Science Backgrounds

Another forest study points to negative climate feedback

And this one may really present some good news for the climate, as it isn’t a Petri dish case, but very much in vivo. But don’t get overexcited. A group of Finnish researchers studied forest sites in 68 nations and … Continue reading →

Today’s paradox: current Arctic ozone depletion sign of global warming

The WMO today reports rapid and record-breaking thinning of the ozone layer over the Arctic region over the course of this winter and early spring – with now 40 percent of it gone. Unusually low temperatures in the stratosphere, even … Continue reading →

Hansen: paleoclimate shows 2 degrees climate target leads to multiple meters of SLR

Comparing previous interglacial periods, like the Eemian, to the present geological epoch, the Holocene, shows slight average temperature rises are strongly magnified around the poles. Even under the 450 Scenario 21st century sea level rise could reach multiple meters. “Current … Continue reading →

Geoengineering La Niña

According to the WMO the current La Niña episode will continue to exist for at least another 2-4 months. Other sources state it may last until 2012. This La Niña could be the strongest in decades and is likely to … Continue reading →

Floods & La Niña: direct, indirect and other causes to heavy rains around the world

Extreme rainfalls and floods across different continents dominate the global news. A connection to La Niña has been suggested. But to what extent can the floods in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, the Philippines and north-western Europe be … Continue reading →

NASA: temperature is all about CO2

Two new studies by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies help improve basic quantitative understanding of the Earth’s greenhouse system. The one, ‘CO2: The Thermostat that Controls Earth’s Temperature’, is a Goddard climate model based study (lead-author Andrew Lacis) to … Continue reading →

What is biodiversity?

The United Nations have declared the year 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. This Monday a big biodiversity conference starts in Nagoya, Japan, in order for countries to define and agree upon a combined strategy to slow the decline. … Continue reading →

Today’s paradox: non-GM crops help promote GMO

This week the EU considers decentralising the rules on the production of Genetically Modified Organisms. If they do so, it won’t be Brussels stating GMO risks are unacceptable, but individual member states deciding for themselves – no doubt weighing in … Continue reading →

Geoengineering vs ‘extreme geoengineering’

Current proposals for geoengineering, measures to directly influence parts of system Earth, like the global climate system, seem overestimated – with respect to their proclaimed beneficial outcomes. Last month science magazine PNAS published an overview of some of the better … Continue reading →