World Economic Forum – “Britain’s love affair with garden birds is reshaping its avian population. Several species have grown in number and overall diversity has increased, according to new research that explores the impact of the nation’s obsession with bird feeders. With at least half of all British households catering for the birds in their… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Climate Change
Fantastic fall foliage and where to find it
Washington Post – “This is starting out as a complicated season for leaf peepers. As the East Coast sweated through record October heat, parts of the Rockies were buried under wildly early snow. Late heat and early cold can stifle some of the most photo-worthy foliage, but soon enough, large swaths of the country will… Continue Reading
Paper – The effect of pollution on crime
The effect of pollution on crime: Evidence from data on particulate matter and ozone. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management – Available online 30 September 2019, 102267. In Press, Journal Pre-proof [paywall]. – “We estimate the effect of short-term air pollution exposure (PM2.5 and ozone) on several categories of crime, with a particular emphasis on… Continue Reading
‘Ultimate gift to future generations’: plan to laser map all land on Earth
UK Guardian – Project to record cultural, geological and environmental treasures at risk from climate crisis – “A project to produce detailed maps of all the land on Earth through laser scanning has been revealed by researchers who say action is needed now to preserve a record of the world’s cultural, environmental and geological treasures. Prof… Continue Reading
Waze thinks it can get Americans carpooling again
The Verge – “A year ago, navigation app Waze made a risky bet on carpooling, a type of commuting that has waned since its heyday in the 1970s. It launched Waze Carpool, a dedicated app that lets nonprofessional drivers offer rides to people who are traveling on a similar route for a nominal fee. So… Continue Reading
Two-thirds of North American birds are at increasing risk of extinction from global temperature rise
Auduban – Survival by Degrees: 389 Species on the Brink: “If we take action now, we can improve the chances for hundreds of bird species. By stabilizing carbon emissions and holding warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, 76 percent of vulnerable species will be better off, and nearly 150 species would no longer be vulnerable to… Continue Reading
The Most Detailed Map of Auto Emissions in America
The New York Times – See driving-related emissions in your metro area, road by road – “These findings come from a New York Times analysis of new data released through Boston University’s Database of Road Transportation Emissions. The database provides the most detailed estimates available of local on-road CO2 over the past three decades. The… Continue Reading
Visualizing the Effects of Bad Weather and the Trade War on Farmers
Center for Data Visualization – “The Wall Street Journal has created a series of data visualizations showing how bad weather and the United States-China trade war have created significant challenges for U.S. farmers. The visualizations show that the months between July 2018 and June 2019 were the wettest in the United States since record-keeping began… Continue Reading
600 Years of Grape Harvests Document 20th Century Climate Change
Earth and Space Science News (EOS) – “Climate change isn’t just captured by thermometers—grapes can also do the trick. By mining archival records of grape harvest dates going back to 1354, scientists have reconstructed a 664-year record of temperature traced by fruit ripening. The records, from the Burgundy region of France, represent the longest series… Continue Reading
Proposals for Reform Volume II: National Task Force on Rule of Law & Democracy
The second National Task Force report on the Rule of Law & Democracy outlines how to curb political interference in government science and fix a broken appointments process. “In recent years, the norms and expectations that once ensured that our government was guided primarily by the public interest rather than by individual or partisan interest… Continue Reading
UN Report on Climate Change 2019
United In Science – High-level synthesis report of latest climate science information convened by the Science Advisory Group of the UN Climate Action Summit 2019. September 22, 2019. Foreword by António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General: “Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. This important document by the United Nations and global partner organizations,… Continue Reading
The veins of America: Stunning map shows every river basin in the US
DailyMail UK: “A stunning new map [includes video and data] shows the complex network of rivers and streams in the contiguous United States. Created by Imgur user Fejetlenfej, a geographer and GIS analyst with a ‘lifelong passion for beautiful maps,’ it highlights the massive expanse of river basins across the country – in particular, those… Continue Reading
