Archive by date | January 2009

Biomass, biomass, burning black

Biomass, biomass, burning black

A study published in Science today (subscription) uses carbon-14 measurements to figure out where the black carbon drifting in the haze above South Asia is coming from. That’s a prerequisite to cleaning it up – which, as we’ve reported here, could be a major boon to a very vulnerable region. The light-absorbing compound not only causes cancer (among other ill health effects), but reportedly warms some places as much as greenhouse gases do. Because its lifespan in the atmosphere is far shorter than carbon dioxide’s, these impacts could potentially be reduced quickly – if we knew where to clamp down.  Read more

CLIMAP for the 21st century

CLIMAP for the 21st century

In the 70s and 80s, scientists from around the world worked to reconstruct Last Glacial Maximum (19,000 to 23,000 years ago) sea surface temperatures across the globe under the auspices of the Climate: Long Range Investigation, Mapping and Prediction (CLIMAP) project. Since then, a number of new proxies and seafloor coring and drilling projects have produced a wealth of additional data. In a new paper online this week in Nature Geoscience (subscription required), the MARGO (Multiproxy Approach for the Reconstruction of the Glacial Ocean surface) team members have updated this reconstruction using all the newly available data.  Read more

Climate policy under Obama: advice, and some results

Climate policy under Obama: advice, and some results

Like nearly everyone else in America, we at Nature have been thinking about how life might change when the US presidency changes hands next week. From the magazine’s Washington DC offices, just a few blocks from the White House, we’ve been watching the red-white-and-blue bunting go up on buildings along the inaugural parade route. And in this week’s issue, we’ve taken a look at some of the legacies that George W. Bush leaves behind and some of the promises that Barack Obama has been holding forth. (See a related editorial here.)  … Read more

US stakes claims in melting Arctic

US stakes claims in melting Arctic

Monday was George W. Bush’s last press conference as president, and the administration seized the day to release new security directives on US interests in the Arctic – where disappearing sea ice has the five bordering countries on edge about who will get their hands on assets set to be freed up.  Read more

Outspoken climate scientist gets props

Outspoken climate scientist gets props

Cross-posted from The Great Beyond James Hansen isn’t shy about speaking up, and now the American Meteorological Society is rewarding him for it. Hansen, a NASA climate scientist known best for his outspoken criticism of the Bush administration, received the 2009 Carl-Gustaf Rossby Research Medal yesterday, the highest award given by the AMS. The society commended him for his contributions to climate modeling but also his “clear communication” to the public. “The debate about global change is often emotional and controversial, and Jim has had the courage to stand up and say what others did not want to hear,” said  … Read more