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When humans go extinct: How life will evolve after we’re gone
Posted by Salon: Lindsay Abrams on March 14th, 2015
Salon: The sixth mass extinction is nearly upon us. Species on Earth are dying out at a rate one thousand times greater than they were before humans began altering the environment. By the end of this century, scientists warn, anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of the species on Earth could be lost forever.
And among those who might not make it out the other side, says science writer Michael Tennesen, are humans.
It`s to be expected: No species lasts forever, and in our relatively short existence, humanity...
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Catastrophic flooding turned U.K. into nation of climate change believers
Posted by Salon: Lindsay Abrams on August 28th, 2014
Salon: What`s it going to take to convince people that climate change is a real and serious threat? I`m loath to think an eye-opening catastrophe`s the answer. Yet, there`s this: Half the people who lived through this past winter in the U.K. - which was marked by widespread flooding - said it made them more convinced that climate change is happening, according to a survey conducted by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit. And over a quarter of respondents emerged with a strengthened belief that human...
Fracking’s untold health threat: How toxic contamination destroying lives
Posted by Salon: Lindsay Abrams on August 2nd, 2014
Salon: If we`re going to talk about fracking, we can`t just talk about energy independence, or the economy, or the potential for natural gas to act as a "bridge fuel" to help solve the global warming crisis. We also need to talk about the effect that hydraulic fracturing is having on the communities where it`s taking place, and to ask whether that cost - to people`s health and property - is too high.
The main barrier to that conversation, of course, is that it`s one the industry definitely doesn`t want...
What the hell does “sustainable” even mean?
Posted by Salon: Lindsay Abrams on June 15th, 2014
Salon: And not just define, but really define - explain not just what they mean, but how they`re implemented, and why they`re important to reforming our food system?
It`s harder than most people realize, says artist and author Douglas Gayeton. These buzzwords are the shorthand by which we talk about new, better ways to grow and eat food, but often they`re just that - buzzwords, lacking the context needed to be useful. And that`s before we get into things like "integrated pest management," "riparian buffers,"...
Global warming could dry out a third of the Earth by 2100
Posted by Salon: Lindsay Abrams on April 3rd, 2014
Salon: Forget changing rain patterns - warmer temperatures alone could bring drought to a third of Earth`s land area by the end of the century. That`s the gist of a new study from Columbia University`s Earth Observatory: Hotter temperatures will mean more evaporation, drying out the soil and posing a significant risk to global agriculture and food security.
Climate Central has the details:
Climate models using the so-called business-as-usual greenhouse gas emissions scenario, which assumes no effort...
Just how extreme was Colorado’s record-setting rainfall?
Posted by Salon: Lindsay Abrams on September 17th, 2013
Salon: The torrential rainfall that inundated Colorado for the better part of a week has finally cleared, leaving eight confirmed dead and 1,600 destroyed homes in its wake (see images from the initial flooding here).
Yesterday, meteorologist Robert Henson told Climate Central, the city of Boulder officially set the record for its rainiest year in recorded history. Five days in the past week set individual rainfall records, while the 9.08 inches that fell on Sept. 12 shattered the previous single-day...