Climate Deadline
The U.N.'s chief climate scientist says the world is at "five minutes before midnight" when it comes to the deadline for averting severe climate change. Rajendra Pachauri told reporters that humanity can no longer be content kicking the can down the road in coping with greenhouse gas emissions, which are the root cause of our warming planet. His comments came less than a month before the first volume of the U.N.'s next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment report will be released. It will look at the scientific evidence for climate change and be followed by two more volumes next year that will focus on the impacts of a warmer world and the options for tackling them. A leaked draft of the first volume two weeks ago said that human activity is almost certainly behind climate change. Recent studies revealed the deep oceans have absorbed most of the accumulating warmth since the turn of the 21st century, with global land-based temperature trends remaining relatively flat.
Two-Toned Rarity
A maine fisherman made a 1-in-50 million catch when he pulled in a lobster that is almost exactly half orange and half brown. Jeff Edwards donated the rarity to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute after snapping a few photos. "It looked as if someone had taken painter's tape and run it from proboscis to tail, then spray-painted one side. It's a perfectly straight line," institute specialist Alan Lishness told Reuters. "You don't usually see such hard edges in nature." Atlantic lobsters are typically greenish-brown in color, and turn red only after being cooked. Only albino lobsters are less likely to turn up in a trap than the kind caught by Edwards.
Radiation Spike
Radiation levels jumped nearly 18-fold near a tank containing highly contaminated water from Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. An announcement from Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said that the radiation was measured at 2,200 millisieverts per hour, which is a record high and enough to kill an unprotected person within hours. It was unclear if the spike was caused by yet another spill of contaminated water at the plant, which has been a growing problem in recent weeks. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said TEPCO cannot store the radioactive water forever, and it will eventually need to be dumped into the Pacific. The country's national fishermen's organization recently criticized TEPCO's mangement for its bungling of the disaster since a March 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused meltdowns at the plant. Fleets have been waiting to resume fishing off Fukushima for more than two years.
Earthquakes
Five people were killed and thousands forced to flee their homes when a 5.8 magnitude quake struck southwestern China's Sichuan province.
* Earth movements were also felt over a wide area from Indonesia's Banda Sea to the Australiancity of Darwin, and in southern Japan, far northern India, Costa Rica, the Aleutian Islands and eastern Texas.
Tropical Cyclones
Southern Japan's Kyushu Island was drenched by Tropical Storm Toraji.
* Tropical Storm Kiko formed briefly off Baja California.
* Puerto Rico and Hispaniola were soaked by Tropical Storm Gabrielle.
Andean Explosions
Peru's Ubinas volcano produced five thermal blasts within a two-day period, sending ash and volcanic gases soaring high above the northern Andes Mountains. Geologists say the explosions were due to the accumulation of melted snow in Ubina's crater. "It's like pouring cold water on a hot plate. That will cause a reaction," said seismologist Victor Aguilar, of the University of San Agustin in Arequipa. In 2006, Ubinas belched ash, smoke and toxic gas over southeastern Peru, killing livestock and polluting water supplies. It had previously been dormant for nearly 40 years.
Drunken Elk
A gang of elk held a Swedish man captive in his own home for hours after the animals became drunk from eating fermented apples on the homeowner's lawn. Stockholm police say they were called to the residence on Ingaro island, in the city's eastern suburbs, where a man said his front door was being blocked by four adult elk and a calf. The elk had moved on before the authorities arrived. "I'm not surprised that he called the police when he was faced with a gang of five drunken elk," police spokesman Albin Naverberg told TheLocal.se website. "They can be really dangerous. They become fearless. Instead of backing away when a person approaches, they move toward you." Drunken elk are a reoccurring problem at this time of year in Sweden. In 2002, a drunken bull elk was shot after it attacked an 8-year-old boy. Another intemperate elk laid siege to a Swedish schoolhouse in November 2006.
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