News release: “The proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline would significantly boost the carbon pollution that drives climate change, failing the test set by President Obama, according to a detailed analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council. In just one key way, over its 50-year life, the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline would add up… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Climate Change
The multimillennial sea-level commitment of global warming
The multimillennial sea-level commitment of global warming: “Global mean sea level has been steadily rising over the last century, is projected to increase by the end of this century, and will continue to rise beyond the year 2100 unless the current global mean temperature trend is reversed. Inertia in the climate and global carbon system, however,… Continue Reading
Pew – Climate Change and Financial Instability Seen as Top Global Threats
“Publics around the world are concerned about the effect of global climate change and international financial instability, with majorities in many of the nations surveyed saying these are major threats to their countries. But Islamic extremism is also a serious concern, particularly in the United States, Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. In contrast, relatively few consider… Continue Reading
Researchers estimate over two million deaths annually from air pollution
“A new study published in ERL has found that over two million deaths occur each year as a direct result of human-caused outdoor air pollution.” The full article, Global premature mortality due to anthropogenic outdoor air pollution and the contribution of past climate change. Continue Reading
Department of Energy Releases New Report on Energy Sector Vulnerablities
News release: “The U.S. Department of Energy released a new report which assesses how America’s critical energy and electricity infrastructure is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Historically high temperatures in recent years have been accompanied by droughts and extreme heat waves, more wildfires than usual, and several intense storms that caused power and… Continue Reading
UK – Bees and other pollinators: their health and value
Bees and other pollinators: their health and value – “A report outlining the current and proposed government led policies and initiatives to support bees and other pollinators in England. Ref: PB13981 “Pollinators are animals that transfer pollen from the anthers to the stigma of a flower, enabling the flower to set seed and fruit (fertilisation).… Continue Reading
The World Meteorological Organization Global Climate Report
The Global Climate 2001–2010 A Decade of Climate Extremes World Meteorological Organization, 2013 WMO-No. 1119 “The first decade of the 21st century was the warmest decade recorded since modern measurements began around 1850. It saw above-average precipitation, including one year – 2010 – that broke all previous records. It was also marked by dramatic climate… Continue Reading
Growing Green – The Economic Benefits of Climate Action
World Bank – “The three new reports identify the local and immediate benefits of climate action. They identify what countries in Europe and Central Asia should be doing, and how they can best do it: Growing Green: the Economic Benefits of Climate Action identifies energy efficiency, cleaner energy, and natural resource management as the main… Continue Reading
President Obama’s Plan to Fight Climate Change
President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, June 25, 2013: The plan has three pillars – 1) Cut carbon pollution in America; 2) Prepare America for the impacts of climate change; 3) Lead global efforts to combat global climate change and prepare for its impacts. See also the accompanying infographic and read the text of the President’s remarks… Continue Reading
World Bank – What Climate Change Means for Africa, Asia and the Coastal Poor
Turn down the heat : climate extremes, regional impacts, and the case for resilience – full report “This report focuses on the risks of climate change to development in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and South Asia. Building on the 2012 report, Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must be Avoided, this… Continue Reading
Four energy policies can keep the 2 °C climate goal alive
“Warning that the world is not on track to limit the global temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius, the International Energy Agency (IEA) today urged governments to swiftly enact four energy policies that would keep climate goals alive without harming economic growth. “Climate change has quite frankly slipped to the back burner of policy priorities.… Continue Reading
Plants that were frozen during the “Little Ice Age” centuries ago have been observed sprouting new growth, scientists say
Via BBC: “Samples of 400-year-old plants known as bryophytes have flourished under laboratory conditions. Researchers say this back-from-the-dead trick has implications for how ecosystems recover from the planet’s cyclic long periods of ice coverage. The findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They come from a group from the University of Alberta, who were exploring an area around… Continue Reading
