Thursday, May 23, 2013

Featured by NOAA a member of the U.S. Global Change Research Program

In its 2013 Atlantic hurricane season outlook issued today, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting an active or extremely active season this year.

For the six-month hurricane season, which begins June 1, NOAA’s Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook says there is a 70 percent likelihood of 13-20 named storms, of which 7-11 could become hurricanes, including 3-6 major hurricanes. These ranges are well above the seasonal average of 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. Read more.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Featured by EPA a member of the U.S. Global Change Research Program

EPA researchers assess the vulnerability of older Americans to climate change in a new report titled “Climate Change and Older Americans: State of the Science. By investigating the relationship between climate change stressors and vulnerability to at-risk life stages, EPA researchers are helping to inform communities and others so they can be better prepared to protect human health.

Explore the connections between what is expected to be an increase in the population of older Americans living in places relatively more affected by climate change on EPA's It All Starts with Science blog.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Featured by NOAA, a member of the U.S. Global Change Research Program

On May 9, 2013, the daily mean concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere surpassed 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time since measurements began in 1958 at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.

Before the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, global average CO2 was about 280 ppm. During the last 800,000 years, CO2 fluctuated between about 180 ppm during ice ages and 280 ppm during interglacial warm periods. Today’s rate of increase is more than 100 times faster than the increase that occurred when the last ice age ended.