On the heels of a global financial crisis, the Climate Crisis doesn't make recovery any easier.
...A Russian business newspaper says early estimates show wildfires, drought and Moscow's two-month-long heat wave will cost the Russian economy at least $15 billion.
Kommersant said Tuesday this is about 1 percent of Russia's gross domestic product.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has suspended grain exports until the end of the year to keep domestic food prices from skyrocketing....
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Report-WIldfires-Drought-Cost-Russia-15-Billion-100345539.html
Sunday, 15 February 2009
...Wildfires
Prof Field said the impact on temperatures is as yet unknown, but warming is likely to accelerate at a much faster pace and cause more environmental damage than had been predicted.
He says that a warming planet will dry out forests in tropical areas making them much more likely to suffer from wildfires.
The rising temperatures could also speed up the melting of the permafrost, vastly increasing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, Prof Field warns.
"Without effective action, climate change is going to be larger and more difficult to deal with than we thought," he said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7890988.stm
Putin puts out two wildfires in central Russia (update 1)
17:57 10/08/2010
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday took part in extinguishing forest fires in Ryazan Province on board an amphibious firefighting airplane.
The Russian head of government was the co-pilot for half an hour aboard a Be-200 plane scooping up water from the nearby Oka River and dumping it on raging forest fires some 200 kilometers southeast of Moscow.
He dumped approximately 12 tons of water on each of two fires, extinguishing both completely.
Putin initially sat in the cabin in front of a thermal imaging monitor together with Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu and Ryazan Governor Oleg Kovalev.
However, shortly after takeoff Putin suddenly entered the cockpit and sat in the co-pilot's seat....
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100810/160145818.html
U.S. State Department warns against visiting Russia
02:39 11/08/2010
...The department recommended U.S. citizens to postpone travel to Russia because of acrid smog and numerous flight delays.
A scorching heat wave has gripped much of western Russia since mid-June, sparking wildfires and causing the worst drought in decades. More than 50 people died in the fires....
http://en.rian.ru/world/20100811/160150878.html
