SAN FRANCISCO, CA, DECEMBER 15, 2014 – If Arctic sea ice is the canary in the coal mines that are causing global warming, Greenland is the 800-pound gorilla that sits in the corner, quiet and ponderous, but packing a heavy wallop and ready to use it. Scientists at the American Geophysical Union’s Fall Meeting here […]
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Pushing the edge to improve weather forecasts
Weather forecasts are more accurate and far-sighted than ever before. For example, forecasters predicted Superstorm Sandy would hit New York City nine days ahead of time. And tornado warnings now average fifteen minutes ahead of impact — six minutes longer for people to seek shelter than just a few years ago. Forecasting the weather requires […]
Posted inCommunicating Climate
Tips on communicating with news media
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, DECEMBER 15, 2014 – The amazing thing about the annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) is the number of things — not to mention the number of people — one inadvertently encounters. In this case, it was a concurrent meeting of the California School Boards Association in ballrooms that […]
Posted inClimate Science
It’s AGU week again. Oh yes … happy holidays, too
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, DECEMBER 15, 2014 – It’s AGU week. Well, it’s at least what is “AGU Week” this year, coming in 2014 a full week than is usual for this milestone science meeting. The perennial gathering of 20,000-odd* scientists, science-wannabes, and science junkies meets in the City by the Bay every year around this […]
Posted inThis Is Not Cool
The U.S.-China game changer climate agreement
The new U.S./China agreement is opening new doorways for promising reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades, changing the tone both domestically and internationally on climate issues.
Posted inEnergy
Some pro sports teams increasingly going green
Let’s say you’re a fan of professional hockey. And your favorite team is the Chicago Blackhawks. Or the Detroit Red Wings. Or the St. Louis Blues, or Columbus Blue Jackets. Or maybe you prefer professional baseball. And your favorites come down to the Boston Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. Or to the Chicago White […]
Posted inSpecies & Ecosystems
Birder sees climate change in his Winston-Salem back yard
As recently as the 1970s, wintertime flocks of evening grosbeaks used to descend on backyard feeders in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The birds — yellow-bodied males and gray-brown females — arrived by the hundreds, devouring people’s seed supplies. Then, gradually, they vanished. Winston-Salem resident David Disher says the evening grosbeak has not been photographed in his […]
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Citizen scientists tracking trees’ adaptations
Across the U.S., volunteers are hiking into the woods to observe two species of trees — the Balsam Poplar and Quaking Aspen. These citizen scientists monitor the trees throughout the year and share their observations with researchers. Elmore: “How many leaves it has, the color of the leaves, the size of the trees, when the […]
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Youth group taking action on climate change
If you have already celebrated your twenty-sixth birthday, you are officially too old. That’s the philosophy at DoSomething.org, the largest organization for young people and social change in the country. The organization’s age limit gives young people their own space to explore and take action on a variety of issues from bullying, homelessness, and poverty […]
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Cheerios company moving to reduce CO2 footprint
When you look into your morning bowl of cereal, do you consider its impact on the climate? General Mills, maker of brands such as Cheerios, is taking action to reduce its carbon footprint – the amount of carbon pollution emitted when making its products. Lynch: “When we look at the carbon footprint of our full […]
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A quieter and cleaner … trash truck
Electric vehicles can handle tough jobs — from bussing children to school to picking up trash. CASTELAZ: “Those tend to be really good vocations for electric trucks.” That’s Jim Castelaz of Motiv Power Systems, a company that provides the software to run electric vehicles. He says the trucks are easily charged because they are driven […]
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Depressed Denver neighborhood an ecodistrict?
Industrial facilities, train tracks, and highways cut through the Sun Valley neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. It’s one of the most economically depressed areas in the state – with most of its 1,500 residents living in public housing. But change is on the way. Sun Valley is one of nine neighborhoods nationwide that’s been selected for […]