GHG emissions and wildfires
For the first time, US climate scientists have quantified the extent to which greenhouse gases from the world’s top fossil fuel companies have contributed to wildfires.
Forestry’s climate impact
According to a number of environmental groups, the true carbon cost of the forestry industry is being obscured by government accounting. Last month, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, an independent government watchdog within the auditor general’s office, upheld their long-standing argument.
Climate change vs. forests
A new study shows that climate change may undermine forests’ ability to store carbon and keep it out of the atmosphere. They found a wide range of estimates of potential carbon gains or losses in different regions, with some regions most at risk of losing forest carbon coinciding with locations of many forest carbon offset …
Methane’s unexpected cooling impact
New research shows that although methane traps large amounts of heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, it also creates cooling clouds that offset 30% of the heat.
Duel mass extinctions
Long before the dinosaurs there existed many other types of animals including buffalo sized reptiles. Many died out in a mass extinction during the Capitanian Age roughly 260 million years ago. A new study suggests that this mass extinction was actually not one event but two, separated by nearly 3 millions years. Both were caused …
Residual carbon emissions
The Earth is not on track to avoid the worst effects of climate change according to a new study. “Our plans are not adequate to meet the goal of limiting the Earth’s temperature increase to no more than 1.5℃ by 2050,” said lead author Holly Jean Buck of the University of Buffalo.
Deforestation linked to reduction in rainfall
Deforestation is causing reduced rainfall across large parts of the tropics, according to new research. Although it has been long suspected, until now, scientists have not been able to identify a clear link between the loss of tree cover and a decline in rainfall.
Climate feedback loops
According to a new study, dangerous climate feedback loops are increasing global warming and risk causing a permanent shift away from the Earth’s current climate.
Major water crises due to climate change
Climate change affects the global atmospheric circulation, which in turn alters precipitation and evaporation in large parts of the world and, as a result, the amount of river water that can be used locally. Previously, projections of climate impact on stream flow have usually been calculated on the basis of physical models.
Geological thermostat too slow
Reactions between rocks, rain and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have helped to stabilize the climate throughout Earth’s history, but they won’t help prevent our carbon emissions from causing severe warming, a new study shows. However the results could help us find better ways to trap CO2 and slow climate change.