What if it is too late to save the climate by cutting greenhouse gas emissions? What if the amount of carbon dioxide already added to the atmosphere by human activity is so great that it is going to produce big temperature changes no matter what, with big shifts in rainfall and in ocean chemistry? Options…
Continued inefficient use of water could threaten Europe’s economy, productivity and ecosystems, a report has warned. The European Environment Agency (EEA) said that the continent’s water resources were under pressure and things were getting worse. It said limited supplies were being wasted, and nations had to implement existing legislation more effectively.
General Electric has brushed aside the doubts leading Republican presidential contenders have raised about climate science. The U.S. industrial and financial conglomerate said it had long seen climate change as a valid concern after an internal evaluation of the scientific case in 2005. “We found enough data there to have a company like GE respond…
Consumer products such as shampoos and sunscreens, even ones touted as safer, may contain potentially harmful chemicals not listed on their labels, according to a recent study that tested dozens of them. Chemicals that disrupt hormones or affect asthma were found in all 42 of conventional products sampled, as well as in most — 32…
Fearing that climate change could wipe out their entire Pacific archipelago, the leaders of Kiribati are considering an unusual backup plan: moving the populace to Fiji.
Nationwide, gardeners have been experimenting with their newly assigned plant hardiness zones, a guide provided by the USDA that maps how well a plant will survive winter temperatures in a certain region. The map divides regions into different growing zones based on the average lowest temperature. Since the 1960s, growers have used it as a…
Google is stepping up wind-power purchases to reduce emissions, even as it devotes most of its renewable energy investments to sun-related projects, a trade-off aimed at reining in costs as the company seeks higher returns. Google drew 30 percent of the energy it consumed last year from renewable sources, virtually all of it from wind,…
In his Dot Earth blog, Andrew Revkin writes about Jonathan Foley, director of the Institute of the Environment at the University of Minnesota, and a scientist on the leading edge of climate change analysis: Foley proposes an end run around paralyzing climate disputes by focusing on energy and forest policies with multiple benefits and on…
The fringes of Antarctica are being invaded by alien plants and tiny animals, scientists have found. Researchers scoured the clothes and boots of tourists and scientists visiting the continent and found that most were carrying plant seeds. The research team says the plants are likely to spread as the climate warms, estimating that about 70,000…
The climate is getting worse for wind-power companies, which are finding it increasingly difficult to attract venture backers. Investment in U.S. turbine farms and wind-energy businesses tumbled 38 percent last year to $9.7 billion, according to data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Venture capitalists have practically left the sector altogether. They invested only $177.6 million…