The Himalayas reached their highest temperature on record. The glacial melting will likely lead to flash floods and drought in the region. Two hundred and fifty thousand carbon permits worth over $4 million were stolen from German firms in an online phishing scheme. The Pentagon stated that climate change is likely to increase political instability around the world. Osama bin Laden reportedly called for the U.S. to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, prompting conservative bloggers to wonder, “What is the difference between bin Laden and Al Gore?” Barack Obama called for an expansion of offshore oil drilling. A recent study found that trees in the eastern U.S. may be growing faster as the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rises. Scientists proposed releasing particles of sea salt into the atmosphere in order to reflect solar radiation back into space. Tidal waves in the Pacific are growing in amplitude. Atmospheric carbon dioxide has led to increasing acidification of the oceans, threatening aquatic life globally. Climate change is harming populations of butterflies in California and the Indonesian capital of Jakarta is sinking due to excessive groundwater extraction.
Once a month, Earth on tickertape covers global climate change and environmental issues.