Utah Might Get Rid Of Daylight Saving Time

As humans increase atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, oceans absorb some of the CO2.
The resulting drop in ocean pH, known as ocean acidification, has been called climate change's
"equally evil twin" by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco. Coral
reefs, which are an invaluable part of marine ecosystems and tourism economies, are threatened by
ocean warming and acidification. At the 2012 International Coral Reef Symposium in Cairns,
Australia, 2,600 scientists signed a petition calling for international action to preserve global coral
reefs, reported the BBC. Noting that 25 to 30 percent of the world's reefs are already "severely
degraded," the statement asserts that "climate-related stressors [represent] an unprecedented
challenge for the future of coral reefs and to the services they provide to people." A recent report
from the World Resources Institute found that the Coral Triangle, an important area from central
Southeast Asia to the edge of the western Pacific with many reefs, is threatened at a rate far greater
than the global average.
Winegrowers in France's Champagne region and scientists have already seen changes in the past 25
years, reported The New York Times last year. They have "noted major changes in their vineyards,
including an increased sugar content in the grapes from which they make their wine, with a
consequent decrease in acidity, and a harvest time that regularly comes two weeks earlier than it
once did." Last year, the Telegraph reported that Bordeaux, one of the world's most famous wine-
producing regions, may be "unsuitable for wine-growing by 2050." Yale Environment 360 explains
that many European wines are tied to a specific geographical area, creating a problem for regions
which may soon find themselves most suited to a new kind of grape. In the U.S., researchers at
Stanford University found that climate change could mean "50% less land suitable for cultivating
premium wine grapes in high-value areas of Northern California." A 2006 study published in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that "up to 81 percent" of "premium-win-
-grape production area" could decline in the U.S. by the end of this century, reported Wired. Without
any adaptation measures, wine-grape production could disappear from "many areas" of the country.
Wired notes, "By the law of supply and demand, that suggests the best wines of tomorrow will cost
even more than the ridiculous amounts they fetch today."
According to the USDA, bee populations are dropping nationwide. Wetter winters and rainy
summers make it harder for bees to get out and about to collect, leaving them to starve or become
malnourished and more prone to other diseases. This doesn't just mean a decline in honey. We rely
on bees to pollinate crops. When bees disappear, many food crops could also die off.
As global temperatures rise this century, sea levels are also expected to increase. South Florida may
be hit particularly hard. If greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, global sea levels could rise
over three feet by 2100, with a six foot rise possible. The U.S. Select Committee on Energy
Independence and Global Warming notes: This threatens to submerge Florida's coastal communities
and economies since roughly 9 percent of the state is within 5 feet of the existing sea level. Rising
sea level also threatens the beaches, wetlands, and mangrove forests that surround the state.
University of Florida professor Jack Putz said in 2008, "People have a hard time accepting that this is
happening here," reported the Tampa Bay Times. Seeing dead palm trees and other impacts "brings
a global problem right into our own back yard," he added. Click here to see a map showing what
different levels of sea level rise would look like for Florida and other states.
A November 2011 study found that polar bear litters are getting smaller as climate change causes
sea ice decline. According to World Wildlife Fund, the study "found that if spring sea ice break-up
occurs one month earlier than usual, 40-73 percent of pregnant females could fail to bring cubs to
term." The National Snow and Ice Data Center found that in 2010, Arctic sea ice was at its lowest
January level in 30 years. With decreased sea ice, polar bears may have greater trouble finding food
sources. This could lead to cannibalism, which has already been observed by photographers.
Environmental photojournalist Jenny Ross told BBC News in 2011, "There are increasing numbers of
observations of it occurring, particularly on land where polar bears are trapped ashore, completely
food-deprived for extended periods of time due to the loss of sea ice as a result of climate change."
Thanks to a failing peanut crop due to last summer's scorching hot weather, there was a shortage of
peanuts in supply at the end of 2011. If temperatures continue to rise, a jump in peanut butter prices
is just the prelude to what could be in store for the beloved spread.
A report released by the International Center For Tropical Agriculture warns chocolate could
become a luxury item if farmers don't adapt to rising temperatures in Ghana and the Ivory Coast,
where a majority of the world's cocoa is grown. The October 2011 report, funded by the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation, "calls for increased research into heat and drought resistant crops, and
to help transition cocoa farming to new regions that will be suitable for production in the future,"
reported ThinkProgress.
As average temperatures rise over the course of this century, states in the Southern U.S. are
expected to see a greater number of days with temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit each year.
Hotter temperatures will mean that football players in the South will face a greater risk of
hyperthermia, explains GE's TXCHNOLOGIST blog. ThinkProgress suggests, "Indeed, it is the
conservative southern U.S., especially the South central and South east, who have led the way in
blocking serious climate action, as it were, making yesterday's worst-case scenario into today's likely
outcome."
Bad news for allergy sufferers -- climate change, and specifically warmer temperatures, may bring
more pollen and ragweed, according to a 2011 study from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in
New York. Along with allergies, a changing climate may be tied to more infectious diseases.
According to one study, climate change could affect wild bird migratory patterns, increasing the
chances for human flu pandemics. Illnesses like Lyme disease could also become more prominent.
Famed for producing some of the world's best beer, Germany could suffer from a drop in production
due to climate change-induced water shortages. Barley and hops can only be grown with water, and
using cheaper alternatives like corn isn't possible in Germany because of strict regulations about
what you can make beer with. Research published earlier this year in the journal Nature Climate
Change found that "unless farmers develop more heat-tolerant corn varieties or gradually move corn
production from the United States into Canada, frequent heat waves will cause sharp price spikes,"
reported The New York Times. Price spikes for U.S. corn could affect prices of American
macrobrews made with an adjunct ingredient like corn.
With higher temperatures expected in northern latitudes in coming decades, the U.K. has begun a
program to develop strawberries that will survive in higher temperatures with less water. Since
chocolate also may be threatened, could sexy chocolate-covered strawberries, a Valentine's Day
staple, be endangered? According to The Telegraph, Dr. David Simpson, a scientist with England's
East Malling Research, said last year, "Consumer demand for fresh strawberries in the UK has been
growing year on year since the early 1990s. The British growers have done a great job of increasing
their productivity to satisfy this demand between April and October. The future will be challenging
due to the impacts of climate change and the withdrawal of many pesticides but the breeding
programme at EMR is using the latest scientific approaches to develop a range of varieties that will
meet the needs of our growers for the future."
Coffee lovers may want to get that caffeine fix before the treasured drink becomes a rare export.
Starbucks raised the issue last year when the company's director of sustainability told The Guardian
that climate change is threatening the supply chain for the Arabica coffee bean. Starbucks
Sustainability Director Jim Hanna told the paper, "What we are really seeing as a company as we
look 10, 20, 30 years down the road - if conditions continue as they are - is a potentially significant
risk to our supply chain, which is the Arabica coffee bean."
According to a 2011 U.S. Interior Department report, "annual flows in three prominent river basins -
the Colorado, Rio Grande and San Joaquin - could decline by as much [as] 8 percent to 14 percent
over the next four decades," reported the Associated Press. Expected changes in temperature and
precipitation are likely to alter river flows "with increased flooding possible in the winter due to
early snowmelt and water shortages in the summer due to reductions in spring and summer
runoffs." Mike Connor, commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, said, "Impacts to water are
on the leading edge of global climate change." Earlier this year, the Bureau of Reclamation asked
the public to suggest ideas for meeting future water demand around the Colorado River basin.
Reindeer, also known as "caribou" in North America, could face a difficult future in a warmer
climate. According to U.S. News & World Report, "Russell Graham, associate professor of
geosciences and director of the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum at Penn State University, says
global warming will most harm the animals adapted to the coldest environments, primarily those
accustomed to life in the Arctic." A 2008 study found that caribou in West Greenland are "now
arriving after peak foraging time, fewer calves are being born and more calves are dying," reported
ScienceNews.
It may be a bit harder to drown your pancakes in maple syrup in the future, studies suggest.
According to a 2010 Cornell University study, "maple syrup production in the Northeast is expected
to slightly decline by 2100, and the window for tapping trees will move earlier by about a month."
Additionally, most maple syrup production south of Pennsylvania "will likely be lost by 2100 due to
lack of freezing." Click here to watch one farmer's fight to save New Hampshire's sugar maples.
According to a 2002 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Defenders of Wildlife, a
warming planet does not bode well for species that thrive in cold streams. The study found that
"global warming is likely to spur the disappearance of trout and salmon from as much as 18 to 38
percent of their current habitat by the year 2090." A 2011 study published in the Proceedings of the
National Academies of Science produced "models [which] forecast significant declines in trout
habitat across the interior western United States in the 21st century," reported The New York
Times. The study claims, "The decline will have significant socioeconomic consequences as
recreational trout fisheries are valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars in the United States
alone."
According to a 2012 report from New Jersey-based nonprofit Climate Central, thousands of New
York City residents may be at risk for severe coastal flooding as a result of climate change. Climate
Central explains, "the NY metro area hosts the nation's highest-density populations vulnerable to sea
level rise." They argue, "the funnel shape of New York Harbor has the potential to magnify storm
surges already supplemented by sea level rise, threatening widespread areas of New York City."
With droughts and wildfires hitting many parts of the U.S., municipalities from Colorado to
Tennessee canceled July 4th public fireworks displays or banned personal fireworks this year, citing
the fire hazards they posed. In June, a study published in the journal Ecosphere found that almost all
of North America will see more wildfires by 2100, reported Reuters. The study's lead author, Max
Moritz, said, "In the long run, we found what most fear - increasing fire activity across large areas of
the planet."
Along with deforestation, climate change also poses a serious threat to South America's Amazon
rainforest. A 2009 study from the U.K. Met Office found that a global temperature rise of four
degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would cause 85 percent of the Amazon to die off in the
next 100 years. Even a two degree Celsius rise would kill 20 to 40 percent of the rainforest, reported
the Guardian. In May, The Club of Rome think tank predicted a global average temperatures rise of
"2 degrees Celsius by 2052 and a 2.8 degree rise by 2080," reported Reuters. Jorgen Randers,
author of the club's report, said, "It is unlikely that governments will pass necessary regulation to
force the markets to allocate more money into climate-friendly solutions, and (we) must not assume
that markets will work for the benefit of humankind." He added, "We are emitting twice as much
greenhouse gases every year as are absorbed by the world's forests and oceans. This overshoot will
worsen and will peak in 2030."
As global sea levels rise during the 21st century, low-lying island nations like the Maldives could see
their very existence threatened. With a three to six foot sea level rise predicted by 2100, nations like
the Maldives could become uninhabitable, explained The New York Times. Maldives' former
president, Mohamed Nasheed, has been a tireless campaigner for the urgent need for countries to
take action against climate change, arguing "You can't pick and choose on science."
Although seasonal fluctuations occur and El Nino/La Nina weather patterns affect snowfall, global
temperature rise may impact conditions for skiers and boarders. "The long-term trend is less snow
and earlier snowmelt. This means more frustration for snow sport enthusiasts and a negative impact
on the snow sports industry," writes the Natural Resources Defense Council's Theo Spencer. In May,
a snow-less ski race was held in Aspen, Colorado to "highlight the effect climate change has on the
outdoor recreation industry," reported the Associated Press.
A 2010 paper in the journal Food Research International found that climate change may one day
affect the cost and quality of traditional Thanksgiving dishes, reported Discovery News. Future
temperature rises could impact the quality of turkey meat. Additionally, foods like "pumpkins, sweet
potatoes, potatoes, grains [and] green beans ... will be sensitive to water shortages should they
arise," study author Neville Gregory told Discovery News. In fact, common Thanksgiving foods were
impacted by weather events in 2011, with shortages and price spikes hitting over the holidays.
Earlier this year, researchers from the U.S. Forest Service confirmed that climate warming is killing
southeast Alaska's mighty yellow cedars. The study, published in the journal Bioscience, found that
with decreasing snow cover, the trees' shallow roots are more vulnerable to freezing, reported AP.
Paul Schaberg, a U.S. Forest Service plant pathologist, said, "As time goes on and climates change
even more, other species, other locations, are likely to experience similar kinds of progressions, so
you might do well to understand this one so you can address those future things."
Scientists at the British Met Office warn that Italy may soon be forced to import the basic
ingredients to make pasta because climate change will make it impossible to grow durum wheat
domestically. The crop could almost disappear from the country later this century, scientists say.
Along with the Maldives and other island nations, Kiribati is also threatened by climate change.
Earlier this year, the president's cabinet endorsed a plan to spend about $9.6 million for 6,000 acres
on Fiji's main island, reported AP. President Anote Tong told AP, "We would hope not to put
everyone on one piece of land, but if it became absolutely necessary, yes, we could do it." He added,
"It wouldn't be for me, personally, but would apply more to a younger generation. For them, moving
won't be a matter of choice. It's basically going to be a matter of survival."
A 2011 report from the U.K.'s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found that
climate change could affect certain infrastructure, like wireless internet. The Guardian reports,
"higher temperatures can reduce the range of wireless communications, rainstorms can impact the
reliability of the signal, and drier summers and wetter winters may cause greater subsidence,
damaging masts and underground cables," according to secretary of state for the environment. The
Guardian notes, "The government acknowledges that the impact of climate change on
telecommunications is not well understood, but the report raises a series of potential risks."
The Great Smoky Mountains have the most annual rainfall in the southeastern U.S., which mostly
falls as a light, misty rain, explains OurAmazingPlanet. A study by a team from NASA's Precipitation
Measurement Missions found that "light rainfall is the dominant form of precipitation in the region,
accounting for 50 to 60 percent of a year's total, governing the regional water cycle."
OurAmazingPlanet notes: The results suggest the area may be more susceptible to climate change
than thought; as temperatures rise, more of the fine droplets from light rain will evaporate in the air
and fail to reach the ground. Lower elevations will have to contend with not only higher
temperatures, but less cloud cover.
Along the California coast, beach communities are finding that it may be impossible to stop coastal
erosion as global sea levels rise. According to AP, David Revell, a senior coastal scientist at ESA
PWA, acknowledged the relentless power of the sea, saying, "I like to think of it as getting out of the
way gracefully." A report released in June by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that
West Coast ocean levels will rise several inches in the next few decades. Sea levels along the
California coast are expected to be six inches higher by 2030 and three feet higher by the end of the
century. Despite the risks, another recent NRDC study found that California is one of several states
with the best plans to deal with the effects of climate change.
2012 could be a record year for the extent of Arctic sea ice at its yearly summer minimum. Walt
Meier, a research scientist at the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center, said that with recent
satellite observations, "It definitely portends a low-ice year, whether it means it will go below 2007
(the record minimum in September), it is too early to tell," reported LiveScience. As sea ice declines
in the Arctic, countries are anticipating a competition for control of shipping lanes and mineral
extraction in the region. In Antarctica, research from the United States' Palmer Station on the
Antarctic Peninsula has found that "87 percent of the peninsula's land-bound glaciers are in retreat,"
reported OurAmazingPlanet. Decreasing sea ice levels were also addressed in a recent spoof of
Shell's plans to drill for oil in the Arctic this summer.
Climate change has already impacted sugarcane production in Indonesia. In late 2011, the chairman
of the Indonesian Sugarcane Farmers Association said, "sugarcane production decreased by up to 30
percent in 2011 due to climate change that has occurred since 2009."
Climate changes and insect invasions threaten the future supply of morning joe.
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