This 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?
This post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.
We’re sorry that many of you had trouble getting to our pages in recent weeks. Over the long weekend, we switched to a new service that is more reliable and offers more features.
While the pages should be much faster now, there is one remaining inconvenience: If you have registered to post comments, you will need to re-register. We think everything is working smoothly (thank you, Porter!), but if you notice any other problems, please let us know.
We’re glad to have the page-loading troubles behind us, and thanks for your patience.
This post is by Carol Andress, Economic Development Specialist at Environmental Defense.
This post is part of a series on the work of the Environmental Defense Action Fund to enact an effective climate law. You can help by writing to Congress.The U.S. House of Representatives is back in session this week, and they have some important work to do.
Last month, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act (CSA) was passed out of committee in the Senate. This means that the bill now can be considered by the full Senate – an important step. But for a bill to become law in this country it has to be passed by both the House and Senate, and the House has not yet moved on climate legislation. (See our previous post for more on the legislative process.)
Before the break, the House was preoccupied with the energy bill, but that’s now been passed. Next up should be climate legislation, and support is building for it. Here’s what House members have been saying:
This post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.
Just before Christmas – after two years of stalling – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied California’s request to set its own, tougher vehicle-emissions standards. In denying the request, EPA Administrator Johnson said:
The Bush Administration is moving forward with a clear national solution – not a confusing patchwork of state rules – to reduce America’s climate footprint from vehicles."
What’s wrong with this statement? Well, among other things, the word "patchwork". Under the Clean Air Act, there are only two possible standards for motor vehicles:
A choice between two options is hardly a "confusing patchwork". So where did this idea come from?
This post is by James Wang, Ph.D., a climate scientist at Environmental Defense.
You 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.
This post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.
Yesterday, the New York Times ran a story about light bulbs. If you only read the beginning of the article, you might think it was saying that compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) have poor quality light. But in fact, its conclusion – after testing a wide array of bulbs – was that some are better than others.
It’s true – some are better than others. For information on CFLs and how they differ, check out our online guide, How to Pick a Better Bulb.
