climate matters29
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Food Security Under Climate Change
In 2008 the world faced one of its most severe food crises in recent history. Around the world riots broke out in otherwise food-secure nations — places like Egypt, Russia, Mexico, and Brazil. The world’s governments responded — a major U.N. conference was held in Geneva. What they discussed there was the fundamental issue of…
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Climate News Roundup – Week of 9/27
Gordon Brown’s $100 bn Climate Aid Proposal is ‘Only First Offering‘, guardian.co.uk Prime Minister Gordon Brown proposes $100 billion in future aid to countries struggling to adapt to climate change. The compensation, which could rise to a higher number as international negotiations continue, would be supplied by “rich” nations in a timeframe extending to 2020.…
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Climate News Roundup – Week of 9/19
Denver to Barcelona: Global Cities and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, ScienceDaily ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology is publishing a new study in October identifying which cities are producing the greatest levels of greenhouse gases. Denver was number one on the list, followed by Los Angeles, Toronto, Cape Town, and Bangkok. Researchers identified high electricity and heating…
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Temperature trends since 1998: Puzzling evidence?
In “Momentum on Climate Pact Is Elusive” (New York Times, 9/21/09) science reporter Andrew Revkin discusses the relative stability of temperatures over the last decade in the context of the UN climate summit this week. He posits that this short term trend may complicate efforts to achieve an international agreement on climate change this year.…
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China, Japan, U.S. Star at U.N. Climate Change Summit
The U.N. Summit on Climate Change is underway today in NYC with nearly 100 heads of state in attendance to address carbon emissions and climate change. Several leaders — including the president of the Maldives and the prime minister of Japan — offered impassioned pleas to take action and make strong commitments to reducing carbon…
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What does this El Niño mean for public health?
The IRI has just published a short bulletin to provide an update on this year’s El Niño and what it could mean for the health in different regions of the world. The document gives decision makers key recommendations on how to monitor communities at risk and take steps to reduce their vulnerability. Visit this page…
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Top misconceptions about El Niño and La Niña
Forecasts by the International Research Institute for Climate and Society and other institutions show that a weak El Niño has developed in the equatorial Pacific, and is likely to continue evolving with warmer-than-normal conditions persisting there until early 2010. What exactly is this important climate phenomenon and why should society care about it? Who will…
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Abrupt Climate Change in a Warming World
Early last month, I attended a meeting on Abrupt Climate Change in a Warming World. Climate Matters @ Columbia has discussed abrupt climate change before, referring to the hydrologic cycle, and with regards to melting sea ice or permafrost. Shifts in the earth climate are a known fact: crocodile-like reptiles lived in Greenland 55 million…
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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…