Author: postMigrator

Climate: Forest Service Announces Effort

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Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Florida)
Nov. 07, 2008

Forest Service unveils effort to tackle climate change, preserve woodlands
By TOM KNUDSON – McClatchy Newspapers

RENO, Nev. – U.S. Forest Service Chief Gail
Kimbell Friday unveiled a new agencywide effort
to tackle the problem of climate change, saying
it poses the greatest danger yet to the nation’s
woodlands.

“This issue is so big,” Kimbell said in an
interview at the national convention of the
Society of American Foresters in Reno, Nev. “The
health and resilience of America’s forests affect
everyone.”

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Climate, Civilization, and Dynasties

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———————– Key Quotes —————

“A lack of rainfall could have contributed to
social upheaval and the fall of dynasties.

“The researchers discovered that periods of weak
summer monsoons coincided with the last years of
the Tang, Yuan and Ming dynasties, which are
known to have been times of popular unrest.

“Conversely, the scientists found that a strong
summer monsoon prevailed during one of China’s
“golden ages,” the Northern Song Dynasty.”

” …  the study showed that the dry period at
the end of the Tang Dynasty coincided with a
previously identified drought halfway around the
world, in Meso-America, which has been linked to
the fall of the Mayan civilization.

“The study also showed that the ample summer
rains of the Northern Song Dynasty coincided with
the beginning of the well-known Medieval Warm
Period in Europe and Greenland.”
—————–

National Science Foundation
Ñews Release: 6-Nov-2008

Dry spells spelled trouble in ancient China
Weakening of summer monsoons to blame

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Climate & the East Coast: “Dramatic” and “Extensive” Effects

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————————————————
” … has led to dramatic ecosystem shifts as far south as North Carolina
and extensive geographic range shifts of many plant and animal species.”
———————————————–

News Release
Public release date: 6-Nov-2008

Cornell University

Evidence found for climate-driven ecological shifts
in North Atlantic, says Cornell study

ITHACA, N.Y. – While Earth has experienced numerous changes in
climate over the past 65 million years, recent decades have
experienced the most significant climate change since the beginning
of human civilized societies about 5,000 years ago, says a new
Cornell University study.

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Norway: Climate Change, Snowpack, and Lemmings

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REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
Wed Nov 5, 2008 1:36pm EST

Lemmings in Norway hit by global warming: study
By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent

OSLO (Reuters)-Lemming numbers are dwindling in
Norway because of climate change, ending a
historic cycle of population booms and busts that
inspired a myth of mass suicides by the rodents,
scientists said on Wednesday.

Fewer lemmings-small brown, black or yellowish
mammals-in the mountains of south Norway meant
predators such as the Arctic fox were forced to
eat other prey including grouse and ptarmigan
birds.

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