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Methane leak ‘largest in US history’
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on February 26th, 2016
BBC: A scientific analysis of a natural gas leak near Los Angeles says that it was the biggest in US history.
The Aliso Canyon blowout vented almost 100,000 tonnes of methane into the atmosphere before it was plugged.
The impact on the climate is said to be the equivalent of the annual emissions of half a million cars.
Researchers say it had a far bigger warming effect than the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
First detected on 23 October, the leak came from one of the 115 wells...
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2015 Likely to Be Warmest Year on Record, Says WMO
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on November 25th, 2015
BBC: Global average temperatures in 2015 are likely to be the warmest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
Data until the end of October showed this year's temperatures running "well above" any previous 12 month period.
The researchers say the five year period from 2011 to 2015 was also the warmest on record.
The rise, they state, was due to a combination of a strong El Nino and human-induced global warming.
The WMO said their preliminary estimate, based on...
Fracking impact on CO2 cuts ‘a myth’
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on July 22nd, 2015
BBC: New research suggests that the impact of shale gas on curbing US carbon emissions has been overstated.
Politicians have argued that the US was able to significantly reduce CO2 between 2007 and 2013 because of fracking.
But scientists now believe an 11% cut in emissions in that period was chiefly due to economic recession.
The study suggests that the future impacts of shale as a way of curbing carbon may be limited.
Between 2007 and 2013 US emissions of carbon dioxide, mainly from the...
Warming ‘worst case’ must be studied
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on July 14th, 2015
BBC: Climate change risks should be assessed in the same way as threats to national security or public health according to a new report. For too long the world has seen rising temperatures as a problem of predicting long range weather forecasts. The authors says that that leaders must focus on the 'worst case scenarios' and how likely they are to occur. The report has been compiled by an international group of scientists and experts in risk. In a foreword to the new study, UK foreign minister Baroness...
Population controls ‘not effective’
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on October 27th, 2014
BBC: Restricting population growth will not solve global issues of sustainability in the short term, new research says.
A worldwide one-child policy would mean the number of people in 2100 remained around current levels, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Even a catastrophic event that killed billions of people would have little effect on the overall impact, it said.
There may be 12 billion humans on Earth by 2100, latest projections suggest....
UK waters face ‘invasional meltdown’
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on October 12th, 2014
BBC: Scientists are warning that an army of species from Turkey and Ukraine is poised to invade Britain's waterways.
One organism, the quagga mussel, was discovered in a river near London just weeks ago.
At least 10 others are established in the Netherlands and there is a "critical risk" of them coming here.
Researchers are also concerned that invaders, including the killer shrimp, will rapidly spread and devastate native species.
The research has been published in the Journal of Applied Ecology....
Beef’s greater environment burden
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on July 21st, 2014
BBC: A new study suggests that the production of beef is around 10 times more damaging to the environment than any other form of livestock.
Scientists measured the environment inputs required to produce the main US sources of protein.
Beef cattle need 28 times more land and 11 times more irrigation water than pork, poultry, eggs or dairy.
The research has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
While it has long been known that beef has a greater environmental...
Climate change to boost summer flash floods, says study
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on June 1st, 2014
BBC: Global warming will lead to a significant increase in extreme summer downpours in the UK, a study suggests.
The Met Office and Newcastle University researchers say there could be five times the number of "extreme rainfall events" per hour, under extreme warming projections.
This would cause "really severe" flash flooding in many parts of the UK, according to the scientists.
However, they caution that this result is based on only one computer model.
Flash flooding in Britain has had devastating...
BREAKING: Climate impacts ‘overwhelming’ – UN
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on March 31st, 2014
BBC: Scientists and officials meeting in Japan have published the most comprehensive assessment to date of the impacts of climate change on the world. Members of the UN's climate panel say that their report provides overwhelming evidence of the scale of these effects. Natural systems are bearing the brunt right now but the scientists fear a growing impact on humans. Our health, homes, food and safety are all likely to be threatened by rising temperatures, the summary says. The report was agreed after...
Scientists struggle complete climate impacts report
Posted by BBC: Matt McGrath on March 30th, 2014
BBC: Negotiators worked through the night here in Yokohama in an effort to complete their review of a key report on the impacts of climate change.
At stake is a dense 29-page summary detailing the effects of climate change on the planet over the next 100 years.
Several hundred members of the UN's climate panel have been deep in deliberations since Tuesday, with many sessions running very late.
The report is the first such assessment since 2007.
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