Test results indicate that at least one common fracking chemical has contaminated drinking water in the town of Pavillion, Wyoming.

How strange it is that a department DEA (Department of Environmental Affairs) which ironically shares a ministerial portfolio with Water Affairs (DWEA) should suggest that fracking be given a chance [...]]]> By: Jeremy Westgarth-Taylor

Test results indicate that at least one common fracking chemical has contaminated drinking water in the town of Pavillion, Wyoming.

How strange it is that a department DEA (Department of Environmental Affairs) which ironically shares a ministerial portfolio with Water Affairs (DWEA) should suggest that fracking be given a chance and saying that there was “merit” in carrying out some hydraulic fracturing.  There were no merits in what was reported though the report did mention one demerit in what they had said viz – “the avoidance of the contamination of fresh water resources” in the Karoo.  So what in fact are the merits of fracking?  As there were no meritorious things mentioned we have a chance to look at some of the negative things.

• Shell’s employees are on record as having said that they wish to burn the methane gas produced from fracking wells on their pad sites.  These pads will be on somebodies farmlands, and they plan to generate electricity from the burning of the gas thus sending millions of tons of carbon dioxide per annum into the air.  This will supplement the CO2 already generated in South Africa from the burning of coal.  The question should be asked why use fossil fuels to generate electricity? Have they not heard that economists agree that it is now less expensive to generate electricity with renewables such as from photo voltaic panels i.e. solar energy than by using fossil fuels. 
• Forever is a long time.  The process of well drilling involves a huge hole some four and a half kilometres into the ground and a lot further horizontally.  The frackers say that they will seal the sides of the hole to some depth with steel and concrete and do their methane extraction.  The concrete and steel they say will prevent gas and the toxic cocktail they use for fracking from escaping.  Furthermore Shell say that these will not leak, but they cannot guarantee this.  It takes only one of the tens of thousands of possible wells drilled to eventually leak, and the water in the Karoo will be spoilt forever.  Fracking in itself, causes earthquakes and each new drill hole may cause a previous capped hole to rupture.  The results – methane escaping into the groundwater.
• The next problem is the methane that escapes while the methane extraction itself is taking place.  In the USA the estimate for the amount of escaping methane is 4%.  This forms a whopping 28% of the sum total of all the escaping methane in the USA.  This is on spite of all the policing of the fracking there.  in South Africa we have no such police, and any recruits would easily be led astray with a very small bribe.
• Those advocating fracking say that say that the methane gas produced is much cleaner and less harmful the environment. That is true, but that does not include the flaring off of the harmful gases on their pads. The sum total of the gases are equally bad as coal.
• Shell say glibly that the returning toxic fracking fluids from the drill holes which jet up the well once the shale is fractured, would be dammed and taken away to municipalities for treatment in the  municipal sewerage treatment works.  Let us be absolutely clear about this: There is not a single sewerage treatment works in South Africa that could deal with this carcinogenic cocktail of fluids that will contain radioactive matter as well.
• Water:  where will the water come from to drill 60 000 wells several times, each frack requiring 20 million litres of water?  Shell say that they will truck in sea water!  The volume of sea water required is far bigger than the volume of water in the Vaal Dam.  This water would all be carried by road!  Even worse for our roads would be that the truckloads of sea water would be a fraction of the total stuff that needs to be trucked backward and forward.
• As for the sister department – Water Affairs, this department has found itself having to find billions of Rand for a solution to AMD (Acid Mine Drainage) and half a trillion of Rand for rapidly worsening countrywide sewerage and water treatment works, they now openly promote the merits of fracking. The very reason why it is left to the helpless department to sort out the AMD problems is that the mining companies at mined out places have gone away and abandoned their once profitable mines.  This department too is unable to get hundreds of mining companies to comply with a water license for existing and active mines.

If fracking should go ahead expect unprecedented food shortages, water shortages and air pollution.  Expect also further acidification of our oceans as carbon dioxide dissolves into the water. Extraction and burning of the presently stable methane gas will be a position from which there will be no return.

So given the negative side, please would DEA please tell us what the “merits” are?

Water will on average increase by 15.08% on 01 July 2012.

As with previous years, the domestic single residential sanitation tariff remains linked to the water tariff at a rate of 70% of water consumption (70% of 50kl = 35kl). This means that notwithstanding the volume of water that [...]]]>

Irrigating with grey water

Water will on average increase by 15.08% on 01 July 2012.

As with previous years, the domestic single residential sanitation tariff remains linked to the water tariff at a rate of 70% of water consumption (70% of 50kl = 35kl). This means that notwithstanding the volume of water that is used for garden irrigation, viz. water that is not sent to sewerage treatment, a charge is levied based on 70% of water consumption.

The new tariff is effective from 01 July 2012.

Should you have any queries regarding how to reduce your consumption of water and concomitant sewerage, please give us a call. Water Rhapsody will reduce your consumption by up to 90%, without a change in lifestyle.

Domestic Tariff (single residential)

Water Tariff

Sanitation Tariff (at 70% of water consumption)

Fresh water is getting fresher and saltwater saltier

The wetter parts of the world are getting wetter and the drier parts drier. The researchers know this because the saltier parts [...]]]> The water cycle is the worldwide phenomenon of rainwater falling to the surface, evaporating back into the air and falling again as rain.

Fresh water is getting fresher and saltwater saltier

The wetter parts of the world are getting wetter and the drier parts drier. The researchers know this because the saltier parts of the ocean are getting saltier and the fresher parts, fresher.

Records showed that the saltier parts of the ocean increased salinity — or their salt content — by 4 percent in the 50 years between 1950 and 2000. If the climate warms by an additional 2 or 3 degrees, the researchers project that the water cycle will turn over more quickly, intensifying by almost 25 percent.

Reporting in Science magazine, the researchers said the results of the change in climate would affect agriculture and the ability of drier areas to capture and use fresh water from rain, creating serious problems, including droughts and floods. But they had to look offshore to find their data.

“The oceans are really where the action is happening,” said Paul Durack, the lead author.

The study uses 50 years of data — from 1950-2000 — gathered by instruments, some adrift on the ocean currents, some tethered in place. Some of the instruments are tiers of bottles that open at various depths as they are lowered into the sea, and they take measurements as far down as 9,000 feet.

Durack, who received his Ph.D. from the University of Tasmania, and is now in a post-doctoral fellowship at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in California, said that “salinity shifts in the ocean confirm climate and the global water cycle have changed.”

The oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth’s surface. They contain 97 percent of the world’s water; receive 80 percent of the rainfall, and have absorbed 90 percent of the energy produced by global warming.

The relationship between salinity in the sea and the water cycle is well documented, the scientists wrote. Changes in salinity could also affect water currents because saltwater is denser than fresh water and sinks.

Warmer air can absorb more water than cooler air, so as the climate warms, more water can evaporate into the air. The amount evaporated increases 7 percent for every degree Celsius the temperature increases, the scientists reported.

That intensifies the water cycle on both ends of the spectrum. In places where rainfall exceeds evaporation, the rain is increasing; in the places where evaporation rates are higher than rainfall, it gets drier.

Some of the change is directly caused by warmer temperatures. For instance, the ocean waters around Antarctica are getting less salty because the waters are being refreshed by the melting ice cap.

Arid areas that require rainfall to provide water for irrigation, for drinking and industry, will see less rainfall, he said. That is a more significant threat than just an increase in temperature.

“Changes in the global water cycle and the corresponding redistribution of rainfall will affect food availability, stability, access, and utilization,” Durack said. “I come from Perth, in dry Western Australia, and you can see the change.”

Most computer models depend on land-based observation, which accounts for the difference, but Durack and his collaborators, Susan E. Wijffels and Richard J. Matea, think measuring the oceans gives a more accurate picture, what they called an “identifiable fingerprint.” Their work covers 71 percent of the world’s water cycle.

“The most important part of the research is the basic observation that the 50-year trend in salinization is indeed that the fresh water is getting fresher and the saltwater saltier,” said Dean Roemmich, a professor of oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “It is a fundamental change.”

Source: Physorg

Higher water charges are on the cards. Water Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said on Monday the cost of water would probably rise at a rate higher than inflation.

Water price rises will probably outstrip inflation

That’s because there is a funding shortfall of 56 percent in the more than half [...]]]> iol GAYE DAVIS

Higher water charges are on the cards. Water Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said on Monday the cost of water would probably rise at a rate higher than inflation.

Water price rises will probably outstrip inflation

That’s because there is a funding shortfall of 56 percent in the more than half a trillion rand needed to pay for water infrastructure, services, conservation and demand management over the next 10 years.

A long-term investment plan drawn up by the Department of Water Affairs puts the overall cost at R573 billion, over the next decade, for the “total water value chain”.

Chief operations officer Trevor Balzer said that according to their estimates, only 44 percent of this would be funded – resulting in a significant shortfall.

He broke down the R573bn price tag as follows:

* R394bn for water services (municipalities, pipelines);
* R162bn for water resources infrastructure; and
* R16bn for water conservation and demand management (including dealing with “unaccounted” water lost through leaks).

“If we look at current budget allocations, taking into account all grant-funded programmes put in place by the national treasury as well, we estimate over 10 years that 44 percent of that is budgeted for,” Balzer said. This left a shortfall of 56 percent.

“We’ve really got to ramp up to be able to meet that target,” he said.

Asked whether price rises would outstrip inflation, Molewa answered: “Probably.”

“It’s very clear that we’re going to (need) a lot of money… it goes without saying that the cost (of borrowing) is likely to be very high and thus charges, also.”

Molewa said discussions were under way with the Treasury about the possibility of cross-subsidisation, or even government subsidies, to offset tariff increases, as water was a commodity needed by everyone and critical to development.

If the cost of water was too high it could strangle development, she said.

However, it was still too early to say whether the Treasury or government would subsidise future increases, as this was still under discussion.

Molewa signalled major changes to policies and laws regulating water use and said it was necessary to carefully consider developing “a national redress and equity water strategy” in order to help the poor access quality water and sanitation.

Currently, agriculture enjoys the bulk (62 percent) in terms of how water is allocated in the country, with 27 percent allocated for domestic use (23 percent for urban and 4 percent for rural areas) and 2.5 percent for mining.

Industry was allocated 10 percent, which broke down to 3.5 percent for industries, 2 percent for power generation and 3 percent for afforestation. Each sector pays different rates for water.

The department was reviewing the National Water Act, the Water Services Act and the Water Research Act to “improve water management and equity”, and amendments would be dealt with through a general laws amendment bill.

A massive project to review and re-engineer business processes in the water sector was also under way, to deal with the competing needs of servicing the poor in expanding urban settlements, industry and commercial agriculture.

“There is also the fear that existing policies and institutions are not able to cope with the disregard for water rights, eroding commitments to redress and equity, outdated practices and attitudes in the management of water resources and the tendency to neglect the poor in policy and planning…

“We are changing that and are moving at a very fast pace,” Molewa said. – Political Bureau

Garden irrigation times are before 10:00 and after 16:00

The City has a number of water by-laws in place to define its standards, protect existing infrastructure [...]]]> The City of Cape Town will strengthen the enforcement of its by-laws related to water, in accordance with the new fine structure approved by the Chief Magistrate.

Garden irrigation times are before 10:00 and after 16:00

The City has a number of water by-laws in place to define its standards, protect existing infrastructure and the environment, as well as to ensure the health and safety of its residents. This focus on enforcement forms part of the City’s ongoing efforts to strengthen water conservation programmes and improve water quality across Cape Town and to ensure that the security of our water supply is not compromised.

To date, 18 Peace Officers have been appointed to enforce the by-laws related to Water; Wastewater and Industrial Effluent; Treated Effluent; and Stormwater Management.

In addition, a partnership has been forged between the existing Water and Sanitation Inspectors and the City’s Law Enforcement Officers to further increase the enforcement capacity for enforcement of by-laws related to water.

During the month of March 2012 and as part of the City’s Water Month campaign, Water Pollution Control Inspectors, in collaboration with the City’s Law Enforcement Officers, issued 60 spot fines amounting to R60 000,00 to offenders who contravened the Stormwater Management By-law.

In total, 207 fines amounting to R207 000,00 have been issued thus far for contraventions relating to this by-law alone. Where the extent of damage to infrastructure exceeds the value of R1 000,00 full legal action is instituted against the offender. To date eight cases are being processed.

Most of the fines issued related to industries that discharged illegal substances into the stormwater system. In addition to the fines issued, they were also requested to take remedial action within a stipulated timeframe or face further consequences.

Recently, the Chief Magistrate charged with Municipal Courts approved spot fines ranging from R500,00 to R2 500,00 for the City’s other by-laws related to water and sanitation:

• Water By-Law (Promulgated 18 February 2011)
• Wastewater and Industrial Effluent By-Law (Promulgated 1 September 2006)
• Treated Effluent By-Law (Promulgated 30 July 2010)

“Our inspectors will soon be issuing spot fines under these by-laws with the revised fine structure. They will focus in particular on issues of water wastage; irrigation times, i.e. before 10:00 and after 16:00; protection of sewers and the environment; and unauthorised use and labelling of treated effluent. We treat these offences very seriously and we would like all residents to do the same. We appeal to industries and members of the public to support the City’s Peace Officers to ensure compliance with the respective by-laws, thereby maintaining our infrastructure and sustaining Cape Town’s unique biodiversity,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services, Councillor Shehaam Sims.

To report non-compliance, please contact the City’s Call Centre on 0860 103 089 and select the ‘water’ option; e-mail waterTOC@capetown.gov.za; or send an SMS to 31373.

For more information on the by-laws, please visit: http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/Water/Pages/PolicyandLegalMatters.aspx

Source: City of Cape Town

It is believed that the invention would prove [...]]]> It has been informed that Bill Gates would be funding a machine which would be used for converting the waste water of toilet into drinking water. Sarah Haigh from the Manchester University said that the invention would actually help in making the water safer for drinking.

It is believed that the invention would prove successful especially in the Third World. The researchers noted that the water thus procured from the waste water would be used to provide drinking water in the regions where clean water is not available.

Sarah Haigh was reported as saying, “There has been a lot of research into biofuels. There is a lot of energy already present in human waste. Nano-scale materials mean that you can harvest the hydrogen and turn it into hydrozene – which is basically rocket fuel”.

The sewerage water would not only be recycled into drinking water but would also be used for the creation of fuel. Although the revelation has win applause from all over the world, soon critics would be throwing comments upon the whole idea of transferring waste water into drinking water.

However, the researchers working over the machine are least bothered about the critics. It has been informed that the residents of Virginia have been using recycled water since 70s. Besides, Singapore has also invested huge money over the water purification facilities.

It has come to light that one in eight people all over the world doesn’t have the supply of clean water. There is a need to make clean water available to all. The researchers are hopeful that the invention of the machine would ensure adequate supply of drinking water to the regions where clean water is not available.

By: Makomborero Midzi
Source: Newspoint

Appeals to save water, and a ban on watering gardens between 10am and 4pm is making little difference

“Even in a year of [...]]]> In 10 years Cape Town’s population has rocketed from 2,9m to 3,7m and it will hit 4,4m in 2020. What is not growing is the city’s already precarious water supply.

Appeals to save water, and a ban on watering gardens between 10am and 4pm is making little difference

“Even in a year of normal rainfall our dams are being drawn down faster than they are filling,” says Jeremy Taylor, founder of water conservation specialist Water Rhapsody. Sharing his view, Peter Johnstone of the University of Cape Town’s Climate Systems Analysis Group (CSA G) warns: “Water supply is falling below demand.”

This, says Taylor, is evident in the level of Cape Town’s six dams, which have fallen despite a 17% increase in total capacity created by the new Berg River Dam in 2009.

The six dams, reports the City of Cape Town, stood at 57,4% of combined capacity on March 19, down from 74% of five dams four years earlier. Dam levels are falling by almost 2%/week as the Western Cape faces its second year of below-average winter rainfall.

“Until the end of May and even into June it appears that the Western Cape will get very little rain,” says Johnstone. The CSAG’s forecast indicates that in March, April and May, rainfall will be 50%-80% of average, while June will see 80%-100% of average.

“Forecasts are tricky, but so far this year, our prediction of below-average rainfall has been accurate,” says Johnstone. He adds that the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research’s Western Cape rainfall forecast to June is in line with the CSAG’s. “If there is no rain by the end of March, the city must act swiftly to curb water use,” he says .

Johnstone and Taylor have a staunch ally in Shehaam Sims, the city mayoral committee member for utility services. “There’s enough water to carry us for two years but, if we have below-average rainfall, we will have a serious problem,” says Sims. “There’s no doubt about it.”

Cape Town has one water restriction in place: a ban on watering gardens between 10am and 4pm. “It’s making little difference,” says Sims, adding that neither are appeals to save water. Domestic use accounts for two-thirds of Cape Town’s water.

“Above-average rainfall between 2005 and 2010 has made people believe we do not have a problem,” says Taylor. “We face the danger of water outages being imposed to force savings.” Johnstone believes a combination of public awareness campaigns, stricter usage restrictions and a steep rise in price for users of large quantities of water are needed.

Sims says Cape Town is tackling the problem in a number of ways, among them cracking down on municipal use and monitoring the city’s reticulation system for leaks, which account for more than 15% of water use. A pilot waste water recycling plant is also in operation.

A bolder step is also mooted. “We have called for proposals for a desalination plant,” says Sims. “We are looking at a big-scale plant powered by energy from waste material.” Because of the high costs involved, neither Taylor nor Johnstone regard desalination as a practical option for a city of Cape Town’s size. “Desalinated water costs R6/kl,” says Johnstone.

Scope for increasing Cape Town’s conventional water supply is limited. The Berg River Dam was built on the last site suitable for a major dam, while seven projects mooted by the department of water affairs and the city could increase supply by around a third by 2027. At the present rate of demand growth — 2,5%/year — Cape Town’s water needs will be 45% higher by 2027. The city has a problem that only strict water conservation measures appear to have any hope of solving.

Source: FM

Melosira falls into the class Bacillariophyceae which are diatoms. In drinking water can give the [...]]]> The City of Cape Town’s Scientific Services Branch has isolated and identified an algal species called Melosira in the water of the Molteno Reservoir, and is assuring the public that it poses no medical risk to public health.

Melosira falls into the class Bacillariophyceae which are diatoms. In drinking water can give the water a grassy or fishy odour

Melosira are commonly found in drinking water reservoirs worldwide. The Melosira species belongs to the family of algae called Bacillariophyceae and is a diatom that forms long filaments. They are known for clogging filters in water systems.

The mechanism of the sudden and unexpected bloom of this species in the reservoir is being carefully examined to determine the causal factors so that appropriate corrective and preventative action can be taken.

Molteno Reservoir is a balancing reservoir situated above the city in Oranjezicht and is supplied by a blend of water from the Theewaterskloof, Wemmershoek, Steenbras and Voëlvlei Dams. The algae have not been detected in the incoming water supply. The water level in the reservoir rises at night when the demand in the city area is low and falls during the day while the peak demands prevail. The reservoir is cleaned annually during low demand periods in winter.

In order to reduce the effects of the Melosira, the Water and Sanitation Department’s Bulk Water Branch is adjusting the supply system to minimise the flow of water through Molteno Reservoir by maximising alternative systems. This will reduce the area of supply from Molteno Reservoir until the branch is able to lower the water level reservoir and clear it of the algal growth.

The procedure to empty the reservoir requires significant resources and careful logistical planning. It is also weather-dependant as the reservoir plays a vital role in balancing the supply and demand. It cannot be removed from service during these periods of hot weather and the associated high water demands.

The exercise will begin with the lowering of the water level towards the end of next week when cooler weather is expected and once all logistical considerations have been taken care of.

The City wishes to apologise for any inconvenience that this situation has caused and wishes to reassure the public that there is no health risk and that every effort is being made to rectify the situation as quickly as possible.

Source: City of Cape Town

With Human Rights Day fresh in our minds, it is appropriate to reflect on the words of the late Kader Asmal, an unrelenting defender of human rights and a former minister of water affairs. Speaking as the patron of WWF South [...]]]> By: Deon Nel – head of the biodiversity unit of WWF South Africa.

With Human Rights Day fresh in our minds, it is appropriate to reflect on the words of the late Kader Asmal, an unrelenting defender of human rights and a former minister of water affairs. Speaking as the patron of WWF South Africa’s Water Balance Programme, Asmal observed that “water runs through our every aspiration as a society”.

The World Economic Forum ranked a “water supply crisis” as the second most important global risk in its Global Risks 2012 report. Photograph: Mahesh Kumar A/AP

Water affects everything we do, both positive and negative. From a governance point of view, this complicates things. To illustrate, some of the most important strategic decisions affecting water – for instance, mining, agriculture, urban planning and energy – are not led by the Department of Water Affairs, which merely plays an administrative role of issuing water licences, often after the fact. Added to this, the minister of mineral resources is currently asking the Constitutional Court to further exempt mining from the normal planning processes that apply to all other forms of economic development.

This would be problematic. However, when we consider the dire water situation, it reaches a critical scale.

The nascent National Planning Commission (NPC) provides a unique opportunity to deal with such a highly integrative and complex issue at its appropriate national strategic level. The first report produced by the NPC, the national diagnostic report, recognised the fundamental role of water.

However, the NPC’s follow-through in the National Development Plan (NDP), which seeks to chart a new path for long-term development, does not appear to deliver on this early promise. Water issues, previously seen as a “central concern of national planning”, are relegated to being a sub-section of infrastructure.

Seeing water purely as an infrastructure issue seems to completely miss the systemic nature of water risks and the need to plan for water security in a highly integrated manner. The systemic nature of water risks is the very reason why the World Economic Forum ranked a “water supply crisis” as the second most important global risk in its Global Risks 2012 report.

At the heart of this systemic nature of water risk lies the water-food-energy nexus. One cannot plan for one of these critical resources without consideration of the impacts on the other two.

The NPC appears to be perfectly positioned to deal with such a multi-variant nexus issue that the more focused national government line departments are not able to deal with. And yet, this critical point seems to be entirely lost in the NDP.

On the positive side, the NDP proposes the establishment of a new National Spatial Framework, guided by an inter-departmental spatial co-ordination committee, which aims to resolve conflicts and harmonise spatial planning. Such a framework and committee is a positive step towards dealing with the spatial aspects of the water-food-energy nexus.

As we approach two decades of democracy, we have seen many changes in the policy arena that guides the sustainable development of our country. The first decade saw a flurry of new and globally leading legislation coming into being. The second decade has seen us struggle with the harmonisation of this new legislation, and the complex and interconnected nature of sustainable development. The NPC provides one of the most exciting opportunities to deal with these issues in a strategic, integrated and systemic way. WWF will continue to support the NPC in this endeavour.

Source: iol

The high amount of extremes is not normal

Scientists at Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Research used physics, statistical analysis and computer simulations to [...]]]> Extreme weather events over the past decade have increased and were “very likely” caused by manmade global warming, a study in the journal Nature Climate Change said on Sunday.

The high amount of extremes is not normal

Scientists at Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Research used physics, statistical analysis and computer simulations to link extreme rainfall and heat waves to global warming. The link between warming and storms was less clear.

“It is very likely that several of the unprecedented extremes of the past decade would not have occurred without anthropogenic global warming,” said the study.

The past decade was probably the warmest globally for at least a millennium. Last year was the eleventh hottest on record, the World Meteorological Organization said on Friday.

Extreme weather events were devastating in their impacts and affected nearly all regions of the globe.

They included severe floods and record hot summers in Europe; a record number of tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic in 2005; the hottest Russian summer since 1500 in 2010 and the worst flooding in Pakistan’s history.

Last year alone, the United States suffered 14 weather events which caused losses of over $1 billion each.

NOT NORMAL

The high amount of extremes is not normal, the study said.

Even between March 13 and 19 this year, historical heat records were exceeded in more than 1,000 places in North America.

For some types of extreme weather, there are physical reasons why they would increase in a warming climate. For example, if average temperature rises, then so will the number of heat records if all else remains equal, the study said.

Natural weather patterns like El Nino or La Nina can also cause highs in global temperature or increased precipitation which leads to floods.

“Single weather extremes are often related to regional processes, like a blocking high pressure system or natural phenomena like El Nino,” said Stefan Rahmstorf, co-author of the study and chair of the institute’s earth system analysis department.

“These are complex processes that we are investigating further. But now these processes unfold against the background of climatic warming. That can turn an extreme event into a record-breaking event.”

Recent years have seen an exceptionally large number of record-breaking and destructive heat waves in many parts of the world and research suggests that many or even most of these would not have happened without global warming.

Currently, nearly twice as many record hot days as record cold days are being observed both in the United States and Australia, the length of summer heat waves in Western Europe has almost doubled and the frequency of hot days has almost tripled over the period from 1880 to 2005.

Extremely hot summers are now observed in about 10 percent of the global land area, compared with only about 0.1-0.2 percent for the period 1951 to 1980, the study said.

The link between storms and hurricanes and global warming is less conclusive but at least some of recent rainfall extremes can be attributed to human influences on the climate, it added.

By: Nina Chestney
Source:  Reuters