A young boy from Africa once said, “You people from America have so much clean water that you flush drinking water down the toilet”. The young boy later explained that he usually misses school because he must walk 3 hours to collect drinking water for his family. So why is it that we Americans use more water
In a country where to believe or disbelieve in the reality of global warming is almost a political necessity, it is unsurprising that Gallup recently found that Republicans and Democrats are more likely to disagree on just why the most recent winter was warmer than expected. Based on telephone interviews conducted across the weekend of
Over the past half-decade the American population’s understanding of the facts about polar regions have increased, sadly, their concern or those same regions have stayed the same. These are the findings of the first comparative analysis conducted by Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, in conjunction with the National Science Foundation, on science
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are tracking the path of debris pulled out to sea in the wake of the Japanese tsunami that took place in March of 2011, predicting that locations in Hawaii and the West Coast could see debris wash up over the next three years. “We’re preparing for the best
The percent of continental America currently experiencing exceptional drought has reached the highest levels ever recorded over the past 12 years.
This amazing image, which so clearly shows the divide between California and Nevada, from green to desert, is courtesy of the European Space Agency, taken by Envisat. Source: ESA on Flickr
Researchers led by members of the University of Pittsburgh have extracted a sediment core from the lakebed of Castor Lake in north central Washington which provides a six thousand year climate record of the region. What they have found is that the traditionally rain-soaked region of the American Pacific Northwest is not going to be
New research which has focused solely on the continental United States of America has found that by 2100, 9 percent of the land within 180 coastal cities could be threatened by rising sea levels. Such a rise means that the Gulf and southern Atlantic coasts would be particularly hard hit, seeing cities like Miami, New
There was a sudden change from an El Niño phase to La Niña in July 2010 which led many forecasters to believe that there would be warm temperatures throughout the Southeast of America. However, the region has been experiencing an extremely cold winter, as a result of the interruption of the North Atlantic Oscillation. “There
The American Southwest is a subtropical area of the world, but one that has seen a cycle of droughts – long and short – over the past thousand years. Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory professor Richard Seager has been studying the climate, and believes that human-induced global warming could push the natural variability to a
A new study led by researchers new and old from Michigan State University has found that college students in the United States do not understand the basic science of the carbon cycle, amongst other basic scientific issues such as the conservation of matter. “Improving students’ understanding of these biological principles could make them better prepared
Researchers from the University of Arizona have found that the Southwest of America could be in store for a decade’s long drought during this century. The researchers reviewed previous studies that set out to document the regions past temperatures and droughts, and found that any droughts that took place during the 20th century paled in
In the wake of large ground gained by Republicans in the United States Congress, hundreds of scientists are mobilizing to speak out on climate change in an effort to provide the facts about an issue that is a hot topic in the country. “I think it is important for scientists to assure that the public
A new study conducted by researchers at Yale University has found that sixty-three percent of Americans believe that global warming is happening. However most Americans do not understand why it is happening, and are similarly unaware of the related impacts of climate change. According to the study, “Americans’ Knowledge of Climate Change,” only 57 percent
Proving a scientific consensus appears very much like herding cats, but regardless, in the long run new research shows that women are more likely to back the scientific consensus than men, according to a Michigan State University sociologist. “Men still claim they have a better understanding of global warming than women, even though women’s beliefs
The continental United States of America has just experienced the fourth-warmest summer on record according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. According to the latest NOAA State of the Climate report, the summer just passed (June to August) was the fourth warmest on record since record keeping began back in 1895. The report also
This guest post is another great response to the recent oil fire in the Gulf of Mexico, the horrible BP oil spill, the Massey Energy coal mining disaster earlier this year, and potential dirty energy disasters we may see in the future if we don’t take action now. The author, Brian F. Keane, is president
Americans used more renewable energy in 2009 while still using less energy. According to data released by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory the United States used much less coal and petroleum in 2009 than it did in 2008 while still using significantly more wind power. “Energy use tends to follow the level of economic activity,
A new survey of Americans shows that many Americans believe saving energy can be done using relatively useless methods. The survey, which asked Americans in 34 states what they believed was the most effective way to save energy, found that many Americans have a very limited understanding of what they can do and what their
A new report provides regional assessment of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane across America’s major agroecosystems.
Arctic waters long frozen will be chartered for the first time in over 50 years in an attempt to update nautical charts. As Arctic ice recedes farther each year countries are looking to send their ships over the top of the world through safer and more efficient sea routes. NOAA has responded to requests to
One degree of warming may be too much for some countries, with heat waves possibly commonplace by the year 2039. A new study by Stanford University climate scientists has looked at two dozen climate models to project what could happen in America if carbon dioxide emissions raised the planet’s temperature by 1 degree Celsius between
[social_buttons] For the first time in 10 years Americans believe that increasing energy supplies should be prioritized over the environmental conservation. For the first time since the question was first asked by Gallup in 2001 – at which point 52% of respondents favoured environment over energy production – Americans are favouring themselves in the form
With the historic passage of climate legislation through the House of Representatives, many concerns have trickled forth. Does the climate legislation do enough? Will it even work? Does it have the right aim? With the issuance of similar concerns have come proposed solutions and substitutions. The republicans have proposed that 100 nuclear power plants be built by 2030 in place of the proposed cap-and-trade climate bill. I’ve recently written two articles on the republican “solution” to both the climate and economic crises. And today I’m writing more.
[social_buttons] More money was distributed today by the Department of Energy. 141 million dollars to be more precise. This time Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands and Texas will play beneficiaries of the Recovery Act. As a part of the Department’s State Energy Program, which has been apportioned $3.1 billion, states and territories
If it wasn’t bad enough that we seem to be pumping more and more in the way of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, we humans seem to be doing a pretty damn good job of eating away any chance of removing said emissions. The latest comes in a one-two punch. First of all experts are
From the man who has sent an occupation force to another country with no feasible exit-strategy and thus its own budgetary concerns, comes this gem of a quote; “I urge the Congress to be very careful about running up enormous costs for future generations of Americans.” George W. Bush – as if you hadn’t guessed
Here’s the scenario. You’re a young boy living in southern Utah, not far from Nevada’s atomic testing grounds. The mushroom clouds that rose in the sky were fascinating to see, as was the greenish tint that hung in the western sky for weeks. As your family drives from your home along the road to Zion
