Climate Crisis

Busan, S. Korea, constructing Solar-Powered Artificial Biorock Island to replace Coastal land lost to Sea Level Rise

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – UN Habitat, the municipality of Busan in South Korea, and the company OCEANIX are responding to the challenge of sea-level rise by building an artificial floating city off the coast of the country’s second-largest city. A prototype is expected to be in the water as early as 2025. Although a […]

Climate Crisis

Desertification and Land Degradation now Affects 50% of World’s Population, Economy: UN

China Dialogue

By Catherine Early | – ( China Dialogue ) – A “crisis footing” is needed to conserve, restore and use land sustainably, according to a major report that warns of food supply disruptions, forced migration and rapid biodiversity loss. Unless countries scale up action, there will also be a higher risk of zoonotic diseases like […]

Climate Crisis

Climate Crisis: Hoover Dam’s Lake Mead, Water and Electricity Source for West, May become a Dead Pool

The Conversation

By Robert Glennon, University of Arizona | – Journalists reporting on the status and future of the Colorado River are increasingly using the phrase “dead pool.” It sounds ominous. And it is. Dead pool occurs when water in a reservoir drops so low that it can’t flow downstream from the dam. The biggest concerns are […]

Climate Crisis

Renewables provide 50% of German electricity in 1st quarter ’22 as Berlin Seeks Escape from Russian Gas

Clean Energy Wire

By Edgar Meza | – ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Renewable energy sources accounted for 50 percent of electricity consumption in Germany in the first quarter of 2022 – around nine percentage points more than in the same period last year, according to a report by the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research […]

Climate Crisis

Climate-Driven Drought has risen 29% this Century, will create 216 mn. Refugees by 2050: UN

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The UN Convention to Combat Desertification issued a new report, “Drought in Numbers 2022 on Friday, warning of the dangers of the climate emergency for further desertification and wildfires and massive loss of human life. “The report warns that The number and duration of droughts has increased by 29 percent […]

Climate Crisis

Climate Change isn’t just making Cyclones worse, it’s making the Floods they cause worse too

The Conversation

By Laurence Hawker, University of Bristol; Dann Mitchell, University of Bristol; and Natalie Lord, University of Bristol | – Super cyclones, known as hurricanes or typhoons in different parts of the world, are among the most destructive weather events on our planet. Although wind speeds within these storms can reach 270 km/h, the largest loss […]

Climate Crisis

The window of opportunity to address increasing Climate-Driven drought is vanishing

The Conversation

By Margot Hurlbert, University of Regina | – Chile, Argentina and the American West are in the midst of a decade-long, megadrought — the driest conditions those regions have seen in a century. And many areas in Western Canada and the United States are experiencing extreme drought — a once in 20-year event. Drought makes […]

Climate Crisis

Wind and Solar generate Fully 20% of US Electricity in April for First time as Renewables Jump to 26.5%

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The United States generates 6.5% of its electricity from dams, producing hydroelectricity, mainly in the West. Up until about a decade ago, that was the major renewable source of electricity in the country. In 2021, the total proportion of renewables in the US energy mix was 20%, i.e. 13.5% came […]

Climate Crisis

Protecting Biodiversity – and making it Accessible – has paid off for Costa Rica

The Conversation

By Alejandra Echeverri Ochoa, Stanford University and Jeffrey R. Smith