Story Archives of 'climate change'

From the coast of Australia to the shores of the Maldives public officials are looking out at the ocean with increasing alarm.

A report presented at the International Scientific Congress on Climate Change predicts that sea level could rise as much as three feet by the year 2100. If these predictions come to pass, entire cities and even countries would be wiped out, turning citizens into refugees. Some researchers predict that 75 million Pacific Islanders will be forced to relocate by 2050.

Last week, an Australian parliamentary committee recommended a ban on coastal development. One official there said bans would be necessary if the government wanted to prevent, “a major loss of life” if erratic weather patterns and rising seas continue.

Joining us with more is geophysicist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry Pollack. Pollack is the author of A World Without Ice which delves into what the rapid disappearance of ice would mean for millions on the planet.

(Drawing by Oxfam International via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Citizens of Sydney, Australia described it like this: an immense orange wave charging in from the distance. Thick with dust... roiling... billowing up from the horizon. And then dust, choking dust, coating everything in a layer of orange soot.

Dust storms form all over the world, especially East Africa, China, the Middle East, and the American Southwest. Within the thick storm cloud are harmful particulates, bacteria, viruses and plant pathogens that can travel huge distances and can easily be inhaled. Although some point to the Sydney storm as evidence of climate change, some scientists also believe that dust storms can help mitigate climate change. The dense, iron-rich dust blocks the sun’s rays, and provides nutrients for ocean phytoplankton and rainforests in Brazil.
Bill Sprigg is a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Arizona, and he joins us to talk about the choking and fertilizing effects of dust storms.

Guardian: Dust storms spread deadly diseases worldwide

Videos from the Australian dust storms:

Video from a 2007 dust storm in Phoenix, Arizona:

(Photo courtesy NSW Maritime via Flickr/Creative Commons)