Researchers find repeated link between volcanic eruptions and dynastic collapse in China’s Imperial Era
Volcanic eruptions may have triggered abrupt climate changes contributing to the repeated collapse of Chinese dynasties over the past 2,000 years, according to new research published today [Thursday, 11 November 2021]. The study also illustrates how volcanic eruptions can profoundly impact vulnerable or unstable regions and highlights the need to prepare for future eruptions. The […]
What’s Healthcare’s Role in Combating the Climate Crisis?
Amid the U.N.’s climate summit in Glasgow this week, global leaders have made commitments to slash greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to combat the climate crisis. Officials have pledged to support a few green initiatives at the COP26 conference, such as ending deforestation by 2030 and phasing out the use of coal power. But […]
Climate change tipping points: back to the drawing board
We regularly hear warnings that climate change may lead to ‘tipping points’: irreversible situations where savanna can quickly change into desert, or the warm gulf stream current can simply stop flowing. These cautions often refer to spatial patterns as early-warning signals of tipping points. An international team of ecologists and mathematicians has studied these patterns […]
Critical groundwater supplies may never recover from drought: Let this sink in
Along with hurricanes and wildfires, there’s another important, but seldom-discussed effect of climate change — toxic water and sinking land made worse by groundwater drought. Water from snow and rain seeps deep into the ground between layers of soil and accumulates in sponge-like underground bathtubs, called aquifers. Farmers rely heavily on this groundwater to irrigate […]
To understand future habitat needs for chimpanzees, look to the past: New study examines where chimpanzees found refuge from climate instability during the past 120,000 years
A new study provides insight into where chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) avoided climate instability during glacial and interglacial periods in Africa over the past 120,000 years. Using bioclimatic variables and other data, the study identified previously unknown swaths of habitat, rich in figs and palms, where chimps rode out the changes seen since the Last Interglacial […]
New ways to estimate climate change impacts on agriculture
Most scientists agree climate change has a profound impact on U.S. agricultural production. But estimates vary widely, making it hard to develop mitigation strategies. Two agricultural economists at the University of Illinois take a closer look at how choice of statistical methodology influences climate study results. They also propose a more accurate and place-specific approach […]
Climate change will transform cooling effects of volcanic eruptions
Researchers have shown that human-caused climate change will have important consequences for how volcanic gases interact with the atmosphere. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge and the UK Met Office, say that large-magnitude eruptions will have greater effects as the climate continues to warm. However, the cooling effects of small- and medium-sized eruptions could […]
New Climate Report Sparks Demand for Change in Healthcare
Following the United Nations’ warning of an intensifying climate emergency in the coming decades, health experts have demanded government and industry action that will prepare medical systems for natural disasters, as well as slashing greenhouse gas emissions. The U.N. report, issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), found that temperatures on Earth have […]
Global ocean warming started later in the 20th century than previously estimated
In estimations of ocean heat content — important when assessing and predicting the effects of climate change — calculations have often presented the rate of warming as a gradual rise from the mid-20th century to today. However, new research from UC Santa Barbara scientists Timothy DeVries and Aaron Bagnell could overturn that assumption, suggesting the […]
HHS’s Climate Change Office: Not Open Yet, but Getting Positive Reviews
WASHINGTON — Mum’s still the word when it comes to the new Office of Climate Change and Health Equity at HHS, but advocates on the subject seem happy with what they’ve seen so far. The office’s creation was mandated by President Biden in a January 27 executive order on “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home […]