Canada's permafrost problem
Climate and energy news
Greenland melt may have pushed sea level six
meters higher in the past
New research suggests that the time frame for severe retreat
of the Greenland ice sheet is thousands rather than hundreds of
years. But the tipping point at which the loss of ice from
Greenland becomes irreversible may be only a few degrees above
current temperatures, researchers say.
Fake snow on ski slopes as Australia debates
climate change
A video report from Australia’s ski industry, which faces an
uncertain future as the planet warms. The BBC takes a wider look at
the climate impacts that are affecting the country, even as
Australian politicians express doubts about the science of climate
change.
National Grid chief calls for more interconnectors
to UK
National Grid has said that adding more interconnectors
between the UK and continental Europe could cut the cost of power
significantly. The UK currently has four such interconnectors –
linking France, the Netherlands, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Links to Norway, Belgium and Denmark are being considered. Better
interconnection allows power to be more effectively shared across
Europe.
Wastewater from energy extraction ‘triggers US
quake surge’
Massive injections of wastewater from the oil and gas
industry are likely to have triggered a sharp rise in small
earthquakes in the state of Oklahoma, the BBC reports.
UK climate change policies have not harmed
economy, report says
The UK’s climate change policies have not damaged business
competitiveness, according to a new report from the Grantham
Research Institute. Carbon prices have not been high enough to
detect ‘re-location’ of firms from the UK, it
concludes.
‘Smart meters’to be put in every British home
despite fears they may not work
The government scheme to roll out smart meters gets under
way this week. They should cut energy use – although they get a
hostile reception from the Telegraph, which warns that energy
savings may not be as large as expected, and that the smart meters
may pose a “cyber-security” risk. The Mail carries a
very similar story.
Climate and energy comment
Lord Lawson, the climate and the BBC: who’s the
real expert?
Andrew Lilico argues that Nigel Lawson’s minority viewpoint
on the science of climate change doesn’t mean he shouldn’t opine
about it, because he is an expert in policy. Lilico appears to
believe that Lawson doesn’t engage in debate about the science of
climate change when he appears in the media, and hence has more
expertise to offer than climate scientists in the area.
New climate science
Winter and spring controls on the summer food web
of the coastal West Antarctic Peninsula
A long-term study of the links between climate and marine
life along the rapidly warming West Antarctic Peninsula reveals how
changes in wind speed and sea-ice cover send ripples up the food
chain, with impacts on everything from single-celled algae to
penguins.
The IPCC and treatment of uncertainties: topics
and sources of dissensus
The UN’s official climate assessment body – the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – gives authors a
guidance note to help them express uncertainty in a way that is
helpful when communicating the findings to non-scientists. But some
authors are concerned about whether the IPCC’s approach is the most
helpful for informing policy. A new study looks at the arguments
for and against.
Bioenergy and climate change mitigation: an
assessment
Bioenergy together with carbon capture technology could help
keep global warming below 2° degrees above preindustrial levels,
according to the latest IPCC report. But rolling out bioenergy in
such a big way could also lead to detrimental climate effects,
negatively impact ecosystems, biodiversity and livelihoods. A new
paper explores the opportunities and the risks.