Reuters AlertNet - Journalists criticised over climate change reporting

Richardson said media organisations need to sell their newspapers, "so expecting journalists to do this job for us when they are being paid to earn money for a newspaper isn't correct, it isn't going to happen."

Addressing journalists during the debate she cited an example where a photo of a melting ice cap was published with captions announcing a new and profitable shipping route to China or a new frontier for oil exploration.

Scientists were frustrated that these articles had not explained how the ice melt would affect Earth's systems and, consequently, future generations of humans.

Rain falling on frozen ground could cause flooding in Wisconsin

State officials gathered at the state Capitol on Tuesday to urge residents to buy flood insurance, but much of the focus was on a 4- to 6-inch layer of frozen ground about 20 inches below the top soil in southern Wisconsin.

The frost line is preventing water from draining deeper into the ground. That means a 3- to 4-inch rainfall in the next couple of weeks could cause widespread flooding less than a year after floods caused a record $765 million in damage throughout the state, the majority of it in southern Wisconsin.