Tag Archives: climate
Can Floating Islands Help Farmers Cut Pollution?
A report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) zeroes in on the disastrous impacts industrial farming is having – destroying the web of life - and there’s a move by US farmers to address that. “Our Nutrient World” details how industrial farming saturates ecosystems with nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients, massively altering the natural balance and causing a “web of [...]
Technological Breakthroughs vs. A Carbon Diet
Over the weekend, The New Republic published an interview with President Obama, where he noted the following: “On climate change, it’s a daunting task. But we know what releases carbon into the atmosphere, and we have tools right now that would start scaling that back, although we’d still need some big technological breakthrough.” How accurate [...]
Why Black Carbon is So Important
Drastically cutting black carbon, otherwise known as everyday soot, just became even more important. Black carbon is second only to carbon dioxide in causing global warming and its influence on climate is double that previously thought. In the first comprehensive analysis of black carbon’s role in climate change, a four-year international study finds that black carbon produces [...]
The Climate Conundrum
The theory of global warming is solid, staid and uncontroversial. All things considered, if we double the concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere, temperatures should increase by 1.1C over what they otherwise would have been. The theory of atmospheric sensitivity is a different story. The political controversy that has raged since 1988 centers on the [...]
Hurricane Sandy and Climate Adaptability
The immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy is affording little time to think about the big picture. With neighborhoods underwater, toppled trees lining the streets, the stock exchange locked, and the dependable New York public transportation closed indefinitely; most people don’t have time to worry about the lasting impacts of this storm. But when the worst [...]
Fastest Supercomputer in the World to Tackle Climate Change
Climate change research is getting a huge boost from one of the world’s fastest supercomputers and a new world-class center dedicated to advancing the state of weather and climate science. US scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) are now using ”Yellowstone” - it can crunch numbers 30 times faster, allowing them to run much more complex experiments and create much [...]
The Future of Eco Building Materials
Designing and building an eco house, or renovating your property to make it more energy efficient is a great way to cut down on bills, and not to mention great fun! More and more people are looking to build their own property today, and the number renovating in an effort to save in the long term is [...]
China/EU Battle Carbon Emissions
One of the world’s largest economic powerhouses has reportedly struck a deal with the European Union to cut greenhouses gases. According to Reuters, the European Commission has announced that China will partner with the EU to develop initiatives like Chinese emissions trading schemes. China is the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. The EU and [...]
Only in China: The Umet Wooden Electric Car
One of the world’s first all-wooden cars has made its debut at the China Eurasia Expo. Dubbed the Umut, this 4 metre long, 7-seater car is composed completely of wood, made entirely by hand, and is powered by an electric motor. With an expected top speed is 60km/h, it can last about 2.5 hours or [...]