Reforesting: a new tune for community resiliency

About the author: Carolina Diaz de Villegas is a recent graduate of the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University, where she, Kiara Rodriguez, and Michelle Bravo have been providing technical assistance to the Town of Medley as part of projects developed under EPA’s College/Underserved Community Partnership Program.

As many of you may already know, the Everglades — home to countless native plant and animal species — is not only one of Florida’s greatest treasures, but also the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the United States. Unfortunately, the Everglades ecosystem faces constant threats from urban and agricultural expansion.

In an effort to shift to a more sustainable way of life, efforts are underway to counteract decades of human driven land use by reforesting the small town of Medley, Florida – one tree at a time.

Medley is home to about 1,100 residents in northwest Miami-Dade County. For nearly 85% of the residents, Spanish is their first language. Residents have to drive several miles to get to the closest grocery store. Medley also is home to approximately 1,800 businesses, bringing the weekday population to nearly 60,000. More than 80% of the city is covered in impervious paving due to this industrial activity. As a result, this largely industrial town has become a food desert with heavy air pollution. An urban food desert typically has plenty of convenience stores, liquor stores, and fast food joints, but little or no access to healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.

With the support of Medley Town Mayor Roberto Martell and EPA’s College/Underserved Community Partnership Program (CUPP) , my fellow Florida International University students and I are working with local residents to address these issues.

We began by planting native trees at Medley’s Lakeside Retirement Park. We also planted a variety of native flowers and shrubs near the entrance to attract not only passersby but also pollinators. The change is so dramatic that students have informally dubbed the area the “Medley Botanical Garden.”

Click on picture to watch video

Since education is the key to progress, we worked to help local community members better understand the importance of trees and living a sustainable lifestyle in their urban landscape. My colleague Kiara Rodriguez and I talked about the importance of these principles to kids in the local afterschool care program. We taught them about carbon sequestration, the importance of recycling, and even climate change — a term most had never heard before! We also visited the Community Center during its Saturday food distribution and spoke with the elders about these topics.

This summer, supported by grants from our university, we planted more trees and created two “All-in-One” food gardens. Because much of the land surface around the Medley Lake retirement center is covered by paving and other impervious surfaces, we created an aboveground garden that uses harvested rainwater. We planted several summer crops and are working with the community center to supplement the garden soil with food waste from the cafeteria. The project has many benefits – it produces fresh food for a community in the middle of a food desert, it uses a water-efficient method for watering, and it will reduce food waste by generating compost to supplement the garden.

Here we are standing proudly next to some of our newly planted trees, along with our professor Dr. Tiffany Troxler.

My fellow student Michelle Bravo led other volunteers who built a pergola that is a central feature of the developing Medley Botanical Garden. Ms. Bravo is conducting research that showed that a botanical garden could both improve the health of elderly residents and increase carbon sequestration with the new trees planted. In a continued commitment to Medley, other Florida International University students will be working with the town to develop an economic development plan.

By increasing the amount of green mass available for carbon sequestration, we are helping Medley in the ongoing battle against climate change on a local scale, while also increasing awareness about these issues in future generations.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1FgjhQg

About the author: Carolina Diaz de Villegas is a recent graduate of the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida International University, where she, Kiara Rodriguez, and Michelle Bravo have been providing technical assistance to the Town of Medley as part of projects developed under EPA’s College/Underserved Community Partnership Program.

As many of you may already know, the Everglades — home to countless native plant and animal species — is not only one of Florida’s greatest treasures, but also the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the United States. Unfortunately, the Everglades ecosystem faces constant threats from urban and agricultural expansion.

In an effort to shift to a more sustainable way of life, efforts are underway to counteract decades of human driven land use by reforesting the small town of Medley, Florida – one tree at a time.

Medley is home to about 1,100 residents in northwest Miami-Dade County. For nearly 85% of the residents, Spanish is their first language. Residents have to drive several miles to get to the closest grocery store. Medley also is home to approximately 1,800 businesses, bringing the weekday population to nearly 60,000. More than 80% of the city is covered in impervious paving due to this industrial activity. As a result, this largely industrial town has become a food desert with heavy air pollution. An urban food desert typically has plenty of convenience stores, liquor stores, and fast food joints, but little or no access to healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.

With the support of Medley Town Mayor Roberto Martell and EPA’s College/Underserved Community Partnership Program (CUPP) , my fellow Florida International University students and I are working with local residents to address these issues.

We began by planting native trees at Medley’s Lakeside Retirement Park. We also planted a variety of native flowers and shrubs near the entrance to attract not only passersby but also pollinators. The change is so dramatic that students have informally dubbed the area the “Medley Botanical Garden.”

Click on picture to watch video

Since education is the key to progress, we worked to help local community members better understand the importance of trees and living a sustainable lifestyle in their urban landscape. My colleague Kiara Rodriguez and I talked about the importance of these principles to kids in the local afterschool care program. We taught them about carbon sequestration, the importance of recycling, and even climate change — a term most had never heard before! We also visited the Community Center during its Saturday food distribution and spoke with the elders about these topics.

This summer, supported by grants from our university, we planted more trees and created two “All-in-One” food gardens. Because much of the land surface around the Medley Lake retirement center is covered by paving and other impervious surfaces, we created an aboveground garden that uses harvested rainwater. We planted several summer crops and are working with the community center to supplement the garden soil with food waste from the cafeteria. The project has many benefits – it produces fresh food for a community in the middle of a food desert, it uses a water-efficient method for watering, and it will reduce food waste by generating compost to supplement the garden.

Here we are standing proudly next to some of our newly planted trees, along with our professor Dr. Tiffany Troxler.

My fellow student Michelle Bravo led other volunteers who built a pergola that is a central feature of the developing Medley Botanical Garden. Ms. Bravo is conducting research that showed that a botanical garden could both improve the health of elderly residents and increase carbon sequestration with the new trees planted. In a continued commitment to Medley, other Florida International University students will be working with the town to develop an economic development plan.

By increasing the amount of green mass available for carbon sequestration, we are helping Medley in the ongoing battle against climate change on a local scale, while also increasing awareness about these issues in future generations.

from The EPA Blog http://ift.tt/1FgjhQg

How to see the Summer Triangle in September

The Summer Triangle consists of three bright stars in three separate constellations. The stars are Vega in the constellation Lyra, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus, and Altair in the constellation Aquila. These stars are so bright that you can even see them on a moonlit night.

The Summer Triangle is prominent on summer evenings, but now, as we drift toward autumn, we still have several months to watch this large asterism (an asterism is just a noticeable pattern of stars). This huge star pattern looms from south to overhead at mid-evening in September and early evening in October. (As seen from the Southern Hemisphere, the Summer Triangle appears “upside-down” in your northern sky.) After the moon drops out of the evening sky in a few more days, look for the glowing band of stars that we call the Milky Way to run right through the Summer Triangle.

Today’s chart has you looking south to overhead on a September evening. If you crane your neck to look straight up, around mid-evening, you’ll see the three bright stars forming the Summer Triangle. How can you recognize them? Well, Altair is noticeable as a bright star with two fainter stars on either side of it. Deneb lies at the top of a cross-like figure – the pattern of the cross is actually another asterism, known as the Northern Cross. This cross lies inside the Summer Triangle. And Vega is recognizable for its sapphire-blue color, and for the fact that its constellation Lyra is small and distinct in shape. Lyra consists of a little triangle, of which Vega is part, with a little parallelogram attached.

On a dark, moonless night, you can see an edgewise view of the galactic disk - and the Dark Rift - passing right through the Summer Triangle. Photo credit: cipdatajeffb

Finally, if you’re looking in a dark sky, you’ll see that a rich region of the Milky Way – the edgewise view into our own galaxy – runs through the midst of the Summer Triangle. On September and October evenings, look for the Summer Triangle to shine from south to overhead, defined by Vega, Deneb and Altair. Although you can see the bright stars of the Summer Triangle on a moonlit night, you’ll need a dark sky to see the Milky Way’s luminescent band of stars. If there’s too much moonlight this evening, try again after a few more days.

Summer Triangle: Vega, Deneb, Altair

Great Rift: Dark area in the Milky Way

EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order yours from the EarthSky store.

Help support posts like these at the EarthSky store. Fun astronomy gifts and tools for all ages!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1NVgEue

The Summer Triangle consists of three bright stars in three separate constellations. The stars are Vega in the constellation Lyra, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus, and Altair in the constellation Aquila. These stars are so bright that you can even see them on a moonlit night.

The Summer Triangle is prominent on summer evenings, but now, as we drift toward autumn, we still have several months to watch this large asterism (an asterism is just a noticeable pattern of stars). This huge star pattern looms from south to overhead at mid-evening in September and early evening in October. (As seen from the Southern Hemisphere, the Summer Triangle appears “upside-down” in your northern sky.) After the moon drops out of the evening sky in a few more days, look for the glowing band of stars that we call the Milky Way to run right through the Summer Triangle.

Today’s chart has you looking south to overhead on a September evening. If you crane your neck to look straight up, around mid-evening, you’ll see the three bright stars forming the Summer Triangle. How can you recognize them? Well, Altair is noticeable as a bright star with two fainter stars on either side of it. Deneb lies at the top of a cross-like figure – the pattern of the cross is actually another asterism, known as the Northern Cross. This cross lies inside the Summer Triangle. And Vega is recognizable for its sapphire-blue color, and for the fact that its constellation Lyra is small and distinct in shape. Lyra consists of a little triangle, of which Vega is part, with a little parallelogram attached.

On a dark, moonless night, you can see an edgewise view of the galactic disk - and the Dark Rift - passing right through the Summer Triangle. Photo credit: cipdatajeffb

Finally, if you’re looking in a dark sky, you’ll see that a rich region of the Milky Way – the edgewise view into our own galaxy – runs through the midst of the Summer Triangle. On September and October evenings, look for the Summer Triangle to shine from south to overhead, defined by Vega, Deneb and Altair. Although you can see the bright stars of the Summer Triangle on a moonlit night, you’ll need a dark sky to see the Milky Way’s luminescent band of stars. If there’s too much moonlight this evening, try again after a few more days.

Summer Triangle: Vega, Deneb, Altair

Great Rift: Dark area in the Milky Way

EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order yours from the EarthSky store.

Help support posts like these at the EarthSky store. Fun astronomy gifts and tools for all ages!

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1NVgEue

This date in science: Pioneer 11 swept past Saturn

September 1, 1979. On this date, NASA’s Pioneer 11 came within 13,000 miles (21,000 kilometers) of Saturn, making it the first spacecraft ever to sweep closely past that world. The spacecraft found a new ring for Saturn – now called the “F” ring – and also a new moon, Epimetheus. There were two Pioneer spacecraft. They were used to investigate Saturn’s rings and determine if a trajectory through the rings was safe for the upcoming Voyager visits. They paved the way for the even-more-sophisticated Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977 … and ultimately for the wonderful Cassini mission to Saturn, which has been orbiting the planet since 2004 and which has provided unprecedented and spectacular views of Saturn and its rings and moons.

Visit: Cassini images Hall of Fame

A Pioneer 11 photo of Saturn, taken in 1979. Image via NASA/Ames

Scientists said that Pioneer 11 also enabled them to get a sense of Saturn’s internal composition. It had long been realized that Saturn is not very dense; if you could find an ocean large enough to hold it, it would float on water. Pioneer 11 showed Saturn likely has a relatively small core for an outer gas giant world – only 10 times Earth’s mass – and that the planet is mostly liquid hydrogen.

Pioneer 11 is still sailing away from Earth, even though its transmissions died several years ago. As far as scientists know, it’s off towards the center of our Milky Way galaxy, that is, generally in the direction of our constellation Sagittarius.

Botton line: On September 1, 1979, Pioneer 11 came closest to Saturn.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1LIcaVv

September 1, 1979. On this date, NASA’s Pioneer 11 came within 13,000 miles (21,000 kilometers) of Saturn, making it the first spacecraft ever to sweep closely past that world. The spacecraft found a new ring for Saturn – now called the “F” ring – and also a new moon, Epimetheus. There were two Pioneer spacecraft. They were used to investigate Saturn’s rings and determine if a trajectory through the rings was safe for the upcoming Voyager visits. They paved the way for the even-more-sophisticated Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977 … and ultimately for the wonderful Cassini mission to Saturn, which has been orbiting the planet since 2004 and which has provided unprecedented and spectacular views of Saturn and its rings and moons.

Visit: Cassini images Hall of Fame

A Pioneer 11 photo of Saturn, taken in 1979. Image via NASA/Ames

Scientists said that Pioneer 11 also enabled them to get a sense of Saturn’s internal composition. It had long been realized that Saturn is not very dense; if you could find an ocean large enough to hold it, it would float on water. Pioneer 11 showed Saturn likely has a relatively small core for an outer gas giant world – only 10 times Earth’s mass – and that the planet is mostly liquid hydrogen.

Pioneer 11 is still sailing away from Earth, even though its transmissions died several years ago. As far as scientists know, it’s off towards the center of our Milky Way galaxy, that is, generally in the direction of our constellation Sagittarius.

Botton line: On September 1, 1979, Pioneer 11 came closest to Saturn.

from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1LIcaVv

September is National Preparedness Month (USGS) [Greg Laden's Blog]

Be prepared!

Did you now that September is, in the US, National Preparedness Month? The idea is to pay attention to natural threats and how to deal with them. This is a project of the USGS. Good idea to give it some thought on this tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

The USGS recommends a scientific approach, and talks about hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, sinkholes, geomagnetic storms, drought, floods, wildfire, and more. For information on all of this, including info on The Great Shakout event coming in October (where we all pretend there is an earthquake) click here.

In sum,

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1Fgf8fd

Be prepared!

Did you now that September is, in the US, National Preparedness Month? The idea is to pay attention to natural threats and how to deal with them. This is a project of the USGS. Good idea to give it some thought on this tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

The USGS recommends a scientific approach, and talks about hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, sinkholes, geomagnetic storms, drought, floods, wildfire, and more. For information on all of this, including info on The Great Shakout event coming in October (where we all pretend there is an earthquake) click here.

In sum,

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1Fgf8fd

Air Force Developing Titanium Replacement for Engine and Aircraft

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Developing better, faster, stronger, and more sustainable aircraft requires the discovery and successful manufacturing of advanced, high-temperature materials. Additionally, the best new materials solutions meet environmental, health and safety regulations and are non-toxic alternatives to their predecessors.

Researchers from the Air Force Research Laboratory and PROOF Research Advanced Composites Division (formerly Performance Polymer Solutions Inc., P²SI), in Moraine, Ohio, are developing and maturing computationally derived materials, manufacturing and engineering solutions, including advanced, high-temperature polymer matrix composites (PMCs) that are used to replace titanium. Applications for these materials exist on the F135 and F110 engines; B-2, F-117 and F-22 aircraft; missile structures; and sixth-generation engines.

As a replacement for titanium structures, high-temperature PMCs offer up to a 40-percent weight savings resulting in annual fuel savings of hundreds of dollars per kilogram of titanium replaced per aircraft in addition to potential increased service life and improved fatigue resistance.

The Air Force Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program office is providing an additional $750,000 to PROOF ACD (P²SI) to help transition these technologies in support of the Air Force’s Technology Program for Integrated Computational Methods for Composite Materials (ICM2).

“This maturation effort supports the warfighter by providing new capabilities and performance at a reduced cost,” said Dr. Brent Volk, the AFRL researcher managing the effort.  “It completes development of an advanced materials ‘toolbox’ that includes a higher temperature polyimide matrix composite, a computational process model for the material integrated into a commercial, off-the-shelf software package, validation of the process model on complex geometries, and a materials design-allowable database.”

In addition to the SBIR funding, this program leverages more than $1.6 million in funding from industry partners, including Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation and Triumph Aerostructures.  These funds will help ensure the SBIR Phase II effort graduates into a program that successfully transitions its technologies into military or private sectors.

The Air Force SBIR and STTR programs are mission-oriented programs that integrate the needs and requirements of the Air Force through research and development topics that have military and commercial potential. The SBIR program was established by Congress in 1982 to fund research and development (R&D) through small businesses of 500 or fewer employees.  The STTR program was established in 1992 to fund cooperative R&D projects with small businesses and non-profit U.S. research institutions, such as universities.

Since 2006, the Commercialization Readiness Program has directly linked Air Force centers to Air Force Research Laboratory technical points of contact to identify and evaluate Air Force needs and innovative solutions.  Its primary objective is to accelerate the transition of SBIR/STTR-developed technologies into real-world military and commercial applications.

The Air Force SBIR and STTR programs provide more than $300 million in funding for research and development activities by small businesses annually.  With this budget, the Air Force funds research from the early stages of concept development until it transitions to military or commercial use.

For more information about these programs, please call the Air Force SBIR/STTR Program Office at 1-800-222-0336, email info@afsbirsttr.com, or visit our website at www.afsbirsttr.com

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for military science and technology updates!

 

You can also follow HDIAC on Twitter

 

———-

 

Disclaimer: Re-published content may have been edited for length and clarity. The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense. For other than authorized activities, such as, military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation sites, the Department of Defense does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this DoD website.

 

from Armed with Science http://ift.tt/1N7l16c

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Developing better, faster, stronger, and more sustainable aircraft requires the discovery and successful manufacturing of advanced, high-temperature materials. Additionally, the best new materials solutions meet environmental, health and safety regulations and are non-toxic alternatives to their predecessors.

Researchers from the Air Force Research Laboratory and PROOF Research Advanced Composites Division (formerly Performance Polymer Solutions Inc., P²SI), in Moraine, Ohio, are developing and maturing computationally derived materials, manufacturing and engineering solutions, including advanced, high-temperature polymer matrix composites (PMCs) that are used to replace titanium. Applications for these materials exist on the F135 and F110 engines; B-2, F-117 and F-22 aircraft; missile structures; and sixth-generation engines.

As a replacement for titanium structures, high-temperature PMCs offer up to a 40-percent weight savings resulting in annual fuel savings of hundreds of dollars per kilogram of titanium replaced per aircraft in addition to potential increased service life and improved fatigue resistance.

The Air Force Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program office is providing an additional $750,000 to PROOF ACD (P²SI) to help transition these technologies in support of the Air Force’s Technology Program for Integrated Computational Methods for Composite Materials (ICM2).

“This maturation effort supports the warfighter by providing new capabilities and performance at a reduced cost,” said Dr. Brent Volk, the AFRL researcher managing the effort.  “It completes development of an advanced materials ‘toolbox’ that includes a higher temperature polyimide matrix composite, a computational process model for the material integrated into a commercial, off-the-shelf software package, validation of the process model on complex geometries, and a materials design-allowable database.”

In addition to the SBIR funding, this program leverages more than $1.6 million in funding from industry partners, including Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation and Triumph Aerostructures.  These funds will help ensure the SBIR Phase II effort graduates into a program that successfully transitions its technologies into military or private sectors.

The Air Force SBIR and STTR programs are mission-oriented programs that integrate the needs and requirements of the Air Force through research and development topics that have military and commercial potential. The SBIR program was established by Congress in 1982 to fund research and development (R&D) through small businesses of 500 or fewer employees.  The STTR program was established in 1992 to fund cooperative R&D projects with small businesses and non-profit U.S. research institutions, such as universities.

Since 2006, the Commercialization Readiness Program has directly linked Air Force centers to Air Force Research Laboratory technical points of contact to identify and evaluate Air Force needs and innovative solutions.  Its primary objective is to accelerate the transition of SBIR/STTR-developed technologies into real-world military and commercial applications.

The Air Force SBIR and STTR programs provide more than $300 million in funding for research and development activities by small businesses annually.  With this budget, the Air Force funds research from the early stages of concept development until it transitions to military or commercial use.

For more information about these programs, please call the Air Force SBIR/STTR Program Office at 1-800-222-0336, email info@afsbirsttr.com, or visit our website at www.afsbirsttr.com

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for military science and technology updates!

 

You can also follow HDIAC on Twitter

 

———-

 

Disclaimer: Re-published content may have been edited for length and clarity. The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense. For other than authorized activities, such as, military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation sites, the Department of Defense does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this DoD website.

 

from Armed with Science http://ift.tt/1N7l16c

2015 SkS Weekly Digest #35

SkS Highlights... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Poster of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... SkS Week in Review... and 97 Hours of Consensus

SkS Highlights 

Tracking the 2C Limit - July 2015, the first of a monthly series, by Rob Honeycutt garnered the most comments of the articles posted on SkS during the past week. Here’s what happens when you try to replicate climate contrarian papers by Dana drew the second highest number of comments. 

Toon of the Week

 

Quote of the Week

“Our sense of the ocean’s power and omnipotence – combined with scientific ignorance – contributed to an assumption that nothing we did could ever possibly impact it”, says Katie Auth, a researcher at Worldwatch and one of the authors of the report.

“Over the years, scientists and environmental leaders have worked tirelessly to demonstrate and communicate the fallacy of such arrogance.”

Too warm, too few fish: Health warning for world’s oceans by Kieran Cooke, Climate News Network, Aug 23, 2015 

Coming Soon on SkS

• Denial101x MOOC - Full list of videos and references at your fingertips (Larry M & Baerbel W)
• Climate change and Hurricane Katrina: what have we learned? (Kerry Emmanuel)
• Climate change set to fuel more "monster" El Niños, scientists warn (Roz Pidcock)
• The pope, climate change and the cultural dimensions of the Anthropocene (Andrew J Hoffman)
• 2015 Weekly News Roundup #36 (John Hartz)
• 2015 Weekly Digest #36 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week

 

SkS Week in Review

• Citi report: slowing global warming would save tens of trillions of dollars by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus-the 97%, The Guardian)
• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #35 by John Hartz
• How to make sense of 'alarming' sea level forecasts by Andrew Glikson (The Conversation)
• You can’t rush the oceans (why CO2 emission rates matter) by Howard Lee
• Tracking the 2C Limit - July 2015 by Rob Honeycutt
• Here’s what happens when you try to replicate climate contrarian papers by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus-the 97%, The Guardian)
• Adapting to air pollution with clean air stands in China by John Abraham (Climate Consensus-the 97%, The Guardian) 
• 2015 SkS Weekly Digest #34 by John Hartz 

97 Hours of Consensus: Penny Wheton

 

Penny Whetton's bio page & Quote source

from Skeptical Science http://ift.tt/1Jvc00B

SkS Highlights... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Poster of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... SkS Week in Review... and 97 Hours of Consensus

SkS Highlights 

Tracking the 2C Limit - July 2015, the first of a monthly series, by Rob Honeycutt garnered the most comments of the articles posted on SkS during the past week. Here’s what happens when you try to replicate climate contrarian papers by Dana drew the second highest number of comments. 

Toon of the Week

 

Quote of the Week

“Our sense of the ocean’s power and omnipotence – combined with scientific ignorance – contributed to an assumption that nothing we did could ever possibly impact it”, says Katie Auth, a researcher at Worldwatch and one of the authors of the report.

“Over the years, scientists and environmental leaders have worked tirelessly to demonstrate and communicate the fallacy of such arrogance.”

Too warm, too few fish: Health warning for world’s oceans by Kieran Cooke, Climate News Network, Aug 23, 2015 

Coming Soon on SkS

• Denial101x MOOC - Full list of videos and references at your fingertips (Larry M & Baerbel W)
• Climate change and Hurricane Katrina: what have we learned? (Kerry Emmanuel)
• Climate change set to fuel more "monster" El Niños, scientists warn (Roz Pidcock)
• The pope, climate change and the cultural dimensions of the Anthropocene (Andrew J Hoffman)
• 2015 Weekly News Roundup #36 (John Hartz)
• 2015 Weekly Digest #36 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week

 

SkS Week in Review

• Citi report: slowing global warming would save tens of trillions of dollars by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus-the 97%, The Guardian)
• 2015 SkS Weekly News Roundup #35 by John Hartz
• How to make sense of 'alarming' sea level forecasts by Andrew Glikson (The Conversation)
• You can’t rush the oceans (why CO2 emission rates matter) by Howard Lee
• Tracking the 2C Limit - July 2015 by Rob Honeycutt
• Here’s what happens when you try to replicate climate contrarian papers by Dana Nuccitelli (Climate Consensus-the 97%, The Guardian)
• Adapting to air pollution with clean air stands in China by John Abraham (Climate Consensus-the 97%, The Guardian) 
• 2015 SkS Weekly Digest #34 by John Hartz 

97 Hours of Consensus: Penny Wheton

 

Penny Whetton's bio page & Quote source

from Skeptical Science http://ift.tt/1Jvc00B

Anthropogenic Global Warming Causes Significant Changes in Climate Zones [Greg Laden's Blog]

Human caused climate change is changing the size and location of major climate zones, according to a new study.

Climate is complex, and a classic, widely used effort to wrangle that complexity into a sensible form is the Köppen classification system (and variants). We need not speak of the details here, but within this scheme there are five climate groups that include all of the possibilities for the Earth’s land surface. They are:

• A: Tropical/megathermal climates
• B: Dry (arid and semiarid) climates
• C: Temperate/mesothermal climates
• D: Continental/microthermal climates
• E: Polar and alpine climates

This is sort of like a large scale version of the famous planting zone classification you use to determine when to plant your radishes or take in the last of the green tomatoes. The classifications are based on the idea that plants are indicators of the complex mix of factors that determine regional climate. Average temperatures matter, but high and low temperatures, when they occur (during the day and across the march of seasons) matter more, with key values such as frost mattering a lot. Average precipitation matters, but the distribution of precipitation across the year which might result in dry seasons matters a great deal. Ultimately, the local expression of global temperature, moisture, elevation, latitude, and the physical proximity to large bodies of water (most notably the oceans) and mountain ranges result in regional or local climate. The five classifications reflect zones that are mostly distributed across latitude (A on the Equator, E on the Poles) but that are also heavily influenced by altitude.

As humans add greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere the climate changes. We therefore expect these major classifications of regional climate to change as well, both in their relative sizes and in their locations with respect to latitude and altitude.

They do.

A new paper, “Significant anthropogenic-induced changes of climate classes since 1950” by Duo Chan and Qigang Wu, in Nature’s Scientific Reports journal, looks at Köppen classes under global warming, and also attempts to parse out underlying natural variation.

The paper is Open Access so you can go read it yourself. It is very clearly written and interesting. Here, I’ll just give you the key conclusions.

The research uses several data sources to conduct the analysis. All of the data are gridded across the globe, but some grids don’t have their own data because they are in remote areas with little or no instrumentation across the study period. Some data sets interpolate values into these grid squares, and those that do use different methods. One major data set leaves those grid squares blank and treats them as missing data. By using all of the data sets, the researchers were able to avoid coming up with results that were influenced by specific interpolation methods. Most importantly, though, they discovered that using the missing data approach did not change results because the missing data squares are mostly in the most A-like of Group A climate areas or the most E-like of Group E climate areas. Group A climate zones are growing, so being in the middle of those zones does not influence the analysis. So, not knowing what was going on in the middle of the Congo Raiforest does not change anything. Group E climate zones are shrinking, but those areas that are deep wihtin those zones (at the poles, on top of Mount Everest, etc.) don’t matter either.

Group D is “continental” and includes places like Chicago, Seoul, Salt Lake City, Ottawa, Flagstaff, and Faribanks. It is a very large zone that transits places that have real winters and those that have whimpier winters. Even though Group D is huge and significant, it also acts a bit like an ecotone or transition between Group C (Seasonally dry or arid, like Los Angeles, Cape Town, Beirut) and Group E (Tundra, ice caps, etc.). For this reason Group D is divided along the 55th parallel.

There are some complexities in how the data change over time which I will skip here (see the original paper). The point is, the zones do change significantly, with anthropogenic global warming being the primary cause. There is nothing particularly surprising in the results, but details can be important. Most importantly, the study also uses modeling to look at both past and future changes, and predicts an acceleration in change.

This graphic shows changes in climate types over the period 1950 to 2003 using one of the data sets (the data they chose for most of the analysis).

Linear trends in areas of 5 major climate types for 1950–2003

Tropical areas are expanding in space, moving north, and moving up in elevation. Not a lot, but a little. Why not a lot? The study does not say but I’ll guess. The tropical heat and moisture associated with this climate group are rapidly dispersed by air and water circulation systems and become part of the rest of the climate system quickly.

Arid and semi-arid areas (Group B) expand dramatically in area, and also move north and up hill. Why to they expand so much? There are probably two reasons. One is that more heat means more evaporation as well as more holding potential for water in the air. So ground moisture is sucked into the air at a greater rate, and stays there longer. Another (but closely related) reason may be the clumping of moisture we see in certain emerging weather patterns. Clumping means more arid conditions, even if that clumped water all falls eventually, on average, where it might have fallen anyway. A given amount of water falling uniformly in time and space across a region may provide a non-arid climate zone. The same amount of water falling non-uniformly in space, or especially, time, may result in a semi-arid zone.

Arid, semi-arid, subtropical Group B expands at the expense of Group C, while Group C is busy moving north but not up in elevation. The norther parts of Group D (ie, much of Canada) diminishes in area and moves north and uphill.

Group E, the cold bits, decline in area, move north, and retreat uphill.

The most important thing in this graphic is probably the expansion of Group B, where we can and do grow some food but under somewhat difficult conditions, and the loss of Group C area. The breadbasket, it is shrinking.

The paper concludes,

… major Köppen climate types since 1950 have occurred worldwide and are almost entirely attributed to the observed anthropogenic increase in greenhouse gas concentrations. Model runs project accelerating anthropogenic-induced major climate type changes in the next decades. As the Köppen climate classification links the Earth’s climates with the qualitative features of the vegetation, results here indicate that observed climate changes might already be causing significant impacts on vegetation in areas where the major climate class has changed, and model projections imply increasing future impacts.

This is a problem.

________
Map of Köppen Climate Classification from here.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1Fg7vp4

Human caused climate change is changing the size and location of major climate zones, according to a new study.

Climate is complex, and a classic, widely used effort to wrangle that complexity into a sensible form is the Köppen classification system (and variants). We need not speak of the details here, but within this scheme there are five climate groups that include all of the possibilities for the Earth’s land surface. They are:

• A: Tropical/megathermal climates
• B: Dry (arid and semiarid) climates
• C: Temperate/mesothermal climates
• D: Continental/microthermal climates
• E: Polar and alpine climates

This is sort of like a large scale version of the famous planting zone classification you use to determine when to plant your radishes or take in the last of the green tomatoes. The classifications are based on the idea that plants are indicators of the complex mix of factors that determine regional climate. Average temperatures matter, but high and low temperatures, when they occur (during the day and across the march of seasons) matter more, with key values such as frost mattering a lot. Average precipitation matters, but the distribution of precipitation across the year which might result in dry seasons matters a great deal. Ultimately, the local expression of global temperature, moisture, elevation, latitude, and the physical proximity to large bodies of water (most notably the oceans) and mountain ranges result in regional or local climate. The five classifications reflect zones that are mostly distributed across latitude (A on the Equator, E on the Poles) but that are also heavily influenced by altitude.

As humans add greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere the climate changes. We therefore expect these major classifications of regional climate to change as well, both in their relative sizes and in their locations with respect to latitude and altitude.

They do.

A new paper, “Significant anthropogenic-induced changes of climate classes since 1950” by Duo Chan and Qigang Wu, in Nature’s Scientific Reports journal, looks at Köppen classes under global warming, and also attempts to parse out underlying natural variation.

The paper is Open Access so you can go read it yourself. It is very clearly written and interesting. Here, I’ll just give you the key conclusions.

The research uses several data sources to conduct the analysis. All of the data are gridded across the globe, but some grids don’t have their own data because they are in remote areas with little or no instrumentation across the study period. Some data sets interpolate values into these grid squares, and those that do use different methods. One major data set leaves those grid squares blank and treats them as missing data. By using all of the data sets, the researchers were able to avoid coming up with results that were influenced by specific interpolation methods. Most importantly, though, they discovered that using the missing data approach did not change results because the missing data squares are mostly in the most A-like of Group A climate areas or the most E-like of Group E climate areas. Group A climate zones are growing, so being in the middle of those zones does not influence the analysis. So, not knowing what was going on in the middle of the Congo Raiforest does not change anything. Group E climate zones are shrinking, but those areas that are deep wihtin those zones (at the poles, on top of Mount Everest, etc.) don’t matter either.

Group D is “continental” and includes places like Chicago, Seoul, Salt Lake City, Ottawa, Flagstaff, and Faribanks. It is a very large zone that transits places that have real winters and those that have whimpier winters. Even though Group D is huge and significant, it also acts a bit like an ecotone or transition between Group C (Seasonally dry or arid, like Los Angeles, Cape Town, Beirut) and Group E (Tundra, ice caps, etc.). For this reason Group D is divided along the 55th parallel.

There are some complexities in how the data change over time which I will skip here (see the original paper). The point is, the zones do change significantly, with anthropogenic global warming being the primary cause. There is nothing particularly surprising in the results, but details can be important. Most importantly, the study also uses modeling to look at both past and future changes, and predicts an acceleration in change.

This graphic shows changes in climate types over the period 1950 to 2003 using one of the data sets (the data they chose for most of the analysis).

Linear trends in areas of 5 major climate types for 1950–2003

Tropical areas are expanding in space, moving north, and moving up in elevation. Not a lot, but a little. Why not a lot? The study does not say but I’ll guess. The tropical heat and moisture associated with this climate group are rapidly dispersed by air and water circulation systems and become part of the rest of the climate system quickly.

Arid and semi-arid areas (Group B) expand dramatically in area, and also move north and up hill. Why to they expand so much? There are probably two reasons. One is that more heat means more evaporation as well as more holding potential for water in the air. So ground moisture is sucked into the air at a greater rate, and stays there longer. Another (but closely related) reason may be the clumping of moisture we see in certain emerging weather patterns. Clumping means more arid conditions, even if that clumped water all falls eventually, on average, where it might have fallen anyway. A given amount of water falling uniformly in time and space across a region may provide a non-arid climate zone. The same amount of water falling non-uniformly in space, or especially, time, may result in a semi-arid zone.

Arid, semi-arid, subtropical Group B expands at the expense of Group C, while Group C is busy moving north but not up in elevation. The norther parts of Group D (ie, much of Canada) diminishes in area and moves north and uphill.

Group E, the cold bits, decline in area, move north, and retreat uphill.

The most important thing in this graphic is probably the expansion of Group B, where we can and do grow some food but under somewhat difficult conditions, and the loss of Group C area. The breadbasket, it is shrinking.

The paper concludes,

… major Köppen climate types since 1950 have occurred worldwide and are almost entirely attributed to the observed anthropogenic increase in greenhouse gas concentrations. Model runs project accelerating anthropogenic-induced major climate type changes in the next decades. As the Köppen climate classification links the Earth’s climates with the qualitative features of the vegetation, results here indicate that observed climate changes might already be causing significant impacts on vegetation in areas where the major climate class has changed, and model projections imply increasing future impacts.

This is a problem.

________
Map of Köppen Climate Classification from here.

from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1Fg7vp4