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Archive for November 8th, 2012
Climate Predictions: Worst-Case May Be Most Accurate, Study Finds
Posted by National Geographic: Juli Berwald on November 8th, 2012
National Geographic: In the wake of superstorm Sandy, climate change is on a lot of people's radar. By some accounts, warmer ocean temperatures intensified the hurricane as it plowed up the Gulf Stream, and rising seas may have exacerbated flooding.
Now, a new climate-change study in the journal Science says warming is here to stay. And future warming will likely be on the high side of predictions, the researchers conclude.
Atmospheric scientists John Fasullo and Kevin Trenberth studied global humidity patterns...
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Clinton Seeks Intelligence Help in War on Wildlife Traffickers
Posted by New York Times: Andrew C. Revkin on November 8th, 2012
New York Times: The Obama administration, and the State Department in particular, face a long list of urgent issues, from Iran`s nuclear weapons program to trade disputes with China. That makes it hard to maintain a focus on the environment, whether the issue is new approaches to climate diplomacy or endangered species.
That`s why it was encouraging to see Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton take an hour today at State Department headquarters to stress the importance of stemming the booming illicit global...
Trouble Down Under! A Charming Look Into the Very Un-Charming Australian Coal Industry
Posted by EcoWatch: Kick Kennedy on November 8th, 2012
EcoWatch: Despite recent promises by the Australian Government to keep Queensland`s water supply clean, new legislation allows coal companies to get an exemption from pollution limits and dump polluted water into Queensland’s rivers.
These laws spell disaster for local drinking water supplies, river ecosystems and, ultimately, the Great Barrier Reef. Watch Greenpeace Australia artfully rake their local government over the coals in this charming video.
Poorest nations urge Obama to help the most vulnerable to climate change
Posted by Boston Globe: Beth Daley on November 8th, 2012
Boston Globe: Climate change finally made its way into President Obama’s acceptance speech, although the United States’ role in aiding a warming planet is still largely uncharted.
Now, as the world’s nations prepare to meet in Qatar for annual United Nations climate change treaty negotiations later this month, the world’s 48 least developed countries have issued a strongly worded letter to Obama urging him to take a leadership role in helping poor countries prepare for climate change. Poor countries have long...
Drought Still Afflicting Nearly 60 Percent of the U.S
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 8th, 2012
Climate Central: The total land area in drought over the continental U.S. has receded slightly, according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, but more than half of the country is still plagued, to some degree, by the dry spell of historic proportions that began last spring.
As of November 6, a little more than a week after Hurricane Sandy dropped torrential rains on the Mid-Atlantic, 59.48 percent of the Lower 48 states were in at least moderate drought, a miniscule drop from the 60.16 percent...
New Report Says Fewer Clouds and Higher Temps by 2100
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 8th, 2012
Climate Central: Climate models are vastly more sophisticated than they were 30 years ago, but they can't say exactly how much the temperature will go up by 2100. Depending on the assumptions modelers make, the likely increase -- assuming emissions of greenhouse gases keep rising -- range from about 3°F to 8°F. But a study released Thursday in Science argues that the warming will probably wind up on the higher end of that spectrum.
The reason, said lead author John Fasullo of the National Center for Atmospheric...
Future warming likely to be on high side of climate projections, analysis finds
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on November 8th, 2012
ScienceDaily: Climate model projections showing a greater rise in global temperature are likely to prove more accurate than those showing a lesser rise, according to a new analysis by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The findings, published in this week's issue of Science, could provide a breakthrough in the longstanding quest to narrow the range of global warming expected in coming decades and beyond.
NCAR scientists John Fasullo and Kevin Trenberth, who co-authored the study,...
No More Excuses, Mr. President, End Mountaintop Removal Now
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on November 8th, 2012
EcoWatch: This week, the American people gave Barack Obama four more years to demonstrate his leadership of our nation. We congratulate the President on his victory, but also must hold him accountable to his promise to lead based on science and fact.
With that in mind, we`re reminding President Obama that there are no excuses to legitimize the destruction of the Appalachian Mountains--and there never have been.
After Obama was elected in 2008, he said:
"Science holds the key to our survival as a planet...
Rare November Snowstorm Strikes In Wake Of Sandy
Posted by Climate Central: Andrew Freedman on November 8th, 2012
Climate Central: It's rare enough to have a hurricane make landfall in New Jersey, but it's downright unheard of to have a New Jersey hurricane followed one week later by a significant early season snowstorm. Yet that's exactly what unfolded on Wednesday, as a powerful nor'easter helped provide just enough cold air to dump more than a foot of snow in the Tri-State area of Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.
Contrary to initial weather forecasts, accumulating snow occurred all the way to the badly damaged New...
After Sandy, Forget Climate-Change Bickering And Focus On Smart Rebuilding, Cuomo Says
Posted by NY Daily News: Ken Lovett on November 8th, 2012
NY Daily News: Gov. Cuomo said an initial price tag for last week's Superstorm Sandy is $50 billion for the region.
New York's hit could be $33 billion for damages and economic loss, Cuomo said.
"That is a staggering number especially in the financial situation that we've been in," he said.
New York, he noted, was forced to close a $10 billion deficit after he took office and is facing another $1 billion deficit next year. Sandy could send next year's deficit higher.
Cuomo has said he believes the feds...