Climate Science

Why I’m walking to Walden for Moving Planet

Thoreau wasn’t an environmentalist. That’s why he matters more than ever. Carry on his legacy of civic engagement and activism on Moving Planet day.

Critical List: Britain’s new shale gas bonanza; 48 hours in a box, with plants

British people now have a greater stake in fighting against hydrofracking: turns out their country has a lot of shale gas.

Luckily, though, they live in Europe, where gas executives admit that, at the very least, drilling should become safer.

The U.S. could be the biggest market for solar power in the world.

EIA predicts a grim future for carbon emissions

The Energy Information Administration predicts a 40 percent rise in global carbon dioxide emissions over the next 20-plus years.

Pumpkin shortage slams Northeast

If you're going to want pumpkins for this season's jack-o-lanterns, pies, horseman head substitutes, or transportation to the ball, better start stocking up now. This year's weird weather has meant a smaller pumpkin crop, and existing pumpkins are selling for much more than usual. Thanks, climate change, you buzzkill.

Global warming makes Russia militarize the Arctic

There has not traditionally been a lot of military presence in the Arctic, given as how it's mostly ice and seals. But now that the ice is melting, it's just mostly seals, and those little buggers are shifty. So Russia is sending in the troops.

Oceans kept the last decade from being even hotter

Occasionally, as in the past decade, greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere continue to increase, but the increase in average world air temperatures seems to "pause." (Not that the past decade wasn't the hottest on record -- it's just that climate scientists thought it could have been even hotter.)

Now, scientists are figuring out where that extra heat went: into the oceans. Specifically, into the deep oceans, below 1,000 feet beneath the surface. The world's oceans can hold vastly more heat energy than the atmosphere, so this isn't a big surprise, although it's nice to have some confirmation.

Critical List: Solar installations increasing; giant snails invade Miami

The number of non-residential solar panel installations is growing.

Disasters connected to weather or climate made more than 30 million people in Asia refugees last year, the Asian Development Bank reports.

Oil industry consultant Daniel Yergin wrote a new book about energy. It'll probably annoy you.

A professor in Canada made a machine that could suck carbon out of the air.

Carbon taxes that don't work are a bad idea

There's a perspective that's gaining ground in the energy policy debate: emissions taxes may not be very effective in fighting global warming, but we should support them anyway.

Scientists rush to save minnows from Texas drought

Here's the thing about apocalyptic droughts: They are bad for people and livestock and all other living things, but they are ESPECIALLY bad for fish. Texas minnows can't wait for Rick Perry's prayer meetings to alleviate the state's record dry spell -- they're already in dire straits as the water shortage robs them of their ability to eat, move, respirate, and reproduce. So scientists are evacuating them, moving the tiny fishlets from the shrinking Brazos River into safer fish hatcheries.

Climate-denying candidates make more Americans believe in global warming

According to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, 83 percent of people now believe that climate change is happening. That's up from 75 percent last year. What's behind the change? Partly heat, and partly hot air.