/ Global Warming

• How High Could Temperatures Rise

  In the ancient past temperatures on Earth appeared to have been much warmer than today. It is possible that temperatures may rise as high as then based on current climate change projections. The new study, by National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) scientist Jeffrey Kiehl, will appear as a Perspectives piece in this week’s issue of the journal Science. Building on recent research, the study examines the relationship between global temperatures and high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere tens of millions of years ago. It warns that, if carbon dioxide emissions continue at their current rate through the…

• The Big Winners in the Climate Change Money Game

  The amount of money being spent on climate change research this year is astounding. I urge you to read the document yourself. Here is the question to take away: what are we getting for the billions of dollars we've spent? When 2011 is over will we look back at the published research and be satisfied with how our billions have been spent? This type of spending has occurred for some time, and what do we have to show for it? Multiple federal agencies having multi-hundred million dollar budgets in the same (controversial) field is wasteful. Let's make sure 2011 is…

• Rivers are a Major Contributor to Greenhouse Gases

  Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is a chemical compound with the formula N2O. At room temperature, it is a colorless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas, accounting for around 6% of the estimated heating effect of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. According to 2006 data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, industrial sources make up only about 20% of human caused industrial sources. Other human activity may account for 30%; tropical soils and oceanic release account for 70%. Human-caused nitrogen loading to river networks is a potentially important…

• Cancun Climate Talks Prove Sceptics Wrong, But There is Still a Long Way to Go

  The modest achievements of last week's climate talks in Mexico must not create a false sense of complacency. Ever since the high-profile collapse of last year's climate talks in Copenhagen, expectations for this year's meeting in Cancun, Mexico, had been low. In Copenhagen, failure was triggered partly by an inability to bridge the gap between the demands of the developing world and the concessions offered by the developed world. The negotiating process itself suffered the biggest damage. Political differences and the resulting acrimonious fallout led some to conclude that climate change is an issue too complex for a multilateral body…

• Deep Divide Over Kyoto Protocol Causing Trouble in Cancun

  UN climate talks in Cancún are making progress towards a future agreement, but a deep divide over the Kyoto Protocol is souring the prospects for a positive conclusion to this round of negotiations. Negotiators have described a constructive atmosphere in the talks that began in the Mexican city on 29 November, in contrast to the disarray and conflict that marred last year’s Copenhagen conference. But as the talks near their conclusion on Friday, positions have hardened and threats to a deal have emerged. “Some important decisions are ripe for adoption: on protecting forests, on climate adaptation, technology and some elements…

• Future of UN climate talks hangs in the balance in Cancun

  The role of the UN in crafting an international response to climate change hangs in the balance, as negotiations commence in Cancún amid low expectations for progress. Invoking the Mayan goddess of the moon Ixchel, Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), called for a “balanced outcome” from Cancún, but few observers are expecting more than limited progress to ensure that negotiations move forward. According to the president of the Conference of the Parties, Mexican foreign minister Patricia Espinosa, governments meeting in Mexico this week and next can reach a deal on action to…

• The Compost Bomb: Peat and Global Warming

  Peat, or turf, is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world. Peat has a high carbon content and can burn under low moisture conditions. Once ignited by the presence of a heat source, it smolders. These smoldering fires can burn undetected for very long periods of time (months, years and even centuries) propagating in a creeping fashion through the underground peat layer. The rate of global warming could lead to a rapid release of carbon…

• The Impact Climate Change has on Food Supplies

  Understanding how carbon dioxide impacts food quality is vital to tackle malnutrition effectively, says agricultural researcher Lewis Ziska. Researchers are focusing much attention on how to adapt agriculture to ensure steady food supplies in the face of climate change. But it is equally important to preserve the quality of these supplies as well as the quantity. Researchers, policymakers and the public are increasingly aware that climate uncertainty — characterised by shifting rainfall patterns, increased desertification and warming temperatures — threatens to decrease people's ability to grow food sustainably in many parts of the developing world. But few know that rising…

• CO2 Emissions Increase in 2010

  During the heart of the recession in 2009, CO2 emissions fell as economic activity slowed. Now that the world is seeing modest signs at recovery, the pace of economic activity has picked up and so have the CO2 emissions. According to a new study from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, the planet may reach record levels of emissions by the end of the year. The study also involved the University of East Anglia and other international institutions, and is part of the Global Carbon Project, which annually updates CO2 greenhouse gas emissions totals. The paper, authored by…

• Climate Change Threatens Economic Disruption Greater than the Financial Meltdown

  More than 250 of the world’s leading investors have issued an impassioned plea for policy action ahead of the UN climate talks this month, warning that inaction will risk economic disruptions “far more severe” than the global financial crisis. A statement signed by 259 investors representing more than $15 trillion in assets, including heavyweights HSBC, Allianz, Deutsche Bank and Swiss Re, called on UN negotiators and the new US Congress to implement national and international strategies to foster private sector investment in the low-carbon economy. At the Cancún climate talks, the group is hoping for progress in a number of…