Consulting :: Energy and Environment
Ecology :: Biology
Atmospheric Chemistry :: Earth Sciences
Meteorology :: Earth Sciences
Urban Climate :: Meteorology
Paleogeography and Paleoclimatology :: Earth Sciences
Quaternary Studies :: Earth Sciences
Global Sustainability :: Sustainability
Environmental Economics :: Economics
Energy :: Technology
Climate Change :: Environment

ENN: Climate

NASA Study Shows Major Groundwater Loss in California Since 2003
A new study released by NASA shows that the aquifers for California's primary agricultural region -- the Central Valley -- and its major mountain water source -- the Sierra Nevadas -- have lost nearly enough water combined to fill Lake Mead, America's largest reservoir. The findings, based on data from the NASA/German Aerospace Center Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (Grace), reflect California's extended drought and increased rates of groundwater being pumped for human uses, such as irrigation.
Cap and Trade Working Already
The US already has years of experience with Cap and Trade. A sulfur dioxide (SO2) Cap and Trade program has proven an effective control strategy to lower SO2 emissions. It provides elements of market incentives and provides flexibility to facilities that emit large quantities of the pollutant in several ways. One of the most important ways is that it permits older facilities which may need to operate for a limited number of years to purchase “emissions credits” to continue operating without installing un-economic emissions controls by purchasing credits. The credits are created by other sources which control their emissions MORE than required under regulations. There is also an overall reduction in the program to benefit the environment so we are not just transferring emission from one plant to another. A reflection of the effectiveness is that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that power plants across the country decreased emissions of SO2, a precursor to acid rain, to 7.6 million tons in 2008.
Sea levels set to rise more than expected due to 'deeply surprising' Greenland melt
A new study by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program estimates that the sea will rise by 0.5 to 1.5 meters by 2100, threatening coastal cities and flooding island nations. This is double the predicted rise estimated by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on climate Change (IPCC) in 2007, which did not incorporate sea level rise due to the melting of Greenland and Antarctica's ice sheets.

L.A. Times - Environment

Developing nations hold the key to Copenhagen climate agreement
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800
Rich nations still hold some bargaining chips, but many negotiators and observers say key decisions by poor and emerging nations will make or break any deal. The world's poorest and fastest-growing developing nations appear, increasingly, to hold the fate of a new climate agreement in their hands. The choice they face is, deal or no deal?
U.N. chief weighs in on climate talk expectations
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he expects a final treaty to be signed by mid-2010. He also defends the U.N.'s role as the overseer of funding from developed to developing nations. As negotiations for a global climate change convention entered their final stages in Copenhagen, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sat down with Times Foreign Editor Bruce Wallace to discuss the prospects for a deal, and whether rich nations are looking to curb the United Nations' role in overseeing the billions of dollars that may be transferred from the developed to the developing world.
Climate change e-mail scandal underscores myth of pure science
Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800
The East Anglia controversy serves as a reminder that when the politics are divisive and the science is sufficiently complex, the boundary between the two may become indiscernible. As two scholars with different political orientations but common concerns, we have each worked to challenge conventional wisdom that has undermined public understanding of the climate change problem. Many Republicans have been too reluctant to acknowledge strong evidence of human-caused warming and the need for prudent policies that could reduce its harmful effects. Democrats have let their own political judgments and values infect climate science and its interpretation, often understating the uncertainties about the timing and scale of future risks, and the tremendous costs and difficulties of effective action.

Union of Concerned Scientists

New Major Economics Fund is Progress at Copenhagen
Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600
Today U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and India’s Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, jointly announced a plan to fund deployment of clean energy technologies in developing countries. The Climate Renewables and Efficiency Deployment Initiative (Climate REDI), which grew out of a Major Economies Forum process, commits $350 million over a five year period.
Cantwell Bill Emissions Reduction Not Adequate
Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600
A climate bill introduced yesterday by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) is proof that there is bipartisan support in Congress for deep emissions reduction goals. However, the bill is too weak to meet its purported goals, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The bill, the Carbon Limits and Energy for America’s Renewal (CLEAR) Act, was also sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).
Biotech Is 'No Sure Fix' for Nitrogen Pollution Problem
Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600
New report shows that the the biotechnology industry has yet to produce any commercial crops engineered to reduce nitrogen fertilizer pollution.
WH Transparency Memo Helpful, But Short on Specifics
Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600
White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Peter Orzag today released an open government directive in response to a January 2009 presidential memorandum on government openness and transparency.
EPA Endangerment Finding Welcome News in Copenhagen
Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600
As the Copenhagen climate summit kicks off, the Environmental Protection Agency today will officially acknowledge that heat-trapping gases that cause global warming endanger “public health and welfare,” allowing the agency to reduce emissions under the Clean Air Act.
Top Scientists: E-Mails Have No Bearing on Climate Science
Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0600
Today, 25 leading U.S. scientists sent an open letter to Congress to assure lawmakers that the content of the stolen emails from England’s University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit has no bearing on scientists’ overall understanding that human activity is causing global warming.

 

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Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases - Article reviews scientific understanding of the issue of greenhouse gases and climate change, as presented in peer-reviewed publications. This understanding serves as the underlying basis of the American Geophysical Union's position statement of December 1998.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - Established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess available scientific, technical, and socio-economic information in the field of climate change.

Environment Information Programme - Disseminates information, without advocacy or bias, on the causes, effects of and controls on air pollution and climate change, within the framework of national legislation and international discussion.
Meta Description: [ Information on global warming, climate change, air pollution, acid rain, ozone depletion and sustainable development ]

500 Australia's Greenhouse Policy - Paper by Dr Colin Hunt and published in the Australian Journal of Environmental Management
Meta Description: [ australian greenhouse policy, Kyoto targets, global warming, greenhouse gases, economic instruments, emission trading, carbon tax ]

Australian Bureau of Meteorology: Climate Change - Fact sheets and information on climate change, with an Australian perspective. Also provides annual statements on Australia's climate.

404 Bellona Foundation: Climate change - Fact sheets and other materials on global climate change and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with a focus on Norway.

404 Canada -- Global Climate Change - What the Government of Canada is doing to address climate change and how all Canadians can take action to help protect our environment.
Meta Description: [ On the Government of Canada Climate Change web site you can learn about the science, impacts and adaptation to climate change and how you can take action by reducing your greenhouse gas emissions. Take action on climate change! ]

Canadian Meteorological Service: Climate Change - Provides documents on global and regional climate change science and issues, including a biannual roundup of the latest scientific developments. Also provides information on Canadian participation in international climate change programs.

Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) - Responds to data and information concerning greenhouse effect and global climate change. Includes research reports, news and articles.

Climate/Weather: Sustaining the Environment and Resources for Canadians - Portal to information about climate and weather; how the atmosphere is affected by greenhouse gases and transport and industry emissions; issues of climate change (global warming), severe weather and smog. Provided by the Canadian government.
Meta Description: [ Discusses the causes and threats of climate change with links to federal, provincial and international information. ]

D Programme - International Energy Agency. Introduction to climate change, information on technical solutions. Reports and a regular newsletter, details of forthcoming conferences, links to other sites.
Meta Description: [ An introduction to climate change as well as information on technical solutions., such as carbon dioxide capture and storage. The site includes copies of IEA GHG reports, presentations, regular newsletter, forthcoming conferences and links to other sites ]

Discovery of Global Warming (Weart) - The history of scientific work on climate change from the 19th century to 2001, told in a set of hyperlinked essays
Meta Description: [ The history of research on climate change from the 19th century to the present, told in a set of hyperlinked essays ]

Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment - A one-stop source of information, for younger and older users alike, on a range of atmospheric issues, including air quality, acid rain, global warming and ozone depletion. Provided by the UK Government Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
Meta Description: [ Information on global warming, atmosphere, weather and climate, climate change, air pollution, acid rain, ozone depletion, renewable energy and sustainable development from the encyclopedia of the atmospheric environment ]

Environmental Change and its Impact on Species/Ecosystems/Agriculture - Searchable bibliography on the impacts of environmental change on flora and fauna. Citations include peer-reviewed and selected gray literature. Hyperlinks are provided to the source where available.

500 European Environment Agency - Climate Change - Reports on the science of climate change, its impacts and possible mitigation strategies. Collection of indicators, reports, links, data sets and targets on climate change.
Meta Description: [ Over the past 100 years global mean temperature has increased by 0.7 °C and in Europe by about 1.0 °C and the 1990s was the warmest decade over the past 150 years. Temperatures are projected to increase further by 1.4 to 5.8°C by 2100, with larger increases in Eastern and Southern Europe. Ther... ]

Geological Society of New Zealand: a Statement on Global Warming - A statement by Professor Peter Barrett (Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand) on the reality of global warming from the viewpoint of an earth scientist.

German Advisory Council on Global Change - Provides, for the German government, recommendations for research and further action to combat global problems in the field of environment and development
Meta Description: [ German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU). Serving Global Change Politics. ]

Global Change Vulnerabilities in the Barents Region: Linking Several Resources - BALANCE is an EU funded project (2003-2005) that follows on from BASIS (1997-1999). Its aim is to assess the vulnerabilities of the Barents Sea system to climate change based on a common modelling framework for major environmental and societal components.
Meta Description: [ BALANCE is an EU funded project (2002-2005) that follows on from BASIS (1997-1999). Its aim is to assess the vulnerabilities of the Barents Sea system to climate change based on a common modelling framework for major environmental and societal components and on the quantification of linkages betw... ]

Global Climate Change: Research Explorer - Discover how researchers study climate change; examine the latest scientific data on this global problem. Fron the US National Science Foundation.
Meta Description: [ Global Climate Change: Research Explorer allows visitors to explorer scientific data from many fields (physics, chemistry, biology, meteorology, oceanography) relating to global warming. Developed by the Exploratorium. ]

Global Warming International Center (GWIC) - International body disseminating information on global warming science and policy, sponsoring research. Serving governmental, non-governmental organizations, and industries in more than 120 countries. Conducts the Global Warming International Conference and Expo and publishes a journal.
Meta Description: [ Global Warming International Center ]

Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Discussion List - Mailing list subscription information and link to archives.

Human Impacts on Climate - The updated Position Statement of the American Geophysical Union.

Inter-Agency Committee on the Climate Agenda - The Climate Agenda is designed to enable governments, international governmental, and non-governmental, organizations to coordinate their contributions to national and international climate programmes. Site provides information on the organisation's structure, objectives and activities.

NASA's Global Change Master Directory - A comprehensive directory of descriptions of data sets of relevance to global change research. The GCMD database covers climate change, agriculture, the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere oceans, geology, geography, and human dimensions of global change.
Meta Description: [ The Global Change Master Directory is a comprehensive directory of information about Earth science data, including a broad coverage of global warming, the oceans, atmosphere, hydrosphere, solid earth, biosphere and human dimensions of global change. FGDC Clearinghouse Node (NASA). ]

NASA: Earth Observatory - News, feature articles, data and reference reviews on many aspects of our changing world.
Meta Description: [ Welcome to NASA's Earth Observatory, where you can monitor regional and global changes on our planet almost as they happen. Here you can explore with NASA scientists the causes and effects of climatic and environmental change through the use of real satellite data. ]

Natural Resources Canada: Climate Change - Climate change information related to energy, forestry, earth sciences, and minerals and metals. Additional links have been provided to other sites on climate change.
Meta Description: [ test ]

Pacific Climate Conference - Annual Convergence of an eclectic community of empirical climate change scientists, from climatologists, to paleoscientists, to applied sciences.

500 Planning Climate and Global Change Research: A Review of the Draft U.S. Climate Change Science Program Strategic Plan - The US National Acadamies of Science (NAS) report on the US Governmental Administration's proposals for future climate research.

START - SysTem for Analysis Research and Training - Aims to evaluate the impact of global change and enhance scientific capacity in developing countries.

Tiempo Climate Cyberlibrary - Electronic information source covering global warming, climate change and sea level rise with particular reference to developing nations. Maintained at University of East Anglia, England.
Meta Description: [ The Tiempo Climate Cyberlibrary is an electronic information service covering global warming, climate change, sea-level rise and related issues. The Cyberlibrary provides access to authoritative news, views, briefing material, publications, data, analysis tools and educational resources on the su... ]

U.S. Global Change Research Program - Scientific research, links, educational resources, U.S. national assessment of the potential consequences of climate variability and change
Meta Description: [ US Global Change Research Program. Helping to understand, assess, predict, and respond to global change. ]

UNEP Climate Change (GRID-Arendal) - Climate change information from GRID-Arendal, the United Nations Environment Programme information office.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - Online newsletter concerning issues on and about the UN's convention on long term weather change. Page includes list of meetings and the background behind the Kyoto Protocol.

US Climate Change Science Program - Integrates federal research on climate and global change, as sponsored by thirteen federal agencies. Site provides information on US Federal policy.

US EPA - Global Warming Site - Focuses on the science and impacts of global warming or climate change, and on actions by governments, corporations, and individuals that help address global warming issues. Features include climate change related news, events, publications, reports, presentations, and links to other sites.

US Global Change Research Information Office (global warming) - Provides access to data and information on climate change research, adaptation/mitigation strategies and technologies, and global warming related educational resources for users worldwide.
Meta Description: [ U.S. Global Change Research Information Office. Provides access to data and information on climate change research, adaptation/mitigation strategies and technologies, and global warming related educational resources for users worldwide. ]

500 US NAS: A Closer Look at Global Warming - A summary of reports from the US National Academies of Science, as well as full reports, simple background information and links to related web-based material.
Meta Description: [ Global warming has been the subject of intense debate and concern for many scientists, policy-makers, and citizens for at least the past decade. A new report by leading scientists examines climate change over the last century. ]

US NAS: Reconciling Observations of Global Temperature Change - A detailed investigation into the relationship and differences between the surface temperature record (provided by weather stations) and that of the lower troposphere (provided by satellites and weather balloons).

US National Climate Data Center - Answers to frequently asked questions about climate change.
Meta Description: [ Frequently Asked Questions about Global Warming ]

USA: Climate Action Report 2002 - The USA's Third National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Contains an assessment of the likely impact of climate change on the US, and projections of future greenhouse gas emissions.
Meta Description: [ The United States of America's Third National Communication Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ]

404 Usenet Global Change Basics - An archived Usenet FAQ.

World Meteorological Organisation - Global Climate - Statements from the WMO on a range of climate change issues.
Meta Description: [ World Meteorological Organization - Official United Nations' authoritative voice on weather, climate and water, scientific organization , WMO - WMO is the United Nations authoritative voice on weather, climate and water ]

ENN Global Warming and Weather - ENN RSS News

L.A. Times - Environment - Headlines from Los Angeles Times

Union of Concerned Scientists - RSS feed of UCS news