BBC News – Climate change: Models ‘underplay plant CO2 absorption’

13 October 2014 Last updated at 20:58 ET
By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, BBC News

Leaves absorb significantly more CO2 than climate models have estimated
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Global climate models have underestimated the amount of CO2 being absorbed by plants, according to new research.

Scientists say that between 1901 and 2010, living things absorbed 16% more of the gas than previously thought.

The authors say it explains why models consistently overestimated the growth rate of carbon in the atmosphere.

But experts believe the new calculation is unlikely to make a difference to global warming predictions.

The research has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Working out the amount of carbon dioxide that lingers in the atmosphere is critical to estimating the future impacts of global warming on temperatures.

About half the CO2 that’s produced ends up in the oceans or is absorbed by living things.

…(read more).

Global Climate Change
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BBC News – Ebola crisis: WHO accused of ‘failure’ in early response

17 October 2014 Last updated at 17:59 ET

• Nigerian success
• The basics
• Flight risk?
• Outbreak mapped
• Treatment centre

The WHO is accused of underestimating the impact of Ebola
Ebola outbreak

• Nigerian success
• Vaccine ‘too late’
• The basics
• Where is virus?

Poor communication and incompetent staff meant the World Health Organization failed to react swiftly Ebola outbreak in Africa, reports say.

An internal document said those involved “failed to see some fairly plain writing on the wall”, according to the Associated Press.

Separately, sources close to the WHO told Bloomberg of multiple failures in the outbreak’s early stages.

In response, a senior official told the BBC time would come for an inquiry.

In the worst affected countries – Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone – the Ebola virus has now killed 4,546 people with cases of infection numbering 9,191, according to the latest WHO figures.

‘Perfect storm’

The reports have brought into focus the way the WHO dealt with the outbreak in the months after it received the first reports of Ebola cases in Guinea in March.

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warned in April that the outbreak was out of control – something disputed by the WHO at the time.

…(read more).

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice