US intel chief issues warning about climate change

The top US intelligence official issued a warning on Tuesday about the dangers of climate change in testimony that was seemingly at odds with the skepticism of President Donald Trump and other members of his administration.

"The impacts of the long-term trends toward a warming climate, more air pollution, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity are likely to fuel economic and social discontent -- and possibly upheaval -- through 2018," said Dan Coats, the Director of National Intelligence.

"The past 115 years have been the warmest period in the history of modern civilization, and the past few years have been the warmest years on record," Coats said in prepared remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The intelligence chief did not directly attribute global warming to human activity in his annual Worldwide Threat Assessment report, but he starkly outlined the dangers of climate change.

"Extreme weather events in a warmer world have the potential for greater impacts and can compound with other drivers to raise the risk of humanitarian disasters, conflict, water and food shortages, population migration, labor shortfalls, price shocks, and power outages," he said.

"Domestic policy responses to such issues will become more difficult -- especially for democracies -- as publics become less trusting of authoritative information sources," he added.

Trump once derided global warming as a "hoax" and withdrew the United States from the Paris climate change agreement upon taking office.

The US leader cast doubt on the veracity of global warming science as recently as December 28.

"In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record," Trump tweeted.

"Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against."

S.Africa declares drought a 'national disaster'
Cape Town (AFP) Feb 13, 2018 - South Africa on Tuesday declared a "national disaster" over a drought that has ravaged parts of the country and threatened to leave homes in Cape Town without running water.

The government said it had elevated the drought to a "national disaster" after reassessing its "magnitude and severity".

Cape Town is in the grip of a three-year-long drought as sparse winter rains have failed to bring relief, and dam levels have dropped dangerously low.

Rains over the weekend raised hopes that the situation would improve, but the downpours were neither heavy nor long enough to have an impact on the situation.

The statement, published in the official government gazette, means that the national government is now responsible for tackling the issue and ensuring relief efforts.

South Africa's second city is now facing the prospect of having to turn its taps off under a so-called "Day Zero" scenario to conserve the city's remaining water supplies.

Most Cape Town residents would be forced to queue at communal taps at 200 water points -- likely under police or military guard -- to collect a daily ration of 25 litres (6.6 US gallons), half the amount allowed now.

At the start of February, the target for personal daily water usage was slashed from 87 litres to 50 litres.

- 'We will defeat Day Zero' -

A single toilet flush uses nine litres. It is hoped that usage cuts will buy the city time to find a solution -- or for the rains of the southern winter to refill depleted dams.

Reducing household use, which accounts for 70 percent of water consumption, has been prioritised over slashing industry's usage.

On Tuesday, the predicted date for "Day Zero" was pushed back to June 4 after consumption cuts.

The widespread drought has gripped swathes of the nation's south and west.

Opposition Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane praised residents of Cape Town, a tourist magnet, for significantly slashing their water consumption.

"If we keep consumption this low for the weeks and months to come, we will defeat 'Day Zero' in 2018," said Maimane, whose party runs the Cape Town municipality -- and the wider region.

The drought facing Cape Town is the worst in 100 years.

The region in which Cape Town, known as the "Mother City" is located, seasonally receives rains in the southern hemisphere winter season running from around June through August.

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