Greening Tundra Shows Impacts of Spreading Warmth
The Arctic is on the move. The North Pole is in the same place, but Arctic conditions have begun to shift. A study of 30 years of satellite data confirms that the difference in temperatures between the seasons has diminished. Conditions now have shifted the equivalent of four or five degrees of latitude southward. At the same time, vegetation has … Read More
Warming ‘May Harm Rainforests Less’ Than First Thought
Scientists think they have found some good news for the Amazon and other tropical forests. They say they appear more able to withstand the effects of climate change than previous studies had suggested. The research team, including climate scientists and tropical ecologists from the UK, U.S., Australia and Brazil, concluded that the forests are less… Read More
Shell Barred From Arctic Drilling Without Overhaul
Shell "screwed up" drilling for oil in Arctic waters and will not be allowed back without a comprehensive overhaul of its plans, the Obama administration said on Thursday. A government review found the oil company was not prepared for the extreme conditions in the Arctic, which resulted in a series of blunders and accidents culminating in the New … Read More
Recent Storms Highlight Flaws In Top U.S. Weather Model
The emerging “modeling gap” could erode the accuracy of U.S. weather forecasts and also cause greater economic losses from weather events. A 2011 study found that routine weather variability alone affects the American economy to the tune of approximately $485 billion each year, not including the billions that are lost when major storms strike.… Read More
February Keeps the Planet’s Warm Streak Alive: NOAA
Warm conditions in February 2013 helped keep sustain the planet’s remarkable hot streak, marking the 336th consecutive month that global temperatures rose above the 20th century average, according to data released Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average global temperature reached 54.93 degrees Fahrenheit last … Read More
Rules Needed for Geoengineering Research, Experts Say
With no clear rules to guide new research, scientists are shying away from examining whether geoengineering technologies can effectively cool the planet, and at what cost. That’s the warning put forth by a pair of climate change experts in an essay published Thursday in the journal Science, which argues that the global geoengineering debate is in… Read More
Fukushima Two Years Later: Decommissioning Begins
Radiation levels in the abandoned communities near Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have fallen 40 percent in the past year. Inside the wrecked facility, construction workers rush to complete state-of-the-art equipment that will remove dozens of dangerous radioactive nuclides from cooling water. Soon, a steel shield will be driven into the sea… Read More
Warming Means Wetter Weather – and Drier Weather
Welcome to the see-saw world of climate change. Rainy seasons will get rainier. Dry seasons will tend to become more parched. Even if the total annual rainfall does not change very much, the seasonal cycles will – with obvious consequences. Floods and droughts will become more frequent, according to Chia Chou of the University of Taipei, and collea… Read More
