RSS Feed
Archive for June 11th, 2015
Sorry, “skeptics”: Global warming may not be so great for plant life after all
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on June 11th, 2015
Washington Post: Climate change is already a heavily charged issue, fraught with political tension. But complicating the mix are a slew of misconceptions about exactly how it will affect the planet and its inhabitants.
One confusion involves plant growth. Some skeptics have argued that rising carbon dioxide levels could actually benefit agriculture, and in fact, research shows that rising temperatures and more carbon dioxide can be a boon to plants -- up to a point. But that’s not the whole story, according to...
Posted in 
California drought grips tourist magnet Yosemite
Posted by Agence France-Presse: Sara Puig on June 11th, 2015
Agence France-Presse: It is one of America's most popular natural wonders. But even Yosemite National Park cannot escape the drought ravaging California, now in its fourth year and fueling growing concern.
At first glance, the spectacular beauty of the park with its soaring cliffs and picture-postcard valley floor remains unblemished, still enchanting the millions of tourists who flock the landmark every year.
But on closer inspection, the drought's effects are clearly visible.
The towering 8,840-foot (2,695-meter)...
Ethiopia Submits Carbon Cutting Plan for UN Climate Deal
Posted by RTCC: None Given on June 11th, 2015
RTCC: Ethiopia became the third African country to unveil its plan to slash carbon dioxide emissions as part of an global pact on Wednesday.
The continent`s second most populous country said it would target at least a 64% cut within 15 years on the current trajectory of emissions, in its submission to a UN portal.
That makes it the 40th country to post a so-called intended nationally determined contribution, in UN parlance, towards curbing global warming.
“The full implementation of Ethiopia’s...
What’s in Your Frac Fluid? U.S. Doctors Want to Know
Posted by Houston Chronicle: None Given on June 11th, 2015
Houston Chronicle: U.S. doctors want more information about the ingredients of the chemical compounds pumped underground during hydraulic fracturing operations at oil and gas wells nationwide.
The chemical disclosure request came in the form of a policy plank adopted by the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates during the group’s annual meeting Tuesday.
The AMA said in a statement that the group is concerned about the inability to effectively monitor and track the possible long-term public health...
One Map That Shows NASA’s New Climate Projections
Posted by Climate Central: Brian Kahn on June 11th, 2015
Climate Central: NASA has put a new item up on Amazon. But there's no price tag and you won't necessarily find it by using the marketplace's search bar or browsing the electronics section.
Instead, you'll have to look at Amazon's cloud, where NASA scientists have shared 11 terabytes of high resolution climate projections. A snapshot of July in 2100 in the map below shows how detailed the projections are. The new dataset is available to anyone with an internet connection, but comes courtesy of supercomputers only...