2014 Will Be The Hottest Year On Record
Source: 'The Guardian' According to data from NOAA, 2014 is sure to set a new temperature record For those of us fixated on whether 2014 will be the hottest year on record, the results are in. At least, we know enough that we can make the call. According the global data from NOAA, 2014 will be the hottest year ever recorded. I can make this pronouncement even before the end of the year because each month, I collect daily global average temperatures. So far, December is running about 0.5°C above the average. The climate and weather models predict that the next week will be about 0.75°C above average. This means, December will come in around 0.6°C above average. Are these daily values accurate? Well the last two months they have been within 0.05°C of the final official results. What does this all mean? Well, when I combine December with the year-to-date as officially reported, I predict the annual temperature anomaly will be 0.674°C. This beats the prior record by 0.024°C. That is a big margin in terms of global temperatures.
Warming Oceans Are Bleaching Coral Reefs, Putting Ecosystems at Risk
Source: Common Dreams Increase in ocean temperatures 'may not seem like a lot but it makes a big difference to corals,' scientists say by Deirdre Fulton, staff writer Global warming is 'bleaching' coral reefs across the entire northern Pacific, scientists said Monday, warning that the phenomenon—caused in part by warming ocean temperatures—puts entire ecosystems at risk. "The worst coral bleaching event ever recorded for the Marshall Islands has been occurring since mid-September," Karl Fellenius, a Majuro-based marine scientist with the University of Hawaii told AFP. Major bleaching has also been documented near Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and Kiribati. "When a coral reef bleaches, it's a lot more than just what happens to the individual corals, it's affecting the entire ecosystem present on that reef." —Mark Eakin, NOAA
Documents Show Navy’s Electromagnetic Warfare Training Would Harm Humans and Wildlife
Source: Truthout, article by Dahr Jamail If the US Navy gets its way, it will begin flying Growler supersonic warplanes over Olympic National Forest and wilderness areas of the Western Olympic Peninsula next September in order to conduct electromagnetic warfare training exercises. As Truthout previously reported, this would entail flying 36 jets down to 1,200 feet above ground in some areas, in 2,900 training exercises lasting up to 16 hours per day, 260 days per year, with the war-gaming going on indefinitely into the future. The Navy's plans also include having 15 mobile units on the ground with towers emitting electromagnetic radiation signals for the planes to locate as part of their exercises. The Navy appeared to attempt to slide their plans by the public by choosing not to advertise public comment periods and meetings in the local media of the areas where their war games would be taking place. However, word got out and the Navy has had to extend public comment periods and hold more public meetings. Navy personnel have been met with outrage, anger and a growing concern from the public about the negative health impacts to humans and wildlife in the areas where their war games are planned. The Navy's response has been to point people toward their own so-called environmental assessment (EA), and claim that "no significant impacts" will occur to wildlife or humans from their electromagnetic war games.