English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
Esperanto
French
German
Greek
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
UrduTo slow down the accelerating pace of climate change, scientists are working on radical geoengineering technologies like space mirrors, ocean iron fertilization, and cirrus cloud thinning to tweak the earth’s climate system. But a new study published in the journal Risk Analysis finds that none of these human interventions are risk free. Instead, “they merely shift risk or redistribute it,” says lead author Benjamin Sovacool, professor of energy policy at the University of Sussex Business School and a professor at Aarhus University and Boston University. “These risk tradeoffs must be evaluated if some of the more radical geoengineering technologies are to be deployed.”
Tag: Climate
National Zoning Atlas to demystify America’s patchwork of codes
Cornell University’s Legal Constructs Lab has announced the launch of a National Zoning Atlas, which will enable people to better understand zoning codes and the regulatory constraints embedded in them.
Coastal experts get chance to explore new Gulf-wide research tools and information
Over 800 coastal researchers and managers will get the chance to explore more than 25 regional tools on display April 26 at the Gulf of Mexico Conference (#GOMCON) in Baton Rouge, La. The Tools Café gives participants a unique opportunity to access some of the newest and best tools for coastal resilience, data management, and conservation while learning about these resources directly from developers who created each tool.
Can University of Oklahoma Research Team Clear Up Biases in Artificial Intelligence?
An American Meteorological Fellow, Amy McGovern has been studying severe weather phenomena since the late 1990s. During her career, she has witnessed a rapid emergence in the AI field, all while developing what she hopes are trustworthy AI methods to avert weather and climate disasters. Lately, however, McGovern and researchers from Colorado and Washington have noticed grave disparities in AI, noting that the methods are not objective, especially when it comes to geodiversity.
Wind and solar could power the world’s major countries most of the time
With the eyes of the world on the United Nations COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, strategies for decarbonizing energy infrastructure are a trending topic. Yet critics of renewables question the dependability of systems that rely on intermittent resources. A recent study led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine tackles the reliability question head-on.
Prediction of forest parameters and carbon accounting under different fire regimes in Miombo woodlands,
Highlights FORMIND model reproduces the miombo woodlands structure in Niassa Special Reserve. Fires may reduce the miombo capacity to mitigate the effects of climate change. Effective fire management is key to sustaining the miombo woodlands. There is great potential for…
Eureka! A cost effective and quick way to find groundwater in arid regions
Water is a scarce commodity in many countries worldwide, but new cost effective technology pioneered by researchers in Australia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia could ensure sustainable water supplies for decades to come.
White House acknowledges ‘right to stay home’ for climate migrants
The White House released its report on climate change and migration this week, focusing on the drivers of migration due to climate pressure and the U.S. role in working with the international community to address it. Maria Cristina Garcia, professor…
California’s climate crisis examined on UCI special report website
For the past half century, the University of California, Irvine has been home to some of the world’s leading experts on the environment, energy, oceans and atmosphere in the Golden State. To share their stories, UCI today is launching a web special report, “California’s Climate Crisis.”
Ida’s remnants struck idling cold front for historic deluge
The historic and deadly Northeast deluge from Hurricane Ida on Sept. 1 was a result of a calamitous merger between the storm’s remnants and an idling cold front that rapidly turned water vapor into rainfall, according to researchers at Cornell’s NOAA Northeast Regional Climate Center.
Meeting biodiversity, climate, and water objectives through integrated strategies
Managing a strategically placed 30% of land for conservation could safeguard 70% of all considered terrestrial plant and vertebrate animal species, while simultaneously conserving more than 62% of the world’s above and below ground vulnerable carbon, and 68% of all clean water.
@UCIrvine, @UCIESS researcher Michael Prather serves as a review editor on @IPCC_CH reports. He is available for media interviews on the latest document’s pronouncements.
Michael Prather, Distinguished Professor of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine, is a review editor with the IPCC and has intimate knowledge of the process for preparing IPCC reports. He is available for media interviews. Please contact…
NAU’s Kaufman lead author on IPCC global climate change report
Team of NAU paleoclimatologists contribute to major report by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, forming scientific underpinnings for negotiations to limit carbon emissions worldwide
Family values outweigh politics in U.S. Latinos’ climate beliefs
For many in the U.S., human-caused climate change is a political tug-of-war between the left and the right. But for Latinos in this country, the issue hits much closer to home.
New Study Finds Emperor Penguins Increasingly Threatened by Climate Change
Woods Hole, MA (August 3, 2021) – A new study published today in Global Change Biology provides valuable new data that highlights how species extinction risk is accelerating due to rapid climate change and an increase in extreme climate events, such as glacial calving and sea ice loss. The study, led by Stephanie Jenouvrier, associate scientist, and seabird ecologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and co-authored by an international team of scientists, policy experts, ecologists, and climate scientists, provided pivotal research and projections tailored for use by the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). Their work proposed that emperor penguins be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and this week, USFWS submitted that listing proposal.
Decline in CO2 cooled earth’s climate over 30 million years ago, scientists find
New research led by the University of Bristol demonstrates that a decline in the concentration of atmospheric CO2 played a major role in driving Earth’s climate from a warm greenhouse into a cold icehouse world around 34 million years ago. This transition could be partly reversed in the next centuries due to the anthropogenic rise in CO2.
STUDY: Nearly 20 Percent of Globally Important Intact Forest Landscapes Overlap with Concessions for Extractive Industries
A new study from WCS and WWF reveals that nearly 20 percent of tropical Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs) overlap with concessions for extractive industries such as mining, oil and gas.
Delivering Clean Power to Disaster Scenes, Without Compromise
The H2Rescue is an innovative new truck that can bring power to a disaster scene, with zero emissions.
SLAC hosts Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm for a virtual visit
Highlights of the two-hour visit included behind-the-scenes looks at one of the most powerful X-ray sources on the planet and at the construction of the world’s largest digital camera for astronomy. She also joined presentations of the lab’s research in machine learning, quantum technology and climate science and engaged in discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion at SLAC.
Emissions Cause Delay in Rainfall
Rising greenhouse gases and declining aerosols have triggered an approximate four-day delay in rainfall over tropical land and the Sahel.
Single gene boosts climate resilience, yield and carbon capture in crops
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered a single gene that simultaneously boosts plant growth and tolerance for stresses such as drought and salt, all while tackling the root cause of climate change by enabling plants to pull more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
South Pole and East Antarctica warmer than previously thought during last ice age, two studies show
University of Washington glaciologists are co-authors on two papers that analyzed Antarctic ice cores to understand the continent’s air temperatures during the most recent glacial period. The results help understand how the region behaves during a major climate transition.
Declining fish biodiversity poses risks for human nutrition
All fish are not created equal, at least when it comes to nutritional benefits. This truth has important implications for how declining fish biodiversity can affect human nutrition, according to a computer modeling study led by Cornell and Columbia University researchers.
ACSM Annual Meeting Research Highlights for June 1
ACSM’s comprehensive sports medicine and exercise science conference kicks off June 1 with programming covering the science, practice, public health and policy aspects of sports medicine, exercise science and physical activity. View program highlights.
Rings of Fire: How heat could impact the 2021 Tokyo Olympics
High levels of heat and humidity driven by climate change could pose a significant threat to competitors at the Tokyo Olympics in July, a new study backed by leading athletes, the British Association for Sustainability in Sport (BASIS) and scientists from the University of Portsmouth’s Extreme Environment Laboratory and the Priestley International Centre for Climate at Leeds University warns.
Bees interrupted
During a 15-year study of wild bees visiting blueberry fields during their blooming season, researchers caught an unexpected glimpse of how extreme weather events can impact bee populations highlighting the need for more long-term studies, says a Michigan State University researcher.
Catastrophic Sea-Level Rise from Antarctic Melting is Possible with Severe Global Warming
The Antarctic ice sheet is much less likely to become unstable and cause dramatic sea-level rise in upcoming centuries if the world follows policies that keep global warming below a key 2015 Paris climate agreement target, according to a Rutgers coauthored study. But if global warming exceeds the target – 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) – the risk of ice shelves around the ice sheet’s perimeter melting would increase significantly, and their collapse would trigger rapid Antarctic melting. That would result in at least 0.07 inches of global average sea-level rise a year in 2060 and beyond, according to the study in the journal Nature.
As Wildfires Increase in Severity, Experts Call for Coordinated Federal Response;
In advance of a wildfire season projected to be among the worst, the American Thoracic Society has released a report that calls for a unified federal response to wildfires that includes investment in research on smoke exposure and forecasting, health impacts of smoke, evaluation of interventions, and a clear and coordinated communication strategy to protect public health.
West Virginia’s COVID-19 response provides blueprint to limit climate threats
West Virginia is no stranger to ravaging floods, severe droughts and other climate change threats. One West Virginia University expert, Nicolas Zegre, thinks the state can shape possible solutions to future weather-related disruptions by applying a thing or two from how it’s effectively…
Rutgers Experts Available to Discuss New U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Target
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 22, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick professors Robert E. Kopp and Pamela McElwee are available for interviews on President Biden’s new plan, unveiled on Earth Day, for the United States to roughly halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. “Stabilizing the global…
California’s wildfire season has lengthened, and its peak is now earlier in the year
Irvine, Calif., April 22, 2021 — California’s wildfire problem, fueled by a concurrence of climate change and a heightened risk of human-caused ignitions in once uninhabited areas, has been getting worse with each passing year of the 21st century. Researchers in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine have conducted a thorough analysis of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection wildfire statistics from 2000 to 2019, comparing them with data from 1920 to 1999.
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Spring Allergy Season in N.J.
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 20, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick allergy specialist Leonard Bielory is available for interviews on the spring allergy season in New Jersey. “One can expect a brisk allergy season this year since we had a lot…
UCI-led study uses plankton genomes as global biosensors of ocean ecosystem stress
Irvine, Calif., April 15, 2021 — By analyzing gains and losses in the genes of phytoplankton samples collected in all major ocean regions, researchers at the University of California, Irvine have created the most nuanced and high-resolution map yet to show where these photosynthetic organisms either thrive or are forced to adapt to limited quantities of key nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and iron.
Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Dearth of Snow, Windy Weather and Record Heat in March in N.J.
New Brunswick, N.J. (April 13, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick climatologist David A. Robinson is available for interviews on the dearth of snow in March in New Jersey following a very snowy February, as well as the frequently windy weather and some…
Microplastics in land, sea, air a sign of ‘legacy pollution’
Plastics cycle through the oceans and roadways and become plastic dust, which rides the jet stream across continents.
New U.S. Carbon Monitor website compares emissions among the 50 states
Irvine, Calif., April 7, 2021 — Following last year’s successful launch of a global carbon monitor website to track and display greenhouse gas emissions from a variety of sources, an international team led by Earth system scientists from the University of California, Irvine is unveiling this week a new data resource focused on the United States.
Overfishing of Atlantic Cod Likely Did Not Cause Genetic Changes
Overfishing likely did not cause the Atlantic cod, an iconic species, to evolve genetically and mature earlier, according to a study led by Rutgers University and the University of Oslo – the first of its kind – with major implications for ocean conservation.
How Would Geoengineering Impact Nature?
Should humans use technology to put the brakes on global warming? Stratospheric aerosol intervention (SAI) is a climate intervention that has been studied as a way to help cool the Earth. But what would be the consequences to natural systems of SAI? This question is being examined by a large scientific research team.
New nondestructive optical technique reveals the structure of mother-of-pearl
A new, nondestructive optical technique will unlock more knowledge about nacre, and in the process could lead to a new understanding of climate history.
Carbon uptake in regrowing Amazon forest threatened by climate and human disturbance
Large areas of forests regrowing in the Amazon to help reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, are being limited by climate and human activity.
Organic crystals’ ice-forming superpowers
At the heart of ice crystals, often, are aerosol particles – dust in the atmosphere onto which ice can form more easily than in the open air. It’s a bit mysterious how this happens, though. New research shows how crystals of organic molecules, a common component of aerosols, can get the job done.
Helping stevia brave the cold
The popular stevia sweetener comes from a tropical crop. New research is helping find the varieties that can grow in colder climates.
Nation’s first green hydrogen ‘energy station’ expected 2022
Catalyzed by a Cornell University grant and Cornell sustainability research over the past decade, energy storage company Standard Hydrogen Corporation (SHC) and National Grid announced plans March 11 to build the first hydrogen “energy station” of its kind in the nation. The SHC Energy Transfer System will be built in New York’s Capital Region; completion is expected by late 2022.
Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Near-Record February Snow, North American Snow Cover
New Brunswick, N.J. (March 9, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick climatologist David A. Robinson is available for interviews on the seventh snowiest February since 1895 in New Jersey as well as the fourth largest North American snow cover in February in 55…
Drones used to locate dangerous, unplugged oil wells
There are millions of unplugged oil wells in the United States, which pose a serious threat to the environment. Using drones, researchers from Binghamton University, State University of New York have developed a new method to locate these hard-to-locate and dangerous wells.
Fishes Contribute Roughly 1.65 Billion Tons of Carbon in Feces and Other Matter Annually
Scientists have little understanding of the role fishes play in the global carbon cycle linked to climate change, but a Rutgers-led study found that carbon in feces, respiration and other excretions from fishes – roughly 1.65 billion tons annually – make up about 16 percent of the total carbon that sinks below the ocean’s upper layers.
Tufts Enacts Investment Policies to Advance Sustainability
Tufts University has announced it will prohibit direct investment in coal and tar sands companies as part of a multi-part plan to support sustainability. Additional actions include investing up to $25 million in positive impact funds related to climate change over 5 years.
How Rocks Rusted on Earth and Turned Red
How did rocks rust on Earth and turn red? A Rutgers-led study has shed new light on the important phenomenon and will help address questions about the Late Triassic climate more than 200 million years ago, when greenhouse gas levels were high enough to be a model for what our planet may be like in the future.
Important Climate Change Mystery Solved by Scientists
Scientists have resolved a key climate change mystery, showing that the annual global temperature today is the warmest of the past 10,000 years – contrary to recent research, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Nature. The long-standing mystery is called the “Holocene temperature conundrum,” with some skeptics contending that climate model predictions of future warming must be wrong. The scientists say their findings will challenge long-held views on the temperature history in the Holocene era, which began about 12,000 years ago.
Nuclear War Could Trigger Big El Niño and Decrease Seafood
A nuclear war could trigger an unprecedented El Niño-like warming episode in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, slashing algal populations by 40 percent and likely lowering the fish catch, according to a Rutgers-led study. The research, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, shows that turning to the oceans for food if land-based farming fails after a nuclear war is unlikely to be a successful strategy – at least in the equatorial Pacific.