THE WARMING

ITEM 1:
Global warming a meltdown for ski resorts
PARIS, Jan. 16 (UPI) --
Global warming could turn European skiing into a sport available only for the very rich, a new report says.

The report for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris predicted that two-thirds of the resorts in the Alps could be out of business in the next 30 years, The Daily Mail said. Every increase of 1 degree Centigrade (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in average temperature is likely to end skiing at 100 resorts.This year, with unusually warm temperatures in the Alps, about one-quarter of the resorts have yet to open.


ITEM 2:





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ITEM 3:
Italian farmers worried about warm winter
ROME, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Farmers in Italy are worried that an unusually mild winter could be a disaster for the country's agriculture industry.

Apricot, peach, cherry and almond trees are already budding in many parts of the country, ANSA reported. The crops will be ruined if the weather turns cold again.

The lack of snow is keeping river levels below seasonal averages, which could mean a shortage of water for irrigation later this year.

A task force of climate experts and meteorologists is meeting to discuss the situation.

Guido Bertolaso, the head of the Civil Protection Department, said the mild winter is a symptom of global warming and that the country needs to be better prepared to face "extreme situations."