Managing risk and creating opportunities for development in a low carbon economy – day three from the Copenhagen climate change conference
The final day of the conference addresses the thorny problem of adapting to the inevitable impacts and examining the human dimensions of climate change. I attended the morning opening session at which Professor Lord Nicholas Stern, author of the widely respected Stern Report published in 2006, gave a presentation on the economics of responding…
What’s next after Kyoto? Day 2 at the Copenhagen Climate Conference
The second day of the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen opened with plenary session speakers examining how the global energy system needs to change to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The magnitude of the changes required is huge and needs to globally integrated and engaged at local, national and international levels. Professor William Nordhaus,…
Rising sea levels are set to have major impacts worldwide
This week, at the International Congress on Climate Change in Copenhagen, more than 2000 participants are gathered to consider more than 1,600 contributions from researchers from more than 70 countries. Preliminary conclusions from the conference will be developed into a synthesis report (to be published in June) which will inform policymakers and scientists at the…
Ticks in a changing climate
My first venture into the world of blogging, nearly two years ago now, discussed tickborne diseases in the UK, and mentioned that as ticks flourish in warm wet climates, climate change might increase the risk of such diseases. A colleague recently drew my attention to a review article1 about the effects of climate change on…
What is recycled organic waste used for? and other eco questions – Part 4
Continuing from the previous blogs I posted in the past few days, here are three more eco questions and answers:
Can I save the planet by staying slim? and other eco questions – Part 3
Continuing from the previous blog I posted yesterday, here are three more eco questions and answers:
Gamburtsev mountain range mapped
It’s old news that there’s a mountain range under the Antarctic ice, but what’s new is that scientists have now mapped it. Named after a Soviet geophysicist, the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains were discovered in 1957, but the size and shape of them remained unknown until now. In The Guardian last week, it was reported that…
Eco questions and answers – Part 2
This blog is a continuation of my last blog on eco questions. I thought I would tackle 3 transport questions today. Does switching from bus to bike have a real effect on the environment? Especially when considering cyclists are not totally carbon neutral, as they need to eat to fuel their legs. You are much…
Hot Potatoes
With advancing climate change have potatoes had their chips?Looking back over the International Year of the Potato, Marco Bindi (University of Florence) answers the question "What effect will global warming have on the potato?" "Since potato's tuberization rate declines above a temperature of 17°C, increasing temperatures may lead to reduced yields in potato varieties now…
What is the single most effective thing we can do for the environment?
An article in the New Scientist issue number 2682 gave answers to the question above and many other eco questions, e.g. why can't the machines in my gym be used to generate electricity? or How clean does the pizza box have to be for it to be recyclable? Are laminated juice cartons recyclable? and 22…