Wikis tagged with Climate-Change

Because global warming is such a politically controversial issue, there are many myths about the subject.  Some of these myths are based upon a nugget of truth, and others are complete fabrications.  It's time to get them debunked.      Myth #1:  'They' predicted an ice age in the 1970s   This myth is based upon stories in TIME and Newsweek in the 1970s regarding global cooling.  It was even quoted by Republican Sen. James Inhofe, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, on the floor of the Senate. This myth appeals to some people because these 'predictions' have turned...

In order to understand global warming, it's critical to understand its causes.  The first question many people ask is "if the climate changed naturally in the past, how do we know it's not changing naturally now?", or worse, they say "because the climate has changed naturally in the past, I'm sure the current global warming is natural."   Obviously it's true that there have been many, many natural climate changes in the past.  In order to determine if the current climate change is natural or influenced by humans, we need to know what caused those past climate changes.  So what was...

  Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.   Barack Obama (D)  Summary: Believes the US must lead global efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Supports an 80%...

The Bold, the Beautiful, the Rich, the Famous, the Green, and the otherwise Eco-licious   Some of them have captured our hearts by way of the silver screen. Some have charmed us with their music. And even others have wowed us by their feats of strength. Yet all have taken a stand for the environment. And for that, we are even more impressed.    Leonardo DiCaprio may have made a big splash with Titanic but now he’s making waves in the environmental arena. If you’re lucky, you may see him around town driving his hybrid Toyota Prius and if you’re really lucky, you may get seated next...

Since human carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from burning fossil fuels have been estimated to cause approximately 50% of global warming over the past 30 years (the other 50% being mainly due to other greenhouse gas emissions such as methane, and a small amount due to solar effects), a good way to evaluate your personal global warming impact is to calculate your carbon "footprint".  A carbon footprint tells you how much CO2 is released due to your various activities, such as travel, energy consumption, food consumption, etc.   The more information entered into a carbon footprint...

What is Climate Sensitivity? Climate sensitivity describes how sensitive the global climate is to a radiative forcing.  For example, we know that if the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth's atmosphere doubles from the pre-industrial level of 280 parts per million  by volume (ppmv) to 560 ppmv, this will cause an energy imbalance (trapping more radiation, causing more incoming than outgoing energy on Earth) enough to directly heat the planet about 1.2°C.  However, this doesn't account for feedbacks, for example ice melting and making the planet less reflective, and the warmer...

Update: No longer in the race for Democratic nomination    Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.   Christopher Dodd (D)   Summary: Supports a carbon tax to promote...

Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.   Hillary Clinton (D)   Summary: Believes the US needs to take slow, steady steps toward reducing carbon emissions, here and...

I’m Neutral, Are You? If you're reading this, you're using electricity. In fact, you are probably one of the three hundred million Americans who draws electricity from a grid primarily powered by fossil fuels. According to CARMA, Carbon Monitoring for Action, the United States currently produces almost 2.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually through electricity generation, more than any other country (although China's hot on the trail, coming in with just under 2.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide). That's more than 9 tons per person per year! And as many of us know, carbon dioxide is...

Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.     Ron Paul (R)   Summary: Does not believe there is a consensus on climate change. Does not believe the government...

Glass vs. Plastic [Source: ElyOrganics.com Perception & Reality by Narelle Chenery]   My journey of discovery   Like most of us, I have always assumed that glass was the better environmental choice for our product packaging. I assumed glass required less energy to manufacture and was less polluting than plastic, and that all plastics were toxic and leaching. We had challenges with both our glass and plastic packaging; I really needed to find a solution.   The pitfalls associated with our current glass packaging:   Glass is very heavy and therefore very energy intensive to ship...

Update: Presumptive nominee    Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.   John McCain (R)   Summary: Believes that a global effort is needed to address reducing...

Update: No longer in the race for Democratic nomination   Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.     Joe Biden (D) Summary: Believes the US must lead global efforts...

Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.   Mike Gravel (D)   Summary: Believes US must work with other nations to reduce emissions. Believes this is the only way to...

Update: No longer in the race for GOP nomination    Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.   Mike Huckabee (R)   Summary: Is unsure about human role in climate...

Update: No longer in the race for Democratic nomination   Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.   John Edwards (D)   Summary: Believes the US should lead global...

Update: No longer in the race for GOP nomination   Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.   Tom Tancredo (R)   Summary: Not convinced human activity has contributed...

Update: No longer in the race for Democratic nomination   Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.   Bill Richardson (D)   Summary: Believes US must lead by example....

Update: No longer in the race for Democratic nomination    Environmental issues (more specifically, climate change) have a real presence in the upcoming presidential election. According to a survey conducted by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, 93.1% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate whose platform includes a plan to improve the environment. But where do each of the candidates stand? Because, let's face it...some will be champions for the environment. And others will not be.   Dennis Kucinich (D)   Summary: Supports an 80% reduction in...

Many people question why there seems to be so many people who are skeptical of man-made (anthropogenic) global warming (AGW) when the scientific evidence supporting it seems so strong.  In addition to the scientific evidence, there is also a scientific consensus supporting AGW.  Global warming and climate change are complex subjects which require a substantial amount of research to understand, and generally with regards to complex subjects, rather than do the research many people choose to trust the experts.  So it's a logical question to ask why so many people remain skeptical about...