|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Climate, Air Quality, and Weather Stories July 23, 2001 A big week in climate and air quality news: The past two weeks were busy for climate change and air quality news both in New England and around the world. In Boston, scientists and regulators met to discuss the balance between clean air and meeting higher demands for electricity. Across the Atlantic in Amsterdam, hundreds of scientists and policy makers (including a large delegation from the University of New Hampshire) discussed the future of the worldās climate system at the Open Science Conference on Global Change. And in Germany and Italy, talks about the future of the embattled Kyoto Protocol came to a head. Weāll also look at some of the latest in climate change research. Here then are a variety of stories about these events: Experts meet on New England air quality Experts at a recent conference in Boston agreed that the Northeast states can achieve substantial reductions in air pollution while meeting forecasted needs for a reliable and affordable energy supply. That was one of the main conclusions of scientists, environmental advocates and industry representatives at the conference entitled "Keeping the Lights On and The Air Clean." Check out this Environmental Protection Agency press release for details. The conference was co-sponsored by the New England office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) and the Union of Concerned Scientists. A warning in Amsterdam of sweeping human impact on planet Hundreds of earth systems scientists gathered at a conference in Amsterdam this month entitled "Challenges of a Changing Earth," to share the latest research on how humans are affecting the planetās climate, oceans and terrestrial ecosystems. Berrien Moore, director of UNH's Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, who addressed the opening session warned: "Humans are altering the ecology, chemistry and climate of the planet. The Earth system has moved well outside the range of natural variability exhibited over the last half million years at least." Have a look at this UNH News Service story for an overview of the UNH participation in the conference. Here also is a Los Angeles Times story about some of the work at the conference. And for anyone interested in details of the proceedings and texts of some of the talks, have a look at the conference Web Site and visit the links entitled "Media Room" and "Media coverage and highlights of the day." Kyoto or not? It was high drama in Europe this past week as climate scientists, policy maker sand world leaders debated the future of efforts to address global climate change. Here are two features covering some of the main issues: Climate meeting in Bonn, Germany In Bonn, Germany, negotiators worked to salvage the Kyoto Protocol ö a landmark strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Steve Curwood of National Public Radio's Living on Earth discussed the issue with three experts: Hermann Ott, a climate policy analyst for Germany's Wuppertal Institute, Yuri Onodera, climate campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth Japan, and Ian Bowles, former senior director of the Environment for the National Security Council for both the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush White Houses. Visit the LOE Web site for both the audio or written transcript of the discussion. At the G-8 meeting in Genoa, Italy The New York Times reports on efforts of other countries to proceed with the Kyoto Protocol without the United Statesā participation. Leading allies have told President Bush today that they intend to move ahead and ratify the Kyoto Protocol on global warming by next year, even without American participation. The New York Times Web site is free but requires registration. Bacterial discovery reveals carbon complexity In a potentially important finding for climate change research, a team of Canadian and U.S. scientists have found that certain organisms that metabolize organic carbon are plentiful throughout the world's oceans. The researchers speculate that organisms (aerobic anoxygenic photoheterotrophic bacteria (AAPs)) may play a critical role in carbon cycling in the ocean. The Science News Story appears on the Environmental Science and Technology Web site. New from NASA's Earth Observatory News: NASA has two new stories on climate change research. The first is about the development of a new supercomupter that "can significantly advance the ability to evaluate the global impact of natural and human-induced activities on our climate." The second is about a new finding about overturning in the North Atlantic Ocean ö a process where surface water sinks and deep water rises due to varying water densities. Researchers found that the process speeds up and slows down by 20 to 30 percent over 12 to 14 year cycles. |
|
|
Search & Site Map Contact Us |