Washington D.C. [USA], Apr. 10 : A new study of Peruvian frogs living at a wide variety of elevations -- from the Amazon floodplain to high Andes peaks -- lends support to the idea that lowland amphibians are at higher risk from future climate warming.
That's because the lowland creatures already live near the maximum temperatures they can tolerate, while high-elevation amphibians might be more buffered from increased temperatures, according to a study by University of Michigan ecologist Rudolf von May and his colleagues published online April 6 in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
Washington D.C. [USA], Mar. 31 : Trees are considered as one of our biggest natural allies in the war against global warming, but in a new twist, scientists have found that the army of green is spewing out methane.
The University of Delaware study is one of the first in the world to show that tree trunks in upland forests actually emit methane rather than store it, representing a new, previously unaccounted source of this powerful greenhouse gas.
Methane is about 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide, with some estimates as high as 33 times stronger due to its effects when it is in the atmosphere.
Washington D.C. [USA], Nov. 21 : A new research draws attention to recent data rescue efforts undertaken in Australia to study the climate and climate change, in the southern latitudes.
The article has been published in published in Advances in Atmospheric Science journal.
Long-term weather data is the backbone of almost all research into climate change and variability.
The recovery of historical instrumental data is a well-established practise in the Northern Hemisphere, where observations are available for the past several centuries in many regions.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the currently available set of climate observations generally only begin in the early to mid-20th century. This makes it harder to study the climate change.
Marrakech Nov. 7 : India will push the agenda of sustainable lifestyle at the global climate conference beginning in the Moroccan city of Marrakech today, where the focus will be on enhancing ambition, promoting implementation and providing support.
At the 12-day conference, nations will continue their work on strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change.
The Environment Ministry said in a statement that the importance of sustainable lifestyle anchored for the first time in the climate change agreement was a big victory for India.
It said that India has always followed a path of sustainable lifestyle which is based on the principle of need-based consumption.
New Delhi [India], Nov 5 : Norway's Ambassador to India Nils Ragnar Kamsvag recently shared Norway's experience on dealing with climate change at the International Conference on Climate Change, Water, Agriculture and Food Security held in Hyderabad.
Climate change adaptation is important, but dealing with climate change is more important. We have to try to limit the climate change and take radical steps internationally, stated Ambassador Kamsvag in his opening remarks at the conference.
In his remarks he shared Norway's experience on dealing with climate change. Norway has throughout history dealt with weather and climate in extreme forms. "Flooding, rain, waves, snow, wind - this is not new to us."
Climate change will impact almost every region of the planet in the coming times and the impact can be seen in terms of unpredictable and inclement weather, which would impact crop yields. It is important for governments to be ready to combat these changes as there could be food scarcity and people in the coastal regions would face frequent flooding. Climate scientists found that nations around the world that are at high risk of catastrophic impacts of climate change are among the poorest.
Until now, China has been the leading emitter of harmful greenhouse gases in the world, and emissions of CO2 in the country have been rising year after year. More than a year ago, US negotiators asked the government of China to pledge to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the country within a deadline.
Under an agreement, the US government also announced to reverse the growth of dangerous gases that cause global warming. China also pledged to limit the greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The deadline is far off, but capital Beijing’s concession is a big step in efforts to effectively manage climate change, as per environmentalists.
Accurate prediction of rising sea levels is actually double than that of most recent estimates, scientists suggestSubmitted by Satish Kumar on Fri, 04/01/2016 - 13:53
A lot of scientists have come forward to contribute to the expanding body of research predicting rising sea levels in the coming time. When it come to studies on climate change, it is possible to encounter set of statistics that could oppose another.
Such is the case of the findings of two US climate scientists, who suggested that the actual prediction of rising sea levels is in reality double as compared to the most recent estimates.
Moreover, the two researchers have said that earlier climate models have underestimated the likely sea level rise in the next century, and the Antarctic ice sheet meltdown. According to them, the accurate estimates may indicate disaster for low-lying cities.
Media reports have confirmed that President Obama and Premier Xi Jinping of China will sign the Paris Agreement on climate change on April 22. The United Nations accord will be open for the first time for government signatures on that day.
The announcement has come as a statement of joint resolve by the two biggest greenhouse gas emitters in the world, though it is doubtful that whether the United States will be able to meet its obligations mentioned in the agreement.
A latest data has changed dates about the baffling history of the Siberian unicorn. The massive Elasmotherium sibiricum was dubbed ‘Siberian unicorn’, though it shared just a bit besides a famous horn having most pop-culture depictions of the legendary unicorn. But, the major surprise isn’t the aesthetics, but the timing.
Earlier, scientists believed that Siberian unicorn become extinct 350,000 years back, however the latest findings have suggested that the date could be required to be revised by hundreds of thousands of years.
Major regions of the Great Barrier Reef are currently experiencing the worst coral bleaching in history, revealed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority of Australia. Environmentalists have raised alarms about Great Barrier Reef in the past as well.
The northern region of over a thousand-miles long reef is witnessing massive bleaching, announced Terry Hughes, a professor at the James Cook University. This severe bleaching suggests that the conditions are serious for the reef, and harsh El Niño events are all set to initiate a bleaching event, the professor added.
South Korean researchers have conducted a study after they discovered some interesting signs that Antarctic seabirds may remember and recognize humans even after meeting them just a few times.
The Christian Science Monitor reported that it’s not strange for intelligent bird species to be able to remember interactions with humans. It is due to this reason that they can easily understand why they can recognize people. Known among the most intelligent bird species, crows are apt examples of creatures that will certainly recognize you from the time they have seen you.
After 20,000 feet high ash plume created Monday by a volcanic eruption in Alaska, the local authorities raised alert level. The volcanic event led to the grounding of certain flights and curbs on travel by road to western and northern parts of the state. Strong winds pushed the ash cloud, which rose to 20,000 feet, into the heart of the state.
Named Pavlof Volcano, it is one of Alaska’s most active volcanoes, which erupted about 4 p.m. Sunday in the 8,261-foot mountain. The site is some 625 miles southwest of Anchorage on the Alaska Peninsula, the finger of land that sticks out from mainland Alaska toward the Aleutian Islands. Geologists say Pavlof falls in the category of open-system volcano.
NASA has planned eight major projects that will be undertaken over a period of coming six months. The research projects will range from Greenland ice sheet to the coral reefs of the South Pacific. The purpose of this scientific investigations campaign is to understand the extent to which the Earth is changing and how humans are affecting this change.
"Combining the long-term global view from space with detailed measurements from field experiments is a powerful way of deciphering what's happening in our world," said the Director of NASA's Earth Science Division, Michael Freilich.
The federal Fish and Wildlife Service’s Flickr page has some pictures that look like a destroyed office, a severely disorganized farm, probably a deserted construction area or a specifically messy recreation room in somebody’s home.
However, federal officials have said that the photographs are of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon, which they have captured in February, following the 40-day occupation by armed protesters headed by Ammon and Ryan Bundy. The standoff resulted in the death of a protester and minimal 25 others have been facing federal charges in relation with the occupation.
A herd of wolves slaughtered about 19 elk at a western Wyoming feeding ground in just one night, said state wildlife officials in an announcement. It is not unusual for the animal to kill one or two elk, but killing in huge numbers is something that no one had ever noticed in the region, they added.
Another surprising thing is that the wolf-pack didn’t even eat the killed animals. Now, the officials want the state to take decision on how to manage wolves. Until now, the federal government manages the animal.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is planning to spend nearly $4 million to clean, repair and upgrade the Oregon wildlife refuge. Earlier this year, the refuge was the place of a 41-day armed occupation by ranchers.
The Oregonian reported that Dan Ashe, Fish and Wildlife Director, said that his motive is to make the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns a symbol for the rest of the nation, indicating that it is collaboration that endures, and not confrontation.
Earlier this week, similar statements were made by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell when she paid a visit to the refuge.
Federal officials shared pictures of the refuge showing that the ranchers left a mess within the building.
A team of scientists has claimed that they have developed a bacterium with the smallest number of genes required to have life. Now, they hope the research could be used to create designer life forms.
The newly created bacterium has 473 genes. The creators from the J. Craig Venter Institute in California have no idea what action more than 30% genes of the bacterium actually perform. However, they say these genes are important and the microbe could even die without them.
These genes act as key elements, and the team is trying to figure out what they do, and they are very close, said J. Craig Venter, founder of the institute in California.
Extreme climatic calamities like high-rising seas and killer storms could be just decades and not centuries away, a new study into the potential impact of climate change warned.
The study report titled “Ice Melt, Sea Level Rise & Superstorms” warned that the global warming threshold of 2-degree Celsius or 3.6-degree Fahrenheit is too high. The 52-page report was derived from observations of ancient climate change called "paleo-climatology" and observations of current climate shifts, in addition to data from computer modeling.
Former NASA scientist James Hensen, who authored the study, cautioned that humans might have already reached in a position of potentially causing irreparable harm to their future generations.
Scientists have discovered an interesting behavior among beetles as they care for their child and the females do not engage in mating till the time baby beetles are independent. Females also seek help from males in caring for baby beetles.
The research team noted that female burying beetles do not allow males to mate till the time baby beetles are independent. The study has appeared on Tuesday in journal Nature Communications.
Lead researcher Sandra Steiger, an assistant professor of biology at the University of Ulm in Germany, said they are quite a modern family. They studied 400 pairs of beetles during a time period of three years.