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Draining the World of Fresh Water
Draining the World of Fresh Water Two recent studies show human activity is drying up the planet’s lakes, rivers and aquifers. Efficient irrigation systems have not conserved water but encouraged the expansion of irrigated land, resulting in more havoc with the global water system. Image via Shutterstock. “When you drink the water, remember the spring.” — […]
Getting to the other side of the biodiversity crisis
Getting to the other side of the biodiversity crisis A 4-pronged strategy can turn the tide of species extinction. Source: Shutterstock/Open Art Unless you’ve been hibernating, you know that planet Earth is in the midst of a full-blown, global-scale biodiversity crisis. Biodiversity refers to the total number of organisms across the planet that are present […]
Flooding in Central Asia and southern Russia kills scores and forces tens of thousands to evacuate to higher ground
Flooding in Central Asia and southern Russia kills scores and forces tens of thousands to evacuate to higher ground Unusually heavy seasonal rains have left a vast swath of southern Russia and Central Asia reeling from floods, with dozens of people dead in Afghanistan and Pakistan and tens of thousands forced to flee their homes in […]
A Blameless Explanation of Why Everything is Falling Apart, for Schoolkids
A Blameless Explanation of Why Everything is Falling Apart, for Schoolkids If I were invited to talk to a group of students (of any age) today, to explain why everything seems to be hopeless and falling apart, this is what I think I would tell them. When I was young and idealistic, back in the […]
Heatwave updates: IMD issues warning for Mumbai, Bengal, Goa; respite for Delhi-NCR
Heatwave updates: IMD issues warning for Mumbai, Bengal, Goa; respite for Delhi-NCR Weather updates on April 16: The IMD issued a heatwave warning for multiple states, including cities in Maharashtra, Goa, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave warning for multiple states across India including Maharashtra, North Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana […]
More climate-warming methane leaks into the atmosphere than ever gets reported – here’s how satellites can find the leaks and avoid wasting a valuable resource
More climate-warming methane leaks into the atmosphere than ever gets reported – here’s how satellites can find the leaks and avoid wasting a valuable resource Far more methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is being released from landfills and oil and gas operations around the world than governments realized, recent airborne and satellite surveys show. That’s a problem for the climate as […]
Humans: the Movie
Humans: the Movie What follows is a story involving a movie watched by animals. The pacing of the movie to be described might seem like a very odd choice, but it simply mirrors the pacing of human life on the planet. A vivid visual imagination on your part will help to bring the story to […]
The longest — and probably largest — proof of our current climate catastrophe ever caught on camera.
The longest — and probably largest — proof of our current climate catastrophe ever caught on camera. It was the largest such event ever filmed. Exposure Labs Photographer James Balog and his crew were hanging out near a glacier when their camera captured something extraordinary. They were in Greenland, gathering footage from the time-lapse they’d […]
Predicting the Future: How Good is the “Earth4All” Model?
Predicting the Future: How Good is the “Earth4All” Model? Jorgen Randers, one of the original authors of the first report to the Club of Rome, “The Limits to Growth,” of 1972. Now, he is one of the main authors of the new report to the Club, “Earth for All” This post is not meant to […]
On the Move
‘On the Move’ examines how climate change will alter where people live Abrahm Lustgarten zooms in on how global warming will affect the United States As the risk of wildfires grows in the American West (the 2020 Blue Ridge Fire in California, shown), some residents may look for other places to live. DAVID MCNEW/GETTY IMAGES […]
“Live Fast, Die Young”: USDA Shifts Plant Hardiness Zones
“Live Fast, Die Young”: USDA Shifts Plant Hardiness Zones Draft script: Here’s the final sentence of the first paragraph in an article released by yahoo.com on 14 February 2024: “The USDA just updated its plant hardiness zone map for the first time since 2012, and there have been some major changes.” In other words, the United […]
What Optimism and Pessimism Are in the 21st Century, a Reflection on “Are We Doomed?,” And Two Narratives of the Human Journey
What Optimism and Pessimism Are in the 21st Century, a Reflection on “Are We Doomed?,” And Two Narratives of the Human Journey Quick Links and Fresh Thinking ‘Things I’m ashamed to admit’: TikTok trend driving new level of oversharing (The Guardian) How the Ray-Ban Wayfarer became the accessory of choice for the men-children of the […]
Did UAE’s Cloud-Seeding Operation Flood Dubai?
Did UAE’s Cloud-Seeding Operation Flood Dubai? How it started with UAE’s cloud seeding operations: How it’s going: Not so well… All inbound flights to Dubai International Airport were diverted on Tuesday evening. “It’s certainly not just cloud seeding. The convective clouds that are associated with the sorts of stormy weather we’re facing form entirely naturally,” UAE news website What’s […]
Water in Texas: A Window Into Water Problems Across the US
Water in Texas: A Window Into Water Problems Across the US Humans cannot live without water, yet many of us take for granted that water is readily available. As more people move to cities, adding to already crowded populations, the availability of potable water isn’t a given any longer. While this planet has plenty of […]
