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Earth Changes
© Kayla Kendall
Kayla Kendall tweeted this photograph on Saturday of a whale stranded at Rocky Harbour because of ice.
Kayla Kendall tweeted this photograph on Saturday of a whale stranded at Rocky Harbour because of ice.
Mariners have been warned about four whale carcasses at different locations at the entrance to Bonne Bay.
It has not said what kind of whales have died.
Earlier this month, at least nine blue whales died in ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
In March, dozens of dolphins were killed when they were crushed by ice near Cape Ray, on Newfoundland's southwest coast.
© Getty
Spain approves use of drug beneficial to mammals - that will kill any vulture that feeds on a carcass containing traces of it
Spain approves use of drug beneficial to mammals - that will kill any vulture that feeds on a carcass containing traces of it
Despite their unappealing looks, vultures make a vital contribution to public health in southern Europe.
But Spain, which is home to about 100,000 vultures, has horrified conservationists and bird lovers by approving the use of diclophenac - a powerful anti-inflammatory drug used that is beneficial to mammals but will kill any vulture that feeds on a carcass containing traces of the drug.
Diclophenac can also be used legally in Italy, where it was first developed. The country also has a small population of wild vultures.
About 95 per cent of India's vultures disappeared after diclophenac was introduced in the mid-1990s, before eventually being banned in 2006. The result was a dangerous increase in rotting animal carcasses, which caused a rapid rise in the number of feral dogs, and the spread of rabies. One study put the resulting cost to Indian society at £20bn.
Spain, where vets can now legally use diclophenac, has about 90 per cent of all Europe's vultures, including 97 per cent of one species, the Black Vulture.
© Javed Raja
A waterlogged road after the shower in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
A waterlogged road after the shower in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, the temperature in the city had touched 39.8 degree Celsius, according to the Met office. The downpour continued till late in the evening, leading to several mishaps across the city.
© Unknown
An emergency situation has been declared in five municipalities, but there have been no casualties. The damage caused by the floods that have hit parts of the western, central and eastern Serbia is not possible to estimate until the rivers recede.
© WFTV
Two vacant homes threatened by a huge sinkhole in Villages neighborhood, Sumter County, Florida on April 20, 2014
Two vacant homes threatened by a huge sinkhole in Villages neighborhood, Sumter County, Florida on April 20, 2014
OMG! This monster sinkhole almost swallowed two homes on Chalmer Terrace in the Villages in Sumter County, Florida on April 20, 2014.
The huge sinkhole measures about 50-foot wide and threatens two vacant houses in central Florida. It was created by heavy rains during the Easter week-end.
Fortunately, some media outlets recognize a vigorous scientific debate persists over humanity's influence on climate and those outlets refuse outside efforts to silence viewpoints that run counter to prevailing climate alarmism. My original piece follows below.- Craig Idso
The release of a United Nations (UN) climate change report last week energized various politicians and environmental activists, who issued a new round of calls to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the most fiery language in this regard came from Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who called upon Congress to "wake up and do everything in its power to reduce dangerous carbon pollution," while Secretary of State John Kerry expressed similar sentiments in a State Department release, claiming that "unless we act dramatically and quickly, science tells us our climate and our way of life are literally in jeopardy."
Really? Is Earth's climate so fragile that both it and our way of life are in jeopardy because of rising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions?
In a word, no! The human impact on global climate is small; and any warming that may occur as a result of anthropogenic CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions is likely to have little effect on either Earth's climate or biosphere, according to the recently-released contrasting report Climate Change Reconsidered II: Biological Impacts, which was produced by the independent Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC).
© Getty Images
The last mini Ice Age struck the northern hemisphere about A.D. 1450 and lasted 400 years. It was dubbed the "Little Ice Age." In Canada, it had a huge impact on everything from crop yields to changing ecosystems.
"The Little Ice Age decreased the number of frost-free days and altered the composition of forests," report York University geographers Celina and Ian Campbell.
It was brought on by a seemingly minuscule average cooling of one to two degrees Celsius, climatologists report. But its impact was huge. Historians called it the "General Crisis" owing to its enormous impact: Crop harvests declined "disastrously."
Recent meteorological and other developments have prompted some researchers to predict another mini Ice Age is likely starting to take shape.
Dry air under high, thick clouds formed uniquely shaped clouds all over the country during spring heatwave.
Professor Hadas Saaroni, a climatologist from Tel Aviv University explained how these uniquely shaped clouds are formed.
"They get this shape when clouds are formed in an altitude of four kilometers. Under this higher layer of air there is air that is rather dry. When these clouds rain onto a dry layer, the rain instantly evaporates and the round shape of these clouds is formed.
© Gilad Har Sheleg
Haifa covered with 'breast clouds'
Haifa covered with 'breast clouds'
"They get this shape when clouds are formed in an altitude of four kilometers. Under this higher layer of air there is air that is rather dry. When these clouds rain onto a dry layer, the rain instantly evaporates and the round shape of these clouds is formed.
Mysteriously all those dead fishes found in Thondamanaru Lagoon area were almost one kind which in Tamil called "Thirali," a typical edible small fish found solely in Palk Strait area.
These fishes were said to be dead and floating and were seen in heaps in the shore from last Thursday and Friday.
As the dead fishes started polluting the Selva Sannathi Temple area, Karaveddy Divisional Secretary K. Sivasri, Valvetiturai Urban Council Chairman N.Anandarajah and representatives of the Fisheries Societies visited the area and took measures to remove dead fishes.
Asian Tribune learnt the Sri Lankan Army personnel were also involved in the cleaning operation along with workers of Valvetitural and Valikamam East Pradesha Sabhas.
Three tractor loads of dead fishes were collected and taken and buried around the sea shores in Thondamanaru.
It remains mysterious why particularly Thirali fish only died.
According to an opinion, due to very warm atmospheric conditions prevailing these days, the sea water must have evaporated to a great leve and the water might have turned more brackish and fishes would not be able to bear up saltiness newly developed in the sea water.
Comment: Note that the sinkhole was filled in, then reopened!