Climate risk missing in polar vortex reporting » Yale Climate Connections

Needed: Reporting on climate risks from polar vortex The late January deep freeze across much of the U.S. offers a valuable 'teachable moment' for media: Polar vortex heightens risks from climate change.



Americans watched toward the end of January as winter storm Jayden plunged much of the country (including parts of the Midwest where I live) to record-breaking low temperatures.

The extreme cold upended daily life, closed schools and universities, and disrupted mail service in 10 states and air travel around the country. Meanwhile, Australia experienced its hottest January on record.

NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument captures a polar vortex moving from Central Canada into the U.S. Midwest from January 20 through January 29. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech AIRS Project)

Climate risk missing in polar vortex reporting » Yale Climate Connections

Plummeting insect numbers 'threaten collapse of nature' | Environment | The Guardian

The world’s insects are hurtling down the path to extinction, threatening a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems”, according to the first global scientific review.



More than 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered, the analysis found. The rate of extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. The total mass of insects is falling by a precipitous 2.5% a year, according to the best data available, suggesting they could vanish within a century.

 The rate of insect extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. Photograph: Courtesy of Entomologisher Verein Krefeld

Plummeting insect numbers 'threaten collapse of nature' | Environment | The Guardian

Adrian is Back on the Map to Monitor Air Pollution from Particulate Matter PM2.5

Adrian is back on the map to monitor air pollution from particulate matter PM2.5.
https://www.purpleair.com/map#7.19/42.453/-84.267

Tonight’s Show at the Environmental Documentary Series is “Eating Animals”

Tonight’s Show is “Eating Animals”.

http://sustainability.sienaheights.edu/environmental-documentaries.html

Animated Map: The Heartbeat of Nature's Productivity

Even the most ferocious predator must rely on simple plants for vitality. That’s because without the conversion of carbon dioxide to organic compounds, entire food chains would cease to exist.



Photosynthesis is quite the catalyst for life, yet it’s easy to overlook this humble chemical process. But what if you could see its results scaled across the globe?



THE PULSE OF NATURE







Animated Map: The Heartbeat of Nature's Productivity

Fracking, "safe" setback distances around drilling sites and health risks in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania – SkyTruth

Fracking, "safe" setback distances around drilling sites and health risks
Mapping potential “drill out” scenarios in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania – SkyTruth

Mapping potential “drill out” scenarios in Allegheny County, Pennsylvani

Mapping potential “drill out” scenarios in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania – SkyTruth

10 Reasons to Feel Hopeful About Climate Change in 2019 | Sierra Club

In 2018, hurricanes, floods, fires, and droughts wreaked a level of destruction on the planet that, according to scientists, is just a taste of what is to come. In October, the International Panel on Climate Change issued a report stating that we have about 12 years to avoid catastrophic climate change. Meanwhile, global greenhouse gas emissions reached a record high in 2018. So is it still reasonable to hope that we can wean ourselves off fossil fuels in time to avert global calamity?

SUNRISE MOVEMENT PROTEST INSIDE THE OFFICE OF REPRESENTATIVE NANCY PELOSI | PHOTO BY MICHAEL BROCHSTEIN/SIPA USA (SIPA VIA AP IMAGES)

10 Reasons to Feel Hopeful About Climate Change in 2019 | Sierra Club