droughts News

New Study Says Ditch U.N. Temperature Target for Global Warming

A temperature goal set by almost 200 governments as the limit for global warming is a poor guide to the planet’s health and should be ditched, a study published in the journal Nature said on Wednesday. The world’s environment ministers …

UN: $2.5 Trillion in Global Disaster Losses Since 2000

Economic losses from disasters since 2000 are in the range of $2.5 trillion, a figure at least 50 percent higher than previous international estimates, according to a U.N. report. The U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction warned in the 246-page …

Rains Wash Away U.S. Drought, Shifting Farm Economy’s Prospects

Torrential downpours across a broad swath of the U.S. Midwest this week are easing the worst drought in more than 50 years, flooding streams, snarling river transportation, stalling corn plantings – and changing the outlook for the American farm economy …

Report Questions Insurer Readiness, Attitudes on Climate Change

A report out Thursday that details responses to a climate change survey from insurers doing business in California, Washington and New York shows many insurers are prepared to deal with today’s extreme weather events, but not longer-term “baseline changes” driven …

Scientists Want Montana Climate Office Reopened To Help Farmers

State officials should approve and provide money to reopen a state climate office because new technologies could help crop producers track global competition as well as offer other advantages, scientists at the University of Montana say. A team of UM …

CPC Forecasts Weak El Niño for Northern Hemisphere Winter

The U.S. national weather forecaster still expects the much-feared El Niño phenomenon, which can wreak havoc on global weather, to remain weak into the Northern Hemisphere winter, even after its development slowed last month. In its monthly assessment, the Climate …

Isaac Brings Relief to U.S. Drought Conditions

The remnants of Hurricane Isaac continue to cause headaches on Friday, bringing heavy rainfall and the threat of flash flooding to the lower Mississippi Valley as Gulf Coast residents get ready to start their cleanup efforts. The first hurricane to …

El Nino Seen Having ‘Modest Impact’ on Australia

An emerging El Nino weather pattern is likely to have only a modest impact on crops and mining in Australia and could benefit sugar cane growers in Queensland, a senior forecaster said. Drier conditions have already settled in over much …

Climate Change Poses Risks to Food Supplies Beyond U.S. Drought

Downpours and heat waves caused by climate change could disrupt food supplies from the fields to the supermarkets, raising the risk of more price spikes such as this year’s leap triggered by drought in the United States. Food security experts …

Evidence for Climate Extremes, Costs, Gets More Local

Scientists are finding evidence that man-made climate change has raised the risks of individual weather events, such as floods or heat waves, marking a big step towards pinpointing local costs and ways to adapt to freak conditions. “We’re seeing a …