Climate change
Climate change: website reveals which homes will be swamped by rising sea levels
Coastal Risk Australia combines Google Maps with detailed tide and elevation data, as well as future sea level rise projections. For the first time, Australians can see on a map how rising sea levels will affect their house just by typing their address into a website. And they’ll soon be able to get an estimate of how much climate change will affect their property prices and insurance premiums, too.
Climate Model Predicts West Antarctic Ice Sheet Could Melt Rapidly
For half a century, climate scientists have seen the West Antarctic ice sheet, a remnant of the last ice age, as a sword of Damocles hanging over human civilization. The great ice sheet, larger than Mexico, is thought to be potentially vulnerable to disintegration from a relatively small amount of global warming, and capable of raising the sea level by 12 feet or more should it break up. But researchers long assumed the worst effects would take hundreds — if not thousands — of years to occur. (altro…)
As climate change heats up, Arctic residents struggle to keep their homes
In the spring, after the permafrost thaws and the ground settles, Wilson Andrew Sr takes a wrench to the metal pilings that hold up the foundation of his house in Atmautluak, Alaska, and makes it level again. He cranks the screws until the foundation flattens out, level with the ground. At least for now. (altro…)
Green Venture Seeks to Turn Back Clock on Carbon Emissions
A project backed by Bill Gates and a Canadian oil baron is attempting to turn back the clock on greenhouse gas emissions by snatching carbon dioxide particles out of thin air. The initiative, by Calgary, Alberta,-based Carbon Engineering Ltd., holds the prospect of powering vehicles using fuel reconstituted from tailpipe emissions, while helping to reduce greenhouse gases. (altro…)
University of Chicago professors urge fossil fuel divestment over climate change fears
More than 250 professors at the University of Chicago have called on the school to fight climate change by ridding itself of fossil fuel holdings – a gesture that would have exceptional resonance from the former home of Barack Obama and alma mater of current presidential contender Bernie Sanders. (altro…)
Supreme Court blocks Obama climate change rules
The Supreme Court on Tuesday dealt President Barack Obama a blow by moving to temporarily block his administration’s rules to limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Reacting to a lawsuit from 29 states, as well as the energy industry, justices blocked the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan from going forward while the rule is challenged in court.
Next Steps and National Climate Plans
On 12 December 2015, countries under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted the Paris Agreement. The legal nature of this new, international agreement requires the following actions and steps to bring it into force. How the large number of national climate plans will be handled in relation to the agreement is also explained below. (altro…)
Climate change fails to top list of threats for business leaders at Davos
The high profile UN summit on climate change in Paris appears to have had little impact on the decision making and worries of global business leaders. Despite concerns about its impact on extreme weather events, such as recent flooding in the UK, climate change failed to register near the top of the list of business threats,
China’s Next Steps After COP21
Hailed as one of the greatest diplomatic efforts of the past 30 years, 196 countries came to an agreement on December 12th, to take steps to reduce the risk of a global temperature rise beyond 2 degrees. An effort that once again went down to the wire, theagreement represents the start of a long road towards climate change mitigation. It’s a road that many are already calling unrealistic, but for others the agreement itself was a major achievement because it’s the first time that all the major parties, including the United States, were able to reach a consensus. (altro…)
COP21: Final push for climate deal amid ‘optimism’
Negotiators at the Paris summit aim to wrap up a global agreement to curb climate change on Saturday – a day later than expected. “We are nearly there. I’m optimistic,” said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who is chairing the summit. Efforts to forge a deal faltered on Friday, forcing the talks to overrun. (altro…)