Month: August 2013

  • How much will climate change cost coastal cities?

    Global damage from flooding could cost coastal cities as much as US$1 trillion per year — and developing countries will be hardest hit, a study warns. According to the paper published today in Nature Climate Change, a “risk sensitive planning” strategy is needed to protect coastal cities, which are increasingly at risk because of climate…

  • Finally: Obama Green Lights Solar Panels on White House

    Details are not yet final, but President Obama has finally allowed retrofitting the White House roof to allow for solar panels. No, this is not a plot from HBO’s hit series Veep: it is finally happening. The final total of panels will range between 20 and 50 solar panels according to Think Progress and the…

  • West Antarctica warming during end of last ice age examined

    The Earth goes through natural cooling and warming trends, not to be confused with man’s impact on climate. Ice Ages have occurred and waned. The pace of warming at the end of an ice age has been the subject of debate. It turns out that in Antarctica the pace of warming at the end of…

  • Reducing soot and methane emissions may not make as big of an impact as previously thought

    Carbon dioxide is a heavy hitter when it comes to global climate change. But there are some other big players that contribute to rising temperatures as well including soot and methane. While some scientists have argued to cut these emissions, a new study suggests that targeting these emissions may make much less of an impact…

  • Bacterial Growth Affected By Gravity

    On Earth or in space, microbial communities will undoubtedly follow their human counterparts. In two NASA-funded studies, the bacteria known as Pseudonomas aeruginosa, an opportunistic human pathogen, was cultured both on earth and aboard shuttle Atlantis in 2010 and 2011. The goal was to see if the bacteria behaved differently due to microgravity.

  • Farmers Increasing Resilience to Climate Change by Diversifying Crops

    The loss of arable land due to climate change may amount to as much as 21 percent in South America, 18 percent in Africa, and 11 to 17 percent in Europe, according to scientists at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The potential of climate change to adversely impact food security in these regions is staggering.

  • China’s State Council has announced plans to make green industries central to the economy by 2015

    China is to fast-track expansion and investment in energy saving technologies in an attempt to tackle its worsening pollution problems. China’s cabinet, the State Council, recently announced plans to make the energy saving sector a “pillar” of the economy by 2015. In a statement the council said that under the new plan the environmental protection…

  • Don’t Dismiss the Hyperloop Opportunity

    On Monday, Elon Musk, the indomitable Silicon Valley entrepreneur, unveiled his plans for a Hyperloop transportation system. The idea is to build an elevated tube from LA to SF that will transport pods full of people and cars and cargo between the two cities at 800 mph. Simpsons geeks everywhere, from Ogdenville to North Haverbrook,…

  • Coral Reefs in danger of disappearing

    Urgent cuts in carbon emissions are needed if Caribbean coral reefs are to survive past the end of the century, scientists have warned. A new paper, published in the journal Current Biology, says Caribbean reef growth is already much slower than it was 30 years ago. Its authors say that without serious action on climate…

  • World Elephant Day draws our attention to the plight of these magnificent animals

    Yesterday was the second World Elephant Day. World Elephant Day was started in 2012 to focus attention on declining elephant numbers and ways that we can collectively do something about it. Fact is, humans are largely responsible! This is and elephantine task, and we are happy to, in our own way, draw attention to the…