droughts News

California Wildfires, Hurricane Michael Top List of 2018’s Costliest Natural Disasters: Munich Re

The costliest natural catastrophes occurred in the United States in 2018 with one of California’s devastating wildfires and Hurricane Michael topping the list, according to Munich Re. A report from Munich Re on last year’s natural disasters pointed to “clear …

Climate Change Worsens Effects of Natural Disasters, Costing Farmers Billions of Dollars

Natural disasters from droughts to floods are costing farmers in poorer countries billions of dollars a year in lost crops and livestock, and it’s getting worse thanks to climate change. Agricultural losses from weather events in developing nations totaled $96 …

Climate Change Is Major Concern for 78% of SMEs: Zurich Report

Climate change is a major concern for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to Zurich Insurance Group’s fourth annual global SME survey. Almost four-fifths (78 percent) of SMEs surveyed expected risks associated with climate change to have a significant effect …

Canada ‘Needs to Do More’ to Mitigate Climate Disasters Such as Wildfires, Flood

The Canadian government needs to do more to mitigate climate disasters such as floods and wildfires, a top green watchdog said on Tuesday as the Alberta town of Fort McMurray struggled to recover from a huge inferno. Environment Commissioner Julie …

Laws May Enforce Some Environment Treaties, but Not for Climate Change

If and when a global deal to curb climate change is done in Paris this December, the matter of enforcement is likely to be left not to sanctions, but to peer pressure. While legally enforceable environmental treaties do exist, experts …

Drought Conditions Affecting 28 South Carolina Counties

Twenty-eight South Carolina counties are now in the first level of drought. The S.C. Drought Response Committee said June 19 that the counties are in the incipient level of drought. Places such as Florence, Manning and Hartsville have received less …

Investors Must Factor Climate Change in Their Portfolio Risk: Mercer Study

Most investors need to make a significant behavioral shift and start factoring climate change into their portfolio risk management, a study on its impact on financial market returns found. Government officials are meeting in Germany this month to work on …

El Niño Strengthens as Pacific Temperatures Show Same Trend as ’97-’98

The El Niño taking hold across the Pacific strengthened, according to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, citing indexes of sea-surfaces temperatures that showed the same trend for the first time since the event in 1997-1998. All five NINO indexes, averaged over …

China Faces Severe Threats From Climate Change: Beijing-Based Meteorologist

Chinese officials don’t usually go into detail on the challenges that climate change poses for the world’s most populous and largest carbon-emitting country. But in a speech on March 23, a top meteorologist warned of the severe risks facing China, …

UN’s Weather Agency Warns 2014 May Be Warmest on Record

Record high ocean temperatures will make 2014 the hottest year on record, or at least among the very warmest, in evidence of a long-term trend of global warming, the U.N.’s weather agency said on Wednesday. Including this year, 14 of …