Extinction: Global Warming Hits Home for Wildlife
Extinction is yet another effect of global warming, with the Golden Toad, Bramble Cay Melomy already suffering the ultimate fate…
global warming
The Next Inconvenient Truth? New Eco Docs Still Focus on Climate
While potent in its day as the film that put climate change on the public radar, An Inconvenient Truth, now a decade old, is hardly the last word in green documentaries anymore. New Must-Sees Eco Documentaries Include Disobedience, The Cross of the Moment and Revolution…
What’s the difference between a carbon tax and “cap-and-trade” system for reducing greenhouse gas emissions?
Dear EarthTalk: What’s the difference between a carbon tax and “cap-and-trade” system for reducing greenhouse gas emissions? —Marina Brown, New York, NY Most of us can agree that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a must given the rapid warming of the planet; just how to […]
Climate Refuge: Where Will You Go?
If temperatures around the globe continue to rise in the face of human-induced climate change as climatologists expect, some of the world’s most populous areas could become uninhabitable. Rising sea levels will flood out coastal areas, while increasing drought will make survival in already arid areas difficult at best. While we may have at least a few decades of runway to prepare ourselves for the worst, advance planners might want to think carefully about where to put down roots now. Where will be your climate refuge?
What is the Great Green Wall of China?
Dear EarthTalk: What is the Great Green Wall of China? —Jacob Williston, Tempe, AZ Unlike the Great Wall of China, a 5,000-mile fortification dating back to the 7th century BC that separates northern China from the Mongolian steppe, the Great Green Wall of China — otherwise known as the Three-North Shelter Forest Program — is […]
Is Our Tundra In Trouble?
Dear EarthTalk: How much of a threat does climate change pose to the tundra ecosystems of the far north? — Seamus Hall, via EarthTalk.org The tundra biome is among the coldest of the planet’s ecosystems. Its harsh climate means that plant life is unable to grow more than a few centimeters above the ground. The name ‘tundra’ […]
Are We Past the Point of No Return on Climate Change?
While we may not yet have reached the “point of no return” when no amount of CO2 cutbacks will save us from global warming, we may be getting awfully close.
Can we really get off coal by 2050?
Dear EarthTalk: How does the Rocky Mountain Institute think we can get off of oil and coal by 2050 and save money in the process? — James Greenville, Redding, CT Colorado-based sustainability think-tank Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) was founded in 1982 by American physicist and environmentalist Amory Lovins to research and promote market-based solutions to our energy […]
How will Antarctic melting affect coastlines?
Dear EarthTalk: To what extent is Antarctica really melting and what impact might it have on coastlines around the world? — Andrea Hutchinson, Cary, NC The Antarctic continent, roughly the size of the United States and Mexico combined, is composed of rock covered by glaciers some 16,000 feet thick. The glaciers form from fallen snow compacting […]
Is global warming making our crops less nutritious?
Dear EarthTalk: Is it true that global warming is causing our crops to be less nutritious? — William Persson, Glendale, OH It’s difficult to say whether or not the climate change we are now experiencing is negatively impacting the nutritional quality of our food, but researchers warn that it may be only a matter of time. […]