Obama Orders Rising Seas Built In to Building Standards
Flood risk from sea level rise brought about by climate change will have to be factored into the building standards of any new and rebuilt federally funded construction project, including those built by local governments receiving federal money, according to an executive order President Obama issued Friday. … Read More
NASA’s $1 Billion Soil Moisture Mission Ready For Lift Off
NASA is spending nearly $1 billion on a new satellite, scheduled to be blasted into space over the weekend, following nearly a decade of work and two launch delays, that will help scientists measure moisture levels in the top two inches of the world’s soils. A couple inches of loam or humus could sound like much ado about nothing. But to the earth… Read More
Scientists Find Which Coral Reefs Will Survive Warming
Scientists have identified which parts of the Great Barrier Reef and other reefs are most capable of recovering from mass bleaching events which will become more frequent due to global warming. The information should help conservationists to target their efforts to protect the portions of reefs that are most capable of survival, they say. Previous … Read More
After December Rains, California Comes Up Dry
Two steps forward, one-and-a-half steps back: That’s been the story of the tenacious California drought lately. After a torrent of rains in December made a small dent in the deep, statewide drought, the faucet has turned off, and some areas have relapsed back into ‘exceptional’ drought, the worst drought category recognized by the U.S Drought … Read More
Ocean Warming: Probing a Blue Abyss
For every 10 joules of energy that our greenhouse gas pollution traps here on Earth, about 9 of them end up in an ocean. There, the effects of global warming bite into fisheries, ecosystems and ice. But those effects are largely imperceptible to humans — as invisible to a landlubber as a doomed albatross chomping on a baited hook at the end of a lo… Read More
Warming Will Reduce Wheat Production, Research Shows
Researchers found that wheat production would fall by 6 percent for every 1°C increase in temperatures. The world is now nearly certain to warm by up to 2°C compared with pre-industrial levels, with political efforts concentrated on holding the potential temperature rise to no higher than that limit.… Read More
Green Bonds May Help Limit Effects of Climate Change
A few years ago, the Mexican government pinpointed a promising method for reducing carbon dioxide emissions: Encourage Mexicans to trade in their old refrigerators, air conditioners, light bulbs and the like for more up-to-date models. … Read More
6 Degrees: Drought Relief, Europe Heats Up, CO2 & More
California gets some drought relief, Europe sets records, the Arctic gets warmer and more in the week’s top climate stories. … Read More
