Warming temperatures have been attributed to increased pine beetle outbreaks in North America over the past few decades; now new research published in Nature Geoscience suggests that the beetles may in turn contribute to warming by increasing the temperature of the forests they inhabit by about...
In The News
Sea Level Rising Faster Than Predicted
November 30, 2012 |
Environmental Research Letters
Sea level has been rising 60 percent faster than the best estimates of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) over the past two decades, according to a new study published in Environmental Research...
Governance Changes Suggested to Maintain River Health
November 30, 2012 |
Nature Climate Change
Major river basins around the world, including the Colorado River Basin, have been severely impacted by long-term usage and increased water extractions leading to reduced outflows, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change. The authors studied four major river basins: the...
U.S., Mexico Sign Colorado River Agreement
November 22, 2012 |
Department of the Interior
The United States and Mexico signed a major agreement this week aimed at guiding management of the Colorado River through 2017. This new agreement becomes part of the Law of the Colorado River, a set of agreements, compacts, laws, court decisions, and other guidelines for managing the river dating back to the Colorado River...
CA Carbon Auction a Success
November 22, 2012 |
California Air Resources Board
California’s first cap-and-trade auction of greenhouse gas allowances on November 14 was a huge success, with all of the permits allotted for this year being sold, according to the California Air Resources Board. The cap-and-trade program is an integral part of California’s plan to substantially cut the state...
NM Farmers Get Guidance for Coping with Drought
November 22, 2012 |
New Mexico State University
Move away from water-intensive crops, properly schedule irrigation, and scale back acreage to be planted: these are a few ways in which New Mexico farmers can prepare themselves for the effects of drought, according to a new publication by New Mexico State University. The authors offer suggestions on how farmers can cope with drought through...
2011 Sets Record High for Atmospheric Greenhouse Gas Concentrations
November 22, 2012 |
World Meteorological Organization
The amount of global greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere reached a record high in 2011, increasing at a rate of ~2.0 parts per million (ppm) per year, according to the this year’s edition of the annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin by the...
October Ends U.S. Warm Streak—Except in Southwest
November 16, 2012 |
NOAA
The Southwest continued to experience above-average temperatures in October, with many cities, including Phoenix, Albuquerque and Reno, experiencing October temperatures among the top ten warmest on record, according to the latest State of the Climate report from NOAA. Temperatures across the contiguous U.S., however, were slightly...
Climate Change Increases Stress on Grazed Lands
November 16, 2012 |
Environmental Management
Western land managers should consider removing or reducing livestock on public lands, as well as native ungulates such as deer and elk, in order to make these lands less susceptible to climate change impacts, according to a new report published in the journal Environmental Management. Climate change is putting...
Decreased Snowpack Will Impact Western U.S.
November 16, 2012 |
Nature
Snow-dependent regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including the western U.S., are predicted to experience increased stress from low snow years within the next 30 years, according to a recent report in Nature. Using the newest climate model available, the authors found that over the next few...