Category Archives: Climate change impacts

Planetary boundaries, tipping points and prophets of doom

Posted on January 23, 2015 by curryja | 414 comments

by Robert Ellison

There is a new paper that appeared last week in Science: Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet.

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414 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Challenging the 2 degree target

Posted on October 3, 2014 by curryja | 303 comments

by Judith Curry

“Without significant cuts in emissions by all countries, and in key sectors, the window of opportunity to stay within less than 2 degrees [of warming] will soon close forever.” – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon

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303 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, Policy

No bodies

Posted on August 20, 2014 by curryja | 192 comments

by Rud Istvan

One of the firmer catastrophic anthropogenic global warming (CAGW) predictions made by IPCC AR4 WG2 was an alarming increase in species extinctions.

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192 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Importance of intellectual and political diversity in science

Posted on August 6, 2014 by curryja | 590 comments

by Judith Curry

“He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.” – John Stuart Mill

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590 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, Sociology of science

Pondering the anthropocene

Posted on June 22, 2014 by curryja | 360 comments

by Judith Curry

[H]ow we meet the needs and aspirations of all of humanity while sustaining the planet’s ecology, is what the Anthropocene is all about. – Keith Kloor

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360 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

U.S. National Climate Assessment Report

Posted on May 6, 2014 by curryja | 416 comments

by Judith Curry

Climate change, once considered a problem for the distant future, has moved firmly into the present. Climate change is already affecting the American people. – U.S. NCADAC

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416 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, Policy

Slowing sea level rise

Posted on April 24, 2014 by curryja | 680 comments

by Judith Curry

Since the early 1990s, sea level rose at a mean rate of ~3.1 mm yr−1. However, over the last decade a slowdown of this rate, of about 30%, has been recorded. – Cazenave et al.

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680 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

End of climate exceptionalism

Posted on April 4, 2014 by curryja | 476 comments

by Judith Curry

A new report from the IPCC implies that “climate exceptionalism”, the notion that global warming is a problem like no other, is coming to an end. – Economist

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476 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, Policy

IPCC AR5 WG2 Report – draft SPM

Posted on March 30, 2014 by curryja | 790 comments

by Judith Curry

The WG2 Report will be officially released on Monday. Here is what people are saying about a leaked version of the Summary for Policy Makers.

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790 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Livestock’s long shadow

Posted on February 6, 2014 by curryja | 229 comments

by Judith Curry

In all, livestock farming produces 8-18% of greenhouse-gas emissions. It is the main contributor to the build-up of nitrogen and phosphorus in the world’s soils, producing too much ammonia (which is caustic), nitrous oxide (a greenhouse gas) and dead zones in oceans (the result of excess phosphorus). – The Economist

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229 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Hearing: A Factual Look at the Relationship Between Climate and Weather

Posted on December 11, 2013 by curryja | 241 comments

by Judith Curry

The U.S. House Subcommittee on Environment is holding a Hearing today: A Factual Look at the Relationship Between Climate and Weather.

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241 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Selection bias in climate model simulations

Posted on December 6, 2013 by curryja | 162 comments

by Judith Curry

Selection biases in information processing occur when expectations affect behavior in a manner that makes those expectations come true.

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162 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Impact(?) of natural variability on Nebraska drought

Posted on November 29, 2013 by curryja | 266 comments

by Judith Curry

So, would you turn down a $44K grant to investigate the natural variability of drought in Nebraska?

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266 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Interpreting the fire weather in New South Wales

Posted on October 23, 2013 by curryja | 341 comments

by Mark Goldstone

On October 21st UN climate chief Christiana Figueres made the unusual statement that the bushfire crisis in NSW is “absolutely” linked to climate change.

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341 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Bangladesh sea level rise

Posted on October 7, 2013 by curryja | 153 comments

by Judith Curry

On the complexity of sea level rise in the Bangladesh delta – global warming may be the least of their concerns.

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153 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, South Asia

Did the AR5 take the ‘dangerous’ out of AGW?

Posted on October 3, 2013 by curryja | 352 comments

by Judith Curry

Section 12.5.5 in the WG1 Report provides some important insights on what is most commonly regarded as the ‘dangerous’ aspects of AGW.

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352 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Shell game

Posted on September 26, 2013 by curryja | 105 comments

by Rud Istvan

Is ocean acidification the new global warming?

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105 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Unintended consequences of energy policy on biodiversity

Posted on September 23, 2013 by curryja | 211 comments

by Judith Curry

Mitigation, adaptation, and the threat to biodiversity.

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211 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, Policy

Politics of the 2C target

Posted on September 21, 2013 by curryja | 333 comments

by Judith Curry

The modification of the 2C climate target will put an end to the vision of a “science-based” climate policy – Oliver Geden

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333 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, Policy, Politics

Ice sheet collapse?

Posted on August 30, 2013 by curryja | 243 comments

by Rud Istvan

One of the catastrophes associated with anthropogenic global warming (CAGW) is a rising sea. Is the projected rise and rate unprecedented? Will it be catastrophic?

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243 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, Data and observations

Impact of climate, population and CO2 on water resources

Posted on August 13, 2013 by curryja | 326 comments

by Judith Curry

Increasing CO2 may actually help relieve the water stress associated with increasing global population.

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326 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Himalayan melt impacts

Posted on August 7, 2013 by curryja | 197 comments

by Judith Curry

A new publication in Nature Geoscience projects an increase in runoff from Himalayan catchmants during the 21st century, despite a decline in glacier size.

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197 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, South Asia

Ocean acidification discussion thread

Posted on July 19, 2013 by curryja | 685 comments

by Judith Curry

Today the surface ocean is almost 30% more acidic than it was in pre-industrial times, and over the next few decades, the level of acidity of the surface ocean will continue to rise without deliberate action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Increasingly this will cause major problems for many marine organisms like shellfish and corals. – Scott Doney

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685 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts

Climate Change Officers

Posted on June 10, 2013 by curryja | 389 comments

by Judith Curry

Climate change officers are professionals who apply knowledge of climate-related risks and opportunities to their organizations’ near-term and long-term strategies. These professionals help their organizations to adapt and thrive in a world of climate uncertainty, and guide their organizations toward strategic decisions that are simultaneously strategic for the organization and beneficial to the climate. – Association of Climate Change Officers

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389 Comments

Posted in Climate change impacts, Sociology of science