The New Arctic — Now With 40% Less Ice
The Arctic is warming faster than any other place on earth. As a consequence, it has less sea ice now than at any time in the past 1500 years and the loss of ice is accelerating.
global weirding
Rising Oceans Mean Pacific Nuclear Waste Dump Could Threaten Many Nations
America’s nuclear testing program is about to unleash a deadly cocktail of radioactive waste into the Pacific Ocean, thanks to rising sea levels caused by global warming.
15,000 Scientists Suggest 13 Ways To Mitigate Climate Change
The Alliance of World Scientists has issued what it calls a “Second Warming” about the danger to the survival of the human species if climate change is not addressed soon. Here are the thirteen steps the more than 15,000 signatories to that warning recommend.
100% Renewable Electricity Possible By 2050 Researchers Tell COP 23. Bill McKibben Says We Must Do More
Researchers told those attending the COP 23 climate summit in Bonn this week that all the world’s electrical needs could be met by renewables by 2050. Activist Bill McKibben says the world must do more — much more.
New Algorithms Improve Accuracy Of Geoengineering Projections. Is That A Good Thing?
New algorithms make it possible for scientists to predict the effect of injecting sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere to cool the planet. Is that a good thing?
Extreme Weather Linked To Climate Change
On the global scale, 2011 was the coolest year since 2008, but temperatures were still considerably above the 30 year average, according to the 2011 State of the Climate report released online today by NOAA. “The peer-reviewed report, issued in coordination with the American Meteorological Society (AMS), was compiled by 378 scientists from 48 countries
Floods in Seoul Displace over 11,000 & Kill Dozens; Floods in Bangladesh Displace over 10,000
Floods, one of the hallmark natural disasters resulting in greater occurrence and strength from climate change, are tearing about homes, cities, and people in Bangladesh and Seoul, South Korea this week. Seoul has seen the heaviest rains in July since 1907 now. At least 59 people are dead and 10 missing, according to the latest reports. About 10,000 people from about 4,800 homes have been left homeless.
South Korea Hit with Deadly Landslides (from Heavy Rains)
South Korea just got nailed with some heavy rain that has triggered landslides in and flooding in and near its large capital city, Seoul. 32 have been confirmed dead so far. (Whatever you do, don’t consider that is has anything to do with climate change, even though this is exactly the sort of catastrophe climate scientists have predicted will become more and more common.)
Help Stop Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline {TAKE ACTION}
11 veteran U.S. and Canadian scientists and environmentalists (Maude Barlow, Wendell Berry, Tom Goldtooth, Danny Glover, James Hansen, Wes Jackson, Naomi Klein, Bill McKibben, George Poitras, David Suzuki, and Gus Speth) have jointly called for non-violent disobedience in front of our grand White House this summer to try to stop the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.
Extremely Extreme Weather in 2010.. Perhaps Most Extreme on Record
Dr. Jeff Masters, a world-leading meteorologist, just finished a compilation of what he considered 2010’s top 20 extreme weather events. All in all, he considers 2010 to be the most extreme year for weather since records began and, unfortunately, with a good understanding of climate change, he hints at what we could be in for if we don’t turn things around quickly.
Huriphoonado Crosses World, Causes Unprecedented Destruction {The Onion}
Climate Progress likes to highlight fun articles on global warming and political matters from The Onion (“America’s Finest News Source”) from time to time and recently recycled a couple from previous years. I love this one, so am sharing here as well…
Most Extreme U.S. Spring Weather on Record, Dr. Jeff Masters Reports
I had a post on some of Dr. Jeff Masters’ recent comments on the ridiculous extreme weather we’ve been seeing this year just about one week ago, but he just published a new analysis on these issues that I thought was worth covering as well.
The key, general points are as follows…
Global Weirding Wednesday
Good global weirding (aka climate change, global warming) stories from the past week or so:
Jeff Masters on Severe Weather: "We Have Never Seen a Year Like This Before"
This is a good video, not brand new (from about a week ago, which might mean ancient on the internet), but worth a looksy.
Heat Records: Nearly 3,000 Set in U.S. This Week (Extreme Heat Kills at Least 8)
Think it’s hot? Well, it is! Cities all across the U.S. have shattered heat records this week. (Don’t forget, though, don’t try to connect them to climate change or global warming!) Of course, its worth knowing, the hottest summers these days will be comparable to the coolest summers in 2050 if we don’t do something about climate change FAST.
“The fossil-fueled heat wave blazing across the United States east of the Rockies has killed at least eight people, knocked out power from Detroit to Connecticut, and set 1,859 high-temperature and 993 high-minimum-temperature records this week.”
Tornadoes, Climate Change, Floods, Droughts Linked? No, Of Course Not… {Video}
This is an excellent video of what was already an excellent piece by Bill McKibben in the Washington Post.
Stephen Thomson of Plonomedia.com apparently decided to read McKibben’s op-ed while adding screenshots and videos of the incidents and information mentioned. It is a must-see…
Climate Scientist (Another One) Speaks Up about Harassment & Threats (New Book: Global Warming and Political Intimidation)
Dr. Ray Bradley, one of the lead authors of the famous (and, to some, incorrectly infamous) study that included the “hockey stick” temperature graph, has spoken out about the harassment he’s received and attempt of some politicians to thwart scientific and societal promise.
Are Tornadoes & Climate Change Linked?
This is a question that has definitely popped into my mind. And, if you are at all familiar with the fact that climate change is not just about sea levels or heat but is also causing (and going to cause more) much more extreme weather or “global weirding” as some put it, you are probably curious as well.
Joplin, Missouri to Get Hit with More Tornadoes Today?
Joplin, Missouri has been hit with some of the wildest weather this week already. 116 have been found dead after a tornado slammed the city of approximately 50,000. Unfortunately, more tornadoes could be on the way today.
According to the National Weather Service, there’s a 45% chance of another tornado outbreak today, especially between about 4:00pm and midnight. Other than Missouri, this possibility is for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Nebraska.
Montana Floods Kill One, Leave One Missing — More Extreme Weather to Come
Yes, it’s not rainy season anymore, it’s flooding season (unless you live in areas of the country experiencing “exceptional drought” — the highest level of drought — and wild fires). Montana is the latest to get extreme floods and they are now moving on towards neighboring states such as Wyoming and Utah.
Let me reiterate yet again, global warming (aka global weirding) = extreme floods AND extreme drought.
Cars Swept Away by Floods in Colombia {VIDEOS}
While the U.S. faces tremendous flooding of the Mississippi River and concurrent droughts in Texas and the Southwest, other nations around the world are suffering from global weirding as well.
Mississippi River Floods, Texas Drought, and Global Weirding (& Food Prices/Crises)
With all the climate change denier propaganda and bad messaging/confusion in the media, I have to wonder how much a ‘normal’ person recognizes the relationship between tremendous flooding of the Mississippi River and drought in Texas and a few other states (at the same time).
Scott Mandia on Wild Weather in U.S. {VIDEO}
Tornadoes, floods, wild weather… the world is not the same as it used to be. It’s always seen such “extreme weather events,” but not to the degree that it is seeing them today.
Global Warming Cartoon, Glimpse of the Future
Here’s a great cartoon from Matt Bors of The Free Press. Funny, but also sad. h/t Climate Progress Related Cartoons: Fox News Serving Up Climate Skepticism Earth is an Oil-Coal-holic The Republican Triple Threat Global Warming — What If It’s a Big Hoax Here Comes Trouble Related Stories: Snow Will Fall Despite Climate Change Why
Climate Change Also Making Food Less Safe
Climate change is not a simple problem, it has ramifications & ramifications & ramifications. Rachel Shuman of EatDrinkBetter delved into one of these this week: declining food safety from climate change. While there has been extensive research on the effects of climate change on food security, less well-known is the effect of climate change on
Climate Denial Right Wing Noise Machine Goes After Mark Hertsgaard, Hertsagaard Responds
Of course, after Mark Hertsgaard and others put the pressure on climate cranks such as Senator James (global warming is a hoax) Inhofe last week (see: Hertsgaard Nails Inhofe, Oil Lobbyists [Amazing Video Interviews] and HOT Author Mark Hertsgaard & Others Interrogating Climate Cranks this Week [VIDEO]), the global warming denial and right wind noise machine had
Time to Support Tim DeChristopher
This is a story I think I’ve touched on in the past on here and surely one I will be covering continuously in the next month or so. It also inspires a ton of ideas in my head for where the environmental and climate action movement should be headed and where I think this blog,
Melting Permafrost in Siberia, from an International and Local Perspective [VIDEOS]
Here’s a great video from Greenpeace on this important topic. As it notes: “the melting permafrost not only affects the way of life of the indigenous nomadic Nenets people, but also adds burden on climate change due to massive release of methane and carbon dioxide due to decomposion in the defrosting soil.” “Melting Siberian permafrost
Global Warming Politics, Environment, and Animal Stories of the Day
Some top global warming and environmental news from the last day or so: Global Warming & Environmental Politics Time to Put People Ahead of Polluters Over on ecopolitology, Sierra Club’s Michael Brune had a good piece on why it’s time to put people ahead of polluters. Senate 2012 Race & Tea Partiers The conservative right
1st Climate Refugees ("Sun Come Up" Video Trailer)
We can already see the early effects of climate change. Large storms, record-breaking heat, floods, droughts, fires, and food shortages… And, some people need to abandon their homes in islands that look like paradise because the seas are rising. Here’s a trailer for a great-looking upcoming film on some of the world’s first climate refugees,
Climate Benefits of Natural Gas Overstated?
Natural gas production has skyrocketed in the U.S. and elsewhere lately. And one big supposed benefit of this energy source is that it creates a lot fewer greenhouse gas emissions than coal. However, new research from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that these climate change claims may have been greatly overstated. ProPublic, in a
Was the Fall of the Roman Empire Related to Climate Change?
A recent study by a large team of scientists published in the journal Science, 2500 Years of European Climate Variability and Human Susceptibility, indicates that significant climate variations “have influenced the agricultural productivity, health risk, and conflict level of preindustrial societies” and their findings and historical experiences “may challenge recent political and fiscal reluctance to
Climate Science News of the Last Week (or So)
Other than all the big news we wrote about last week (click on our Global Warming or Science categories above), here are a number of climate science stories I thought were worth sharing: Climate Science Human Impact of Climate Change While many might think that environmentalists only want to protect the environment for its own
Obama Says "Climate Change" Again [VIDEO]
After notoriously leaving “climate change” and “global weirding” and the fact that 2010 was the hottest year on record out of his 2011 State of the Union address, Obama recently made sure to mention it in a speech at Penn State University. Different crowd, I guess, one that believes in science and understands the scientific
Pakistan Floods Far From a Distant Memory [VIDEO]
While we see more extreme weather events hit the U.S., Australia, and other places around the world (no doubt, related to global weirding / climate change), those in Pakistan are still struggling to recover from one of the greatest, if not the greatest, humanitarian disaster in modern history. Here’s a good video on the situation
Link Between CO2 and Mass Extinctions [VIDEO, with Jurassic Park Footage]
Following up on a nice piece by Josh on recent research showing a link between a mass extinction that took place about 450 million years ago, the late Ordovician mass extinction, and a change in climate and another one on the link between the Permian-Triassic extinction event and the burning of large amounts of coal
Weather Causes Grain and Food Price Spikes [VIDEO]
Note the final comment at the end. No joking matter here — climate change means more than most Americans understand or admit. h/t Climate Denial Crock of the Week Related Story: Rising & Record Food Prices, Food Riots Due to Extreme Weather Events
Cyclone Yasi in Australia.. Climate Change?
The recent cyclone that nailed Australia, Cyclone Yasi (one of the worst in the country’s history) cannot be conclusively tied to climate change. However, it cannot not be tied to it either. What? The point many climate change deniers will be more than eager to make when discussing this tremendous cyclone is that you cannot
4 Himalayan Nations Working on Climate Change Adaptation Plans
Originally posted on WWF. Thimphu, Bhutan: Governments of four Eastern Himalayan states announced plans today that will lead to the development of a unified climate change adaptation plan for the mountainous region. Delegates from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal met in Thimphu on January 27 and 28 to start planning 10-year national and regional adaptation
Global Warming and More Severe Typhoons [VIDEO]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wNzqd-xZS0 From the YouTube page: “Shaw-Chen Liu, director of a research centre on climate change tells us about the effect of increasing temperatures on typhoons in Taiwan.” h/t Climate Denial Crock of the Week
Global Warming Causing Western Arctic & Yukon Permafrost to Melt [VIDEO]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBtlCUUO7xk From the YouTube page: “Christopher Burn, a canadian geographer, tells us that global warming is causing the permafrost in western arctic and Yukon to melt.” h/t Climate Denial Crock of the Week
Global Weirding & Climate Change Science News
Some of the top climate science news from around (other than what we’ve already covered): Must-read Hansen and Sato paper: We are at a climate tipping point that, once crossed, enables multi-meter sea level rise this century Climate change is likely to be the predominant scientific, economic, political and moral issue of the 21st century
Climate Change, for Many Species, Means a Dead End to their Evolution & Existence
KINANGOP, Kenya — Simon Joakim Kiiru remembers a time not long ago when familiar birdsongs filled the air here and life was correlated with bird sightings. His lush, well-tended homestead is in the highlands next to the Aberdare National Park, one of the premier birding destinations in the world. When the hornbill arrived, Mr. Kiiru
Win a New Book! (Hot or Water Matters)
It’s been awhile since we did a book giveaway, but I recently got two great offers and I’m happy to announce the opportunity for you to win either of these great books. First, a quick look at the books: Hot: Living Through the Next Fifty Years on Earth This book, just released on Wednesday, looks
CO2 May Have Significantly Stronger Effect on Climate than Predicted [VIDEO]
Last week, I covered Jeffrey Kiehl’s review and analysis of “real world” paleoclimate data, “Lessons from Earth’s Past,” and the possibility that CO2 might have twice the effect on temperature that climate models currently predict. Above is a video of Kiehl speaking on his research and findings a little more. h/t Climate Denial Crock of
Recent Extreme Weather Events in Australia, Brazil, U.S. [VIDEOS]
I included the video above in my global weirding news of the week wrap-up on Monday. But, seriously, it’s worth another share in case you don’t read through those. Excellent coverage by ABC. Additionally, here are two more videos on recent extreme weather events. The first, on the tremendous, horrific floods in Australia that “ripped
Hunting for Methane (+ Fun Explosions) [VIDEO]
The release of methane from underneath Arctic ice is expected to be a major issue in coming years as permafrost melts (if we don’t act to stop climate change soon). Methane is about 25 times more potent a greenhouse gas than CO2 over a 100-year time period and about 72 times more potent over a 20-year
2010: Hottest Year on Record (More Datasets Confirm)
Yes, unless you believe that every major temperature dataset in the world has been rigged, you cannot deny that 2010 was tied (statistically) for the hottest year on record. NASA and NOAA have already reported this, as I covered earlier this month, and now more datasets, from the UK’s Climate Research Unit (CRU) and the
