The Green Grok Blogs on Oceans
To Geo-engineer or Not to Geo-engineer
by Bill ChameidesJun 24, 2009
filed under: fossil fuels, greenhouse gas emissions, geo-engineering, climate change, oceans, phytoplankton, global warming, ocean acidification, science, carbon dioxide emissions
Imagine tinkering with the climate system to cancel out global warming — the stuff of mad scientists or global saviors?
Day After Tomorrow Not Any Time Soon
by Bill ChameidesJun 03, 2009
filed under: abrupt climate change, climate, Geophysical Research Letters, oceans, Pulse of the Planet, ice, research, ice sheets, ice age, Younger-Dryas, climate disruption, Amy Bower, climate change, Susan Lozier, science
Model simulations predict a global warming-induced ice age is not in the cards this century. Cool ... or should I say, "Neat"?
Two Bits of Good News on the Climate Front
by Bill ChameidesMay 27, 2009
filed under: Caribbean, climate change, oceans, American Samoa, global warming, coral reefs, United States, paper, ocean acidification, climate disruption, science, carbon dioxide emissions, research
Some encouraging developments: lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and a chance for coral reefs.
Deep Ocean Revisions Do Not Spell Global Warming Rethink
by Bill ChameidesMay 20, 2009
filed under: climate, climate change, oceans, Pulse of the Planet, global warming, research, science
A new paper suggests that our model for the circulation of the deep ocean may be wrong. But claims that all global warming science should therefore be thrown overboard just don’t hold water.
Staring Down the Double-Barrel Climate Shotgun
by Bill ChameidesApr 29, 2009
filed under: wetlands, climate change, oceans, Pulse of the Planet, global warming, research, climate disruption, science, carbon dioxide emissions, permafrost, methane
Surprises in the climate system can very quickly make global warming a whole lot worse than predicted. One such surprise could come from a sudden release of methane, from one or both of two major sources. Thanks to a new paper, we probably know which barrel of that double-barrel shotgun to worry about first.
Statistically Speaking: How Much Exxon Valdez Oil Remains?
by Bill ChameidesMar 20, 2009
filed under: crude oil, wildlife, oil, Statistically Speaking, fish, oceans, Exxon Valdez, oil spill, birds
Oil from the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill continues to threaten wildlife and fish in the Prince William Sound ecosystem (see our post from Wednesday). But how much oil is left?
Exxon Valdez 20 Years Later
by Bill ChameidesMar 18, 2009
filed under: oil, waste, oil company, oil spill, oceans, Exxon Valdez, Prince William Sound, ecosystems, fossil fuels, pollution
Prince William Sound, 2009. Pictures of picturesque beaches and icy-blue waters might suggest that the effects of the 1989 oil spill are long gone. Dig a little deeper, and a very different picture emerges.
Update: Thinner Shells Put Ocean on Thin Ice
by Bill ChameidesMar 12, 2009
filed under: climate change, fish, oceans, global warming, ocean acidification, carbon, carbon dioxide emissions, seafood
Some argue that more carbon dioxide is a “good thing.” I guess they just can’t get their minds around the whole climate change thing. OK, but what about ocean acidification? If you like seafood, ocean acidification is definitely not a good thing.
Obama: The Environmental President?
by Bill ChameidesJan 21, 2009
filed under: cap and trade, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Fish & Wildlife Service, Diane Feinstein, water pollution, Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Clean Air Act (1990), air quality, legislation, Clean Water Act, National Park Service, Kyoto Protocol, Clean Air Act, Abraham Lincoln, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, oceans, global warming, Barack Obama, Endangered Species Act, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, air pollution, Woodrow Wilson, Montreal Protocol, George W. Bush, Environmental Protection Agency, Yosemite
It's official: there's a new U.S. president. Will Barack Obama be able to advance an environmental agenda? If so, he will have distinguished himself from Democratic administrations that promised a lot but delivered little on the environment.
See also comments on Huffington Post (36)
Globe Trotters: Trash Mars a Monument and a Rare Bird Visits Texas
by Bill ChameidesJan 13, 2009
filed under: animals, oceans, pine flycatcher, plastic, Northwest Hawaiian Island Marine Monument, trash, birds, Texas, pollution
They say it’s a small world. Apparently if you are a bird or a bunch of trash that is the case.
President Bush Enhances His Environmental Legacy
by Bill ChameidesJan 06, 2009
filed under: Pacific Ocean, animals, oceans, coral reefs, Line Islands, Northwest Hawaiian Island Marine Monument, Rose Atoll, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Mariana Trench
Today President Bush adds a triumvirate to his environmental legacy - the establishment of three new national marine monuments in the Pacific Ocean. Despite the rest of his environmental record, Bush should be credited for these green jewels.
As the World Turned: Environmental News During the Holidays
by Bill ChameidesJan 05, 2009
filed under: oceans, animals, air pollution, Clean Air Interstate Rule, global warming, moon, coal, global economy, China, Apollo 8, Wall Street Journal, sulfur oxide, octopus, nitrogen oxides
Welcome back. Here's a quick review of what happened while we were celebrating the holiday season with family and friends.
News Flash: Two Stellar Appointments by Obama
by Bill ChameidesDec 19, 2008
filed under: John Holdren, climate change, energy, oceans, Barack Obama, Jane Lubchenco, science, policy, politics
The unofficial word is that President-elect Obama will announce two stellar science appointments today. John Holdren of Harvard University and the Woods Hole Research Center is his pick for White House science adviser, and Jane Lubchenco of Oregon State University has been selected to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Pulse of the Planet: Ocean Acidification Faster Sooner
by Bill ChameidesDec 11, 2008
filed under: oceans, phytoplankton, fish, calcifier, Pulse of the Planet, global warming, research, ocean acidification, science, carbon dioxide emissions
Regardless of your stance on global warming, you should be worried about a related problem: ocean acidification. You don’t need a climate model to know this is serious, especially if you like -- or depend on -- seafood. Two new papers explore just how serious.
Pulse of the Planet: Wait a Second Before You Bite Into That Tuna Sandwich
by Bill ChameidesNov 03, 2008
filed under: oceans, food, pulse of the planet, fish, catch limits, Pulse of the Planet, sustainability, science, tuna, overfishing
Many of us love bluefin tuna – think sushi and sashimi – a fish so in demand that just one can fetch upwards of $10,000. But there are reasons to think twice about eating it. Mercury contamination is one. Another is declining numbers. For 40 years, despite catch regulations, Atlantic bluefin tuna populations have declined precipitously. Some estimates show western Atlantic bluefin tuna down by 90 percent from preindustrial levels. Overfishing may have already pushed bluefin beyond the brink of return. What’s gone wrong?
Mercury: A Persistent Toxin
by Bill ChameidesOct 29, 2008
filed under: mercury, Clean Air Act, animals, air pollution, food, fish, oceans, mercury contamination, pollution
Mercury poisoning has a long history. The phrase "mad as a hatter" (circa 1830s) derives from the slurred speech, tremors and other neurological symptoms displayed by the day's hatmakers – maladies caused by long-term exposure to mercury used in hat-making. Today, the highly toxic metal continues to plague us, and new studies indicate even very low doses of mercury can be risky. But there's at least one way we can safeguard against it – remember, you are what you eat.
Pulse of the Planet: An Unexpected Impact of Global Warming
by Bill ChameidesOct 06, 2008
filed under: sound, ocean noise, climate change, oceans, Pulse of the Planet, global warming, ocean acidification, pulse of the planet
Global warming is going to make the ocean noisier. So says Peter Hester and colleagues from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Is that possible? And should we care? Yes to the first, and yes to the second – at least if you are a fish or marine mammal.
Pulse of the Planet: Are Hurricanes Growing Stronger?
by Bill ChameidesSep 08, 2008
filed under: climate change, oceans, Pulse of the Planet, global warming, pulse of the planet, hurricanes
The Atlantic hurricane season is heating up. Is it just another season or part of a worsening trend caused by global warming? A new study adds a twist to the scientific debate.
Huffington Post Comments (9)
Statistical Grok: Weighing Salmon Statistics
by Bill ChameidesAug 08, 2008
filed under: animals, Statistically Speaking, fish, oceans, salmon, food, statistically speaking
As summer gets into full swing and recreational chefs fire up grills, turning plots of land into backyard bistros, chances are high that salmon is on the menu. If so, here are some facts to sink your teeth into before purchasing that salmon steak or fillet –- facts that carry environmental weight.
Statistical Grok: Trash Talk Or a Look at Plastic Waste
by Wendy Graber and Erica RowellAug 01, 2008
filed under: Statistically Speaking, oceans, plastic, statistically speaking, trash, plastics, trash, pollution
"Just one word. … Plastics." This classic line predicting the rise of an industry from director Mike Nichols's The Graduate was prescient. Consider the increased use of plastic since the film's 1967 release. From DVDs and prepackaged foods to that iced coffee to-go (right down to the straw) and the ubiquitous water bottle toted by so many Americans, plastic is pervasive and it's wreaking havoc on our environment. You know what happens to the stuff when we're done with it?
