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Glacial Melt And Ocean Warming Drive Sea Level Upward

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The average sea level around the world has risen a total of 222 millimeters (mm) since 1875, which means an annual rate of 1.7 mm. Yet at the end of this long period, from 1993 to 2009, the sea level rose 3.0 mm per year—a much faster rate. An estimated 30 percent of the sea level increase since 1993 is a result of warmer ocean temperatures that cause the water to expand (thermal expansion). Another 55 percent of the increase results from the melting of land-based ice, mainly from glaciers and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.

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Glacial Melt And Ocean Warming Drive Sea Level Upward

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The average sea level around the world has risen a total of 222 millimeters (mm) since 1875, which means an annual rate of 1.7 mm.1 (See Figure 1.) Yet at the end of this long period, from 1993 to 2009, the sea level rose 3.0 mm per year—a much faster rate.2 An estimated 30 percent of the sea level increase since 1993 is a result of warmer ocean temperatures that cause the water to expand (thermal expansion).3 Another 55 percent of the increase results from the melting of land-based ice, mainly from glaciers and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.4 (Sea ice that melts does not contribute t

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More Than One Out Of Three U.S. Counties Face Water Shortages Due To Climate Change

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Greatest Risks Seen in 14 States: AZ, AR, CA, CO, FL, ID, KS, MS, MT, NE, NV, NM, OK and TX;WASHINGTON (July 20, 2010) -- More than 1,100 U.S. counties -- a full one-third of all counties in the lower 48 states -- now face higher risks of water shortages by mid-century as the result of global warming, and more than 400 of these counties will be at extremely high risk for water shortages, based on estimates from a new report by Tetra Tech for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

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Near-Term Emissions Choices Could Lock In Climate Changes For Centuries To Millennia; Report Estimates Impacts From Various Levels Of Warming

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WASHINGTON — Choices made now about carbon dioxide emissions reductions will affect climate change impacts experienced not just over the next few decades but also in coming centuries and millennia, says a new report from the National Research Council. Because CO2 in the atmosphere is long lived, it can effectively lock the Earth and future generations into a range of impacts, some of which could become very severe.

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Renewable Energy Surpasses Fossil Fuels Second Year In A Row

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Renewable energy topped fossil fuels and nuclear for the second year in a row in the USA and Europe in 2009, according to the Global Wind Energy Association (GWEC).Renewable energy accounted for 60% of new capacity installed in Europe and over 50% of new capacity in the USA in 2009. Renewable energy represented 25% of global electricity capacity in 2009 with 1230 GW of the total 4.8 TW. Renewable energy also accounted for 18% of global power production.

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Multiple Heat Waves Cap Planet’s Warming Trend

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Climatewire: This time, the heat is really on. From Boston to Washington, D.C., temperatures have soared to 100 degrees or more in recent days, stressing electrical grids, scrambling rail transportation and prompting the swift creation of cooling centers for those who lack air conditioning. Central Canada, portions of the Middle East and China are also coping with searing heat.

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Mobile Phone And Internet Use Grows Robustly

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Mobile Phone and Internet Use Grows Robustly The use of mobile telephones and the Internet continues to grow worldwide, and the two technologies are increasingly becoming integrated through advances like Internet-ready “smart” phones. In 2009, mobile phone subscriptions hit the 4.6 billion mark, doubling in less than four years. Their use has increased worldwide at over 21 percent annually over the past five years, and subscriptions are projected to reach 5 billion in 2010.

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Solar-Power Plane Stays Aloft For 26 Hours

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BERN, Switzerland, July 8 (UPI) -- A solar-powered plane completed its test flight, staying aloft for 26 hours and 9 minutes before landing near in Bern, Switzerland, its pilot said Thursday. The record-setting feat caps seven years of planning, bringing the Swiss-led project a step closer to its goal of circling the globe using only solar energy, The Daily Mail of London reported. "We achieved more than we wanted.

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