On this day in 2014, National Geographic reported
A small rodent that lived only on a single island off Australia is likely the world’s first mammal to be a casualty of climate change, scientists report this week.
The Bramble Cay melomys (Melomys rubicola) seems to have disappeared from its home in the eastern Torres Strait of the Great Barrier Reef, the scientists say. The animal was last seen by a fisherman in 2009, but failed attempts to trap any in late 2014 have prompted scientists to say it is likely extinct.
Also on this day-
2011 Climate change threat to Australia’s top wines. Adelaide Advertiser
By Robert Burton-Bradley, NewsComAu
CLIMATE change is a ticking time-bomb for Australia’s $5.5 billion wine industry and threatens some of our favourite wines with extinction, a study has revealed.
CSIRO climate change scientist and wine expert Leanne Webb examined ripening times across Australia and found grapes were maturing faster in recent warmer temperatures, affecting quality and taste.
Some growers say they are already modifying their winemaking to cope with the effects and at least one major player is taking steps to move production further south.