Benefit to cutting 'black carbon'

Cutting atmospheric soot, methane and ground-level ozone is the quickest way to tackle climate change in the short term, according to a new report.

The governing council of the UN Environment Programme (Unep) in Nairobi will hear that reducing these short-lived emissions could reduce warming by half a degree.

And it would be more easily achieved than reducing emissions of the gas principally implicated in long-term climate change, CO2.

It would also have spin-off benefits because soot and ground-level ozone harm human health - and ozone damages crops.

Loss adjustment

The assessment comes from Unep and World Meteorological Organization, in collaboration with a global team of scientists.

Its authors insist that nations must continue to strive to reduce CO2 emissions, which will continue to warm the atmosphere for more than 100 years from the time they are produced.

But it says that using existing technologies and institutions to cut ozone and black carbon (soot) can halve regional warming for 30 to 60 years whilst averting millions of premature deaths and avoiding tens of billions of dollars of crop losses annually.

Black carbon comes from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, mostly through diesel engines and biomass burning - including in cook stoves and brick kilns.

Read the full article

Al Gore Explains 'Snowmageddon'

If the planet is warming, why is a third of America locked in a deep freeze, with record-low temperatures as far south as the Mexican border, where the thermometer in Ciudad Juarez plummeted Wednesday night to a bone-chilling 9-below zero?

Self-proclaimed planetary climate czar Al Gore thinks he has answer.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/03/worsening-winters-come-global-warming/#ixzz1FJlXTDu5

Global Warming Quick Fix? Nuclear War

U.S. government computer models have predicted that a regional nuclear war could reverse global warming for at least ten years, reports National Geographic. Scientists built a model taking into account bombs with Hiroshima-level impact, which would—after destruction—slowly set global cooling in motion.

The global warming fix would also create “widespread famine and disease,” “years without summer,” and—for a time—a “colder, hungrier planet.” But, after that, experts say the earth would cool by a couple degrees and precipitation would reduce for a few years.

Luke Oman, a physical scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center said, ”The main message from our work would be that even a regional nuclear conflict would have global consequences.”

Despite their main message, we’re not really sure why experts are looking into this possibility at all. In the meantime, let’s hope for a better, less horrifying solution to global warming. Like kittens, perhaps.

Link Below:

http://www.ecorazzi.com/2011/02/28/the-cure-for-global-warming-a-small-nuclear-war/

Global Warming Fast Facts

Global warming, or climate change, is a subject that shows no sign of cooling down. Here's the lowdown on why it's happening, what's causing it, and how it might change the planet.
Is It Happening?
Yes. Earth is already showing many signs of worldwide climate change.
• Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius) around the world since 1880, much of this in recent decades, according to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
• The rate of warming is increasing. The 20th century's last two decades were the hottest in 400 years and possibly the warmest for several millennia, according to a number of climate studies. And the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that 11 of the past 12 years are among the dozen warmest since 1850.
• The Arctic is feeling the effects the most. Average temperatures in Alaska, western Canada, and eastern Russia have risen at twice the global average, according to the multinational Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report compiled between 2000 and 2004.
• Arctic ice is rapidly disappearing, and the region may have its first completely ice-free summer by 2040 or earlier. Polar bears and indigenous cultures are already suffering from the sea-ice loss.
• Glaciers and mountain snows are rapidly melting—for example, Montana's Glacier National Park now has only 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910. In the Northern Hemisphere, thaws also come a week earlier in spring and freezes begin a week later.
• Coral reefs, which are highly sensitive to small changes in water temperature, suffered the worst bleaching—or die-off in response to stress—ever recorded in 1998, with some areas seeing bleach rates of 70 percent. Experts expect these sorts of events to increase in frequency and intensity in the next 50 years as sea temperatures rise.
• An upsurge in the amount of extreme weather events, such as wildfires, heat waves, and strong tropical storms, is also attributed in part to climate change by some experts.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html

Climate Change Takes Toll on the Lodgepole Pine

Rising temperatures, drought and the spread of destructive insect pests will shrink the North American range of the lodgepole pine  nearly 10 percent by 2020, a new study finds.

The scientists behind the report said the projected decline of the evergreen species, whose range covers much of the Pacific Northwest and extends as far south as Colorado, was backed by observed ecosystem changes dating back to 1980.

The study was conducted by forestry researchers at Oregon State University and the Department of Forest Resource Management at the University of British Columbia. It will appear in the latest edition of the scientific journal Climatic Change.

“For skeptics of climate change, it’s worth noting that the increase in vulnerability of lodgepole pine we’ve seen in recent decades is made from comparisons with real climatic data and is backed up with satellite observations showing major changes on the ground,” Richard Waring, an emeritus professor of forest science at Oregon State University, said in a statement.

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/climate-change-takes-toll-on-the-lodgepole-pine/?ref=science

Secrets of Antarctica's Fossilised Forests

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12378934

It may be hard to believe, but Antarctica was once covered in towering forests.

One hundred million years ago, the Earth was in the grip of an extreme Greenhouse Effect. The polar ice caps had all but melted; in the south, rainforests inhabited by dinosaurs existed in their place. These Antarctic ecosystems were adapted to the long months of winter darkness that occur at the poles, and were truly bizarre. But if global warming continues unabated, could these ancient forests be a taste of things to come?

One of the first people to uncover evidence for a once greener Antarctic was none other than the explorer, Robert Falcon Scott.

Toiling back from the South Pole in 1912, he stumbled over fossil plants on the Beardmore Glacier at 82 degrees south. The extra weight of these specimens may have been a factor in his untimely demise.

Yet his fossil discoveries also opened up a whole new window on Antarctica's sub-tropical past.

Could A Small Nuclear War Reverse Global Warming?

Scientists from NASA and a number of other institutions have recently been modeling the effects of a war involving a hundred Hiroshima-level bombs, or 0.03 percent of the world's current nuclear arsenal, according to National Geographic. The research suggests five million metric tons of black carbon would be swept up into the lowest portion of the atmosphere. The result, according to NASA climate models, could actually be global cooling.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/26/nuclear-war-global-warming_n_828496.html

75% of Coral Reefs threatened

(CNN) -- Human activity and climate change have left about 75% of the world's coral reefs threatened, putting the livelihoods of many countries that depend on the ocean ecosystems at risk, according to a report released this week.
Local threats such as overfishing, coastal development, and watershed- and marine-based pollution are responsible for the immediate and direct threat to more than 60% of the world's reefs. Add to that thermal stress from rising ocean temperatures and the number of threatened reefs jumps to 75%, the World Resources Institute found in the report, titled "Reefs at Risk," released Wednesday.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/02/25/world.coral.reefs/index.html?iref=allsearch

"Geongineering"

Blasting tons of sulfate particles into the sky to reflect sunlight away from Earth; filling the ocean with iron filings to grow plankton that will suck up carbon; even dimming sunlight with space shades. ?!?!

Scientists call it "geoengineering," but in plain speak, it means things like this: blasting tons of sulfate particles into the sky to reflect sunlight away from Earth; filling the ocean with iron filings to grow plankton that will suck up carbon; even dimming sunlight with space shades.

Each brings its own set of risks, but in a world fretting about the consequences of global warming, are these ideas whose time has come?

With 2010 tying as the world's warmest year on record and efforts to slow greenhouse gas emissions looking stymied, calls are rising for research into engineering our way out of global warming — everything from launching solar shade spacecraft to genetically engineering green deserts. An international consortium of 12 universities and research institutes on Tuesday, for example, announced plans to pioneer large-scale "ocean fertilization" experiments aimed at using the sea to pull more greenhouse gases out of the sky.

BLACK CARBON!

Unexpected threats to the health of global systems keep emerging. Twenty years ago we didn't recognize global warming. Ten years ago we didn't know about ocean acidification. This might be the landmark week in which a broad public recognized a new threat to the global climate -- black carbon.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has just published a science-based analysis of the climate forcing effects of black carbon. The findings are that cutting black carbon and troposperhic ozone now could halve regional warming for 30 to 60 years and reduce global warming by half a degree. It turns out that reducing black carbon emissions needs to become a priority. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), greenhouse gas reductions alone will not avert further destruction of the arctic; black carbon and ozone reductions are needed.

Black carbon is made up of fine particles. It is colloquially known as soot. It comes from diesel engines as well as burning wood, waste and gas. The health effects of black carbon are well known. In London, for example, the soot from our beloved taxis and other sources leads to the early death of 4,500 people a year according to the government.

Ancient megadroughts preview warmer climate -study

WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters Life!) - Ancient megadroughts that lasted thousands of years in what is now the American Southwest could offer a preview of a climate changed by modern greenhouse gas emissions, researchers reported on Wednesday.

The scientists found these persistent dry periods were different from even the most severe decades-long modern droughts, including the 1930s "Dust Bowl." And they determined that these millennial droughts occurred at times when Earth's mean annual temperature was similar to or slightly higher than what it is now.

These findings tally with projections by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and others, according to study author Peter Fawcett of the University of New Mexico. The results were published in the current edition of Nature.

"The IPCC model suggests that when you warm the climate, you'll see extended droughts in this part of the world and this is what the paleo record seems to be telling us," Fawcett said in a telephone interview. "When you've got past temperatures that were at or above today's conditions, conditions got drier."

NOAA Hot on Methane’s Trail

Cows put it out there. So do mines and landfills. On a molecular level, methane gas is elegantly simple, just four tiny hydrogen atoms surrounding a single carbon atom.

Zoom out, however, and the picture is more complex, particularly when it comes to climate change. Methane, the main component in natural gas, is both a rich source of energy and a powerful greenhouse gas.

Our atmosphere allows solar energy to reach and warm the Earth’s surface. However, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap the heat emitted from the Earth’s surface and prevent it from escaping to space. To a point, the greenhouse effect is beneficial to life on Earth. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere keep surface temperatures warm enough for life on Earth to flourish. Without them, Earth would be an inhospitable ice ball.

Can geoengineering put the freeze on global warming?

Scientists call it "geoengineering," but in plain speak, it means things like this: blasting tons of sulfate particles into the sky to reflect sunlight away from Earth; filling the ocean with iron filings to grow plankton that will suck up carbon; even dimming sunlight with space shades.

Each brings its own set of risks, but in a world fretting about the consequences of global warming, are these ideas whose time has come?

With 2010 tying as the world's warmest year on record and efforts to slow greenhouse gas emissions looking stymied, calls are rising for research into engineering our way out of global warming — everything from launching solar shade spacecraft to genetically engineering green deserts. An international consortium of 12 universities and research institutes on Tuesday, for example, announced plans to pioneer large-scale "ocean fertilization" experiments aimed at using the sea to pull more greenhouse gases out of the sky.

Oil Palm, Cattle Eat Planet

With the rise in CO2 levels in the atmosphere and the disappearance of mountain and glacial snow and ice, it may be surprising to learn that tree agriculture may be having one of the most significant impacts on the health of various parts of the ecosystem. Scientists readily agree that the current and dramatic rises in CO2 are due to man made variables; namely, the burning of fossil fuels. With this in mind it is easy to conjure the Los Angeles production mogul in his enormous SUV blasting the AC with the windows down.
       It is farming on its current scale, however that is producing the more palpable result in regards to local climates, around 72% of the excess CO2 in our atmosphere is from agriculture. Whether from the vehicles that plant and harvest the crops, production of herbicides and pesticides, or its shipment around the world, modern agriculture appears to be at the heart of the issue. Rain forests are disappearing to make way for commodity agriculture. Palm oil, which exists in roughly 50% of global packaged consumables, is grown in the Amazon, which is being razed to facilitate a rise in use. The production of beef and leather for export all over the world also require vast stretches of land for the animals to graze. Again it is the Amazon that is taking the hit.
    In relation to climate change, this means more greenhouse gas emissions every year to keep up with rising demand in food and clothing industries. By razing the forests, we are altering the amount of land cover on the Earth's surface, making it more difficult to process and circulate greenhouse gasses effectively.

Full Article @ http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Policy-Solutions/Forests-and-Farms/Tropical-Deforestation/International-Agriculture.aspx
  

Scientists and defense think tanks have warned for years of the heightened military risks created by global warming.

Figures said the world's military budgets grew by 50 percent in the first nine years of this century. Rather than continue that growth in weaponry, she said, the generals should invest in preventative budgets to "avoid the climate chaos that would demand a defense response that makes even today's spending burden look light."


LINK!!!!!!

Glory in the Sky: New Satellite Set to Monitor the Sun and Reflected Heat to Determine Climate Effects

Just how the sun's cycles of activity and Earth's atmospheric particles influence our climate is unclear, but NASA's Glory mission should provide some answers...

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=improved-solar-observations-through-glory-and-climate-change

Global warming means longer allergy seasons: study ‎

"Latitudinal effects on increasing season length were associated primarily with a delay in first frost of the fall season and lengthening of the frost-free period," the study said. "Overall, these data indicate a significant increase in the length of the ragweed pollen season by as much as 13-27 days at latitudes above 44 degrees north since 1995."

Scientists used pollen measurements from the US National Allergy bureau and Canada's Aerobiology Research Laboratories, combined with data from US weather stations, Environment Canada and the Canadian National Climate Data and Information Archive.

More at:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h-sw1E5MXotK5BB3l3ovhlir8xQg?docId=CNG.f6bbc13595f98b74300029280925e216.5d1

Mainland Shivers, and Hawaii Basks in Tourism

Tourists have been flocking to Hawaii, including Waikiki Beach last weekend. People in Chicago and New York, meanwhile, were thrilled to see the thermometer hit 40

One recent afternoon, as the temperature in their native Nashville dipped to a slim 7 degrees, Blythe Grant and Jordan Tlumak walked along the beach at Waikiki with beers in hand and smiles on their faces. 

“We just left three inches of snow in Nashville,” said Mr. Grant, 26 and buff. “I was pretty pumped to get on the plane.” Mr. Tlumak, his friend, nodded. “Nashville just doesn’t know how to handle that.”
Mr. Grant and Mr. Tlumak are not the only mainlanders to be gloating about their good luck. Hawaiian tourism officials, hotel operators and travel agents — battered by several years of slumping sales — have recently seen a marked increase in arrivals to the islands. And while there are various theories as to why — including favorable currency exchange rates attracting foreign visitors, and Obama on the beach — what most people can agree on is that the rotten weather in much of the rest of the country, including a series of brutal snowstorms in the Midwest and on the East Coast, has been good news in Hawaii. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/us/17hawaii.html?scp=3&sq=weather&st=cse

Global warming could spur toxic algae, bacteria in seas

WASHINGTON—Global warming could spur the growth of toxic algae and bacteria in the world's seas and lakes, with an impact that could be felt in 10 years, US scientists said Saturday.

Studies have shown that shifts brought about byclimate change make ocean and freshwaterenvironments more susceptible to toxic algae blooms and allow harmful microbes and bacteria to proliferate, according to researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In one study, NOAA scientists modeled future ocean and weather patterns to predict the effect on blooms of Alexandrium catenella, or the toxic "red tide," which can accumulate in shellfish and cause severe symptoms, including paralysis, in humans who eat the contaminated seafood.

"Our projections indicate that by the end of the 21st century, blooms may begin up to two months earlier in the year and persist for one month later compared to the present-day time period of July to October," said Stephanie Moore, one of the scientists who worked on the study.

But the impact could be felt well before the end of this century — as early as 2040, she said at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

"Changes in the harmful algal bloom season appear to be imminent. We expect a significant increase in Puget Sound (off the coast of Washington state where the study was conducted) and similar at-risk environments within 30 years, possibly by the next decade," said Moore.

In another study, NOAA scientists found that desert dust, which contains iron, deposited into the ocean from the atmosphere could lead to increases of harmfulbacteria in the seawater.

Researchers from the University of Georgia found that adding desert dust to seawater significantly stimulated the growth of Vibrios, a group of ocean bacteria that can cause gastroenteritis and infectious diseases in humans.

"Within 24 hours of mixing weathered desert dust from Morocco with seawater samples, we saw a huge growth in Vibrios, including one strain that could cause eye, ear and open wound infections, and another strain that could cause cholera," said Erin Lipp, who worked on the study.

The amount of iron-containing dust deposited in the sea has increased over the last 30 years and is expected to continue to rise, based on precipitation trends in western Africa that are causing desertification.

Rising precipitation in some parts of the world and lack of rain in other parts has been blamed on climate change by some experts.

Global warming has also been blamed for rising ocean temperatures, and "a warming ocean, which we know is happening, increases the likelihood of disease that affects both wildlife and humans," NOAA administrator Janet Lubchenco told AFP.

Unhealthy oceans impact not only human and animal health but also affect countries' economies, said Lubchenco, noting that US coastal states are home to eight in 10 Americans and generated 83 percent of US GDP in 2007.

Last year, Americans got a stark reminder of the key role played by marine ecosystems in their lives and livelihoods when a BP deepwater well ruptured in the Gulf of Mexico, sending millions of barrels of oil spewing into the sea waters and crippling the region's tourism and seafood industries.

President Barack Obama for a $2.9 million funding increase for NOAA in his 2012 budget to establish an oil spill research and development program to provide "useful information, methods and tools for prevention, response and assessment of oil spill impacts," noted Lubchenco.

NOAA also wants to consolidate its climate change services into a single office, but the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted Saturday to slash funding to the agency, putting many of its programs in jeopardy.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20110220-321246/Global-warming-could-spur-toxic-algae-bacteria-in-seas

Green economies for growth

Investing $1.3 trillion (£800bn) each year in green sectors would deliver long-term stability in the global economy, a UN report has suggested.

Spending about 2% of global GDP in 10 key areas would kick-start a "low carbon, resource efficient green economy", the authors observed.

They also recommended following policies that decoupled economic growth from intensive consumption.

The findings have been published at a meeting attended by 100 ministers.

"Governments have a central role in changing laws and policies, and in investing public money in public wealth to make the transition possible," said Pavan Sukhdev, head of the UN Environment Programme's (Unep) Green Economy Initiative.

"Misallocation of capital is at the centre of the world's current dilemmas and there are fast actions that can be taken, starting literally today," he added.

"From phasing down and phasing out the $600bn global fossil fuel subsidies, to re-directing more than $20bn subsidies perversely rewarding those in unsustainable fisheries."

Unep defined a "green economy" as one that resulted in "improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities".

When it came to investing 2% of GDP in greening the global economy, the authors recommended a number of investments, including:

• $108bn greening agriculture, such as encouraging and supporting smallholder farms
• $134bn on the building sector, including improving energy efficiency
• $110bn improving fisheries, including reducing the capacity of the world's fishing fleet
• $15bn on forestry, with "important knock-on benefits for combating climate change"
• Almost of $110bn on both water and waste, including sanitation and recycling

Read the full article

Can plankton help save the planet?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/01/business/01plankton.html


Some Silicon Valley technocrats are betting that it just might. In an effort to ameliorate the effects of global warming, several groups are working on ventures to grow vast floating fields of plankton intended to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and carry it to the depths of the ocean. It is an idea, debated by experts for years, that still sounds like science fiction — and some scholars think that is where it belongs.

Conditions that predict weather

(CNN) -- Robyn Nichols always knows when it's going to rain. She can feel it in her bones -- literally.
Having lived with rheumatoid arthritis since she was 2 years old, Nichols, now 37, is able to sense a change in the weather up to two days before it happens.
Even at a young age, she was something of a meteorologist.
When her elementary school class began learning about the weather, one boy piped up, "Why don't we just ask Robyn? She can tell the weather with her knees."
Despite some positives, like always knowing when to tote an umbrella, her sixth sense carries a price: painful joints and difficulty moving.


http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/15/conditions.predict.weather/index.html?iref=allsearch

Tropical forests 're-shaped' by climate changes

Future climate change could change the profile of tropical forests, with possible consequences for carbon storage and biodiversity, a study says.

It suggests that if current trends continued, the drier conditions would favour deciduous, canopy species at the expense of other trees.
US researchers based their findings on the changes they recorded in a Costa Rican forest over a 20-year period.
The team's paper has been published in the journal Global Change Biology.
"It is important because - depending on the rate of change, and the type of species that are found in the forests - it will influence a lot of ecosystem services and processes," explained co-author Brian Enquist from the University of Arizona.
"For example, we need to know how much carbon tropical forests are storing, and will store in the future. We also need to know how much CO2 they are taking out of the air."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12496415

Sea Level Is Rising

 The shifting sands and ever-changing shape of North Carolina’s coast may be most evident along the area’s barrier islands, where beach towns are the front line in the conflict between human development and the natural processes that can threaten the homes and property built there.

One response to maintain beaches and fight erosion is projects that pump sand onto the shoreline.

On Topsail Island, Surf City and North Topsail Beach continue to pursue a federal beach nourishment project for the southern end of North Topsail Beach and the northern end of the Town of Surf City.

Along Bogue Banks, a decade of various post-Hurricane Floyd beach nourishment projects is complete, and the Carteret County Beach Commission and towns along the island are now working together on a comprehensive plan for beach nourishment along the island for the next 50 years.

Link Below

http://www.jdnews.com/news/rising-88071-changing-sands.html

Global warming may increase water-borne diseases

Global warming could cause an increase in the growth of toxic algae and bacteria in the world's body of waters. The climate changes effect the ocean, sea, and lake environments, making them more susceptible to harmful microbes and bacteria growth. Alexandrium catenella, one specific bacteria that could develop effects shellfish, which then can cause symptoms like paralysis in humans who eat contaminated seafood. Some scientists say these impacts can be seen as early as 2040.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110219/hl_afp/scienceusclimatewarmingdisease_20110219162101

Heavy Rains Linked to Humans

An increase in heavy precipitation that has afflicted many countries is at least partly a consequence of human influence on the atmosphere, climate scientists reported in a new study. In the first major paper of its kind, the researchers used elaborate computer programs that simulate the climate to analyze whether the rise in severe rainstorms, heavy snowfalls and similar events could be explained by natural variability in the atmosphere. They found that it could not, and that the increase made sense only when the computers factored in the effects of greenhouse gases released by human activities like the burning of fossil fuels.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/science/earth/17extreme.html?_r=1&ref=science

Study: Ozone Layer’s Future Linked Strongly to Changes in Climate

The ozone layer — the thin atmospheric band high-up in the stratosphere that protects living things on Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, not to be confused with damaging ozone pollution close to the ground — faces potential new challenges even as it continues its recovery from earlier damage, according to a recently released international science assessment. The report, prepared by the Scientific Assessment Panel of the U.N. Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, also presents stronger evidence that links changes in stratospheric ozone and the Earth’s climate.

Climate Change And Faith Collide In Kiribati

From the sky, the country of Kiribati looks like strands of yarn floating on the sea: 33 tiny islands, scattered across an area of the Pacific Ocean more than twice the size of Alaska.

Nearly half the population, more than 40,000 people, is crowded into just one of those strands –- the capital island, South Tarawa.

The average height of the islands is approximately 6.5 feet. Already, land is scarce, and drinking water can be in short supply. There's nowhere to retreat.

So concerns about climate change are felt very acutely here. Though estimates are rough, scientists predict average sea levels could rise as much as 3 feet by the end of the century owing to global warming.

Extreme rain and snow events linked to global warming

Global warming helped drive a rise in the intensity of extreme rain and snowfall across much of the Northern Hemisphere during the last half of the 20th century, a new study has found.

The work builds on previous research that established broad trends in extreme precipitation events over the 20th century. Those studies suggested a link between climate change and heavy precipitation, based on the atmosphere's ability to hold more moisture as it warms.

But, according to the research team that conducted the new study, those studies stopped short of presenting evidence for a direct link between human-triggered global warming and extreme precipitation.

International Arctic climate study to start

Canada and its Arctic allies will launch a major study this spring to help northern nations cope with the irreversible effects of climate change.

The speedy melting of polar ice is the driving force behind the Arctic Council's decision to announce the wide-ranging study.

The project, called the Arctic Change Assessment, will be disclosed when Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and his seven counterparts meet this May in Greenland.

New Normals on the Way

A new decade means a new set of normal temperatures and precipitation, according to the New York Times. I linked to UAH's Dr. Roy Spencer in this blog earlier in the week about the record tying satellite measured temperatures for 2010. In his report he also discussed the upcoming changes in the normals.
A typical climate normal is based on the weather pattern over a 30-year period.
The old normals were based on data from 1971-2000, according to the NYT article.

The new normals, which will be released later this year, will drop the cooler 1970's and add the 2000's, which is the warmest recorded decade in history, according to the NYT.
Based on the above, you can bet that the new normals are going to be a bit higher over a majority of regions across the world. The greatest increase in normals will likely be over the northern high latitudes, while the southern latitudes will see the least amount of change in their normal temperatures.

Read More

Urban Energy

URBAN RENEWABLE ENERGY

It has long been understood that diminishing fossil fuel resources and a rapidly growing global population will mean a turn to alternative energy sources. Urban areas have been slower to respond than more rural areas likely due to the cost and technological limits of environmental improvements. Wind farms are becoming common in America’s farming communities, though people are hesitant to see enormous whirling blades spinning above a densely populated cityscape. New designs are making it possible for wind turbines to make an appearance in cities.

            The most common and recognized type of wind turbine is a horizontal axis wind turbine, which is sensitive to different types of turbulence. Because of this they are best suited for open areas with few obstacles. However, vertical axis wind turbines are now bringing the possibilities of renewable and affordable energy closer to cities.

            Vertical axis turbines are developed almost exclusively for urban environments. Since the Vertical axis turbine does not have to be facing the direction of the wind, they are more versatile, however they give up some of their efficiency this way as well.

            New solar energy techniques are also making it possible for urban environments to possibly start leading the way in clean energy production. There is more surface area in a city with tall buildings than there is in a farming community where the tallest structure is likely a grain silo or a church. With new photovoltaic cell technology architects can literally give a building a ‘skin’ that is capable of producing nearly constant energy. Instead of a few panels on the roof or solar receptive windows, the entire façade of the building could become a source of energy.

            Current projects including the Chicago Solar Tower by Zoca Zola are furthering innovation in this field by using a field of solar collectors on arms that track the sun’s movement throughout the day. This increases energy production by up to 40% compared to fixed arm systems. The EDITT (Ecological Design in the Tropics) Tower may soon bring Singapore a world class ecobuilding. Designed to be 26 stories constructed of recycled and recyclable materials, the EDITT Tower would include the maximum number of photovoltaic cells its size permits while having half of its exterior skinned in native vegetation.

Read more at

http://webecoist.com/2010/09/27/solar-powered-towers-13-super-sunny-skyscrapers/

www.urban-wind.org/pdf/SMALL_WIND_TURBINES_GUIDE_final.pdf

Tagged: Colin Coyle

Linked from Truthout

SUSPICIONS ON DIESEL GAS


And, as Melzer reports, diesel is the only chemical used in fracking that's currently regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. That companies have been sneaking it into the ground does not strengthen the industry's case for independence.

Global Warming: Bees and Flowers

Global warming is having a deleterious affect on the 20,000 known species of bees around the globe. And destruction of natural habitat has been rampant in recent decades. There are over 5,000 native species of bees in North America that are responsible for pollinating the lion's share of plants between the Arctic and the trees of the Sonoran desert.
Bumblebee populations have been hit particularly hard. Since 1999, the rusty-patched bumblebee, whose habitat spanned from Quebec to Vermont, has disappeared along with four other bumblebee species. Franklin's bumblebee of northern California and southern Oregon is also now believed to be extinct. Large populations of western bumblebees that inhabited the entire west coast of North America have severely declined in the past decade.

Fostering progress on a finite planet

Dueling budgets are now out from House Republicans and The White House, and particularly intense fights are already under way over what to slash and what to preserve — whether your interest is enviromental protection and heat assistance for the poor.

As some observers have noted, the programs that are at the heart of America’s long-term insolvency, but sacrosanct, seem to be largely absent on both parties’ cut lists.

The lack of political will for tackling core problems will, as always, put far more pressure than is deserved on relatively small, and often highly effective, programs aimed at fostering global progress

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/fostering-progress-on-a-finite-and-budget-strapped-planet/

Warmer Arctic is Hindering Polar Bears

The unusual weather patterns in the winters of the Arctic has taken a toll on the wildlife there and will only continue to get worse if this climate change continues. Polar bears are enduring stress with the weather which is forcing the bears ashore sooner and delaying their return to the ice later than usual. The bears are also getting less time to fatten up, which means less energy stored in their bodies. This is particularly an issue for female polar bears; without enough energy stored up, they will not be able to reproduce. The polar bear population in Hudson Bay Canada has already decreased by 20%.

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/requiem-for-the-bears/?ref=globalwarming

Despite East Coast freeze, global warming is for real

No single weather event can be directly attributed to climate change. But as the globe warms up, Americans can expect more storms like the one bearing down on much of the United States, scientists say.

That's not because the Feb. 1 storm can be linked to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels or increasing global temperature – again, such a connection is impossible to make – but, according to climatologists, an increased propensity for winter storms is exactly what you'd expect in a warming world.

"There's no inconsistency at all," Michael Mann, the director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center, told LiveScience. "If anything, this is what the models project: that we see more of these very large snowfalls."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41393090/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Will Buildings Survive Climate Change?

Under the weight of record snows, roofs across the Northeast have been buckling this winter, raining debris on children skating in ice rinks, crushing cows and tractors in farmers’ barns and even flattening a garage full of antique cars. In December, nearly 18 inches of new heavy snow brought down the roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis, forcing the Vikings to temporarily relocate to Detroit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/weekinreview/13rosenthal.html

Climate-Change Strategy: Be Afraid — but Only a Little

While researching a feature for TIME.com recently, I had the chance to sift through TIME's decades of environment coverage. I came to two conclusions: First, we were writing stories about virtually the same subjects 40 years ago as we do now. (Air pollution, endangered species, the polluted oceans, dwindling natural resources.) Second, our coverage of climate change has been really scary — by which I mean, we've emphasized the catastrophic threats of global warming in dire language. That reached a height in 2006, when we titled our cover story on climate change, crowned with a photo of a lonely polar bear on an ice floe, "Be Worried. Be Very Worried." And since it was published, I've seen that cover image pop up in countless PowerPoint presentations on climate change, always used to underscore just how catastrophic warming would be.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2032405,00.html#ixzz1Dy1XIEi7

Animals 'hit by global warming'

Climate change could lead to the extinction of many animals including migratory birds, says a report commissioned by the UK government.

Melting ice, spreading deserts and the impact of warm seas on the sex of turtles are among threats identified. The report is being launched at a meeting of EU nature conservation chiefs in Scotland. It says that warming has already changed the migration routes of some birds and other animals. The UK's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) commissioned the research, which was led by the British Trust for Ornithology. The meeting, in the Scottish holiday resort of Aviemore, was called to discuss ways in which wildlife might be helped to adapt to global warming.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4313726.stm

For Many Species, No Escape as Temperature Rises

Over the past two decades, an increasing number of settlers who have moved here to farm have impinged on bird habitats and reduced bird populations by cutting down forests and turning grasslands into fields. Now the early effects of global warming and other climate changes have helped send the populations of many local mountain species into a steep downward spiral, from which many experts say they will never recover.

Over the next 100 years, many scientists predict, 20 percent to 30 percent of species could be lost if the temperature rises 3.6 degrees to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit. If the most extreme warming predictions are realized, the loss could be over 50 percent, according to the United Nations climate change panel.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/science/earth/22kenya.html