Climate 411

Sequestering Carbon Deep Within the Earth

By Scott Anderson / Published: March 3, 2008

Scott AndersonThis post is by Scott Anderson, an attorney and senior policy advisor at the Environmental Defense Fund. It’s the second in a three-part series on carbon sequestration – storing carbon or carbon dioxide (CO2) in soils, trees, geological formations, and oceans.

1. Biological Sequestration
2. Geological Sequestration
3. Ocean Sequestration

To stop global warming, the U.S. must substantially move away from carbon-emitting fossil fuels to clean renewable energy. But a transition of this magnitude takes time. Right now this country is heavily dependent on coal for electricity, and traditional coal plants are none too clean.

How do we stop global warming while renewable technologies to meet our energy needs are still under development? Part of the answer may lie in an emerging transition technology called Carbon dioxide (CO2) Capture and Storage (CCS). The idea behind CCS is to capture the CO2 from industrial processes like coal plants, and then store it in deep geological formations.

Read More »

Also posted in Geoengineering / Authors: / Read 9 Responses

2 Key Climate Terms to Know

By Lisa Moore / Published: February 29, 2008

Lisa MooreThis post is by Lisa Moore, Ph.D., a scientist in the Climate and Air program at Environmental Defense.

Scientists use some technical terms in discussing climate change that can cause confusion. Two that are especially useful to know are "forcing" and "feedback".

You’ll hear these terms a lot in discussions of how human activity impacts climate – and especially when the topic turns to the melting Arctic. If you know what they mean, you’ll have a much better understanding of the dynamics behind climate change.

Read More »

Also posted in Basic Science of Global Warming / Read 6 Responses

Does Global Warming Affect Tornadoes?

By Lisa Moore / Published: February 7, 2008

Lisa MooreThis post is by Lisa Moore, Ph.D., a scientist in the Climate and Air program at Environmental Defense.

Tornado in Manhattan, Kansas, 31-May-1949, from NOAAYesterday, an unusually ferocious winter tornado system killed at least 55 people in five Southern states, and destroyed over a thousand homes and businesses. Usually tornadoes touch down for 20 minutes then come back up, but these were rare "long-track" tornadoes that stayed on the ground for 30 to 50 miles.

Lots of recent research indicates that global warming increases the intensity of hurricanes. Could it also affect tornadoes? It’s too early to tell, but scientists are starting to look.

Read More »

Also posted in Extreme Weather / Read 3 Responses

Storms May Be Fewer, But Still More Fierce

By Lisa Moore / Published: January 28, 2008

Lisa MooreThis post is by Lisa Moore, Ph.D., a scientist in the Climate and Air program at Environmental Defense.

Last week, scientists published a study about global warming and hurricanes in the U.S. The authors found a weak downward trend in the number of landfalling U.S. hurricanes, but concluded that future trends will depend on the spatial distribution of ocean warming.

In its coverage of the study, the Miami Herald said that "global warming actually is diminishing the number of hurricanes that strike Florida and the rest of the United States – and the phenomenon is likely to continue." This is not exactly what the study said. Here’s the full scoop.

Atlantic Hurricanes
Atlantic hurricane tracks, 1980-2005.

Read More »

Also posted in Extreme Weather / Comments are closed

Antarctic Ice: Growing or Shrinking?

By Lisa Moore / Published: January 22, 2008

Lisa MooreThis post is by Lisa Moore, Ph.D., a scientist in the Climate and Air program at Environmental Defense.

On January 13, Nature Geoscience published an article that reports large increases in ice loss from West Antarctica over the past 10 years. It’s a sobering result that’s in line with earlier, independent studies.

But then why do some people say that Antarctic ice is growing?

Read More »

Also posted in Arctic & Antarctic / Read 7 Responses

Drought, Deserts, and Shifting Global Winds

By James Wang / Published: January 14, 2008

James WangThis post is by James Wang, Ph.D., a climate scientist at Environmental Defense.

Lake PowellYou may have heard about the persistent droughts in the western U.S., Australia, and other regions. The Upper Colorado River Basin is experiencing a protracted, multi-year drought that started in 1999. Australia’s record drought is threatening the livelihood of traditional farmers and ranchers.

At what point does a passing drought become a permanent shift to desert conditions, and why would such a thing happen?

It can happen because of global warming. Climate change can alter global winds, the strength and location of high and low pressure systems, and other climate factors.

Read More »

Also posted in Basic Science of Global Warming / Read 3 Responses