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The top 10 hardest-hit states for crop damage
Posted by Climate Central: Alyson Kenward on February 15th, 2013
Climate Central: The searing U.S. drought of 2012 devastated the nation's corn crop, pushing yields down in some states to their lowest levels in nearly 30 years. According to recently-released numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Missouri, Illinois and Indiana were among the hardest hit Corn Belt states, with yields at 28-, 26-, and 22-year lows, respectively.
To put the severity and impact of the 2012 U.S. drought in context, the top 10 hardest-hit states for crop damage are illustrated in...
Rising Temps in Northwest May Impact Hydro, California
Posted by Climate Central: Alyson Kenward on March 2nd, 2012
Climate Central: Spring is just around the corner, but here on the West Coast it's hard to believe winter was ever here. In Washington, Oregon, and particularly California, far less snow and rain has fallen this winter than usual and it has many people worried about water supplies further into spring and summer.
Currently, river levels are forecast to be well below average throughout Northern California this spring and summer. Among other things, that doesn't bode well for hydropower. On the other hand, rivers...
Climate Change to Bring More Heat Waves, Floods to New York, Report Says
Posted by Climate Central: Alyson Kenward on November 18th, 2011
Climate Central: According to the new ClimAid report, the impacts of climate change are going to be felt broadly across New York. The Hudson River Valley, for example, could experience salt water contamination and see different tree varieties become more prominent. Credit: wongaboo/Flickr.
This year, New York has suffered through record snowstorms, heat waves, and floods. If 2011's wild weather has people in the Empire State wondering if this is just a taste of what's to come in the future, a new report has some...
Posted in Water Conservation 
Comments Off on Climate Change to Bring More Heat Waves, Floods to New York, Report SaysThe Easy Fix That Isn’t: White Roofs May Increase Global Warming
Posted by Climate Central: Alyson Kenward on October 31st, 2011
Climate Central: If you're interested in staving off climate change without trying too hard, painting your roof white seems like a complete no-brainer. It's far cheaper than trading in your SUV for a Prius, and it turns the laws of physics to best advantage. Dark roofs absorb sunlight that heats up your house, office tower, or apartment building. That means you're bound to crank up the energy-intensive air conditioner to keep pace --and since electricity in the U.S. comes largely from fossil fuels, the net result...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on The Easy Fix That Isn’t: White Roofs May Increase Global WarmingExtremely Hot Summers Will Soon Be the Norm, Scientists Say
Posted by Climate Central: Alyson Kenward on September 15th, 2011
Climate Central: Anyone who's been paying the slightest attention knows that extreme weather and climate have wreaked havoc in Texas and many other states this year. The worst one-year drought in Texas history and its hottest summer on record -- which was the hottest summer ever recorded in any U.S. state -- have left Texas short on water, coping with billions of dollars in crop damage, and fighting off record wildfires. The total area burned in Texas so far this year would cover the entire state of Connecticut,...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Extremely Hot Summers Will Soon Be the Norm, Scientists SayHeat Records Smashed in Texas and Oklahoma
Posted by Climate Central: Alyson Kenward on September 9th, 2011
Climate Central: Texas has set a new record for the hottest summer ever recorded for a U.S. state, beating a Dust Bowl-era record. Oklahoma came in a close second. Credit: NCDC.
Weather officials have confirmed what people in many states along the southern tier of the U.S. have said for months: this has been the hottest summer on record.
This year, four states -- Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Louisiana -- each had their warmest-ever June through August periods, according to weather data compiled by the National...
Global warming amplifying Texas drought, wildfires, scientists say
Posted by Climate Central: Alyson Kenward on September 7th, 2011
Climate Central: Just when it looked like weather conditions couldn't get any worse in Texas, a new wildfire burning outside of Austin destroyed nearly 800 homes in the past few days. This came on the heels of the state's hottest and driest summer in recorded history, with many parts of the state smashing all-time records by wide margins. Yesterday, Texas state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon announced this was the hottest summer on record for Texas -- and the hottest summer ever for any U.S. state, based on preliminary...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Global warming amplifying Texas drought, wildfires, scientists saySouthern Heat Wave Strains Power Generation
Posted by Climate Central: Alyson Kenward on August 10th, 2011
Climate Central: The heat this summer has been extraordinarily intense in many Central and Southern states, and triple-digit temperatures continue to roast parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. For example, Dallas, Texas is closing in on its record for the longest streak of 100°F days, and similar milestones have already been reached in other parts of the Lone Star state. At 88.9°F, the average temperature in Oklahoma during the month of July set a new record for the all-time warmest calendar month for any state...
Records Fall During Extended Heat Wave
Posted by Climate Central: Alyson Kenward on August 5th, 2011
Climate Central: As hot weather continues to bake much of the county's midsection, the National Weather Service issued heat advisories and extreme heat warnings for parts of 15 southern states yesterday. Across states like Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Mississippi, temperatures set new daily high records, adding to the tally of thousands of temperature records that were broken so far this summer across a wide swatch of the country. Here are some of the most striking records set during the past week: On Wednesday,...
Replacing Coal With Clean Energy — Let Me Count the Ways
Posted by Climate Central: Alyson Kenward on July 25th, 2011
Climate Central: As I recently pointed out, Americans consume immense quantities of electricity each year. Depending on where you live, it might come from a coal or a gas-fired power plant, a nuclear plant, a hydroelectric dam, wind turbines or even solar panels. I must admit, though, that I have no idea where my electricity comes from (other than out of the wall). But since I live in central New Jersey, my electricity probably comes from both coal, gas, and nuclear power plants.
For the country overall, the relative...
Posted in Water Conservation Comments Off on Replacing Coal With Clean Energy — Let Me Count the Ways