Global Climate Change


Carbon Foam: The Key Ingredient of a Greener Battery?

A lighter, greener, cheaper, longer-lasting battery. Who wouldn’t want that?

Prairie Soil May Provide Answers to Countering Climate Change

Explaining the purchase of a hundred pounds of dry ice to the authorities might be a bit awkward for some people; however, for Ari Jumpponen, associate professor of biology at Kansas State University, it's just another day as a scientist.

Americans Using More Fossil Fuels

American energy use went back up in 2010 compared to 2009, when consumption was at a 12-year low.

Northern Forests Gain More Ground Due to Climate Change

Holm oaks and other forests in lowland areas of Mediterranean mountains could expand by up to 350 percent due to global warming. In contrast, those forest formations that are more adapted to cold and humid conditions, such as beech and Sylvester pines, could shrink by up to 99 percent.

Wind Energy Lessens Under Heat Wave Conditions

During the summer 2003, high temperatures and drought conditions in Europe led to a reduction of the wind force with direct consequences on the wind energy power, reduced by 22 percent. The study was recently published in Journal of Climate.

Stalled Weather Systems More Frequent in Decades of Warmer Atlantic

Slow-moving winter weather systems that can lead to massive snowfalls are more frequent during the decades when the North Atlantic Ocean is warmer than usual, a new NASA study finds. The study demonstrates that the impacts of such systems, which are often fueled by an atmospheric phenomenon known as atmospheric blocking, go far beyond the atmosphere and can trigger changes in ocean circulation.

Climate Change Affects Ants and Biodiversity

Some people may consider them pests, but ants are key to many plants’ survival.

Penn State Research Finds Humans and Climate Contributed to Extinctions of Large Ice-Age Mammals

Both climate change and humans were responsible for the extinction of some large mammals, according to research that is the first of its kind to use genetic, archeological, and climatic data together to infer the population history of large Ice-Age mammals.



Tips Tuesday: Winter Energy Efficiency Tips from Energy Star

The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping - do you know what that means? Time to break out the coats and turtle necks for the winter season. It can also mean increased energy consumption and higher electricity bills for businesses and consumers.

Bacterial Communication Could Affect Earth's Climate

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) scientists have discovered that bacterial communication could have a significant impact on the planet's climate.

Tips Tuesday: Tips for a Green Autumn Season

As the leaves change and temps drop, the crisp autumn air brings a whole new load of waste possibilities with the new season. As opposed to the scorching summer months coupled with UV rays that dry lawns and surge kilowatts of electricity through homes for cooling, fall brings gutter clutter and leaf waste – not to mention high kilowatt usage in parts of the world prone to freezing temps.

Changes in Rainfall Patterns are Projected for Next 30 Years

Manoa have projected an increased frequency of heavy rainfall events but a decrease in rainfall intensity during the next 30 years (2011-2040) for the southern shoreline of Oahu, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

Liquid Catalyst Converts Emissions into Fuel

An Illinois research team has succeeded in overcoming one major obstacle to a promising technology that simultaneously reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide and produces fuel.

New Study Shows How Trees Clean the Air

New research shows how trees can improve air quality by filtering out pollution particulates, which are damaging to human health.

China's CO2 Emission Increases Substantially

Constructing buildings, power plants and roads has driven a substantial increase in China's CO2 emission growth.

Rethinking the Connection Between Soil as a Carbon Reservoir and Global Climate Change

Research suggests soil environment determines humus depletion, which means the question as to how soils respond to global climate change needs to be readdressed.

Physicists Examine Their Own Carbon Footprint

In October's issue of Physics World, Phil Marshall, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford, calls on physicists to pull their weight when it comes to climate change, drawing on his own research showing that astronomers average 23,000 air miles per year flying to observatories, conferences and meetings, and use 130 KWh more energy per day than the average U.S. citizen.

Nuclear Power Has Prevented 40M Metric Tons of CO2 Emissions

More than 10 years after electricity deregulation, the nuclear power industry has decreased greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 40 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and saved $2.5 billion a year as a result of operating more efficiently over the past decade, according to a new study.

High Air, Water Quality Are Key to a More-Pleasant Beach Vacation

People head to the beach to escape the stress of everyday life, but a new study out of the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis finds that there are peak times to reap the restorative benefit.

Research Suggests Global Warming Could Cause Animals to Shrink

The way in which global warming causes many of the world’s organisms to shrink has been revealed by new research from Queen Mary, University of London.