| Report examines improving Long-Term Climate Forecasts Operational forecasting centers produce climate predictions that provide input for important decisions regarding water management, agriculture, and energy. "Assessment of Intraseasonal to Interannual Climate Prediction and Predictability," a new report from the National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences, examines current capabilities for making climate predictions, such as seasonal hurricane or longer-term drought forecasts, and identifies opportunities for improvement. ScienceDaily.com, Wednesday 8 September 2010 |
| Australian Adaptation benchmarking survey: initial report CSIRO conducted a survey of public and private sector organisations to assess the current level of adaptation planning in Australia as part of a longitudinal study to track changes in adaptation action. The initial survey concludes that organisations with some understanding of climate change, and with experience of risk management and strategic planning are more likely to have considered the impacts of climate change. CSIRO, Tuesday 7 September 2010 |
| Forests make heatwaves initially warmer During heatwaves forests reduce their evaporation. This causes the atmosphere to warm up even more. During extremely long periods of heat, however, this reduction enables the forests to continue their evaporation for longer, so the net effect is ultimately one of cooling in relation to the surroundings. This emerged from research by Ryan Teuling (Wageningen University) and colleagues just published in Nature Geoscience. Alterra, Wageningen UR, Monday 6 September 2010 |
| Insurers call for more action to adapt developing world to climate change Four initiatives representing more than 100 leading international insurance companies are today calling on governments worldwide to harness risk management techniques and insurance expertise to help the developing world adapt to climate change. UNEP, Monday 6 September 2010 |
| Decrease in global carbon dioxide emissions; CO2 from China, India on the rise Global CO2 emissions decreased in 2009, the first decrease recorded this decade. However, in China and India the emissions increased by 9 and 6 percent. ScienceDaily, Thursday 2 September 2010 |
| El Niños are growing stronger, NASA/NOAA study finds A relatively new type of El Niño, which has its warmest waters in the central-equatorial Pacific Ocean, rather than in the eastern-equatorial Pacific, is becoming more common and progressively stronger, according to a new study by NASA and NOAA. The research may improve our understanding of the relationship between El Niños and climate change, and has potentially significant implications for long-term weather forecasting. ScienceDaily.com, Wednesday 25 August 2010 |
| Greenhouse gas emissions calculated which result from the production of crops for fuel At the request of the European Commission, the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment has carried out a study into the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the production of biofuel crops. Each EU member state has had to carry out a similar type of study. LEI, Wageningen UR, Tuesday 24 August 2010 |
| UK can halve maritime CO2 emissions A new study into how Britain might aim for a carbon-neutral transport sector by 2050 estimates CO2 emissions in the shipping industry could be halved by employing a range of available measures for maximum impact. CarbonPostive, Tuesday 24 August 2010 |
| DeltaCompetition attracts innovative and diverse ideas for climate adaptation from students around the world The worldwide DeltaCompetition challenged students to formulate creative solutions for adapting the delta cities of the world to climate change impacts. The competition, run by Delta Alliance, the City of Rotterdam and Royal Haskoning, received 24 unique submissions from eleven countries on five continents. Winners will be announced at the beginning of September; three winning teams will receive prizes of USD 3,000 and an expenses-paid trip to Rotterdam to present their work at the Deltas in Times of Climate Change conference, 29 September – 1 October 2010. Delta Alliance, Wednesday 18 August 2010 |
| New computer model advances climate change research Scientists can now study climate change in far more detail with powerful new computer software released by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). ScienceDaily.com, Wednesday 18 August 2010 |