Anthropogenic Influence on Ecology

In the video above, Dr. Erle Ellis discusses mapping ecosystems in a new light; through the lens of  anthropogenic forces. For more information, visit the Labratory for Anthropogenic Landscape Ecology. The website includes:

• Information regarding the Anthromes Paradigm
• Maps
• Resources for Educators
• Resources for Researchers - Including Spatial Data

Dr. Peter Gleick: Climate Change is Happening

In the video above, Dr. Peter Gleick, of the Pacific Institute, discusses such topics as:

• The evidence for climate change
• Uncertainty regarding climate change
• The campaign against climate science
• The Future - will policymakers respond?
• Climate Science Education and The National Center for Science Education's initiative regarding climate change

Climate & Environment Cartoons!

Check out this Washington Post link for more cartoons about climate and the environment.

An Emerging Hockey Stick: Sea Level Rise

This video, which I first saw posted on Climate Denial Crock of the Week, discusses the emerging opinion that sea level rise is experiencing a sharp increase that is similar to the recent rise in temperatures (see the infamous "hockey stick" temperature graph below).

Similar to the recent rise of global average temperatures (see above), scientists are beginning to describe a sharp, "hockey stick"- like increase in sea level rise.

For more on sea level rise, check out this earlier post: The Rising Sea.

Climate vs. Weather

What is the difference between Climate and Weather? Simply put, climate is what you expect while weather is what you get. Although weather can vary quite frequently (and dramatically as we have seen this winter in New England) in the short term, clear long term climate trends can still be identified and investigated.

Check out the video above for an easy to understand explanation.

Teale Lecture: Moving Past Doubt: History, Truth, & Anthropogenic Climate Change

The Edwin Teale Lecture Series at UConn brings distinguished speakers to the university to speak on aspects of nature and the environment. In November, Dr. Naomi Oreskes, Professor of History and Science Studies at the Univeristy of California, San Diego gave a lecture entitled Moving Past Doubt: History, Truth, & Anthropogenic Climate Change which is now available online here.

Infographic: The 2011 Hurricane Season in Review

Suburbia and Climate Change

Back in December, The Atlantic Cities ran an article discussing the effects suburban settlement patterns has on climate change. The article, entitled The Missing Link of Climate Change: Single-Family Suburban Homes, discusses how smarter land use planning can drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions. Suburban developments are often built away from industrial and commercial centers, which creates the need to travel longer distances (compared to more mixed use or urban settlement patterns) for everything from commuting to work to buying groceries. As you can see in the chart above, energy use is much greater in suburban single family homes mainly due to transportation needs. The overarching message of the article may best be summarized by this excerpt:

...what if we could also simply reduce the miles people drive by in a sense pushing their many destinations closer together?