermuda account for less than one-tenth of 1 percent of their worldwide totals. Over all, the share of corporate taxation in federal revenue has declined since 1952 from 32 percent to 11 percent. In that same period, the portion coming from payroll taxes, which hit the working poor, has climbed. Look, the period of the Oxfam study included the auto and banking bailouts, which were good for America (and the loans were repaid); it’s also true that the official 35 percent corporate tax rate in the U.S. is too high, encouraging dodging strategies. But we have created perverse incentives: C.E.O.s have a responsibility to shareholders to make money, and tax dodging accomplishes that. This isn’t individual crookedness but an entire political/economic system that induces companies to rip off fellow citizens quite legally. Nicholas Kristof's Newsletter It’s now widely recognized that corporations have manipulated the tax code. The U.S. Treasury, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and professional economic journals are all trying to respond to issues of tax evasion. Bravo to the Obama administration for cracking down on corporations that try to move abroad to get out of taxes. Congress should now pass the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act, and it should stop slashing the I.R.S. budget (by 17 percent in real terms over the last six years). When congressional Republicans like Ted Cruz denounce the I.R.S., they empower corporate tax cheats. Because of I.R.S. cuts, the amount of time revenue agents spend auditing large companies has fallen by 34 percent since 2010. A Syracuse University analysis finds that the lost revenue from the decline in corporate audits may be as much as $15 billion a year — enough to make full-day pre-K universal. Meanwhile, no need to fret so much about welfare abuse in the inner city. The big problem of welfare dependency in America now involves entitled corporations. So let’s help those moochers in business suits pick themselves up and stop sponging off the government. I invite you to sign up for my free, twice-weekly newsletter. When you do, you’ll receive an email about my columns as they’re published and other occasional commentary. Sign up here. I also invite you to visit my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook and Google+, watch my YouTube videos and follow me on Twitter (@NickKristof). Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter. A version of this op-ed appears in print on April 14, 2016, on page A23 of the New York edition with the headline: The Real Welfare Cheats. Today's Paper|Subscribe
- MRI Scans - FAQ Written by Dr Joy Yip - BSc (Med) MBBS (UNSW) MPH (USYD) What does MRI stand for? MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. It has been used in medical imaging since the 1980’s. It involves the production of a magnetic field that causes hydrogen atoms in the body to align in a certain direction. When the field is switched off, the atoms return to their normal alignment sending off a signal that can be interpreted by a computer to produce images.How much radiation is there from an MRI scan? None that you need to worry about. There is no ionising radiation from an MRI scan as it uses magnetic and radio waves. This means that there is no increased risk of cancer and it is theoretically safe in pregnancy. This does not mean it is safe for everyone! Because a powerful magnetic field is created, people with metal implants should check if they are suitable for MRI scans as the magnetic field could dislodge metal parts depending on their size and location. Also, MRI scans can cause pacemakers or defibrillators to malfunction with potentially disastrous and lethal consequences. Who should not have an MRI? People with the following:Brain aneurysm or haemostatic clips - may dislodge Cardiac pacemaker or cardiac defibrillator - may malfunction Cochlear implants - may move or malfunction Insulin pumps - may malfunction Metal shrapnel / bullets / shavings - may dislodge Metal splinters in the eye - may dislodge Claustrophobia / panic attacks* *An MRI scan requires a person to lie perfectly still in a dark enclosed space for a considerable period of time. The loud knocking and banging noise produced by the magnetic coils are distressing for some people.How loud is an MRI scan? An MRI scan may get as loud as 110 decibels. Wearing provided earplugs or earphones will reduce this. For comparison, a loud motorcycle is around 100 decibels and a loud rock concert is around 115 decibels. For most people, the character of the noises heard i.e. banging and knocking is more disconcerting than the actual noise level. MRI scans are not loud enough to cause pain or permanent hearing damage.Does an MRI affect my clothing or credit cards? When having a scan, you will be asked to remove all metal from your body such as earrings, rings, necklaces, bra straps, belt buckles and shoes. If something like earrings are forgotten, they won’t rip out of the ears but they will interfere with the images produced. Credit cards will be wiped. Keep them safe outside!How much does an MRI cost in Australia? This depends on the area of the body being imaged. In some situations, an MRI may be covered by Medicare such as for pensioners or war veterans (DVA) or for particular scans ordered by specialists. For most scans, expect to be out of pocket between $100 and $500. While this may sound expensive, MRI scans overseas costs thousands of dollars. For perspective, an MRI machine costs millions of dollars.
- http://lancingwidewater.com/gallery/swan-photos-from-jo-procter/
- At Latur, MA, men descend 18M by rope http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/04/drought-suicide-india-water-train-160413110837251.html Drought, suicide and India's water train Some regions in India's west are suffering from the worst drought on record with over 1,100 farmer suicides reported. Harsha Vadlamani | 14 Apr 2016 10:55 GMT | India, Asia, Water, Weather Shares: 2383 The Marathwada region in India's western Maharashtra state is reeling under the worst drought in decades. Around 400km from the financial centre of Mumbai, the region has been getting insufficient rains for the past three years. In 2015, it received only 49 percent of what is considered a normal amount of rainfall. Some parts received even less: a meagre 35 percent of normal rainfall. Farmers, most of whom grow sugarcane and cotton, both water-intensive crops, are the worst hit. Yields suffered and cumulative losses over three years pushed many farmers to the brink and some, unfortunately, beyond. Locals say the current situation is worse than the 1972 drought, which was considered the worst drought in living memory. Distress migration from villages is happening on an unprecedented scale and only the children and the old could be found in many villages. More than 1,100 suicides among farmers were reported in the region last year, and 216 more took this extreme step between January and March 21, 2016, according to the divisional commissionerate in Aurangabad. To deal with the deepening crisis, the government has deployed a special train to carry drinking water to Latur, the biggest city in the three worst-affected districts of Beed, Latur and Osmanabad, and another will be pressed into service soon.
- At Latur, MA, men descend 18M by rope http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/04/drought-suicide-india-water-train-160413110837251.html Drought, suicide and India's water train Some regions in India's west are suffering from the worst drought on record with over 1,100 farmer suicides reported. Harsha Vadlamani | 14 Apr 2016 10:55 GMT | India, Asia, Water, Weather Shares: 2383 The Marathwada region in India's western Maharashtra state is reeling under the worst drought in decades. Around 400km from the financial centre of Mumbai, the region has been getting insufficient rains for the past three years. In 2015, it received only 49 percent of what is considered a normal amount of rainfall. Some parts received even less: a meagre 35 percent of normal rainfall. Farmers, most of whom grow sugarcane and cotton, both water-intensive crops, are the worst hit. Yields suffered and cumulative losses over three years pushed many farmers to the brink and some, unfortunately, beyond. Locals say the current situation is worse than the 1972 drought, which was considered the worst drought in living memory. Distress migration from villages is happening on an unprecedented scale and only the children and the old could be found in many villages. More than 1,100 suicides among farmers were reported in the region last year, and 216 more took this extreme step between January and March 21, 2016, according to the divisional commissionerate in Aurangabad. To deal with the deepening crisis, the government has deployed a special train to carry drinking water to Latur, the biggest city in the three worst-affected districts of Beed, Latur and Osmanabad, and another will be pressed into service soon.
- At Latur, MA, men descend 18M by rope http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/04/drought-suicide-india-water-train-160413110837251.html Drought, suicide and India's water train Some regions in India's west are suffering from the worst drought on record with over 1,100 farmer suicides reported. Harsha Vadlamani | 14 Apr 2016 10:55 GMT | India, Asia, Water, Weather Shares: 2383 The Marathwada region in India's western Maharashtra state is reeling under the worst drought in decades. Around 400km from the financial centre of Mumbai, the region has been getting insufficient rains for the past three years. In 2015, it received only 49 percent of what is considered a normal amount of rainfall. Some parts received even less: a meagre 35 percent of normal rainfall. Farmers, most of whom grow sugarcane and cotton, both water-intensive crops, are the worst hit. Yields suffered and cumulative losses over three years pushed many farmers to the brink and some, unfortunately, beyond. Locals say the current situation is worse than the 1972 drought, which was considered the worst drought in living memory. Distress migration from villages is happening on an unprecedented scale and only the children and the old could be found in many villages. More than 1,100 suicides among farmers were reported in the region last year, and 216 more took this extreme step between January and March 21, 2016, according to the divisional commissionerate in Aurangabad. To deal with the deepening crisis, the government has deployed a special train to carry drinking water to Latur, the biggest city in the three worst-affected districts of Beed, Latur and Osmanabad, and another will be pressed into service soon.
- http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000515793
- Carney M. Breaking the tragedy of the horizon – climate change and financial stability. http://wwwbankofenglandcouk/publications/Pages/speeches/2015/844aspx accessed 21 March, 2016. 2015.
- https://themuslimissue.wordpress.com/2015/08/01/allahs-wrath-iran-is-hit-with-165f-shock-temperatures-due-to-heat-dome-over-middle-east/ https://uk.news.yahoo.com/global-warming-2015-2016-hottest-075304296.html Allah’s wrath: Iran is hit with 165F shock temperatures due to ‘heat dome’ over Middle East Posted on August 1, 2015 by Admin 5 Comments 7 Votes Even ‘Allah’ punishes them. What caused this wrath? Did the male folk wear thongs without a thobe? Or were the women pressing cucumbers and looking at bananas? Nature is giving a hint of things to come… . . Now that’s a scorcher! Temperature in Iran hits 165F due to ‘heat dome’ over Middle East… while Iraq declares national holiday because it’s too hot for people to go to work City of Bandar Mahshahr registered heat index equivalent to 74C on Friday Heat index – or ‘feel-like’ temperature – takes humidity into account AccuWeather meteorologist Anthony Sagliani: ‘It’s one of the most incredible temperature observations I’ve ever seen… one of the most extreme readings ever in the world’ High pressure ridge (‘heat dome’) over region since beginning of July Authorities in Iraq declared mandatory four-day holiday starting Thursday Heat index in Baghdad yesterday was 126F (52C) By Nick Enoch for MailOnline Published: 22:02, 31 July 2015 If the mercury heads north of 70F in Britain, the nation tends to go ‘summer crazy’ and breaks out the budgie smugglers, sandals and shorts. But spare a thought for residents in the city of Bandar Mahshahr, south-west Iran, where ‘hot’ has taken on a whole new meaning. Today, it reached a super-sweltering 165F (74C) on the heat index (or ‘feel-like’ temperature), taking into account humidity – making it one of the highest temperatures ever recorded. Bandar Mahshahr’s air temperature registered 115F (46C) coupled with a dew point temperature of 90F (32C) at 4.30pm local time. Spare a thought for the residents of Bandar Mahshahr (above) in south-west Iran, where it reached a super-sweltering 165F (74C) on the heat index (or ‘feel-like’ temperature), taking into account humidity. This makes it one of the highest temperatures ever recorded The heat index combines the air temperature with the relative humidity in an attempt to determine a human-perceived equivalent temperature – or how hot it actually feels ‘That was one of the most incredible temperature observations I have ever seen and it is one of the most extreme readings ever in the world,’ said AccuWeather meteorologist Anthony Sagliani. The city, which has a population of more than 200,000, is the capital of Iran’s Mahshahr County in the Khuzestan Province. Residents had to endure a similarly stifling heat yesterday too, as the heat index climbed to 159f (70C) – and the forecast for the next few days gives little hope of respite. The extreme weather has been triggered by a high pressure ridge – or ‘heat dome’ – over not just the Persian Gulf but the Middle East generally. The highest known heat index ever attained was 178F (81C) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on July 8, 2003. WHAT IS HEAT INDEX? The heat index combines the air temperature with the relative humidity in an attempt to determine a human-perceived equivalent temperature – or how hot it actually feels. For example, very high levels of humidity can make a 90 degree temperature feel like it’s well over 100. Usually, the body cools itself by perspiring, which in turn evaporates and carries heat away from the body. However, when the relative humidity is high, the evaporation rate can be significantly reduced – and this process is compromised. As a result, the body has a harder time removing heat from itself, which makes it feel hotter than it actually is. Source: WeatherWorks And neighbouring countries are feeling the strain as well. In Iraq yesterday, authorities declared a mandatory four-day holiday, to begin with immediate effect. The government has urged residents to stay out of the sun and drink plenty of water. But chronic electricity and water cuts in Iraq and other conflict-ridden countries make heatwaves like the present one even more unbearable – particularly for the more than 14 million people displaced by violence across the region. In the southern Iraqi city of Basra earlier this month, protesters clashed with police as they demonstrated for better power services, leaving one person dead. Unlike other countries in the region, Iraq lacks beaches, and travel restrictions make it difficult for people to escape the sweltering heat, leaving many – even those fortunate enough to live in their homes – with limited options for cooling off. Some swim in rivers and irrigation canals, while others spend these days in air-conditioned shopping malls. To the south, in the similarly sweltering Gulf, residents cranked up their air conditioners, and elsewhere in the Middle East, those who could headed to the beach to escape Thursday’s soaring temperatures, high even by the standards of the region. It is not uncommon for well-off Gulf citizens to decamp with their luxury cars and servants to cooler spots such as Britain or Switzerland as temperatures rise. Iraqi workers brave blistering heatwave in central Baghdad. The extreme weather has been triggered by a high pressure ridge – or ‘heat dome’ – over the Middle East Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, joined by a delegation numbering in the hundreds, is currently cooling off in the south of France. Several Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, mandate midday breaks when temperatures are at their highest for low-paid migrant labourers during the summer months. But that only provides some relief as many still spend long hours working in the heat and travel to job sites on buses without air conditioning. A Filipino migrant rights activist collapsed and later died of apparent heat stroke during a visit to his country’s consulate in Dubai this week. One of the hottest spots in the Gulf was Kuwait City, where Thursday temperatures were expected to reach 118F (48C). The civil aviation authority’s meteorological department forecast daytime conditions as ‘very hot’ and overnight temperatures as ‘relatively hot,’ with moderate winds providing little relief. Share this:
- http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/25/science/touch-of-spring-in-december-on-east-coast-as-flowers-bloom-early.html December Heat Tricks Flowers Into Putting On Spring Display By NICHOLAS ST. FLEURDEC. 24, 2015 Continue reading the main story Share This Page Share Tweet Email More Save Photo A Viburnum x bodnantense "Dawn" flower at the New York Botanical Garden. An official at the garden said the blooming in December was unusual. Credit Yana Paskova for The New York Times Ah, the pleasures of the New York Botanical Garden in winter. The crowds thronging to the Holiday Train Show. The deep greens of the hardy conifers. And, this year, the sweet aroma of flowering viburnum. Across the region, this uncharacteristically warm winter has flower beds springing to life. Daffodil bulbs in suburban gardens are sending up tender green periscopes. And in city parks, roses are showing their plumage against Christmas tree backdrops. It is not normal. And while the plants will probably not be harmed in the long run, it may mean a less vivid floral parade in the spring. “When you smell something that smells like spring now, that’s a little bit unexpected,” said Brian Sullivan, the botanical garden’s vice president for gardens, landscape and outdoor collections. “It’s unusual to smell the fragrance of a viburnum in December.” Mr. Sullivan said the out-of-season blossoms fit into two categories: fall flowers that are having an extended blooming period, and spring flowers that are opening up too early. Photo A dandelion blossom alongside a road on Dec. 24, 2015, in Lancaster, Ohio. Credit Ty Wright for The New York Times Asters, toad lilies, chrysanthemums and certain anemones are examples of flowers that usually bloom in the late summer and fall but are also appearing in gardens this winter. “They would have been cut short by a series of cold nights that we would have had in November, but that never happened,” Mr. Sullivan said. “It’s very odd.” In addition to viburnums, some of the spring woody plants that are starting to wake up early include winter jasmines, rhododendrons and azaleas. According to Mr. Sullivan, these plants produce a “budget” in the summer that allows them to bloom flowers once a year. Typically, that occurs in late February or March, but because of the warm cycle, the plants are spending their budgets early. “The plant has been tricked into thinking it’s the next cycle, so it’s opening up those buds,” he said. With their budgets spent, the plants may not bloom in the spring, and will have to wait until next summer to create their budgets again. If next winter is cold, then the plants will revert to normal and bloom in the spring, he said. George P. Reis, the landscaping supervisor at New York University, also came across some unusual blossoms while tending to the campus’s rooftop gardens. Among the confused plants were moss phlox, bottlebrush buckeye, hellebores and witch-hazel. Slide Show Slide Show|19 Photos Vivid Scenes From a Warm December Vivid Scenes From a Warm December CreditJoe Bachner “The buckeye was the biggest surprise,” he said. “I’ve never seen it flower at this time. It very reliably flowers in June.” He added that not all flowering plants were confused. Some, like the Higan cherry and fall-flowering camellias, are blooming within their normal patterns. But for the out-of-season bloomers, the main culprits in their discombobulation are warm soil and air temperatures. This autumn was the warmest on record in the contiguous United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and thanks to El Niño, that trend is unlikely to change in the coming weeks. Warm soil temperature induces a plant to send out shoots, he said. Those shoots send out foliage, or leaves, which the plants use to make their own food through photosynthesis. When the plant has enough energy, it will create more roots, shoots and flowers. “If you’re seeing flowers at this point, then that process has begun,” Mr. Reis said. If the forecast for the rest of December is on the mark, the average temperature for the month will be 51.6 degrees — 14.1 degrees above the normal of 37.5. The current record-holder for such deviations is January 1932, which was 11.5 degrees above normal. Mr. Reis’s advice for gardeners is to keep watering their spring-flowering ericaceous shrubs, like rhododendrons, azaleas, mountain laurels and camellias, until the first frost arrives. He also suggested that gardeners continue maintaining their early bloomers as they would if they had bloomed in the spring. “This extra-warm weather doesn’t by itself kill off healthy plants. So don’t worry too much,” he said. “You may see some reduced flowering in some plants next year, but they should pull through for the following year.” Submit Your Warm Winter Nature Photos If plants, flowers or trees near you are doing something you find unusual considering the time of year, we'd like to see it. Please share some scenes from your natural environment, whether it's your own garden, a nearby park or another location.
- http://public.wmo.int/en/resources/bulletin/highlights-from-first-five-yearly-statement-status-of-global-climate by WMO Secretariat1 In the last few months, 2015’s status as the warmest year on record has been making headlines around the world. The WMO annual Statements on the Status of the Global Climate are an important part of the global climate monitoring that has arrived at this conclusion. Now, for the first time, WMO has issued a five-yearly Statement on the Status of the Global Climate, covering 2011–2015. Looking at the climate on a five-year timescale allows us to gain a medium-term perspective on recent global climate.This enables us to step beyond the year-to-year influence of major drivers of interannual variability such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which have swung from strong La Niña conditions in 2011 to one of the strongest El Niño events on record in the second half of 2015. The Statement allows up-to-date reporting on some key variables analysed in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report. It also allows more comprehensive reporting on significant climatic events that extend over a number of years such as the severe multi-year droughts that have affected parts of Brazil and western United States of America (USA). Global temperatures at record levels The important finding in this Statement is that the 2011–2015 period is the world’s warmest five-year period on record. Global temperatures over the 2011–2015 period have been 0.57 °C above the average for the 1961–1990 reference period, and 0.06°C warmer than the previous record holder (2006–2010).The last five years have also included the two warmest years on record. However, 2015 was by far the warmest year, with temperatures 0.74 °C above the 1961–1990 average, while 2014 ranked second at 0.61 °C above the average. The warmth of the last five years has been significant almost worldwide – the period being the warmest on record for every continent except Africa, where temperatures fell only 0.01 °C short of the 2006–2010 record. Some parts of the world had cool individual years, but almost nowhere was consistently cool across the five-year period. Most continents also set annual records during this period. Consistent with the high annual mean temperatures, significant heatwaves were a common occurrence during the five-year period. While no single event had the extreme impacts of the 2003 central European or 2010 Russian Federation heatwaves, many parts of the world still experienced heatwaves in which records were broken over large areas, sometimes by big margins. Source: Met Office Hadley Centre Multi-year droughts in several parts of the world The 2011–2015 period featured significant multi-year droughts in several parts of the world, most of which are still ongoing. Perhaps the most significant occurred in Brazil.The US southwest also experienced protracted drought during the period. In 2014 and 2015, dry conditions were exacerbated by record high temperatures. Significant multi-year drought also affected parts of eastern Australia from early 2012 onwards. A more recent, but still developing situation, is occurring in southern Africa, with poor rains in the 2014/2015 rainy season being followed by a worsening of conditions in the first part of the 2015/2016 summer. Shorter-term droughts also had major impacts across the world. A severe drought in the Horn of Africa in 2010/2011 was a significant contributor to a disastrous famine in Somalia in late 2011 and early 2012, which caused more than 250 000 deaths. Drought in the US and adjacent areas of northern Mexico caused agricultural losses of the order of tens of billions of dollars.The arrival of El Niño in 2015 brought significant drought to a number of other areas, including Indonesia – which also suffered from severe forest fires – the islands of the western South Pacific, Central America and the Caribbean, and parts of the Indian subcontinent. Other notable disasters related to natural hazards Although improved forecasts and warnings, along with improved disaster planning and emergency response, are reducing the number of events with catastrophic numbers of casualties, there were still events in which a thousand or more lives were lost in the last five years. Three of these mass-casualty events were tropical cyclones that hit the Philippines.The worst was Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in November 2013 – one of the most intense tropical cyclones ever to make landfall – which claimed about 7 800 lives. The others were Washi (Sendong) in December 2011 and Bopha (Pablo) in December 2012. The other weather-related event to cause casualties on such a scale occurred in June 2013, when floods and associated landslides in the Himalayan foothills in northern India left more than 5 800 people dead or missing. A number of events during 2011–2015 also caused large economic losses. One standout example was Hurricane Sandy, which hit east coast of the US and Canada in October 2012, causing an estimated US$ 67 billion in damage. Another was the prolonged flooding in southeast Asia, especially Thailand, between July and October 2011. In addition to claiming over 800 lives, the flooding caused tens of billions of dollars in economic losses, much of it through the disruption of industrial activities. Greenhouse gases at record levels The concentrations of major long-lived greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continued to increase in 2011–2015. The three major long-lived greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide, all reached record concentrations in 2014, with consistent increases each year from 2011 to 2014. The Antarctic ozone hole stabilized in the period from 2011–2015, but did not show strong evidence of recovery. Over the last 20 years, there has been no clear trend in the ozone hole but there is substantial interannual variability depending on seasonal atmospheric conditions.This is consistent with expectations that reduced emissions of ozone-depleting substances, following the adoption of the Montreal Protocol, would prevent further significant deterioration, but that it would take until the mid-twenty-first century for substantial recovery to occur. Years 2012, 2013 and 2014 had relatively small ozone holes by recent standards, but 2015 had the largest hole since 2006. Global annual average temperatures anomalies (relative to 1961-1990) based on an average of three global temperature data sets (NOAA, Met Office and NASA) from 1950 to 2015. Bars are coloured according to whether the year was classified as an El Niño year (red), a La Niña year (blue) or an ENSO-neutral year (grey). Note uncertainty ranges are not shown, but are around 0.1°C. Widespread melting of ice, except in Antarctic Arctic sea ice continued its decline in 2011–2015.The minimum summer sea-ice extent in 2012 (3.39 million km2) was the lowest on record, with 2011 ranking as third lowest and 2015 as fourth lowest in the post-1979 satellite record. The decline has not been as rapid in winter as it has been in summer, but 2015 still saw the lowest winter maximum on record. All five years, from 2011 to 2015, had winter maximum sea-ice extents below the 1981–2010 mean. Summer surface melting of the Greenland ice sheet also continues at above-average levels, with 2012 being a particularly extreme year. Mountain glaciers have also experienced continued decline in most continents. The picture is less clear for the Antarctic ice sheet, which has large measurement uncertainties. Different studies have all concluded that continued net ice loss is occurring in west Antarctica, but results are less consistent for east Antarctica. In contrast, for much of 2011–2015, Antarctic sea-ice extent was above the 1981–2010 mean value, especially for the winter maximum. At times, particularly in 2014 and early 2015, sea-ice extent in the Southern Ocean was at record levels for the time of year. However, an unusually slow freeze-up in the 2015 winter saw sea-ice extent return to near-normal levels by the second half of 2015. Sea levels continue to rise Global sea levels continued to rise during 2011–2015, which is consistent with the longer-term trends. The interannual variability in global sea level during 2011–2015 was high. The period began with a sea level about 10 mm below the long-term trend value in early 2011, due to the strong La Niña of that time.The period finished with a sea level about 10 mm above the long-term trend because strong El Niño conditions developed in the second half of 2015. Contribution of climate change Scientific assessments have found that many extreme events in 2011–2015, especially those relating to high temperatures, have had their probabilities substantially increased as a result of anthropogenic climate change. It is likely that studies yet to be completed on 2015 events, and longer-term events (such as droughts) that continued into 2015, will show similar results. There have also been events such as the unusually prolonged, intense and hot dry seasons in the Amazon basin of Brazil in both 2014 and 2015. While it cannot yet be stated with cofidence that these are part of a long-term trend, they are of considerable concern in the context of potential “tipping points” in the climate system as identified by the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. Raising awareness and assessing the state of the climate The five-yearly Statement was released in provisional form on 25 November 2015, alongside the provisional annual Statement for 2015. It draws heavily on the annual Statements. It also makes extensive use of material reported by Members and related organizations (either directly to WMO, or through their own reports and websites), other WMO programmes (such as Global Atmosphere Watch), Regional Climate Centres and, and the annual State of the Climate reports published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. As final 2015 data will not be available for some elements until well into 2016, and studies on the attribution of 2015 events to climate change will also continue to be published over the next few months, the final Statement is planned for release only once all relevant information is available. This is expected to occur in late 2016 or early 2017. WMO climate reports have been instrumental in raising awareness on the year-to-year and multi-year climate variability and trends. The participatory approach involving world-leading institutions and centres in the process of these publications and their peer review have allowed an ownership by WMO Members and ensured their authoritative status. Hence, these reports have complemented effectively the IPCC reports in providing useful and up-to date climate information for policymaking at the international level. Since the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP21) of the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place in Paris in December 2015, such reports will be even more prominent in assessing the state of the climate. They will also be used for detecting possible stabilization or inflection in long-term trends and extreme events as a result of an eventual limitation of or reduction in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. These reports should, therefore, be sustained over decades as the results of mitigation efforts will take a long time to become observable. I-DARE, the International Data Rescue portal Time series of yearly maximum of daily precipitation from 1897-2008 for station Stralsund with newly rescued and digitized data for the period 1897-1950. The background shows the original paper document (Source: Mr. Hermann Mächel of Deutscher Wetterdienst, Germany) Robust analysis of climate variability and change is not possible without reasonably long time series data. Meteorological observations have been recorded for decades and, in some cases, for centuries. However, computers are a relatively new invention so most of those observations were recorded on paper. Preservation and digitization of paper records into computer-readable formats – data rescue – requires significant eforts. WMO recently implemented the International Data Rescue portal I-DARE (www.idare-portal.org) to serve as a single-entry point for such activities worldwide. It ofers technical guidelines on data rescue, tools and inventories of to-be-rescued data as well as ongoing and planned data rescue projects. The latter element helps to coordinate data rescue eforts worldwide, allowing prioritization of projects and identification of gaps. 1 Blair Trewin, Lead author of the 2011-2015 Statement on the Status of the Global Climate - See more at: http://public.wmo.int/en/resources/bulletin/highlights-from-first-five-yearly-statement-status-of-global-climate#sthash.FK3dAKco.dpuf
- http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/charctic-interactive-sea-ice-graph/
- http://nsidc.org/greenland-today/
- http://nsidc.org/greenland-today/
- Miami Beach flooding. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images https://weather.com/science/environment/news/miami-flooding-increase-over-past-decade
- https://weather.com/science/environment/news/miami-flooding-increase-over-past-decade
- https://weather.com/science/environment/news/miami-flooding-increase-over-past-decade
- Dead trees dot the hills in Beed, MA, Harsha Vladlamani Al Jazeera
- Latur city; women and children start to queue at 1 pm for water that is supplied between 5 pm and 1 am; MA, Harsha Vladlamani Al Jazeera
- Kushal Dalve, 45, drowned himself due to financial stress; his daughter (Priyanka Dalve) is pictured
- Pearl millet harvest, 1/5 th normal (Deube Disle age 60) MA, Harsha Vladlamani Al Jazeera
- Floodwaters rush through a Pakistani market area as vendors and resident scramble to save their possessions on the outskirts of Peshawar on April 3, 2016. (A MAJEED/AFP/Getty Images) https://weather.com/safety/floods/news/pakistan-floods-latest-news
- http://almasdaronline.com/article/76711
- http://www.w3livenews.com/2016/01/11/Firefighters-contain-deadly-Australian-bushfire-that-burnt-through-1-75000/317795
- Yarloop http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jan/09/western-australia-bushfires-weather-eases-but-residents-warned-to-stay-alert Western Australia bushfires: four towns urged to evacuate as conditions worsen Fresh warnings sent out amid fears towns could be hit within hours, as premier Colin Barnett pledges to help rebuild destroyed town of Yarloop Bushfires raging in Western Australia have worsened, and some residents have been told to get out. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/EPA Australian Associated Press Saturday 9 January 2016 11.06 AEDT Last modified on Monday 9 May 2016 08.53 AEST Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Google+ This article is 4 months old Shares 58 Comments 52 Save for later Residents in four towns in Western Australia were told to evacuate after the threat from bushfires that wiped out the town of Yarloop worsened on Saturday. Despite easing weather earlier in the day, the situation had escalated and the towns of Harvey, Cookernup, Yarloop, Wokalup and surrounding areas could be hit on Saturday evening, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said. An emergency warning remains in place for east of Waroona, Hamel and the Harvey town site, and a watch and act for Preston Beach, Myalup and Waroona town. A bushfire is also threatening homes in the Dalyup area in the Shire of Esperance on the state’s south coast. An emergency warning has been issued for those living south of the South Coast Highway. Earlier, the WA premier, Colin Barnett, pledged to help rebuild the historic town of Yarloop after fires wiped out at least 131 homes, but he said it was likely to come back as a smaller community. Barnett met residents at the Pinjarra evacuation centre on Saturday and said public facilities would be rebuilt at Yarloop, but he was uncertain how many of the 545 people would return. “I’m sure there will be a Yarloop, but probably not a Yarloop of its previous size,” he said. The bushfires have been ravaging those areas since Wednesday, forcing hundreds of people to evacuation centres in Pinjarra and Australind. In Yarloop two people were flown out, while 80 were evacuated by road and 16 refused to budge. One local says there’s “bugger all left” after fireballs ripped through the town of 545 residents on Thursday night, while another said the fire just couldn’t be stopped. “Once it hit the town there was no stopping it because the houses were just exploding,” Ron Sackville said from Yarloop, about 130km south of Perth. “They were just going, one after the other. The town’s absolutely devastated.” As well as homes, the town has lost factories, a fire station, part of a local school and the heritage-listed Yarloop Timber Mill Workshops, which had been the most intact example of a historical railway workshop in Australia. Caretaker Phil Stanton said he did not know what to do now that the workshops and his home were gone. “It’s bloody completely disappeared. It’s just a cloud of ash,” he said. 'Like an atomic bomb': Western Australian bushfires threaten lives and homes Read more Yarloop resident Kate Barry fled with her four children and photos, but their home was ruined. “You couldn’t breathe. It was just raining ash,” she said. A resident who stayed to protect his home, Alex Jovanovich, described the fire as crazy. “One fireball after another. The wind, it was that frigging strong, it was unbelievable, but I managed to save my house and I saved the house next door. “It’s devastating. There is bugger all left.” Four firefighters have been hurt, but at least two of them were released from hospital with only minor injuries. Barnett, and the opposition leader, Mark McGowan, tweeted their support for residents. “Thanks to firefighters and volunteers still working to contain these destructive fires,” Barnett wrote. The emergency services minister, Joe Francis, said it was “very challenging” for the community but the government would do what it could to help. The fire, sparked by lightning, has burnt more than 58,000 hectares. The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the fires a catastrophe.
- http://mashable.com/2016/05/04/fort-mcmurray-fire-global-warming/#OQRbwdpoS Destructive Canadian wildfire fueled in part by global warming 1.7k Shares Share on Facebook Share on Twitter What's This? Smoke rises from a wildfire outside of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Tuesday, May 3, 2016.Image: Mary Anne Sexsmith-Segato/The Canadian Press via AP By Andrew FreedmanMay 05, 2016 The wildfire that continues to rage throughout the Fort McMurray, Alberta area, prompting at least 80,000 people to flee the flames in the largest fire-related evacuation in Alberta's history, is no fluke in this era of megafires across the American West and the mighty Boreal forests of Canada, Alaska and Russia. It is yet another warning sign of a climate system run amok, due to a combination of human-caused global warming and natural climate variability, according to climate studies and experts. SEE ALSO: Massive wildfire prompts evacuation of entire Canadian city Officials had feared that the 2016 Alberta wildfire season would start early this year, thanks to a dry and mild winter and early spring. However, no one anticipated a blaze such as this: a fire that grew so rapidly and burned so ferociously that an entire city had to be hastily evacuated, with entire neighborhoods likely lost to the flames. "When you leave ... it's an overwhelming feeling to think that you'll never see your house again," said Fort McMurray resident Carol Christian, who drove to the evacuation center with her son and their cat. "It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping ... up the hills where you live and you're thinking, 'Oh my God. We got out just in time.' " Omega block leads to record heat The fire erupted during a day of extraordinary warmth in Alberta and nearby provinces, with temperatures reaching 32 degrees Celsius, or about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, all the way to nearly to 60 degrees north latitude. Such temperatures are virtually unheard of at this time of year, since snow cover typically prevents such mild temperatures from occurring until June at the earliest in the far northern latitudes. “The weather is becoming more conducive to fire like we’re seeing this spring" However, due in part to an El Niño event in the tropical Pacific Ocean, the winter season was milder and drier than average, which has led to an anemic snow cover throughout northwest Canada. This has allowed the soil and vegetation to dry out, making it more susceptible to wildfires. In addition, long-term trends associated with human-caused global warming include earlier spring snow melt and later starts to the winter season, which is lengthening wildfire seasons from Alaska to Alberta, and south to New Mexico. According to Mike Flannigan, a wildfire specialist at the University of Alberta, the area burned by wildfires in Alberta has more than doubled since 1970, a trend he said is partly tied to global warming. Climate data shows that Fort McMurray has seen an increase in the number of days with high temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius, or 77 degrees Fahrenheit, since 1950. This number has jumped from an average of 21 such days in 1950 to an average of 35 such days in 2010. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2013 found that boreal forests, which form a ring around the world just below the Arctic Circle, have been burning at rates that are unprecedented in 10,000 years. That study tied such burn rates to warming temperatures and increased evaporation. Global warming is also leading to more extreme fire weather days such as what occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday, with dry soils, record temperatures and strong winds. A study Flannigan published in the journal Climatic Change earlier this year, for example, found that as average temperatures increase in parts of Canada, the result will be "a higher frequency of extreme fire weather days" due mainly to the drying influence of warmer temperatures. “The weather is becoming more conducive to fire like we’re seeing this spring," Flannigan told Mashable in an interview. “The increase in fire activity in Canada is due to human-caused climate change,” he said. Flannigan called the Fort McMurray fire, “A really challenging situation," and warned that "the forecast looks even worse today,” with continued record heat, extremely dry air and stronger winds than on Tuesday. According to Environment Canada, which is the official weather agency for the country, 26 locations in Alberta set or tied high temperature records on Tuesday, and more record heat and high winds are likely to occur on Wednesday too. This poses huge challenges for firefighters who will face a raging and unpredictable blaze that is not anywhere close to being under control. Computer model projection of temperature anomalies on Wednesday May 4, 2016. Image: climate re-analyzer Fire chief Darby Allen told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on Wednesday that parts of wooded areas of the city are still burning but no structures were currently on fire. Allen said he's worried about the plumes of smoke he sees outside his window, as well as the wind and its direction. "It could be even more devastating unfortunately," he said. Firefighters were working to protect critical infrastructure, including the only bridge across the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only route to the city from the south. Forestry manager Bernie Schmitte told reporters overnight that there was still danger from "very high temperatures, low relative humidities and some strong winds." The warmth was especially pronounced in Fort McMurray, where the high temperature hit a record 32.6 degrees Celsius, or 91 degrees Fahrenheit, besting the old record of 27.8 degrees Celsius by about 5 degrees Celsius. Records there date back to 1944. Such extreme heat at this time of year is about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or 23 degrees Celsius, above average for this location. The average high temperature on May 3 in Fort McMurray is about 14 degrees Celsius, or 58 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Environment Canada. In Fort Chipewyan, the record high of 25.9 degrees Celsius, or 79 degrees Fahrenheit, beat the old record of 20.6 degrees Celsius, or 69 degrees Fahrenheit, by nearly 6 degrees Celsius, which is an unusually large margin. Records there date back to 1884, and the old daily high temperature record was set in 1898. The record heat and destructive wildfire are partly the result of below average snowfall this winter, which has allowed the landscape to dry out earlier than it normally would. Typically, melting snow cover in early May would keep springtime temperatures far lower. Temperature departures from average on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, showing the huge area of unusually mild conditions across Alberta. Image: Weatherbell analytics In addition, the weather pattern across North America features an unusually wavy jet stream that resembles the Greek letter Omega. Such "Omega blocks," as they are known to meteorologists, often lead to prolonged periods of extreme weather, and this time is no exception. The pattern is allowing mild air to spill far into Northwest Canada, while cool and wet conditions are trapped along the East Coast of the U.S. Environment Canada is forecasting cooler conditions to return to Fort McMurray by Thursday, but by then much more damage may be done. In general, wildfire season has gotten longer and burned hotter in much of the American West and Alaska, as well as the western provinces of Canada, as average temperatures have risen and snow melt has occurred earlier in the year. Studies show these trends are linked to manmade global warming, although individual fires like the one on Tuesday are often triggered by arson, lightning and other causes. Ironically, Fort McMurray has been one of the biggest boom towns of Canada's Athabasca oil sands industry during the past decade. This oil, when burned, releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, warming the planet and exacerbating wildfires in the process. This oil is some of the most carbon intensive in the world, which has made curbing its use a major priority for environmental groups that are working to limit the severity of global warming and its associated impacts, including worsening wildfires. Low oil prices during the past year have prompted many oil and gas drilling companies there to lay off workers and, in some cases, shut down entirely. However, if prices rebound, these trends may be reversed.
- Destructive Canadian wildfire fueled in part by global warming 1.7k Shares Share on Facebook Share on Twitter What's This? Smoke rises from a wildfire outside of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Tuesday, May 3, 2016.Image: Mary Anne Sexsmith-Segato/The Canadian Press via AP By Andrew FreedmanMay 05, 2016 The wildfire that continues to rage throughout the Fort McMurray, Alberta area, prompting at least 80,000 people to flee the flames in the largest fire-related evacuation in Alberta's history, is no fluke in this era of megafires across the American West and the mighty Boreal forests of Canada, Alaska and Russia. It is yet another warning sign of a climate system run amok, due to a combination of human-caused global warming and natural climate variability, according to climate studies and experts. SEE ALSO: Massive wildfire prompts evacuation of entire Canadian city Officials had feared that the 2016 Alberta wildfire season would start early this year, thanks to a dry and mild winter and early spring. However, no one anticipated a blaze such as this: a fire that grew so rapidly and burned so ferociously that an entire city had to be hastily evacuated, with entire neighborhoods likely lost to the flames. "When you leave ... it's an overwhelming feeling to think that you'll never see your house again," said Fort McMurray resident Carol Christian, who drove to the evacuation center with her son and their cat. "It was absolutely horrifying when we were sitting there in traffic. You look up and then you watch all the trees candle-topping ... up the hills where you live and you're thinking, 'Oh my God. We got out just in time.' " Omega block leads to record heat The fire erupted during a day of extraordinary warmth in Alberta and nearby provinces, with temperatures reaching 32 degrees Celsius, or about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, all the way to nearly to 60 degrees north latitude. Such temperatures are virtually unheard of at this time of year, since snow cover typically prevents such mild temperatures from occurring until June at the earliest in the far northern latitudes. “The weather is becoming more conducive to fire like we’re seeing this spring" However, due in part to an El Niño event in the tropical Pacific Ocean, the winter season was milder and drier than average, which has led to an anemic snow cover throughout northwest Canada. This has allowed the soil and vegetation to dry out, making it more susceptible to wildfires. In addition, long-term trends associated with human-caused global warming include earlier spring snow melt and later starts to the winter season, which is lengthening wildfire seasons from Alaska to Alberta, and south to New Mexico. According to Mike Flannigan, a wildfire specialist at the University of Alberta, the area burned by wildfires in Alberta has more than doubled since 1970, a trend he said is partly tied to global warming. Climate data shows that Fort McMurray has seen an increase in the number of days with high temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius, or 77 degrees Fahrenheit, since 1950. This number has jumped from an average of 21 such days in 1950 to an average of 35 such days in 2010. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2013 found that boreal forests, which form a ring around the world just below the Arctic Circle, have been burning at rates that are unprecedented in 10,000 years. That study tied such burn rates to warming temperatures and increased evaporation. Global warming is also leading to more extreme fire weather days such as what occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday, with dry soils, record temperatures and strong winds. A study Flannigan published in the journal Climatic Change earlier this year, for example, found that as average temperatures increase in parts of Canada, the result will be "a higher frequency of extreme fire weather days" due mainly to the drying influence of warmer temperatures. “The weather is becoming more conducive to fire like we’re seeing this spring," Flannigan told Mashable in an interview. “The increase in fire activity in Canada is due to human-caused climate change,” he said. Flannigan called the Fort McMurray fire, “A really challenging situation," and warned that "the forecast looks even worse today,” with continued record heat, extremely dry air and stronger winds than on Tuesday. According to Environment Canada, which is the official weather agency for the country, 26 locations in Alberta set or tied high temperature records on Tuesday, and more record heat and high winds are likely to occur on Wednesday too. This poses huge challenges for firefighters who will face a raging and unpredictable blaze that is not anywhere close to being under control. Computer model projection of temperature anomalies on Wednesday May 4, 2016. Image: climate re-analyzer Fire chief Darby Allen told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on Wednesday that parts of wooded areas of the city are still burning but no structures were currently on fire. Allen said he's worried about the plumes of smoke he sees outside his window, as well as the wind and its direction. "It could be even more devastating unfortunately," he said. Firefighters were working to protect critical infrastructure, including the only bridge across the Athabasca River and Highway 63, the only route to the city from the south. Forestry manager Bernie Schmitte told reporters overnight that there was still danger from "very high temperatures, low relative humidities and some strong winds." The warmth was especially pronounced in Fort McMurray, where the high temperature hit a record 32.6 degrees Celsius, or 91 degrees Fahrenheit, besting the old record of 27.8 degrees Celsius by about 5 degrees Celsius. Records there date back to 1944. Such extreme heat at this time of year is about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or 23 degrees Celsius, above average for this location. The average high temperature on May 3 in Fort McMurray is about 14 degrees Celsius, or 58 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Environment Canada. In Fort Chipewyan, the record high of 25.9 degrees Celsius, or 79 degrees Fahrenheit, beat the old record of 20.6 degrees Celsius, or 69 degrees Fahrenheit, by nearly 6 degrees Celsius, which is an unusually large margin. Records there date back to 1884, and the old daily high temperature record was set in 1898. The record heat and destructive wildfire are partly the result of below average snowfall this winter, which has allowed the landscape to dry out earlier than it normally would. Typically, melting snow cover in early May would keep springtime temperatures far lower. Temperature departures from average on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, showing the huge area of unusually mild conditions across Alberta. Image: Weatherbell analytics In addition, the weather pattern across North America features an unusually wavy jet stream that resembles the Greek letter Omega. Such "Omega blocks," as they are known to meteorologists, often lead to prolonged periods of extreme weather, and this time is no exception. The pattern is allowing mild air to spill far into Northwest Canada, while cool and wet conditions are trapped along the East Coast of the U.S. Environment Canada is forecasting cooler conditions to return to Fort McMurray by Thursday, but by then much more damage may be done. In general, wildfire season has gotten longer and burned hotter in much of the American West and Alaska, as well as the western provinces of Canada, as average temperatures have risen and snow melt has occurred earlier in the year. Studies show these trends are linked to manmade global warming, although individual fires like the one on Tuesday are often triggered by arson, lightning and other causes. Ironically, Fort McMurray has been one of the biggest boom towns of Canada's Athabasca oil sands industry during the past decade. This oil, when burned, releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, warming the planet and exacerbating wildfires in the process. This oil is some of the most carbon intensive in the world, which has made curbing its use a major priority for environmental groups that are working to limit the severity of global warming and its associated impacts, including worsening wildfires. Low oil prices during the past year have prompted many oil and gas drilling companies there to lay off workers and, in some cases, shut down entirely. However, if prices rebound, these trends may be reversed.
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-30/burnt-land-in-tasmania's-world-heritage-area/7127320
- http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/weeks-of-fire-danger-loom-as-blazes-continue-to-rage/news-story/888dfff5f144f83e323a30ced09ce754
- Mangroves in the Guild of Carpentaria M13A9226-Limmen Bight R L2.jpg Large-scale mangrove dieback "unprecedented" A James Cook University professor has warned that scientists are witnessing a large-scale dieback of mangroves in northern Australia. JCU's Professor Norm Duke, spokesman for the Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network, said the scale and magnitude of the loss appears "unprecedented and deeply concerning". The extent of the damage came to light during an international wetland conference in Darwin. A detailed scientific survey is yet to be done, but Professor Duke said photographs were produced of hundreds of hectares of mangroves dying in two locations on the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria - at Limmin Bight, in the Northern Territory and Karumba in Queensland. "Shoreline stability and fisheries values, amongst other benefits of mangrove vegetation, are under threat," he said. Professor Duke said the phenomenon was especially alarming in light of the large-scale coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, as it also appeared to correlate with this year's extreme warming and climate events in the region. Preliminary observations were presented at this week's Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network Conference in Darwin, hosted by Charles Darwin University Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL). Professor Duke said understanding of the scale of the mangrove loss is currently hampered by the critical lack of detailed shoreline monitoring, particularly in the remote areas of northern Australia. Professor Duke and conference delegates called for mangrove monitoring efforts to be scaled-up as a matter of priority, so scientists could establish baseline conditions of national shorelines, and quickly isolate and manage dieback events such as those seen in the gulf. He said the next step in the investigation into the Gulf of Carpentaria dieback would be to start field investigations to determine the cause and begin appropriate management measures. *Mangroves and coastal wetlands take in 50 times more carbon than tropical forests by area. *Australia is home to seven per cent of the world's mangroves. Contact:Professor Norm Duke, James Cook University TropWATER Centre, Spokesman, Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh NetworkM: 0419 673 366E: norman.duke@jcu.edu.au(Dr Duke is currently on the Gold Coast). Link to picture: http://bit.ly/1QWLFep(Please note, photo is for one time use only with this media release. It is not available for archiving or re-use).
- http://www.theguardian.com/environment/planet-oz/2016/apr/21/mourning-loomis-reef-the-heart-of-the-great-barrier-reefs-coral-bleaching-disaster Mourning Loomis Reef - the heart of the Great Barrier Reef's coral bleaching disaster Graham Readfearn Corals on Loomis Reef are dying as one veteran scientist lets the “veil” of academia drop to reveal anger and frustration Clown fish in a bleached sea anemone at Lizard Island, Great Barrier reef. Photograph: CoralWatch Contact author @readfearn Thursday 21 April 2016 15.53 AEST Last modified on Friday 22 April 2016 11.20 AEST Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Google+ Shares 45,518 Comments 135 Save for later Stretching for half a kilometre or so, Loomis Reef is the place where the alarm bells started going off. Prof Justin Marshall has been diving this reef, about 270km north of Cairns, for 30 years. Right now he is, to say the least, angry. “My veil is down,” he says, no longer bothering with the kind of polite niceties common among academics. “I have cried. I have broken down in front of cameras. This is the most devastating, gut-wrenching fuck up,” says Marshall, of the University of Queensland. Back in November, researchers and staff on the Australian Museum’s Lizard Island Research Station started to see the early signs of coral bleaching – faded colours, odd fluorescent hues and chunks of white. The Great Barrier Reef, of which Loomis is just one of 3,000 reefs, is in the death throes of its worst ever coral bleaching event – part of the third global mass bleaching since 1998. Latest figures show that 93% of the reef has been impacted by bleaching. The worst affected areas are in the reef’s north. “Loomis Reef was an amazingly diverse, beautiful little reef about 500 metres long – covered in lots of different coral. Now it’s going to be a big ball of slime,” Marshall says. The past tense, it seems, is deliberate. “It’s in an area that tourists use – you can pretty much snorkel there right from the shore. You don’t need a boat. “At the closer end on Loomis there is a nice Porites coral – they can be thousands of years old. The one on Loomis would be maybe hundreds.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest University of Queensland researcher photographs a bleached Porites coral at Loomis Reef, Lizard Island, during the 2016 coral bleaching event. Photograph: CoralWatch “You get a lot of large fish coming through – there’s a big nurse shark about eight foot long that lives there – beautiful, totally harmless.” Loomis Reef has a history almost as colourful as the corals that have attracted tourists and scientists for decades. The reef is named after the late American Henry Loomis and his family, who stumped up $110,000 in the early 1970s to help establish the Australian Museum’s Lizard Island research station. Henry, who had a background in physics, was a former director of the US government’s Voice of America. His dad, Alfred, was a former Wall Street tycoon and science patron who built his own laboratory so grand it attracted the likes of Albert Einstein. Images from Loomis and its neighbouring reefs have been featured around the globe. In particular, there was a spectacular but haunting photograph of a bright orange “Nemo” fish nestling among a bleached sea anemone. “Any of these animals trying to hide themselves in the coral now stand out against the reef like dogs’ balls,” Marshall says. A large part of Marshall’s area of expertise is in understanding how ocean animals see underwater – research known as visual ecology (he is best known for studying the amazing vision of the mantis shrimp and its oversupply of photoreceptors). “But it’s not just the corals but the animals and the fish that live on them,” he says. “I have six students on Lizard right now and they have been asking me where all the fish are. Well, they have either moved on, died … I don’t know. But you lose the small fish, then the bigger ones … then it all collapses.” Facebook Twitter Pinterest Professor Justin Marshall features in this short film shot on Lizard Island as coral bleaching broke out The mass coral bleaching event started in Hawaii last year before sweeping quickly and mercilessly across reefs around the world. What is happening on Loomis, is mirrored across the northern parts of the Great Barrier Reef and in coral ecosystems around the globe. This is Australia’s biggest ever environmental disaster Justin Marshall Corals get their colour and their nutrients from the zooxanthellae algae they live with. When corals sit for too long in unusually warm temperature, the algae and the coral skeleton separates leaving a “bleached” animal behind. The link between fossil fuel burning, coral bleaching and a long-term trend in rising ocean temperatures is clear, scientists say. Water temperatures over the Great Barrier Reef’s corals in February and March were the hottest on a record going back to 1900, according to figures cited by the government’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority. Marshall, the chief investigator for citizen science project CoralWatch, expects that “well over 50%” of the corals that have bleached on Loomis are dying or are already dead. Recent photographs show corals covered in algae. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Corals bleaching at Loomis Reef, Lizard Island, during mass coral bleaching of 2016 Photograph: CoralWatch While the global mass bleaching event means Australia loses corals, Marshall points out that for other communities around the world bleaching means “that they can’t feed their kids”. Advertisement There are hundreds of millions of people who depend on healthy coral reefs to sustain the populations of fish that make up their diets. As news of the bleaching spread around the globe, the Australian government granted more approvals for what could be Australia’s largest ever coalmine in Queensland’s Galilee basin. To Marshall, the timing of the announcement was galling. “This is not just about little Australia. This is a global event. When we mine coal and sell it, that is killing all reefs – not just ours,” he says. Marshall remembers the 2014 speech that the US president, Barack Obama, made at the University of Queensland. Obama told the crowd, much to the annoyance of several Australian government ministers, that the reef was in danger and that he wanted it to be there for his children and grandchildren to visit in the future. “But now we can see it’s not about our grandchildren – it’s our kids. It’s us,” Marshall says. “It’s happening right now – not in some future where we’re dead. Kids are saying ‘grown ups, what are you doing? You are stealing our future, our livelihood, our wonderment’. “I have taken my kids to Loomis for the last 15 years. I would not take them there now. This is Australia’s biggest ever environmental disaster.”
- http://www.myajc.com/photo/news/opinion/mike-luckovich-mouse-roared/pCtbLs/ Mike Luckovich, editorial cartoonist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1995 and 2006. See more of Mike’s work at: Best of Luckovich, December 2015. To purchase signed prints or originals, email Mike at mluckovich@ajc.com
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/slovenia/11954678/Migrant-crisis-Drone-footage-shows-the-flow-of-migrants-in-Slovenia.html
- http://www.myanmathadin.com/news/world/498-cnn-expose-on-thai-refugee-abuse-wins-award.html http://www.google.com.au/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=rohingya+thailand+images&meta=&btnG=Google+Search http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs4/Chin-docs.pdf
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- http://anmf.org.au/pages/social-justice