Category Archives: subjects for further research

As sun warms slightly, earth cools slightly — wha?

The always helpful MIT/Knight Science Journalism Tracker points to a slew of stories about a counterintuitive, to say the least, study in Nature that finds that during a three-year period from 2004-2007, when solar radiation rose a little, global temperatures slightly declined. In the measured words of The Independent: The sun's role in climate changeContinue reading “As sun warms slightly, earth cools slightly — wha?”

Will reducing carbon emissions really make a difference?

Even granting that the climate is changing, reducing carbon emissions could make a huge difference when it comes to rainfall in these United States. That's according to a recent presentation by Tom Karl, director of a NOAA climate center, at a national conference in D.C. in May. But what's really shocking is how much moreContinue reading “Will reducing carbon emissions really make a difference?”

Delta earthquake risk serious, but not catastrophic: USGS

A soon-to-be-released report from the US Geological Survey finds the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta would be hit even harder by an earthquake than previously believed, but with winter rains, the Delta would also recover more quickly than was estimated in a state study just three years ago. This excellent story by Pat McBroom in The CaliforniaContinue reading “Delta earthquake risk serious, but not catastrophic: USGS”

California’s Katrina: levee failure in the Delta

Do I exaggerate? Time will tell. One similarity can't be denied: levees can fail in California, just as they failed in Louisiana. And if they do, a major disaster and economic collapse could befall our culture, just as it befell New Orleans'. If a big — 6.9 or larger — enormous earthquake hits the BayContinue reading “California’s Katrina: levee failure in the Delta”

Water Deal: Delta Savior, or Unworkable Mess?

Yours truly has been trying to make sense of the massive California water deal headed for the Governor's desk. Haven't made a whole lot of progress yet; it's so big that apparently most of the legislators who voted on it, either pro or con, didn't even try to read it. But I have come acrossContinue reading “Water Deal: Delta Savior, or Unworkable Mess?”

Bears and Minivans in Yosemite (the beta)

Fascinating study in the Journal of Mammology sent to me by a reader. The opening of the study and the headline in the Los Angeles Times agree: Minivans in Yosemite are targets for bears, maybe because they're usually inhabited by messy young children. As reporter Carla Hall put it: It's official. Those discerning car critics,Continue reading “Bears and Minivans in Yosemite (the beta)”

El Nino or El Fizzle?

This year’s boy child is looking considerably less robust than advertised just three months ago. From a typically excellent story by Rob Krier in the San Diego Union Tribune: Anyone counting on El Niño to wipe out California’s drought this winter may be counting chickens long before they’ve hatched. Long-range forecasters are less and lessContinue reading “El Nino or El Fizzle?”

California Drought, As Seen from Space

Via NASA's Terra satellite, which uses a MODIS Spectraradiometer to measure plant growth.   In the Central Valley, the drought is worst in the Westlands water district. Many in the area blame Congress for lack of water, and for the 70,000-80,000 farmworkers reported to be out of work. Interestingly, NASA talks about this in aContinue reading “California Drought, As Seen from Space”

How Do You Save A River? Easy. Make a Wetland…

The Environment Agency of the UK, after looking at climate models that predict a shocking 50-80% drop in river flows from the hard-rock west of England and Wales by 2050, are calling for drastic measures to maintain flows and species habitats. To wit (from the Telegraph): River flows across the country will be cut inContinue reading “How Do You Save A River? Easy. Make a Wetland…”