DWR Climate News Digest – Sept 17–Oct 15, 2010
The information provided herein is a selected compilation of recent popular news articles, published reports, legislation, DWR project updates, and other items of interest related to climate change. This document is intended for distribution to DWR staff members only. The information provided is not intended to state or imply any formal position of DWR. The articles listed below under “Climate News (intended for the DWR public webpage)” are accessible to members of the public at:
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
Dr Seuss – The Lorax
Climate News (WILL be postedon the DWRpublic webpage)
2010 tied with 1998 as warmest global temperature on record: - September 20, 2010]
Glacial retreat: Ecuador’s ticking environmental timebomb: UK - September 23, 2010]
Water cycle seems out of whack, experts find: – October 4, 2010]
Crop failures set to increase under climate change: - October 7, 2010](worst effects could be mitigated by improved farming practices and hardier crops, but the issue is complicated by socio-economic conditions)
Greatest warming is in the north, but biggest impact on life is in the tropics: - October 7, 2010]
Reservoirs: a neglected source of methane emissions: - October 11, 2010]
Huge parts of world are drying up: Land ‘evapotranspiration’ taking unexpected turn: - October 11, 2010]
Using buildings for flood protection: - October 11, 2010]
Population change: Another big influence on climate change: - October 12, 2010]
Pakistan flood crisis blamed partly on deforestation: Times - October 13, 2010]
Climate change remains a real threat to corals: - October 13, 2010]
IPCC aims for clarity and relevance in new report: News - October 15, 2010]
Other Climate News (will NOT be posted on the DWR webpage)
How much global warming is guaranteed even if we stopped building coal-fired power plants today?: American – September 9, 2010] (link to abstract in Sciencecan be found below under “Published Literature”)
We only trust experts if they agree with us: [Scientific American – September 18, 2010]
NASA uses new method to estimate earth mass movements: [ScienceDaily - September 18, 2010]
China’s environmental challenges have global implications, experts argue: [ScienceDaily - September 21, 2010]
In science we trust: Poll results on how you feel about science: American – September 22, 2010] (web survey of readers suggests that the scientifically literate public still trusts its experts-with some important caveats)
Climate change climbs the boardroom agenda: - September 24, 2010]
Climate change target ‘not safe’, researchers say: - October 3, 2010](is 2 degrees C really a ‘safe’ level of global temperature rise?)
Limited progress in climate talks in China: m/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/10/03/international/i215153D28.DTL&type=printable[SFGate - October 6, 2010]
Climate change affects horseshoe crab numbers: 6, 2010](while overharvesting and habitat destruction are main threats, climate change could be the last straw for this 400 million year old species)
Decline in sun’s activity does not always mean that Earth becomes cooler, study shows: - October 7, 2010]
Volcanoes wiped out Neanderthals, new study suggests: - October 7, 2010](it’s no surprise that rapid and dramatic environmental change can lead to the extinction of species, including hominids)
Study shines new light on Sun’s role in Earth’s climate: – October 7, 2010](visible radiation reaching the earth may actually increase during periods of declining solar activity, causing slight warming)
Volcano fuels massive phytoplankton bloom: - October 7, 2010](a potential side-effect of iron seeding the oceans to reduce atmospheric CO2)
China spurns pledges in climate change accord: Businessweek - October 8, 2010]
US Fish and Wildlife Service casts for collaboration in its new climate change response plan: [Scientific American – October 9, 2010]
Turtle, dugongs ‘at risk under climate change’: - October 10, 2010]
Birds could signal mass extinction: - October 12, 2010] (author believes ‘biodiversity loss is arguably more serious and more permanent than climate change’)
Ancient animal urine provides insight into climate change: [ScienceDaily - October 13, 2010](hyrax middens are apparently an untapped resource for studying long-term climate change)
Ocean acidification poses little threat to whales’ hearing, study suggests: [ScienceDaily -October 13, 2010]
New data highlights role of forests in fight against climate change: [USDA news release – October 15, 2010]
Melting ice turns 10,000 walruses into landlubbers: [Scientific American – October 18, 2010]
Reports
Rising to the Urgent Challenge – Strategic Plan for Responding to Accelerating Climate Change: Fish and Wildlife Service – September 27, 2010]
Environmental Protection Agency FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan: [September 30, 2010] (five strategic goals identified in this blueprint including #1: Taking Action on Climate Change and Improving Air Quality)
American’s Knowledge of Climate Change: Project on Climate Change Communication – October 12, 2010](study found that 63% of Americans believe global warming is happening, but many do not understand why; Overall, 8% of respondents had knowledge equivalent of ‘A’ or ‘B’, 52% would get an ‘F’)
Legislative Update
California writing new rules on greenhouse gases, sprawl: Weekly – September 20, 2010]
Carbon curbs by EPA land in court again: Street Journal – October 9, 2010]
Published Literature
The utility of daily large-scale climate data in the assessment of climate change impacts on daily streamflow in California: and Earth System Sciences - June 30, 2010]
Future CO2 emissions and climate change from existing energy infrastructure: – September 10, 2010] (the ‘sources of the most threatening emissions have yet to be built’)
Increased crop failures due to climate change: assessing adaptation options using models and socioeconomic data for wheat in China: Research Letters – October 8, 2010]
CLOG (Climate Change Blog)
Michael Mann on “Get the anti-science bent out of politics”: Post - October 8, 2010]
Other Items of Interest
Website- ClimateWizard: [Nature Conservancy] (useful website that allows users to: view historic temp and rainfall maps for anywhere in the world, future predictions of temps and rainfall; view and download climate maps; access to case studies of where/how others have used the data)
Census of Marine Life: [report summarizing the 10-year international effort to assess the diversity, distribution and abundance of marine life; it is the most comprehensive inventory of marine life ever compiled]
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The Climate News Digest is an internal DWR staff publication. It can be viewed and downloaded from the DWR internal climate change website Please email questions, comments, or listserv subscription requeststo: .