Some environmental — and weather — news from the day’s papers.
Gloom of the day. A study has shown that the Sea of Japan just isn’t absorbing the same levels of carbon dioxide as before. Which means the sea’s carbon offset potential is diminished. Global warming, it seems, is a truly vicious cycle, with warmer climates meaning oceans are unable to take as much C02 as before. Kitack Lee, of Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea, explains that the “increase in atmospheric temperature due to global warming can profoundly influence the ocean ventilation, thereby decreasing the uptake rate of CO2.” The findings, he says, are unlikely to be confined to the Sea of Japan.
Too early for two-headed fish verdict. Last year, thousands of two-headed australian bass larvae were found in the Noosa River — they all died within two days of hatching. Cue inevitable pop culture reference:
But the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, which is investigating the matter, says it’s too early to blame chemicals used by a nearby macadamia farm for the mutant fish. Reports the ABC, Queensland’s chief biosecurity officer Ron Glanville says “we’ve tested a range of samples from the farm and we’ve had inspectors visit the farm next door just to inspect their records.” His conclusion: nothing fishy so far.
Charlotte’s lakes. Cyclone Charlotte might have been downgraded to a tropical low after crossing the western coast of Cape York but the heavy torrential rain has turned North Queensland canefields into lakes and cut the Bruce Highway, reports Stock & Land. Cairns had 278mm of rain yesterday.
Animal emergencies. For more than twenty years, the Massachusetts Audubon Society — the largest conservation organisation in New England — has sponsored a wildlife help line, “to promote better wildlife/human interactions”. The Boston Globe interviews one lady, who’s been on the phone for years, answering all kinds of queries. Naturally the paper is curious to know about some of the oddest critter queries. Linda Cocca indulges the journo with a few tales:
* A lady called because she had lured a male, wild turkey into her kitchen a few weeks earlier to feed it and now it was bringing other turkeys with it but she only wanted one!
* A woman called because there was an owl on the railing of her 3rd floor balcony and she thought it was frightened because it was up so high.
* A man asked if he scattered his dog’s ashes in the woods where his dog liked to walk, would the birds eat the ashes?
