Climate Change

If melting Glaciers shut down the Atlantic Gulf Stream, Extreme Climate Change Catastrophes will Follow

By René van Westen, Utrecht University; Henk A. Dijkstra, Utrecht University; and Michael Kliphuis, Utrecht University | – Superstorms, abrupt climate shifts and New York City frozen in ice. That’s how the blockbuster Hollywood movie “The Day After Tomorrow” depicted an abrupt shutdown of the Atlantic Ocean’s circulation and the catastrophic consequences. While Hollywood’s vision […]

Ecology

How Trees and Forests Heal us and make for Well-Being,

H. Patricia Hynes

Greenfield, Mass. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Korean scientists have confirmed that walking through forest areas improved older women’s blood pressure, lung capacity and elasticity in their arteries. Walking in an urban park with trees, or an arboretum, or a rural forest reduces blood pressure, improves cardiac-pulmonary parameters, bolsters mental health, reduces negative thoughts, […]

Climate Crisis

Old Forests are Essential for Slowing Climate Change: Prohibit Logging Them!

The Conversation

By Beverly Law, Oregon State University and William Moomaw, Tufts University | – (The Conversation) – Forests are an essential part of Earth’s operating system. They reduce the buildup of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation and land degradation by 30% each year. This slows global temperature increases and the […]

Climate Crisis

Global warming on course for Destabilizing 5.2° F. (2.9° C) Rise, UN report warns

China Dialogue

Catherine Early ( China Dialogue ) – Countries must make far greater efforts to implement their climate strategies this decade to stand a chance of keeping global temperature rise within 1.5C (2.7F) of the pre-industrial average. Continued delays will only increase the world’s reliance on uncertain carbon dioxide removal technologies (CDR), according to the UN […]

Climate Crisis

In Earth’s Hottest Year on Record, an Unprecedented 28 Billion-dollar Disasters struck US

The Conversation

By Shuang-Ye Wu, University of Dayton | – National weather analysts released their 2023 billion-dollar disasters list on Jan. 9, just as 2024 was getting off to a ferocious start. A blizzard was sweeping across across the Plains and Midwest, and the South and East faced flood risks from extreme downpours. The U.S. set an […]

Climate Crisis

Most Americans are Alarmed by Climate Emergency and Gaza Carnage, But Congress is Full of Denialists

Florida Phoenix

Diane Roberts (Florida Phoenix ) – Humans are stupid, and it’s going to get us all killed. Hang on, you say, we humans have built mighty cities, created great art, invented computers, and cured diseases. We went to the freaking moon! All true. Hooray for us. Nevertheless, we suffer from fatal short-termism. Look at Gaza: […]

Climate Crisis

Iran’s Climate Migration Crisis Could Turn Into National ‘Disaster’

Golnaz Esfandiari

By Golnaz Esfandiari and Mohammad Zarghami | – ( RFE/ RL ) – Record temperatures, prolonged droughts, and the drying up of rivers and lakes are displacing tens of thousands of Iranians each year, experts say. Many of the climate migrants are farmers, laborers, and fishermen who are moving with their families from the countryside […]

Climate Crisis

In Hottest Year on Record, Global Heating Killed a Taylor Swift Fan at Rio Concert

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that 2023 is on track to be the hottest year ever recorded, i.e. in the past 174 years. In fact, it likely is hotter than at any time in 125,000 years. Ocean-surface temperatures were also at all time highs throughout the year. Although […]

Biodiversity

Climate Change is Further reducing Fish Stocks with Worrisome Implications for Global Food Supplies

The Conversation

By Stefanie Colombo, Dalhousie University and Aaron MacNeil, Dalhousie University | – The health benefits of eating seafood are appreciated in many cultures which rely upon it to provide critical nutrients vital to our physical and mental development and health. Eating fish and shellfish provides significant benefits to neurological development and functioning and provides protection […]