Climate Climate & Energy

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  • Secret Antarctic mountains will help us understand Earth’s climate history

    Deep underneath the Antarctic ice sheet are the Gamburtsev mountains, a mountain range the size of the Alps. Scientists are finally piecing together the story of their creation, destruction, and re-creation, and it could help with modeling future climate conditions. The original Gamburtsev mountains, kicked up by continental drift, were eroded down to the root […]

    Jess Zimmerman Climate & Energy

  • Superstorm hits Alaska

    When the National Weather Service calls a storm "epic," you know something big is going down. (Or that the National Weather Service employs a lot of 20something copywriters, I guess, but in this case it's the former.) The storm currently sweeping over Alaska is going to be one of the most severe Bering Strait storms […]

    Jess Zimmerman Climate & Energy

  • Climate change solves missing persons case

    Texas woman Brenda Kay Oliver has been missing since July 12, 2008, when she disappeared without a trace. Now her beige 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo has been discovered in a drought-lowered lake in Martins Mill, Texas. Investigators don’t believe foul play was a factor in her death. But you don't need a smoking gun to […]

    Christopher Mims Climate & Energy

  • Interactive graphic shows just how few resources are left

    Scientific American has put together an interactive feature where you can watch resources disappear before your very eyes. The dates for when things will "run out" are a little fuzzy — they've got animals pretty much running out five minutes from now, even though they're endangered but not extinct. But there are informative videos, and […]

    Jess Zimmerman Climate & Energy

  • Occupy Wall Street moves to bike power

    Now that their gas generators have been seized, Occupy Wall Street is switching to a greener option: human power. Generator bikes can provide 100 hours of power per six hours of pedaling, which helps fuel OWS needs like heat, light, phones, and laptops. As you might have guessed from subtle messages in the above film, […]

    Jess Zimmerman Climate & Energy

  • Critical List: Chances are we’re experiencing climate extremes already; BPA taints receipts

    There's a "2-in-3 probability" that we're already experiencing worse climate extremes, thanks to climate change. Nebraska lawmakers are starting to consider a new route for Keystone XL today. Apparently the Center for Biological Diversity is "virtually alone" in linking population growth and environmental problems. (Apparently New York Times reporter Mireya Navarro hasn't been reading Grist.) […]

    Sarah Laskow Climate & Energy

  • Watch a climate satellite get launched

    NASA's new weather satellite — which in typical NASA acronym-happy fashion, is called the NPP, standing for NPOESS Preparatory Project, standing for National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System — is a state-of-the-art way to measure climate impacts. The satellite will monitor ozone levels, temperatures, vegetation cover, ice cover, air pollution, and other effects of climate change, […]

    Jess Zimmerman Climate & Energy

  • Snowstorm took it to the trees

    Up and down the East Coast, millions of people are without power after the weekend's snowstorm. But the most severe damage the storm wreaked was on trees. Snow is particularly harsh on trees that still have green leaves on them: It's as if a person were caught out in a snow storm wearing a light […]

    Sarah Laskow Climate & Energy

  • Critical List: Senators call for Keystone XL investigation; orangutans to take over islands

    A group of senators asked the State Department inspector general to investigate improper influence on the Keystone XL decision. After Keystone XL protesters pushed Obama on the issue during a Colorado speech, the president said, "We're looking at it right now, all right? No decision has been made." Getting to Amsterdam-style bike nirvana requires more […]

    Sarah Laskow Climate & Energy

  • All of the internet uses less than 2 percent of the world’s energy

    Humanity spends a lot of time on the internet. Too much, probably. And every little Google search, Facebook message, and tweet uses some energy. All that Hulu uses a lot more. It's been clear that energy going to internet use is growing, but how does it compare to total energy use? If we really want […]

    Sarah Laskow Climate & Energy