The U.N.’s panel on global warming warns: Over the last two decades, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been losing mass, glaciers have continued to shrink almost worldwide, and Arctic sea ice and Northern Hemisphere spring snow cover have continued to decrease in extent (high confidence). • The average rate of ice loss 8 […]
Category Archives: Environment
Disappearing Ice Sheets, Glaciers and Arctic Sea Ice
Why Doesn’t Global Warming Feel Warmer?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). The report states that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal.” Then, why doesn’t it feel that much hotter? Because most of the rise in temperature is in the water: Ocean warming dominates the increase in energy stored in the climate […]
U.N.: Humans Induce Climate Change
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that “we cannot accept a rising tide that floats only some boats and leaves many to drown.” Ban Ki-moon has been taking a strong stance on global warming. His latest efforts include getting world leaders to admit humans are impacting climate change. Most people would think this is a given. […]
Hawaii Most Severe Manmade Disaster: Molasses Spill
Hawaii is in a sticky situation. An estimated 233,000 gallons of thick molasses spilled from a pipeline that was filling a cargo ship. The massive spill has killed just about everything in Honolulu Harbor. “There’s nothing alive there at all,” diver Roger White said after making a video of dead sea life blanketing the bottom […]
Belief in Anthropogenic Climate Change
From the American Meteorological Society A series of polls provides new tests for how weather influences public beliefs about climate change. Statewide data from 5000 random-sample telephone interviews conducted on 99 days over 2.5 yr (2010–12) are merged with temperature and precipitation indicators derived from U.S. Historical Climatology Network (USHCN) station records. The surveys carry […]
Yosemite Wildfire
One of the largest wildfires to ever hit California caused a smoke plume effecting air quality over 100 miles away. The fire has already destroyed over 110 structures and continues to burn out-of-control. ““It was like a bomb went off, exploded,” a firefighter said. “When the inversion lifted, the fog coming from the smoke, when […]
Underwater Robotics Competition
Annual competition, sponsored by Marine Advanced Technological Education Center, gives competitors a taste of the real-life capabilities needed to maintain an ocean observing system by NSF.gov The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center hosted its 12th annual student underwater robotics competition earlier this summer in Federal Way, Wash. The Center is a national partnership of […]
Q: Why Did the Sea Level Drop?
A: Because the rain fell on Australia. By Alan Buis, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory David Hosansky, National Center for Atmospheric Research A unique and complex set of circumstances came together over Australia from 2010 to 2011 to cause Earth’s smallest continent to be the biggest contributor to the observed drop in global sea level rise […]
Plastic Ocean
Plastic debris is accumulating in the ocean at an alarming rate. Many species of birds, fish, turtles, whales and other sea animals are being impacted. In 2009, a U.N. joint commission estimated that 6.4 million metric tons of plastic waste currently pollutes the oceans. The U.N. also estimates that 5 million pieces of plastic enter […]
Nuclear Energy Laser Uranium Enrichment
Many scientists have come to the conclusion that nuclear energy is one of the alternative energy solutions for climate change. A new process, laser enrichment, is a major advancement in the efficiency of nuclear energy production. The United State Nuclear Regulatory Commission said, “General Electric (GE) currently plans to use the Australian laser enrichment technology […]