Bob Berwyn at InsideClimate News writes—Global Warming to Spur More Fires in Alaska, in Turn Causing More Warming:
As firefighters continue their struggle to contain the destructive forest fire that has already ravaged Fort McMurray, Alberta, new evidence shows that global warming will rapidly increase the risk of wildfires across northern regions of Europe, North America and Asia.
That includes Alaska, where the likelihood of fires will grow up to four-fold in coming decades in areas where they have been rare. That puts at risk the edges of vast boreal forests, as well as tundra zones, according to a new study published in the journal Ecography. [...]
Across the state's North Slope, above the Arctic Circle, the shift is "far outside the range of natural variability we've seen in the last 6,000 to 32,000 years," [University of Montana fire ecology researcher Philip] Higuera said.
Increased wildfire activity will change the shape and extent of boreal forests, and affect wildlife habitat and Alaska's indigenous residents. And while climate change is the prime culprit, the fires will also intensify global warming. Burning organic soils and thawing permafrost will send even more CO2 into the atmosphere, according to Higuera and other scientists who study ecosystem changes in the region.[...]
Boreal forests, found mainly in Alaska, Canada, Siberia and Scandinavia, store an estimated 50 percent of total soil carbon and help trap some of the CO2 emitted by the burning of fossil fuels. Scientists already know that global warming is releasing more heat-trapping carbon dioxide from thawing permafrost in the far north. They're worried that the big fires expected in those forests will intensify that process.
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At Daily Kos on this date in 2011—Gingrich denies supporting health coverage mandate after saying he supports a mandate:
You know you're having a bad day in the Republican primary field when you feel compelled to put out a video denying that you support a health coverage mandate. And if you're name isn't Mitt Romney, you're having an especially bad day.
Newt Gingrich, who last held elective office nearly fifteen years ago, found himself in that position today, thanks to comments he made yesterday:
“I agree that all of us have a responsibility to help pay for health care. And I think that there are ways to do it that make most libertarians relatively happy,” Mr. Gingrich told the host David Gregory. “I’ve said consistently, where there’s some requirement you either have health insurance or you post a bond or in some way you indicate you’re going to be held accountable.”
That's pretty clear support for a federal health coverage mandate. It's not precisely the same one as signed into law by President Obama—Gingrich would allow people to post a bond that would cover any potential medical expenses (presumably very few people could do this as it would need to cover potential expenses)—but the principle is similar: no free riders. Everybody must pay.
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On today’s Kagro in the Morning show, Greg Dworkin previews what we know about the KY & OR primaries, and rounds up Hairspray von Clownstick news. And guess who exploited undocumented immigrant labor? Armando weighs in on the discussion of the Nevada Dem convention debacle.
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