Open access to the voluminous body of climate data—from paleoclimate records to model simulations--is needed in order for society to adequately respond to future climate challenges, according to a group of climate scientists writing in the journal Science. In their perspective piece, they state that climate...
In The News
Climate Change and Ozone Recovery Are Linked
February 23, 2011 |
United Nations Environment Programme
The most recent assessment of stratospheric ozone depletion by the Scientific Assessment Panel of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has found evidence that climate change strongly impacts ozone recovery.
Greenhouse gas-induced changes in circulation patterns over the Arctic are...
Climate Change Killing Old-Growth Western Forests
February 23, 2011 |
Denver Post
“Forests at Risk: Climate Change & the Future of the American West,” a symposium held last week in Aspen, CO, provided a scientific perspective on how climate change is altering the landscape of western American forests. Speakers...
House Cuts Funding for IPCC
February 23, 2011 |
ScienceInsider
The U.S. House of Representatives passed their budget for FY2011 on Saturday, which eliminates all funding for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, according to ScienceInsider. Last...
Increased Greenhouse Gases Intensify Precipitation
February 23, 2011 |
Nature
A new study published in the journal Nature concludes that increases in greenhouse gas concentrations are causing more extreme precipitation events over two-thirds of the land in the Northern Hemisphere, including the Southwest United States. The scientists looked at real-world observations as well...
Offshore Wind Development Spinning Along
February 14, 2011 |
U.S. Department of Energy
A new federal plan to accelerate development of wind energy was unveiled last week. The coordinated, interagency National Offshore Wind Strategy will invest $50.5 million toward technology development, such as wind turbine and drivetrain engine design, as well as removing market barriers to make...
Mexico to Bank Water in Lake Mead
February 14, 2011 |
San Diego Union-Tribune
In a collaborative effort, Mexico and the U.S. have reached an agreement that will allow Mexico to store its portion of Colorado River water in Lake Mead until key irrigation infrastructure is repaired, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Many irrigation canals were damaged in...
Dry January for Southwest
February 14, 2011 |
NOAA
According to NOAA’s State of the Climate report, while much of the northeastern U.S. experienced high snowfall last month, the Southwest experienced drier then average conditions. New Mexico had the driest January on record, while Arizona and Nevada had the second driest January on record. Overall, January 2011 is now tied...
AZ Snowpack Down
February 14, 2011 |
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Last month’s low precipitation across Arizona produced below average snowpack conditions across the state, according to the AZ Basin Outlook Report released by the Natural Resource Conservation Service. Snowpack, measured as snow-water equivalent (SNE), stands at...
Ancient Trees Shed Light on Pre-Hispanic Mexico
February 8, 2011 |
American Geophysical Union
A new 1,238-year-long tree-ring chronology from an area northeast of Mexico City, developed by University of Arkansas at Fayetteville researchers, sheds light on the link between drought and the fall of pre-Hispanic civilizations in Mesoamerica. The research, to be published in...