Warmer Nights Threaten India's Rice Production. By Gayathri Vaidyanathan, ClimateWire, May 5, 2010. "This development could have a far-reaching impact on the yield of rice, causing a shortfall in an important staple crop in a crowded country already grappling with food security and inflationary issues, said Krishna Kumar Kanikicharla, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorologyin Pune, India. A nighttime temperature increase of 0.20 degree Celsius has been seen in the past decade, said Kanikicharla. This is higher than the measured daytime increase of 0.16 degree Celsius over the same period. His findings will be published in the journal Climate Research shortly. This is the first time that a nighttime temperature rise has been observed in India. The Earth radiates back heat at night, so a tight blanket of greenhouse gases and clouds in the upper atmosphere acts as a block to prevent radiation back into space. As a result of this blanketing, warmer nights can be an indicator of climate change, according to some experts."
2010-05-10
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