Climate280
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The latest on permafrost
Permafrost is ground that remains at or below freezing for two or more consecutive years (for great information on permafrost see the National Snow and Ice Data Center). Climate researchers worry that permafrost will thaw as temperatures rise due to climate change, releasing carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Two recent studies indicate that this concern…
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Plasma Gasification: A Solution to the Waste Disposal Dilemma?
Waste not, Want not? The source of this proverb is unknown, but I’m going to hazard a guess and say it wasn’t your average (modern) American. I say this because your average American runs through 56 tons of trash a year – including 500 plastic cups and 650 pounds of paper. If we were to…
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India’s Climate Envoy: In Global Climate Treaties, Equity is Imperative
In a lively talk at the Indian Consulate in New York last Thursday, Indian climate envoy Shyam Saran called for technology and resource transfer from developed to developing countries, saying that because they are responsible for the bulk of historic carbon emissions, developed countries should bear the brunt of climate adaptation and mitigation costs. A…
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Nuclear Dark Ages? Or Nuclear Renaissance?
“I know that vibration wasn’t normal” Jack Lemmon famously uttered these words in the 70s blockbuster The China Syndrome in reference to unusual activity taking place at his nuclear reactor. Lemmon, a shift supervisor at the plant, uncovers alarming evidence that the plant is fundamentally unsound and demands that it be shut down. His concerns…
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Turning CO2 Into Stone
A power plant in Iceland is set to become the first in the world to try turning carbon dioxide emissions into solid minerals underground, starting this September.
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El Niño Conditions Imminent
According to Tony Barnston at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, El Niño conditions are now evolving in the tropical Pacific. El Niño is the name given to sustained sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies greater than 0.5°C across the central tropical Pacific Ocean; it is the warm phase of the El Niño Southern…
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Innovative Insurance Aims to Buffer Poor from Climate Risks
New Report Details Policies Based on Weather
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New report: Reducing climate risks with index insurance
We know climate has always presented a challenge to farmers, herders, fishermen and others whose livelihoods are closely linked to their environment–particularly in developing countries. A type of insurance called index insurance shows some promise as a climate-risk management tool, according to the latest Climate and Society publication from Columbia’s International Research Institute for Climate…
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White House Report: Climate Change Impacts in the US
Last Tuesday (6/16), White House issued a report about how climate change will affect the United States in the next century. The 13 U.S. agencies–including NASA, the Department of State and the Department of Energy–collaborated for this report. Using the most up-to-date scientific data, The Global Climate Change Impacts in The United States report says that unprecedented changes…
