Environment - Global Warming

As if we needed further evidence. Eleven people died in Romania, five in Austria and two in Bulgaria as a result of a heat wave that scorched that country. Meanwhile, Britain saw its worst floods in 200 years. People have been displaced from their homes, their houses and belongings destroyed, and lives have geen lost.

Over 40 fires have broken out in Italy. The government believes that arsonists are behind these fires. A week ago, beachgoers on the Italian coastline had to be evacuated by air and sea as fires roared towards them.

In Greece,180 fires broke out in the middle of July, including one which destroyed a monastery in Corinth; the following week, 63 fires broke out. So far, 15 people have died.

In Tibet, the pace of warming has picked up. The glaciers continue to melt, ever faster.

In Indonesia, heavy rains in July caused landslides, killing approximately 32 people and destroying bridges and homes.

A drought in the Philippines is threatening the livelihood of farmers there, as well as possibly causing power problems. If rains do not occur in August, as expected, several hundred thousand may require food assistance.

In Japan, Typhoon Usagi, which injured some 18 people previously, is now thought to have washed away two children, who have been reported missing.

In India, scientists record the effect of the haze from cooking fires and warn of glacier retreat. Floods in South Asia, meanwhile, have killed 1400 and left 25 million people displaced from their homes.

In China, the death toll resulting from recent freak weather has reached 700.

In other news, rising sea levels threaten the production of rice, which is a staple food for nearly 3 billion, or half the world's population.

In a recent article, Nature points out that rising ozone levels could stunt plant growth.

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