CSU forecasts five major hurricanes in 2011 season
Colorado State University forecasters predicted the Atlantic hurricane season that began on Wednesday would be a busy one with 16 tropical storms and nine of those growing into hurricanes. They said there was a 47 percent chance that a major hurricane would make landfall along the U.S. coast of the Gulf of Mexico, where major oil and gas facilities are clustered. The CSU outlook is in line with those of other meteorologists who issue seasonal forecasts, all of whom expect an above-average year.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/01/us-hurricane-forecast-csu-idUS...
Little rain for Europe before June
Parts of central Europe received than 40 percent of their mean rainfall from February to April. Dry conditions are expected to continue in most parts of Europe adding pressure to the commodity market. The unusually dry spring in top EU wheat producers France, Germany and Britain has revived drought fears after a dry summer in 2010 ravaged Russian and Ukrainian wheat harvests -- driving a surge in food prices around the world.News report:Little rain for Europe's farmers before June - LONDON (Reuters) - Drought in much of Europe looks set to continue with little relief for parched farmland until June at the earliest, forecasters say.
[Reuters Environment]
Call for Climate Protection Projects in Developing, Newly Industrializing and Transition Countries
The International Climate Initiative launched by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) of Germany supports climate protection projects in developing, newly industrialising and transition countries ("partner countries") and complements the Federal Government's existing international, multi- and bilateral cooperation.
Carbon cycle sensitivity to climate
The processes controlling the carbon flux and carbon storage of the atmosphere, ocean and terrestrial biosphere are temperature sensitive. Those are likely to provide a positive feedback leading to amplified anthropogenic warming as suggested by recent studies.
$100 billion fund suggested by Billionaire Soros
Billionaire financier George Soros suggested a total of $100 billion can be raised and given as green loans to poor nations backed by International Monetary Fund gold reserves.