Climate impacts 'overwhelming' - UN

Scientists fear a growing impact of global warming on humans

The impacts of global warming are likely to be "severe, pervasive and irreversible", a major report by the UN has warned.

Scientists and officials meeting in Japan say the document is the most comprehensive assessment to date of the impacts of climate change on the world.

Some impacts of climate change include a higher risk of flooding and changes to crop yields and water availability.

Humans may be able to adapt to some of these changes, but only within limits.

An example of an adaptation strategy would be the construction of sea walls and levees to protect against flooding. Another might be introducing more efficient irrigation for farmers in areas where water is scarce.

Natural systems are currently bearing the brunt of climatic changes, but a growing impact on humans is feared.

Members of the UN's climate panel say it provides overwhelming evidence of the scale of these effects.

Our health, homes, food and safety are all likely to be threatened by rising temperatures, the summary says. 

The report was agreed after almost a week of intense discussions here in Yokohama, which included concerns among some authors about the tone of the evolving document.

This is the second of a series from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) due out this year that outlines the causes, effects and solutions to global warming.

This latest Summary for Policymakers document highlights the fact that the amount of scientific evidence on the impacts of warming has almost doubled since the last report in 2007. 

Be it the melting of glaciers or warming of permafrost, the summary highlights the fact that on all continents and across the oceans, changes in the climate have caused impacts on natural and human systems in recent decades.

In the words of the report, "increasing magnitudes of warming increase the likelihood of severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts".

"Nobody on this planet is going to be untouched by the impacts of climate change,'' IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri told journalists at a news conference in Yokohama.

Dr Saleemul Huq, a convening lead author on one of the chapters, commented: "Before this we thought we knew this was happening, but now we have overwhelming evidence that it is happening and it is real."

Michel Jarraud, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, said that, previously, people could have damaged the Earth's climate out of "ignorance".

"Now, ignorance is no longer a good excuse," he said.

Mr Jarraud said the report was based on more than 12,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies. He said this document was "the most solid evidence you can get in any scientific discipline".

The report details significant short-term impacts on natural systems in the next 20 to 30 years. It details five reasons for concern that would likely increase as a result of the warming the world is already committed to.

These include threats to unique systems such as Arctic sea ice and coral reefs, where risks are said to increase to "very high" with a 2C rise in temperatures. 

The summary document outlines impacts on the seas and on freshwater systems as well. The oceans will become more acidic, threatening coral and the many species that they harbour.

On land, animals, plants and other species will begin to move towards higher ground or towards the poles as the mercury rises.

Humans, though, are also increasingly affected as the century goes on.

Food security is highlighted as an area of significant concern. Crop yields for maize, rice and wheat are all hit in the period up to 2050, with around a tenth of projections showing losses over 25%.

After 2050, the risk of more severe yield impacts increases, as boom-and-bust cycles affect many regions. All the while, the demand for food from a population estimated to be around nine billion will rise. 

Many fish species, a critical food source for many, will also move because of warmer waters.

In some parts of the tropics and in Antarctica, potential catches could decline by more than 50%. 

"This is a sobering assessment," said Prof Neil Adger from the University of Exeter, another IPCC author.

"Going into the future, the risks only increase, and these are about people, the impacts on crops, on the availability of water and particularly, the extreme events on people's lives and livelihoods."

People will be affected by flooding and heat related mortality. The report warns of new risks including the threat to those who work outside, such as farmers and construction workers. There are concerns raised over migration linked to climate change, as well as conflict and national security.

Report co-author Maggie Opondo of the University of Nairobi said that in places such as Africa, climate change and extreme events mean "people are going to become more vulnerable to sinking deeper into poverty".

While the poorer countries are likely to suffer more in the short term, the rich won't escape.

"The rich are going to have to think about climate change. We're seeing that in the UK, with the floods we had a few months ago, and the storms we had in the US and the drought in California," said Dr Huq.

IPCC Chairman Rajendra Pachauri said the findings in the report were "profound"

"These are multibillion dollar events that the rich are going to have to pay for, and there's a limit to what they can pay."

But it is not all bad news, as the co-chair of the working group that drew up the report points out.

"I think the really big breakthrough in this report is the new idea of thinking about managing climate change as a problem in managing risks," said Dr Chris Field.

"Climate change is really important but we have a lot of the tools for dealing effectively with it - we just need to be smart about it."

There is far greater emphasis to adapting to the impacts of climate in this new summary. The problem, as ever, is who foots the bill?

"It is not up to IPCC to define that," said Dr Jose Marengo, a Brazilian government official who attended the talks.

"It provides the scientific basis to say this is the bill, somebody has to pay, and with the scientific grounds it is relatively easier now to go to the climate negotiations in the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and start making deals about who will pay for adaptation."

Follow Matt on Twitter.

SOURCE: BBC WORLD NEWS

Kerry: Russia supports finding a diplomatic solution to crisis in Ukraine

 

(CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday after four hours of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Russia had reaffirmed its commitment to finding a diplomatic solution in Ukraine but had not agreed to move Russian troops from the Ukraine border.

"We both made suggestions as to how that will be achieved ... and I will return to Washington to consult with President Obama on his choices," Kerry said at a news conference in Paris. "We are trying to find a way to defuse this."

In a later press briefing, Lavrov said, "We expressed differing views about the cause of this crisis but nevertheless we agreed on the need to search for points of common ground to find a diplomatic settlement."

Kerry said Lavrov indicated Russia "wants to support" Ukraine in its move toward independence but said the massing of Russian troops has created "a climate of fear and intimidation."

"Is it smart at this moment in time to have that number of troops amassed on a border when you are sending a message that you want to de-escalate and move in the other direction?" Kerry said.

Kerry said Russia and the United States agreed to work with Ukraine on several issues: the rights of national minorities; language rights; the demobilization and disarmament of provocateurs; a constitutional reform process; and free and fair elections monitored by the international community.

Lavrov said he hopes "all political forces in Ukraine will have an equal voice and can agree on which kind of concrete political, economic, financial, social, religious traditions will be respected in different parts of the country."

Kerry stressed that no real progress can be made until the troops are pulled back.

He added that Ukrainians must be part of any discussions going forward, saying, "No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine." Other nations support this stance, he said.

Hours before the meeting, Lavrov called on Western powers to back a proposal for a "federal" structure in Ukraine.

"If our Western partners are prepared, Russia, the U.S. and the EU will be able to set up a group of support to Ukraine and to formulate general appeals to those who rule in Ukraine now," Lavrov told Russian state television, according to state news agency ITAR-Tass.

This would lead to talks between "all political forces without exception, naturally not armed radicals" and would result in a new constitution allowing for a "federal system of government," he said.

"If our partners are prepared for this, we are open for broadest cooperation," Lavrov added.

Kerry said that subject was not discussed with Lavrov because it's a decision Ukraine's leaders must make.

With millions of Russian speakers concentrated in Ukraine's eastern regions, Russia backs the idea of greater regional autonomy.

This would "protect the rights of those who live in Ukraine, primarily the Russian-speaking population, which is important to us," Lavrov said.

Lavrov and Kerry met for four hours in Paris on Sunday, as both sides tried to ease tensions in the worst East-West standoff since the Cold War. The meeting ended about 5 p.m. ET.

'The hordes are coming': Ukrainians fear Russian invasion in northeast

Russian forces on border

The meeting follows a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday.

"What gives me a sense we may be able to solve the situation is that Putin did call our President and suggestions were made, and there will be a meeting (between Kerry and Lavrov)," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

"And there may well be the ability to solve this."

On Saturday, Lavrov said Russia had no intention of sending troops into Ukraine -- responding to Western warnings over a military buildup on the border following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

Crimeans voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia in a March 16 referendum dismissed as a sham by Western governments, which say it violated Ukraine's constitution and was held only after pro-Russian forces had seized control of the Black Sea peninsula.

Russia may have 40,000 troops near its border with eastern Ukraine and another 25,000 at locations inland who are on alert and prepared to go in, two U.S. officials have told CNN. The officials said that this estimate was largely based on satellite imagery and that a firm number is difficult to assess.

Russia has said its troops are carrying out snap military exercises in the region.

The United States and the European Union have already imposed two rounds of sanctions on Russia, including visa bans and asset freezes for some of Putin's inner circle. The West has threatened tougher sanctions targeting Russia's economy if Moscow sends more troops to Ukraine. Russia has drawn up countersanctions, barring senior U.S. officials from entering Russia.

Opinion: Does Obama really understand Putin?

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the top U.S. commander in Europe back to the continent because of the "growing uncertainty in Ukraine," Pentagon press secretary Rear. Adm. John Kirby said Sunday. Gen. Phil Breedlove was in Washington, where he was supposed to give annual testimony before Congress later this week.

"More broadly, he felt it was important for General Breedlove to continue our efforts to consult with NATO allies, and to discuss specific ways to provide additional reassurance for our NATO allies in Eastern Europe," Kirby said of Hagel's decision to cut short Breedlove's stay in Washington.

"While it does not foreshadow imminent military action in Ukraine, the general's return will allow him more time to confer closely with his staff and our allies and partners, and to better advise senior leaders," Kirby said.

More information: CNN WORLD NEWS

Flight MH370: 'Objects spotted' in new search area

A plane has spotted "objects" in the new area of the Indian Ocean being searched for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Australian officials say.

The sightings would need confirmation by ship, which is not expected until tomorrow, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said.

Earlier it was announced the search would now focus on an area 1,100km (684 miles) north-east of the previous zone.

The Beijing-bound airliner disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board.
The identity of the objects - spotted by a Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion - were "to be established", Amsa said.

The crew say they spotted 11 unidentified objects, the BBC's Phil Mercer reports from the western Australian city of Perth.

The images hold out the prospect of up-to-date information, as opposed to satellite images which are invariably days out of date by the time they are seen by investigators, our correspondent adds.

SOURCE: BBC WORLD NEWS

Flight MH370: Thai satellite 'shows 300 floating objects'

The Thai satellite firm said the objects were yet to be identified

A Thai satellite has detected some 300 objects in an area of the southern Indian Ocean being searched for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The images were taken by the Thaichote satellite on 24 March, a day after images from a French satellite purported to show 122 floating objects.

Flight MH370 disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board. No debris has been recovered from the ocean so far.

Searches by planes were suspended on Thursday because of poor visibility.

Ships are trying to continue the operation despite the bad weather, Australian officials said.

The latest Thai images were carried in The Nation and were said to show some 300 floating objects scattered over an area about 2,700km (1,680 miles) south-west of Perth.

The objects were about 200km (120 miles) from the site of the French satellite images.

The newspaper quoted officials as saying the information had been passed on to the Malaysian team involved in the search.

Anond Snidvongs, of Thailand's Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, told the BBC the objects ranged from 2m to 15m (6.5ft to 50ft) in size.

He said he could not confirm they were debris from the plane.

The French images showed objects up to 23m (75ft) in length and were the first to suggest a debris field rather than just isolated objects. They had been described as the most credible lead so far.

                                       The Thaichote images were taken on 24 March...

                                        

... a day after the French images. The two sites are about 200km apart

The BBC's Paul Adams, in Kuala Lumpur, says the latest image forms part of a growing body of circumstantial evidence suggesting that it is in this inhospitable part of the Indian Ocean where the flight of MH370 came to an end.

The Thaichote is Thailand's Earth observation mission and was launched in 2008.

'Zero visibility'

Malaysia said on Monday that fresh analysis of satellite signals had shown that the plane had gone down in the southern Indian Ocean, with no survivors.

BBC's Jonathan Head: "Experts are saying this is probably the most difficult search in modern aviation history"

The plane had been en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it disappeared from air traffic controllers' screens over the South China Sea.

The search is being coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa).

It said that aircraft had spotted three objects on Wednesday but despite several passes had not been able to relocate them.

Eleven planes were sent out again on Thursday.

However, Amsa later tweeted: "Update: Ships staying in search area & will attempt to continue searching but all planes returning. Bad weather expected for next 24 hours."

Amsa spokesman Sam Cardwell said eight of the 11 planes had reached the search zone and looked for about two hours before the suspension.

He said: "They got a bit of time in, but it was not useful because there was no visibility."

Lt Cmdr Adam Schantz, in charge of the US Navy's Poseidon P8 plane, said: "The forecast in the area was calling for severe icing, severe turbulence and near-zero visibility. Anybody who's out there is coming home and all additional sorties from here are cancelled."

It is the second time this week the operation has been hampered by poor conditions.

The Australian Navy ship HMAS Success is in the search area and has been joined by five Chinese ships.

On Thursday, Beijing said it was sending another three vessels.

A total of six countries are now involved in the search - Australia, New Zealand, the US, Japan, China and South Korea.

Erik Van Sebille, an oceanographer from the University of New South Wales, told the BBC that if aircraft debris were found, experts could try to work out where the plane had crashed, although it would not be easy.

"This is home to the strongest current in the world," he said.

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The reasons why the plane deviated off course and lost contact with air traffic controllers remain a mystery.

The area is known as "the Roaring Forties" due to its strong winds

Investigators have ruled nothing out, including mechanical or electrical failure, hijacking, sabotage or deliberate action by the pilot or co-pilot.

On Wednesday, FBI chief James Comey said that analysis of data from a flight simulator taken from the home of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah should be completed "within a day or two".

Some relatives of the flight's 153 Chinese passengers have refused to accept the Malaysian account of events and accused officials of withholding information.

A US-based law firm, Ribbeck Law, has said it expects to represent half of the families of missing passengers in a lawsuit against both Malaysia Airlines and Boeing Co, and has filed an initial petition.

Chinese insurance firms have begun to offer payouts to the relatives, state news agency Xinhua said.

On Thursday, Malaysia Airlines took out a full-page condolence advertisement in the New Straits Times, saying: "Our sincerest condolences go out to the loved ones of the 239 passengers, friends and colleagues. Words alone cannot express our enormous sorrow and pain."

SOURCE: BBC NEWS WORLD

Flight MH370: 122 new objects spotted - Malaysia minister

Jon Donnison reports from Fremantle Port in Perth, where much of the search operation is based 

A further 122 objects potentially from the missing Malaysian plane have been identified by satellite, the country's acting transport minister has said.

The images, taken on 23 March, showed objects up to 23m (75ft) in length, Hishammuddin Hussein said.

Some of the objects captured by France-based Airbus appeared bright and were possibly of solid material.

Flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board.

The images were supplied by France-based firm Airbus Defence and Space

 

 

 

 

 The objects were spotted in a 400 sq km area around 2,557km (1588 miles) from Perth in Western Australia, Mr Hishammuddin said.

"This is another new lead that will help direct the search operation," he said, adding that the information had been handed to the Australian Rescue and Co-ordination Centre in Perth on Tuesday.

The latest images are the fourth known collection of satellite pictures showing possible debris in the southern Indian Ocean. No pieces have yet been recovered in the search area, which has now been split into an east and west section.
The transport minister said Malaysia Airlines was "now taking a lead in communicating with the families" and would be conducting its own press conferences.
Weather improves The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa), co-ordinating the search, said on Wednesday that flights had resumed and conditions had improved after rough seas and heavy rain forced air and sea operations to be suspended the previous day.
It said seven military and five civilian planes were taking part and a total of six countries were now involved - Australia, New Zealand, the US, Japan, China and the South Korea.

Hishammuddin Hussein: "This is another new lead that will help direct the search operation"

Australian authorities said on Wednesday that three more objects had been spotted by a civilian aircraft involved in the search.
However, it could not be confirmed whether they were related to the missing aircraft.
The search for debris from the missing plane is taking place in one of the world's remotest regions.
If debris confirmed to be from the plane is found, the search area will narrow further.
However, experts say the aircraft's locator beacons, which will help guide ships to the wreckage, now have less than two weeks of battery life remaining.

Specialised equipment which can help locate the beacon is being flown to the search area.

Daniel Tan says he will "not give up hope" that his brother is alive until a wreckage is found.

SOURCE : BBC WORLD NEWS

Malaysia Airways MH370: Relatives in Beijing clashes

Lost Malaysian plane protest in Beijing for their relatives

Angry relatives of passengers on board the missing Malaysia Airlines plane have clashed with police outside Malaysia's embassy in the Chinese capital Beijing.

It came after Malaysian PM Najib Razak said a new analysis of satellite data showed the plane had ended its journey in remote seas west of Australia.

China has asked to see the data on which Malaysia's conclusion was based.

The search for missing flight MH370 has been suspended because of bad weather.

A multinational search effort has focused on seas some 2,500km (1,500 miles) to the south-west of the Australian city of Perth.

Flight MH370 disappeared on 8 March as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It was carrying a total of 239 people, including 153 Chinese nationals.

In Beijing, relatives of passengers on board the plane released a statement accusing the Malaysian government of trying to "delay, distort and hide the truth".

Dozens of them then left their Beijing hotel on a protest bound for the Malaysian embassy, carrying banners asking Kuala Lumpur to be truthful with the relatives.

Police blocked their buses from leaving, so they left the buses and walked there themselves, with scuffles then erupting outside the diplomatic mission.

The protesters threw water bottles at the embassy and tried to storm the building, demanding to meet the ambassador.

There was a heavy police presence at the embassy and there was a brief scuffle between police and a group of relatives who tried to approach journalists, according to AP news agency.

The clashes in Beijing came a day after the Malaysian leader said it had to be concluded "with deep sadness and regret" that according to new data "flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean".

Mr Najib said the conclusion the plane was lost was based on new satellite analysis by British firm Inmarsat and information from the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

Mr Najib said Inmarsat had been able to shed further light on the plane's flight path by performing further calculations "using a type of analysis never before used in an investigation of this sort".

But Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Hangsheng issued a statement saying "We demand the Malaysian side state the detailed evidence that leads them to this judgement as well as supply all the relevant information and evidence about the satellite data analysis.

"The search and rescue work cannot stop now. We demand the Malaysian side continue to finish all the work including search and rescue."

Malaysia Airlines has said it will make arrangements to fly relatives to Australia.

Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said his department was working with the airline and Beijing to arrange visas.

'Hazardous' search

Planes from several nations have been scouring waters far off Perth for signs of the missing plane, in a search co-ordinated by Australia.

There have been several sightings of debris, but none have yet been confirmed as linked to the plane.

In a statement announcing the suspension of search operations on Tuesday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said it had undertaken a risk assessment "and determined that the current weather conditions would make any air and sea search activities hazardous and pose a risk to crew".

Australia's Defence Minister David Johnston said search efforts were unlikely to start again for "at least another 24 hours".

He described the search as a "massive logistical exercise" in an "extremely remote" part of the world. 

Mark Binskin, vice-chief of the Australian Defence Force, said: "We're not searching for a needle in a haystack. We're still trying to define where the haystack is."

An Australian navy support vessel equipped with acoustic detection equipment, the Ocean Shield, is expected to be deployed to the search zone in the next few days.

SOURCE: BBC NEWS WORLD

Missing Malaysian plane: Search race to recover debris

An Australian plane has spotted two objects in the hunt for the missing Malaysia plane, and a ship has arrived in the area to find them.

The objects could be picked up in the southern Indian Ocean in a few hours, Malaysia's transport minister said.

One object was circular and grey or green, and the other rectangular and orange, Australian PM Tony Abbott said.

Mr Abbott said it was not known whether the objects were from flight MH370, and could be flotsam.

The two objects were different, he said, from several white, square-shaped objects spotted earlier by Chinese military planes.

"The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has advised that objects have been located by a Royal Australian Air Force P3 Orion. And I can advise the House that HMAS Success is on scene and is attempting to locate and recover these objects," Mr Abbott told the Australian parliament.

The objects were spotted some 2,500km (1,550 miles) south-west of Perth, western Australia, at about 14:45 local time (06:45 GMT).

A US Navy Poseidon plane, a second Royal Australian Air Force Orion and a Japanese Orion were also en route to or were in the search area, he added.

Investigators could be closer to resolving "one of the great mysteries of our time", he said.

Speaking at a daily news briefing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein confirmed the missing airliner had been carrying wooden pallets, but said there was no connection yet to a reported Australian sighting of pallets floating in the search zone.

Flight MH370 disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board.

Ten planes were scheduled to scour the southern Indian Ocean area on Monday for possible debris picked up earlier by radar echoes and satellite imagery.

Two Chinese military planes flew out to the search area on Monday morning, while two Japanese P-3 Orion aircraft set off later in the day.

Debris: Could it be missing flight MH370?

The search for flight MH370 has been taking place in two large corridors - one stretching to the north-west of the last known location in the Malacca Strait and one to the south-west.

However, none of the countries on the northern corridor have reported any radar contact, and the Australian and Chinese satellite images of possible debris in the south Indian Ocean have concentrated the search there.

They joined six other planes, including US and Australian military planes, in searching a 68,500 sq km (26,000 sq miles) area in the ocean.

Several Chinese ships are also on their way.

SOURCE: BBC NEWS