News: Archive for February, 2015
‘The developing world will rapidly increase its use of electricity in the next 15 years, and coal remains the most likely fuel to power that growth, despite carbon emissions, according to a panel of world leaders in climate policy and economics.’
via Developing World Will Grow On Coal, Climate Leaders Predict.
‘Heat waves and floods caused by climate change could mean disaster for the Big Apple’s five boroughs by the end of the century, with sea levels now predicted by a new report to climb by as much as 6 feet by 2100.’
via New York City Could See 6-Foot Sea Rise, Tripling of Heat Waves by 2100 – Scientific American.
‘A new report claims to offer “the first science-based list of global risks with a potentially infinite impact where in extreme cases all human life could end.” Those risks, the authors argue, include everything from climate change to supervolcanoes to artificial intelligence.’
via These are the 12 things most likely to destroy the world – Vox.
‘While these images are magnificent, scientists are finding flipping icebergs have become more common as the effects of climate change advance.’
via The Rather Shocking Message Behind Stunning Photos of Flipped Icebergs | One Green Planet.
‘…Certainly it is the job of the US military and the CIA to help protect our country from such threats, and it is not surprising that the CIA is interested to learn about geoengineering. In fact, the CIA opened a Center on Climate Change and National Security in 2009. When it was forced by Congress to close it in 2012, it said they would continue working on these issues anyway.’
‘…Despairing at global foot-dragging, some climate scientists now believe that a turn to Plan B is inevitable. They see it as inscribed in the logic of the situation. The council’s study begins with the assertion that the “likelihood of eventually considering last-ditch efforts” to address climate destabilization grows every year.’
‘A new UC Berkeley study shows that if biomass electricity production is combined with carbon capture and sequestration in the western United States, power generators could actually store more carbon than they emit and make a critical contribution to an overall zero-carbon future by the second half of the 21st century.’
via Electricity from biomass with carbon capture could make western U.S. carbon-negative.
‘As part of legislation the House passed authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline, the Senate attached an amendment declaring that climate change exists. The amendment passed easily, with 241 Republicans supporting it.’
via House Republicans Just Agreed Climate Change Is Real. But They Don’t Care. – NationalJournal.com.
‘Alarmed by the rapid pace of climate change, a key federal science panel is urging a major research effort into high-tech schemes that could cool the planet if prevention fails, potentially including giant machines to suck greenhouse gases from the air, aerosol sprays shot into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight back into space, and fertilizers for the ocean to boost growth of carbon-hungry plants.’
via Man-made climate change may need man-made remedies, science panel says – LA Times.
‘Apple CEO Tim Cook announced plans to build a $850 million solar energy farm in California with First Solar on Tuesday.’