Great Devastation at the Great Barrier Reef

Great Devastation at the Great Barrier Reef

Soaring ocean temperatures caused by the global climate crisis and amplified by El Nino have caused another mass bleaching event for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. This is the 7th mass bleaching event to hit there, and 5th in the last 8 years. The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef, covering nearly 133,000 square miles and home to more than 1,500 species of fish and 411 species of hard corals. It contributes billions of dollars annually to Australia’s economy as a tourist attraction and one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. However, warming ocean temperatures and the burning of fossil fuels are fueling the destructive bleaching of the reef. If ocean temperatures stabilize and fossil fuel burning is dramatically cut, the reef could recover.

Helen Regan, CNN

Half of U.S. Homes Face Severe Threat from Climate Change

According to a new report, nearly half of all homes in the United States are threatened by extreme weather conditions. Realtor.com found that roughly $22 trillion in residential properties are at risk of “severe or extreme damage” from flooding, high winds, wildfires, and heat or poor air quality. Economists say that such dangers can impact home prices, drive up insurance costs, and even destabilize the broader housing market. Nearly 36 million homes, a quarter of all U.S. real estate, are facing rising insurance costs and reduced coverage options due to mounting climate risks already. The climate risks are not contained to coastal areas threatened by rising sea levels and hurricanes, or even mountainous regions prone to wildfires, but extend to inland states as well due to increasing risks of flooding and poor air quality.

Alain Sherter, CBS News

Reductions in Sea Ice Help Tree Lines Spread North

A team of researchers found that reductions in sea ice in the Arctic are helping white spruce trees move north and up mountainsides. Research has shown that when large bodies of water grow warmer during the summer, they experience more evaporation in the winter, resulting in more snow falling on nearby land. Some trees, such as white spruce, are better able to survive in extremely cold environments when there is a lot of snow cover. In a new study, in parts of the Arctic where sea ice has been reduced due to climate change, water temperatures have risen, leading to more snow falling in the surrounding areas. That has lead to encroachment of tree lines. As tree lines encroach, they cover more land with greenery which absorbs heat and pushes the Arctic to grow warmer even faster.

Bob Yirka, Phys.org

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