Land-Sparing Opportunities for Solar Energy Development in Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study of the Great Central Valley, CA, United States. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2017, 51 (24), pp 14472–14482. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b05110. Publication Date (Web): December 19, 2017. “Land-cover change from energy development, including solar energy, presents trade-offs for land used for the production of food and… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Climate Change
The new ice free Arctic?
Let it go: The Arctic will never be frozen again By Eric Holthaus on Dec 18, 2017: “Last week, at a New Orleans conference center that once doubled as a storm shelter for thousands during Hurricane Katrina, a group of polar scientists made a startling declaration: The Arctic as we once knew it is no… Continue Reading
Report – A big year for fact-checking, but not for new U.S. fact-checkers
Duke Reporter’s Lab – Following a historic pattern, the number of American media outlets verifying political statements dropped after last year’s presidential campaign. “All the talk about political lies and misinformation since last year’s election has been good for the fact-checking business in the United States — but it has not meant an increase in… Continue Reading
Arctic saw 2nd warmest year, smallest winter sea ice coverage on record in 2017
“A NOAA-sponsored report shows that the warming trend transforming the Arctic persisted in 2017, resulting in the second warmest air temperatures, above average ocean temperatures, loss of sea ice, and a range of human, ocean and ecosystem effects. Now in its 12th year, the Arctic Report Card, released today at the annual American Geophysical Union… Continue Reading
Study – Greater future global warming inferred from Earth’s recent energy budget
Washington Post: “The climate change simulations that best capture current planetary conditions are also the ones that predict the most dire levels of human-driven warming, according to a statistical study released in the journal Nature Wednesday. The study, by Patrick Brown and Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Stanford, Calif., examined the high-powered climate change… Continue Reading
Moody’s: Climate change is forecast to heighten US exposure to economic loss placing short-and long-term credit pressure on US states and local governments
News release: New York, November 28, 2017 – “The growing effects of climate change, including climbing global temperatures, and rising sea levels, are forecast to have an increasing economic impact on US state and local issuers. This will be a growing negative credit factor for issuers without sufficient adaptation and mitigation strategies, Moody’s Investors Service… Continue Reading
World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice
World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice. WILLIAM J. RIPPLE, CHRISTOPHER WOLF, THOMAS M. NEWSOME, MAURO GALETTI, MOHAMMED ALAMGIR, EILEEN CRIST, MAHMOUD I. MAHMOUD, WILLIAM F. LAURANCE, and 15,364 scientist signatories from 184 countries. November 13, 2017. Vol. XX, No. X BioScience. [Alliance of World Scientists] “Twenty-five years ago, the Union of Concerned Scientists… Continue Reading
UK environment secretary will back total ban on bee-harming pesticides
theguardian: Research leads environment secretary to overturn government’s previous opposition, making total EU ban much more likely – “The UK will back a total ban on insect-harming pesticides in fields across Europe, the environment secretary, Michael Gove, has revealed. The decision reverses the government’s previous position and is justified by recent new evidence showing neonicotinoids… Continue Reading
Google partners with Aclima in mapping out air pollution levels on Google Earth
TNW: “Google has undertaken yet another initiative that aims to raise awareness of the importance of protecting the environment. The company has teamed up with envirotech firm Aclima to measure air pollution levels in California and map out the findings on its Earth platform. The effort will see the two companies release hyperlocal air quality… Continue Reading
2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Contest, Part II
Alan Taylor via The Atlantic – “National Geographic’s annual photo competition is still open, with the deadline for submissions coming up on November 17. The Grand Prize Winner will receive $7,500, publication in National Geographic Magazine, and a feature on National Geographic’s Instagram account. Contest runners have allowed me to choose a few more of… Continue Reading
Massive Government Report Says Climate Change Caused by Humans
NPR: “It is “extremely likely” that human activities are the “dominant cause” of global warming, according to the most comprehensive study ever of climate science by U.S. government researchers. The climate report, obtained by NPR, notes that the past 115 years are “the warmest in the history of modern civilization.” The global average temperature has… Continue Reading
One-Stop Environmentalism: Plant a Native Tree
Plant Nova Natives: “If you only have time to do one thing to support wildlife in your yard, let it be to plant a native tree. The benefits of trees in general are obvious: in addition to providing shade and year-round beauty, they cool the environment, soak up greenhouse gases, and provide fruits and shelter… Continue Reading
