My summer internship is about documenting global hurricane simulations using a high-resolution climate model. The model is blah blah blah…I bet I’m boring you. Well, what about talking about something more interesting (or at least tasty)?. Let’s say, pasta! Sounds good, right? But wait, how could hurricanes be related to pasta?
As we increase our knowledge of the earth’s climate and how human activity is disrupting the delicate balance of air, land and water that creates our environment it is becoming clear that future generations will not be living in the same environmental conditions as us.
Globally, communities are dealing with the impacts of climate change; some in similar ways, others more uniquely. Hawaii, for one, is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and other impacts of climate change because of its isolation and dependency on foreign trade. That makes planning and adapting to climate change a particular priority for the state.
What are the ingredients for action on climate change at the city level?
This year’s Climate and Society class is out in the field (or lab or office) completing a summer internship or thesis. They’ll be documenting their experiences one blog post at a time. Read on to see what they’re up to. By Cari Shimkus, Climate and Society 2014 If you ask a climate scientist to describe winter… read more
The climate of the eastern Caribbean stretches from the Virgin Islands to Trinidad. And like other tropical regions, it is highly dependent on rainfall for freshwater resources. Yet climate change could throw the current precipitation cycle out of whack. Generally, wet places are projected to get wetter and the dry places drier. NCAR scientist Kevin Trenberth refers to this phenomenon as, “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” That raises big questions for the eastern Caribbean.
Everyone on Earth is somehow going to be affected by climate change. Children are extremely vulnerable to climate impacts and they’ll be forced to deal with the long-lasting changes carbon emissions are driving.
From early in the morning on a workday to the wee hours after a party, from my grandmother’s home to one of the world’s finest restaurants, at every Mexican table, corn is king. It’s not just one type of corn, but numerous varieties used for different dishes. Yet climate change could threaten the diversity of maize.
The key to planning is identifying climate trends and impacts and what appropriate preparedness actions we can execute in a timely manner. For weather events like the current trend of rainy afternoons, an appropriate preparedness action would be to keep an umbrella handy. But what can we do for climate events during the hurricane season, for example?
As we enter the second half of 2014, climate forecasters continue to watch the Pacific for the development of an El Niño event. An El Niño Watch has been in place since March, but conditions still have yet to fully develop.