UN chief calls 2009 'year of climate change'

UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called 2009 "the year of climate change" as he reviewed the world body's "mixed" record handling crises in Darfur, Kosovo and Zimbabwe.

Speaking at his last official press conference at UN headquarters this year, the secretary general listed climate change, one of his priorities since he assumed his post two years ago, as a key challenge for the world next year.

"I am pleased with our success in keeping climate change high on the global agenda," he said, adding that "2009 will be the year of climate change."

Cosmic Rays Do Not Explain Global Warming, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (Dec. 17, 2008) — A new study supports earlier findings by stating that changes in cosmic rays most likely do not contribute to climate change. It is sometimes claimed that changes in radiation from space, so-called galactic cosmic rays, can be one of the causes of global warming. A new study, investigating the effect of cosmic rays on clouds, concludes that the likelihood of this is very small.

Winter storm warning as snow falls in Southern California; major highways shut down - 12/17/08 - Los Angeles-Southern California

PALMDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- CHP has shut down Interstate 5 through the Grapevine, Route 14 and Interstate 15 due to icy, snowy roads, and a winter storm warning is in effect.

Blizzard-like conditions shut down the Interstate 15 through the Cajon Pass for the second time this week. Vehicles were diverted off the I-15 to the 138 Fwy.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, drivers were able to travel through the Cajon Pass, but as conditions worsened, the California Highway Patrol was forced to completely shut down the freeway at about 9 a.m.