The Environment Chronicle

Tree of the Year is the European crab apple (Malus sylvestris).

Fungus of the Year 2013 is the Entoloma incanum.

Lichen of the year 2013 is the Peltigera didactyla.

Medicinal Plant of the Year 2013 is the Tropaeolum commonly known as Nasturtium.

Actinophrys sol is the protozoan of the year 2013.

More than 41 tonnes of elephant ivory have been seized in 2013, the largest quantity in 25-years.

NASA scientists say 2013 tied with 2009 and 2006 for the seventh warmest year since 1880, continuing a long-term trend of rising global temperatures. With the exception of 1998, the 10 warmest years in the 134-year record all have occurred since 2000, with 2010 and 2005 ranking as the warmest years on record. On 21 January 2014 NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, which analyzes global surface temperatures on an ongoing basis, released an updated report on temperatures around the globe in 2013. The average temperature in 2013 was 14.6 Celsius, which is 0.6 C warmer than the mid-20th century baseline. The average global temperature has risen about 0.8 C since 1880, according to the new analysis. NOAA reports 2013 tied as 4th hottest year on record.

Global CO2 emissions hit a new record level again in 2013. At 35.1 billion tonnes, about 670 million more tonnes of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels was blown into the atmosphere than in the previous year (2012: about 34.4 billion tonnes), IWR, a Muenster-based renewable energy institute reported. This represents an increase of 1.9 percent and a continuous rise since the advent of the economic and financial crisis in 2009 (31.1 billion tonnes). 2013 saw the 35 billion tonne mark exceeded for the first time.

2013 was Australia’s warmest year since records began in 1910. Mean temperatures across Australia have generally been well above average since September 2012. Long periods of warmer-than-average days have been common, with a distinct lack of cold weather. Nights have also been warmer than average, but less so than days. The Australian area-averaged mean temperature for 2013 was +1.20 °C above the 1961–1990 average. Maximum temperatures were +1.45 °C above average, and minimum temperatures +0.94 °C above average. Temperatures were above average across nearly all of Australia for maximum, mean and minimum temperatures, with large areas of inland and southern Australia experiencing the highest on record for each.