Month: October 2016

  • Cloudy feedback on global warming

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers have identified a mechanism that causes low clouds — and their influence on Earth's energy balance — to respond differently to global warming, depending on their spatial pattern and location.The results imply that studies relying solely on recent observed trends underestimated how much Earth will warm due to increased carbon…

  • West Coast record low snowpack in 2015 influenced by high temperatures

    The western-most region of the continental United States set records for low snowpack levels in 2015 and scientists, through a new study, point the finger at high temperatures, not the low precipitation characteristic of past “snow drought” years.The study suggests greenhouse gases were a major contributor to the high temperatures, which doesn’t bode well for…

  • Species speed up adaptation to beat effects of warmer oceans

    Such changes mean species threatened by climate change may find ways to adapt far quicker than through changes in DNA, which come with evolution.Researchers studied the Winter Skate (Leucoraja ocellata), in waters that are around 7000 years old and significantly warmer than those where the rest of the species range is found. They observed many…

  • Colorado River's dead clams tell tales of carbon emission

    Scientists have begun to account for the topsy-turvy carbon cycle of the Colorado River delta – once a massive green estuary of grassland, marshes and cottonwood, now desiccated dead land.“We’ve done a lot in the United States to alter water systems, to dam them. The river irrigates our crops and makes energy. What we really…

  • See How Arctic Sea Ice Is Losing Its Bulwark Against Warming Summers

    Arctic sea ice, the vast sheath of frozen seawater floating on the Arctic Ocean and its neighboring seas, has been hit with a double whammy over the past decades: as its extent shrunk, the oldest and thickest ice has either thinned or melted away, leaving the sea ice cap more vulnerable to the warming ocean…

  • Super Emitters – are responsible for more than half of U.S. methane emissions

    The bulk of methane emissions in the United States can be traced to a small number of “super emitting” natural gas wells, according to a new study.“We’re finding that when it comes to natural gas leaks, a 50/5 rule applies: That is, the largest 5 percent of leaks are typically responsible for more than 50…

  • New biochar model scrubs CO2 from the atmosphere

    New Cornell University research suggests an economically viable model to scrub carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to thwart global warming.The researchers propose using a “bioenergy-biochar system” that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in an environmental pinch, until other removal methods become economically feasible and in regions where other methods are impractical. Their work appeared…

  • Food and Energy Demand Drives 58 Percent Decline in Global Wildlife Populations

    Global populations of vertebrates — mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish — have declined by 58 percent between 1970 and 2012, states a new report from World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Animals living in the world’s lakes, rivers, and freshwater systems have experienced the most dramatic population declines, at 81 percent. Because of human activity, the report states…

  • On College Campuses, Signs of Progress on Renewable Energy

    U.S. colleges and universities are increasingly deploying solar arrays and other forms of renewable energy. Yet most institutions have a long way to go if they are to meet their goal of being carbon neutral in the coming decades.The soul of Arizona State University is Memorial Union, a hulking brick-and-glass community center that opens onto…

  • Toxins from freshwater algae found in San Francisco Bay shellfish

    Scientists have detected high levels of a toxin produced by freshwater algae in mussels from San Francisco Bay. Although shellfish harvested from California's coastal waters are monitored for toxins produced by marine algae, they are not routinely tested for this freshwater toxin, called microcystin.The toxin, which causes liver damage, is produced by a type of…