California’s Dwindling Snowpack: Another Year of Drought, Floods, Wildfires and Mudslides?

ECOWATCH

The Sierra Nevada range near Reno.

Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA

California is likely facing another year of water woes. The Sierra Nevada snowpack, which supplies up to a third of California's water, is exceptionally meager this year. Experts found around half as much snow on the mountains as they typically would in early April, when the snowpack is historically most voluminous. Story here.

Are we ready for the deadly heat waves of the future?

ScienceNews

When days and nights get too hot, city dwellers are the first to run into trouble. More here.

Jeroen Moes from 
Florence, Italy.

Climate change is wreaking havoc on delicate relationship between orchids and bees

ScienceDaily

The first definitive demonstration of climate change upsetting the vital interdependent relationships between species has been revealed. More here.

Photo by Björn S.

Carbon taxes can be both fair and effective, study shows

ScienceDaily

Flooding in Iowa.

Several different carbon-pricing approaches would help reduce emissions, and some would be fair as well, researchers report. More here.

Battle for the future of Parma ham - a tale of corporate spin & animal suffering.

THE BUREAU

OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

A PEXALS photo.

How "Parma" ham became a battleground for the future of Italian food. Story here.

Vancouver Island rainforest stands are becoming as rare as white rhinos

The Province

Part of the remaining stand of rainforest on Vancouver Island. Photo by Jason Holinger.

For millennia, Vancouver Island was mostly covered by spectacular, globally rare ancient rainforest. Many trees were 1,000 years old or older. Indigenous peoples co-existed with the rainforest using many of its plants and animals without destroying it. Shortly after the arrival of Europeans, logging began in earnest. In less than 100 years, the majority of the ancient trees have been logged. Story here.

Conflicts Force Up Global Hunger Levels

IPS Interpress Service

UN-IPS: Largely driven by conflict, the number of hungry people has dramatically increased around the world, reversing decades of progress, according to a new report. Story here.