New IPCC Assessment Report Kicks Off

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Bill Hewitt

The Fifth Assessment Report – AR5 for short – kicked off this morning in Stockholm. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, held a press conference to announce the findings of the first working group (WG1) on “The Physical Science Basis.” (The rest of the AR5 will roll out in three more reports culminating in the Synthesis Report in October of next year.)

The lead in the press release today is “Human influence on the climate system is clear.” That’s for those who have been living in another solar system for the past ten years. For the rest of us, the report underlines a lot of what we already have learned. It is a herculean task for the 259 authors Continue reading →

Hot Town, Summer in the City

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Bill Hewitt

A new study, published in the latest issue of Nature Climate Change, and summarized here at Scientific American, predicts much higher mortality for New York City from heat waves as climate change progresses. What to do? Slow down the greenhouse gases we’re putting into the climate system and adapt: street trees, green roofs and facades, white roofs, cooling centers, and better communication, among other things. Heat waves kill.

CAIT 2.0

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Bill Hewitt

The venerable World Resources Institute, a source for excellent policy insight and highly relevant and useful data and graphics, for over 30 years, has updated its invaluable Climate Analysis Indicators Tool to CAIT 2.0. Jennifer Morgan, the director of WRI’s Climate and Energy Program, noted that the original version “…was frequently cited in news articles, policy briefs, and government documents, and was regularly used to inform policy discussions within the UNFCCC and other forums.” I used it all the time and I missed it being offline. In fact, it came back on Wednesday and I had it going in my class on Thursday morning. Continue reading →

Extremes

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Bill Hewitt

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a report, “2001-2010, A Decade of Climate Extremes,” that underscores, if we needed it, how late in the day it has become.

“WMO’s report shows that global warming was significant from 1971 to 2010 and that the decadal rate of increase between 1991-2000 and 2001-2010 was unprecedented. Rising concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are changing our climate, with far reaching implications for our environment and our oceans, which are absorbing both carbon dioxide and heat.” That statement, from WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud in the press release, couldn’t say it better. Continue reading →

The Denialists Have No Clothes

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Bill Hewitt

Is the President clearing the decks for action?

(See also this from DeSmogBlog.)

In Scientific American

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Bill Hewitt

Following on the book excerpt the other day in Salon, I’m pretty tickled to have one today in the venerable Scientific American. Do You Accept the Science of Climate Change? is how they’ve titled my excerpt on the disinformation campaign fueled, as it were, by certain special interests, how the media has played it, and how the scientific community has fought back. By the way, if for some reason you haven’t sampled the excellent coverage on Energy and Sustainability that Scientific American has on offer, please do yourself a favor and subscribe to their feed. Better yet, subscribe to the magazine itself. A good bit of the reason for SciAm’s superb coverage is attributable to their world-class writer and editor David Biello.

Carbon Emissions Going Up

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Bill Hewitt

As reported yesterday by the Global Carbon Project in its Carbon Budget 2012 report, the top four emitters of carbon from fossil fuel combustion and cement production in 2011 covered 62% of global emissions: China (28%), United States (16%), EU27 (11%), and India (7%). These four entities emitted about 5.62 billion tons of carbon. (Multiply by 3.67 to get the carbon dioxide output which then equals about 20.6 billion tons.) You can see that the US and the EU have stabilized and even lowered their emissions in recent years. Continue reading →

Frankenstorm

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Bill Hewitt

You can find scores of dramatic graphics from this monster storm that’s just blasted a path up from the Caribbean, come ashore at the most densely populated portion of the United States, and is now powering through Pennsylvania. You can judge the immensity of the storm from satellite images or see how it has done billions of dollars of damage. Scores of people will have died as a result of Sandy when we’re all done. You don’t need me to tell you that the Caribbean and the East Coast have just been well and truly hammered. Continue reading →

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Category Archives: climate science