National Geographic – March 2015: “We live in an age when all manner of scientific knowledge—from the safety of fluoride and vaccines to the reality of climate change—faces organized and often furious opposition. Empowered by their own sources of information and their own interpretations of research, doubters have declared war on the consensus of experts.… Continue Reading
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Category Archives: Climate Change
New Research Paper: How Uncertainty in Climate Science Turns Good News Bad
News release: “Can good news actually be bad news when it comes to the effects of global climate change? That is the question Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Professor Richard Zeckhauser and his co-authors are attempting to answer in a new HKS Faculty Research Working Paper. Their report, titled Climate Sensitivity Uncertainty: When is Good News… Continue Reading
Report – 12 Risks that threaten human civilisation
“This report [via Global Challenges Foundation] has, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, created the first list of global risks with impacts that for all practical purposes can be called infinite. It is also the first structured overview of key events related to such risks and has tried to provide initial rough quantifications for… Continue Reading
New Scientist – Your Warming World
“The heat is on for the planet as a whole, but what has been happening where you live? Click on the map to find out, or enter a location in the search box at top right. The initial map shows average temperatures over the past 20 years; use the drop-down menu to see maps for… Continue Reading
Unprecedented 21st century drought risk in the American Southwest and Central Plains
Benjamin I. Cook, Toby R. Ault, Jason E. Smerdon. Science Advances 01 Feb 2015: Vol. 1 no. 1 e1400082. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1400082. “In the Southwest and Central Plains of Western North America, climate change is expected to increase drought severity in the coming decades. These regions nevertheless experienced extended Medieval-era droughts that were more persistent than… Continue Reading
Newly Launched NASA Satellite Will Monitor Western Drought
News release: “In one of the space agency’s bolder projects, a newly launched NASA satellite will monitor western drought and study the moisture, frozen and liquid in Earth’s soil. It’s true that a satellite can’t possibly fix the devastating drought that has been plaguing the American West for the last years. It is also true… Continue Reading
Surveying American Attitudes toward Climate Change and Clean Energy
“Resources for the Future has teamed up with Stanford University to conduct an in-depth survey of American perceptions of climate change and energy policies. The most recent poll was released in January 2015 in partnership with The New York Times. The survey asked respondents questions on a range of topics, including: How serious a problem… Continue Reading
White House releases new flood risk management standard
FACT SHEET: Taking Action to Protect Communities and Reduce the Cost of Future Flood Disasters “Across the country, extreme weather and other impacts of climate change are threatening the health, safety, and prosperity of our communities. This month, NOAA and NASA announced that 2014 was the hottest global year on record. And as the planet… Continue Reading
Study – Melting Glaciers Release Vast Amounts of Carbon
Newsweek: “As the world warms, glaciers around the world are rapidly hemorrhaging ice and threatening catastrophic sea level rise. But melting glaciers also pose another kind of menace: the release of vast amounts of stored organic carbon into waterways. Florida State University assistant professor Robert Spencer and his colleagues have spent nearly a decade researching… Continue Reading
Sea Change: 2015-2025 Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences
Committee on Guidance for NSF on National Ocean Science Research Priorities: Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences; Ocean Studies Board; Division on Earth and Life Studies; National Research Council “Ocean science connects a global community of scientists in many disciplines – physics, chemistry, biology, geology and geophysics. New observational and computational technologies are transforming the ability… Continue Reading
NAP’s Guide to Science Issues and the State of the Union
“The 2015 State of the Union address focused on topics such as 21st century skills, climate change, and cybersecurity. The National Academies Press provides resources directly related to these national issues. A selection has been highlighted below. We’ve posted the full transcript of the President’s speech, annotated with lists of our related materials. Read our complete… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Aviation Safety, Defense Headquarters, Polar Weather Satellites, VA Construction
Aviation Safety: Issues Related to Domestic Certification and Foreign Approval of U.S. Aviation Products, GAO-15-327T: Published: Jan 21, 2015. Publicly Released: Jan 21, 2015. Defense Headquarters: DOD Needs to Reassess Personnel Requirements for the Office of Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, and Military Service Secretariats, GAO-15-10: Published: Jan 21, 2015. Publicly Released: Jan 21, 2015.… Continue Reading
