Remarkable Summer in Australia Is its Hottest On Record
The scientists said the heat this summer was particularly striking, because it occurred without the warming influence of an El Niño event in the tropical Pacific Ocean. El Niño conditions, which are characterized by warmer than average sea surface temperatures in the equatorial tropical Pacific, can alter weather patterns worldwide. … Read More
Dusty Springs in Asia, Africa Can Increase Snow in Calif.
A dusty spring in Asia and Africa can increase snowfall thousands of miles away in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, according to a new study. The process begins when winds stir up tiny particles of dust, pollution, bacteria and heavy metals from the Taklimakan and Gobi deserts in Asia and the Sahara in northern Africa. In a matter of days, … Read More
NOAA to Map Alaska’s Increasingly Ice-Free Arctic Waters
And as sea ice recedes, said NOAA Coast Survey director Rear Admiral Gerd Glang in a press release, “vessel traffic is on the rise.” The world as a whole is warming due to heat trapped by greenhouse gas emissions, but the Arctic is warming faster than average thanks to something called “Arctic Amplification."… Read More
Solar Forecasts Could Help Electric Utilities and Climate
It’s even more important to electric utilities that want to tap into solar power as a non-polluting, climate-friendly alternative to the coal- or gas-fired power plants that spew heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to warm the globe. Solar is certainly better for the climate, but as Drobot explained, it can also be risky to count on.… Read More
How Beijing is Shaping the Future of the Amazon
The Amazon basin is now China’s No.1 supplier of natural resources, replacing its Asian neighbors as their resources have become depleted. In a relatively short time, China has become Brazil’s major trading partner, overtaking the U.S. and Europe. But China’s voracious demand for iron ore and timber, as well as soy and beef, is not only fuelling de… Read More
Climate-Friendly Rice: End of the Paddy Field?
hanging the way rice is grown, from planting it in flooded paddy fields to drier soil cultivation, is dramatically increasing yields and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The results of trials in eleven countries show that yields increased by an average of 60%, although they varied sharply between states, from an 11% increase to 220%. A paper … Read More
Himalayan Farmers Coping with an Uncertain Future
The Himalayas – the world’s biggest and highest mountain range, stretching from Afghanistan and Pakistan in the west to Yunnan in southwest China in the east – are, together with the Tibetan plateau and surrounding mountain ranges, often referred to as “the Third Pole,” containing more ice and water than any other area on the planet outside the Arc… Read More
EU’s Attempt to Curb Carbon Emissions Limps On
The European Union’s failing carbon market has been thrown a lifeline by the European Parliament’s Environment Committee. It has backed the Commission’s plan to prop up the price of a ton of carbon by withdrawing an oversupply of credits from the market. Carbon trading is one of the major EU policies designed to combat climate change. But a combi… Read More
