Via Vox – by Julia Belluz, Brad Plumer, and Brian Resnick, July 14, 2016: “Science is in big trouble. Or so we’re told. In the past several years, many scientists have become afflicted with a serious case of doubt — doubt in the very institution of science. Explore the biggest challenges facing science, and how… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Climate Change
Rolling Stone – Can New York Be Saved in the Era of Global Warming?
The future of America’s greatest city is at risk by Jeff Goodell – Rolling Stone, July 5, 2016. “Almost every coastal city in the world is vulnerable to sea-level rise, but nowhere is there more at stake than in New York. In purely economic terms, the New York metropolitan area is responsible for almost 10… Continue Reading
A Case Study of New York State’s Response to Extreme Weather Events
“Researchers from the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR) and the Rockefeller Institute of Government of the State University of New York (SUNY) have released a study evaluating New York State’s planning efforts to reduce the state’s vulnerability to future disasters. Such efforts form part of the state’s adaptations to climate change. The study analyzed… Continue Reading
All the trees in our neighborhoods have tremendous environmental value
Throughout the DC Metro area and around the country, trees are cut down and relentlessly trimmed and their health often destroyed by homeowners, utility companies, and developers. This de-forestation is collectively leaving us without critical habitat, shade, significantly minimizing CO2 emissions and diminishing our green space, the beauty of mature trees, and severely limiting the… Continue Reading
Interior Supported $106B in Recreation, Conservation, Water and Renewable Energy Investments
News release: “U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today released the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Economic Report for Fiscal Year 2015. The report highlights that Interior investments in recreation, conservation, water and renewable energy led to $106 billion in economic output, and supported 862,000 jobs. Interior’s activities related to fossil fuel extraction and… Continue Reading
Persistent heat across globe makes a baker’s dozen for the record books
“May 2016 broke last year’s record for the warmest May on record for the globe by 0.04 degrees F, according to scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. The more than yearlong heat streak also resulted in other new global heat records. The seasonal temperature (March–May) for the globe was the highest for this… Continue Reading
Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution
Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution: “This report from the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health examines the impact of exposure to air pollution across the course of a lifetime. The report starkly sets out the dangerous impact air pollution is currently having on… Continue Reading
Report documents extinction of first mammal attributed to climate change
Gynther, I., Waller, N. & Leung, L.K.-P. (2016) Confirmation of the extinction of the Bramble Cay melomys Melomys rubicola on Bramble Cay, Torres Strait: results and conclusions from a comprehensive survey in August–September 2014. Unpublished report to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Queensland Government, Brisbane. “The endangered Bramble Cay melomys Melomys rubicola is… Continue Reading
South Pole is last place on Earth to pass global warming milestone
NOAA, June 15, 2016: “The Earth passed another unfortunate milestone May 23 when carbon dioxide surpassed 400 parts per million (ppm) at the South Pole for the first time in 4 million years. The South Pole has shown the same, relentless upward trend in carbon dioxide (CO2) as the rest of world, but its remote… Continue Reading
Paper – Trust, tribalism and tweets: has political polarization made science a “wedge issue”?
Brian Helmuth, Tarik C. Gouhier, Steven Scyphers and Jennifer Mocarski – Climate Change Responses 2016 3:3 DOI: 10.1186/s40665-016-0018-z © Helmuth et al. 2016 Received: 5 February 2016 Accepted: 13 May 2016 Published: 30 May 2016 “Background – Political polarization remains a major obstacle to national action on global climate change in the United States Congress, and acceptance of anthropogenic drivers strongly differs between Republicans and Democrats. But… Continue Reading
First-ever standards to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector
“As a further step in the Obama Administration’s commitment to take action on climate change and protect public health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing comprehensive steps to address methane emissions from both new and existing sources in the oil and gas sector. For new, modified and reconstructed sources, EPA is finalizing a… Continue Reading
Air pollution to cause 6-9 million premature deaths and cost 1% GDP by 2060
“Outdoor air pollution could cause 6 to 9 million premature deaths a year by 2060 and cost 1% of global GDP – around USD 2.6 trillion annually – as a result of sick days, medical bills and reduced agricultural output, unless action is taken, according to a new OECD report. The Economic Consequences of Air… Continue Reading
