h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Week by week we here of some new phenomenon that is attributed to global warming. This is an attempt to document some of this evidence as it accumulates.

According to The Guardian newspaper (2005)Krill - tiny shrimp-like crustaceans that are vital to the marine foodchain - have suffered an 80% decline in Antarctica since the 1970's.
Krill feed on algae that shelter beneath the sea-ice, but the avarage air temp around the Antarctic Peninsula has risen by 2.5 deg C since the 1950's, melting some of the ice.
Angus Atkinson of British Antarctic Survey commented, 'We don't fully understand how the loss of sea ice here is connected to the warming, but we believe it could be behind the decline in krill.
Thew team examined the scientific fishing records of 9 countries working in Antarctica from 1926 to 1939, and from 1976 to 2003. They say there is now only one-fifth of the krill that existed 3 decades ago.

Antarctic Glaciers Retreating

According to the Buenos Aires newspaper, Clarin: In the last 50 years 87% of the 244 glaciers on the Antarctic peninsula have retreated, and faster than experts previously thought. The first comprehensive analysis of glaciers in the area also found that air temps have risen by more than 2.5 deg C during the last 50 yrs. The widespread retreat was largely caused by climate change, notes David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey.

Awake Jan '06

Scientists from British Antarctic Survey, based in Rothera on Antarctic Peninsula, havin been able to analyse the gas in ice bubbles going back over 800,000 years. They have shown a rise greenhouse gases, partic. CO2 over the past x years, and claim to have shown a definite link between CO2 levels and rising sea levels. Of great significance to UK as an island nation!

... temperaturesin Antarctic peninsula are increasing faster than anyhere else on earth, about 2 deg in last 50 years:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4315968.stm

Swordfish caught off Northumberland Coast

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=399614&in_page_id=1770

GW is encouraging UK farmers to produce a range of Mediterranean-style crops according to a report in The Grocer.
Vineyards, olive groves, chillis, tea, nuts and livestock such as ostriches are flourishing due to higher average temperatures.
One grower, Mark Diacono, is building a business based on his belief that temperatures will rise even higher, and is growing almonds, pecans, sharon fruit, apricots and olives at Otter Farm, near Homniton, Devon.