Saturday, July 16, 2011

Dramatic Climate Swings Likely as World Warms: Ancient El Niño Clue to Future Floods

ScienceDaily (July 15, 2011) — Dramatic climate swings behind both last year's Pakistan flooding and this year's Queensland floods in Australia are likely to continue as the world gets warmer, scientists predict

6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes upper Alaskan peninsula

from The Extinction Protocol: 2012 and beyond by The Extinction Protocol

July 16, 2011 – ALASKA – A 6.1 magnitude earthquake has struck the Aleutian trench region of the upper peninsula of Alaska at a depth of 48 km. The region is highly prone to earthquakes as it a subductive boundary for the Pacific tectonic plate and is the latest victim of increased turbulence across tectonic plates. The map below is a history of mega-thrust earthquake events that have struck this region in the past. Megathrust quakes are the world’s most powerful earthquakes.

You Can't Kill a Planet and Live on It, Too

'Ice Wars' heating up the Arctic By Kaj Larsen, CNN

'Ice Wars' heating up the Arctic

By Kaj Larsen, CNN

Functional impacts of ocean acidification in an ecologically critical foundation species

Posted on EPOCA: 15 Jul 2011 -- Bodega OA Research Group studies on California mussels forecast future ecological impacts

Global Food Security Threatened by Ocean Acidification

http://www.xray-mag.com/content/global-food-security-threatened-ocean-acidification

Ice Wars: Burn the riches beneath melting Arctic sea

by Lily Dayton
Fossil fuels are melting the Arctic, which is giving us access to more fossil fuels that will melt the Arctic more. When CNN correspondent Kaj Larsen had the opportunity to head to the North Pole to report on geopolitical events that are surfacing as global warming, causing the Arctic ice to melt, he looked to his roots to help him tell the story.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Climate Skeptics Need To Look Out Their Window

from The Energy Collective - The world's best thinkers on energy & climate by CharlesBarton

The Southeastern United States is experiencing an Unusual drought, part of the extreme weather condition pattern that is probably related to anthropogenic global warming.

6.0 magnitude earthquake strikes offshore of Valpraiso Chile

from The Extinction Protocol: 2012 and beyond by The Extinction Protocol

Flood and Drought from The Nuclear Green Revolution by Charles Barton

Flood and Drought

“Global Warming” Part II: Toward a New Moral Equivalent of War by Alton C. Thompson / July 15th, 2011

“Global Warming”

Part II: Toward a New Moral Equivalent of War

by Alton C. Thompson / July 15th, 2011

How good intentions ended with expensive and dirty corn

BP Makes Voluntary Gulf Of Mexico Safety Commitments

Strong El Niño could bring increased sea levels, storm surges to US East Coast

Coastal communities along the U.S. East Coast may be at risk to higher sea levels accompanied by more destructive storm surges in future El Niño years, according to a new study by NOAA. The study was prompted by an unusual number of destructive storm surges along the East Coast during the 2009-2010 El Niño winter.

Looking ahead to local climate models

When research scientist Jim Kinter describes the interactions between the Earth's ocean, land and atmosphere, he talks of dancing. "The atmosphere and the ocean, and the atmosphere and the land surface have to go together," he says. "It's as if they were dancing, and that dance turns out to influence climate."

Rising oceans - too late to turn the tide?

Melting ice sheets contributed much more to rising sea levels than thermal expansion of warming ocean waters during the Last Interglacial Period, a UA-led team of researchers has found. The results further suggest that ocean levels continue to rise long after warming of the atmosphere has leveled off.

Researchers connect volcanic activity to mini-earthquakes

The ash from the recent eruptions of the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle in Chile disrupted airplane schedules, forcing some planes to circle the globe a second time. causing even more delays. A Michigan Technological University researcher and his graduate students are studying how volcanoes like this erupt and what their relation is to earthquakes. They hope to resolve much bigger issues than airplane inconveniences.

Global temperatures were seventh warmest on record for June

The globe experienced the seventh warmest June since record keeping began in 1880. The Arctic sea ice extent was the second smallest extent for June on record.

Forests absorb one third our fossil fuel emissions

The world's established forests remove 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon per year from the atmosphere – equivalent to one third of current annual fossil fuel emissions – according to new research published in the journal Science.

Explaining Antarctic ozone hole anomalies

The strongly reduced Antarctic stratospheric ozone hole destruction in 2010 and several other recent years results from the occurrence of dramatic meteorological events in the polar winter, known as sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). These findings are reported in a paper published online in Scientific Reports.

Climate change reducing ocean's carbon dioxide uptake

Climate change reducing ocean's carbon dioxide uptake

Madison WI (SPX) Jul 15, 2011 - How deep is the ocean's capacity to buffer against climate change? As one of the planet's largest single carbon absorbers, the ocean takes up roughly one-third of all human carbon emissions, reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide and its associated global changes. But whether the ocean can continue mopping up human-produced carbon at the same rate is still up in the air. Previous studies on t ... more

Lie of the land beneath glaciers influences impact on sea levels

Lie of the land beneath glaciers influences impact on sea levels

Edinburgh UK (SPX) Jul 15, 2011 - Scientists have shown for the first time that the terrain beneath glaciers influences how much glacier melt contributes to fluctuations in sea levels. Researchers say the study will improve their understanding of how ice sheet movements have affected sea levels in the past, and will enable more accurate projections of future change. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh studied ... more

World Renowned Experts Join Global Adaptation Institute Council of Scientific Advisers

PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2011

WASHINGTON, July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following the success of the Global Adaptation Institute's first Annual Meeting and Consultation on the Global Adaptation Index™ (GaIn™), eight scientists, representing seven countries, have become founding members of the Institute's Council of Scientific Advisers. The Council will advise the Institute on creating rigorous and useful metrics and effective demonstration projects that will help the world's most vulnerable adapt to the effects of climate change and other global trends.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110506/DC97131LOGO)
Founding Council members are:

Maria de Lourdes Dieck-Assad, Ph.D. (Mexico) Director General of Graduate Schools of Business and Government, ITESM – Tecnologico de Monterrey
Hans-Martin Fussel, Ph.D. (Germany) Project Manager for Climate Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation at the European Environment Agency
Richard Moss, Ph.D. (United States) Senior Staff Scientist, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Joint Global Change Research Institute
Mark Myers, Ph.D. (United States) Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Alaska
Anand Patwardhan, Ph.D. (India) Professor, S J Mehta School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology
Claudio Szlafsztein, Ph.D. (Brazil) Professor, Center of Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Para
Caroline Sullivan, Ph.D. (Australia) Associate Professor of Environmental Economics and Policy and Director of Research, School of Environmental Science and Management, Southern Cross University
Jintao Xu, Ph.D. (China) Professor of Natural Resource Economics and Chair, Department of Environmental Management at the College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University

The Council's first task will be to advise in the development of GaIn™, an index that measures two main concepts: 1. The vulnerability of a country to the effects of climate change and other global forces and 2. The readiness of a country to successfully implement adaptation solutions. Dr. Caroline Sullivan stated that adaptation is "an urgent issue that needs urgent action as well as a targeted response for resource allocation. While there are assessments being conducted on adaptation, few can assist decision makers, whether in the private or public sectors, on what actions to take. The Global Adaptation Index™ has the potential to help guide these decisions."
The Council consists of experts in ecology, sustainable development, economics, geology, business, and computer science with several actively involved in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) process and other international bodies.
"I congratulate the Global Adaptation Institute on the work it has accomplished in a short period of time," stated Dr. Hans-Martin Fussel . "The Institute has brought together a high level group of experts from around the world who will ensure a balanced assessment of the vulnerabilities faced by nations as well as the opportunities for private sector action in promoting adaptation."
"We are guided by the maxim - That which cannot be measured cannot be improved," said Dr. Ian Noble, the Chief Scientist of the Institute. GaIn™ will include indicators designed to accelerate private sector investment in adaptation initiatives and encourage governments and civil society to ramp up their efforts on adaptation.
"This is a truly global representation of experts who share the Institute's passion for improving peoples' lives while holding our work up to the highest scientific standards" said Dr. Juan Jose Daboub , Founding CEO of the Global Adaptation Institute.
Dr. Mark Myers noted, "the Institute is filling some significant gaps in worldwide capacity to confront adaptation challenges. The Institute's ambitious goals of increasing awareness, opportunities for investment and demonstration of viable and profitable private sector opportunities can really make a difference."
Council members will join Noble, who will chair the Council, and Dr. Bruno Sanchez-Andrade Nuno, Director of Science & Technology, Global Adaptation Institute in creating GaIn™ and leading the scientific endeavors of the Institute.
The Institute, which was recently covered by Scientific American in a June 30, 2011 article and SolveClimate News in a July 6, 2011 release, will unveil GaIn™ this fall.
The Global Adaptation Institute™ is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c) 3 environmental organization guided by a vision of building resilience against climate change and other global forces as a key component to sustainable development. Visit us at: www.globalai.org
SOURCE Global Adaptation Institute

CONTACT: Davis Cherry, +1-202-559-4539, dcherry@globalai.org
Web Site: http://www.globalai.org

$200 Million Lost to Legislative Inaction on Drilling Tax

Jul 14, 2011 13:50 ET

$200 Million Lost to Legislative Inaction on Drilling Tax

Since October 2009, state has lost revenue that could have reduced cuts to schools, colleges, health services

PR Newswire

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 14, 2011

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania has lost $200 million from legislative inaction on a Marcellus Shale drilling tax — revenue that could have prevented state cuts to schools, colleges and health services for the state's most vulnerable.

U.S. House of Representatives Sends Strong Message to EPA and Passes Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011

Bill would restore jurisdiction of state agencies over EPA in regards to Clean Water Act
WASHINGTON, July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- H.R. 2018, the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act sponsored by Representative John Mica (R-FL) and Representative Nick Rahall (D-WV), passed a floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday night with 239 votes in favor of the legislation. The bill asserts that states should have the primary responsibility for regulation of water resources within their borders, not the EPA. Passage of this bill is an attempt by Congress to reopen the permitting process for multiple industries that have been stuck in an EPA-imposed moratorium on state approved permits. As an example, nearly 200 mining permits have been trapped in EPA "limbo," without any action or decision rendered for more than two years.
"The action that we've seen from EPA has unleashed an unprecedented backlash," said House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Mica. "Everyone has called this a huge power grab by EPA and EPA has indeed created a regulatory nightmare that affects almost every state in the union." Rep. Rahall, the ranking member on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, accused EPA of "strong-arming the states" on water permits and of creating an "atmosphere of worry, of distrust and of bitterness."
"The EPA has been out of control since this Administration came to office, especially here in Appalachia. Passage of this bill offers residents throughout the region hope for some economic and job security, which the EPA has not been willing to consider," said Bryan Brown, Executive Director of West Virginia FACES of Coal. "The EPA has taken no action on nearly 200 mining permits for more than two years in Appalachia alone. It's about time Congress noticed the harm the agency is doing to West Virginia, and to our country."
Brown continued, "The leadership shown by West Virginia's Congressional delegation is very impressive and rewarding for all residents of the Mountain State. The economic uncertainty caused by the EPA and their actions has been extremely frustrating, but it is helpful and comforting to know that our elected leaders in Washington, D.C. are fighting for our jobs and for our quality of life."
The Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security (FACES of Coal) is an alliance of more than 75,000 people from all walks of life who are joining forces to educate lawmakers and the general public about the importance of coal and coal mining to our local and national economies and to our nation's energy security. In addition to keeping tens of thousands of people employed in good-paying jobs, coal is the lifeblood of our domestic energy supply, generating nearly half the electricity consumed in the United States today. Find out more at www.facesofcoal.org .
SOURCE Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security

CONTACT: Bryan Brown, +1-304-546-5500

Natural Resources Committee passes Alaska oil and gas bill

Eco-pad oil recovery in the Bakken

Billionaire Harold Hamm is convinced thereʼs 24 billion barrels of oil to be coaxed from the Bakken field of North Dakota and Montana. Continental Resources has already prospered from Hammʼs Bakken bet—shares are up 250% since early 2009. Hammʼs 72% stake is worth $8 billion. Hamm currently has 25 of the 175 rigs working the Bakken. In the past year Continental’s Bakken output has exploded 70% to 28,000 barrels per day.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Indonesian volcano erupts after red alert warning

Global temperatures were seventh warmest on record for June

July 14, 2011

Global surface temperature Anomalies - June 2011.
High Resolution (Credit: NOAA)

The globe experienced the seventh warmest June since record keeping began in 1880. The Arctic sea ice extent was the second smallest extent for June on record.
The monthly analysis from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides government, business and community leaders so they can make informed decisions.
Global Temperature Highlights: June

The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for June 2011 was the seventh warmest on record at 60.94 F (16.08 C), which is 1.04 F (0.58 C) above the 20th century average of 59.9 F (15.5 C). The margin of error associated with this temperature is +/- 0.13 F (0.07 C).
Separately, the global land surface temperature was 1.60 F (0.89 C) above the 20th century average of 55.9 F (13.3 C), which was the fourth warmest June on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.23 F (0.13 C). Warmer-than-average conditions occurred across most of Russia, Europe, and China, the Middle East, eastern Canada, Mexico, and the southern United States. Cooler-than-average regions included the northern and western United States, part of western Canada, and most of Australia.

The June global ocean surface temperature was 0.85 F (0.47 C) above the 20th century average of 61.5 F (16.4 C), making it the 10th warmest June on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.07 F (0.04 C). The warmth was most pronounced across the central north Pacific, equatorial west Pacific, the Labrador Sea, the equatorial Atlantic, and much of the mid-latitude southern oceans.
Australia had its eighth coolest average minimum temperature on record for June. The Northern Territory had its coolest average minimum temperature and eighth coolest average maximum temperature for June since records began in 1950.
June 2011 was the second warmest June for China since records began in 1951, with the temperature 1.8 F (1.0 C) above average. The northwestern province of Gansu had its warmest June on record.
New Zealand reported its third warmest June since records began in 1909, with the temperature 2.7 F (1.5 C) above the monthly average.

Global Temperature Highlights: Year to date

The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for the January – June period was 0.90 F (0.50 C) above the 20th century average of 56.3 F (13.5 C), making it the 11th warmest first six months on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.16 F (0.09 C).
The January – June worldwide land surface temperature was 1.39 F (0.77 C) above the 20th century average — the 12th warmest such period on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.36 F (0.20 C). Warmer-than-average conditions were prevalent across most of Russia and Europe, Mexico, the southern and eastern United States, most of Alaska, and northwestern Africa. Cooler-than-average regions prevailed over much of the northern United States, Southeast Asia, part of Kazakhstan and eastern Russia, northern Ukraine, and much of Australia.
The global ocean surface temperature for the year to date was 0.72 F (0.40 C) above the 20th century average and was the 11th warmest such period on record. The margin of error is +/-0.07 F (0.04 C). The warmth was most pronounced across most of the central and western Pacific, the north Atlantic near Greenland, the equatorial Atlantic, and much of the mid-latitude southern oceans.

Neither El Niño nor La Niña conditions were present during June 2011. According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, these ENSO neutral conditions are expected to continue into the Northern Hemisphere fall 2011.

Polar Sea Ice and Precipitation Highlights

The average Arctic sea ice extent during June was 9.44 percent below average, ranking as the second smallest June extent since satellite records began in 1979.

The June 2011 Antarctic sea ice extent was 0.56 percent below average and was the 12th smallest June extent since records began in 1979.

Many regions of the Arctic experienced below average ice extent during June, particularly the Kara Sea along the Siberian coast. Southern regions of the sea, which are typically ice covered by the end of June, were completely ice free.

Unseasonal rainfall was prevalent in some parts of South Africa during June. Twelve stations reported June rainfall amounts more than ten times higher than average.

Scientists, researchers and leaders in government and industry use NOAA’s monthly reports to help track trends and other changes in the world's climate. This climate service has a wide range of practical uses, from helping farmers know what and when to plant, to guiding resource managers with critical decisions about water, energy and other vital assets.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media channels.
* Included in this report: NOAA is now making it easier to find information about margins of error associated with its global temperature calculations. NCDC previously displayed this information in certain graphics associated with the report, but it will now publish these ranges in the form of “plus or minus” values associated with each monthly temperature calculation. These values are calculated using techniques published in peer-reviewed scientific literature. More information.

State Fracking Rules Could Allow Drilling Near New York City Water Supply Tunnels

from AlterNet.org by Nicholas Kusnetz, ProPublica

If the drilling rules are approved, New York City's aging water tunnels may be at risk.

A Climate-Killing Oil Pipeline May Make North America the New Middle East

from AlterNet.org by Bill McKibben, Tomdispatch.com

Unless we can convince Obama to say no to the tar sands pipeline, we're going to be igniting a massive carbon bomb.

Dramatic climate swings likely as world warms: Ancient El Niño clue to future floods

from ScienceDaily: Top Environment News

Dramatic climate swings behind both last year's Pakistan flooding and this year's Queensland floods in Australia are likely to continue as the world gets warmer, scientists predict.

Fast-shrinking Greenland glacier experienced rapid growth during cooler times

Large, marine-calving glaciers have the ability not only to shrink rapidly in response to global warming, but to grow at a remarkable pace during periods of global cooling, according to University at Buffalo geologists working in Greenland.

Link found between increased crops and deforestation in Amazon, but issue not so cut and dry

A Kansas State University geographer is part of a research team out to prove what environmental scientists have suspected for years: Increasing the production of soybean and biofuel crops in Brazil increases deforestation in the Amazon.

Lurking under Bangladesh: The next great earthquake?

After the recent great quakes that have swept away entire coastlines and cities in Japan, Haiti and Sumatra, scientists are now looking hard at the nation that may suffer the gravest threat of all: Bangladesh. A new documentary from the Earth Institute follows seismologists as they trace signs of deeply buried active faults, past movements of the earth, and sudden, catastrophic river-course changes.

Unconventional moves depend on safety record

Several years ago, analysts covering the oil industry were raising alarm bells about how the majors would be making money in the decades to come. With conventional oilfields maturing and no sign of the shale gas revolution at that point, there was pressure from shareholders for the majors to get into renewables. The majors responded by delving into projects to extract biofuels from chicken fat and soybeans. But that phase is over.

Continue reading: "Unconventional moves depend on safety record"

http://link.ft.com/r/BLH300/R33VAW/268VPS/A7VNYJ/30OO5U/82/h?a1=2011&a2=7&a3=14

EU fisheries chief seeks policy reforms

EU fisheries chief seeks policy reforms

Brussels (UPI) Jul 13, 2011 - Europe's fisheries won't survive under current policies and a new package of reforms will offer much-needed changes, the European Union's maritime affairs chief says. The European Commission was set to produce broad new proposals to modify the EU Common Fisheries Policy at a time when dwindling stocks are forcing member nations to import more and more of their fish supplies.

Global warming: study finds natural shields being weakened

Global warming: study finds natural shields being weakened

Paris (AFP) July 13, 2011 - The soil and the ocean are being weakened as buffers against global warming, in a vicious circle with long-term implications for the climate system, say two new investigations. If the seas and the land are less able to soak up or store greenhouse gases, more of these carbon emissions will enter the atmosphere, holding in even more heat from the sun. A study published in Nature on Thursday ... more

Texas cattle ranchers feel burn of record drought

Texas cattle ranchers feel burn of record drought

San Antonio, Texas (AFP) July 14, 2011 - A record drought is forcing Texas cattle ranchers to send their cows to slaughter because it's too costly to keep buying feed for herds finding little forage in parched pastures. "If I knew it would rain in the next two months, we'd buy hay or feed and carry these cows on," said Pete Bonds, who raises about 7,000 cows on his nearly 4,000-acre (1,600-hectare) ranch near Fort Worth. The pr ... more

Eco-activists destroy Australia GM wheat crop

Eco-activists destroy Australia GM wheat crop

Sydney (AFP) July 14, 2011 - Environmental activists broke into an Australian government research farm Thursday and destroyed an experimental crop of genetically-modified wheat in protest at the project's safety. Armed with weed trimmers, three Greenpeace activists scaled a fence at the Canberra facility in the early hours of the morning and razed the crop, which had been modified to lower its glycemic index. The go ... more

Deaf Fish? An Ocean Acidification Update

Not funny at all: Clownfish will have to adapt to higher levels of acid to survive. (Photo: BrianMay/Creative Commons)

Of all the threats to the planet’s ocean (climate change, plastic pollution, overfishing) none may be more insidious or have longer-term impact than acidification. It is also the least understood of all the potential harms.
Admittedly, it is far easier to visualize plastic afloat on the surface of the Pacific or vast tracts of the Atlantic nearly devoid of fish than a chemical imbalance. But it is the change of acidity which may already be the ocean’s worst enemy.
Try this for a visualization, maybe it will help: Twenty four million tons of carbon dioxide created by the burning of fossil fuels—or the equivalent of 24 million Volkswagens—are dumped into the world’s ocean every single day.
During the 20 million years before man began burning coal and oil, the acidity of the ocean was relatively stable. Over the last 250 years, the ocean has absorbed 530 billion tons of CO2, triggering a 30 percent increase in ocean acidity. Researchers predict that if carbon emissions continue at their current rate, ocean acidity will more than double by 2100.

Acidifying oceans could hit California mussels, a key species



		IMAGE: These are veliger-stage larvae of the California mussel, Mytilus californianus. Click here for more information.

Ocean acidification, a consequence of climate change, could weaken the shells of California mussels and diminish their body mass, with serious implications for coastal ecosystems, UC Davis researchers will report July 15 in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Ocean acidification will seriously impact mussel populations

Concerns for mussels as larvae will be smaller and weaker in acidic future

Since the birth of the industrial revolution, ocean pH has dropped by 0.1 units. That might not sound like much until you realise that a 0.1 unit fall is a 30% increase in acidity. And, with predictions that ocean pH will continue plummeting, ecologists are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of ocean acidification on marine populations. Brian Gaylord and his colleagues from the University of California at Davis explain that the open-coast mussel, Mytilus californianus, is a foundation species for many coastal ecosystems on the exposed northwestern coasts of North America, yet no one knew how ocean acidification might affect this keystone organism. So, the team decided to find out how a fall in pH might impinge on the earliest settlers to colonise an exposed rocky outcrop, M. californianus larvae, and publish their discovery that the larvae are significantly weakened by ocean acidification in The Journal of Experimental Biology at http://jeb.biologists.org/content/214/15/2586.abstract.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Growing Market for Biodiesel and Bio Oils

from OilPrice.com Daily News Update by james@pokemoncard.info (Brian Westenhaus)

Today biodiesel is made by the batch, a naturally less efficient way for processes to run. A continuous process would be less expensive to run, easier to manage and need less storage and product movement both in front and at the finished side. Continuous biodiesel production would get less expensive, more competitive and become more consumer friendly. Most of the technology would apply to jet fuel production as well. It’s an important and worthwhile research effort.
More bio oil is coming, too. While many still bemoan corn-based ethanol, China has caught on and is importing corn dried distillers grain (what’s left
Read more...

Green, You're a Hog Townhall.com ^ | July 7, 2011 | Bob Beauprez

Green, You're a Hog
Townhall.com ^ | July 7, 2011 | Bob Beauprez

Soil microbes accelerate global warming

Soil microbes accelerate global warming
More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes soil to release the potent greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide, new research published in this week's edition of Nature reveals. "This feedback to our changing atmosphere means that nature is not as efficient in slowing global warming as we previously thought," said Dr Kees Jan van Groenigen, Research Fellow at the Botany department at the School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, and lead author of the study.

Much warmer than the worst-case scenario?

Much warmer than the worst-case scenario?
According to a new study, it could become much warmer towards the end of the century than originally anticipated. The study has found that the average temperatures calculated are much higher than the IPCC’s worst-case scenario to date.

HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES BILL THAT FREEZES EPA GHG REGULATION

HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES BILL THAT FREEZES EPA GHG REGULATION
The Republican-led House Appropriation Committee on Monday approved an annual spending bill for fiscal year 2012 that would cut funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to $7.1 billion—18% less than requested. The bill would also suspend existing federal rules that limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from stationary sources, prohibit the agency from issuing any rules limiting GHG emissions from stationary sources, and from issuing permits containing provisions to limit GHGs emissions from stationary sources during the next fiscal year. Read More »

EPA FINALIZES CROSS-STATE AIR POLLUTION RULE

EPA FINALIZES CROSS-STATE AIR POLLUTION RULE
On July 6, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), which requires 27 states in the eastern U.S. to significantly improve air quality by reducing power plant emissions that contribute to ozone and/or fine particle pollution in other states. This rule replaces the EPA's 2005 Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). Read More »

Underwater Antarctic Volcanoes

from Earth News, Earth Science, Energy Technology, Environment News

London UK (SPX) Jul 13, 2011

Scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have discovered previously unknown volcanoes in the ocean waters around the remote South Sandwich Islands. Using ship-borne sea-floor mapping technology during research cruises onboard the RRS James Clark Ross, the scientists found 12 volcanoes beneath the sea surface - some up to 3km high.

‘Overfishing and ocean acidification have created the perfect conditions for the end of a vertebrate ecology’

Mak Lynas Debate with Matt Ridley on ocean acidification

Debate with Matt Ridley on ocean acidification

China and developing world beat Europe in green investment

Developing countries invested more in renewable energy than their developed counterparts for the first time last year, according to a report commissioned by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Investment in large-scale renewable projects such as solar and wind farms totalled $72 billion in the developing world, outstripping industrialised economies by $2 billion in 2010. China accounted for 70 per cent, pumping $50 billion into clean energy projects, mostly in the form of wind technology. Excluding the BRIC countries, the Middle East and Africa saw the biggest jump in investment, doubling to $5 billion. Udo Steffens, president of the Frankfurt School …

Continue reading: "China and developing world beat Europe in green investment"

http://link.ft.com/r/EB8122/HYY3Z0/S3NLI4/6V6EPI/306TG9/ZH/h?a1=2011&a2=7&a3=13

Markets face risk of carbon bubble After the dot.com crash and the credit crunch, investors are being warned of the potential consequences of a ‘carbon bubble’. Stock markets are sitting on vast reserves of fossil fuels that cannot be burnt if the world is to stick to climate change targets, according to research issued by the Carbon Tracker initiative. The report claims that only 20 per cent of listed carbon reserves can be used if the target of a 2 degrees Celsius rise in global temperatures is to be achieved by 2050. The 2 degree limit is based on the growing scientific consensus on limiting the …

Continue reading: "Markets face risk of carbon bubble"

http://link.ft.com/r/EB8122/HYY3Z0/S3NLI4/6V6EPI/FKWZ5G/ZH/h?a1=2011&a2=7&a3=13

North America Unconventional Gas Industry - Set to Regain Momentum Post Current Crisis

CNOOC reports another oil spill in Bohai Bay

Climate change update by the numbers Barry Brook

Climate change update by the numbers

Barry Brook | 13 July 2011 at 3:56 PM | Categories: Clim Ch Q&A, Hot News | URL: http://wp.me/piCIJ-1fx

Here are some figures to illustrate the latest global data on global warming. Data are from NCDC and GISS.
First, a 12-month running mean of global surface temperature anomalies since 1980 (i.e. for each month, an average is taken of the previous 12-month period - 'calendar year' is irrelevant):

The IPCC AR4 model results track closely with observations:

The global temperature data can be smoothed by taking an 11-year running mean (which tends to average out ENSO and solar cycles). It shows a 0.2C rise over the last decade, and is now at record levels:

A further smoothing, by taking a 22-year running mean, shows how steady the rise has been in the last few decades, when averaged over a climatically relevant period: Read more of this post

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Saturday, July 16, 2011

Dramatic Climate Swings Likely as World Warms: Ancient El Niño Clue to Future Floods

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You Can't Kill a Planet and Live on It, Too

'Ice Wars' heating up the Arctic

Functional impacts of ocean acidification in an ecologically critical foundation species

Friday, July 15, 2011

Flood and Drought

“Global Warming”

BP Makes Voluntary Gulf Of Mexico Safety Commitments

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World Renowned Experts Join Global Adaptation Institute Council of Scientific Advisers

$200 Million Lost to Legislative Inaction on Drilling Tax

Since October 2009, state has lost revenue that could have reduced cuts to schools, colleges, health services

Natural Resources Committee passes Alaska oil and gas bill

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Global temperatures were seventh warmest on record for June

Related articles

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Deaf Fish? An Ocean Acidification Update

Acidifying oceans could hit California mussels, a key species

Ocean acidification will seriously impact mussel populations

Concerns for mussels as larvae will be smaller and weaker in acidic future

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Related articles

‘Overfishing and ocean acidification have created the perfect conditions for the end of a vertebrate ecology’

CNOOC reports another oil spill in Bohai Bay