Earth Changes
Scientists have found that many of the best management practices used to reduce traditional stresses on our environment -- such as restoring vegetation along streams -- also increases the ecosystem's resilience to the impact of climate change, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
"Considerable presence" of skeptics
The American Physical Society, an organization representing nearly 50,000 physicists, has reversed its stance on climate change and is now proclaiming that many of its members disbelieve in human-induced global warming. The APS is also sponsoring public debate on the validity of global warming science. The leadership of the society had previously called the evidence for global warming "incontrovertible."
The American Physical Society, an organization representing nearly 50,000 physicists, has reversed its stance on climate change and is now proclaiming that many of its members disbelieve in human-induced global warming. The APS is also sponsoring public debate on the validity of global warming science. The leadership of the society had previously called the evidence for global warming "incontrovertible."
Magnitude 5.0
Date-Time
* Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 12:48:44 UTC
* Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 12:48:44 AM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 28.354°S, 175.771°W
Depth 35 km (21.7 miles) set by location program
Region Kermadec Islands Region
Date-Time
* Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 12:48:44 UTC
* Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 12:48:44 AM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 28.354°S, 175.771°W
Depth 35 km (21.7 miles) set by location program
Region Kermadec Islands Region
Xining -- A moderate earthquake measuring 5.3on the Richter scale jolted Tanggula region in northwestern Qinghai Province at 6:58 a.m. Thursday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.
Jakarta -- An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale shook eastern Indonesian province of Maluku on Thursday morning, there was no casualties and material losses.
Athens, Greece -- The Athens Geodynamic Institute says an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 has struck near the Greek island of Rhodes. No injuries or damage have been reported.
Antarctic worms, sea spiders, urchins and other marine creatures living in near-shore shallow habitats are regularly pounded by icebergs. New data suggests this environment along the Antarctic Peninsula is going to get hit more frequently. This is due to an increase in the number of icebergs scouring the seabed as a result of shrinking winter sea ice.
Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) show how the rate of iceberg scouring on the West Antarctic Peninsula seabed is affected by the duration of winter sea ice, which has dramatically declined (in space and time) in the region over the last few decades due to climate warming. This increase in iceberg disturbance on the seabed, where the majority of all Antarctic life occurs (80%), could have severe effects on the marine creatures living as deep as 500m underwater.
|
| ©British Antarctic Survey |
| A British Antarctic Survey marine biologist encounters a giant sponge nearly 20m below the surface. |
Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) show how the rate of iceberg scouring on the West Antarctic Peninsula seabed is affected by the duration of winter sea ice, which has dramatically declined (in space and time) in the region over the last few decades due to climate warming. This increase in iceberg disturbance on the seabed, where the majority of all Antarctic life occurs (80%), could have severe effects on the marine creatures living as deep as 500m underwater.
With most households now having their water supplies reduced by a third to try to tackle the shortage, Cypriots can be forgiven for believing that this is the worst drought the island has ever experienced. Well, think again.
Three people, including two teenagers, were killed and five injured, when they were struck by lightning in the Russian Volga Republic of Bashkortostan, a local emergencies spokesman said on Thursday.
Re-seeding programmes on over 50 reefs are securing the survival of the giant clam for at least another generation, according to World Wildlife Fund-Philippines.
The clams, the world's largest bivalve mollusks and the star of lurid but mostly imaginary literary and cinematic depictions of trapped divers, can live for over a century. They have been known to exceed 1.4 metres in length and weigh in at over 260 kilograms.
Once common throughout Philippine reefs, excessive hunting for the food, pet and curio trade all but depleted the wild giant clam population by the mid-1980s, prompting the IUCN to classify them as vulnerable.
An attempt to restore natural clam populations is now being spearheaded by Dr. Suzanne Mingoa-Licuanan of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute in partnership with World Wildlife Fund-Philippines.
|
| ©Kurt Domingo |
| The true giant clam (Tridacna gigas), 40 of which were transplanted last month to a new home in Batangas province, Philippines. |
The clams, the world's largest bivalve mollusks and the star of lurid but mostly imaginary literary and cinematic depictions of trapped divers, can live for over a century. They have been known to exceed 1.4 metres in length and weigh in at over 260 kilograms.
Once common throughout Philippine reefs, excessive hunting for the food, pet and curio trade all but depleted the wild giant clam population by the mid-1980s, prompting the IUCN to classify them as vulnerable.
An attempt to restore natural clam populations is now being spearheaded by Dr. Suzanne Mingoa-Licuanan of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute in partnership with World Wildlife Fund-Philippines.
Comment: Seems like in the old days the people of Cyprus were much better planned and prepare to deal with the always present drought problem, than they are today.