THE strange death of 11 seagulls in Aylesbury remains unresolved this week, despite investigations by wildlife experts.
The Bucks Herald launched an inquiry after we were contacted by a number of readers who discovered the dead birds - all in the Southcourt area of the town.
Earth Changes
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| ©Getty Images |
| This Rare Frilled Shark died a few hours after this photo was taken. |
"Picture Japan, suffering from flooding along its coastal cities and contamination of its fresh water supply, eyeing Russia's Sakhalin Island oil and gas reserves as an energy source . . . Envision Pakistan, India and China - all armed with nuclear weapons - skirmishing at their borders over refugees, access to shared river and arable land."
This might look like the minutes from a meeting of Hollywood executives. In fact, it is from a Pentagon memo on the possible consequences of global warming. Climate change is not just an environmental question, it could have a massive impact on international security.
This might look like the minutes from a meeting of Hollywood executives. In fact, it is from a Pentagon memo on the possible consequences of global warming. Climate change is not just an environmental question, it could have a massive impact on international security.
OSLO - Confronted by new evidence of global warming, will people react like frogs?
According to an often-told story, a frog will try to jump out if you drop it into hot water but the hapless creature will stay, and eventually die, if you put it in a pan of cool water and slowly bring it to a boil.
A United Nations report to be released in Paris on Feb. 2 will include the strongest warning yet that humans are stoking global warming that may cause colossal damage to nature if, like the doomed frog, they ignore rising temperatures.
Ex-US Vice President Al Gore tells the story with croaking cartoon frogs in his movie 'An Inconvenient Truth' to urge more action to save the planet. In his version, a hand dips in and rescues a swooning frog just as the water starts to bubble.
"It's important to rescue the frog," he says. And UN officials also sometimes mention the boiled frog as a cautionary tale of the dangers of human complacency about global warming.
There is only one problem -- it's not true.
"The 'boiled frog'...is definitely an urban myth," said Victor Hutchison, a professor emeritus at the zoology department at the University of Oklahoma in the United States.
"I have investigated the thermal tolerance in reptiles and amphibians for many years. If one places the animal in a container and slowly heats it, the animal will at some point invariably try to escape," he told Reuters.
According to an often-told story, a frog will try to jump out if you drop it into hot water but the hapless creature will stay, and eventually die, if you put it in a pan of cool water and slowly bring it to a boil.
A United Nations report to be released in Paris on Feb. 2 will include the strongest warning yet that humans are stoking global warming that may cause colossal damage to nature if, like the doomed frog, they ignore rising temperatures.
Ex-US Vice President Al Gore tells the story with croaking cartoon frogs in his movie 'An Inconvenient Truth' to urge more action to save the planet. In his version, a hand dips in and rescues a swooning frog just as the water starts to bubble.
"It's important to rescue the frog," he says. And UN officials also sometimes mention the boiled frog as a cautionary tale of the dangers of human complacency about global warming.
There is only one problem -- it's not true.
"The 'boiled frog'...is definitely an urban myth," said Victor Hutchison, a professor emeritus at the zoology department at the University of Oklahoma in the United States.
"I have investigated the thermal tolerance in reptiles and amphibians for many years. If one places the animal in a container and slowly heats it, the animal will at some point invariably try to escape," he told Reuters.
BANGKOK - Nearly half of the world's waterbird species are in decline, mostly because of rapid economic development and the effects of climate change, according to a global survey released Tuesday.
The fourth Waterbird Population Estimate found that 44 per cent of the 900 species globally have fallen in the past five years, while 34 per cent were stable, and 17 per cent rising.
The fourth Waterbird Population Estimate found that 44 per cent of the 900 species globally have fallen in the past five years, while 34 per cent were stable, and 17 per cent rising.
Human-caused global warming is visible in the air, water and melting ice and destined to get much worse in the future, an authoritative world report will warn.
"The smoking gun is definitely lying on the table as we speak," said top US climate scientist Jerry Mahlman, who reviewed all 1,600 pages of the first segment of a giant four-part report. "The evidence ... is compelling."
Andrew Weaver, a Canadian climate scientist and study co-author, went even further: "This isn't a smoking gun. Climate is a battalion of intergalactic smoking missiles."
The first phase of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is being released in Paris next week.
The segment, written by more than 600 scientists and reviewed by another 600 experts and edited by bureaucrats from 154 countries, includes "a significantly expanded discussion of observation on the climate", said co-chairman Susan Solomon, a senior scientist for the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"The smoking gun is definitely lying on the table as we speak," said top US climate scientist Jerry Mahlman, who reviewed all 1,600 pages of the first segment of a giant four-part report. "The evidence ... is compelling."
Andrew Weaver, a Canadian climate scientist and study co-author, went even further: "This isn't a smoking gun. Climate is a battalion of intergalactic smoking missiles."
The first phase of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is being released in Paris next week.
The segment, written by more than 600 scientists and reviewed by another 600 experts and edited by bureaucrats from 154 countries, includes "a significantly expanded discussion of observation on the climate", said co-chairman Susan Solomon, a senior scientist for the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Comment: More and more talk of "global warming", yet precious few are making clear that the effect will be dramatic cooling in large areas.
See here for more.
VIENNA - Add glaciers to the list of things endangered in nature.
Glaciers will all but disappear from the Alps by 2050, scientists warned Monday, basing their outlook on mounting evidence of slow but steady melting of the continental ice sheets.
Glaciers will all but disappear from the Alps by 2050, scientists warned Monday, basing their outlook on mounting evidence of slow but steady melting of the continental ice sheets.
OSLO, Norway: An earthquake measuring magnitude 4 shook parts of western Norway Sunday but no injuries were reported, officials said.
Norwegian seismological institute NORSAR said the quake took place at 2:45 p.m. (1345 GMT) near Aalesund on the country's western coast, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) northwest of Oslo, the capital.
Norwegian seismological institute NORSAR said the quake took place at 2:45 p.m. (1345 GMT) near Aalesund on the country's western coast, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) northwest of Oslo, the capital.
ANKARA, Turkey: A moderate earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Sunday, causing damage to homes in at least seven villages in the eastern Turkish province of Agri, Governor Halil Ibrahim Akpinar said. Two people were slightly injured.
The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.0, was centered in the town of Tutak, in Agri province, which borders Iran, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said. It struck at 9:38 a.m. (0738 GMT).
Akpinar said earlier the quake had knocked down a number of homes in the villages of Yukarikosk and Cobanova, but later said the quake caused damage to homes in at least seven villages, mostly demolishing barns and annexes of some of the houses. Two women were injured by falling debris at Yukarikosk but were not in serious condition, Akpinar said.
The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.0, was centered in the town of Tutak, in Agri province, which borders Iran, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said. It struck at 9:38 a.m. (0738 GMT).
Akpinar said earlier the quake had knocked down a number of homes in the villages of Yukarikosk and Cobanova, but later said the quake caused damage to homes in at least seven villages, mostly demolishing barns and annexes of some of the houses. Two women were injured by falling debris at Yukarikosk but were not in serious condition, Akpinar said.
OMAHA, Neb. - A winter storm marched across the Plains, causing numerous accidents that killed at least eight people in three states, including four in Nebraska.
Heavy snow hit parts of Nebraska on Saturday, limiting visibility and creating hazardous driving conditions.
A car slid across the median on Interstate 80 near Kearney in central Nebraska and was struck by a tractor-trailer, killing the car's 28-year-old driver and her two children, ages 5 and 3, police said.
On U.S. 281 south of St. Paul, a 76-year-old man was killed when the car he was in crossed the center line and was struck by a pickup. The man's 59-year old wife was seriously injured.
In western Kansas, a couple and their 20-month-old daughter died when their car drove off U.S. 50 and collided with two others cars, authorities said. The couple's 6-year-old daughter was critically injured, they said.
In Oklahoma, a 5-year-old boy died after being thrown from a sport utility vehicle that veered off a snow-covered highway and rolled.
Heavy snow hit parts of Nebraska on Saturday, limiting visibility and creating hazardous driving conditions.
A car slid across the median on Interstate 80 near Kearney in central Nebraska and was struck by a tractor-trailer, killing the car's 28-year-old driver and her two children, ages 5 and 3, police said.
On U.S. 281 south of St. Paul, a 76-year-old man was killed when the car he was in crossed the center line and was struck by a pickup. The man's 59-year old wife was seriously injured.
In western Kansas, a couple and their 20-month-old daughter died when their car drove off U.S. 50 and collided with two others cars, authorities said. The couple's 6-year-old daughter was critically injured, they said.
In Oklahoma, a 5-year-old boy died after being thrown from a sport utility vehicle that veered off a snow-covered highway and rolled.
Comment: Global warming? What about some ice?
Fire and Ice: The Day after Tommorow