More imminent than deadly viruses or terrorists at national events is the phenomenon of climate change, a force examined in a groundbreaking new report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Titled National Landmarks at Risk: How Rising Seas, Floods and Wildfires are Threatening the United States’ Most Cherished Historic Sites, the study examines […]
UCS Examines Climate Change From Sea To Shining Sea Read More 👉
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
Wicked Fires of Climate Change Inflame The West (photo-essay) Read More 👉
Brush burning fast at one of the mid-May San Diego fires, 2014 (photo from KHQ compilation). Fires are part of the Western North America lifestyle, unfortunately. “Every summer, smoke fills the big skies yet people continue to build in the places that burn most,” said Felicity Barringer Taubman, a senior reporter for The New York
Roundup Of The Mid-May San Diego Fires Read More 👉
Cherry blossoms in the foreground of Mount Fuji (image: ladyadventurer.co.uk) So far, at least, the famed blossoming cherry trees of Japan don’t discriminate geographically. This time of year, they grace even the surroundings of nuclear power generators shaken by earthquake, tsunami, and meltdowns three years ago. Otherwise, though, the Fukushima landscape remains desolate. Despite widespread
Drone Captures Fukushima Desolation Amid Cherry Blossoms Read More 👉
(All figures are from the 2014 National Climate Assessment draft.) Later today (Tuesday, May 6), at 8 a.m. EDT, the National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee of experts meets by conference call to approve the final version of the Third National Climate Assessment. The gist of their message, as Suzanne Goldenberg of The Guardian
National Climate Assessment Pulls No Punches About US Options Read More 👉
Last week something rare and extraordinarily positive occurred on American television. Fortunately, through YouTube and 350.org, the rest of the world got to see it too. “Something positive?” a critic questions. “If climate change is as bad as you tree-hugger people claim it is, how can anything about it be positive?” The phenomenon tends to
Caution: Now Entering The "Years Of Living Dangerously" Read More 👉
Not again. Last year, as PlanetSave’s James Ayre reported, dead giant oarfish—-bizarre and terrifying serpents of the sea (Regalecus glesne) five and six yards long—-washed ashore at separate locations off the California coast during one week in October. Also last year, National Geographic documented video by a remotely operated undersea vehicle of a giant oarfish
Two Giant Oarfish Spotted Off Mexican Beach (Video) Read More 👉
This is absolutely hilarious… but also absolutely sad. Most of what is in this Daily Show fracking video is no joke at all. The ramifications from fracking that are highlighted here are real — even the earthquakes. And Chevron’s attempt to pacify a community that had just seen an explosion that killed one of its
Hilarious Daily Show Clip On Fracking (VIDEO) Read More 👉
By Dayna Reggero The upcoming SHOWTIME® docu-series, Years of Living Dangerously, premiering on April 13, provides an opportunity to meet the people and see the places affected by climate change. Sharing these stories is a host of major film, television and news figures, including Jessica Alba, Mark Bittman, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and many more.
Coal–Climate Connection To Hit TV Screens Nationwide Read More 👉
Occasional spring thaws began several weeks ago in parts of the country. As Lewis and Susan Case hiked along Felchner Brook in the placid, mid-March woods of Vermont, they thought they were just making a nice amateur video of a brief walk on a cloudy day. Suddenly, things changed. A roar smacked into the peaceful
Sudden Danger In Forest Thaw (Video) Read More 👉
March 22, 2014, killer landslide near Seattle (photo: Kings County Sheriff’s Office). Last Saturday’s horrific mudslide 55 miles northeast of Seattle may unfortunately herald the shape of landmass movements to come, if climate change has its way with us. A new study in the European Alps elaborates. In a draft article for Elsevier’s Science of
Alps Study: Climate Change May Worsen Landslides Read More 👉
Greetings faithful readers… Well, March is turning out to be a fine month for apocalyptica of seemingly every sort…So, as your faithful reporter of all things cataclysmic and eschatological (well, I try), I give you this friendly round-up of end-full news items for your reading pleasure, with brief commentary. To wit: Maize Can’t Take the Blaze
When the hydraulic fracturing measure passed the Los Angeles City Council today, several tweeters posted photos of this meeting (source of the above: Walker Foley on twitter). The City Council of Los Angeles, second-most populous metro in the United States, voted 10-0 today to prohibit hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) and other “unconventional” deep-underground drilling methods to produce
Los Angeles Council Unanimously Puts Off Fracking Read More 👉
Climate scientists have been predicting more intense seasonal temperature variations and storms for several years now and recent winter ice storms in the deep south of the US, as well as ‘super storm’ Sandy, seem to lend much credence to this forecasting. And although this past hurricane season was less than spectacular — discounting Sandy,
Off-Shore Wind Farms Can 'Tame' Hurricane Winds, Surges, Stanford Study Finds [VIDEO] Read More 👉
Yesterday at the annual Science (AAAS) meeting here in Chicago, a panel of climate experts convened for a symposium to present their research and discuss the risks and challenges facing the science as it seeks to model and predict climate changes — such as the probability of “extreme events” — due to global warming
Predicting Climate Change Impacts – Quotes From The Experts Read More 👉
http://youtu.be/J_QAdup7G0o Legendary rocker Neil Young, born in Toronto, recently went on a tour in Canada aiming to support the rights of First Nations when it comes to tar sands development. Needless to say, First Nations citizens are being almost completely ignored and greatly harmed by reckless development of the tar sands. Young asserted that Canadian
Neil Young Tour Took On Tar Sands — 10 Reasons The Tour Rocked (Other Than The Music) Read More 👉
On his blog “I see a change,” Nigerian Youth Development Expert Olumide Idowu presents the elements of sustainable development (source: olumideidowu.blog.com). Not all online courses provide all they promise you, but here’s one that should answer all your questions about environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive economic development. It will also challenge you to find out more.
What's "Sustainable Development"? Free Online Course! Read More 👉
Crude oil is a fossil fuel and was made naturally from decaying plants and animals, like this prehistoric dunkleosteus, living in ancient seas millions of years ago. Damn dunkleosteus, why couldn’t your decayed remains have become solar PV cells? Joe Mohr is a cartoonist for a variety of publications and children’s writer and illustrator. His
What happens when you blow a bubble and it’s cold outside? (Photo: Washington photographer Angela Kelly.) January 2014. It’s been unseasonably chilly, to say the least. Washington-based photographer Angela Kelly brings us a stunning gallery of photographs in the Huffington Post of what happens to a blown bubble when it’s exposed to extremely cold temperatures?
A Longer Life: Frozen Bubbles Read More 👉
Here’s a video with some beautiful music and some chilling pics of our changing climate: Apparently, the song is by Emily Maguire.
Woke Up (Music Video) Read More 👉
Mesocore offers a container-sized housing solution that purifies rain water and is solar-powered. The potential return on investment for donating one to a family in need is very large. If you consider that there are millions of people around the world living without housing, electricity or clean drinking water, Mesocore self-contained micro homes could drastically
Solar-powered Water Purifying Affordable Homes Can be Donated or Purchased Read More 👉
This is part of a 10-part series on the “Top 10 Toxic Ingredients Used By The Fossil Fuel Industries.” Read, share, and check in tomorrow for the next part, which will focus on sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). 4. Petroleum Coke (Pet Coke) Fossil Fuel Source: Oil Pet coke is a rapidly expanding byproduct
Pet Coke — #4 In "Top 10 Toxic Ingredients Used By The Fossil Fuel Industries" Series Read More 👉
This is part of a 10-part series on the “Top 10 Toxic Ingredients Used By The Fossil Fuel Industries.” Read, share, and check in tomorrow for the next part, which will focus on formaldehyde. 6. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) Fossil Fuel Sources: Oil and Coal In actuality, this is not a single listing — polycyclic aromatic
If greenhouse gas emissions remain at current levels, global sea-level rise will by 70 to 120 centimeters by 2100, according to the results of a new survey of 90 of the world’s most active ocean and climate scientists. The survey was conducted by researchers from the United States and Germany, and published in the recent Quaternary
Tornado watches and warnings in the Midwest, Sunday, November 17, 2013. On their way to Chicago. Peoria. Jennifer Wojcicki ☈ @WxWithJenny 20m RT @TomPurdyWI: Beautiful wall cloud near Harvard, Illinois earlier, inflow screaming in on right side there. #ilwx pic.twitter.com/8JvW8Hwfiq Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune 58m Tornado touching down in LaSalle County http://trib.in/1bwjOO7 pic.twitter.com/zBOT9eyAH8 ChuckGoudieABC @ChuckGoudieABC7 Twister
BREAKING: Today's Illinois Tornadoes Read More 👉
Preparing to decommission the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, TEPCO recently dismantled the damaged roof parapet of Unit 4 and removed debris there. (Screenshot source: Enformable.com/Lucas W. Hixson.) As early as next Friday (November 8), the scariest decommissioning work at the ruined nuclear power complex may begin. Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), the largest electrical utility in
U.S. To Aid TEPCO In Moving Hot Fukushima Fuel Read More 👉
Our Solar system is a potentially world-altering place when it comes to asteroid impacts; planetary scientists continue to find plentiful evidence of multiple and massive asteroid impacts on other planets and the various moons that orbit them…And, of course, there is evidence of “extinction level” impacts occurring in the distant past here on Earth. Such
The Private Mission To Save Planet Earth (From Asteroids) Read More 👉
By Maggie Fox, President and CEO, Climate Reality Project It’s funny. A lot of the rhetoric we hear pushing back against putting a price on carbon pollution parrots the argument that “it would threaten our way of life.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Fossil fuels like oil and coal helped power us through the
“Threat analysis from TEPCO. Accuracy? Credibility?” (Photo and story from International Business Times.)
Typhoon Report From TEPCO Read More 👉
Tennessee photo of the bright, fast “fireball” meteor that passed over Indiana last week (from WKRN). It wasn’t just any old meteor that buzzed the nation’s midsection at around 11:30 last Friday night. It was AMS Event 2132, one of 4,401 meteors and about 15 fireballs seen in September over the United States. Authorities say
Massive Fireball Streaks Midwestern Skies Read More 👉
“Monster” fire consumes almost 10% of Yosemite National Park, August-September 2013 (Photo: U.S. Forest Service) Annual costs of fighting wildfires have grown exponentially over the past decade. They now surpass the value of resources reclaimed. The Rim Fire burning in and near Yosemite National Park has already cost over $65 million, and it is less
Declining And Misused Federal Fire Dollars: The Rim Fire Read More 👉
For more of Joe’s cartoons check out his 5+ year cartoon archive. Got kids? Well then check out his book, ROBOT+BIKE=KITTEN. And. Twitter. Facebook.
Up to $60 trillion (just shy of the global GDP for one year) is what climate change impacts will cost the world’s economy if the estimated 50 billion tons of seafloor-trapped methane gas in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf were to be released into the atmosphere. That’s according to new economic modeling research conducted by
Nighttime heat waves in the Pacific Northwest have quadrupled in frequency over the past 33 years, according to new research from the University of Washington. Specifically — the region of Washington state west of the Cascades experienced only three nighttime heat waves during the years of 1901-1980, but 12 nighttime heat waves during the years
Like many contemporary architects, Alexander Remizov designs structures based upon principles of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. But where he parts from many of his fellows is in his futuristic vision of a world impacted by highly uncertain climate change — particularly habitable land loss due to mass flooding events and extreme climate conditions. Many
Some volcanoes ‘scream’ at ever-higher pitches until erupting — the ‘scream’ being the harmonic tremors that often accompany the earthquakes which typically precede volcanic eruptions, according to new research from the University of Washington and the USGS. The new findings are the result of a new analysis of the March 2009 eruption of Alaska’s Redoubt
Volcanoes 'Scream' At Ever-Increasing Pitches Until They Erupt, Research Finds Read More 👉
At about 1:15 Saturday morning, a 72-freightcar train carrying crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken shale development, bound for Irving Oil’s plant in Saint John, New Brunswick, slipped its brakes in the eastern Quebec town of Nantes. The train’s only human passenger — the engineer — had checked into a nearby hotel. Driverless and continually
Runaway Oil Train Causes Deadly Explosion In Eastern Quebec Read More 👉
I first heard about the idea of towing icebergs for water a couple years ago when one of our writers covered the potential water crisis solution. The idea came from an engineer named Georges Mougin back in the 1970s. The idea was that towing icebergs for water for those suffering from severe droughts could be a cost
Towing Icebergs For Water… Seriously (VIDEO) Read More 👉
Global food production isn’t increasing fast enough to support the world’s rapidly growing population, according to new research from the Institute on the Environment (IonE) at the University of Minnesota. Crop yields are actually falling rather notably in many of the warmer/poorer regions of the world as a result of rising temperatures and increasing natural
Global Food Production Won't Keep Up With The World's Growing Population, Research Warns Read More 👉
The 2013 Gulf of Mexico dead zone may very likely be the largest one ever, according to new predictions based on several different NOAA-supported forecast models. The hypoxic dead zone is forecast to cover somewhere between 7,286 and 8,561 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico. The largest dead zone on record was the 2002
Gulf Of Mexico Dead Zone 2013 — Record-Setting Deadzone Is Likely This Year Read More 👉
The Antarctic ice shelves have been melting at ever increasing rates in recent years — losing mass, though not always extent, as much of the mass loss has been with regards to ice thickness. And now, new research has shed some new light on the causes of this ice loss — the warming ocean waters
11 billion people in the world by the year 2100? That’s what a new report from the United Nations is predicting. According to the report, that figure is about 8% higher than was previously predicted (in 2011), with the higher prediction being the result of fertility rates in Africa declining more slowly than was previously
When will the next megathrust earthquake strike the Pacific coast of North America? It’s an important question for those living in the region, and also more generally for the governments and economies of the United States and Canada, but it is a difficult one to answer. But now, new research may finally be helping to
The 2013 Amazon forest fire season is shaping up to be a devastating one according to researchers from NASA and the University of California, Irvine. Their predictions warn of a 2013 fire season that will be considerably more severe than either the 2012 or 2011 seasons were, for many of the forests of the Amazon.
Amazon Forest Facing Devastating 2013 Fire Season, NASA Predicts Read More 👉
Severe thunderstorms may increase in frequency as a result of the changing atmospheric conditions that will accompany climate change, new research has found. The recent research and analysis has revealed that the conditions which favor the development of severe thunderstorms will become much more common in the coming years. The severe thunderstorms of the near-future
An extremely powerful EF5 tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma on Monday, May 20, 2013. The deadly tornado hit with peak winds of around 210 miles an hour, and leveled large swaths of the area, killing at least 24 people, and injuring at least another 377 others. The only reason that the numbers weren’t significantly higher is
The two most active volcanoes in Alaska (in recent years) — Pavlof Volcano and Cleveland Volcano — are now both erupting. As of now, the activity is at relatively low levels, but the potential is there for larger eruptions, or a general intensification of activity. Mount Pavlof (Pavlof volcano) is situated near the western end
Alaska Volcano — Pavlof And Cleveland Volcanoes Both Erupting Now Read More 👉
Changes in the climate are intimately connected with wildfires, both causing them and being being caused by them. Recent research has estimated that wildfires will increase by around 50% across most of the US, and by as much as 100% in the West, by 2050, as a result of climate change. And with this increase
Climate Change And Wildfire — Research Examines Relationship Read More 👉