Category Archives: Global warming

Rising Ozone Levels to Reduce Agricultural Productivity by 40%

Ozone is getting increasing attention as a greenhouse gas, and the findings are not pretty. We reported earlier on research that found that ozone interferes with plant photosynthesis, which both reduces its effectiveness as a carbon sink and reduces plant productivity. A new MIT study (hat tip Mark Thoma) reports that rising ozone levels are […]

Higher Temperatures Linked to Mass Extinctions

Human activity has led to a considerable loss of species, and more is in the offing. But what is particularly alarming is that the scientists quoted in the Associated Press and on the BBC today see it coming in mere decades. The discovery is that hotter, wetter periods on this planet are associated with a […]

CO2 Levels Rising Faster Than Forecast

The journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has published an article that finds that atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases are rising faster than projected. We reported recently on the fact that oceans are becoming less effective as a carbon sink, an idea independently confirmed by Dr. Corinne Le Quere, of the University of […]

The Future of Coral Reefs

John Quiggin, Australian economist and popular blogger, participated in the Coral Reef Futures Forum since one of his many roles is to look at the economics of the Great Barrier Reef. In addition to shedding light on the progress and consequences of global warming, Quiggin’s post also provides informative comments on what he calls delusionist […]

Warm Wind a Culprit in Arctic Melt

A story on BBC today, citing the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, attributes the record melt in summer Arctic ice to a shift in wind patterns which the researchers believe was caused by global warming. Worryingly, this appears to be a lasting change. From the BBC: The Arctic is being hit by melting ice, […]

Oceans Becoming More Acidic (and Why That’s a Big Deal)

We’ve mentioned before that higher atmospheric CO2 levels make the oceans more acidic. And that in turn is very nasty for shellfish, coral reefs, and the foundation of the ocean food supply, plankton. As this article in Science Daily reports, the consequences may be even more serious than those of global warming: The world’s oceans […]

Clive Crook on America’s Sham Carbon Emission Legislation

Faithful readers, I hope you will bear with me over the next couple of days. I am having weird problems with my mice, and needless to say, the lack of a properly functioning mouse is a big obstacle to efficient computer use. The result will likely be fewer posts and/or fewer links in posts. I […]

Arctic Walruses Displaced by Polar Ice Retreat

More disheartening news on the global warming front: Arctic walruses have moved from their customary ice sheet habitat to the rocky Alaskan Northwest coast, raising fears that their new foraging grounds won’t provide sufficient food. From the Associated Press viaPnysOrg: Thousands of walrus have appeared on Alaska’s northwest coast in what conservationists are calling a […]

British Scientists Push Idea of Ocean Burial of CO2

Today, the BBC and the Telegraph, among others, discussed the proposal of James Lovelock of Oxford and Chris Rapley, former head of the British Antarctic Survey, to reduce CO2 levels by pumping it into the deep ocean. Note that this is a type of carbon sequestration. Lovelock and Rapley believe this action is necessary because […]

Wal-Mart as Carbon Enforcer?

The Financial Times, in “Wal-Mart seeks emissions data,” reports that the Bentonville behemoth is out to make it suppliers greener: Wal-Mart is to ask its suppliers to measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions, in the biggest move to disclose emissions from businesses. Few companies disclose their emissions, making it difficult to judge which are […]

Climate Change Flooding Risk Underestimated

The BBC, citing a study in Nature, informs us that climate change models have underestimated the risk of flooding. High atmospheric carbon dioxide levels mean plants suck less water out of the soil. Wetter soil means faster soil saturation in heavy rains, hence more serious flooding. From the BBC: Researchers say efforts to calculate flooding […]

Global Warming Fallout: Nuclear Reactor Shutdown

An Associated Press story, courtesy the Houston Chronicle’s website, tells us that an Alabama nuclear reactor had to be shut down because the river whose water was used as coolant was too hot: The Tennessee Valley Authority shut down one of three units at the Browns Ferry nuclear plant Thursday because water drawn from a […]

Geothermal to the Rescue?

A good piece from the Associated Press via Yahoo on the potential of geothermal energy as a fossil fuel replacement. Geothermal energy has the advantage of being clean and abundant. In fact, it’s already used in some homes in northern Europe, where a geothermal well beneath a house contains water that has been heated by […]

Study Finds Human Activity Producing More Atlantic Hurricaines

It turns out that those who blame the recent increase in the number of Atlantic hurricanes on global warming aren’t nuts. A study just published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society analyzed storms over the last century. It found that the increase since 1980 was due to climate change, and attributed 50% to […]