Articles tagged with Climate Change
Researchers have analyzed ancient manuscripts from 9th-10th century Iraq to reconstruct the climate of the past. The study reveals abnormal weather patterns, including droughts and floods, as well as rare cold events such as hailstorms and snowfall in Baghdad.
Energy efficiency experts propose a new EU target of a 40% reduction in primary energy demand by 2050, arguing that radically improving building efficiency is crucial for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed target aligns with the ambitions of the new Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey.
Researchers discovered a correlation between temperature and body size in mammals by studying the evolution of early horses. As temperatures increased, their body size decreased, with some species shrinking up to 50% in just 130,000 years.
A new study reveals that the Classic Maya Civilization's collapse was related to relatively modest rainfall reductions of 25-40% between AD 800-950. This reduction led to rapid evaporation and reduced open water availability.
The Eco2 Index ranks countries based on their financial deficits, national debt, and resource consumption. Many high-income countries, including Japan and the US, perform poorly due to high ecological deficits, while South America and parts of Africa score well in terms of financial security.
A 300-million-year-old tropical forest was discovered and characterized by a Penn researcher, providing insight into the ecology and climate of its time. The researchers found six groups of trees, including tree ferns, Sigillaria, and Cordaites, which were preserved in volcanic ash.
Researchers have created high-resolution permafrost maps using air temperature and elevation data. These maps estimate 22 million square kilometers of permafrost, covering about one-sixth of the world's exposed land surface. The maps also reveal an index indicating the probability of permafrost in different areas.
Researchers from UC presented studies on water management in ancient Maya cities, changes to global glaciers, US manufacturing location decisions in China, airline hub locations and food deserts in Hamilton County, Ohio. The research aims to provide reliable data for decision-making and improve understanding of environmental changes.
Researchers emphasize the need for improved computer models of black carbon and other aerosol pollutants to accurately forecast health and climate impacts. The use of satellite data from NASA-funded projects has shown that air pollution can be transported across continents, with significant effects on local and regional climate.
Arizona State anthropologist Michelle Hegmon's research draws on the past to inform modern climate policy, exploring how societies adapted to change and what it was like to live in those societies. Her work offers lessons on tradeoffs and the human experience in times of climate change.
Smart grids can help reduce electricity waste and fight theft by using advanced technology. The Intelligent Microgrid project aims to create a more efficient grid that can adapt to changing energy demands and reduce the risk of theft, resulting in cost savings for consumers.
A new study estimates that landscape fire smoke contributed to an average of 339,000 deaths per year between 1997 and 2006. Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia were disproportionately affected, with estimated annual averages of 157,000 and 110,000 deaths, respectively.
Researchers from UVic will discuss climate change impacts on Canada's water supply, explore the intersection of neuroscience and pop culture, and address energy efficiency solutions. Climate modeling indicates rapid permafrost melting could lead to significant loss of high-latitude wetlands.
Climate change researcher Stephen Sheppard emphasizes the importance of using new visualization media to engage people in addressing climate change. He suggests that such media can be more effective than traditional models in making the future with climate change more real and compelling.
Researchers found that Phoenix's water problems are a demand problem, not a supply problem. Higher urban densities, slower growth, and fewer backyard swimming pools can reduce the risk of future shortages.
Bellomo's study reveals potential to quantify the role of clouds in driving climate change using observational datasets. Climate models struggle to simulate this effect, but observations could help improve simulations.
A Simon Fraser University researcher discusses documented observations of spatial and temporal coincidences between fracturing and earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains. The study highlights the need for more research, especially in earthquake-prone areas where injected fluids may trigger seismic activity.
Current climate models fail to account for the relationship between atmosphere and soil, leading to underestimated temperature variability and increased food production risk. This could lead to serious effects on crop yields, particularly in Europe and the Americas.
A new study by Mark Collard at the AAAS conference links climate change to human evolution by analyzing the impact of environmental variation on food-gathering tools. The research suggests that harsh environments led to more complex tool use, which can be used as a proxy for tracking climate change's impact on human evolution.
As ice melts in the Far North, Canada faces growing challenges but also opportunities to lead international governance in ocean law. David VanderZwaag, a leading expert, emphasizes the country's strengths in ocean governance and suggests advancing laws on shipping regulation, ocean governance and marine biodiversity protection.
Changes in ocean conditions and species shifts over the past 50 years suggest that static MPAs may not work as intended. New technological advances and collaboration will be necessary to design effective MPAs in a changing climate. Researchers are calling for greater foresight and flexibility in MPA management.
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory presented advancements in artificial photosynthesis, CAT scans for biological cells, and diagnostic microscopy with a cell phone. These discoveries aim to improve our understanding of quantum mechanics, analyze cellular structures, and develop new diagnostic tools for cancer patients.
Researchers found that birds in changeable climates are more prone to infidelity and divorce. This may be because unpredictable weather conditions make it harder for birds to predict the environment during breeding season, leading them to seek new partners for increased genetic diversity.
Nearly half the world's population suffers from severe respiratory diseases due to limited access to clean energy sources. Researchers at University of British Columbia are working to develop viable markets for cleaner cookstoves and modern fuels.
According to a new study, over 1/3 US counties face 'high' or 'extreme' risk of water shortages due to climate change. The American Chemical Society reports that 412 counties in southern and southwestern states may experience extreme water shortages by 2050.
New research published in Environmental Research Letters suggests that low-carbon technologies will initially increase emissions due to their high energy requirements. The study indicates that substantial reductions in greenhouse gases won't be achieved until the latter part of this century.
The new 'Geo-Wiki' web tool utilizes Google Earth and crowdsourced data to enhance the accuracy of global land use and forest cover information. By leveraging a network of volunteers, Geo-Wiki aims to produce more accurate hybrid land cover maps than existing individual products.
Researchers analyzed Caribbean coral extinctions during Plio-Pleistocene era and found strong relationships between past regional extinction events and modern coral vulnerability. The study suggests that extinction events depend on biological characteristics of the coral species, improving the accuracy of extinction-risk assessment.
A team of researchers from Carnegie Institution, GoodPlanet Foundation, and World Wide Fund (WWF) has produced the first large-scale, high-resolution estimates of carbon stocks in remote and fragile Madagascar. The study found that humid mountain forests had the highest carbon densities, while deforestation reduced standing carbon stocks.
Forty-two UBC researchers participated in official press briefings and public events, including Family Science Days and a series of lectures on sustainability and brain imaging. The University is also offering a pre-conference tour of its Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability.
Researchers examine evidence for a non-synchronous global event during the end-Permian mass extinction, and study how weak faults form through chemical reactions. They also propose a revised model of geomorphic response to climate change based on observations in Israel.
A new study examines how numerate individuals process information differently, leading to more informed decisions. People who are numerate are less influenced by other information and see numbers as abstract symbols, allowing them to make better choices.
Researchers at University of Pennsylvania uncover unifying mechanism to explain dune patterns in White Sands National Monument, revealing how wind interacts with dunes and impacts vegetation growth. The findings may hold implications for understanding tipping points in dune landscapes under climate change.
A new assessment by Robert H. Condon and colleagues challenges the idea that jellyfish are dominating the seas, citing a lack of scientific evidence supporting this claim. The researchers suggest that recent blooms and increased media attention have fueled the perception of an increase in jellyfish populations.
Journalists Alexandra Witze and Jane Qiu win €2,500 Geosciences Communications Fellowship for book and climate change projects respectively. The EGU General Assembly invites all winners to attend in Vienna from April 22-27, 2012.
A new study published in Nature Climate Change provides a high-resolution map of aboveground biomass density for the world's tropical forests, leading to better tracking of changes in biomass density and improved estimates of carbon emissions. With this map, countries can accurately report their greenhouse gas emissions under the UNFCCC.
A new study maps ecosystems in Bolivia and Peru, revealing a concentration of endemic species along the Andes mountains. The research highlights areas with high levels of 'irreplaceability' and finds that many unique species lack national-level protection.
The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project has been renamed Suomi NPP in recognition of Verner Suomi's contributions to weather forecasting and climate change research. The new name reflects the mission's objective of advancing scientific knowledge of Earth and improving weather forecasts.
Researchers have discovered spatiotemporal variations of mid-upper tropospheric methane in China using satellite observations. The study reveals a center of low CH4 concentration over western China and seasonal cycles in eastern, northeastern, and northwestern China.
Scientists have developed a framework for predicting tornado activity up to a month out, giving communities a chance to plan and potentially aid in the understanding of whether tornadoes are growing more frequent due to climate warming.
A new study reveals human land use activity is altering the Amazon basin's regional water and energy cycles. The research found signs of transition to a disturbance-dominated regime in the southern and eastern portions of the basin, linked to high-frequency wildfires and climate change.
Scientists have detected Criegee biradicals, which react rapidly to form aerosols and clouds that can cool the planet. The discovery has significant implications for pollution and climate change, suggesting a natural mechanism for offsetting warming.
The retrieval of four cores from a glacier high atop Mount Ortles may provide valuable insights into past climate changes and environmental shifts in the region. The cores contain unaltered ice that could reveal a climate history spanning several centuries, including the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age.
A new study suggests that Colorado's Rocky Mountains will experience a near elimination of surface hail by 2070. The warmer climate could lead to more runoff and an increased risk of flash floods. Meanwhile, intense storms may produce more hail inside clouds, but it will melt quickly and fall as rain.
The JIPM authors refute Greenpeace's claim that genetically modified corn caused the western bean cutworm to spread. Instead, they cite various ecological and agronomic factors, such as conservation tillage, reduced insecticide use, and climate change, which may have contributed to the WBC's range expansion.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' special issue reviews 2011's top threats, including Iran's nuclear program, Fukushima's aftermath, and a growing partisan divide in US climate policy. The Doomsday Clock Symposium evaluates the world's progress on biological threats and nuclear disarmament.
Climate change and global trade are expected to increase demand for drought-tolerant plants from Africa and the Middle East, increasing the risk of new invasive species. Ecologists recommend proactive management practices, including pre-emptive screening of nursery stock before imports.
A new study suggests that climate models may grossly underestimate future extinctions by neglecting species competition and movement. Animals with small geographic ranges and specific habitat needs are likely to go extinct, while those with wider tolerances will thrive.
A new study proposes four proactive management options for conservation of island bird species, including captive propagation and vaccination against diseases enhanced by climate change. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance highlights the importance of acting now to prevent long-term survival challenges faced by the island scrub-jay.
In 2011, NOAA researchers made significant discoveries about storm systems, oceanic and atmospheric research, and environmental threats. They found that human-caused aerosol increases linked to decreased monsoon rainfall in South Asia, while also improving weather forecasting capabilities.
A new allocation framework reserves individual emissions paths for developing countries until certain development standards are reached, then requires reductions. Fair allocation of CO2 emissions and carbon budgets considering development dynamics may improve acceptance in climate negotiations.
The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies has received a major grant to develop an innovative graduate training program in freshwater ecology, focusing on lake conservation and sustainability. The GLEON Graduate Fellows Program will train the next generation of scientists in leadership, research, and communication skills.
Researchers analyzed changes in ocean oxygenation at the end of the last Ice Age, finding a dramatic decline in dissolved oxygen concentrations. This suggests that climate change may lead to significant oxygen depletion in oceans, harming marine life.
A new study shows that expanding 'ocean dead zones' driven by climate change is shrinking the useable habitat for blue marlin and other pelagic fish in the tropical northeast Atlantic Ocean. This compression of habitat due to low oxygen levels threatens the sustainability of these fisheries.
A Yale study found that removing sulfur from jet fuel has a small net cooling effect on the atmosphere. This is due to the formation of nitrate from nitrogen oxides in jet exhaust, which offsets the warming caused by sulfate particles formed by burning sulfur-laden fuel.
Research by Cornell University and Rutgers University found that bees and flowering plants are keeping pace with climate change, arriving earlier in the spring. This shift has been observed since 1970, when warming temperatures accelerated most rapidly, according to the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A new study published in Journal of Arid Environments found that climate change is causing widespread tree mortality and species loss in the Sahel region of Africa, with one in six trees dying between 1954 and 2002.
A 2010 temperature spike accelerated ice loss in southern Greenland, lifting bedrock an additional quarter of an inch. GPS measurements indicate that the amount of uplift differed by station location, with closer stations rising more.
Research suggests the Earth's paleoclimate history indicates a more sensitive climate than thought, with temperatures far exceeding the Eemian period if global warming is not abated. A 2°C warming target could lead to drastic changes, including multiple meters of sea level rise and significant ice sheet loss in Greenland and Antarctica.
Researchers propose sustainable hydrogen economy as a solution to climate change and dwindling oil reserves, leveraging renewable energy sources for production and conversion. Complementary deployment of hydrogen fuel cells and battery electric vehicles can offer a versatile transportation option.