Friday, August 3, 2018

State of the Climate Report Confirms Planet Has Entered 'New Neighborhood' of Global Temperatures


EcoWatch
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the results of what it calls the "annual checkup for the planet" Wednesday, and the patient is not doing well. More here.

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Canada, U.S. governments watching, but not intervening, in coal mine pollution controversy


The Narwhal
U.S. officials accused Canada of omitting information on selenium pollution flowing from B.C.’s Elk Valley into Montana waters. Story here.

For Marine Life, New Threats from a Fast-Tracked Canadian Pipeline


Yale Environment 360
A new Canadian government-backed pipeline that will triple the amount of thick Alberta tar sands oil flowing to a British Columbia port poses significant risks for a threatened population of killer whales and other coastal marine life. Story here.

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Unsurvivable heatwaves could strike heart of China by end of century


The Guardian
The most populous region of the biggest polluter on Earth – China’s northern plain – will become uninhabitable in places if climate change is not curbed. Story here.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Extreme global weather is 'the face of climate change' says leading scientist


The
Guardian
A farm family is isolated by widespread flooding in Saskatchewan, Canada. Circa 2005. PinP photo.
Prof Michael Mann declares the impacts of global warming are now ‘playing out in real-time.’  Story here.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Rivers in the Sky: How Deforestation Is Affecting Global Water Cycles


Yale Environment 360
Producing charcoal in the rainforest.
By User Kelberul on de.wikipedia 
A growing body of evidence indicates that the continuing destruction of tropical forests is disrupting the movement of water in the atmosphere, causing major shifts in precipitation that could lead to drought in key agricultural areas in China, India, and the U.S. Midwest. Story here.

How TransAlta used a university-sanctioned research project to lobby for the coal industry


CBC news
Energy giant TransAlta paid the University of Alberta $54,000 to hand-pick one of its researchers to produce a study and other materials it used to lobby the provincial government to try to protect the coal industry, documents obtained by CBC News reveal. Story here.

Monday, July 23, 2018

‘Powerful Evidence’ of Global Warming’s Effect on Seasons Found in Troposphere


EcoWatch
Scientists studying the troposphere—the lowest level of the atmosphere—have found "powerful evidence" that climate change is altering seasonal temperatures. More here.

Sunday, July 22, 2018

Sahara dust may make you cough, but it's a storm killer


Texas A&M University
The bad news: Dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa -- totaling a staggering 2 to 9 trillion pounds worldwide -- has been almost a biblical plague on Texas and much of the Southern United States in recent weeks. The good news: the same dust appears to be a severe storm killer. More here.

Friday, July 20, 2018

Wildfires rage in Arctic Circle as Sweden calls for help


The Guardian
Sweden worst hit as hot, dry summer sparks unusual number of fires, with at least 11 in the far north. More here.

Is B.C. headed for another devastating summer of wildfires?


Canada’s

National
Observer

Ashcroft Reserve wildfire as seen across Loon Lake, BC. July 2017 Photo by Shawn Cahill.
With warm weather, a high snowpack and floodwaters rising throughout the province, it may seem like B.C. is set to repeat last year’s weather patterns, which led to a catastrophic summer of fires. But it’s still too early to reliably predict…. More here.