Greenhouse gases hit modern-day highs

sea-maid submitted, created time 1 week 1 day (www.nature.com)

Atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases reached new highs in 2007, according to the most recent analysis by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide — which together contribute 88% of the anthropogenic global-warming effect — were last year 37%, 156% and 19% above pre-industrial levels, respectively.

Since 1990, total radiative forcing — the re-radiation of heat back towards Earth's surface — by all long-lived heat-trapping gases has increased by 24%, the WMO reports

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Carbon-free energy? Already in progress, says Nature.

Darkfrog submitted, created time 4 months 3 weeks (www.nature.com)

Here, Nature magazine gives an overview of the several different means of generating electricity without releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Increasing the efficiency of existing fossil fuel systems is also given its due.

Once again, we see why Nature is at the very top of science writing. Take a look at this:

"The fact that hydroelectric systems require no fuel means that they also require no fuel-extracting infrastructure and no fuel transport

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The missing greenhouse gas

sea-maid submitted, created time 5 months 3 weeks (www.nature.com)

Growth of the electronics industry will boost emissions of a "hidden"—but extremely potent—greenhouse gas. Nitrogen trifluoride is used in the production of semiconductors, but it's not mentioned anywhere on the Kyoto Protocol.

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Climate change claims its first victim: the entire nation of Kiribati

Darkfrog submitted, created time 6 months 4 weeks (www.nature.com)

Picture Holland with no dams or dykes. The ocean rushes in, right? It will be more of a slow flooding for the island republic of Kiribati. According to experts, even if all greenhouse gas emissions were ceased immediately, the inertia of climate change would keep oceans rising for perhaps a hundred years. Of all Kiribati's thirty-two islands and atolls, none are more than two meters above sea level.

It will take a while, but sooner or later, those 97,000 people will have to find someplace else to live

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Top U.S. Scientists, Economists Urge Carbon Cuts

jerry submitted, created time 7 months 1 week (sciencenow.sciencemag.org)

In an open letter published online yesterday, leading American scientists and economists urged U.S. policymakers to make deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. The action comes as the Senate is poised to vote on landmark U.S. climate legislation...

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Bacteria Release Serious Greenhouse Gas

Sue Wu submitted, created time 9 months 6 days (www.redorbit.com)

Unlike carbon dioxide and methane, laughing gas (nitrous oxide) has been largely ignored by world leaders as a worrying greenhouse gas.

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Use Green House to Defeat Greenhouse Effect

Ships' greenhouse emissions revealed

sumsung submitted, created time 10 months 3 weeks (www.nature.com)

The amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the world's shipping industry is much higher than previously thought, according to the latest estimate from the United Nations. The new figures, released on 8 February by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), based in London, show that emissions from cargo ships are about twice those from global air travel.

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Greenhouse effect has "significantly dried" the western United States

sumsung submitted, created time 11 months 5 days (www.nature.com)

Human activity is largely to blame for the worsening water shortages in the western United States over the past half-century, a new study shows. The analysis of climate trends that influence the availability of freshwater shows that humans are responsible for 60% of the observed changes.

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Reining in climate change may not cripple economies

Darkfrog submitted, created time 1 year 8 months (www.nature.com)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that 1) We really need to halt global warming at no more than two degrees C over current average temperatures and 2) This might not actually be so very expensive, claiming that it could cost as little as 0.12% per year of the global gross productivity (3% total until 2030).

I was a bit optimistic when I started reading this, but it doesn't actually propose any methods for reining in greenhouse gasses. Thoughts?

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