A GLOBAL trend towards increasing weather-related disasters was confirmed in 2008, the second deadliest year in the past decade for natural catastrophes, an annual Red Cross report said on Tuesday.
The number of people reported killed by natural disasters last year - a total of 235,736 - was surpassed only in 2004, the year of the Indian Ocean tsunami, said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The 2008 toll was accounted for mainly by two events in Asia - Cyclone Nargis, which left over 138,000 people dead or missing in Myanmar, and the Sichuan earthquake, which killed more than 87,000 people in China.
Damage from natural disasters cost more than US$181 billion (S$265 billion) last year, according to the report. More than three quarters of the disasters struck developing countries, which suffered 99 per cent of the deaths, Maarten van Aalst, an author of the report, told a news conference.
'We also see a confirmation of the trend that we've seen in the past decade of a rise in weather-related disasters, which is concerning us and putting an additional strain on our operations,' Mr van Aalst said.
'In the 1990s, we saw an average of about 200 natural weather-related disasters per year. In the past decade that's been on average about 350. Last year we had 297, which is... still well above what we've been used to in the past.'
Some experts have blamed the perceived rise in freak weather events on climate change caused by pollution. It is a controversial subject ahead of a conference in Copenhagen in December that is meant to impose tougher targets for greenhouse gas emissions.
'It is now highly likely that that extreme-weather events - floods, droughts and storms - will become more frequent and more severe. And we cannot say we have not been warned,' IFRC Secretary General Bekele Geleta said in a commentary.
'The disasters which climate change will trigger potentially threaten more lives and livelihoods than any before,' Mr Geleta said, adding that the world's response to the warning had so far been 'piecemeal.'
Trygve Nordby, a deputy to Mr Geleta, told the news conference he believed the Red Cross was succeeding in getting references to the humanitarian effects of climate change and the need for early action into the Copenhagen document.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Climate change is already having an impact across the US
Researchers representing 13 U.S. government science agencies, major universities and research institutes produced the study, "Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States." Commissioned in 2007, it is the most comprehensive report to date on national climate change, offering the latest information on rising temperatures, heavy downpours, extreme weather, sea level changes and other results of climate change in the U.S.
The 190-page report is a product of the interagency U.S. Global Change Research Program, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is written in accessible language, intended to better inform members of the public and policymakers about the social, environmental and economic costs of climate change. It focuses on effects by region and details how the nation's transportation, agriculture, health, water and energy sectors will be affected in the future.
In a press conference today, University of Illinois Harry E. Preble Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Don Wuebbles, a contributor to the assessment, outlined the current and predicted effects of climate change in the Midwest U.S.
"We well recognize that the earth's climate varies naturally and has been warmer and cooler in the past," Wuebbles said. "But we also know that the climate changes we are experiencing today are largely the result of human activities."
Average temperatures have risen in the Midwest in recent decades, Wuebbles said, especially in winter. The growing season has been extended by one week. Heavy downpours are now twice as frequent as they were a century ago, he said, and the Midwest has experienced two, record-breaking floods in the past 15 years.
These trends are expected to continue into the future, Wuebbles said. Average annual temperatures are expected to increase by about two degrees Fahrenheit over the next few decades, and by as much as seven to 10 degrees by the end of the century, he said, with more warming projected for summer than winter.
Precipitation is expected to increase in the winter and spring, while summer precipitation will likely decline.
"More of the precipitation is likely to occur during heavier events," Wuebbles said.
As temperatures and humidity increases, heat waves, reduced air quality and insect-borne diseases are more likely to occur. Pollen production and the growth of fungi will also be stimulated, he said.
Heavy downpours can overload drainage systems and water treatment facilities, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, he said.
The Great Lakes, which contain 20 percent of the planet's fresh surface water, will also be affected by the changing climate, Wuebbles said. Depending on the extent of climate change, average water levels in the Great Lakes could drop by as much as two feet in this century, he said. This would affect beaches, coastal ecosystems, fish populations, dredging requirements and shipping.
Some of the effects of the changing climate are inevitable and will require human and animal populations to adapt, Wuebbles said. Other effects can be mitigated by limiting future emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, he said.
The 190-page report is a product of the interagency U.S. Global Change Research Program, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is written in accessible language, intended to better inform members of the public and policymakers about the social, environmental and economic costs of climate change. It focuses on effects by region and details how the nation's transportation, agriculture, health, water and energy sectors will be affected in the future.
In a press conference today, University of Illinois Harry E. Preble Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Don Wuebbles, a contributor to the assessment, outlined the current and predicted effects of climate change in the Midwest U.S.
"We well recognize that the earth's climate varies naturally and has been warmer and cooler in the past," Wuebbles said. "But we also know that the climate changes we are experiencing today are largely the result of human activities."
Average temperatures have risen in the Midwest in recent decades, Wuebbles said, especially in winter. The growing season has been extended by one week. Heavy downpours are now twice as frequent as they were a century ago, he said, and the Midwest has experienced two, record-breaking floods in the past 15 years.
These trends are expected to continue into the future, Wuebbles said. Average annual temperatures are expected to increase by about two degrees Fahrenheit over the next few decades, and by as much as seven to 10 degrees by the end of the century, he said, with more warming projected for summer than winter.
Precipitation is expected to increase in the winter and spring, while summer precipitation will likely decline.
"More of the precipitation is likely to occur during heavier events," Wuebbles said.
As temperatures and humidity increases, heat waves, reduced air quality and insect-borne diseases are more likely to occur. Pollen production and the growth of fungi will also be stimulated, he said.
Heavy downpours can overload drainage systems and water treatment facilities, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, he said.
The Great Lakes, which contain 20 percent of the planet's fresh surface water, will also be affected by the changing climate, Wuebbles said. Depending on the extent of climate change, average water levels in the Great Lakes could drop by as much as two feet in this century, he said. This would affect beaches, coastal ecosystems, fish populations, dredging requirements and shipping.
Some of the effects of the changing climate are inevitable and will require human and animal populations to adapt, Wuebbles said. Other effects can be mitigated by limiting future emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, he said.
Govt to introduce climate change bills
The Rudd government will introduce another key climate change bill to parliament on Wednesday ahead of a Senate showdown on emissions trading.
The draft laws underpin the mandatory renewable energy target scheme and include a legislated target of 45,000 gigawatt-hours by 2020.
The government is insisting its legislation on renewable energy targets are tied to a package of 11 bills that aim to set up an emissions trading scheme by July 2011.
Labor has no support for its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in the upper house where it lacks the numbers to pass legislation on its own, but it has more backing from non-government senators for its renewable energy targets.
The Senate is expected to debate all the climate change bills next week.
The draft laws underpin the mandatory renewable energy target scheme and include a legislated target of 45,000 gigawatt-hours by 2020.
The government is insisting its legislation on renewable energy targets are tied to a package of 11 bills that aim to set up an emissions trading scheme by July 2011.
Labor has no support for its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in the upper house where it lacks the numbers to pass legislation on its own, but it has more backing from non-government senators for its renewable energy targets.
The Senate is expected to debate all the climate change bills next week.
Green storage has limited ROI, but supports overall efficiency
care deeply about the environment, certainly more than I care personally about money, so it pains me to say that in most cases, making storage decisions based on power expenditure alone is not rational behavior. The world is driven by economics, and the stark reality is that the cost of power represents a drop in the bucket compared to the amount organizations spend on acquiring and managing their enterprise storage systems. Maybe some day a consumption tax or cap and trade system will tip the balance towards more responsible consumption of non-renewable resources, but in the meantime, the pricing of power (especially in the US) doesn’t give much economic incentive for good behavior. In fact, according to a report Forrester published recently, the amount of money typically spent on electricity to power and cool a TB of storage is only about 1% of the cost of buying that TB of storage (or about 4% of the annualized cost of buying that storage given that you only have to buy the TB once every 3-5 years but you power it every year). So, unfortunately for the environment, power cost itself doesn’t provide a very strong incentive for storage efficiency.
Fortunately though, the things that enterprises can do to reduce their power consumption costs are often the exact same things they can do to reduce the capital and operating expenses of their overall storage environment. Focusing on improving utilization (measured as the quantity of data written divided by the quantity of storage on hand) and increased usage of dense drives are the most straightforward and effective ways to reduce hardware acquisition costs as well as power consumption. There are many ways to achieve these objectives such as thin provisioning, reporting and reclamation to improve utilization and tiering or wide striping to enable more use of dense drives. Whatever the motivation, economic, altruistic or a combination of both, organizations that put significant focus on their utilization and dense drive ratios are likely to spend less money and be greener at the same time. And that’s good for everybody.
Andrew Reichman serves IT Infrastructure & Operations professionals. His focus is on data storage systems, networking, and management software, as well as the business processes required for effective storage management.
Forrester Research, Inc. is an independent research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business and technology. Forrester works with professionals in 19 key roles at major companies providing proprietary research, consumer insight, consulting, events, and peer-to-peer executive programs. For more than 25 years, Forrester has been making IT, marketing, and technology industry leaders successful every day. For more information, visit www.forrester.com
Fortunately though, the things that enterprises can do to reduce their power consumption costs are often the exact same things they can do to reduce the capital and operating expenses of their overall storage environment. Focusing on improving utilization (measured as the quantity of data written divided by the quantity of storage on hand) and increased usage of dense drives are the most straightforward and effective ways to reduce hardware acquisition costs as well as power consumption. There are many ways to achieve these objectives such as thin provisioning, reporting and reclamation to improve utilization and tiering or wide striping to enable more use of dense drives. Whatever the motivation, economic, altruistic or a combination of both, organizations that put significant focus on their utilization and dense drive ratios are likely to spend less money and be greener at the same time. And that’s good for everybody.
Andrew Reichman serves IT Infrastructure & Operations professionals. His focus is on data storage systems, networking, and management software, as well as the business processes required for effective storage management.
Forrester Research, Inc. is an independent research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business and technology. Forrester works with professionals in 19 key roles at major companies providing proprietary research, consumer insight, consulting, events, and peer-to-peer executive programs. For more than 25 years, Forrester has been making IT, marketing, and technology industry leaders successful every day. For more information, visit www.forrester.com
Revealed: climate change impact on US
The White House has released a new report which it hopes will help to galvanise support for climate change legislation in the United States.
The report is the first issued since Barack Obama became President and it contains the strongest language on climate change to come out of the White House.
A lead author of the report, Dr Jerry Melillo, says climate change is fact, not opinion.
"It is clear that climate change is happening now. The observed climate changes we report are not opinions to be debated. They are facts to be dealt with," he said.
The nearly 200-page document is a joint venture between the White House and 13 federal agencies.
It has been released as the US Congress considers legislation that imposes the first national cap on emissions while also seeking to reduce them.
Mr Obama's chief science adviser, John Holdren, says action must be taken.
"Action needs to include both measures to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping pollution that are driving this problem and measures to adapt to the part of climate change we can't avoid," he said.
The report compiles years of scientific research and updates it with new data, painting a bleaker picture of global warming in the United States than has been done before.
It reveals that the average temperature in the US has risen 2 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 50 years, and might rise by up to 11 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100.
It warns the number of deaths from heat waves could double in Los Angeles and quadruple in Chicago if emissions are not reduced.
Sea levels are also expected to rise, with the area near New York City one of the worst hit.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Jane Lubchenco says humans are to blame.
"We're also reporting today with greater confidence than ever before that human activities are the main cause of the changes we see underway," she said.
"I really believe this report is a game changer, I think that much of the foot dragging in addressing climate change is a reflection of the perception that climate change is way down the road, it's in the future.
"And this report demonstrates, provides the concrete scientific information, that says unequivocally that climate change is happening now."
Meanwhile the United Nations is warning of what it calls "megadisasters" in the world's biggest cities unless more is done to heed the threat of climate change.
It says tens of millions of people are highly exposed because they live in big cities that would be threatened by rising sea levels or earthquakes.
And a new report from the Red Cross likens forecasting the impact of global warming to rolling a dice saying: "confronted with global warming, we know the dice is loaded".
The report is the first issued since Barack Obama became President and it contains the strongest language on climate change to come out of the White House.
A lead author of the report, Dr Jerry Melillo, says climate change is fact, not opinion.
"It is clear that climate change is happening now. The observed climate changes we report are not opinions to be debated. They are facts to be dealt with," he said.
The nearly 200-page document is a joint venture between the White House and 13 federal agencies.
It has been released as the US Congress considers legislation that imposes the first national cap on emissions while also seeking to reduce them.
Mr Obama's chief science adviser, John Holdren, says action must be taken.
"Action needs to include both measures to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping pollution that are driving this problem and measures to adapt to the part of climate change we can't avoid," he said.
The report compiles years of scientific research and updates it with new data, painting a bleaker picture of global warming in the United States than has been done before.
It reveals that the average temperature in the US has risen 2 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 50 years, and might rise by up to 11 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100.
It warns the number of deaths from heat waves could double in Los Angeles and quadruple in Chicago if emissions are not reduced.
Sea levels are also expected to rise, with the area near New York City one of the worst hit.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Jane Lubchenco says humans are to blame.
"We're also reporting today with greater confidence than ever before that human activities are the main cause of the changes we see underway," she said.
"I really believe this report is a game changer, I think that much of the foot dragging in addressing climate change is a reflection of the perception that climate change is way down the road, it's in the future.
"And this report demonstrates, provides the concrete scientific information, that says unequivocally that climate change is happening now."
Meanwhile the United Nations is warning of what it calls "megadisasters" in the world's biggest cities unless more is done to heed the threat of climate change.
It says tens of millions of people are highly exposed because they live in big cities that would be threatened by rising sea levels or earthquakes.
And a new report from the Red Cross likens forecasting the impact of global warming to rolling a dice saying: "confronted with global warming, we know the dice is loaded".
Revealed: climate change impact on US
The White House has released a new report which it hopes will help to galvanise support for climate change legislation in the United States.
The report is the first issued since Barack Obama became President and it contains the strongest language on climate change to come out of the White House.
A lead author of the report, Dr Jerry Melillo, says climate change is fact, not opinion.
"It is clear that climate change is happening now. The observed climate changes we report are not opinions to be debated. They are facts to be dealt with," he said.
The nearly 200-page document is a joint venture between the White House and 13 federal agencies.
It has been released as the US Congress considers legislation that imposes the first national cap on emissions while also seeking to reduce them.
Mr Obama's chief science adviser, John Holdren, says action must be taken.
"Action needs to include both measures to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping pollution that are driving this problem and measures to adapt to the part of climate change we can't avoid," he said.
The report compiles years of scientific research and updates it with new data, painting a bleaker picture of global warming in the United States than has been done before.
It reveals that the average temperature in the US has risen 2 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 50 years, and might rise by up to 11 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100.
It warns the number of deaths from heat waves could double in Los Angeles and quadruple in Chicago if emissions are not reduced.
Sea levels are also expected to rise, with the area near New York City one of the worst hit.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Jane Lubchenco says humans are to blame.
"We're also reporting today with greater confidence than ever before that human activities are the main cause of the changes we see underway," she said.
"I really believe this report is a game changer, I think that much of the foot dragging in addressing climate change is a reflection of the perception that climate change is way down the road, it's in the future.
"And this report demonstrates, provides the concrete scientific information, that says unequivocally that climate change is happening now."
Meanwhile the United Nations is warning of what it calls "megadisasters" in the world's biggest cities unless more is done to heed the threat of climate change.
It says tens of millions of people are highly exposed because they live in big cities that would be threatened by rising sea levels or earthquakes.
And a new report from the Red Cross likens forecasting the impact of global warming to rolling a dice saying: "confronted with global warming, we know the dice is loaded".
The report is the first issued since Barack Obama became President and it contains the strongest language on climate change to come out of the White House.
A lead author of the report, Dr Jerry Melillo, says climate change is fact, not opinion.
"It is clear that climate change is happening now. The observed climate changes we report are not opinions to be debated. They are facts to be dealt with," he said.
The nearly 200-page document is a joint venture between the White House and 13 federal agencies.
It has been released as the US Congress considers legislation that imposes the first national cap on emissions while also seeking to reduce them.
Mr Obama's chief science adviser, John Holdren, says action must be taken.
"Action needs to include both measures to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping pollution that are driving this problem and measures to adapt to the part of climate change we can't avoid," he said.
The report compiles years of scientific research and updates it with new data, painting a bleaker picture of global warming in the United States than has been done before.
It reveals that the average temperature in the US has risen 2 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 50 years, and might rise by up to 11 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100.
It warns the number of deaths from heat waves could double in Los Angeles and quadruple in Chicago if emissions are not reduced.
Sea levels are also expected to rise, with the area near New York City one of the worst hit.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Jane Lubchenco says humans are to blame.
"We're also reporting today with greater confidence than ever before that human activities are the main cause of the changes we see underway," she said.
"I really believe this report is a game changer, I think that much of the foot dragging in addressing climate change is a reflection of the perception that climate change is way down the road, it's in the future.
"And this report demonstrates, provides the concrete scientific information, that says unequivocally that climate change is happening now."
Meanwhile the United Nations is warning of what it calls "megadisasters" in the world's biggest cities unless more is done to heed the threat of climate change.
It says tens of millions of people are highly exposed because they live in big cities that would be threatened by rising sea levels or earthquakes.
And a new report from the Red Cross likens forecasting the impact of global warming to rolling a dice saying: "confronted with global warming, we know the dice is loaded".
Gindalbie job losses blamed on ‘green tape’
Gindalbie Metals has blamed delays in receiving environmental approval for the $1.8 billion Karara iron ore project in the Mid-West for its decision to axe one in five jobs.
The 21 per cent cut to Gindalbie’s workforce, which will make 24 out of 113 positions redundant, includes Andrew Munkton’s position as operations general manager.
Gindalbie, which also blamed the global financial crisis for the cost-cutting measure, said it would cancel activities such as regional exploration to focus solely on Karara.
In addition to the exploration team, other jobs to face the cut relate to Karara’s start-up, which is facing delays because of troubles to obtain all the necessary regulatory approvals.
Only two key approvals remain outstanding — environmental goahead from the WA Government and Chinese sign-off for AnSteel to inject $162 million into Gindalbie.
Chinese approval is expected any time.
But doubts remain over the timing of the environmental approval, given that Gindalbie appealed against part of the Environmental Protection Authority’s recommendation to conditionally allow Karara’s development. Gindalbie expects to have to wait at least another three months before receiving final government go-ahead.
Only two years ago Gindalbie had targeted first magnetite production from Karara by next year. The target date has since been pushed back to the first half of 2011, if Gindalbie is able to start construction by the December quarter this year.
“We are not cutting staff because the project has stopped,” a Gindalbie spokesman said yesterday.
“It’s going ahead but it has been delayed and we are cutting back on regional exploration.”
Gindalbie is not the only Mid-West iron ore hopeful struggling to deal with the lengthy regulatory process.
The Chinese-owned Sinosteel Midwest is appealing against an adverse EPA recommendation regarding development of its Koolanooka-Blue Hills hematite project.
The two-week appeals period closed last night and a Sinosteel spokesman said it was encouraged by the show of support its had received from a cross-section of the Mid-West community keen to see the iron ore project developed.
As well as much-needed jobs in the region, Gindalbie and Sinosteel are being relied on to provide iron ore to underpin the development of the public-private $1.5 billion Oakajee port project, north of Geraldton.
The 21 per cent cut to Gindalbie’s workforce, which will make 24 out of 113 positions redundant, includes Andrew Munkton’s position as operations general manager.
Gindalbie, which also blamed the global financial crisis for the cost-cutting measure, said it would cancel activities such as regional exploration to focus solely on Karara.
In addition to the exploration team, other jobs to face the cut relate to Karara’s start-up, which is facing delays because of troubles to obtain all the necessary regulatory approvals.
Only two key approvals remain outstanding — environmental goahead from the WA Government and Chinese sign-off for AnSteel to inject $162 million into Gindalbie.
Chinese approval is expected any time.
But doubts remain over the timing of the environmental approval, given that Gindalbie appealed against part of the Environmental Protection Authority’s recommendation to conditionally allow Karara’s development. Gindalbie expects to have to wait at least another three months before receiving final government go-ahead.
Only two years ago Gindalbie had targeted first magnetite production from Karara by next year. The target date has since been pushed back to the first half of 2011, if Gindalbie is able to start construction by the December quarter this year.
“We are not cutting staff because the project has stopped,” a Gindalbie spokesman said yesterday.
“It’s going ahead but it has been delayed and we are cutting back on regional exploration.”
Gindalbie is not the only Mid-West iron ore hopeful struggling to deal with the lengthy regulatory process.
The Chinese-owned Sinosteel Midwest is appealing against an adverse EPA recommendation regarding development of its Koolanooka-Blue Hills hematite project.
The two-week appeals period closed last night and a Sinosteel spokesman said it was encouraged by the show of support its had received from a cross-section of the Mid-West community keen to see the iron ore project developed.
As well as much-needed jobs in the region, Gindalbie and Sinosteel are being relied on to provide iron ore to underpin the development of the public-private $1.5 billion Oakajee port project, north of Geraldton.
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