Page 28 - AT

A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 4 december 2018

Whale songs and war: The less talked-about climate impacts

By SETH BORENSTEIN conflicts between farmers
AP Science Writer and cattle herders who are
WASHINGTON (AP) — Near competing for diminishing
Antarctica, whales are sing- water supplies and fertile
ing in deeper tones to cut lands," she said.
through the noise of melt- "It's like a domino effect,"
ing icebergs. In California, said University of Hawaii
a big college football ri- geographer Camilo Mora.
valry game was postponed "You go three steps back-
until Saturday because of ward and you realize that
smoky air from wildfires. climate change was part
And Alaskan shellfish were of the equations."
struck by an outbreak of Mora scoured scientific
warm water bacteria. literature to see how of-
That's global warming in ten global warming influ-
action. Climate change is enced some of society's
more than heat waves, hur- ills and came up with 467
ricanes, floods, droughts, examples. Australian un-
sea level rise, melting ice derground electrical trans-
and ever-increasing tem- mission wires, for example,
peratures. short-circuited because
Sometimes global warm- of heat and planes were
ing has a hand —directly grounded in Arizona be-
or indirectly — in some- In this June 5, 2014, file photo, a man rides a bicycle through a part of Homs, Syria, devastated cause hotter air is thinner,
thing quirky, such as the by the country's civil war. making take-offs and land-
pitch change in five ba- Associated Press ings more difficult.
leen whale populations in "The laundry list of cases is
the Southern Ocean. It can bacteria outbreak in Alas- merous studies have said it "Climate change didn't just mind-blowing," Mora
be annoying, such as hav- ka or once-tropical, dis- was a factor in record-set- cause the Syrian civil war" said.
ing to reschedule the Big ease-carrying mosquitoes ting drought in Syria —one but in a place that's unhap- A changing planet has
Game between California arriving in Canada. of several causes of the py, a drought arrives, farm- messed with the timing of
and Stanford, or seeing It could be a bit unex- country's civil war that trig- ers move to an overcrowd- nature.
plants bloom too early in pected, like a study linking gered a massive refugee ed city and problems mul- "There are hundreds of
the spring. warmer climate to a rise in crisis. tiply and lead to war, Alley changes of the flowering
More often the influence winter crimes in the United The military calls this a said. "It was the straw that of plants, the leafing out
of climate change is omi- States. Northeastern Univer- multiplier effect. Problems broke the camel's back." of trees, the migrations of
nous, like oceans becom- sity criminologist James Fox combine, pile up and wors- Conflict over climate birds" that can be attribut-
ing more acidic and eating says that actually makes en each other. Climate change impacts is not con- ed to climate change, said
away at clam shells and sense because more peo- change does that, even fined to Syria, says University Boston University biologist
coral reefs, which already ple outside means more in matters of national se- of Oklahoma meteorology Richard Primack. And when
got bleached by warmer opportunity for foul play. curity, said Richard Alley, a professor Renee McPher- that happens, sometimes it
waters. And climate change has climate scientist at Pennsyl- son. It also applies to thou- creates "mismatches."q
Or even out-of-place and altered global politics. Nu- vania State University. sands of Nigerians "killed in
dangerous, like the Vibrio
Whale songs and war: The less talked-about climate impacts

By SETH BORENSTEIN struck by an outbreak of thing quirky, such as the It could be a bit unex-
AP Science Writer warm water bacteria. pitch change in five ba- pected, like a study linking
WASHINGTON (AP) — Near That's global warming in leen whale populations in warmer climate to a rise in
Antarctica, whales are action. Climate change is the Southern Ocean. It can winter crimes in the United
singing in deeper tones to more than heat waves, hur- be annoying, such as hav- States. Northeastern Univer-
cut through the noise of ricanes, floods, droughts, ing to reschedule the Big sity criminologist James Fox
melting icebergs. In Califor- sea level rise, melting ice Game between California says that actually makes
nia, a big college football ri- and ever-increasing tem- and Stanford, or seeing sense because more peo-
valry game was postponed peratures. plants bloom too early in ple outside means more
until Saturday because of Sometimes global warm- the spring. opportunity for foul play.
smoky air from wildfires. ing has a hand —directly More often the influence And climate change has
And Alaskan shellfish were or indirectly — in some- of climate change is omi- altered global politics. Nu-
nous, like oceans becom- merous studies have said it
ing more acidic and eating was a factor in record-set- In this June 5, 2014, file
away at clam shells and ting drought in Syria —one photo, a man rides a bicycle
through a part of Homs, Syria,
coral reefs, which already of several causes of the devastated by the country's
got bleached by warmer country's civil war that trig- civil war.
waters. gered a massive refugee Associated Press
Or even out-of-place and crisis.
dangerous, like the Vibrio The military calls this a
bacteria outbreak in Alas- multiplier effect. Problems in matters of national se-
ka or once-tropical, dis- combine, pile up and wors- curity, said Richard Alley, a
ease-carrying mosquitoes en each other. Climate climate scientist at Pennsyl-
arriving in Canada. change does that, even vania State University.q