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Climate Change Could Boost U.S. Dengue Fever Cases

"Climate change could push dengue fever into all corners of the United States, as the mosquitoes that can carry the traditionally tropical virus survive warmer U.S. winters, researchers said on Wednesday...Two species of mosquitoes capable of transmitting dengue fever have been spotted in 28 states and Washington D.C., according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Cases of the disease have been reported in every U.S. state, but many of those are so-called imported cases where the patient was infected by mosquitoes elsewhere in the world.  Dengue fever, a long-standing problem in tropical areas, was until recently rare in most of the United States, except along the Texas-Mexico border. That could be changing due to a range of factors including global warming, scientists at the Natural Resources Defense Council said in a report." [Reuters]

Major Nations Drop Goal Of Halving C02 By 2050

"Major nations have failed to agree to set a goal halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, according to a draft document ahead of talks on Thursday - a setback to efforts to secure a new U.N. climate pact. Negotiations involving senior officials from the 17-nation Major Economies Forum broke down overnight after China and India opposed any mention of the target." [Reuters]

But...

Group of 8 Agrees On a Ceiling for Temperature Rise

"The world's leading industrial nations tentatively agreed Wednesday to try to prevent global temperatures from rising above a fixed level, after a more far-reaching proposal to slash production of greenhouse gases fizzled, according to U.S. and European negotiators.  Leaders meeting here for the Group of Eight summit said they would pledge to keep temperatures from rising more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above average levels of more than a century ago, before large-scale industrial pollution occurred."   [Washington Post]

Nasa satellites reveal extent of Arctic sea ice loss

"The Earth is going thin on top. A new study has revealed that the Arctic Ocean's permanent blanket of ice around the North Pole has thinned by more than 40% since 2004.  Scientists said the rapid loss was "remarkable" and could force experts to reassess how quickly the Arctic ice in the summer may disappear completely. They blame the loss on global warming, which has driven temperatures in the Arctic to record highs and summer ice extent to recent lows. [The Guardian]

AUDIO

Mining The Minerals That Power Your Gadgets

"Politicians like to show off pictures of wind turbines, hybrid cars, and other green hi-tech. The idea is to get more of that in America, and maybe even make more of it here. Shawn Allee of The Environment Report found there's a chance all of this could be complicated by the supply of key green-tech ingredients." [Environment Report]