Am reviewing expert science reporter Linda Marsa's Fevered, about a hotter planet and what that means for human health. (Spoiler: It's not great news, although "heat adaptation" is possible in many cases.) Though I'm not yet finished, must say I'm impressed with this book. Perhaps the best climate change book I've read since Tim Flannery'sContinue reading “Fevered: Global warming facts you probably don’t know”
Tag Archives: heat wave
New Mexico conifer forests gone by 2050: Scientist
The pine forests of New Mexico have been around since the Pleistocene, but they're not going to be around much longer, according to a scientist named Nate McDowell at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. For as long as there have been forests, there have been droughts,” [McDowell] said. “But the droughts we’re experiencing now areContinue reading “New Mexico conifer forests gone by 2050: Scientist”
19 firefighters in Arizona killed in wildfire/heat wave
Global warming casulties? Story at the top of the front page of the New York Times doesn't mention the heat wave, which drovetemperatures to 120 degrees in Phoenix, nor any possible link to global warming, but does note that since 1955, a total of 21 firefighters have died battling fires in Arizona. Which means thisContinue reading “19 firefighters in Arizona killed in wildfire/heat wave”
An “intensification of the hydrological cycle”: CA
This is a scientific cliche describing a central fact of climate change. A warmer atmosphere can hold more water, about 4% more, which leads to more extreme weather. It's an idea that Kevin Trenbeth, who has published more than 400 scientific papers in climatology, has for a decade been translating into conversational English as "the wetsContinue reading “An “intensification of the hydrological cycle”: CA”
Is Earth d**med? AGU scientist Jason Box wants to know
Credit where credit is due: Brilliant story on this year's AGU by Jonathan Mingle in Slate. Many of us have wondered at some point in almost precisely these terms: “Is Earth F**ked?” But it’s not the sort of frank query you expect an expert in geomorphology to pose to his colleagues as the title ofContinue reading “Is Earth d**med? AGU scientist Jason Box wants to know”
Killer heat wave breaks Dust Bowl-era records
It's "folly" to blame the killer heat wave blanketing the eastern United States under misery on global warming, says climate change denier Anthony Watts, because, after all, the entire globe isn't suffering a heat wave. No, seriously: The is weather, not climate. It is caused by a persistent blocking high pressure pattern. In a day orContinue reading “Killer heat wave breaks Dust Bowl-era records”
Massive heat wave linked to Colorado fires heading east
At what point do we start to notice that our new climate isn't improved? Massive heat wave moving East: Washington Post
Still w/the Midwest heatwave: Climate Change? Yes or no?
Probably yes, the recent heat wave in the Midwest can be attributed to global warming, write Stefan Rahmstorf and Dim Coumou for RealClimate. They conclude their statistical discussion with: …let’s take the most simple case of a normal distribution that is shifted towards the warm end by a given amount – say one standard deviation. Then,Continue reading “Still w/the Midwest heatwave: Climate Change? Yes or no?”
Midwestern Heat Wave: Attribute to global warming?
A Climate Central reporter tries to tease out the contribution of climate change to the unprecedented heat wave in the Midwest, mentioned above, but the attribution studies have yet to be done, and many questions remain. For instance, the extraordinary leap in temperatures this month in places like Michigan is due in part to theContinue reading “Midwestern Heat Wave: Attribute to global warming?”
Climate: If it’s not a crisis, newspapers can’t be bothered
Talked to my mom last night, and mentioned to her that the Midwest is experiencing a heat wave the likes of which no one alive has ever really seen. The experts have been floored for a week. It's "unprecedented." Thousands of records broken. Jeff Masters' weather historian: "It's almost like science fiction –" BillContinue reading “Climate: If it’s not a crisis, newspapers can’t be bothered”
Kit Stolz 