In The News

Climate Change Underestimated: Scientific American

Naomi Oreskes, Michael Oppenheimer and Dale Jamieson August 20, 2019
Researchers have revised methods for measuring ocean surface temperatures, with the help of reliable measurement buoys. Thus, revisions in the historical data are in order. Because oceans cover three fifths of the planet, researchers’ estimates were low, and climate warming and melting of polar ice is happening at a faster pace than once predicted. “These recent updates, suggesting that climate...

China Revises Conservation List: Sixth Tone

Li You August 10, 2019
China is reviewing its list of protected wildlife and plans to expand the number of species under protection. The draft includes more than 700 terrestrial species of which 185 will receive priority protection. “While animals with first-level status receive greater protections and cannot be captured without a permit from a national-level wildlife department, animals with second-level status can be...

Looming Water Crises: New York Times

Somini Sengupta and Weiyi Cai August 6, 2019
About 25 percent of the world’s human population confronts severe water shortages. The Water Resources Institute reports that 17 nations are under extremely high water stress. Reasons for shortages vary including waste, pollution and excessive reliance on groundwater. “Climate change heightens the risk,” report Somini Sengupta and Weiyi Cai for the New York Times. “As rainfall becomes more...

Heatwaves Are Killing People: The Economist

July 26, 2019
Europe and the United States are contending with record temperatures. The Economist argues that governments should prepare populations for heat waves which can exacerbate illnesses and produce death tolls equal or greater to floods or storms, albeit over the course of a few days. Fortunately, with accurate and early forecasts, governments can alert people to people to stay indoors, seek cool...

18 Months to Save the Planet: BBC News

Matt McGrath July 25, 2019
The world, despite three decades of warnings, has procrastinated on climate change. To protect the planet, the world should take decisive steps to reduce carbon emissions before the end of 2020, some researchers suggest, and even then restoration will not be immediate. “One of the understated headlines in last year's IPCC report was that global emissions of carbon dioxide must peak by 2020...

The Amazon Belongs to Everyone: Project Syndicate

Danielle Hanna Rached July 23, 2019
Leaders often reject advice on how to manage development or resources within their national borders, yet the effects of pollution or resource depletion can have global consequences. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro contends that the Amazon is Brazil’s to exploit. “His promotion of the rainforest’s development and attacks on environmental regulation have led, for example, to the expansion of...

Climate Fluctuations and Crops: Science Daily

July 11, 2019
The agriculture industry must contend with volatile weather patterns. A study from Columbia University's International Research Institute for Climate and Society, the International Food Policy Research Institute and other partners has determined that crop failures in distant parts of the world may be related, with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation responsible for simultaneous crop failures in...