Earth Changes

US 'superweeds' epidemic shines spotlight on GMOs

Veronique Dupont
newsdaily.com
Mon, 13 Jan 2014 09:25 UTC

The United States is facing an epidemic of herbicide-resistant "superweeds" that some activists and researchers are blaming on GMOs

The United States is facing an epidemic of herbicide-resistant "superweeds" that some activists and researchers are blaming on GMOs, an accusation rejected by industry giants.

According to a recent study, the situation is such that American farmers are "heading for a crisis."

Many scientists blame overuse of herbicides, prompted by seeds genetically modified to resist them.

"In parts of the country, weeds resistant to the world's most popular herbicide, glyphosate, now grow in the vast majority of soybean, cotton, and corn fields," many of which were planted with seeds resistant to the weedkiller, said the study published in the journal Science in September.

Earlier this month, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it was considering the release of new genetically-engineered seeds that are resistant to multiple herbicides.

But "weeds that can shrug off multiple other herbicides are also on the rise," the study said.

Cyclone Ian brings widespread destruction to Tonga's central and northern islands

Dominique Schwartz
Australia Network News
Sun, 12 Jan 2014 17:08 UTC

Officials in Tonga have confirmed the first death from Severe Tropical Cyclone Ian as reports come in of widespread destruction on islands in the country's centre and north.

The full extent of damage is still unclear as the storm, now downgraded to category three, moves away from Tonga and out into the open ocean.

The huge storm, described as the worst to hit Tonga in decades, slammed into the northern islands on Saturday before moving on to the main island overnight.

Houses have been flattened, roofs blown away and trees and power lines brought down.

Solar cycle 24 remains the weakest in 170 years... Svaalgard: "None of us alive have ever seen such a weak cycle"

P Gosselin
NoTricksZone
Sun, 12 Jan 2014 15:28 UTC

What implications could a low-activity sun have on earth? Fritz Vahrenholt's and Frank Bosse's latest solar report.

The Sun in December 2013: Coming Back To Life

By Frank Bosse and Fritz Vahrenholt
(Translated and edited by P Gosselin)

For solar observers there was quite a bit of activity last month, namely sunspots, and not too few of them. Activity even reached 84% of the mean value calculated from cycles 1-23. With an official SSN (sunspot number) of 90.3 the sun reached a second peak in December 2013, see the following chart:

© NoTricksZone
Figure 1: Comparison of solar cycle 24 activity to the mean value of the previously observed cycles and to that of solar cycle 5.

As far as sunspot activity is concerned, the peak was comparable to what we observed 25 months ago (November 2011), but this time most activity occurring in the sun's southern hemisphere: 82%. In the sun's first cycle 24 outbreak, most of the activity happened in the northern hemisphere.

State stepping in to investigate donkey deaths

Troy Washington
WALB
Fri, 10 Jan 2014 14:41 UTC

We now know that two other donkeys mysteriously died in Grady County recently, and now the Georgia Department of Agriculture plans to step into the investigation.

"We just don't know why," said owner Michelle Hudson

Michelle Hudson is hurt and confused after finding two of her pet donkeys dead on their property on New Year's Day.

"Marley we found just laying dead right over there on New Year's Day and then yesterday morning, I found Chester right down there, one they're healthy running around doing there normal little thing and then I find them laying dead," said donkey owner Butch Hudson.

While the scenario is different these aren't the first donkeys to be found dead in the area.

Polar vortex over U.S. brings abnormally mild weather to Scandinavia

Jessica Aldred
The Guardian
Fri, 10 Jan 2014 12:52 UTC

The freezing polar vortex that has gripped the US has extended an abnormally mild winter in Scandinavia and disrupted the seasonal patterns of flora and fauna. The weather system that brought snow, ice and record low temperatures to many parts of the United States this week left Iceland, Greenland and Scandinavia much warmer than normal.

On the back of a generally mild winter, there have been reports of bears emerging early from hibernation in Finland, changes in the behaviour of migratory birds off the coast of Sweden and plants appearing earlier than normal in Norway. Scandinavia and Russia's cold weather during the winter comes from a high-pressure system that keeps warmer, more humid air and low-pressure systems with wind and rain from coming up from the Atlantic Ocean.

The weakening of the jetstream that holds this in place has allowed cold air to spill further south into much of the United States and Canada, while bringing above-average temperatures to parts of Europe.

Heavy snowfall cripples life in hills in Nepal

myrepublica.com
Sun, 12 Jan 2014 11:11 UTC

Heavy snowfall has crippled normal life across the hills of the far-western and mid-western regions. Bhim Dutta Highway, the only motorway to reach the hills of the far-western region, has been blocked by snowfall since Friday night. Hundreds of buses, trucks and other vehicles are now stranded on the highway. As snowfall continues, the highway is unlikely to be cleared any time soon.

"We are unable to clear the highway as it is still snowing," said Keshav Bohara, inspector at the District Police Office (DPO) of Dadeldhura. "We will start clearing the highway only when it stops snowing." Heaps of snow can be seen in Saukharka and Hugulte areas of the highway; and vehicles are now trapped between these two places. There is no way out for them as long as it keeps snowing in the hilly region.

Mass oyster deaths frighten growers in Port Stephens, Australia

Matthew Kelly
Newcastle Herald
Thu, 09 Jan 2014 12:01 UTC

Biosecurity experts are scrambling to identify a mystery disease that has decimated Port Stephens' multimillion-dollar Pacific oyster crops and sent several growers to the wall.

There are fears the port may have to be quarantined to prevent the disease spreading.

Hundreds of thousands of Pacific oysters have died since late last year.

''We lost 600,000 oysters over a couple of weeks. We were struggling to find any live ones to be honest,'' veteran Salamander Bay oyster grower Robert Diemar said.

''We haven't seen anything like it before.''

Pacific oysters, which are worth about $3million to the Port Stephens oyster industry, had been recovering from a disease that swept through the region last year.

To date, it appears the latest disease has affected only hatchery-sourced Pacific oysters.

However, it is feared it may also attack prime Sydney rock oyster crops in the port.

Hundreds of striped bass found dead in Connecticut River tributary due to cold

Mark Zaretsky
New Haven Register
Fri, 10 Jan 2014 11:54 UTC

It appears as if humans weren't the only ones badly stressed by the recent cold snap.

Hundreds of striped bass were found dead this week in the Blackhall River, a tributary of the Connecticut River in Old Lyme, in what state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials believe was a natural die-off related to the extreme cold.

Five blue crabs also were found dead.

"We had the same thing happen last year," said David Simpson, director of marine fisheries in the agency's Bureau of Natural Resources. "It was pretty coincidental with the new moon, real low water, very cold weather."

He attributed the deaths, as best as DEEP staffers could determine, to "cold shock," possibly as a result of fish getting trapped in icy cold water by ice and shallow depth.

The DEEP also received reports in Old Lyme of fish drifting out of the Connecticut River and washing up on Long Island Sound beach, but Simpson said he believes those fish were part of the same die-off, which was first reported Sunday by an Old Lyme police officer.

"There's quite a few fish in there and the water really gets shallow during those extreme low tides," he said. "It was a pretty quick change of temperature. There was a salinity change ... I think they just got caught in it."

31 large carnivores declining across the world

Subodh Varma
Times of India
Fri, 10 Jan 2014 11:06 UTC

Southeast Asia, southern and East Africa and the Amazon are among areas in which multiple large carnivore species are declining.

Large predators such as lions, bears, wolves, dingoes and otters are declining across the world driven by habitat loss, persecution by humans and loss of prey, an analysis of 31 large carnivore species published today in the journal Science shows.

More than 75 percent of the 31 species are declining, and 17 species now occupy less than half of their former ranges, the study reported. Decline in predators means a simultaneous increase in their prey, which causes devastation of the ecosystem.

Southeast Asia, southern and East Africa and the Amazon are among areas in which multiple large carnivore species are declining. With some exceptions, large carnivores have already been exterminated from much of the developed world, including Western Europe and the eastern United States.

"Globally, we are losing our large carnivores," said William Ripple, lead author of the paper and a professor in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University. "Many of them are endangered," he said. "Their ranges are collapsing. Many of these animals are at risk of extinction, either locally or globally. And, ironically, they are vanishing just as we are learning about their important ecological effects."

The researchers reviewed published scientific reports and singled out seven species that have been studied for their widespread ecological effects. This includes African lions, leopards, Eurasian lynx, cougars, gray wolves, sea otters and dingoes.

Southern England homes flooded as Thames bursts banks

presstv.ir
Sat, 11 Jan 2014 10:04 UTC

Towns and villages close to the River Thames in the United Kingdom have been inundated and local residents have been warned for further flooding as heavy rain caused the river levels to rise and burst its banks.

Ground floors and gardens along the River Thames are under water

On Friday, the River Thames overflowed its banks, and parts of the river from Oxfordshire to West London were under flood warnings.

Homes close to the banks of the river went underwater, with floodwaters causing damage to ground floors and gardens.

The areas affected by flooding included the towns of Marlow and Cookham in the England's southeastern county of Buckinghamshire, as well as the villages of Shiplake and Wargrave in the southeastern county of Berkshire and parts of south Oxford.

The Environment Agency (EA) said there are 94 flood warnings in place, with most of those in the southeast and southwest of England.

The EA further noted that people living along the lower reaches of the Thames, as well as the Avon in Hampshire and the Stour in Dorset, should be prepared for the risk of flooding over the weekend as river levels continue to rise.

More flooding is also expected during the weekend in Oxfordshire, west Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey.

"Communities along the river Thames, particularly below Oxford, into Berkshire and through Surrey, need to remain vigilant for further flooding," John Curtin, head of incident management at Environment Agency, said.

British climate experts have supported Cameron's remarks about the increase of "abnormal" weather events and their link to climate change.