Climate 411

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.

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Posted in Basic Science of Global Warming / Read 3 Responses

How to Pick a Better Bulb

By Sheryl Canter / Published: January 11, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis 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.

Posted in News / Read 2 Responses

Congestion Pricing Back in the News

By Andy Darrell / Published: January 10, 2008

Andy DarrellThis post is by Andy Darrell, Regional Director for the Living Cities program at Environmental Defense.

There are way too many cars in New York City – no question about that. Congestion pricing – charging a fee to cars entering the city – is a simple and effective solution.

But some people weren’t so sure about this when Mayor Bloomberg first proposed the plan. So last summer, a commission – on which I serve – was formed to study the issue and make recommendations.

Today, after six months of intensive research, public hearings and debate, we released a draft of our recommendations. And we want your feedback.

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Posted in Cars and Pollution / Read 2 Responses

Our Best Posts on the Basic Science of Global Warming

By Sheryl Canter / Published: January 9, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

When we first launched the Climate 411 blog, we posted a lot of useful articles on the basic science of climate change. I often want to link to them in other posts, but I have trouble finding them. If I have trouble finding them, you all certainly must, so here are the links, all in one place.

The Greenhouse Effect Explained
The Water Vapor Fallacy
Picturing a ton of CO2
Picturing 21 Million Barrels of Oil

How We Know Humans Cause Global Warming
1. A 175-year-old Puzzle
2. What Chemistry Tells Us
3. Causes of Past Climate Change
4. The Medieval Warming Period
5. The Only Explanation Left

Action Needed to Stop Global Warming
1. How Warm is Too Warm?
2. Worldwide Emissions Target
3. U.S. Emissions Target
4. Technologies to Get Us There

Posted in Basic Science of Global Warming / Read 1 Response

How Much Water Do You Use?

By Sheryl Canter / Published: January 8, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

water dropsWhen you save water, you save energy – and vice versa. Carbon calculators can give you some idea of your carbon footprint, but most don’t take into account your water usage. How much water do you use? Now you can find out.

A new Web site, H2O Conserve, offers an H2O Calculator. I tried it, and it said I used 479.88 gallons per day (I do?). The average American uses 1189.3 gallons of water per day, so I guess it’s not as bad as it sounds.

The site also includes a comprehensive tips section for learning how to use less water.

Posted in News / Read 1 Response

Picturing 21 Million Barrels of Oil

By Sheryl Canter / Published: January 7, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

 

Site member border2 posted this idea to our Suggestion Box:

I think it could be useful/interesting to have some sort of a comparison or perspective of how much oil is being consumed by the U.S. and the world. … Like every x number of minutes the U.S. consumes x number of Olympic-size swimming pools of oil. I really don’t have a concept of the massive amount of oil we are using – x barrels of oil doesn’t translate into something I can plug into my world.

I put this question to one of our numbers experts, Noah Greenberg, and here’s what he told me.

Read More »

Posted in Energy / Read 2 Responses