Climate Change Archives

Pacific Institute Report: Setbacks and Solutions of Water-Energy Clash in U.S. Intermountain West

November 15, 2011

At the forefront of a national trend, this region is already suffering from intense conflicts that willy only worsen with climate change and population growth. However, the report also highlights several ways to dramatically reduce the water requirements for electricity generation.

Eurobarometer Survey: Europeans Say Climate Change More Dire Than Economic Situation

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October 12, 2011

Just over half of respondents in the European Union's 27 member…

2011 is Record-setting Year for Climate Change: Ice Melts in Arctic, High Temps in U.S.

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September 20, 2011

A new study has revealed that ice volume in the Arctic Sea reached an all-time low in 2010. Meanwhile, in the United States, more high-temperature records have been set this summer than in any other year previously, as well as many regions that have broken rainfall and drought records.

Peter Gleick US Drought Monitor Texas Oklahoma Louisiana Alabama Tennessee Missouri

Peter Gleick: When Climate Changes Come and Water Policies Fail. Pray for Rain?

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September 20, 2011

Texans and the rest of the country are getting a preview of the future of water when national and local leadership on climate and water policies fails.

Water and Food Security: Somalia Famine Grows, Drought Could Ease

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September 7, 2011

Meteorologists are hopeful for future rainfall, though they say the current disaster was preventable. The lack of rain, which is also affecting neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, and political instability have tipped Somalia into a food crisis that could persist, even as drought conditions abate.

Watered Down: Hurricane Irene Renews Debates About U.S. Budget and Climate Change

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September 1, 2011

Hurricane Irene killed at least 40 people, caused billions of dollars in damages, and cut power to nearly 8 million homes and businesses as the storm moved from the Caribbean through the East Coast of the United States last week. But while financial analysts and members of Congress focus on who and how much to pay for recovery, climate experts are pointing out holes in the system.

Interactive Map: U.S. Cities Acting Now to Reduce Water Risk from Climate Change

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August 9, 2011

A report from the Natural Resources Defense Council describes water threats and adaptations in a dozen American cities.

Infographic: Wild Rice is Keystone Species for Upper Great Lakes Region

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August 5, 2011

Wild Rice is an aquatic grass that is harvested annually for…

Wild rice on the Bad River Reservation in northern Wisconsin is in the floating leaf stage by early June, with a single shoot lying on the water’s surface. This is considered one of the most critical—and and dangerous—stages in the rice’s life cycle. The plants are just beginning to change physiologically from exchanging gases with the water column to exchanging gases with the air. Therefore, they are very susceptible to heavy rains and flooding events that can either rip out the young plants by the roots, or drown them. June 6, 2011.

Where Food Grows on Water: Environmental and Human Threats to Wisconsin’s Wild Rice

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August 4, 2011

For generations, the upper Great Lakes region has boasted harvests of wild rice, growing in Lake Superior and other watersheds within the basin. But disease, dams, and climate change are now endangering the uncultivated bounty.

Coal Conversion in the Rust Belt: Will It Be a Diamond for Small Ohio River Town?

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July 29, 2011

An energy company has plans to withdraw water from the Ohio River, the potential site for a coal-to-liquid fuels conversion plant, which would be the first of its kind in the United States and the sixth in the world. Though it will bring jobs to the region, the proposal is facing strong opposition from environmental groups.