New research shows that the increased frequency of drought observed in eastern Africa over the last two decades is likely to continue so long as global temperatures continue to rise. Such an eventuality increases the risk to the estimated 17.5 million people in the Greater Horn of Africa who already face potential food shortages. The […]
Eastern Africa Heading to More Frequent Drought Read More 👉
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
American Southwest Heading for Permanent Drought Read More 👉
The crew over at Climate Central has just come up with a top 10 list of iPhone and iPad climate science and weather apps. I’ve seen and written about a few of these in the past, but not all of them. While I don’t have an iPhone or iPad to make use of these, hopefully
10 Climate Science Apps for the iPhone & iPad Read More 👉
An Arizona State University press release described the words “enormous uncertainty” as being greatly applicable to the current condition of Phoenix’s climate and water supply. Reservoirs have dropped to their lowest ever levels, drought has continuously plagued the state, and the forecasts suggest that the temperatures are only going to continue to rise. However professors
Phoenix Can Make Positive Steps Forward Read More 👉
New research into the tree populations of Southwest America have found that these forests will face reduced growth if temperatures continue to rise and rain continues to fall. The researchers looked at tree-ring data and climate models to find that the rising temperatures and falling precipitation have led to a decline in the fitness of
Southwestern Forests Weakened by Drought and Rising Temperatures Read More 👉
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
Sixty Year Drought on Southwest American Horizon Read More 👉
Lester R. Brown We are entering a new era, one of rapid and often unpredictable climate change. In fact, the new climate norm is change. The 25 warmest years on record have come since 1980. And the 10 warmest years since global record keeping began in 1880 have come since 1998. The effects of rising temperature
Future at Risk on a Hotter Planet Read More 👉
“Rivers run dry as drought hits Amazon: Droughts are growing more severe. Has the world’s largest rain forest reached its tipping point?” This is the title and subtitle of a Global Post article on a critical issue — drought — facing one of the most precious natural areas of the world, the Amazon. Here’s more
Amazon Gets Hit with Extreme Drought, Perhaps Worst Ever (Global Weirding?) Read More 👉
Climate Progress recently put together a piece on the top 10 climate science news stories of 2010 (so far). A lot of news that doesn’t hit the mainstream media. Here’s are a few of the stories: 1. Nature: “Global warming blamed for 40% decline in the ocean’s phytoplankton”: “Microscopic life crucial to the marine food
Top 10 Climate Science News of 2010 Read More 👉
New research into the history of the Andes in South America has led scientists to believe that a tipping point is close to being reached in the next 50 years which could see irreversible damage done to the seat of Bolivia’s government in La Paz. According to the research, if temperatures rise more than 1.5
Bolivia Faces Catastrophic Drought Read More 👉
We have covered threats and the start of massive global droughts on Planetsave a couple times recently. It is a major concern in our weirding world. Joe Romm of Climate Progress, covering a new study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research in depth, has a lot more on this topic. Here’s the intro: Extended drought
By the 2030’s, more and more regions across our planet will be entering drought conditions, according to a recently published study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) at the University of Colorado, Boulder. This dryness trend, which encompasses much of the temperate and tropical Western Hemisphere along with large areas of Eurasia and
Global Drought Predicted by Century's End – "Unprecedented Consequences" Read More 👉
Despite the wonderful rains that have been falling over the past few months in my vicinity of the world, south-east Australia is likely to suffer below-average rainfall and drier conditions in the future. The findings were released in the report Climate Variability and change in south-eastern Australia, produced by the South Eastern Australian Climate Initiative
Changing Climate in South East Australia Read More 👉
A large percentage of heavily populated countries could suffer severe and prolonged drought in coming decades, according to a new study which analysed 22 computer climate models and a mass of information concerning current drought conditions worldwide. The study, conducted by National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) scientist Aiguo Dai and reported as part of
Much of the Globe Threatened with Drought Read More 👉
Like a patch of desert that has had all the moisture absorbed from its surface, large parts of the world are similarly drying up, releasing less moisture than ever before, or none at all. Evapotranspiration is the movement of water from the land to the atmosphere. Most climate models predicted that this phenomenon would increase
Large Swaths of the World are Drying Up Read More 👉
In his alarm-ringing NY Times op-ed on Climate Change, professor Homer-Dixon* draws a comparison with the 2008 financial “meltdown” which finally led to new financial regulations, even though warnings of a housing bubble (and an emerging recession) were being made prior to the crisis. He advocates societies designing a contingency plan (‘Plan Z’ ) to deal with the immediate after-effects of one or more climate change disasters.
'Devastating Climate Shock' Needed to Spur Climate Change Policy Read More 👉
Engineers at MIT–lead by Jongyoon Han–have developed a promising nano-tech system for separating charged salt ions from water, and which also separates out unicellular contaminants. But more challenges remain.
New Nano-tech Device Takes Salt Out of Sea Water Read More 👉
Researchers Overpeck and Udall cite a litany of troubling trends to support their prediction: “soaring temperatures, declining late-season snow pack, northward-shifted winter storm tracks, increasing precipitation intensity (note: not total rainfall), the worst drought since measurements began, steep declines in Colorado River reservoir storage, widespread vegetation mortality, and sharp increases in the frequency of large wildfires.”
Dry Times for Western North America, Climate Trends Forecast Read More 👉
The UN’s Millennium Development Goal of ending global under-nourishment by 2015 will not be met, but a new set of “mega” initiatives are being implemented to achieve more efficient delivery of “research outputs” to speed agricultural development.
'Millennium Goal' to End World Hunger Will Not Be Met Read More 👉
New research of trees in northwest Africa has revealed droughts in the latter part of the 20th century are some of the fiercest experienced in that area. [social_buttons]The research looked at tree rings in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and found that there have been frequent and severe droughts during the 13th and 16th centuries, as
Trees give Insight into Northwest Africa’s Dry Past Read More 👉
Continuing our coverage of the EPA’s new Climate Change Indicators in the US report, below are key summary findings regarding weather and climate. More heat waves, tropical cyclones, floods, precipitation, and also perhaps drought in some areas — watch out! The following text comes directly from the US EPA’s “Summary of Key Findings” [PDF]: [social_buttons]
EPA's "Climate Change Indicators in the US" report: What's Up with Weather and Climate? Read More 👉
A new study finds that there is a 50-50 chance all of the Colorado River reservoirs — in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona — will run completely dry by the year 2057 if currents trends and practices continue.
50% Chance Colorado River Reservoirs Will Run Dry by 2057 — Under Current Scenario Read More 👉
There is almost nothing quite as intriguing and interesting as learning of a new experiment. And while Bunsen burners and the like may be OK for some of you, for me, get me outside and in some dirt any day. A new experiment, being conducted at Imperial College London’s Silwood Park campus in Berkshire, will
British Experiments to Test Ecological Conditions in 2100, Today Read More 👉
American missiles are not the only threat to Iran’s physical stability. A geological study has found that the nation’s groundwater is running so low from decades of over-use that many parts of the country have sunk dramatically, causing damage in both agricultural and urban areas. [social_buttons]Fifty percent of the country’s water is sourced from the
Much of Iran is Sinking Due to Drained Aquifers Read More 👉
One of the greatest steps forward that local communities have taken of late is the push to collect rainwater to offset your water use. It is often an easy way to help out the environment and, in the long run, simply save water. There don’t really seem to be any catches to it either. Rain
Who Does Rainwater Belong To? Read More 👉
This is another of those studies that, though perfectly necessary, pretty much just get categorized in to the “Well… duh!” category of my reporting. Sadly, just because something can be so categorized, doesn’t mean it was unnecessary. Too often humanity will overlook the blatantly obvious until it is thrust directly in front of their faces.
Human Rights Acting as Climate Change Policy Compass Read More 👉
Water is essential for life, but humans are placing a growing burden on this natural resource … risking our own future well-being. More and more news comes out every day about the dangerous game we’re playing with our water supplies, and a growing number of people are warning water could become just as volatile an
Taking Water for Granted? Think Twice Read More 👉
The recent news that Lake Mead has a 50-50 chance of going dry in the next 13 years was scary enough, but there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of ominous Earth news these days. Based on recent research, here are some of the odds we’re facing: Amount of coral reefs that will be in
Lake Mead has a 50-50 chance of becoming a dry lake bed by 2021, according to new research from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography/UC San Diego. Marine physicist Tim Barnett and climate scientist David Pierce reached that conclusion after analyzing the region’s current and planned water usage and taking into account the ongoing impact of
R.I.P. Lake Mead, U.S. Southwest Read More 👉
We’ve all read about the drought in America’s Southeast, and if it doesn’t let up very quickly, some nuclear power stations may have to either cut back operations or shut down temporarily because of a lack of water. An Alabama reactor had to shutdown for a brief period in the summer, and officials in
Water Shortage Could Dry Up Nuclear Power Plants in Southeast Read More 👉
How do we meet the world’s future energy demands? Not an easy question, but it gets even more complicated when you factor in another critical need: water. While water hasn’t always been factored into energy discussions — or vice versa — the two are “inextricably linked,” according to Sandia National Laboratories. That’s why researchers there
Energy Takes Water, Water Takes Energy Read More 👉
It’s been going on since 1922, seven western states staking their claims on Colorado River Water. For years, a sometimes divisive battle has raged as Colorado, Utah, California, Arizona, Wyoming, Nevada and New Mexico all said they weren’t getting their share of the precious liquid. It came to an end in Las Vegas, when representatives
85 Year Old "War" Over Colorado River Water Ends Read More 👉
The next time someone says something to you about “business leading the way” in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building a sustainable future, email him a copy of the Florida Chamber Foundation’s latest blueprint for transitioning the Sunshine State into a 21st Century leader. The report, “New Cornerstone Revisited,” was rightfully derided by at least
Businesses Blindly “Lead the Way” for Florida Read More 👉
Anyone who keeps up with the science of global warming knows that carbon dioxide alone isn’t the problem. Besides that and the other greenhouse gases (methane and nitrous oxide, for instance) we spew into the atmosphere, there’s also the threat of feedback loops and other mechanisms that could magnify the impact of those pollutants even
Drought’s Impact on Carbon Cycle Equal to Millions of Cars Read More 👉
Over my tenure as part of the Green Options network, I’ve brought you – more often than not – the gloomy side of global warming. Of course, I would say that there is no good side, but I’m trying to be a bit lenient here. As Green Options undergoes some changes, I’ll be writing primarily
Up, down or in? Where does our carbon go? Read More 👉