Smithsonian Magazine: “To help revitalize millions of acres of burned and damaged forests across the American West, the U.S. Department of Agriculture aims to plant more than one billion trees over the next decade. Wildfires and other issues have devastated U.S. woodlands in recent years, and Forest Service arborists can’t keep up with replanting lost… Continue Reading
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Category Archives: Climate Change
Seven Key Provisions in the Climate Deal
Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Summaries Inflation Reduction Act – One Page Summary Tax Summary Prescription Drugs Summary Energy Security and Climate Change Investments Summary Summary from the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Summary from the Committee on Environment and Public Works The National Law Review – Summary of the Inflation Reduction Act of… Continue Reading
NOAA tool now brings disaster risk, vulnerability down to community level
NOAA – “A comprehensive update to NOAA’s Billion Dollar Disasters mapping tool now includes U.S. census tract data – providing many users with local community-level awareness of hazard risk, exposure and vulnerability across more than 100 combinations of weather and climate hazards. The enhanced interactive maps from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) cover… Continue Reading
Trash or Recycling? Why Plastic Keeps Us Guessing
The New York Times – “…The universal symbol for recycling, known as the “chasing arrows” logo, is stamped on so many things. But that doesn’t mean they’re recyclable. Manufacturers can print the logo on just about any product. That’s because its main purpose isn’t to say whether it’s recyclable, but to identify the type of… Continue Reading
Biden Administration launches Heat.gov with tools for communities facing extreme heat
NOAA: “Today, the Biden Administration through the interagency National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) launched Heat.gov, a new website to provide the public and decision-makers with clear, timely and science-based information to understand and reduce the health risks of extreme heat. Heat.gov will provide a one-stop hub on heat and health for the nation… Continue Reading
U.S. Forest Carbon Data: In Brief
CRS Report – U.S. Forest Carbon Data: In Brief Updated July 26, 2022: “Introduction: The flux—or flow—of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is the dominant contributor to the observed warming trend in global temperatures. Trees, however, store (sequester) CO2 from the atmosphere, accruing significant stores of carbon over time. Trees… Continue Reading
The scope and extent of literature that maps threats to species globally: a systematic map
Ridley, F.A., Hickinbotham, E.J., Suggitt, A.J. et al. The scope and extent of literature that maps threats to species globally: a systematic map. Environ Evid 11, 26 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-022-00279-7: “Human activities are driving accelerating rates of species extinctions that continue to threaten nature’s contribution to people. Yet, the full scope of where and how human… Continue Reading
Beloved monarch butterflies now listed as endangered
AP: “The monarch butterfly fluttered a step closer to extinction Thursday [July 21, 2022], as scientists put the iconic orange-and-black insect on the endangered list because of its fast dwindling numbers. “It’s just a devastating decline,” said Stuart Pimm, an ecologist at Duke University who was not involved in the new listing. “This is one… Continue Reading
Corporate greenwashing is getting harder to spot—here’s how to do it
Quartz: “We looked at different ways in which businesses are using greenwashing, from fairly simple imaging tactics that have been around for years, to more novel and sophisticated manipulation of investment products and corporate data. The following is a taxonomy of greenwashing, with tips on how to spot it—and how, with a little bit of… Continue Reading
The World Is Burning Once Again
The Atlantic – Climate change predictions for 2050 arrived way earlier – in 2022: “In September 2020, the United Kingdom’s Meteorological Office published a hypothetical weather forecast for a mid-July day in the year 2050. Forty degrees Celsius in London. (That’s 104 degrees Fahrenheit.) Thirty-eight in Hull (100 degrees F). Thirty-nine in Birmingham (102 degrees… Continue Reading
Light pollution is disrupting the seasonal rhythms of plants and trees, lengthening pollen season in US cities
Via LLRX – Light pollution is disrupting the seasonal rhythms of plants and trees, lengthening pollen season in US cities – City lights that blaze all night are profoundly disrupting urban plants’ phenology – shifting when their buds open in the spring and when their leaves change colors and drop in the fall. New research Yuyu… Continue Reading
How hot is too hot for the human body?
The Conversation – Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize: “Heat waves are becoming supercharged as the climate changes – lasting longer, becoming more frequent and getting just plain hotter. One question a lot of people are asking is: “When will it get too hot for normal daily activity… Continue Reading
