Once Solid Peninsula in Antarctica Begins to Melt

Medicine & Technology May 24, 2015

A part of Antarctica that scientists once thought to be safe from climate change is now showing signs of instability, and the loss of this ice could lead to the rising sea levels around the world.

Satellite Data Reveal an Alarming Trend in Antarctica

May 23, 2015

Antarctica is a truly massive continent. At over 5 million square miles, the whole of the US could fit securely within its borders. It boasts the highest, driest, coldest, and windiest landscape of all seven continents. And the fact that it is losing ice is nothing new. It's the rate at which parts of the continent are melting that is raising new concerns.

In the Face of Climate Change the Western United States Faces An Energy Crisis Far Too Real

May 19, 2015

Two Arizona State University engineers warn that the power grid of the American West must be prepared for the impacts of climate change. The region's entire infrastructure for electricity generation and distribution must be "climate-proofed" to diminish the risk of future power shortages.

Ocean Microbes and How They Affect Our Atmosphere in the Age of Climate Change

May 19, 2015

That restorative sea breeze you enjoy on your vacation is more complex than most of us realize. Now, researchers from the Center for Aerosol Impacts on Climate and the Environment (CAICE) have demonstrated that microbes in seawater influence our climate, shaping the ways that sunlight enters the ocean as clouds form. The study recently presented to the American Chemical Society shows that it is the microbes in the seawater that control the way sea spray enters into the atmosphere, and everything that follows that.

Record-Setting Drought Forces California Salmon to Take to the Highway

May 18, 2015

California's record-setting drought has dried up large swaths of the San Joaquin River; bad news for the state's salmon. So in a desperate effort to save a generation of hatchlings, tanker trucks are being employed to transport the young fish downstream. With their normal passage blocked, the fish are now migrating via Highway 99.

How's the Carbon Stacking Up? NOAA Says CO2 Has Passed Its Mark

May 08, 2015

The latest human first has chilling consequences for our species, and all others: for the first time since scientists began tracking global carbon dioxide concentrations in our atmosphere, we have surpassed 400 parts per million worldwide.

How Can Soil Erosion Cause Our Doom? Loss of Nutrients Poised to Cause Massive Famine

May 07, 2015

It's not as colorful in an action movie as invaders from other galaxies, for example, but it seems that soil erosion might be just as deadly to humans. Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley warn that human food security is at risk from the accelerating rate of soil depletion.

AS GLOBAL TEMPERATURES RISE, SPECIES MAY PLUMMET

May 03, 2015

As if submersion of coastal communities by rising sea levels weren’t bad enough, scientists have recently added another frightening repercussion to climate change: the loss of species. Scientists are still quibbling over the number of species that may perish with rising temperatures, some claiming zero while others predicting a whopping 54%. In an effort to refine the predictions, Marc Urban, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut, has crunched the numbers, and although his results don’t spell the end for over half the world’s species, the numbers are still frightening.

Extremely Hot Days—Why One Study Is Saying that Global Warming is to Blame

Apr 28, 2015

Climate change is already causing heat waves and other extreme weather events around the world. Now, a new study has confirmed that these types of extreme events will only get worse and as much as 75 percent of the planet's "moderate daily hot extremes" can be tied to climate change.

How Can The Pacific and a ‘Warm Blob’ Be the Cause of California’s Drought?

Apr 14, 2015

For several years now it has appeared that the climate in the West has been drastically changing. Naysayers might say that the illusion of “climate change” is all in our heads, but for those who had to ration water this past summer in California, the concept of climate change is certainly no longer a joke. But the conversation may not be entirely full of gloom and doom. In fact, thanks to our beloved Pacific Ocean and that nice coastal breeze that we love so dear, we may just see cooler temperatures after all, but we’re not like to get more rain.

A Century of Climate Change—How the Complex Landscape of the Appalachian Forests Will Fare

Apr 03, 2015

The tropical rainforests near the equator aren’t the only woodland areas affected by the effects of climate change. The Central Appalachian forests have been experiencing major effects such as heavy rainfall, drought and heat spells as well. And according to a new vulnerability assessment published today by the USDA Forest Service, the complex landscape reveals resilience to climate change in some areas, but also costly vulnerabilities in others.

Land Based Food May Not Be Enough to Save Polar Bears

Apr 02, 2015

Polar bears may not be able to rely on land-based food sources to survive as global warming changes the sea and ice melts, according to a new study.

Keeping Global Warming At 2 Degrees Celsius May Not Be Enough

Mar 27, 2015

The world has a set a goal of limiting global warming to just 2 degrees Celsius of average temperature rise, but according to one climate scientist that may not be enough, and he is not alone.

Climate Change And the Urban Heat Island in California's Central Valley

Mar 27, 2015

Life’s warm in California, but that doesn’t mean that it’s always a beach. Today is March 27th and it’s barely the start of spring, yet we’re currently in the 90s and four degrees above the anticipated high for the day. And with an ever-changing landscape, going from rural to urban through land conversion, researchers expect for the heat of our situation to continue to rise. But some researchers are hopeful that with new technology and new techniques in urban design, California may be able to keep its cool days and its beach appeal even in the Central Valley.

Antarctica's Ice Shelves Melting Faster Than Originally Thought

Mar 27, 2015

Times are tough for the massive ice sheets of Antarctica these days with the latest report that the giant floating ice shelves that form a fringe along the continent's coast are beginning to melt and deteriorate much faster than scientists once believed.