‘Catastrophic Losses’ of Animals Feared due to UK Spring Snow

Many animals dead or dying in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales: NFU

The late snow has hit the UK during lambing season, making it impossible for hundreds of farmers to get to their animals.

Many animals are already dead or dying, said a NI farmer. “There are hundreds of farmers who have sheep buried.”

“Road conditions are just incredibly bad. There’s places where the snow at the side of the road is higher than the vehicles. It’s coming late in a very, very tough winter – it’s just putting the tin hat on it for many of us,” said another farmer.

There are fears of “catastrophic losses,” with thousands of animals buried on the Isle of Man, where the recent snowfall was reportedly the heaviest recorded in 50 years.

Southern Scotland has been the worst affected region, with many animals trapped, and no way of getting food to them, said Carolyn Lamb from NFU Scotland.

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DISASTER CALENDAR – March 26, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,082 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,082 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

‘Surreal’ Melt Season Begins in Arctic Sea

Arctic Sea ice reaches annual maximum extent at 15.13mkm²

Arctic sea ice likely reached its maximum extent for 2013, at 15.13 million square kilometers (5.84 million square miles), the 6th lowest in satellite record, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported.

Arctic sea ice extent on March 15 was 15.13 million square kilometers (5.84 million square miles). The orange line shows the 1979 to 2000 median extent for that day. The black cross indicates the geographic North Pole.  —Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center.

The maximum ice extent was 733,000 km² below the 1979 to 2000 average of 15.86 million square kilometers.

• The maximum occurred on March 10, five days later than the 1979 to 2000 average date of March 10.
• The 2013 maximum ice extent was the 6th lowest in the satellite record, said NSIDC.
• The lowest maximum extent occurred in 2011; ten lowest maximums have occurred in the last ten years (2004 – 2013).

Arctic sea ice extent as of March 24, 2013, along with daily ice extent data for the previous five years. 2012 to 2013 is shown in blue, 2011 to 2012 in green, 2010 to 2011 in pink, 2009 to 2010 in navy, and 2008 to 2009 in purple. The 1979 to 2000 average is in dark gray. The gray area around this average line shows the two standard deviation range of the data. —Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center

Over the 2012 to 2013 winter season, sea ice extent grew a record 11.72 million square kilometers (4.53 million square miles). The record growth was primarily a result of the record low minimum last September, leaving a greater extent of ocean surface uncovered in ice to re-freeze this winter. This seasonal ice gain is 645,000 square kilometers (249,000 square miles) higher than the previous record (2007 to 2008) and 2.63 million square kilometer (1.02 million square miles) higher than the 1979 to 2000 average. Last autumn’s record low and this winter’s record ice growth indicate a more pronounced seasonal cycle in Arctic sea ice and the increasing dominance of first-year ice in the Arctic. —NSIDC

Related Links

• Polar Ice Page [Includes an index of links to Arctic Sea Ice  ]