Keene State College Now Heats with Biofuel
Heating a college campus with biofuel takes ingenuity, adjustments, and a commitment to sustainability. Have you been to Keene State College in NH lately?
greenhouse gas
NASA Releases New Climate Forecasts Through 2100
The good news is that NASA has just released research on how temperature and rainfall patterns worldwide may change because of the concentrations of greenhouse gas growing in Earth’s atmosphere. The space scientists have based their conclusions on historical measurements and robust scenarios of increasing carbon dioxide produced from 21 climate models: specifically, General Circulation
What Causes Global Warming?
Droughts, lengthy hot spells, heavy downpours, floods, and other extreme weather events are occurring more frequently and intensely every year. Around the world, research teams are analyzing these trends, noting the changes in temperature, rainfall, ice mass, sea level, and many other variables recorded by weather measuring devices. The trends are undeniable: the Earth is
Monthly Atmospheric CO2 Now Exceeds 400 ppm
Reprinted from our sister publication, CleanTechnica. For the first time since people started tracking carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere, the global average concentration of CO2 has surpassed 400 parts per million for an entire month. Says Pieter Tans, lead scientist of NOAA’s Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network, about the record carbon dioxide level: “It
Where Would We Be Without Mangroves? (VIDEO)
We took up some basics about mangrove forests in a previous article, including how widespread and productive these ecosystems can be. Now people have begun to realize the importance of mangrove forests to the health of the planet. Not just for the obvious reasons, but for the single fact that mangroves are benevolent guardians of
A Message About Your Water Bottle
Aquafina, Dasani, and Poland Spring are names on the water bottle that have come to evoke images of pristine waterfalls, swift cool streams, and shimmering, unspoiled mountain lakes. As well they should. These three carefully selected names are among the largest selling brands of bottled water in the United States. They play a vital role
OCO-2 Set To Outfox Climate Change Denial
OCO-2 is only a little thing, about 6 ft long, 3 ft in diameter, and less than half a ton in weight (NASA/JPL-Caltech, artist’s conception). It will be harder to deny the existence of climate change now that NASA has successfully launched Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2. A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air
Many State Governors With US House In Blocking Climate Action
On Tuesday, one big handy graphic appeared online detailing what every state governor really believes about climate change. The Center for American Progress released an interactive map of the 50 states. It details the sad fact that half of America’s 29 Republican governors agree with the anti-science caucus of Congress. Tiffany Germain And Ryan Koronowski, who wrote the
Proposed EPA Carbon Rules (cartoon)
Looks like a comment on today’s EPA carbon rule, but we do hope you’ll notice that this cartoon is seven years old. Thanks to the artist and the University of Colorado—Boulder for being ahead of their time! (Or not.)
New Climate Analysis Indicators Tool From WRI
If you’re looking for answers about greenhouse gas pollution and other climate indicators, you’ll get a quick step up from the Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT 2.0) produced by the World Resources Institute. (WRI is a global research organization founded in the early 80s that works closely with leaders “to turn big ideas into action
The Worst Carbon Polluters Ever: Map And Timeline From SLATE
Thankfully, this headline does not single out the United States as the worst carbon polluter, although we have certainly done more than our part to choke the world in a gaseous greenhouse. No, the honor belongs to humans in general. If you’re wondering which countries have emitted the most carbon over the past couple of
Wicked Fires of Climate Change Inflame The West (photo-essay)
There are the good wildfires, and there are the bad. Unfortunately, the latter often overwhelm the beneficial ones. We’ll go on with stories from San Diego in a minute—it’s a long story of an actually short time—but here’s a word about the bright side first. Whoopi Goldberg had a thought that’s worth repeating: When you
Big Senate Climate Caucus Live On The Internet (6 BLOGS)
North wing of the Capitol, containing the Senate Chamber (public domain photo). Watch
UN Nails Forest Risks, Strategy In Warsaw With REDD+
At the late November meeting of UN climate delegates in Warsaw, negotiators from Canada–once a strong supporter of fast-start financing to limit greenhouse gas emissions from developing countries–and Australia, now led by a rashly conservative government, sat on their hands. Reeling from the costs of mitigation at Fukushima and a stopgap return to fossil fuels,
"Lousy, Spoilt, and Defiled Planet" Climate Talks Begin In Warsaw
Officials open the 2013 UNFCCC meetings with determination and louder warnings…. (Photo source: http://ow.ly/qL43P) It’s time for the governments of the world to struggle with climate change policy again. Every year, late in November and early in December, representatives of 195 nations gather for two weeks to try to negotiate global responses to the increasingly
Shutter 1.2% Of Power Plants, Cut Carbon Costs By 20%
The nation’s most-polluting power plant, Georgia Power Company’s Plant Scherer in Juliette, Georgia, emits more carbon dioxide than all of Maine’s energy emissions. Here’s more from Environment America: On September 10, the Environment America Research & Policy Center, an independent nonprofit, and the Frontier Group presented a mighty appealing fast track toward limiting the U.S.
Siberian Caves Point To Devastating Future Thawing And CO2 Release
A team of scientists from Britain, Russia, Mongolia, and Switzerland have released a report which finds that evidence obtained from Siberian caves suggest that a global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius could result in permanently frozen ground end up thawing across a massive swathe of Siberia, threatening a release of carbon dioxide. Such a
US Senators Propose Carbon Tax
Republicans don’t want taxes at all, whereas Democrats want to tax everything. It might be an oversimple explanation but it’s definitely going to be right more than it’s wrong. It’s also a good indicator of your allegiance when you hear that US Senators Barbara Boxer and Bernie Sanders have proposed a tax on carbon emissions. The
Irreversible Sea Level Rise to Continue for Thousands of Years
It’s too late! We’re all going to die! So says the latest research to be published in the respected journal Environmental Research Letters. OK. I might be jumping to a bit of a dramatic conclusion there. In fact, the study in question has shown that the levels of greenhouse gasses we have already pumped into the
Slow Global Warming, Improve Health, Boost Agriculture, NOW!
NASA has released a study that highlights 14 key air pollution control measures that could slow the pace of global warming, improve health, and boost agricultural production if they were implemented. This Flickr slideshow highlights key emission control strategies that could help limit the release of black carbon and methane into the atmosphere. NASA’s Drew
Anthropogenic Global Warming Will Delay Natural Glaciation
The massive levels of greenhouse gasses left in the atmosphere as a result of human burning of fossil fuels is liable to disrupt normal patterns of glaciation say scientists in a new study. If humans had not arrived and interrupted things, science tells us that the Earth’s current warm phase would have given way to
Greenhouse Gas Levels Continue Rising
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration measures the direct climate influence of many greenhouse gasses through the Annual Greenhouse Gas Index, also known as the AGGI, and it showed that a rise in greenhouse gasses between 2009 and 2010. Started in 2004 the AGGI does not provide exact details as to what the temperature increases
Carbon Emissions Continue to Rise Despite Reductions
In a report entitled “Long-term trend in global CO2 emissions” prepared by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, it has been found that global emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) have increased by 45% between 1990 and 2010 and reached an all-time high of 33 billion tonnes by 2010, all despite increased energy efficiency, nuclear energy and a growing renewable energy industry.
Unprecedented Portrait of Global Greenhouse Gases in Atmosphere
HIPPO – HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations – is the name of an unprecedented three-year series of research flights from the Arctic to Antarctica which has provided scientists with a first of its kind portrait of greenhouse gases and particles in the atmosphere.
No Tipping Points for Arctic Sea Ice Loss
A growing body of scientific evidence has led researchers to believe that in a warmer climate there will be no “tipping point” beyond which the Arctic sea ice cannot recover if temperatures start to decrease. Added to this is new research out of the University of Washington which suggests that even if the planet warmed enough to melt all polar sea ice, it could still recover if the temperatures cooled again.
What Will a 4 Degree Increase do to Australia
The results of research looking into what will happen to the Australian climate if and when a global increase of 4º Celsius across the world takes place was presented by CSIRO’s Dr Penny Whetton at the Four Degrees climate change conference in Melbourne.
What Part Will Fire Play in a Warmer Future
Speaking at the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics’ (IUGG’s) Earth on the Edge: Science for a Sustainable Planet conference in Melbourne, Australia, CSIRO’s Dr Melita Keywood has said that closer scientific study is needed to determine just how the frequency and intensity of wildfires and intentional biomass burning will change in a future climate.
Carbon Footprint Same in City or Country
Many studies have shown that people who live in the city help the environment by having a much smaller carbon footprint than those living in the country. However a new study shows that this is not the case, and that no matter where you live, your carbon footprint will be pretty much the same.
View Record Greenhouse Gases for Yourself
A new CSIRO website allows anyone with an internet connection to view greenhouse gas data measured in the Southern Hemisphere atmosphere for the past 35 years.
Carbon Release 10 Times as Fast Today than Historically
The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), which took place some 55.9 million years ago, is the best analogue that we currently have for understanding what might happen if greenhouse gas emissions are not curtailed soon, and according to a new study, the rate of release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere today is 10 times as fast when compared to the PETM.
Stanford Climate Scientists Forecast Hotter Years Ahead
According to Stanford University scientists, the tropics and much of the Northern Hemisphere are likely to undergo an irreversible temperature shift during summers over the next 20 to 60 years if greenhouse gas emissions are not curtailed immediately.
Carbon Levels Skyrocketing
According to the latest estimates putout by the International Energy Agency, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions during the year of 2010 were the highest in history.
Valle Caldera from Space {Photo of the Day}
Valles Caldera is the remains of a collapsed magma chamber which spans some 22 kilometres (14 miles) in New Mexico, and is featured below in the image taken by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus on Landsat 7 satellite on May 22, 2002.
Methane Will Wreak Havoc in Changing Climate
A two-part study investigating the impact of methane – one of the most potent of greenhouse gases – has found that millions of tonnes of methane currently frozen in sediment beneath the Arctic Ocean will wreak havoc if released into the oceans.
Arctic Affected by Climate Change More than Expected
• The last five years have been the warmest since 1880 when monitoring began
• Tree ring data suggest that the summer temperatures over the past few decades have been the highest in 2000 years
• Snow cover in May and June has decrease by close to 20%
• The winter season in the Arctic has been shortened by almost two weeks
• There is worry about the decrease in snow and ice cover in the Arctic that will decrease the amount of solar radiation reflected back out into the atmosphere
• Warming is only expected to continue
• Sea level rise by 2100 is expected to be between 0.9 and 1.6 metres, approximately twice what was predicted by the UN panel on climate change
Drought Could Hamper Carbon Sequestration in US
A new study supported by the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy has concluded that forests and other terrestrial ecosystems in the contiguous United States of America can sequester up to 40 percent of the nation’s fossil fuel carbon emissions.
Tree Planting World Record Set in Philippines
Over 64,000 trees were planted in 15 minutes last Thursday, setting a world record for the largest number of trees being simultaneously planted (who counted the trees, I’m not sure, but the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that everything was correct and the counting was accurate). The planting occurred in the province of Camrines
Dual Amazon Droughts Alarm Scientists
2005 saw the worst drought in the Amazon rainforest for over a hundred years, and was believed to be just that; a one in a hundred year event. Sadly, only five years later and another drought hit the Amazon rainforest. And scientists now believe that the 2010 drought may have been even more devastating to
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
Is Our Hot Past Representative of Our Future
An analysis by National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) scientist Jeffrey Kiehl published in the most recent edition of the journal Science in the ‘Perspectives’ section has concluded that the sheer scale of climate change during Earth’s ancient history points to temperatures rising far more than expected in Earth’s immediate future. Kiehl brought together several
Methane Causes Less Carbon Uptake
New research has discovered what one researcher labelled an “accounting error” in the current calculations of how much carbon is absorbed by continents. According to the new research to be published in the journal Science, the amount of greenhouse gas currently taken in by forests and other carbon sinks is less than has previously been
Waterways Increasing Nitrous Oxide in Atmosphere
“Runoff from agricultural and urban watersheds has increased the availability of nitrogen in streams and rivers, greatly increasing nitrous oxide production rates,” said Jake Beaulieu, a postdoctoral researcher at the Environmental Protection Agency in Cincinnati, Ohio, who along with Jennifer Tank, Galla Professor of Biological Sciences at the University, are the lead authors of a
Methane: The 'Sleeper' Agent of Climate Change
Methane (CH4) is the main constituent of natural gas, and is the result of natural decomposition processes. Although its lifetime in the atmosphere as a free gas is much shorter than CO2, it is 23 times more potent in terms of its heat trapping ability. This past month, there has been a flurry of news,
Industrialized North Should Help Populous South
It seems that no matter how long humans live there is always going to be a discrepancy between “north and south.” This time, however, researchers from the University of Bath are calling for the industrialized “north” of our planet to help out the more populous “south” in an effort to curb an increase in greenhouse
Trees Not the Carbon Sinks We Need
A new study suggests that, despite the fact that trees grow larger or faster with increased levels of carbon dioxide, they are not necessarily going to be able to store an equally growing amount of the carbon dioxide. The report, to be published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, points to
Distributed Heating to Reduce Climate Change
Greenhouse gas emissions could be significantly reduced under a new plan to heat homes by district rather than individually. Instead of each individual house having its own collection of fan, gas and wood heaters, districts would be heated from a central location, and according to the authors of the study the plan would not only
Cut the Coal (Going Green Tip #6)
Continuing on with our Going Green Tips series, Going Green Tip #6 should be no surprise (we’re starting with the big boys). The general tip is to stop using coal power. Easier said than done, right? Maybe, but it is VERY important, and there are a lot of reasons why it’s easier now than ever.
Breaths of Fresh Air: Bush-Era Pollution Waivers Rejected By Courts
Power plants play a huge role in emitting pollutants that make up the ozone. This pollution browns and blackens our horizons. We call it smog. Smog has been linked to premature deaths, thousands of emergency room visits, and tens of thousands of asthma attacks each year. Pollution in the ozone is particularly dangerous to small children and the elderly, who are often warned to stay indoors on days with poor air quality due to pollutants.
