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THE WITNESS
A new study suggests that global warming could increase thunderstorms in the Southeast
A new study from NASA suggests that global warming could increase the number of violent, damaging thunderstorms that strike the U.S., particularly in the Southeast, which could see a 100 % increase in the number of days with thunderstorms. Continue reading
Originally posted to Grist. By Philip Bump.
This image sums up 2012, temperature-wise.
Nowhere on the surface of the planet have we seen any record cold temperatures over the course of the year so far. Every land surface in the world saw warmer-than-average temperatures except Alaska and the eastern tip of Russia. The continental United States has been blanketed with record warmth — and the seas just off the East Coast have been much warmer than average, for which Sandy sends her thanks. Continue reading
People in the Midwest sure haven’t seen any rain in a while, and the economic consequences have already begun to ripple. Despite reports that climate scientists expect drought conditions to level off in the coming weeks, it’s a little too late for Midwestern farmers who have already seen major crop losses. We traveled to the regions of Iowa and Illinois to capture what people were seeing out there.
Extreme weather events such as the drought are likely to become more frequent and more severe due to climate change, according to recent scientific reports. We all feel the impacts of climate change, and we can all do something about it. We traveled to the top of the world this summer to document the impact of global warming in the Arctic and provide evidence to Shell Oil about what’s at stake in that pristine environment.
When we leave dirty energy like oil behind and start taking steps to clean, renewable energy, we can combat climate change and lessen its impact on all of us. Join us now in our fight to save the Arctic and provide a sustainable future for all of us.
The darker the color, the more extreme the difference between 1981-2010 average temperatures
I doubt this news comes as a surprise to any of you as the majority of America experienced sweltering temperatures this summer along with extreme weather events including the drought gripping middle America. But just so we’re clear, this summer was officially hot.
July marks the hottest summer ever recorded with the average temperature sitting at 77.6°F, 3.3°F above the 20th century average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The previous hottest month was recorded during the Dust Bowl in 1936.
Is it time we did something about climate change?
Corn withers in a field in Temple Mills, Iowa
When it rains, it pours with not a drop in between. We’ve seen weather swinging on a pendulum of extremities this summer including recent fatal floods in the Philippines to more than half of the U.S. facing a historic drought from which ripple effects could be felt for months.
Among these ripple effects are a major spike in food prices. (For those on food stamps, even a slight increase can make a big difference and that program could face serious cuts according to the latest House Farm Bill). And what crop is most at threat due to this historic drought? Corn, but not only because of its demand as a food source and livestock feed. Forty percent of corn is used for ethanol in fuel due to the Renewable Fuel Standard which mandates a certain amount of U.S. biofuel production. That 40 percent is therefore removed from the food supply.
Not only does this mandate contribute to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, it also causes food prices to rise in good conditions. Unfortunately, we can expect to see more from this extreme-weather pendulum, and in that case, it’s high time for the EPA to rethink the Renewable Fuel Standard.
And while we’re at it, it’s high time our leaders start taking climate change seriously.
Two dead and at least 300,000 residents of New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania are without power after another powerful storm ripped through the states Thursday. Meanwhile, more than 60 percent of the U.S. battles an extreme drought threatening to raise food prices and a massive wildfire left Colorado with burn scars visible from space.
Although we’ve all experienced severe thunderstorms and stints with lack of rain, this has been a summer of extremities. Climate scientists called this most recent storm, and the one in late June that left millions of Mid-Atlantic residents without power, a derecho. This powerful storm should occur once approximately every four years. We’ve already had two within a month, both with rare severity and damage.
Although our earth is prone to natural variances, we’re witnessing more of these individual events all of which are part of a larger trend. Although extreme weather can be driven by a variety of factors, global warming has set the table for these kind of damaging weather events.
However, it’s not too late to do something before we’re completely at the mercy of dangerous elements. Greenpeace ships are deep in the Arctic seas now, collecting evidence on melting ice caps and raising awareness on the threat of Shell drilling for an inconsequential amount of oil in this critical ecosystem.
Learn more about what they’re finding and take action with us.
Are you hoping for rain in the Midwest? Are you sweating without power? Tell us your stories below and share your extreme weather pictures on our Facebook page or email us at weatherphotos.us@greenpeace.org.