Climate Change

The abundance of life on Earth is declining due to human activity. Our growing understanding of the interconnectedness of nature adds additional importance to all the life forms that comprise the world's biodiversity. This includes animals, plants, micro-organisms and the ecosystems within which they live and interact. Each year on May 22, the United Nations celebrates the International Day for Biodiversity (IBD) which is an opportunity to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. Most importantly IDB is an opportunity commit to global action to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss. In December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted 22...

The fact that the world is warming is made obvious by a series of long term temperature readings. This data is corroborated the different researchers and over 26,000 climate indicators. The leading cause of global warming is atmospheric carbon which now stands at around 400 parts per million. This is a level not seen in human history. The planet has been warmer than average for 358 straight months, or almost 30 years. Last year (2014) was the Earth's hottest year on record and global average sea surface temperatures were also at an all-time high in 2014. What make 2014 remarkable...

The new Risky Business Project report report, "Heat in the Heartland: Climate Change and Economic Risk in the Midwest, "quantifies climate risk for Midwestern metro areas in a more granular and industry specific way than any ever has before. In this video Risky Business Project Co-Chair and Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Risk Committee member and Former CEO of Cargill Inc. Gregory Page introduce the report. Click here to see the report "Heat in the Heartland: Climate Change and Economic Risk in the Midwest" Related Global Temperature Data Underscores the Urgency of Climate Action El Niño and Global Warming...

Related Global Temperature Data Underscores the Urgency of Climate Action El Niño and Global Warming are Locked in a Feedback Loop Hottest June Foreshadows the Hottest Year on Record Extreme Heat in the Western World Marks the Start of Summer 2015 At Least 30 Years of Above Average Temperatures Heat Records Tell the Story of Climate Change India's Heat Wave Offers a Glimpse into the Future 2014 is the Hottest Year in Recorded History How Much Heat is Required to Spur Global Action? Record Breaking Heat Suggests Accelerated Warming Interactive Map - Summer Heat in the US June's Record Breaking...

How many months of above average heat are required to convince us that we urgently need to reduce our emissions? In 2014 we witnessed consistently above average temperatures and we have broken many records. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicated that May registered the hottest average global temperatures ever recorded for that month. Likewise the average global temperature for the month of June was was the hottest since records began being kept in 1880. The June temperature readings were also the highest departure from average for any month. NASA reported that August registered the warmest average global temperatures...

In North America, wildfires are destroying vast swaths of forest and creating massive plumes of smoke that extend across the continent and all the way to the Mid-Atlantic. In Canada, there are huge fires raging in B.C., the Northwest Territories, and Ontario. As of August 6, a total of 3,840 wildfires have destroyed over 3,508,582 million acres so far this year. As of  August 12, there were a total of 41 large wildfires burning in the U.S. Ten in California, ten in Washington, and ten in Oregon. A total of eight fires are burning in Idaho and three in Montana....

Boreal forests and Arctic tundras contain peat which stores carbon that is released when it burns. This is one of the worst years ever for wildfires in Canada's boreal forests. Up to two million hectares of boreal forests are expected to burn in the Northwest Territories alone this year. The relationship between heat and wildfires around the Arctic is complex. Some areas like western Siberia are not experiencing the abnormal heat that we see in the Northwest Territories. Scientists, including those at NASA attribute this to the looping waves of the jet stream the facilitate the persistence of ridges of...

President Obama's Science Advisor, Dr. John Holdren, explains in less than three minutes how the growing number of intense wildfires are linked in part, to climate change. Learn more at http://wh.gov/climate-change Related Climate Change Fueling Forest Fires in the North American West (July 2015)  Wildfires Peat and Carbon The Dangerous Feedback Loop Between Forest Fires and Climate Change Republicans Object to Federal Drought Aid and Refuse to Help Fight Wildfires Climate Change Induced Wildfires Burn Out of Control in Southern California Video - Southern California's Firenados are Spawned by Climate Change Induced Drought Bushfires, Climate Change and the Insane Policies...

Droughts and related wildfires are two serious problems in the US, particularly in California. President Obama and the Democrats have been working to provide much needed federal aid to for these climate related disasters. Despite Republican objections, in May Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) succeeded in securing the support she needed to pass the California Emergency Drought Relief Act of 2014. However, in August, Republicans stonewalled legislation that would have provided financial support to assist California in its effort to fight wildfires. In February President Obama announced a $1.2 billion aid package for farmers, ranchers and communities in California and several more...